News
marzo 2020
London GM creates ‘proper restaurant’ that works for everyone
GOSTELOW REPORT—“You must have life on the first floor of a hotel. Restaurants and bars that are upstairs do not work,” says Stuart más...
How owners, operators can mitigate risk amid virus disruption
As an industry focused on serving the needs of travelers from varied and often distant locales, in facilities that see significant daily guest turnover más...
COVID-19 roundup: Italy limits travel; hotel stocks, bookings down
WTO — decrease in 2020: The U.N. World Tourism Organization has revised its 2020 prospects for international tourist arrivals to a negative growth más...
Briefs: Vibe in big sale | Chinese purchase nixed
U.S. nixes China tech investment: The Trump administration ordered Chinese company Beijing Shiji Information Technology to separate itself from StayNTouch más...
COVID-19: Keep calm and review your insurance
While every business is concerned with the safety of its workers and customers as coronavirus continues to spread in China and internationally, the hospitality más...
Zero waste: Repurpose and upcycle; shrink your discard pile
Zero waste might not be a reality yet in hospitality, but many hotels are taking steps to lower their carbon footprint through a mix of strategies, from más...
Briefs: Virus update | Salamander in D.C.?
Salamander’s Johnson eyeing D.C. Trump Hotel: Sheila Johnson, owner of luxury resorts and the Washington Mystics WNBA team, is rumored to be among más...
Are guests ready for biometrics?
What if I told you that, in the (very) near future, mobile check-in would be replaced by something far more futuristic? If, instead of the quick tap of más...
Take note: Podcast of substance; Brexit’s knock-on effect
Substance matters: There is so much vapid promotional material on the web and, yes, sorry, hotel companies are responsible for some of the Pablum on Instagram más...
Briefs: We’re still traveling | Xenia sells Kimptons
Coronavirus isn’t stopping majority from traveling: Some 86% of travelers are concerned about coronavirus, but more — 89% — are going más...
Keeping Marriott’s luxury F&B fresh, relevant
Hurricane damage at two Ritz-Carltons provided an opening for David Murphy, Marriott International’s global president of food and beverage development más...
Next-gen guests drive these menu trends
Beyond the looks and design of Marriott International’s luxury F&B spaces (see related story), what’s on the plate and in the glass are más...
Capella relaunches its Patina brand in Maldives
Singapore's Pontiac Land announced on Tuesday that part of its offering at the new Fari Islands resort complex in the Maldives would be a Patina Hotels más...
Briefs: Arnault + Ritz? | Kempinski update
AH&LA stresses coronavirus precautions: Speaking at a joint press conference earlier this week, American Hotel & Lodging Association president más...
Aman launches Janu, sister brand in luxury space
Aman is not a hotel company that trots out new brands very often, but after more than two years of work, it has launched a sister luxury brand called más...
People on the move: IHG, Oetker, Benchmark
IHG strengthened its Americas senior leadership team by promoting from within, naming Jay Caiafa chief operating officer, Americas, and Brian Hicks senior más...
Briefs: Fari Islands to launch | Hyatt revises outlook
Fari Islands resort to launch by year-end: Fari Islands, set to open in an atoll on the Maldives in the fourth quarter, will encompass three luxury hotels más...
Viceroy CEO on his mantra, individuality – and pride, of course
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Rather than hosting influencers who post images of cocktails from the hotel bar, we prefer Influencers for Good,” says más...
Dangerous people and a Gen Z guide: February’s top 5 stories
The number one story of the past month addressed an issue that may be bedeviling your company without you even being aware of it. The problem, writes más...
Briefs: U.S. RevPAR up | Macau down
U.S. hotels registered January revenue gains: HotStats reports that U.S. hotels racked up year-over-year gains of 27% in RevPAR during January, thanks más...
Hong Kong dispatch: Shortages, closures and SARS flashbacks
Between ongoing political protests and the coronavirus outbreak, an optimist would say that Richard Hatter and his staff at the Hotel Icon in Hong Kong más...
Are you managing the financial impact of coronavirus?
Few industries are as likely to feel the impact of the coronavirus as quickly and strongly as travel-related businesses. Airlines, cruise ships más...
This hotel company goes public on its hygiene standards
While it’s safe to assume that many hotels, particularly in Asia, are taking extra precautions around the fast-moving coronavirus to keep customers más...
Briefs: Feuding billionaires | Hard Rock demolition delayed
Sell-offs, cancellations amid coronavirus: Las Vegas resort operators’ stock prices are plunging amid the global coronavirus sell-off. As of the más...
febrero 2020
Istanbul GM stays curious: ‘Every day brings something new’
Six Senses Kocatas Mansions on the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul is billed as “an urban resort where Asia meets Europe.” Fittingly, General más...
Take note: Home-sharing ideals; NYC real estate; ice machines
Model citizens? Interesting opinion piece about what home-sharing was meant to be versus what it has become, and the longing for the ideals it stood for más...
Briefs: CEO leaving Oetker | GBTA on potential travel losses
Marrenback going to Althoff: Oetker Collection, Baden-Baden, Germany, announced on Thursday that its longstanding CEO Frank Marrenbach has decided to más...
A brief (but useful) guide to millennials vs. Gen Z
David Stillman is a consultant on generational differences in workstyles and advises companies on how best to connect with millennials and Gen Z, the más...
Coronavirus spreads to hotels in Europe
Italian officials reported 11 deaths and 322 confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, 100 more than a day earlier. While the majority were concentrated más...
Marriott reports Q4, beats estimated EPS
Marriott International released profit numbers on Wednesday for fourth quarter 2019 that declined from the previous year, but it did beat analysts’ más...
Briefs: New STR data for Asia Pac | Centara adds brand
Early virus impact on regional outbound Chinese travel: Top Asia Pacific destinations for Mainland China outbound travelers continue to report a hotel más...
Radisson reinforces 5-year plan on track
Radisson Hotel Group’s five-year plan initiated in early 2018 and reinforced later that year when Shanghai’s Jin Jiang took a majority stake más...
People on the move: IHG, Meliá, Miraval
IHG appointed Daniel Blanchard chief technology officer. Blanchard has more than 25 years of experience in IT business management, strategy más...
Briefs: Luxe espionage in Beverly Hills? | Accor reports Q4
VIP espionage: The Peninsula Beverly Hills is alleging that the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills’ former general manager coordinated with a Peninsula más...
For Forbes’ Boyen, it’s all about the ‘why’ behind the stars
GOSTELOW REPORT—“As we all know, the biggest challenge in the entire hospitality industry is talent, and what I like most about our hoteliers más...
Getting your team to zero – waste, that is
Zero waste might not be a reality yet in hospitality, but many hotels are taking steps to lower their carbon footprint through a mix of strategies, from más...
Briefs: Virus ripples markets | Sustainable matters to travelers
Coronavirus rattles investors: U.S. and other world markets fell as investors sold stocks and headed for safer havens as coronavirus continued to spread más...
Are you taking the initiative to go zero-waste? Here’s how
Of all the headline-grabbing environmental concerns of recent years, zero waste arguably has captured the interest of hotel operators across the spectrum más...
MGM’s approach to sustainable events
Lots of hotels are using a mix of strategies to cut down on waste, and no area of the hotel is exempt. Take meeting planners: They are under the gun to más...
Briefs: Meliá fined | Park in US$90M D.C. sale
Weprin aims for Portland: Chicago hotel developer Ben Weprin, CEO of AJ Capital Partners, purchased the 1913 Troy Laundry building in Portland, Oregon más...
The most dangerous person in your organization
We all know the type: The hyper-competent person who always seems so well-organized. The one who arrives just a bit early for meetings. The one who brings más...
A project manager’s perspective on Macau’s COVID-19 crisis
Gert Noordzy has a first-hand view of how Macau is managing through its COVID-19 crisis, which has decimated hotel occupancies, closed schools and other más...
Take note: Oyo stumbles toward an IPO
Is Oyo the next WeWork? Oyo is learning that lightspeed growth is fraught with peril. The Indian budget hotel startup might be tapping the brakes on meteoric más...
Briefs: Lotte CEO out | Hilton’s Vegas play
MGM Resorts data breach: Personal details of more than 10.6 million former guests of MGM Resorts hotels were posted on an online hacking forum this week más...
Firmdale’s Kit Kemp on creating and selling a luxury experience
Kit Kemp believes experiences are an integral part of the surprise, fascination and fantasy of travel. To that end, along with husband-partner Tim Kemp más...
What inspires (and annoys) a design doyenne
Kit Kemp, designer and co-founder of London-based Firmdale, has some very specific approaches to hotel design, art and luxury, and those finely tuned más...
Briefs: Hong Kong’s plea | Radisson in India
Marriott statement on coronavirus: Marriott International released the following statement on coronavirus on Wednesday morning: “We are closely más...
People on the Move: Marriott, Loews, Kimpton
Marriott International appointed Jim Scholefield chief information and digital officer. He most recently was chief information and digital officer más...
Scandic taps economy segment with Go
Stockholm-based hotel company Scandic is launching Scandic Go, a slimmed-down economy brand with compact rooms and few shared spaces aimed at urban Nordic más...
Briefs: Choice, IHG results | Dream in Vegas
Choice’s solid 2019: Rockville, Maryland-based Choice Hotels International reported fourth-quarter and 2019 full-year results: Net income was US$42 más...
For this GM, life on the move is a family affair
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Having a 16-year-old daughter certainly helps me understand the world of teenagers,” says Angelica Palladino, general más...
Scanners, surgical masks: How one hotel is combatting coronavirus
Hang in there, Hong Kong: The city has been grappling for months with downturns triggered by political protests. Now, add to its list of woes another más...
COVID-19 update: UK quarantine hotel | Thailand, Singapore downturns
Quarantine hotel at Heathrow: The Heathrow Ariel, a Holiday Inn at London’s Heathrow airport, has been block-booked as a quarantine facility in más...
Briefs: Blackstone in India | JW to debut in Saudi
Spanish chains ignore Trump: Spanish hotel chains are planning to expand in Cuba despite orders from the U.S. State Department and President Donald Trump más...
Little near-term relief for Hong Kong
Hoteliers in Hong Kong, rocked by unprecedented protests, had little to cheer about this past holiday season. Most had a wish list that the protests would más...
Briefs: JV completes MGM deal | Miami wins Super Bowl
Blackstone JV completes MGM acquisition: MGM Resorts International, MGM Growth Properties LLC and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust on Friday announced más...
Meet the chef who feeds 8,500 people a day
On any given day, Anthony Mauboussin oversees thousands of meals served across the planet. As Viking Ocean Cruises’ director of culinary operations más...
Take note: COVID-19’s global impact; 3-D’s emergence
Searching for the end: With the coronavirus reclassified as COVID-19 and a change in the clinical diagnosis causing an increase in the number of confirmed más...
Briefs: MGM’s Murren out | Wyndham reports
MGM chairman to step down: MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren told the company’s board that he is stepping down, prior to his contract ending más...
For 21c, expansion is an art, with Accor as patron
Entering the just-opened 21c Museum Hotel in Chicago, it’s clear that the front desk plays second fiddle to the life-size sculpture of a bison and más...
For 21c, art isn’t just experience, it’s the business model
21c Museum Hotel properties are just as much museum as they are hotel, emphasizes co-founder Steve Wilson, in Chicago recently with CEO Craig Greenberg más...
Briefs: Sheraton Kona rebrands | Friends with Benny
Friends with recommendations: A new invitation-only app called Benny allows individuals to serve as hotel agents for friends and family, giving them recommendations más...
People on the move: Marriott, Six Senses, Sofitel
Neal Jones is Marriott International’s chief sales and marketing officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Jones began his career at Marriott más...
Hilton earnings overshadowed by coronavirus
Under other circumstances, Hilton’s quarterly earnings announcement would have touched on trade issues with China and protests in Hong Kong as having más...
Briefs: Google pressured in EU | Free beer brand in Japan
Google unfair? Some 40 companies and trade bodies in nine EU countries, Switzerland and the United States, including eDreams Odigeo, Expedia and más...
Aiming for the ‘wow’ moment at Anantara Dubai
“Our welcome ambassador, Mara, definitely brings guests back – children especially rush in to see her,” says Jean-François Laurent más...
Kempinski CEO busy promoting a legend – and a new brand
Martin Smura was running through an airport while doing this interview, which should come as no surprise considering his new dual role as firefighter más...
Briefs: Minor strikes Gold | 3-D resort plan
Minor buys in Australia: Minor Hotel Group purchased the Gold Tower, a 22-story hotel property in Queensland, Australia’s Gold Coast. The 108-room más...
How art can help paint your brand picture
Creating an art program for your hotel goes beyond hanging pretty pictures. Executing an art program that works takes vision and planning. Some hotels más...
Arting it up? Here’s how to work with an artist
Chicago graffiti artist Asend worked with Hotel Chicago West Loop in its first mural commissions and recently won a competition to paint a four-story más...
Briefs: Coronavirus | Berlin record | U.S. index falls
Coronavirus update: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that one source of the coronavirus in Singapore appears to be a meeting held at the Grand Hyatt más...
Boston's Pyramid closes with new European partner
Driven by the desire to expand its management platform in Europe, Boston-based Pyramid Hotel Group on Thursday announced the close of a merger with London-based más...
What we’re reading: C-suite women; space economy; digital hotel
Culture shifting: Castell Project, a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in the hospitality industry, reported progress más...
Coronavirus update: 'Self-discipline' pact; show cancellations
Association move: China’s hotel industry association Wednesday released a “self-discipline” pact on epidemic prevention work amid the más...
Briefs: No Global Entry for NY | Hilton-Buzzfeed hookup
‘Travel should not be politicized’: In response to New York City’s enactment of a “green light law” that underlines its más...
Ditching plastic takes support from front to back
A concerted effort has been hitting the hotel industry of late in regards to reducing or eliminating plastic waste at properties. Some hotels are saying más...
Building sustainability into your supply chain
It’s one thing for hotels to go plastic-free (and yes, that’s a big thing). But a major part of a hotel’s sustainability play relates más...
Coronavirus update: Ships quarantined; Hong Leong statement
Cruises quarantined: Passengers and crew on two cruise ships in Asian waters were placed in quarantine Wednesday for China’s coronavirus. Carnival’s Princess más...
Briefs: Thailand investment | Meliá and U.S. sanctions
U.S. bans Meliá CEO: The CEO of Spain’s Meliá Hotels International, Gabriel Escarrer, has been banned from entering the United States más...
People on the move: Rosewood, Thompson, Hotel Bel-Air
Rosewood Hotel Group promoted Caroline MacDonald to group vice president of sales, distribution and business performance from vice president of global más...
Soul Community Planet: Peace, love and big plans
Ken Cruse says his new hotel concept has been built – not retrofitted – for people who truly value personal wellness, social good and the más...
Coronavirus update: Macau offline: potential US losses
Macau shutdown: Casinos in Macau are closing for 15 days to contain the spread of the coronoavirus, Bloomberg reported. The two-week shutdown in the Chinese más...
Briefs: Shelborne acquired | Israel arrivals
JV acquires Shelborne South Beach: A joint venture among King Street Real Estate GP, Westdale Properties and Cedar Capital Partners acquired the Shelborne más...
ALIS notebook: Outrigger, G6, Meyer Jabara, Wyndham
From the editor’s notebook: HOTELS Editor in Chief Jeff Weinstein sat down with big players at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles más...
Post-Brexit, this hotels chief has reason for optimism
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Until I became CEO I was really good at keeping in touch with people – Martin Skan, former owner of Chewton Glen Hampshire más...
Coronavirus news: Hyatt policy; Macau data; HK staffing
Hyatt, Shangri-La policies: Hyatt Hotels Corp. said it was extending its cancellation policy for Chinese travelers and hotels by nearly three weeks to más...
Briefs: Arbor acquires 12 | Accor in Dubai
Arbor acquires portfolio: Chicago-based hotel investment and management company Arbor Lodging Partners announced the acquisition of a 12-hotel portfolio más...
ALIS interviews: Hear from Loews, Aimbridge, Davidson
From the editor’s notebook: HOTELS Editor in Chief Jeff Weinstein sat down with big players at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles más...
Mergers, costs and a dumb question: January’s top 5 stories
If HOTELS most-read stories in January are any indication, our readers were all business coming back from the year-end holidays. The top story focused más...
Briefs: Coronavirus update | SLH luxury trends
SLH travel trends: Conscious luxury, dispersed hotels, wellness, “upskilling,” taking food back to basics, and destinations including Bhutan más...
enero 2020
5 ways to avoid food waste
Many hotels and resorts are taking innovative approaches to minimizing food waste, from tracking and weighing leftovers and trash to engineering their más...
What we’re reading: Innovative garden walk; calming room
Honest hotelkeeping: Stories similar to the raging fires in Australia, glaciers melting in Antarctica and travel’s impact on air quality due to más...
Briefs: Coronavirus clampdown | LVMH hotels chief?
Biz travel plunge: Multinational companies including Apple and Ford are suspending business trips to China amid concerns about the coronavirus, according más...
Hoteliers on the edge of their seats at ALIS
As the hotel community was arriving in fog-shrouded Los Angeles on Sunday, by late morning alerts were popping up on mobile phones about the tragic helicopter más...
GWS’ wellness trends: Sleep, sabbaticals, science
From sleeping differently to J-wellness, fertility to smarter aging, the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) has released its top 10 trends for 2020 in the US$4 más...
Briefs: Andrés in NYC | MENA’s rough year
Andrés adds F&B to Ritz-Carlton: Chef José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup and Flag Luxury Group announced that the chef’s más...
People on the move: First Hospitality, Virgin, Canyon Ranch
First Hospitality appointed David Duncan president and chief executive officer. Duncan has served as First Hospitality’s president since más...
ALIS roundup: U.S. outlook flat; Wyndham Garden’s Arbor
Wyndham Garden sprouts a prototype Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ Wyndham Garden brand introduced Arbor, what the company calls a cost-effective más...
Briefs: Europe’s stellar 2019 | Mondrian (half) sold
Coronavirus’ impact on tourism: Hong Kong plans to minimize cross-border travel between the city and mainland China as the new coronavirus continues más...
Budapest Kempinski honors a red-hot customer innovation
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Ladies in Red are a brand hallmark, and I was delighted to celebrate their 10th birthday during last week’s Hotel Investment más...
ALIS roundup: Brand news; short-term rentals; AH&LA foundation
Everybody’s breaking a record: Here’s a roundup of some of the news announced on Monday at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), más...
Aimbridge to join GHA loyalty program
The Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) announced that third-party hotel management company Aimbridge Hospitality will become a strategic partner through its más...
Choice introduces extended-stay Everhome brand
Choice Hotels International introduced Everhome Suites, a new-construction midscale extended-stay brand, and broke ground on the brand’s first hotel más...
Briefs: Caribbean records | Pebblebrook’s US$331M sale
Caribbean performance: The Caribbean hotel industry reported lower occupancy but record-breaking ADR and RevPAR in 2019, according to STR. Year over year más...
Hotels make progress in pay equity, but challenges remain
Closing the gender pay gap is a challenge for hospitality. In the managerial ranks, women have clustered in softer disciplines that don’t pay as más...
Taking a numbers approach to pay equity
Wharf Hotels in Hong Kong takes a numbers-based approach to achieving pay equity between men and women, says Jennifer Cronin, president of the chain, más...
Los Angeles tops in U.S. hotel construction pipeline
The city of Los Angeles has more hotel projects in its construction pipeline than any other market in the U.S., according to Lodging Econometrics. The más...
Briefs: Crown CEO out | Coronavirus spreads
Crown Resorts CEO out: Australia’s Crown Resorts Executive Chairman John Alexander will step down and be replaced as chairman by former senator más...
F&B operations weigh benefits of tackling food waste
Tackling food waste isn’t just good for the environment — it also drives cost-effective operations. More than a billion tons of food goes más...
What we’re reading: Stakeholder shift; the resort that didn’t happen
Tipping point? One of the more interesting discussions this week coming from the 3,000 political and business leaders attending the World Economic Forum más...
Briefs: New suite brand | Canyon Ranch CEO
IHG introduces traveler insights portal: IHG introduced the IHG Customer Insights Portal for large companies to manage corporate travel. It will launch más...
For hotels, GDPR means data management, retrofitting
Few regulatory events have roiled global business like the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Passed by the European Union in 2016, GDPR went más...
Sorenson on CNBC: ‘I feel good, I’m very optimistic’
Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson told the hosts of CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that he feels “great” after surgery in November más...
Briefs: Sabre in the cloud | Harrod’s hotel?
Google, Sabre hook up: Google Cloud joined forces with travel software and tech provide Sabre Corp. in a 10-year-strategic partnership to “enable más...
People on the move: IHG, Minor, St. Regis
Ahead of the March opening of its office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, IHG appointed leadership team members to support growth in the region. Leading IHG’s más...
He’s raising the bar on handcrafted cocktails
Rex Yuasa, recently named beverage supervisor at the US Grant, a Luxury Collection Hotel in San Diego, California, brings an artist’s eye and sensibilities más...
STR: U.S. hotels broke records in 2019, but growth slows
The U.S. hotel industry registered record-breaking performance levels during 2019 but its lowest growth rate in RevPAR since the current cycle began in más...
Briefs: London Ritz in play | Floating in Doha
Barclay brothers plan to sell London Ritz: According to the Financial Times, the billionaire Barclay brothers are in talks to sell the Ritz Hotel más...
So/Vienna GM leads ‘depressing’-to-dynamic brand shift
GOSTELOW REPORT—“A lifestyle leader must be prepared to be hands-on,” says Peter Katusak-Huzsvar, general manager of the 182-key So/Vienna más...
The worst question your restaurant manager can ask
Restaurant managers around the world ask this question a million times every day, in every language: “How is everything?” And yet it is the más...
Briefs: China crisis? | IHG office in Riyadh
China virus spreads: Chinese health authorities confirmed a total of more than 200 cases of a new Sars-like virus on Monday amid peak Lunar New Year holiday más...
How resort fee regulation could hit owner’s bottom line
Resort fees long have been an annoyance to guests, especially fees that include what used to be considered “free,” like WiFi and fitness center más...
Will OTAs change how they list hotels that charge fees?
Short of eliminating resort fees completely, a more serious impact on a hotel’s finances in the transparency debate could come from online travel más...
Briefs: Ace gets closure | IHG expands in Thailand
Ace finalizes ownership: Ace Hotel Group announced that it has finalized the consolidation of ownership for the company after years of legal disputes más...
Hilton launches Tempo for ‘modern achievers’
Travelers seeking to maintain a healthy work-life balance without breaking the bank represent the sweet spot for Hilton’s latest brand launch. Tempo más...
Is your asset sale-ready? How to prepare (Part 2)
What’s the best way to prepare your property for a sale? Being prepared eliminates surprises during the buyer’s due diligence process, smooths más...
What we’re reading: Hyatt in your Headspace; ‘lagom’ travel
Holistic Hyatt: With the wellness moving exploding, Hyatt Hotels Corp. continues to position itself as a devoted follower of the movement. This week, más...
Briefs: Caesars sells in Reno | PPHE gains in NYC
So to Sotogrande: Accor’s luxury, lifestyle brand So/ Hotels & Resorts, together with Sotogrande SA, the developer and creator of the namesake más...
Big data’s rise in investing
The proliferation of new data sets and the introduction of massive data migration capabilities are changing the way commercial real estate investors make más...
Is your asset sale-ready? How to prepare (Part 1)
Properly positioning your hotel asset before listing will eliminate surprises during the buyer’s due diligence process, provide for a smooth, trouble-free más...
Briefs: Impact of Australia fires | Hyatt's new zen partner
Sydney sub-markets suffer: Preliminary hotel performance data for December 2019 shows Sydney Drive Regional, a submarket within a two-hour-drive radius más...
People on the move: Rotana, Proper, Sonesta
Rotana Hotels & Resorts promoted Guy Hutchinson to permanent president and chief executive officer. Hutchinson has been acting CEO since más...
Seasons and seafood: Auberge chef adapts to East Coast
Trading her native California for the idyllic Connecticut countryside, Mayflower Inn & Spa’s executive chef Lacey Lou Franklin is new to the más...
Briefs: Big gaming deals | Worldhotels partners with Forbes
Gaming assets in demand: MGM Growth Properties (MGP) and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT) have entered into a definitive agreement to form más...
Get the picture? How The Betsy curates art programming
“Having permanent artworks plus constantly changing exhibitions probably helps repeats, as it definitely affects the experience for people staying más...
F&B veteran Koi debuts hotel on St. Kitts
Koi Hospitality Group of California, known for its restaurants, has opened its first hotel project, on the Caribbean island of St. Kitt’s. Koi Resort más...
Briefs: Rotana finalizes CEO choice | STR's China outlook
Hutchinson ensconced at Rotana: Abu Dhabi-based management company Rotana said that Guy Hutchinson, acting chief executive officer since January más...
Deal or no deal? Investors, lenders ready for acquisitions
Recession. It’s the word on everyone’s mind as the United States hotel industry heads into a new year. Expert opinions on whether the downturn más...
Looking ahead in 2020: Owners, investors at odds
What does this year’s acquisition environment mean for the year ahead? While some owners say they will complete more deals in 2020, investors are más...
Briefs: Happy Christmas, London | Rebrand in Singapore
Virgin deal falls through: According to Bisnow, Virgin Hotels is no longer planning to bring its brand to Washington, D.C., a deal it announced in más...
Why it’s getting more expensive to run your hotel
Running a profitable hotel is difficult work, made harder when contending with unavoidable expenses. Turns out, those pesky costs are increasing globally más...
What we’re reading: Google’s hotel move; slow it down
Looming giant: Google is moving deeper and deeper into the hotel space, further threatening OTAs and likely leading to higher costs for keyword buyers más...
Briefs: Reunion for Radisson | Trump D.C. sale set?
Radisson in Reunion: Radisson Hotel Group signed the Radisson Hotel Saint Denis in Reunion Island, bringing its Indian Ocean portfolio to seven hotels más...
Shaner capitalizes on unbranded Europe
Plato Ghinos, president, Shaner Hotel Group, is taking advantage of what he and his colleagues call a lack of quality, branded product in Italy and Greece más...
Openings: Thompson in D.C.; Dorsett’s J-Hotel brand debuts
Thompson heads to the capital: Hyatt lifestyle brand Thompson has opened its first property in Washington, D.C., in the Navy Yard neighborhood, paired más...
Briefs: Union's new fund | Aussie eco-lodge destroyed
Union Investment’s new fund: Union Investment, Hamburg, Germany, has agreed to acquire two planned hotel properties in Kraków and Katowice más...
Waldorf Astoria chef follows dad’s footsteps – and leads on sustainability
Hermann Schaefer’s father went all-in on sustainability at his Austrian winery 50 years ago, long before the environment and its future shouted más...
People on the move: Kimpton, Fairmont, Six Senses
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants appointed Cheryl Martin general manager and Megan Coccitto director of sales and marketing of Kimpton más...
Briefs: IHCL wins palace | Big 2020 deal volume for London?
Palace property for IHCL: Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL), has added the Fateh Prakash Palace within the historic City Palace on the shores of Lake más...
Pan Pacific CEO balances growth, labor challenges
GOSTELOW REPORT—“To manage Singapore’s tight labor situation, we are streamlining work processes to be more productive,” says más...
Covivio's 8-hotel deal adds to Minor portfolio
Covivio SA said Monday that it has signed a deal to acquire from Värde Partners eight hotels across Europe for approximately US$639 million, while más...
Briefs: Tragedy in Black Forest | J Collection debuts
Historic German hotel destroyed: A fire has destroyed much of a 5-star Black Forest hotel in Germany, which is home to acclaimed and Michelin star más...
How Aimbridge-Interstate merger will change competition
When Aimbridge Hospitality closed in October on the acquisition of its main competitor, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, it was easy to compare that situation más...
In talent retention game, scale matters: Aimbridge
Dave Johnson, CEO of Aimbridge Hospitality, which in 2019 closed on the acquisition of competitor Interstate Hotels & Resorts, believes it’s más...
Briefs: Scathing report on Oyo | Interest in Trump DC?
NYT takes Oyo to task: The New York Times has published a scathing report about India-based budget brand start-up Oyo, stating the company was built on más...
What we’re reading: Tough lessons from a luggage company
The consequence of a toxic culture: Hey, happy new year! If you need inspiration for resolutions, take a look at The Verge’s piece on Away – más...
Briefs: India's Park filing IPO | US, Europe performance
India’s Park seeks IPO: Mumbai-based Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd., which operates luxury boutique hotels under The Park brand (22 hotels más...
Turning locals into fans, and employees into experts, in Rio
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Re-branding a hotel is certainly more complicated when there are prolonged legal challenges,” admits Netto Moreira más...
For Margaritaville, executing on F&B is key
Margaritaville Holdings was inspired by a song about a drink, after all, and John Cohlan, co-founder and CEO of the Palm Beach, Florida-based company más...
Briefs: Trafficking lawsuits
Companies sued: Hilton, Choice Hotels International and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts are being sued separately by three women who say the companies have más...
Best of 2019: HOTELS top 10 stories for the year
Women in hospitality, resort fees, a CEO’s diagnosis and, of course, deals such as Aimbridge's acquisition of Interstate were among the biggest más...
People on the move: Jumeirah, Pendry, The Strand
Jumeirah Group appointed Muneera Al Taher director of Emiratization, talent acquisition and development. Under the umbrella of the United Arab más...
Briefs: Canadian values | Russia probes Booking.com
HVS values Canada: The HVS Hotel Valuation Index for the Canadian lodging market showed a 10.6% increase in hotel value in 2018 and that an additional más...
diciembre 2019
Four Seasons, 3 customer approaches in Mexico City
GOSTELOW REPORT—"I am actually running three operations, a weekday hotel that is predominantly corporate, a weekend hotel that is nearly all leisure más...
Briefs: How’s your spa doing? | Marriott to add in India
Spa profitability study: HVS has released its 2019 study of spa department performance and profitability, covering 40 hotels in the upper-upscale and más...
Practical F&B ideas presented in 2019
As managers place more and more focus on creating profitable F&B businesses, in 2019 HOTELS always asked F&B leaders “how” on subjects más...
Briefs: "Saudization" underway | Weak November for MENA
Saudization at hotels: According to the Saudi Arabian Labour and Social Development Ministry the process of Saudization has begun, in which only Saudi más...
Dozen deals highlight 2019 M&A activity
Perhaps the most noteworthy hotel deal of the year was the first one back in February when IHG announced it had acquired Bangkok-based Six Senses portfolio más...
Briefs: Xenia sells two
Not that Aman: Tel Aviv, Israel-based Brown Hotels will build a new hotel at Ben Gurion Airport. Its partner is Aman, an Israeli technology company that más...
Best of 2019: Sustainability makes its move
Was there any hotel company in 2019 that didn’t announce a plan to ban plastic straws? (If not, you either already have one – congratulations! más...
Briefs: No cheer in Hong Kong | Apple Core buys in SoBe
$12 rates in Hong Kong?: The hotel performance news coming out of Hong Kong shows still very weak as occupancy continued to fall on the run-up to Christmas más...
Best of 2019: Here’s to a Mary (Gostelow) Christmas
Around this time of years, HOTELS counts its blessings, and one of the biggest is Mary Gostelow, whose columns and numerous contributions are a weekly más...
Reuben brothers make big splash in Ibiza
Britain’s billionaire Reuben brothers have agreed to a sale-and-leaseback deal to acquire Ibiza’s exclusive El Hotel Pacha from Grupo Pacha más...
People on the move: Marcus, Rosewood, Playa
Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based The Marcus Corporation appointed Michael Evanspresident of its Marcus Hotels & Resorts division. Evans has more than más...
Briefs: Indigo to Moscow | Park continues Q4 sales
Indigo grows in Russia: IHG has signed a management agreement with current partner, JSC “Tverskaya 24,” to open Hotel Indigo Moscow – más...
Best of 2019: Leaders share their vision
HOTELS prides itself on accessing the global hotel industry's thought leaders, when they are in the news or when the editors see them as trendsetters más...
Briefs: New offer for Unizo | Oyo layoffs
Room Mate on the beach: Spain’s Room Mate Group is introducing a new beachfront brand next summer, with the first, Room Mate Olivia, opening más...
Millennium aims for ambitious growth in Saudi Arabia
Owner-operator Millennium Hotels & Resorts MEA, has big plans in Saudi Arabia: The Dubai-based hotel company intends to have 25 hotels open kingdom-wide más...
Best of 2019: Hotelier of the World Nakul Anand
HOTELS is looking back on its best stories of 2019, and what better way to start our series than with our two Hoteliers of the World? The 2019 Corporate Hotelier más...
Best of 2019: Hotelier of the World Edward Staros
One of HOTELS top stories of 2019 is always our Hotelier of the World series, and this year is no exception: the 2019 Independent Hotelier of the World más...
Maybourne checks into Beverly Hills with Montage buy
London’s Maybourne Hotel Group has acquired from Ohana Real Estate Investors the Montage Beverly Hills for about a reported US$400 million, according más...
Briefs: Hard Rock update | Europe, Asia-Pac performance
Qatari office sells two: The family office of former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani will sell the Sanderson and St. Martins Lane más...
Margaritaville offers growing retiree ranks a change in Latitude
The Margaritaville brand has its origins in a popular 1977 song by Jimmy Buffett, but behind its laid-back demeanor is US$1.5 billion in annual sales más...
What we’re reading: What your customers will want in 2050
Bubbling up: Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort in Thailand is taking experiential to another level with two new Jungle Bubbles perched más...
Briefs: Xenia buys a Hyatt | Moxy to Mexico City
Xenia buys big Hyatt: Xenia Hotels & Resorts has acquired for US$190 million (US$317,000 per key) the newly developed 600-room Hyatt Regency más...
In Margaritaville, an endless paradise of consumer potential
John Cohlan figured out some 25 years ago that emotions are easier to sell against than hard assets, and that a hospitality brand can thrive because it más...
Margaritaville takes easy-living brand into all-inclusive
Margaritaville Holdings, with its arms in restaurants, resorts, vacation homes and over-55 adult communities, recently extended its reach even further más...
Briefs: Aman grows in Japan | Six Senses to London
Improved November in US: The U.S. hotel industry reported positive results in the three key performance metrics during November 2019, according to data más...
People on the move: Forte, Emeline, Banyan Tree
Rocco Forte Hotels appointed Jan Arnold vice president of sales. Based in Frankfurt, Germany, Arnold will direct a team of 24 regional sales más...
When hospitality is all about me
One overarching trend we have been observing and which has been gaining traction is hyper-personalization. In fact, we believe that beyond being a trend más...
Accor deals completes asset light roadmap
In what it calls the completion of its asset-light roadmap, Accor on Tuesday announced the disposal of its 85.8% stake in Orbis to AccorInvest for €1 más...
Briefs: Fairmont gets El San Juan | Meet Barceló Caravel
Fairmont gains an icon: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and ESJ Resort have announced that Fairmont will assume the management of El San Juan más...
Smura capitalizes on Kempinski strengths
“My goals for 2020 are development, and brand building. I am extremely passionate about both and I strongly believe we have a lot of opportunity más...
Ode to World War II in New Orleans
The Art Deco-inspired Higgins Hotel & Conference Center in New Orleans, the official hotel of the National World War II Museum located in the blossoming más...
Briefs: MOHG takes Emirates Palace | Gencom buys in Bermuda
MOHG to manage Gulf icon: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has signed a management contract to manage, and ultimately brand, the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi más...
Nobu Cabo fuses Japanese minimalism, Mexican warmth
Nobu Hospitality’s rising sun has reached the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula, where its first Mexico hotel opened in April. The new-build más...
Nobu takes global perspective on residences
The laid-back atmosphere of Nobu Hotel Los Cabos sets the tone for the upcoming Nobu Residences, which General Manager Felix Schlokat Schlokat anticipates más...
Briefs: NOLA Hard Rock update | Mondrian trades
Long recovery process at collapsed Hard Rock: New Orleans officials said Thursday they don’t expect to recover two bodies trapped on the site of más...
What we’re reading: Luxe, sustainable bath amenities
Uncompromising bath amenities: With mixed reviews about bulk shower amenities, as well as mixed experiences on the quality of hardware being used to house más...
What makes a great kid's menu?
Chefs told HOTELS what they are doing to make both parents and children happy at their F&B posts. Contributed by Jeanette Hurt Made-from-scratch ingredients: más...
Briefs: Onomo takes big stake in Bon | US travel data
Big deal in Africa: Reflecting ongoing confidence in Africa as a go-to region for growth, on Thursday Onomo Hotels, Casablanca, Morocco, announced it más...
New RFP approach undermines relationships
As if the hotel industry weren’t disrupted enough in the last decades, a new approach to hotel requests for proposals (RFPs) is undermining relationships más...
Forget chicken fingers: How to cater to foodie kids
Kid’s menus are growing up: More hotel F&B operators are offering more adventurous options for their youngest guests, whose palates have been más...
Briefs: Crescent buys in Savannah | Tourists shun Venice
Crescent buys Savannah boutique: Crescent Real Estate LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, used its investment fund, GP Invitation Fund II, to acquire The Kimpton más...
People on the move: Apple, Outrigger, Dream
In an executive leadership transition, Apple Hospitality REIT appointed Bryan Peeryexecutive vice president and chief financial officer. He stepped más...
Briefs: Radisson likes Vietnam | Hotels named in trafficking case
Three Radisson for Vietnam: Radisson Hotel Group has signed three new hotels on Vietnam’s coastline. Radisson Blu Resort, Quy Nhon is slated más...
Marriott’s luxury leader on AI, personalization – and in-room snacks
GOSTELOW REPORT—“In the future, will we see destinations prescribed, and your resulting mental state monitored, in much the same way as your más...
Anantara debuts in Tunisia; Sofitel enters Turkey
Anantara in North Africa: Bangkok-based Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas introduced the brand to Tunisia with the opening of the Anantara Tozeur Resort más...
Briefs: Minor grows in Qatar | Mexico deals stall
Minor grows in Qatar: Minor Hotels, Bangkok, has signed a management agreement with a private developer for two new properties in Doha, Qatar, to operate más...
How hotel F&B entertains (and educates) its littlest guests
Kid’s menus are growing up. While many high-end hotels and resorts still have the obligatory fried chicken tenders and bland pastas, savvy chefs más...
Add a little awesome to your kid’s menus
It isn’t just adults who are taking artistic shots of their dinners and posting them on social media: Kids are, too, and the showier and more dramatic más...
Briefs: US falls further behind on inbounds | DeBlank passes
US falls behind on inbound travel growth: Sluggish demand for overseas travel to the U.S. will sustain the trend of the country falling behind international más...
Managing mood: Designing light, sound experiences for guests
To create ever more compelling public spaces and guest rooms, hotel designers have relied on computer-aided design and 3-D modeling, automation tools más...
What we’re reading: What luxury consumers want; Portugal’s potential
Luxury’s connection to humanity: Deloitte Digital has released a white paper that basically makes a case for elevating the human experience más...
Briefs: Monarch Beach Resort in US$497M sale
KSL sells Monarch Beach Resort: Denver-based KSL Capital Partners sold the 400-room Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California, to Ohana Real Estate más...
Relais & Chateaux bonds indy properties with emotional ties
If panelists and speakers at the International Luxury Hotel Association’s conference this week are any indication, hoteliers are not easing their más...
How to manage guests with service animals
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced settlements with two hotel properties to resolve complaints under Title III of the Americans más...
Briefs: Spanish REIT grows | Aman heading to Miami
Spanish REIT buying: Spanish REIT Atom Hoteles Socimi, after recently receiving a capital injection from Bankinter Investment, has acquired for €15 más...
People on the move: Wyndham, Kempinski, Red Lion
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts promoted its treasurer and executive vice president, Michele Allen, to chief financial officer. Allen succeeded David Wyshner más...
Steward of Belize dedicated to Coppola Hideaway
Born in Belize’s verdant Cayo District and spending his early childhood on the family farm, Bernie Matute forged a profound connection to his country más...
Briefs: Jumeirah to Capri | Accor wellness white paper
Capri icon to Jumeirah: Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding, has been appointed to operate and manage más...
At Wharf, Hong Kong unrest has surprise benefit
“Since last month’s elections there has been calm in Hong Kong, as the results are now understood. But the six months of protests have seen más...
W Abu Dhabi opens atop Grand Prix track
Marriott International has opened the W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island, the brand’s second hotel to open this year in the United Arab Emirates after más...
Briefs: Big hires for Kempinski, Remington | NYC stumbling
New blood at Kempinski: Kempinski Hotels S.A., Geneva, has appointed Christophe Piffaretti as chief development officer and member of the Management Board más...
Texting with guests: Many approaches, similar benefits
Texting is such a widely accepted — even preferred — method of communicating that it only makes sense for hotels to engage guests via text más...
For Four Seasons, texting enhances, not replaces, guest comms
While hotel properties take many approaches – and use many forms of technology – to communicate with guests, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts más...
Briefs: Radisson in Fast Lane | REIT buys US$121M portfolio
REIT buys U.S. portfolio: American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP reached an agreement to acquire a portfolio of 12 hotels totaling 1,203 rooms for US$191 más...
noviembre 2019
Hotelier of the World, Capella, Deutsche: November’s top stories
It’s the same thing every November, but we don’t mind: This month’s top story for HOTELS, as usual, was the announcement of our Hoteliers más...
Briefs: Wynn Resorts settles lawsuit
US$41 million for Wynn shareholders: Wynn Resorts shareholders will receive US$41 million as part of a settlement regarding allegations against former más...
In time of increased scrutiny, how to comply with visa process
Given the recent increased scrutiny of applications to hire foreign nonimmigrant workers in the United States, many hoteliers have experienced labor shortages más...
Briefs: Cayman MO gets OK | Hard Rock NOLA update
Mandarin Oriental plan moves forward: Grand Cayman authorities approved plans for the Mandarin Oriental Grand Cayman Resort, led by development team Melkonian más...
People on the move: Choice, 25Hours, Ritz-Carlton
Choice Hotels International promoted Sarah Searls to the newly created role of chief customer officer. Searls is tasked with maximizing how más...
Does your anti-harassment policy have these key elements?
The #metoo movement has demonstrated the widespread prevalence of workplace harassment – thousands of people around the world are speaking up against más...
Briefs: Shangri-La, Andaz up | Uber down in London
Shangri-La in Shanghai: Shanghai Airport Authority and Shangri-La Group signed a co-operation agreement for the Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Shangri-La hotel más...
CEO puts Patina on Capella’s growth plans
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Looking back at the Global Hotel Alliance CEOs meeting earlier this month, in Hong Kong, I must say I am proud to be part más...
Canyon Ranch’s new wellness model debuts
Canyon Ranch has entered a new state with a new concept for the luxury wellness brand: its first “retreat” model, the Canyon Ranch Wellness más...
Briefs: Schwartz swoops in | Global performance
Pandox buys HR portfolio: Pandox AB agreed to acquire seven full-service upper-midscale hotel properties totaling 1,532 rooms in Germany from HR Group más...
The new goal of wellness: Transformation
When it comes to wellness and travel, affluent consumers are looking for more than experiences. The next evolutionary step: transformation. Better sleep más...
How effective spas go beyond experience
It’s no wonder that destination spas can charge up to US$2,000 a night. They employ a staff of specialists trained in physiology, medicine and nutrition más...
Briefs: KSL invests in Soneva | Family travel crimped
KSL takes stake in Soneva: Luxury resort developer-operator Soneva announced on Friday that an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners has taken a significant más...
How this MD is managing a hotel’s transformation
As the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Nevada, relaunches as the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in late 2020, newly appointed Managing Director Mary más...
What we're reading: The cost of a dollar hotel; fix your app
Get your app together: J.D. Power has published results of its 2019 U.S. Travel Website Satisfaction Study and the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Travel App Satisfaction más...
Briefs: Olympics spat | Trouble in Chile
Olympics controversy: French hoteliers have suspended their collaboration with 2024 Paris Games organizers over fears the that the International Olympics más...
Screenings and sheets: How hotels soothe guests to sleep
An estimated 50 million to 70 million adults in the United States have a sleep disorder, according to the American Sleep Association. And 25 million suffer más...
Southern chef runs modern kitchen with French twist
“The thing that got me was that the restaurant would be part of creating an overall experience for the guest, along with the whole property,” más...
Briefs: U.S. stumbles in latest results
Another U.S. RevPAR dip: The U.S. hotel industry reported negative results in the three key performance metrics during October 2019, according to data más...
People on the move: Omni, 25Hours, Fairmont
Omni Hotels & Resorts made several executive appointments and promotions aimed at growing its sales, marketing and operations divisions. Andrew más...
Corinthia balances global goals with boutique scope
“As a smaller, boutique hotel company, we have an opportunity to remain close to hotel operations and to our guests,” says Simon Naudi, CEO más...
Briefs: AJ to St. Andrews | Major luxe brand to Tel Aviv
AJ adds St. Andrews: Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners announced Tuesday that it has acquired the Macdonald Rusacks Hotel in St. Andrews, Scotland más...
Operations as career? Not for these hotel school students
To better understand what appeals to next-gen hoteliers right now, HOTELS sat down in June with five students enrolled at the Jonathan M. Tisch Center más...
Hotel Distil uncorked in Louisville’s Whiskey Row
Hotel Distil opened in late October on Louisville’s Whiskey Row, the first of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection Hotels in Kentucky más...
Briefs: Downward revision for US | IHG to New Caledonia
Lack of pricing confidence: Growth projections for U.S. RevPAR have been downgraded to the worst since the last recession to less than 1% for 2019 and más...
What do hospitality school grads want? HOTELS found out
Hoteliers’ number one challenge is growing and retaining great employees. The right hire has passion and a willingness to stick with such a demanding más...
Meet the student panelists
To better understand what appeals to next-gen hoteliers right now, HOTELS sat down in June with five students enrolled at the Jonathan M. Tisch Center más...
Briefs: Trump D.C. occupancy | Controversy at Kempinski
Trump lease sale data: President Trump’s Washington hotel is reportedly operating at 57% occupancy this year, but has the potential to do much better más...
Radisson’s revamped website aims to double conversions
Radisson Hotel Group’s new multi-brand, mobile-first website better positions the company to capture business for its eight brands. The one-stop más...
What we're reading: Holiday take-away | Sustainable or climate-friendly?
Hotel take-out: Many hotels are seeing their F&B offerings evolve as increasing numbers of guests send out for food using delivery apps like UberEats más...
Briefs: Hilton expands Motto | Marriott all-inclusive spots
Motto adds six: Motto by Hilton, the company’s lifestyle brand launched last year, signed six properties in the U.S. and South America: Motto by más...
Social by design: Montreal’s panoramic Four Seasons
In a city renowned for its cosmopolitan culture, the quiet sophistication of the Four Seasons Montreal suits its worldly clientele. Opened in May in the más...
Where public spaces are the main attraction
Dana Kalczak, vice president design, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, says brand loyalists crave the sanctuary of their rooms but return for the spontaneous más...
Condo-hotel management requires transparency
Condo-hotel management offers a unique opportunity to grow portfolios, but it comes with a challenge not found in traditional hotels: working with multiple más...
Briefs: Berlin luxe hotel sells | Hyatt goes bulk in bath
Berlin luxury hotel sold: Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC and German partner Caleus Capital have acquired from Commerz Real the 145-room, Rocco Forte-operated más...
HOTELS fetes Hoteliers of the World in New York
HOTELS 2019 Hoteliers of the World were honored at a cocktail party at the Baccarat Hotel New York in Manhattan on Monday evening. The winners, announced más...
People on the move: WorldHotels, Canyon Ranch, Jumeirah
WorldHotels named Kristin Intress chief executive officer, succeeding Geoff Andrew, who is stepping down to pursue other interests. This marks más...
Briefs: Slow going in U.S.
Decelerating: Third-quarter results for the U.S. lodging industry “continue to disappoint,” according to PwC’s November Hospitality más...
Hilton’s World Cup catering a win-win for recruitment
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Catering for the phenomenally successfully Rugby World Cup will be really good for recruitment for our Tokyo hotels,” más...
How to keep your kitchen staff (mostly) happy
Staffing a well-run kitchen — and keeping it staffed — is hard. “The labor market struggle is real,” says Dean Wendel, vice president más...
Briefs: Aman’s glam camp| JW in TX
Aman’s Utah pavilions: Aman’s Utah resort, Amangiri, will introduce in April Camp Sarika by Amangiri, consisting of 10 tented pavilions, of más...
The new F&B: How to keep staff, structure and culture cooking
With low unemployment in an industry that traditionally has had high staff turnover, along with a big and growing emphasis on food culture, well-run hotel más...
Does your kitchen have these 9 crucial attributes?
Here are nine attributes of a well-run kitchen that keeps things productive, creative, safe and, dare we say, fun: Chefs who know finance: “Well-run más...
Briefs: Mount out at Red Lion | Airbnb being sued after party deaths
CEO leaves Red Lion: Red Lion Hotels Corp. said Friday that its President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Mount resigned his position, effective immediately más...
How hotels are meeting tech demands from Chinese travelers
Now representing international tourism’s top spender, Chinese tourists bring with them a number of unique technology preferences. Some of these más...
Friday File: Airbnb’s bad week; capital for a cause
“Every single listing, every single host”: Airbnb has said for a long time that its business model depends on trust. Up until now that’s más...
Briefs: Aman jet takes flight | Accor-Alibaba cooperate
Hybrid comes to Brooklyn: Time Square Development Group and Time Square Construction, each an independent business integrated into Tower Holdings más...
Legal scrutiny rising, but resort fees aren’t going anywhere
Add-on fees have been a fact of life for most resort guests in the United States. But now that the practice has spread to hotels in major cities, regulators más...
Hard Rock gets an encore in Malaysia
Hard Rock International opened its second property in Malaysia, Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, in late September – of course, with musical performances más...
Briefs: Montage Beverly Hills sold? | Airbnb defeat
Montage sold?: Ohana Real Estate Investors has reached a deal to sell the 201-room Montage Beverly Hills to a Middle Eastern buyer for more than más...
People on the move: Radisson, Corinthia, Le Sereno
Radisson Hotel Group appointed Aly El-Bassuni chief operating officer in the Americas, a newly created role in which El-Bassuni is responsible for driving más...
No Mandarin? No problem, says Beijing-based GM
GOSTELOW REPORT—“No one should be put off relocating because they don’t have the relevant language skills,” says Stefan Schmid más...
Briefs: Marriott, Choice earnings | New WorldHotels CEO
Marriott Q3 slight miss: While Q3 2019 RevPAR increased 1.5%, consistent with its guidance, Marriott International on Tuesday reported Q3 adjusted más...
‘Thoroughly a hotelier’: What drives Ritz-Carlton’s Staros
Edward Staros, vice president and managing director of The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples, Florida, is HOTELS 2019 Independent Hotelier of the World. más...
Chinese giant buys German legend Deutsche Hospitality
Spending the past five years expanding its portfolio paid off for Deutsche Hospitality on Monday when news emerged that Shanghai-based hotel giant Huazhu más...
Staros: Walking the walk on people management
Working on property at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida, puts HOTELS 2019 Independent Hotelier of the World Edward Staros in position to do what he más...
Briefs: Thomas Cook name lives on | Airbnb reacts to murders
Thomas Cook lives on: The Thomas Cook brand is back in the news on Monday with word that Chinese conglomerate Fosun, owner of the Club Med brand más...
‘Absolute hotelier’: ITC’s Anand shapes India’s future
HOTELS 2019 Corporate Hotelier of the World is Nakul Anand, executive director of Kolkata, India-based ITC Ltd. Read his story below (and the sidebar) más...
Anand ‘builds the next generation’
The younger generations of Indian professionals are important to Nakul Anand. ITC Ltd. is opening its first international property, in Sri Lanka, next más...
Briefs: Marriott sells St. Regis NYC | Ovolo adds Bali
Marriott sells St. Regis in NYC: A Qatari fund has acquired the St. Regis hotel on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, adding to the Persian Gulf country’s más...
HOTELS names Hotelier of the World award winners
Who has joined the pantheon of HOTELS Hotelier of the World award winners? Readers have voted, and here are the results for 2019: Corporate Hotelier of más...
All sorts of disruption: October’s top 5 stories
The theme of disruption ran throughout all HOTELS top stories in October – starting with Marriott International, which paid US$206 million for a más...
Saudis’ Vision 2030 gets its first tourism test
Saudi on the global stage: Saudi Arabia is starting to make good on its promise to drive tourism and introduce the Kingdom to the world with the launch más...
Briefs: MGM selling more assets | W Dallas sells
W Dallas sells: Two Dallas investors, HN Capital Partners and Dunhill Partners, have acquired from European investors the W Dallas Victory Hotel. The más...
octubre 2019
‘Wake up,’ hoteliers: Urgency — and profit — in sustainability
For a set of HICAP panelists discussing the business case for green hotels, the bottom-line question – can hotels make a fundamental shift to prioritizing más...
F&B bump big benefit of co-work spaces
The two biggest revenue opportunities for properties providing co-working space are a spike in food and beverage revenues and a surge in the energy around más...
Briefs: Soho House funding | Big sex-trafficking suit
Soho House capital infusion: Soho House secured US$100 million of funding from U.S.-based property investors to expand its private members’ club más...
People on the move: Leading Hotels, BD, Kempinski
The Leading Hotels of the World’s (LHW) executive committee appointed Shannon Knapp president and chief executive officer. Knapp, who más...
Banyan Tree’s Ho on balancing luxury, sustainability
Ho Kwon Ping, more commonly known as K.P. Ho, has seen – and implemented – a lot of change in the Asian hotel sector since he founded Banyan más...
Briefs: Solid 3Q for Wyndham, U.S.
New management for grande dame: Pivot Hotels & Resorts, Davidson Hotels & Resorts’ operating division, is taking over management of the más...
GM manages creatively at disrupted Hong Kong Peninsula
“Creativity means being inspired at the right time and this is the time to reach out even more to the community,” says Joseph Chong, GM of más...
Rotana debuts serviced apartments in Sarajevo
Abu Dhabi-based hotel manager Rotana added another outpost to international expansion strategy with the Bosmal Arjaan by Rotana, its first hotel in Bosnia más...
Briefs: Anantara debuts in Ireland | UK's worst chain
Anantara grows in Europe: Minor Hotels’ Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas will make its debut in the upcoming months in Ireland with the rebranding más...
Ovolo vibe: Nurture team, guests and profits follow
Free minibars, rate credits, smiley and happy staff. Surely, this can’t be the hotel business. But it is for Girish Jhunjhnuwala, whose Hong Kong-based más...
Trump DC for sale for $500 million?
The Trump Organization is reportedly considering selling the lease rights to its Washington, D.C., hotel, which has been at the center of controversy más...
Develop and preserve: Secondary markets in Asia
One panel discussion at the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific wasn’t so much about its named topic, “Beyond Gateway Markets,” más...
Briefs: Halekulani preps expansion | Bloomie's pop-up
Pandox acquires assets: Pandox AB, Stockholm, has acquired two hotels from Grape Hospitality – the 216-room Novotel Den Haag World más...
HICAP proceeds in Hong Kong to discuss fortunes ahead
This week’s Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific might be newsworthy simply for happening in the place where it is usually hosted: Hong Kong más...
Fad or trend: Brands adding communal rooms?
Communal is cool: Just days after Marriott International finally showed off its Studio Commons communal room concept anchored by four private guest rooms más...
Briefs: Wyndham, CorePoint settle | New green initiatives
Wyndham settles with CorePoint: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and hotel owner CorePoint Lodging have reached resolution on a previously disclosed notice más...
Is FOMO big factor driving hoteliers into homesharing?
The April launch of Homes & Villas by Marriott International provided the latest confirmation that homesharing has reached the mainstream. The lodging más...
Potential pitfalls of homesharing strategy
Despite hotel owners’ fears, the hotel players involved in homeshare tend to dismiss skeptics’ concerns about cannibalization. The audience más...
Briefs: New Leading CEO | TripAdvisor direct booking feature
Leading Hotels names CEO: The Leading Hotels of the World has appointed Shannon Knapp as the next president and CEO, effective immediately. Knapp, who más...
People on the move: Sala, Shinola, Corinthia
Sala Hospitality Group appointed two senior executives in a move aimed at enhancing its position in Asia as a beach resort and boutique hotel operator más...
Confidence in growing Asia Pac deal activity
As the hotel investment community gathers this week in beleagured Hong Kong for the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), general sentiment más...
Briefs: Corinthia to Rome | Club Med grows in Malaysia
Corinthia adds Rome: The Reuben Brothers from London have acquired an historic property in the center of Rome and entered into arrangements with Corinthia más...
Belmond spa director prepared for every challenge
Claudia Enriquez Yever, spa director at Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa, Riviera Maya, Mexico, said she cannot practice yield management because prices más...
First look at Element's communal space room concept
First announced in 2017, Marriott International is finally offering a glimpse of its communal space surrounded by four guest rooms at Element by Westin más...
How this Palma boutique is taking on the competition
Tucked in the historic El Calatrava neighborhood of Palma, Mallorca, is the newly opened El Llorenç Parc de la Mar, a Design Hotel. The 33-room más...
Briefs: Biggest REIT in Asia Pac | Q3 US performance
Asia's biggest hospitality REIT: Singapore’s CapitaLand has passed a resolution to merge its Ascott Residence Trust and Ascendas Hospitality Trust más...
How Chutrakul grows Sansiri: Invest, collaborate, integrate
Thai property developer Apichart Chutrakul’s answer to omnipresent disruption is collaboration among his disparate yet like-minded holdings. “We más...
Marriott deals to jumpstart all-inclusive strategy
Marriott International made its second acquisition in as many days on Friday, announcing it has reached an agreement with the board of London-based Elegant más...
Coping with new competition in Thailand
Standard International and Sansiri (see main story) talk about adding as many as four hotels in Thailand in the medium term, including Bangkok, Phuket más...
Briefs: IHG RevPAR -0.8% in Q3 | Airbnb's Q1 bottom line
HK dents IHG's Q3: InterContinental Hotels Group reported on Friday that worldwide RevPAR fell by 0.8% in Q3, led by a 36% drop in Hong Kong. It said más...
Marriott buys W to start brand repositioning
In a move to redefine its 21-year-old W brand in North America, Marriott International acquired from Westbrook Partners the 270-room W New York – más...
This Amsterdam adaptive reuse takes ‘canal view’ seriously
Depressing compression: Morgan Stanley Research suggests compression nights in the top 25 U.S. markets is down 34% year to date, which means demand is más...
Briefs: 1 Hotels to London | Nazi bunker becoming NH
1 coming to London: Starwood Capital Group’s sustainability-driven 1 Hotels brand will debut its U.K. brand flagship, the 1 Hotel London Mayfair más...
How Bürgenstock's Sharq Oriental marries authenticity, accessibility
Sharq Oriental takes authenticity seriously: The restaurant at the Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort hires chefs with specialties at the heart más...
Egyptian investors see stars in boutique, mid-market offerings
The idea of traveling to Egypt has long thrown up images of beach resorts or 5-star hotels near the pyramids. But development is following the country’s más...
Briefs: Emoluments case returns | Will Wynn be banned?
Emoluments case hearing: A federal appeals court will reconsider a ruling from a three-judge panel that threw out a lawsuit accusing President Donald más...
Lightstone’s Hochberg on NYC, Airbnb, investment strategies
In October, HOTELS published a story about how New York City-based real estate developer Lightstone and its President Mitchell Hochberg are making their más...
People on the move: Sbe, Kempinski, Six Senses
With significant growth planned over the next few years, Sbe expanded its executive team by placing five industry veterans in leadership roles: Brad más...
MGM, Blackstone make US$4.2B Bellagio deal
Blackstone Group will purchase MGM Resorts International’s Bellagio resort in Las Vegas for US$4.25 billion in a sale-leaseback arrangement. Las más...
Briefs: The US$4.5 trillion market | AC in Australia
Kex in Portland: Iceland-based Kex will open its first U.S. location, in Portland, Oregon, in early November. The hotel, in a restored 1912 building, más...
Luxury, disrupted: How Norton is shaping Equinox
GOSTELOW REPORT—“We needed to redefine luxury in a disruptive way,” says Chris Norton, CEO of New York-based Equinox Hotels. Not for más...
Conrad ‘pied-a-terre,’ complete with TV studio
Conrad adds in NYC: Hilton’s Conrad Hotels & Resorts has opened the Conrad New York Midtown, the second of the brand in the city. The 54-floor más...
Briefs: Provenance updates | Lambert out at Bunkhouse
Provenance counters complaints: As protesters in Portland, Oregon, stood in front of the Heathman Hotel on Sunday shouting for its owner, U.S. Ambassador más...
Keep calm and carry on? 4 potential impacts of Brexit
Typically, when some significant change is about to happen in someone’s life or in the life of a company, there is a parameter of emotions that más...
Orascom investment driving new opportunity in Egypt
Orascom Development was founded by its chairman, Samih Sawaris, through a desire to build houses by the sea and a jetty for his boat. That was how the más...
Briefs: Could Ritz London sell? | Aimbridge grows in Canada
Aimbridge grows again: After acquiring Interstate Hotels & Resorts last month, management company Aimbridge Hospitality’s Canadian affiliate más...
Gilded Age modernized at Forte’s Hotel de la Ville
London-based Rocco Forte Hotels is focusing on growth, with about a dozen properties open and a few more teed up, including hotels in Sicily and Shanghai más...
Do millennials trust your brand? (Probably not)
You have a bad social rep: During a panel this week at Condé Nast Traveler’s Points of View Summit, a little tidbit of information más...
Briefs: Kempinski outlines growth | Call for Provenance boycott
Kempinski growth plan: The Kempinski Group has stated it expects to have more than 100 luxury hotels, some via a new acquisition strategy, in operation más...
Hyatt, Homeinns’ UrCove targets Chinese middle class
Chinese travelers have long been a coveted group for hoteliers striving to capture high-spend demand both domestically and abroad. It’s no surprise más...
Scarlett paints Bangkok with French-inspired palette
Scarlett Wine Bar & Restaurant pairs singular views of Bangkok’s glittering cityscape and French cuisine within reach and an arm’s-length más...
Briefs: Thomas Cook finds U.K. operator
Travel agent picks up Thomas Cook: U.K.-based Hays Travel agreed to a deal to operate the 555 Thomas Cook outlets in that country, possibly saving 2,500 más...
Las Vegas shooting two years on: 5 lessons learned
The mass shooting at the Harvest Music festival in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, was not an attack on a hotel but from a hotel. Still, after the shooting más...
People on the move: Mainsail, Terranea, InterCity
Mainsail Lodging & Development appointed Jill Lemaster chief financial officer and Tom Stoffo director of technology. Lemaster más...
Kempinski partners to start new brand in NYC
Kempinski Hotels AG, in partnership with Duesseldorf-based 12.18. Group, is launching a luxury lifestyle concept called 7Pines Kempinski, starting with más...
Briefs: Summit sale | Caesars hikes fees
Kimpton in Atlanta: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants plans a second property in Atlanta, a 216-room property in the city’s Buckhead neighborhood más...
Pop-up shows Peninsula Paris’ ‘serious’ side – in art
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Our art is different from pieces at other companies; this collection shows we are part of the serious contemporary art world más...
W breaks new ground in Aspen
Opened at the end of August 2019, the W Aspen & The Sky Residences at W Aspen is the first ground-up new build resort project in Aspen, Colorado, más...
Briefs: Kempinksi to KSA | Hotelier's role in Ukraine investigation
Kempinski grows in Gulf: Kempinski Hotels has announced a new luxury project in Makkah, Saudi Arabia in partnerships with Umm Al Qura for Development más...
Main event: Grabbing groups with unique experiences
Hotels and resorts are making an event out of events – taking group meetings off-site to unique dinners or private classes, and creating more elaborate más...
How Belmond stays on track for repeat group business
At the Belmond Palacio Nazorenas, groups not only can take a cooking class, but the hotel staff will whisk them with their chef instructor to a local más...
Briefs: Germany predictions | European investment
RevPAR growth in Germany? Six of seven key markets in Germany are forecasted to post RevPAR increases in 2020, due to a continued rise in ADR, according más...
Farmhouse delivers Forte’s boutique vision in Italy
‘‘The eye of the owner is very important”: It’s a translated Italian saying that Sir Rocco Forte refers to when discussing what más...
Designer Bensley takes hotel retail to a heart-felt level
Upcycling with a purpose: OK, I’ve been on a roll with designer Bill Bensley-related content and will share a profile in the next print issue of más...
Briefs: MGM settles massacre claims | Booking lead times extend
MGM Resorts International has agreed to pay up to US$800 million to settle lawsuits from victims of the October 2017 mass shooting that emanated from más...
Parkhuus tells the story of sustainable casual luxury
Parkhuus, at the Park Hyatt Zurich, delivers culinary compositions from its open kitchen that reflect Swiss authenticity and sustainable regional foods más...
Four Seasons’ design chief on future of luxury
“Kleenex folded into triangular points and desks facing walls are so last season,” jokes Dana Kalczak, vice president design, Four Seasons más...
Briefs: Blackstone takes Great Wolf | Six Senses to Galápagos
Blackstone takes majority of Great Wolf: Blackstone Group affiliate Blackstone Real Estate Partners IX is acquiring a 65% controlling interest in family más...
Fifth-gen hotelier oversees grand traditions with modern twist
Although Guido Fiorentino, president and CEO of the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, grew up in his family’s hotel in Sorrento, he didn’t think más...
People on the move: Viceroy, Canyon Ranch, Best Western
Viceroy Hotels & Resorts named Scott Boyle vice president of design and creativity. Boyle joined the company with more than 20 years’ más...
One GM’s inspiration, one big list of hotels: September’s top 5
Our interview with Fontainebleau General Manager Mary Rogers topped HOTELS list of most-read stories in September. “There has to be a balance,” más...
Briefs: STR sold | First Ritz-Carlton yacht delayed
Ritz-Carlton yacht delayed: The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will now launch service on June 13, 2020, four months later than originally anticipated más...
Lodging Conference notebook: Updates from the brands
HOTELS sat down with multiple owners, managers and developers during last week’s Lodging Conference in Phoenix. Here are the key takeaways from más...
Planning for ILTM pays off for Fairmont Mayakoba
GOSTELOW REPORT—The industry needs to switch from judging GMs by spreadsheets to looking at guest and team satisfaction scores, both of which ultimately más...
Briefs: Thomas Cook rocks Spain | Disney Paris deals
Thomas Cook effect: Some 500 hotels in Spain are expected to close immediately as a result of the collapse of British travel giant Thomas Cook, the head más...
septiembre 2019
Better airlift, swelling middle class drive growth: Wyndham
Demand for hotels and product preferences might vary across the globe, but two factors are spurring new hotel projects: better airlift in developing destinations más...
Mixing Holiday Inn standards with Nashville vibe
Tasked to create a relaxed vibe that would cater to a younger crowd while still appealing to a multi-generation of travelers, Los Angeles-based Atwater más...
Briefs: Residential rise | Kingdom opens to tourism
Boom in branded residences: Dubai is set to overtake New York City as the capital of branded residences, and globally, there are more than 430 totaling más...
Small plates draw a crowd at Dubai’s Bleu Blanc
Bleu Blanc sources food from all over the world, but it was created to offer a sense of place – “home comfort” with Michelin-standard más...
What’s the big idea? Green programming solutions from Thailand
What hurricane? Bloomberg unpacks why beachfront Caribbean properties are still hot among investors despite the past few years’ devastating más...
Briefs: Can Congress kill resort fees? | Kempinski grows in Cuba
Resort fees might bite back: Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) and Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebraska) on Wednesday introduced the “Hotel Advertising más...
What does future hold? Lodging experts weigh in
What's the consensus from the 2019 Lodging Conference in Phoenix this week? Among other insights, sector observers say the U.S hotel industry will remain más...
Wyndham’s march toward 10,000 properties continues
Spurred by acquisitions of the AmericInn and La Quinta brands in recent years and strong growth, particularly outside the U.S., Wyndham Hotels & Resorts más...
Hong Kong hotels plead for help amid protests
Hotel operators in Hong Kong, whose tourism visitation has been crippled amid months of protests, have called on the government to waive rents and allow más...
Briefs: Thomas Cook aftermath | SAMHI IPO?
Thomas Cook fallout: Across the Mediterranean, hotels are dealing with the aftermath of Thomas Cook’s collapse – and, writes the Financial más...
Sorenson feeds optimism, pragmatism at Lodging Conference
The general mood on Tuesday at the 25th annual Lodging Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, remained cautiously optimistic – at least without worries más...
People on the move: Outrigger, Choice, Sonesta
Outrigger Hospitality Group named Kenny Kan senior vice president and chief development officer. Kan is charged with building Outrigger’s portfolio más...
Hyatt’s new Caption brand: F&B-driven select-service
Hyatt Hotels Corporation introduced a new lifestyle brand, Caption, a select-service concept that leads with elevated F&B and aims to have a global más...
Briefs: Africa on RevPAR streak, but Asia slips
RevPAR in Africa up for 87th consecutive month: Low supply growth and strong demand are fueling continued RevPAR growth across Africa, according to STR más...
Fiercely independent, Westroc aims at ‘less, done superbly’
GOSTELOW REPORT— “I feel extremely strongly about giving back and that is one reason I lecture at Cornell, Northern Arizona and the University más...
Mama Shelter brings ‘fun quirks’ to East London
Gimme Shelter: Mama Shelter set up a new outpost in early September – this time a lively 194-room property in east London designed by Dion & más...
Briefs: Thomas Cook implodes | Oyo’s U.S. foothold
Thomas Cook travelers, hotels hanging: Some 600,000 travelers globally were stranded after U.K. tour operator Thomas Cook declared bankruptcy Monday morning más...
Big investments, big potential in glamping
Ahhh, camping. For some it conjures up fond memories of family vacations – for others, a whole host of hassles from pitching a tent to fighting más...
Legendary Barron Hilton dies at age 91
Barron Hilton, who furthered his father Conrad’s hotel legacy, died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 91. Barron joined Hilton Hotels más...
Bensley’s Cambodia camp combines luxury, purpose
Thailand-based hospitality designer Bill Bensley’s newest project, Shinta Mani Wild, is a luxury tent resort in the remote jungles of Cambodia. más...
Briefs: Blackstone buys in Greece | Airbnb affirms IPO
Ritz-Carlton to Montenegro: Marriott International has signed an agreement with Northstar D.O.O. to bring a 120-room Ritz-Carlton hotel to Montenegro más...
CBD use in F&B still limited, but popularity surges
CBD in spa treatments? Far out, man. CBD on the menu? Not so fast, it seems, at least until the U.S. federal government deems it OK to sell foods and más...
Raffles Singapore adds an icon to F&B offerings
WeWork’s IPO isn’t: Big news this week that co-working juggernaut WeWork won’t do an initial public offering as expected. The inflated más...
Briefs: Great Wolf close to sale? | Sandals back on block
Great Wolf sale? Centerbridge Partners is close to selling indoor water-park operator Great Wolf Resorts to Blackstone Group, according to a Bloomberg más...
Open kitchen, community focus keep Conrad’s Atrio on top
The emphasis is on “casual” for casual-luxury Atrio restaurant perched at the top of the Conrad New York Downtown. The restaurant opened in más...
Details emerge on Accor's responsible economy brand
With plans to grow a socially responsible, economy segment franchise brand to 300 hotels across Europe by 2030, Accor on Wednesday re-introduced with más...
Briefs: Original atrium hotel sells | HK workers suffer
Hong Kong layoffs. Due to ongoing political unrest curtailing tourist arrivals, almost eight in 10 hotel workers (77%) in Hong Kong have been asked to más...
At 27, Hassler chef builds on Imàgo’s deep Italian roots
Perched above Rome’s Spanish Steps, Hotel Hassler Roma and its Michelin-starred restaurant, Imàgo, have a commanding presence in the city’s más...
People on the move: Dream, Jumeirah, Lutetia
Michael Lindenbaum is chief operating officer of Dream Hotel Group, a promotion from his previous role as executive vice president, hotel development más...
Marriott, Expedia sign wholesale rate deal
Marriott International on Tuesday expanded its partnership with Expedia Group Inc. by naming it exclusive distributor effective October 15 of its más...
Briefs: 2.1%of TripAdvisor reviews fake | Dorian's impact
TripAdvisor transparency: TripAdvisor on Tuesday published its first Review Transparency Report, revealing that 66 million reviews were submitted más...
Shangri-La Paris’ China play pays off, with more in store
GOSTELOW REPORT—"We are a natural base for young Chinese tourists as they want to stay in an authentic Parisian palace, and they know the Shangri-La más...
Marcus makes bold arts statement in hometown
Marcus Hotels & Resorts’ new 219-room, art-driven Saint Kate hotel in its hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was designed to create a platform más...
Briefs: Atwell open for biz | Louvre in Damascus
Franchise sales for Atwell: IHG opened franchise sales for its all-suites Atwell Suites, in the U.S. IHG, which launched the upper-midscale brand in May más...
Rosewood Hong Kong’s ‘visionary’ homecoming
Some things are worth the wait. More than seven years in the making, the Rosewood Hong Kong opened on March 17 — the brand’s 26th hotel and más...
Marketing tips for the next recession
Many might argue that rising interest rates coupled with aggressive trade wars could set the stage for a recession in the United States. In a survey of más...
Briefs: Truth in advertising | IHG in Peru
U.K. hotel booking overhaul: Twenty-five hotel booking sites have agreed to changes sought by a U.K. agency to change how information is displayed and más...
Did you make HOTELS top companies list?
Marriott International remained king of the hill in 2018, but a few big disruptors have joined the top 10 in HOTELS annual list of the biggest companies más...
How to get the cred that money can’t buy
Insta cred lessons: If you aren’t a sensation on social media, you are supposedly missing a huge marketing opportunity. Lauren Levin, CMO of New más...
Briefs: Oyo goes upscale in India | Dismal August in HK
Oyo partners for upmarket hotel: Oyo Hotels & Homes has partnered with Gurgaon, India-based Mountainia Developers and Hospitality to open its first más...
How Detroit’s Apparatus Room is redefining casual luxury
Many define the F&B trend of casual luxury by what it’s not: no white tablecloths, no stuffy pretention and definitely no jacket required. What más...
Anbang unloads former Strategic portfolio to Mirae
South Korea’s Mirae Asset Global Investments continues its aggressive global real estate expansion play with news breaking on Wednesday that it más...
Briefs: Brand.com is tops | Accor in Australia
Accor-Amber agreement: France’s Accor and family-owned Amber Property Group of Victoria, Australia, plan a joint venture to develop two new hotels más...
How Lightstone makes Moxy work in NYC
About 10 years ago, New York-based real estate developer and investor Lightstone and its president, Mitchell Hochberg, started trying to figure out how más...
People on the move: LXR, Lanesborough, Six Senses
Hilton named Feisal Jaffer global head of its luxury collection brand, LXR Hotels & Resorts, which launched in 2018. Jaffer joined from más...
Briefs: Bonvoy events | Mackinac icon sells
Michigan icon sold: The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan is going to be sold to KSL Capital Partners after more than 85 years in the hands of más...
At Brussels Radisson Blu, future – and rebrand – is international
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Everyone is waiting to see what will happen with Brexit - I do not think it will have as much effect here as in the U.K. más...
New Halekulani Okinawa leads island's growth
Halekulani Okinawa, located on Japan’s main island of Okinawa, opened its doors on July 26 as the sister property to the iconic hotel in Waikiki más...
Briefs: Minor-Marriott case update | Hong Kong's awful August
Minor-Marriott case proceeds: A Thai court on September 4 said a Minor International lawsuit against Marriott International for “highly disappointing” más...
Egypt dealmaking buoyed by revival in occupancy, RevPAR
The past eight years have not been kind to Egyptian tourism. The revolution in 2011 and the 2015 bombing of a Russian passenger jet hit the sector hard más...
Disruption, change mark HOTELS biggest companies list
The makeup of the world's 325 biggest hotel companies, according to HOTELS newest ranking, is changing. It wasn't more than five years ago when then-Shanghai más...
Briefs: China tourism down | Fake hotel news?
TripAdvisor reviews scrutinized: A U.K.-based consumer organization, Which?, says TripAdvisor is failing to stop fake reviews that falsely boost the rankings más...
What 5G could mean (eventually) for property owners
An ultra-fast wireless technology, 5G represents a foundational change. It’s being sold by mobile carriers as a platform for everything from self-driving más...
Bahamas’ dual challenge in hurricane recovery
Bahamas recovery… The good news amid the devastation in the Bahamas is that Hurricane Dorian missed Nassau, where a majority of the Caribbean country’s más...
Briefs: Hilton doubles down on ad campaign
Hilton builds on “Expect better” campaign: Hilton is following up on its “Expect Better. Expect Hilton.” ad campaign launched más...
JW Marriott Shanghai’s culinary theater taps group demand
China’s JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Shanghai Pudong is serving up a new way to capture group business with its culinary theater. The space, separating más...
Hotel Icon GM on managing amid Hong Kong unrest
When a crisis hits, how do you react? HOTELS blogger Richard Hatter is answering that question in real time. Hatter is general manager of the Hotel Icon más...
Briefs: Bahamas damage report | Yangon tourism data
First reports from the Bahamas: Damage is being assessed in the northern Bahamas where flooding on the Abaco Islands is believed to have contaminated más...
Fontainebleau GM talks inspiration, what industry is ignoring
As vice president and general manager of the glamorous Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, Florida, Mary Rogers prioritizes teamwork and cultivating new talent más...
People on the move: Swire, St. Regis, Kokua
Swire Hotels named Simon McHendry general manager of The Temple House in Chengdu, China. McHendry, who previously managed East, Beijing in Beijing más...
Briefs: HKG to SIN | JV takes big JW
JV buys in Phoenix: A joint venture of funds managed by Trinity Real Estate Investments and funds managed by Elliott Management acquired the JW Marriott más...
Phoenician and its MD now selfie ready
“When I came here in 2003 my daily work uniform was a suit and tie. Now that life is much more informal, a polo shirt is my on-the-job look,” más...
New Four Seasons is tops – literally – in Philadelphia
The Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast counts niche luxury hotels the Ritz and the Rittenhouse among its comp set, but it has something no other más...
Hurricane wreaks havoc on Bahamas; Florida next
Hurricane Dorian has swept into the Bahamas, reportedly devastating residents and creating trouble for travelers, as well as those planning to visit Florida más...
Briefs: Meininger for sale | GCC traveler data
Meininger for sale: Indian travel company Cox & King is exploring a potential sale of European budget hotel brand, Meininger Hotels, to cut debt, más...
How to break the plastic straw habit
More hotels are ditching single-use plastic straws, whether forced to find alternatives because of legislation or because of environmental concerns. “It’s más...
Nazarian’s next steps, HOTELS predictions: August’s top 5 stories
“The lifestyle category, which ties into integrated food and beverage, is going to be a big, big part of the next 12 to 18 months,” says SBE’s más...
Briefs: Mainland Europe stumbles | Creepy stunt goes awry
Mainland European July hotel profits off 9.4%: A 5% drop in ADR and 2.8% jump in wages resulted in a 3.2% lower YOY RevPAR of €137.50 in July más...
agosto 2019
Two biggest management companies merge
Private equity firm Advent International, which acquired a majority ownership stake in Aimbridge earlier this year, has reached a deal to acquire Interstate más...
Overdue all-woman executive team at new Kimpton
Glad to see this. Kimpton’s new Angler’s Hotel in South Miami Beach has an all-female leadership team as it prepares to open this fall. – más...
Briefs: Fuson takes Thomas Cook | Famed Sorrento sells
Fosun to take over Thomas Cook: The iconic UK travel firm is getting a bailout from its biggest investor, China’s Fosun Tourism Group. BBC News más...
Hotelkeeping a production for Kimpton GM
“Sometimes I think I am directing a theater rather than a hotel,” said Iris Junge, general manager of the 483-room Kimpton Hotel Allegro, más...
How I made a tiny kitchen space work
Editor’s note: Chef Greg Proechel had an interesting experience opening restaurant Ferris at the Made Hotel in New York City’s NoMad neighborhood más...
Accor's Jo&Joe to pop-up on top of Ikea
Leave it to Accor to announce an innovative concept atop a new Ikea retail store. On the two upper floors of the planned Ikea near the Westbahnhof train más...
Briefs: Marriott dropping tiny toiletries | CBRE forecast
Marriott abandons some single-use toiletries: Following an initiative launched last year at about 1,000 North American properties, Marriott International más...
People on the move: Hilton, Anantara, Jumeirah
Hilton appointed three general managers for hotels in Dallas, Southern California and Silicon Valley. Jeffrey Chen will oversee operations of Hilton Dallas/Park más...
Scandic sustainability director inspires team buy-in
Profoundly committed to environmental and social sustainability, Vanessa Butani joined Scandic Hotels as the Nordic company’s director of sustainable más...
Briefs: Project hurdle in NYC | Radisson exports tapas
New hurdle for NYC projects: New York City mayor Bill de Blasio is moving to require a special permit for hotel development that would mandate any new más...
IHG’s Schmelter takes own road to satisfaction
“For me there was never anything I wanted to be more than an international hotelier,” said the always-happy Thomas Schmelter, senior director más...
Rosewood D.C.’s new spaces are a Cut Above
Hot on the heels of the opening of the Rosewood Hong Kong comes the reopening of the Rosewood Washington, D.C., which debuts new F&B outlets and revamped más...
Briefs: US loyalty contribution grows | Asia Pac July results
Loyalty contributions grow; fundamentals weaken: Through June 2019 in the U.S., the percentage of total room nights booked by members of brand loyalty más...
Where is the industry headed? HOTELS predictions
Here are the trends, issues and challenges that HOTELS editors are keeping their eyes on – this year and beyond (for more insights into what’s más...
MGM's 50% stake in Sydell first move outside gaming
In a move to diversify its holding outside gaming and Las Vegas, MGM Resorts International has acquired a 50% stake in lifestyle owner-operator Sydell más...
Budget prep time: Dust off the chessboard
The World Chess Championship of 1972 took place in Iceland between the dates of July 11 and September 1. During the years of the Cold War, such matches más...
Briefs: US impact of trade war | Oyo makes Vegas splash
US tourism hurt by trade war: The Trump administration's trade feud with China is projected to result in 2 million fewer Chinese tourists visiting the más...
Lifestyle trailblazer emerges in Japan
Lifestyle hotels are gaining traction in Japan, and among the trailblazers is real estate developer Global Agents, which entered the hospitality space más...
When Disney says immersive, believe them
The mouse is going to cash in: Talk about ROI on experiential! Stories are surfacing about what Disney is going to charge at its upcoming Star Wars hotel más...
Briefs: Apollo wants Hilton timeshare | Fallout in Hong Kong
Bid for Hilton Grand Vacations: Apollo Global Management has expressed interest in acquiring Hilton Grand Vacations, according to a New York Post report más...
How hotels are sharpening their narrative around sustainability
Last fall, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a rather terrifying report saying that the world had just about a dozen years to más...
Belmond Cadogan builds fresh reputation on historic past
“Going to Virtuoso Travel Week gave me the chance to reconnect with a travel community that has supported Belmond and myself personally over the más...
Sansiri takes majority stake in Standard International
Bangkok-based real estate developer Sansiri PLC has invested another US$40.45 million in New York-based Standard International Holdings, the parent company más...
Briefs: US at inflection point | Fourth CitizenM in London
US at inflection point?: Second quarter results in the U.S. came in significantly below expectations, according to a new PwC report, with ADR levels up más...
For this designer, operations experience was a stepping stone
When it comes to hotels, Amber Rogers Woody is a bit of a Jill-of-all-trades. Choice Hotels International’s director of interior design, upscale más...
People on the move: IHG, Enchantment, Thompson
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) appointed Julienne Smith senior vice president, development in the Americas region, based in IHG’s más...
Briefs: Kimpton to Honduras | Hampton updates breakfast
Kimpton's third Caribbean resort: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will open a boutique resort in Honduras on Roatán Island’s West Bay más...
Is Virtuoso too big? How this exec leverages Kempinski’s strengths
GOSTELOW REPORT—“As a single-brand luxury company, how do we position ourselves? How are we using our resources to best advantage to get through más...
IHG’s new take on barefoot luxury in Maldives
IHG is getting ready to open its InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort on September 1. The property has 81 beach, lagoon and overwater villas and más...
Briefs: Radisson's biggest A-P deal | Virgin Las Vegas update
Big Radisson deal in Vietnam: Radisson Hotel Group has signed a deal for a 734-room beachfront property close to Hoi An, the heritage port town on Vietnam’s más...
How Accor’s Umami deal points to future of hotel F&B
In February, Accor and Sbe announced a plan to open more than 100 Umami Burger restaurants within Accor hotels by 2026. It’s a move that expands más...
How are you protecting employees from guest harassment?
Even before the #MeToo movement, hotels have recognized and tried to address the problem of harassment and other unwelcome behavior directed at employees más...
Briefs: Kahala to Japan | Wellness event leaves HK
Kahala roams to Japan: Resorttrust Inc., a Nagoya, Japan-based hotel operator and developer, will open the 146-room Kahala Hotel & Resort Yokohama más...
How to make hospitality a career, not just a job
The question above was asked of me recently, and it’s the same question corporate recruiters were asking when I was graduating from Cornell nearly más...
Where your next luxury customer is coming from
The Chinese luxury engine: Let’s hope China and the U.S. can find common ground on trade, because the luxury hotel industry is sure to benefit if más...
Briefs: Hong Kong revenue plunges | Comment on resort fees
Fallout from Hong Kong protests: Politcal protests in Hong Kong are severely impacting hotel bookings with revenue from room sales set to plunge as much más...
SBE’s Sam Nazarian ready for next step with Accor
When Sam Nazarian created SBE Entertainment Group in 2002, he couldn’t make an egg, didn’t know how to manage a hotel, hadn’t gone to más...
Cities need ‘code of conduct’ to address over-tourism: Virtuoso talk
“We need guests coming to Amsterdam to understand more about the city,” says Roberto Payer, general manager of the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam más...
Briefs: Nordic Choice buys Kamp | Value of emotional intelligence
Kamp Collection sold: Nordic Choice Hospitality Group has acquired Helsinki-based Kamp Collection Hotels from asset manager Capman, Reuters reported. más...
In war for talent, why gender diversity matters
What does your company look like to prospective female employees? Attend virtually any hotel conference and the number one issue discussed is the lack más...
People on the move: Park Hyatt, Connaught, Shinta Mani
Marriott International appointed Frank Beck managing director for The St. Regis Langkawi, The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, and Langkawi más...
Briefs: Vienna Hilton’s €375M sale | Microtel moves
Artotel in JV: Artotel Group of Indonesia signed a joint venture agreement with Sinar Mas Land to establish one company, PT Sinar Arthotel Indonesia. más...
2 staffs, 2 properties – one GM keeps it all together
GOSTELOW REPORT—“I run two lovely hotels, five blocks apart from each other, that are both jewel boxes, but they only work because of my people más...
Evok opens in Le Marais | Two new CitizenMs
Expressive clashes in Paris: Evok Hotels, Paris, has opened Sinner, a boutique hotel located in the city's Le Marais district. Launching with a destination más...
Briefs: Anbang suitor emerges | Nikki Beach joins GHA
New leader for Anbang deal?: South Korea’s Mirae Asset Financial Group is emerging as the leading bidder for a portfolio of 15 U.S. luxury hotels más...
It’s time to tackle cyber security
The cost of data breaches continues to skyrocket and is taking center stage in the boardroom. The employment market for cyber security professionals is más...
How Oyo’s U.K. foray is paying off – in rooms, if not profit
Oyo Hotels & Homes only entered the U.K. market in October 2018, but it has done there what is has done – and is trying to do – in parts más...
Briefs: IHCL plans to pare ownership | Top markets for meetings
Top meetings markets: New York (23%), Chicago (22%) and Las Vegas (20%) are the top North American markets that meeting planners intend más...
Heads in beds: How hotels are upping their sleep game
As more travelers wake up to the notion that a good night’s sleep and the ability to tune out are crucial to good health, they are seeking ways más...
Does your hotel know how to make – and tell – its history?
It’s all in the telling: A fun piece in the New York Times underscores one way to capitalize on what makes your hotel different from anywhere else más...
Briefs: Accor’s budget play | Africa’s top city
Accor makes move in Singapore: Accor signed an agreement with Global Premium Hotels of Singapore to franchise its 15 hotels in that country – that’s más...
Designing for wellness? Think like a resort architect
Biophilia. Bringing the outdoors in. Contextual, experiential design. Orienting buildings to maximize daylight and exquisite views. These design moves más...
Call housekeeping: How this Fairmont deploys in summer rush
“There’s a big challenge turning a corporate hotel into a summertime vacation venue, especially when you have many family groups among your más...
Briefs: U.S. hotel sales | Asian wellness
2Q U.S. update: During Q2 2019, the U.S. lodging industry experienced generally positive performance metrics but saw a 0.1% decline in occupancy, along más...
'Everyone is responsible’: This GM manages with EQ
Toni Duran’s education in hospitality started early. A native of Mallorca, Duran would visit his mother while she worked as a hair stylist at a más...
People on the move: Accor’s C-suite, Salamander, W
Accor appointed Marc Dardenne chief operating officer, luxury brands, Europe. Dardenne, who has nearly four decades of global hospitality experience más...
Briefs: Q2 earnings news | KSL buys in France
Cyber-breach charge costs Marriott: Marriott International reported Q2 earnings, lowering projections and stating earnings per share fell to 69 cents más...
F&B ‘does what we want’ to drive Nobu’s hotels
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Other hotel groups are led by reservations or loyalty programs, but Nobu Hotels rely on F&B,” says Trevor Horwell más...
Openings: Virgin in San Francisco | ANA-InterCon in Japan
Another Virgin in the U.S.: Virgin Hotels has opened its second U.S. property, in San Francisco. The 10-story lifestyle hotel, designed by photographer más...
Briefs: Aman’s new foothold | Airbnb's long-term play
Sheraton Bangkok sold: Siam Resorts Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Malaysian developer TA Global Bhd, added the hotel and business of Four Points by Sheraton más...
Marriott launches all-inclusive platform, US$800M in new properties
Marriott International announced on Monday that it is debuting an online platform for its all-inclusive resort segment. It also signed management contracts más...
Managers get creative to cope with labor shortages
It’s hard to find workers willing to scrub bathrooms and wash pots and pans. With the U.S. national unemployment rate at a 50-year low and properties más...
Botox and a bed: Medical spa business is booming
According to Allied Market Research, the medical spa segment is projected to grow by 12% annually and top US$27 billion by 2025. Hotel spas naturally más...
Briefs: Accor names luxe exec | Swiss-Belhotel in Australasia
Luxury veteran lands at Accor: Accor appointed Marc Dardenne as chief operating officer, luxury brands, Europe. He will will oversee the operations of más...
Fitness gets personal with in-room mini-gyms
The days of delivering a stationary bike or a workout DVD to a guest room on request have given way to more extravagant approaches to fitness on demand más...
In Singapore, an icon comes roaring back
A legend makes its comeback: After closing at the end of 2017, the legendary Raffles Singapore is back. Accor managed a sensitive three-phased restoration más...
Briefs: Summit-GIC deal | US share will keep declining
Summit-GIC venture: Summit Hotel Properties has entered into the joint venture with GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, to acquire select-service más...
Lawsuit of last resort (fee)? July’s top 5 stories
Marriott International is being sued by Washington, D.C., where the district’s attorney general is alleging that resort fees tacked on to hotel más...
Tricky art of conversion reaps rewards at Cape Town’s The Silo
“A hotel in a heritage building has many challenges, but who else can say they are running a highly successful property adapted by celebrity designer más...
Rates will rise 1.3% globally in 2020: study
After posting sharp rises in 2019, prices in the global travel industry are likely to slow in 2020, with flights rising a modest 1.2%, hotels rising only más...
Briefs: Hilton's big Hampton deal | Joie de Vivre to Asia
Hampton scores big Mideast deal: Hilton and Kuwait-based Alshaya Group have signed a master development agreement to rapidly launch and develop 70 más...
julio 2019
'Become worldly': Next-gen developer’s formula for success
Vinyl Manohar, the 36-year-old co-founder and managing principal, acquisitions, development and strategy at Austin, Texas-based Twin Crest Capital, has más...
People on the move: Kempinski, Avani, Outrigger
Kempinski Hotels appointed Michael Pracht chief financial officer and member of the management board. As CFO, Pracht will oversee the company’s más...
Briefs: IHG going bulk in baths | Rockbridge in Knoxville
All bulk in baths: InterContinental Hotels Group said Tuesday its entire hotel estate will switch to bulk-size bathroom amenities by 2021. IHG currently más...
‘It is the time for Greece,’ and Divanis family is ready
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Hospitality is inherent in Greek culture – we call it philoxenia, ‘friend plus hospitality,’ and we más...
Meliá opens Colombia’s first all-adults inclusive
Meliá Hotels International has opened the first all-inclusive, adults-only property in Colombia: the Meliá Cartagena Karmairí. Being más...
Briefs: Leela-Brookfield deal revived | Saudis restrict expats
Leela-Brookfield deal revived: An Indian court order has held that Hotel Leelaventure's proposed transaction to complete the sale of four hotels to Brookfield más...
The strategy behind Morocco’s steady hotel development
The more I travel to Morocco the more it feels to me like one of those kids you had in your class at school who annoyingly seemed to be gifted at everything más...
IHCL tries to take first-mover edge with Amã
While Marriott International made big news in late April by expanding its European pilot program to launch Homes & Villas by Marriott International más...
Briefs: Qatari gems on market? | Aimbridge wins Frenchman's Reef
Ramadan shift hurts MENA: Hotels in the Middle East & North Africa recorded a 6.4% year-on-year decline in profit per room in June, as the month of más...
Group mentality: Brands tap into social travel with communal spaces
Hang out with your friends in your living room, or have a beer and join a card game in a communal hub: Some of the newest urban hotels are being designed más...
Coachella’s first attempt at a hotel is not going well
What a mess: Coachella is not just an over-the-top fashion music festival in the California desert; it’s also a town. (A town that, surprisingly más...
Briefs: Stable 2020 rates? | Kempinski's new CFO
Stable 2020 rates: Hotel Monitor 2020 by American Express Global Business Travel found that competition is expected to keep global hotel rate increases más...
‘Alt-meats’ go mainstream: ‘Everyone’s experimenting’
Plant-based “meat” companies like California-based Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have been offering imitation meat products since 2011 más...
Sweet smell of success at Kempinski’s cigar lounge
“Creating an odor-free cigar lounge has benefited everyone, including our bank balance,” says Holger Schroth, general manager of Hotel Vier más...
Briefs: Hilton sued over fees | Good sleep = loyalty
Earnings beat for Hilton: Hilton announced 2Q19 earnings on Wednesday beating earnings expectations, primarily driven by stronger owned and leased earnings más...
Next-gen leader wields 'emotional technology' in marketing
As vice president of marketing for Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Marcus Hotels & Resorts, Erin Levzow leads all marketing and public relations efforts más...
People on the move: Shangri-La, Virgin, Stonebridge
Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard in London appointed Kurt Macher general manager. Macher moved to London after securing multiple awards and accolades más...
Briefs: 2 Radissons for Poland | Moroccan icon for sale
Radisson grows in Poland: Radisson Hotel Group has agreed with Zdrojowa Invest & Hotels to build two Radisson resorts in Poland. The hotels, which más...
This GM turned sustainability demands into an asset
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Last Thursday, July 18th, was Mandela Day, and I joined 60 of my 400-strong team packing Stop Hunger Now food parcels,” más...
Hoshino's serenity comes to Taiwan: Openings
Serenity now in Taiwan: Hoshino Guguan, Taiwan, opened on June 30 in the Taichung valley famed for its natural hot springs. Encircled by a mountain range más...
Vail adds urban 'feeder hills' with Peak Resorts deal
Vail Resorts has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Peak Resorts for US$11 per share (US$264 million), which is a 115% premium más...
Briefs: Interstate for sale? | Complaints about Oyo
Interstate on the block?: Kohlberg & Co. is reportedly exploring its options to sell Interstate Hotels & Resorts, which could fetch about más...
Design as strategy: Matthew Rolston goes ‘beyond boutique’
From his days as a photographer for Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine to his years on the road as a music video director, Matthew Rolston has seen más...
Hotels are starting to take apps personally
The experience of a hotel isn’t just the physical space – more and more, it’s defined and personalized in the digital space. Early apps más...
Briefs: Oyo founder triples stake | US RevPAR down again
Agarwal triples stake in Oyo: Oyo Hotels and Homes founder Ritesh Agarwal, 25, will invest US$2 billion to triple his stake in the SoftBank-backed más...
How younger travelers are redefining privacy, luxury
When luxury travel bloggers Dave and Deb post an update, they are pretty certain to capture a good percentage of their 223,000 Instagram followers. Their más...
Amsterdam's city-center ban is paying off
Ahead of the game: Amsterdam hoteliers must be pleased about the ban on new hotel development imposed on the city center. As a result, HVS reports, hoteliers más...
Briefs: GIC tries to grow Indian position | Blu for Stuttgart
Radisson to Stuttgart: Radisson Hotel Group has signed with developer Bülow AG to develop a new, 168-room Radisson Blu hotel at the Porsche Design más...
How resort fee lawsuit could backfire for hotels, consumers
Hotels call them mandatory resort fees, amenity fees or destination fees. But in a new lawsuit, the attorney general of the District of Columbia calls más...
At Forte’s newest, the network works – inside and out
“I personally interviewed over 2,000 to get the 190 employees we needed for the May 2019 re-opening of Hotel de la Ville, Rome, Italy, which is más...
Briefs: Radisson reboots online | Hong Kong struggles
Unified Radisson website: Radisson Hotel Group has launched its new multi-brand and mobile-first global website, RadissonHotels.com, which also serves más...
‘Women deserve a seat at the table’: She’s making it happen
When Anne Larcade was climbing the corporate ladder in Canada’s hospitality industry, she usually found herself the only woman in senior leadership más...
People on the move: Outrigger, Interstate, Rosewood
NewcrestImage launched a nationwide expansion program of US$2 billion in growth by adding two veteran lodging and finance executives to its C-suite. David más...
Briefs: Oyo moves into co-working | Kimpton to Mexico
Oyo expansion unabated: Oyo Hotels & Homes has announced plans to expand into the co-working space with Oyo Workspaces. Led by Rohit Kapoor, the new más...
Disruption feeds next generation’s way of travel
The old adage about there being more than one way to skin a cat comes to mind when considering two disruptors: Oyo Homes and Selina. Both have frothy más...
'Effortless luxury' in Asbury Park revitalization
Jersey shore alive: Designed to bring an effortless beach life to the East Coast of the U.S., the team behind the Asbury Ocean Club Hotel on the New Jersey más...
Generator takes Freehand to jumpstart US growth
Queensgate Investments, the U.K. private-equity firm behind the evolving Generator hostel brand, is acquiring Freehand, another hostle-like brand, for más...
Briefs: No dice, ICE | Resort fee kerfuffle
We aren’t detention centers, hotels say: Marriott International and Choice Hotels are at least two major U.S. hotel companies that have said más...
Nobu CEO on expansion — and why there's no loyalty program
The Nobu luxury hotel chain is on an expansion tear following its launch at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas in 2013. The hotels ride the reputation of high-end más...
How AI is making itself at home in hotels
As Siri and Alexa become members of many households’ families, hotel guests are starting to expect the same sophisticated technology available in más...
Briefs: Thomas Cook rescue? | Two (more) Raffles
New brand for Brøchner: Denmark-based hostel chain Brøchner Hotels will open a design-based hostel in Aarhus in 2020: Book1 will be más...
These hotels taking vegan into the guest room
At the vegan luxury resort PlantLife, in the works for Koh Phangan island in Thailand, faux leather for furniture will be derived from the fibers of pineapple más...
Will fines goose cybersecurity priorities for hotels?
Looming data protection fines: When recently asked when they will make a “major investment” in cybersecurity technology, 43% of companies más...
Briefs: New W | Radisson grows in Germany
4th Radisson for German Baltic: Radisson Hotel Group has signed a franchise agreement with MV Werften for the Park Inn by Radisson Wismar in Northern más...
From amenities to bowling balls, hotels find retail pays
What better way to buy a mattress or home products than to give them a few nights’ trial run in a Marriott or a Hilton? That neat logic is at the más...
Changing of the guard at revitalized One Aldwych
“My goal is to keep alive what has been established by Simon Hirst,” says Janine Marshall, general manager of One Aldwych Hotel, London. Her más...
Briefs: Trump hotel suit tossed | Date-stamped bed linens
Trump D.C. case thrown out: A federal appeals court Wednesday threw out a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's ownership of a luxury hotel five más...
How Four Seasons chef feeds his ‘addiction’
When Stephane Calvet was the executive chef at the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, he used to spend his days off traversing northern Thailand on his Kawasaki más...
People on the move: Kerzner, KSL, Trump
Kerzner International Holdings, owner of the Atlantis Resort and Residences, and the One&Only Resorts brands worldwide, promoted Philippe Zuber to más...
UK fines Marriott $124 million over data breach
Marriott International announced on Tuesday that the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has communicated its intent to issue a fine in the más...
Briefs: Big deals from Six Senses, Four Seasons, Marriott
New player in mix for Anbang hotels: Richard Faber, formerly working for the U.K. billionaire Barclay twins, is fronting for an investor group interested más...
Private and independent, Saxon helped make history
“Guests love coming into a private house, particularly the one where Nelson Mandela lived for so long,” says George Cohen, general manager más...
From satori to soles: New hotel openings
Finding chisoku in Kamakura: Japan-based Kishi-ke Co. Ltd. began taking reservations in April for what it says is the first modern ryokan in Kamakura más...
Briefs: What Trump doesn't know | Big Bahamas comeback
Trump on Organization's undocumented: President Trump on Friday said he doesn't know if the Trump Organization has employed dozens of undocumented immigrants más...
González lays out Jin Jiang's role in Radisson
The brands of Radisson Hotel Group are now in the hands of a more secure industry giant, Shanghai-based Jin Jiang International, which last year surpassed más...
Why mid-scale is booming in China
The investment in China’s hotel industry is gradually moving from robust growth to more rational. Hence, the proportion of upscale to luxury hotels más...
Briefs: Covivio, Aroundtown buying in Europe
Covivio buys AXA stake: AXA Investment Managers has sold its 32% stake in a 32-hotel portfolio of Accor-operated hotels in France and Belgium más...
Are you really ready for China?
According to Worldbank, there were 143 million outbound travelers from China in 2017. That same year, the U.S. had 87 million outbound travelers. Here’s más...
How hotels change neighborhoods and write history
There’s no place like home: HOTELS bloggers Ed Ng and Terence Ngan, co-founders and principals of hospitality design firm AB Concept, recently moved más...
Briefs: Invesco in Italy | Radisson in Africa
Invesco buys two in Italy: Invesco Real Estate signed two forward purchase hotel deals in Florence and Milan, Italy, for a total investment of about €160 más...
How Park Hyatt Bangkok GM revs F&B sales
“We did not want our Penthouse Bar & Grill to be thought of as expensive or even as ‘fine dining’,” says Michael Golden, general más...
Glyn Aeppel on the business cycle, lifestyle hooks
With more than 30 years of global hotel industry experience, Glyn Aeppel has a sought-after point of view. The founder of Glencove Capital in Southport más...
Briefs: Ascott, Ascendas merge | Okura to Russia
Ascott REIT, Ascendas merge: Singapore property giant Capitaland will combine Ascott Residence Trust (Ascott REIT) and Ascendas Hospitality Trust (A-HTrust) más...
For this CEO, it’s about empowerment — not ‘petty charges’
The biggest crime you can commit, according to Markus Engel, is ignoring the opportunity in hospitality to create true “hostmanship” — más...
People on the move: Rosewood, Choice, Royal Kona
Rosewood Hotel Group appointed several executive team members to support the company’s strategic growth plan: Bede Barry is vice president más...
Briefs: Excavation delays Virgin | Oyo takes Vietnam
Delayed by cannonball: The opening of Sir Richard Branson‘s 225-rom Virgin Hotel in Edinburgh has been delayed to 2021 from 2020 after archaeologists at más...
13 relocations? Global lifestyle suits this Munich GM
“Travel has made me more humble and respectful of other cultures,” says Dagmar Mühle, general manager of the 483-room Hilton Munich City más...
Openings: Hayman Island redux; ITC Royal Bengal
Hayman Island reopens: The newly repositioned InterContinental Hayman Island Resort has relaunched after a US$135 million renovation by owner Mulpha más...
Briefs: RLJ sells 2 | Radisson taps partner loyalty
RLJ sells non-core hotels: RLJ Lodging Trust has sold two non-core hotel assets in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: the 385-room Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort más...
Hotels put premium on do-good eco-experiences
Adventurous travelers pay nearly US$4,000 per person for a five-day safari based at the Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa operated by the eco-tourism más...
Amazon + Airbnb, Aman and a dog’s ROI: June’s top 5
Why would e-commerce juggernaut Amazon want to buy home-sharing giant Airbnb? There are a lot of surprising reasons – and an opinion piece by Jason más...
Briefs: Graduate growth | Taco Bell hotel sells out
Boon to U.K. tourism: U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May announced the country’s first tourism sector deal, reaffirming the country's global role más...
junio 2019
Will #sponsored influencers still be as effective?
According to Benji Greenberg, CEO of Chicago-based social media solution-provider BCV, influencer marketing is projected to be a US$5 billion to US$10 más...
Radisson, Jin Jiang team up on co-branded hotel
First Chinese co-brand: Adding amenities favored by Chinese travelers is nothing new, but I think Radisson and its parent company, Jin Jiang International más...
Briefs: New Room Mate brand | Miami icon sells
AHLA battles trafficking: The American Hotel & Lodging Association launched a national campaign to unite the industry around a comprehensive más...
What diversified Airbnb means for the hotel space
Following an acquisition and major investment, home-sharing platform Airbnb is starting to play hard and fast with the traditional hotel industry. With más...
Dinner for 1,250? How Marina Bay Sands does it
“It was a great honor to cook for the best chefs from around the world,” says Ian Wilson, senior vice president of non-gaming operations at más...
Briefs: Marriott supports immigrant cause
Radisson Collection debuts in Australia: Radisson Hotel Group has signed the Asia Pacific region’s inaugural Radisson Collection hotel to be located más...
Accor’s Asia-Pac CEO talks brand strategy, recruitment
“To make a hotel work, first is location, then the brand, then ownership and then the GM,” says Michael Issenberg, chairman and CEO Asia Pacific más...
People on the Move: Virgin, Six Senses, 21c
Ahead of planned hotel openings in Dallas, New York City, Las Vegas and Nashville, Tennessee, Virgin Hotels bolstered its corporate leadership with three más...
Briefs: Airbnb enters luxe space | IHG, Sands China align
Airbnb goes luxe: Airbnb Inc. on Tuesday launched Airbnb Luxe with 2,000 new listings on its website offering luxury rentals ranging from entire islands más...
Dominican Republic’s tourism backlash likely to linger
The media frenzy triggered by the discovery of a couple dead in their Dominican Republic resort room in May has dealt a heavy blow to the Caribbean’s más...
Ace’s Maison de la Luz: Small-scale luxury
Atelier Ace’s newest boutique, Maison de la Luz, has opened in New Orleans’ Arts Warehouse district. The six-story, 67-room hotel was designed más...
Embattled Caesars selling in deal worth $17.3B
Eldorado Resorts plans to buy Caesars Entertainment Corp. for about US$8.58, which will create the largest U.S. gaming operator. The agreed más...
Briefs: Hard Rock reacts to D.R. deaths | Anbang suitors emerge
Hard Rock reacts to D.R. deaths: The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in the Dominican Republican is removing liquor dispensers from all guest rooms in the más...
Do loyalty points still matter?
A lot of attention in the loyalty space in the past year has focused on integration: Marriott International integrated the Starwood program (triggering más...
Super 8 looking to leverage group travel trend
The Super 8 economy brand is looking for some input on its next room design. The Wyndham Hotels & Resorts economy brand, which has nearly 2,900 properties más...
Briefs: Marriott’s ‘good place’ | Europe vs. Airbnb?
“We are at a good place,” Marriott CEO says: Arne Sorenson is putting Starwood-Marriott integration challenges and the effects of a 2018 cyber más...
Isreal's Dan Hotels looks to grow art, tech-driven brand
Israel’s Federmann family, creators of the Dan Hotels group, are looking to take their newest brand, Link Hotel & Hub, international. The first más...
Green guide, insights from Thai resort GM
Inspiration for hoteliers, by hotelier: Florian Hallermann, general manager of the Zeavola Resort on Phi Phi Island in southern Thailand for the last más...
Hyatt, Homeinns announce midscale China brand
Hyatt Hotels Corp. and China’s BTG Homeinns Hotels Group delivered on their joint venture announcement in February with the announcement of a new más...
Briefs: Ritz-Carlton to Portland | Margaritaville's lifestyle
Ritz-Carlton planned for Portland: BPM Real Estate Group will develop the first Ritz-Carlton in the Pacific Northwest region of North America under an más...
At HITEC, CEOs long on opportunity, short on risks
Maybe next year: The CEOS on the “Technology talk in the C-suite: 2020 and beyond” panel at HITEC 2019 couldn’t quite bring themselves más...
Koh Samui GM stresses bonding with his team
“I feel like a dad proudly seeing what is a unique 58-key resort grow,” said Lutz Mueller, cluster GM for Avani+ Samui, on Koh Samui Island más...
Briefs: Oyo makes big US push | Macdonald sells in UK
Oyo expanding big in US: India-based value player Oyo Hotels & Homes has announced plans to invest US$300 million in the U.S. over the next más...
People on the move: Aleph, Fairmont, Ritz-Carlton
Aleph Hospitality is implementing a cross-geography approach to clustering senior management roles in the Middle East and Africa. The company recently más...
Lessons from a hurricane: No democracy during crisis
It has been almost two years since Hurricane Maria struck the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico. Many lessons were learned during the recovery, including más...
Briefs: Puerto Rico's rebound | BW owners reject for-profit
No for-profit for Best Western: Best Western Hotels & Resorts owners voted down plans to become a for-profit model and the company has withdrawn its más...
IHG GM shares challenges of multi-property role
“Guests have no idea whether a hotel is franchised rather than managed,” said Alvaro Rey, GM of InterContinental London Park Lane, who, as más...
Openings: Raffles Maldives sells the marine life
Raffles opens its first in Maldives: Accor opened its fourth brand in the Maldives – this time it’s a Raffles property, owned by Singapore-based más...
Briefs: Accor taking Orbis services | New Choice ads
Accor taking Orbis services: Accor reportedly has agreed to acquire for approximately US$324 million Orbis’ hotel services business after the Poland-based más...
Rotana pilots Airbnb direct scheme
The Middle East and North Africa together have more than 70,000 Airbnb listings, according to the home-sharing website. Zeroing in on the United Arab más...
The role of hotels in an age of ‘last-chance tourism’
For years, the Concorde G-BOAB sat at the end of runway 27L at London’s Heathrow Airport, and every time I crawled passed her on a plane taxiing más...
Briefs: FS adds in SF | Fine for Ritz-Carlton
Four Seasons in San Francisco: Real estate management company Westbrook Partners has signed with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts to manage its hotel in más...
At this KL hotel, ‘local’ means talent pool
“There is a belief in some countries that unless you are foreign you cannot become a general manager,” says Steven Greenwood, GM of the 473-room más...
Briefs: IHG in India | Hyatt in Malta
IHG adds two in India: Hotel Paraag Ltd. signed an agreement to add IHG flags to two hotels in Bengaluru, India. According to the India Times, both will más...
This hotel will provide shelter – and snuggles
Aww factor: In about two months the Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile, a pet-centric, 40-room lodge, opens in Kanab, Utah. Operated by Best más...
NYU notebook: Hampton, IHCL, Accor
In meetings June 2-4 with developers and brand leaders during the 41st Annual NYU International Hospitality Investment Conference, HOTELS learned about más...
Openings: Shangri-La doubles up in Suzhou
Shangri-La expands in Suzhou: Shangri-La Group opened the Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou Yuanqu on June 1 in the central business district of Suzhou, a más...
Briefs: Pebblebrook shuffle | trade war ripples
Pebblebook selling one, rebranding two: A strategic redevelopment plan by Pebblebrook Hotel Trust plan is progressing with the just-announced US$72.9 más...
What hotels can do for LGBTQ+ guests, employees
HOTELS blogger Christopher Henry wants to ask you a question: What are you doing to acknowledge, recognize – and hopefully accept – your gay más...
People on the move: Triumph, Ventana Big Sur
Radisson Hotel Group appointed Jennifer Schneider vice president of revenue optimization in the Americas, tasked with driving the overall revenue más...
Kempinski makes it official on new CEO
Embattled Kempinski Group, Geneva, has officially named Martin Smura its new chief executive officer, effective July 1. In succeeding Markus Semer, who más...
Briefs: DR deaths | Panic (buttons) in NJ
FBI looking into DR tourist deaths: The unexpected deaths of six American tourists visiting the Dominican Republic in the past year has drawn the attention más...
With NH’s leverage, Minor looks to conquer the globe
GOSTELOW REPORT—“In the past we were not seen as a global player. NH has changed that, and now we are in a very strong position,” says más...
NYU notebook: Hilton, ESA, Davidson, Margaritaville
While caution was in the air in New York City as developers and operators considered the near-term business environment during last week's 41st International más...
Briefs: M&C’s £2.23B deal | Hilton tip kerfuffle
Hilton CEO’s tipping stance: After The Points Guy reported Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta’s comments during the NYU conference that he generally más...
Co-working, home-sharing plays set these hotels apart
The Hoxton has been in the co-working business since it first opened in 2006; locals, travelers and neighbors have long used our lobbies to get work done más...
Women + numbers = Higher pay, leadership
“In order to get more compensation, in order to move into leadership, (women) need to have P&L responsibility”: That’s what Peggy más...
Briefs: How much Dell paid in Boca | PPHE plays FTSE
Price surfaces in Boca Raton deal: Property records reveal how much billionaire Michael Dell paid Blackstone for the 1,047-room Boca Raton Resort & más...
Wyndham Destinations elaborates on new strategy
Vacation ownership and exchange company Wyndham Destinations has embarked on a five-year, US$1 billion investment focused on new resort developments and más...
Welcome to the tourism backlash
Too popular: The rise of the global middle class and the increasing ease of international travel is putting pressure on lots of places – places más...
Briefs: Tourism exports up | Honolulu hike
Tourism exports keep rising: Exports generated by international tourism hit $1.7 trillion in 2018, a 4% increase over the previous year, according to más...
Why Amazon should acquire Airbnb
Speculation persists on the possibility of Amazon’s entry into travel. The mighty e-commerce giant shuttered operations of Amazon Local and Amazon más...
How London Mandarin Oriental leveraged F&B after fire
“Re-opening our restaurants ahead of bedrooms made so much sense – it brought back our local clientele and, from an operational pint of view más...
Briefs: NEW KSL CEO | Sternlicht brings out the kid in us
New leader at KSL Resorts: KSL Resorts has announced James Struthers, the company’s longtime chief financial officer, has been promoted to más...
People on the move: One&Only, Lungarno
Boston-based Pyramid Hotel Group announced that Richard Kelleher, Pyramid’s principal and co-founder, has transitioned day-to-day responsibilities más...
'Optimism' fades at NYU investment conference
The headlines from recent investment conferences have pointed to “cautious optimism.” Now it’s time to remove the “optimism” más...
Briefs: Hospitality Properties, Ashford make big buys
Ashford buys Remington’s hotels: Hospitality asset manager Ashford Inc. acquired the hotel management business of Remington Holdings LP, another más...
The surprising ROI of Park Hyatt Melbourne’s Mr. Walker
GOSTELOW REPORT—“The return on investment in our hotel dog is priceless as he is the source of much joy for associates and guests alike,” más...
Openings: Dan Caesarea | NH in Amsterdam
Dan Caesarea rises: The juxtaposition of new and ancient, contemporary and historic is balanced in the re-introduction of Dan Hotels’ Dan Caesarea más...
Briefs: First U.S. Motto | Margaritaville expands
Motto signs in U.S.: Hilton’s Motto brand signed its first U.S. property, in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood of Atlanta. In partnership with Lucror más...
Aman’s Fasel on growth, reorg – and a new brand
“We are in a very exciting cycle with Aman,” Chief Operating Officer Roland Fasel says. That includes the opening, in November, of the Aman más...
Super-lux hotel adds F&B talent: May’s top 5 stories
The Gostelow Report’s interview with Anthony Costa, regional VP for Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts and the managing director of its most iconic property más...
Wyndham Destinations' $1B refresh
Vacation ownership and exchange company Wyndham Destinations has embarked on a five-year, US$1 billion investment focused on new resort developments and más...
Briefs: Tough Q1 for NYC | Collective Retreats' new shelter
Give me shelter, in the park: Collective Retreats, the experiential travel company bringing unique tented accommodations to unexpected destinations, has más...
mayo 2019
Numbers don't lie: Why women’s advancement matters
“Who’s good at math?” Peggy Berg asked the crowd at the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s ForWard: Women Advancing Hospitality más...
What's driving wellness boom in Asia Pac?
Wellness booms in Asia Pac: Wellness trips now represent 6.5% of all tourism trips taken worldwide, growing 15.3% annually from 2015-2017 to reach 830 más...
Briefs: Packer sells Crown stake | Hoshino grows in Okinawa
Packer sells Crown stake: In a move to diversify his company’s holdings, James Packer has sold almost half his stake in Crown Resorts for US$1.76 más...
Here’s how top hoteliers are attracting locals
Building community has been touted by hotel companies as a great way to engender loyalty – it not only brings in extra revenue from locals but makes más...
What’s St. Regis Singapore GM’s hiring secret?
“People do not know whether they like a brand until they have experienced it, and the same could be said for management,” says Xavi Gonzalez más...
Briefs: CBRE updates US forecast | Six Senses to Papagayo
US occupancy decline coming: With supply growth in the U.S. increasing at an annual pace greater than the long-run average through 2022, and the rise más...
Meet the Wyndham president making a splash in China
Under Leo Liu’s leadership, Wyndham Hotel Group has made giant strides in China over the past six years, nearly doubling its presence in that market más...
People on the move: Peninsula, Four Seasons, Interstate
Radisson Hotel Group appointed a chief financial officer for EMEA while The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, The Peninsula Paris and Mövenpick más...
Four Seasons decides on new CEO
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts' board of directors has removed the interim title from President and CEO John Davison, naming him to the role effective más...
Briefs: New CEO for Kempinski? | Shangri-La-WeChat deal
New Kempinski CEO? A report has surfaced that veteran hotelier Martin Smura, most recently supervisory board chairman of the Cologne, Germany-based más...
Hotel’s F&B blooms with only-in-London events
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Our doorman counted 30 different passers-by taking selfies and posting images in the space of 90 minutes,” says Andrew más...
Openings: Forte in Rome, Barrière in St. Bart's
Forte atop Spanish Steps: Rocco Forte Hotels has opened its second hotel in Rome, Hotel de la Ville, following a renovation to an historic 18-century más...
Briefs: Park to sell Dublin Conrad | Oyo-Ctrip deal
Park selling in Dublin: Park Hotels & Resorts reportedly is close to selling The Conrad Dublin for nearly €120 million. Archer Hotel Capital más...
Deutsche Hospitality gives Steigenberger a push
In March, Deutsche Hospitality launched a refresh of its flagship, 90-year-old Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts brand with plans to invest €120 más...
How this KL hotel helps staff observe Ramadan
"Sixty-five percent of my 400-strong team have been fasting since Ramadan began on May 5th evening," says Tom Roelens, general manager of the 236-room más...
Briefs: Wharf expands Niccolo brand | Accor expands JV
Niccolo to Suzhou skyscraper: Wharf Hotels will open its fifth Niccolo hotel, this time in Suzhou, China, scheduled for 2020. The 215-room hotel will más...
This GM’s career path ‘was always about luxury’
Claire Randall is general manager of The Idle Rocks, a Relais & Châteaux property in Cornwall, England. Some of her most important work experiences más...
How hospitality is winning the gig economy
Hotelkeeping as a side hustle: What makes this gig good? Speed is everything: 76% of hotels are using contractors for senior hires, 74% want to bring más...
Briefs: Hyatt's new lifestyle division | Mixed April for EMEA
Lifestyle division for Hyatt: Hyatt Hotels Corp. has launched its first cross-functional division, a dedicated lifestyle division for Hyatt’s and más...
Hotel leaders dish on the next big trends
As part of a recent roundtable hosted by the Wall Street Journal, HOTELS Editor in Chief Jeff Weinstein gathered industry leaders from major companies más...
Three things hoteliers should stop doing
Intent versus outcome, judgment versus experimentation: HOTELS gathered industry leaders recently for a roundtable hosted by The Wall Street Journal and más...
Briefs: Bids for Anbang hotels | Mandalay Bay shooting costs
Pouncing on Anbang portfolio: Blackstone, Brookfield Asset Management, Mirae Asset Management and SoftBank-owned Fortress reportedly have put in más...
Google’s travel chief on future of digital
In the past year, Google has rolled out multiple hotel products, including a Book on Google tool that allow reservations to be handled directly by the más...
People on the move: Waldorf Astoria, Meliá, Auberge
The Westin Nashville, Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort in Vietnam, The Confidante Miami Beach, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, and more properties across más...
Ennismore launches co-work brand inside Hoxtons
Ennismore, the UK-based company behind the Hoxton lifestyle brand, has launched its in-hotel co-working brand, Working From_. The shared workspace más...
Briefs: Commission on resort fees | Airbnb effect
Booking closes loophole: Booking.com told London’s The Independent that it is going to start charging commissions that include resort más...
How Burj Al Arab is transforming its F&B lineup
GOSTELOW REPORT—"Burj Al Arab has been the icon not only of its operator, Jumeirah, but of Dubai since it opened in 1999. But it has never been más...
After US$150M reno, Caribe Hilton toasts re-opening
The Caribe Hilton has something to celebrate this year besides its 70th birthday: Two hurricanes, 15 months and US$150 million in renovations later, it más...
Briefs: An Encore for MGM? | Goldman eyes B&B
Goldman to buy chain? Goldman Sachs Group is in discussions to buy the B&B Hotels chain from Paris-based private equity firm PAI Partners, reportedly más...
‘Ambition and curiosity’ drive this young REIT manager
Sam Hudson is part of a new wave of asset managers who sees hotels through a different lens. His introduction to hotels came seven years ago at Ashford más...
How this Langham MD keeps turnover down
"The benefits of peer hiring, having colleagues involved in line staff hiring are numerous. Applicants are not intimidated, they already have a friend más...
Can Caribbean hotels withstand home-sharing challenge?
The primary market for Caribbean tourism is North America, and in particular the United States, where employment, wages, and disposable income statistics más...
Briefs: Big India fund deal | Updating Trump numbers
Big India fund deal: The Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. on Friday announced a strategic partnership with Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC for a US$600 más...
‘Mind-boggling’ data security risks: A call to action
In the aftermath of Marriott International’s massive Starwood reservation system data breach, the largest such breach of 2018, cybersecurity experts más...
How the Alpha Generation is influencing travel
Blockchain update: EyeforTravel posted a story this week about tech-forward Nordic Choice Hotel’s work on blockchain distribution and how it executed más...
Briefs: Post documents Trump woes | Voco likes Australia
Trump hotel woes: The Trump Organization says gun violence, not the president’s name, is responsible for revenue decline at its Chicago property más...
How these top hoteliers are competing with disruptors
Hospitality is being fundamentally redefined by Airbnb, upscale hostels, co-working spaces and concepts like mindfulness. The hotel industry is responding más...
Does your wellness play help you stand out?
A new study from the Global Wellness Institute reveals that wellness tourism grew from a US$563 billion market in 2015 to US$639 billion in 2017, or 6 más...
IHG’s Atwell Suites aims to ‘right-size’ extended-stay
IHG has introduced its third extended-stay brand, Atwell Suites, with a smaller kitchen and amped-up public spaces aimed at travelers who mix business más...
Google bundles tools; no transactions yet
Google’s has finally bundled its travel services in one place with Tuesday's launch of Trips, which lets users plan travel by searching a destination más...
Briefs: TripAdvisor's safety play | Hard Rock to Barcelona
In the name of safety: TripAdvisor has introduced a new review feature to provide travelers with access to safety information about the businesses it más...
People on the move: Viceroy | Relais & Châteaux | Onyx
Hyatt Resorts Maui appointed a Hawaiian culture and training specialist, while RCI named a managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Properties más...
Why Six Senses sustainability chief manages like an NGO
Being a hotel company sustainability leader, as well as an animal and nature lover, while living in Bangkok is not so easy. Just ask Jeff Smith, vice más...
Briefs: Accor vs. Oyo? | Thomas Cook keeps growing
Accor investing in India? Perhaps in response of the noteworthy growth of Indian budget brand Oyo, Accor is reportedly in talks to invest up to US$50 más...
Innovation, story-telling themes of Virtuoso’s Aussie meet-up
GOSTELOW REPORT—"We inspire hoteliers by being able to tell the story that they are not just selling rooms, they offer feeling and memories,” más...
Openings: Tents at Capella Ubud | New-look Four Seasons
Lodges in Bali: Capella Ubud, Bali, has launched The Lodge, a 2,000-square-foot tented camp with an exotic, Asian-inspired color scheme and whimsical más...
Briefs: Highest ADR in London | Radisson to Nicosia
Nicosia getting Blu: Radisson Hospitality AB, part of Radisson Hotel Group, has signed a deal for the Radisson Blu Hotel, Nicosia in Cyprus. The deal más...
Fresh Barcelona hotelier offers ‘something more’
The next generation of hotel leadership is here, and its members are engaged, passionate and optimistic – and they have a healthy dose of skepticism más...
How Tasmania GM finds and keeps the best staff
"I am so lucky to be part of what I call immersive hospitality,” says Ross Boobyer, newly promoted GM of Saffire Freycinet, a 20-villa independent más...
Briefs: Expedia collusion? | Soft Marriott 1Q
Expedia investigation: Utah’s attorney general is investigating whether Expedia Group Inc. conspired with hotel companies including Hilton and Marriott más...
Mandarin Oriental takes its position in Dubai
Dubai’s luxury scene is crowded and luring the global glitterati is as competitive as ever. For some hotels, it’s being rooted in the location más...
Track history through Hilton's 100-year archive
Hotel history: Hilton is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and, of course, the world’s second biggest hotel company is making hay promoting más...
Briefs: Will Dorchester boycott persist? | Hyatt in Shanghai
Hyatt Centric for Shanghai: Hyatt Hotels Corp. has entered into a management agreement with Shanghai Xintian Real Estate Co. Ltd., a joint venture by más...
How 25Hours aids guests and controls the message
For about three years now, all of the properties within 25Hours Hotels have been sending a very interesting parting email. In addition to wishing the más...
Openings: San Ysidro Ranch | Forte in Puglia | Faloria
San Ysidro Ranch re-opens: The historic San Ysidro ranch, owned by Beanie Baby mogul Ty Warner, is taking guests again after a 15-month renovation más...
Briefs: Jumeirah aims at Europe | US TRevPAR's new high
Jumeirah's European aspirations: Dubai-based Jumeirah Group CEO Jose Silva told Gulf News last week that the group soon plans to investment more más...
People on the move: InterContinental | Viceroy | Maybourne
A senior vice president joined CHMWarnick to establish a Chicago office, while Viceroy Hotels and Resorts, drawing from its own talent pool, named a chief más...
Diverse Accor enters another vertical
In an effort to become more engrained in consumer’s daily lives, Accor on Monday announed plans to enter the cowork space and create 1,200 spaces más...
How social media drives guests to Dallas Four Seasons
GOSTELOW REPORT—"My two daughters teach me a lot about social space, which helps considerably in attracting our local weekend drive business,” más...
Briefs: Radisson grows in Milan | TUI sharpens hotel focus
Radisson to Milan. Radisson Hospitality AB, part of Radisson Hotel Group, has signed a new Radisson Collection property in Milan, Italy. Working in conjunction más...
Park makes US$2.7B bid to acquire REIT Chesapeake
In an effort to start recycling capital into higher growth markets, Park Hotels & Resorts on Monday agreed to buy Chesapeake Lodging Trust in a cash más...
Will Dorchester recover after sultan's change of heart?
Just days after the Los Angeles City Council joined a call to boycott the Hotel Bel-Air and the Beverly Hills Hotel, both owned by the government of Brunei’s más...
Briefs: Kempinski to Tblisi | Barcelo loves Turkey
Kempinski deals in Georgia: Kempinski Hotels has signed a management agreement with M2 at Mtatsminda LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSC M2 Real más...
Why wellness programs are buzzing about cannabis
Cannabidiol, better known by its street name, CBD, is popping up in more and more spas, especially at higher-end hotels and resorts. Since passage of más...
Look who’s jumping on the marijuana trend
Even before Agave spa, at Phoenix, Arizona’s The Westin Kierland, introduced CBD therapies, clients were asking about it. Rachel Rock, Agave’s más...
Marriott CEO diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
Marriott International President and CEO Arne Sorenson was diagnosed on Wednesday with stage 2 pancreatic cancer, according to a company statement. Sorenson más...
Briefs: IHG's Q1 results | Reverb for Sonoma
IHG reports results. For Q1 2019, IHG highlighted 5.4% year-over-year net system size growth to 843,000 rooms, opening 12,000 rooms. Among the openings más...
The hotel about to have Dubai's most expensive penthouse
Dubai lures the global glitterati with its over-the-top luxury offerings. How are some properties competing to attract this crowd? For some hotels, it’s más...
How Sheldon Adelson changed Vegas
Convention center foresight: Twenty years ago, lots of people told the Venetian founder Sheldon Adelson that attaching a convention center to his hotel más...
Briefs: Choice updating 4 logos | Hyatt reports Q1
Choice updates four logos. Choice Hotels International is refreshing the logos for Quality Inn, Clarion, Sleep Inn and MainStay Suites. It said the new más...
Choice execs talk development, distribution
"We are a brand company," Choice Hotels International President and CEO Pat Pacious said Wednesday as the company rounded off its annual convention, gathering 5 más...
How this ex-banker made his way to hotels
"I do not miss banking at all. I love the people side of owning and running hotels," says Bernhard Praml, talking at his 10-room Hotel San Telmo La Palma más...
Briefs: Oyo’s US$413M deal | Hilton Q1 earnings
Oyo targets Europe: The India-based Oyo Hotels & Homes has acquired Amsterdam-based @LeisureGroup, a vacation rental company in Europe., for €369 más...
People on the move: Auberge | Peninsula | Kimpton
Promoting from within, G6 Hospitality named a divisional vice president of operations and HEI Hotels & Resorts promoted three people to executive más...
The game-changing luxury of Adrian Zecha: Top 5 most-read
New luxury is the name of the game and Aman’s Adrian Zecha has long been one of the masters in that arena. HOTELS spoke with Zecha about the early más...
Choice convention highlights brand milestones
Choice Hotels International President and CEO Pat Pacious opened the company’s 65th convention on Tuesday by reinforcing Choice’s strategy más...
Briefs: Wyndham 1Q results | Sons of CIGA
Wyndham results: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced 1Q results for 2019. A few highlights: Revenues increased 55% compared with 1Q 2018, to US$468 más...
abril 2019
Cahill talks future of luxury at Accor
GOSTELOW REPORT—"What would make my professional life easier? Honestly, I am very fortunate to work with great people and brands, so any improvements más...
Openings: Mandarin Oriental | Hilton | Conrad
The first of Conrad’s ultra-exclusive clubs: Hilton Worldwide’s modern luxury brand, Conrad, has at last opened in D.C. The 360-room Conrad más...
Can Marriott crack the home-sharing code?
Homes & Villas by Marriott International is the hotel giant’s answer to Airbnb. Next week, Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott will introduce más...
Briefs: Attribute-based search is real | Dorchester boycott slogs on
The future of attribute-based search: New research from Amadeus and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) suggests soon guests will no longer want to search más...
Chris Norton ready to launch Type-A Equinox brand
The luxury lifestyle space is about to be disrupted by Equinox Hotels, a fitness and human-performance-focused product that has not been seen before and más...
How Equinox brings ‘fitness as lifestyle’ to NYC
“Sleep is a non-negotiable,” according to Equinox Hotels’ recent press release announcing the opening of the first Equinox Hotel, in más...
Briefs: Canceled in Sri Lanka | Cuts at MGM
Rosewood in China: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will open the Rosewood Ningbo in Ningbo, a tech and entrepreneurship city in China’s Zhejiang province más...
What long-term planning has reaped for Morocco Fairmont
"Having our own organic farm has so many benefits,” says Afif Salibi, general manager of the 134-room Fairmont Royal Palm, Marrakech, Morocco. "Over más...
Edge of this infinity pool? The rest of the world
Clear for takeoff: Reportedly surprisingly quiet and clean, Gerber Group will be operating The Pool Bar and Observation Deck at the highly más...
Briefs: Leela sale on hold | Radisson enters Madagascar
Leela deal on hold. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is examining whether the deal between Hotel Leelaventure and Canadian investment más...
Update: How Marriott is redesigning Sheraton
It’s too soon to metaphorically equate the rebirth of a flagging global hotel brand with a phoenix rising from the ashes, but it’s tempting más...
Selina secures new funding, evolves unique offer
Selina, an emerging brand that combines private and shared accommodation with coworking facilities for ‘digital nomads,’ announced on Wednesday más...
Briefs: Lucky Dragon gets lucky | This US$3.6B project gets a hotel
The Lucky Dragon has a new owner: Don Ahern, owner of construction-rental company Ahern Rentals, has purchased the foreclosed Las Vegas hotel and casino más...
People on the move: Hard Rock | Hilton | SBE
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain, opening this fall in Northern California, named seven members of its executive team. Meanwhile más...
How Zobler's partnerships make Sydell succeed
It’s a cool but sunny day in January on the terrace of the NoMad Bar in Las Vegas. A jazz trio is playing a special set inside to a buzzing brunch más...
Briefs: Who’s buying Boca Raton | Horst Schulze’s new baby
It’s sure got purpose: Horst Schulze’s WP Hospitality Group will manage the fledgling, Nashville-based Purpose Hotel, a completely crowd-funded más...
Marijuana-friendly? Here's why, says this hotelier
Massachusetts hotelier and recently failed congressional candidate Beej Das has launched what he calls the first cannabis friendly hotel in the state más...
Swire's Williams talks change in growth tactics
GOSTELOW REPORT – Since the pipeline of hotels being developed by Swire Properties will be limited from now on, Deputy Chairman of Swire Hotels más...
Openings: St. Regis | Muji | Taj
Small but mighty: Japanese home and lifestyle brand Muji has opened its third hotel located in the center of Tokyo's upmarket shopping district of Ginza más...
Briefs: Sri Lanka tourism impact | Women gain at Accor
Tourists leaving Sri Lanka. Tourists are leaving Sri Lanka and hotels are bracing for cancellations after a deadly terrorist attack that killed 290 people más...
How micro-targeting helped land Life House US$70M
Rami Zeidan says he finds his inspiration in data as the conclusions he and his Life House team draw from number crunching greatly influence their decisions más...
Sri Lanka hotel attacks: what we know
As what has been reported as coordinated terrorist attacks carried out on both sides of Sri Lanka by a single group, suicide bombers struck three popular más...
Weed-friendly hotels creep into mainstream
With a number of U.S. states making recreational marijuana use legal, more hotels are discreetly trying to cash in – the latest being, of all names más...
Briefs: Accor's Q1 results | Details on NoMad auction
Soft Q1 for Accor. Accor on Thursday reported Q1 2019 earnings, which showed some weakness in Asia and in North America that blunted RevPAR growth to más...
'Like a tailor-made suit': When the job fits
James E. Moore III is general manager of the Havana Cabana, a boutique hotel in Key West, Florida. Here's his story. I always found myself in the kitchen más...
Should tipping be institutionalized?
Tipping the scales: Around 70% of hotel guests don’t tip their housekeeper – a depressing number, but one that also re-sparks a debate about más...
Briefs: Modular the word | Strike in Ghana
One word: modular. The world's tallest modular hotel is on track to be stacked in late fall in New York City with prefabricated and pre-furnished más...
Why luxury all-inclusive works for this hotel
Tourism in Mexico is growing at a record-setting pace. In March 2018, more than 2 million visitors arrived at Cancun International Airport (up 14.5% from más...
How this airport Hyatt gets guests flying back
"The only disadvantage to running an airport hotel is lack of longer-stay guests,” says Keith Spinden, general manager of the Grand Hyatt DFW at más...
Briefs: NoMad auction | Airbnb keeps investing
NoMad heads to auction. Mezzanine lender Colony Capital has initiated a UCC foreclosure auction on the 168-key NoMad Hotel in New York City. The hotel más...
People on the move: Radisson | Fujita Kanko | Rosewood
Radisson Hotel Group’s Kristen Richter is now senior vice president and chief commercial officer in the Americas, a promotion from her previous más...
Briefs: Hail Caesars CEO | Fauchon part deux
Caesars names new CEO: Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment Corporation named Tony Rodio chief executive officer. Rodio, currently CEO of Affinity más...
For European hoteliers, mentoring – and Airbnb – top agenda
GOSTELOW REPORT—"My projects as president of the European Hotel Managers Association, EHMA, for the next three years are based around education más...
Openings: Nobu | Como | Four Seasons
Los Cabos on fire: Nobu Hotel Los Cabos has officially opened its doors, joining a handful of other hot players tapping into this market. May 2018 saw más...
Briefs: Another Nobu to London | AHLA rips Airbnb again
Another Nobu for London. Nobu Hospitality has announced a second project in London, this one on the West End scheduled to open in spring 2020. The 239-room más...
How this co-working club is taking on hotels
Neuehouse, a co-working space and private club with locations in New York and Los Angeles, is armed with capital and aiming for expansion. With US$30 más...
Why an eye for Instagram is essential
The web has had little respect for established industries: just ask mom-and-pop retailers about Amazon or local newspapers about Google News and Craigslist más...
How tea service takes Reid's Palace to next level
“Afternoon tea is the best marketing tool we have, and over 90% of the average-240 covers we serve every day are not staying in the hotel,” más...
Briefs: Margaritaville meets Louisville | Wellness meets cannabis
Compass in Louisville: A Compass by Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts is under development in partnership with Bachelor Fourth St. LLC. in Louisville más...
How a hurricane drove this resort to be bigger, better
Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which hit in 2017, did a number on hundreds of Caribbean resorts: Last year, the region lost more than US$1 billion in tourism más...
An area where hospitality continues to fail
Hoteliers must do better: Of the 238 board seats available among the 28 U.S. lodging companies, only 51 (21%) were occupied by women, according to a recent más...
Briefs: Marriott-Expedia deal | Wynn wants to ban Wynn
New OTA deal. Marriott International and Expedia reportedly have sign new, multi-year agreement that gives Marriott a commission reduction, which is now más...
Henderson Park’s TLC serves big Euro assets
Launching a new fund in a field dominated by big guns is a roll of the dice. But Nick Weber took that chance in 2016, thanks to half a billion dollars más...
When modular design makes sense
To construct the AC Hotel Louisville Downtown in Louisville, Kentucky, when qualified labor was in short supply, Concord Hospitality Enterprises turned más...
Briefs: Leaky hotel websites | Guest ratings > brand?
Risky website business: According to a study by Symantec Corporation of 1,500 hotel websites in 54 countries, two out of three websites inadvertently más...
People on the move: IHG’s new SVP | Auberge Resorts
While Best Western Hotels & Resorts appointed a senior vice president and chief development officer for North American development and InterContinental más...
Radisson firmly embraces Jin Jiang, makes US$200M tech investment
Following its recent ownership shakeup, Radisson Hotel Group’s focus is now threefold – a major technology update, a plan to court the Chinese más...
DUCO takes a deep dive into Italian destinations
"DUCO is certainly good for business,” says Paolo Mancuso, director of projects and business developments at ForteVillage Resort in Sardinia, Italy más...
Briefs: Anantara to Spain | Wynn not bidding for Crown
Fruit from Minor-NH deal. Minor Hotels and NH Hotel Group have signed an agreement to operate the 130-room Villa Padierna Palace, a hotel located in Marbella más...
How independent Villa d’Este stays au courant, in demand
GOSTELOW REPORT—"Our Loro Piana bedrooms simply show Italian style,” says Danilo Zucchetti, managing director of Villa d'Este, on Lake Como más...
Openings: Forte in Puglia | Nordic in Oslo | Chicago's The Hox
Volare! Sir Rocco Forte is taking advantage of his Italian heritage and local investors to expand in Italy and is preparing to open Masseria Torre Maizza más...
Briefs: 300 for Posadas | US$558M Japan buy
REIT buys Hilton in Japan: Japan REIT Investment Corporation acquired the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba for 62.4 billion yen (US$558.4 million). The 453-room más...
How Adrian Zecha rewrote the rules of luxury
Adrian Zecha’s father wanted him to become a doctor, so he majored in pre-med. He talked his way out of continuing and instead got a master’s más...
The why and what next of Dorchester deleting its accounts
Last week, Dorchester Collection deleted and suspended many of the social media pages for its properties following a public backlash over a decision by más...
2019 Hotelier of the World awards: Cast your vote
HOTELS presents its nominees for the 2019 Hotelier of the World awards, now in its 39th year. Readers are encouraged to vote for one corporate and one más...
Briefs: Blackstone likes Maui; Mouse roars in Paris
Blackstone buys on Maui. Blackstone Group, which last year agreed to buy Maui, Hawaii’s Grand Wailea for a reported US$1.1 billion, said Thursday más...
Exclusive: Sorenson on the breach, Bonvoy, disruptors
Marriott International President and CEO Arne Sorenson, in Chicago on Wednesday to address the Executives’ Club of Chicago on corporate social responsibility más...
How about an anti-boycott of Dorchester?
Party like you live in the 21st century: Calls for a boycott of Dorchester Collection hotels by celebrities including George Clooney, Elton John and Ellen más...
Briefs: Dorchester deactivates | Marriott’s Asia plan
Dorchester Collection shuts down social media: Dorchester Collection on Wednesday said it suspended social media pages for its properties. The decision más...
The Aspen luxury brand about to double in size
The Little Nell is about to play on a larger stage. Owners of the iconic Aspen, Colorado, hotel are parlaying its reputation, along with that its less-famous más...
How Dubai’s ambitious JA Resorts aims for dominance
"I want to control the Indian Ocean," says Anthony Ross, CEO of JA Resorts & Hotels, based in Dubai, UAE. At the moment he oversees a portfolio that más...
Briefs: Marina Bay Sands expands | Extended Stay’s new play
Sands in Singapore: Las Vegas Sands has announced an expansion plan for Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The company has entered into a development agreement más...
People on the move: Executives at SBE | Six Senses
SBE has named a chief culture officer, a senior vice president of corporate finance, and a vice president and general manager of the company’s Hudson más...
Legendary Nassikas carried independent torch
One of the last of the Mohicans from a hoteliers’ perspective, San Francisco’s Stanford Court President and Operating Partner Jim Nassikas más...
Briefs: Dusit Thani Bangkok | Philly rebranding
Philly hotel to rebrand: Interstate Hotels & Resorts will continue operating the Philadelphia 201 Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that was más...
Unicorns connect: Airbnb invests in Oyo
As Airbnb prepares for its expected IPO, it is further extending its reach into adjacent businesses with news surfacing on Monday that is has made a strategic más...
How this butler brigade drives return business
GOSTELOW REPORT—"Our butlers, led by Rudy Cuadro, definitely increase customer satisfaction and bring repeat business," says Richard Launay, who más...
Briefs: Nikki expands | Interstate co-founder
Nikki adds three: Florida-based Nikki Beach Hotels and Resorts, in a joint venture with Nikki Beach Hotels and Resorts EMEA, this year will open the 60-room más...
Openings: A 5-star luxury hotel in Jersey Shore | Conrad Hangzhou
Boutique luxury in Jersey: Come summer, the Jersey Shore will see its first luxury 5-star boutique hotel: the Asbury Ocean Club Hotel in Asbury Park, más...
YHS suggests hoteliers better 'sell' job offers
A traditional hospitality career is still aspirational, but hoteliers better start to make it look and feel more exciting, according to results of the más...
Dorchester Collection caught in boycott 'crossfire'
The Brunei Investment Agency-owned Dorchester Collection hotels are likely facing leaner days again as the oil-rich kingdom further rolls out its Sharia más...
Six Senses talks IHG buy: Top 5 most-read, March
IHG’s February buy puts Bangkok-based Six Senses at the top of its luxury portfolio. We spoke with Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs about pipeline, loyalty más...
Briefs: Wynn’s US$2.6B question | The FIU plan
Thomas Cook to Mallorca: Thomas Cook has signed a franchise agreement for the opening of a Casa Cook with Hotel Sa Torre in Mallorca, Spain. The más...
marzo 2019
What’s a Cicerone? The future of hotel F&B, says one
In December, Austin Taylor was promoted to Cicerone, a certified guide of beer, at Hilton Norfolk The Main’s rooftop beer garden, Grain, in Norfolk más...
The 1st Equinox Hotel comes to life at last
Equinox lives, and sleeps: The first Equinox hotel (212 rooms, including 48 suites) is finally set to open in June at the huge Hudson Yards project in más...
4 steps to using data to improve Instagram engagement
Social media, and particularly Instagram, has become a key tool to acquire new travelers and an opportunity to showcase your hotel, destination or product más...
Briefs: Hyatt in India | Pre-opening budget research
Hyatt likes India. Hyatt Hotels Corp. will add more than 2,000 rooms in India by opening 14 new hotels over the next 24 months, it has announced. An emphasis más...
How this St. Barths resort came back after hurricane
Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which hit in 2017, did a number on hundreds of Caribbean resorts: Last year, the region lost more than US$1 billion in tourism más...
Why India’s mobile market is taking off
Mobile-payment use is on the rise in India – even if it hasn’t reached the saturation seen in China and elsewhere in Asia – as firms más...
Briefs: Ascott’s short-stay game plan
Citadines Connect: CapitaLand’s wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited, has launched Citadines Connect, a line of business hotels más...
People on the move: Minor | Interstate exec | Martha’s Vineyard
Minor Hotels has named general managers for properties in the Indian Ocean, and Northern and Southern Africa, while a corporate director of culinary operations más...
Africa’s hot – here are two players to watch
It’s hard to keep track of all the activity in Africa, but two players are worth watching – both stylish and efficient developers and operators más...
Briefs: The giant Singapore fund acquiring 25% of CitizenM
CitizenM’s big boost: A massive Singapore government-run fund has acquired a 25% stake in Dutch hotel company CitizenM, providing a cash boost to más...
Turner Reserves bets the ranch on this luxury approach
GOSTELOW REPORT—"On April 2nd, Ted Turner Reserves launches, and I am the luckiest person on the planet,” says Jade McBride, director of hospitality más...
Openings: Big Choice | Como castle | Kimpton in Asia
Big Choice in Oslo: Choice Hotels International has opened the biggest hotel in its portfolio – an 810-room Clarion Hotel The Hub, also the largest más...
Briefs: Ellison’s Tahoe plan | February performance
Ellison hotel plans coming? Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison is preparing to submit plans for a hotel to replace the Cal Neva Resort & Casino in North más...
ROI should drive these futuristic tech investments
The Internet of Things, or IoT, has delivered many wonders. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, visitors saw an “intelligent” toilet más...
How Rosewood attracts ‘repeaters’ (guests and employees)
"I head a family of repeaters – as well as guests who come back again and again. My long-stay team members have often, like me, had spells elsewhere más...
Briefs: A class action suit against major brands moves forward
Meet ‘The Mid’: A luxury boutique hotel and condos are planned for Midtown Detroit, Michigan as part of a US$310 million mixed-use development más...
The leading reason women step back from hospitality
Women are well-represented everywhere in hospitality – except at the top. Hospitality isn’t an inherently male-dominated vocation, yet women más...
Every guest (and hotel’s) nightmare
Cameras: Multiple news outlets are reporting on how 1,600 people were secretly filmed in 42 motel rooms in 30 South Korean properties while the footage más...
Briefs: Dutch Deutsche | Tokyo's tourist crunch
How Toyko is dealing with hotel shortfall. To mitigate the shortage of hotel rooms expected for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Japanese authorities más...
5 experiential hotel bars gunning for ROI
It’s no longer just about a carefully crafted cocktail or a stellar wine list. Hotel bars are upping the ante on experiences – carefully curated más...
Here's how Postcard plans to fill India's luxury gaps
Kapil Chopra, CEO of The Postcard Hotel, wants to change how Indian luxury hotels are viewed. The former president of the storied Oberoi Group, Chopra más...
Briefs: U.S. hotels smokin’ | Driftwood's US$86M buy
U.S. hotel performance: Here are STR’s results for the U.S. hotel industry for February 2019, year over year: Occupancy rose 0.7% to 62.2%; ADR más...
What throwing away zero bars of soap looks like
Hilton announced Monday that its Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton and All Suites brands are launching a partnership with Clean the World, a global más...
People on the move: Auberge | Ritz-Carlton | Avani
Big moves going on for Auberge Resorts Collection, which named Chris Gabaldon chief operating officer, effective in April. He will lead the corporate más...
Why traditional players shouldn’t ignore Oyo
With a news report out just yesterday that Airbnb is considering investing up to US$200 million in Indian startup phenon Oyo Hotels & Homes, Hotelivate más...
Briefs: The decision that crushed profitability for D.C. hotels
New Fosun strategy: Hong Kong-based Fosun Tourism Group will adopt an asset-light strategy and run under management contracts the Club Med resorts it más...
Brookfield nabs Leela properties for US$576M
Hotel Leela Venture Ltd., the subject of investment rumors for months, is selling four of its hotels and another property to a fund sponsored by Brookfield más...
Marriott’s growth plan: Three years and 1,700 hotels
Marriott International has presented its ambitious three-year growth plan, which includes a goal of opening more than 1,700 hotels globally. The más...
Here’s what’s most important to IHG’s CEO
GOSTELOW REPORT—"After adding more brands I am now focused on execution," says InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) CEO Keith Barr. To him, execution más...
Briefs: Travelodge adds 100 | Four Seasons enters into…
Here’s who Travelodge is now targeting: Budget hotel chain Travelodge is now targeting parents who want to return to work to fill a potential post-Brexit más...
Openings: Alibaba’s FlyZoo | Rosewood | Singita
The robots are coming: Alibaba Group’s FlyZoo Hotel has finally opened in Hangzhou, China. The property, which was built by online travel platform más...
When getting ‘uncomfortable’ can get you ahead
Eileen Moore worked in revenue management for more than a decade at places like The Waldorf Astoria in New York, Fairmont and Harrah’s. “When más...
Briefs: The misstep of Wynn Resorts | A home-sharing setback
The Wynn investigation continues: A report by Massachusetts gaming investigators into Wynn Resorts is expected to conclude that some company managers más...
After acquisition, will mainstream brands shun HotelTonight?
The major hotel brands can be expected to look skeptically at HotelTonight as the last minute booking site becomes part of their longtime antagonist, más...
This is what happens when you tax Airbnb
People aren’t exactly happy: “People are actually canceling and forgoing deposits to get away from the taxes,” says one unhappy homeowner más...
Briefs: India-based Lemon Tree acquires 100% stake in this brand
PPHE JV: International hospitality real estate group PPHE has entered into a joint venture agreement with Largo 542 West 29th Street Partners, an affiliate más...
The GM regularly doing 450 F&B covers with 149 rooms
"I had a great life in the music business but I was tired of air miles and I wanted something else, but what?" says Dirk Dreyer, general manager of 25hours más...
India’s traveling, middle-class giant awakens
As recently as 10 years ago, most hotel chains were only in India’s biggest cities, charging higher prices compared to surrounding countries. In más...
Great news for hotel owners in Europe
The European hotel market achieved record demand in both 2017 and 2018, boasting the largest share of both international tourist arrivals (almost half más...
Briefs: Kempinksi CEO and CFO out | Chrysler a hotel?
Change ups at Kempinski: Kempinski Hotels CEO Markus Semer will not continue forward with the company, Kempinksi revealed Wednesday. Additionally, the más...
How to become Hilton UK's hotel of the year
"Last Thursday, March 7, we were awarded Hilton UK's hotel of the year, and it is all thanks to our 465 associates," says Michael Shepherd, GM of the más...
People on the move: TripAdvisor | W Hong Kong | Four Seasons
Kanika Soni joined TripAdvisor as president of the hotels business unit, effective April 15. Reporting to Stephen Kaufer, TripAdvisor’s president más...
The rapid – and strategic – growth of Henderson Park Capital
In its short two-year history, Henderson Park Capital has built a formidable base, acquiring US$3.3 billion on 13 properties, a mix of office buildings más...
Briefs: The new Sheraton | The even newer MO Hyde Park
An update for Sheraton: As Marriott International gears up to launch Sheraton Hotels & Resorts 2.0, the company has released a new logo for the brand más...
3 takeaways from Arne Sorenson's testimony
Last week, Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson testified before the U.S. Senate regarding last fall’s hack of its Starwood guest reservation más...
Change is critical for this Parisian hotel and casino company
GOSTELOW REPORT—"People do not follow managers, they follow leaders, and I want all our GMs to stress leadership, to motivate their teams,” más...
Briefs: Forte has words for Brexit | Four Seasons all-inclusive residential
We have no negotiating position’: Ahead of a series of Brexit votes in parliament this week, Sir Rocco Forte is urging parliament to reject both más...
Openings: IHG | Meliá | Mandarin Oriental
Two from Melia: The 152-room and 61-villa Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort is set to open in April near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The 5-star property más...
Six Senses CEO: ‘Everything’s a possibility’ after IHG buy
“Jokingly and internally, we're calling it Six Senses version three,” says Neil Jacobs, CEO of Bangkok-based Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas más...
How venture funding gave Standard a whole new product
With US$5 million in Series A funding from the venture capital firm Swan and Legend, New York-based Standard International is spinning off its One Night más...
Briefs: A tough start to 2019 for Europe | Accor investigation
Profit per room falls for mainland Europe: It declined by 9.1% year-over-year in January—the largest margin of decline in this measure since August más...
Airbnb buys HotelTonight, pushes further into hotel territory
Airbnb announced Thursday that it will acquire hotel booking site HotelTonight, edging even further into more traditional hotel listings and adding yet más...
Exclusive IHIF insights: Accor, Hyatt, Rosewood
News was made around the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin this week with hotel companies taking advantage of the big gathering to más...
Why luxury brands are targeting this island
The Japanese prefecture of Okinawa is known for its pristine white sand beaches, tropical coral reefs and World War II battle sites. It’s also on más...
Briefs: Sorenson talks breach | The true impact of Brexit
Sorenson testifies on Marriott hack: Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson testified before the U.S. Senate on Thursday on last fall’s hack of más...
IHIF CEOs: ‘Now it’s a people war’
So far, so good. That’s the consensus from the International Hospitality Investment Forum 2019, held in Berlin this week. The U.K. is grabbing attention más...
Deutsche makes biggest investment in Steigenberger
Deutsche Hospitality is relaunching its nearly 90-year-old Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts brand, investing €120 million (US136 million) in its más...
Standard CEO Lalvani expands on 15-hotel deal
After Standard International on Monday announced 15 new projects (2,500 keys) for its Standard Hotels and Bunkhouse Group, HOTELS reached out to CEO Amar más...
Briefs: TripAdvisor, now with sponsoring | Trump + T-Mobile
T-Mobile’s Trump Hotel stays: Cellular company T-Mobile reportedly wrote a letter to congressional Democrats saying the company had spent nearly más...
Standard makes big development move, bold statement
Stating “this is just the beginning” and “big brands don't get it,” Standard International CEO Amar Lalvani announced 15 new projects más...
People on the move: Langham | Thomas Cook | Mandarin Oriental Boston
Banyan Tree Phuket in Thailand named two directors while Benchmark announced a chief sales officer. Meanwhile, AC Hotel Grand Rapids Downtown appointed más...
Briefs: Marriott CEO to testify before Senate | SBE's new luxe brand
Marriott faces Senate panel: Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson will testify before a U.S. Senate panel Thursday about the hacking incident the más...
David Kong boasts big plans for WorldHotels
Considering how popular soft branding has become since Marriott International launched the Autograph Collection in 2009, Best Western Hotels & Resorts más...
Ueberroth makes clear vision for Preferred Hotels
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Travel changes people's lives,” said Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, which held its más...
Accor keeps growing lifestyle with new brand Tribe
Accor further expanded its lifestyle portfolio on Monday by launching a midscale brand, Tribe. The first 126-room hotel is in Perth and 10 other openings más...
Briefs: Hyatt Regency’s first in this country | Crown tower on hold?
IHG Berlin gets facelift: InterContinental Hotels Group and Union Investment will modernize the InterContinental Berlin, which is owned by Union Investment más...
Openings: Rosewood | Beverly Hills Hotel | First Miraval since Hyatt
Ultra-luxury in Santa Barbara: Rosewood Miramar Beach opened March 1 in Santa Barbara, California, smack dab on the beach and claiming to be the only más...
The man turning all-inclusive into healthy profits
Sani/Ikos Group is turning the notion of the all-inclusive on its head. With its collection of luxury-level coastal resorts in Greece and Spain, this más...
3 keys to successfully overhauling a tired-out resort
A gorgeous beachfront experience is central to the experience at Sani/Ikos Group, an integrated owner, developer and operator of luxury-level coastal más...
Briefs: LVMH deal in London | NYT outlines Airbnb scheme
LVMH, in collaboration with O&H, a privately owned property developer, will reportedly develop a Cheval Blanc hotel on Grafton Street in London's más...
Making shared collective spaces the new normal: Opinion
We’ve reached the tipping point. Big chain has joined the bandwagon and it makes clear economic sense. It may have taken a while, and they’ve más...
The future of branded residential
The future of branded residential looks bright. In September 2018, Marriott International declared plans to expand its branded residential portfolio by más...
Meet extended-stay for the ‘informal generation’
All about flexibility: HBA DNA, a branding division of designer Hirsch Bedner Associates, has created a hybrid concept in the extended-stay segment más...
Briefs: Europe's year in deals | Marriott results
Europe transactions down: European hotel transaction volume hit €18.6 billion (US$211.7 billion) in 2018, a decrease of 14% over the previous year más...
CEO pay by the numbers: Top 5 stories, February
This month you cared about hard and fast plans. How much did U.S. hotel CEOs make in 2018? Why did IHG buy Six Senses? What’s Four Seasons’ más...
febrero 2019
How much did your CEO make last year?
While many U.S. CEOs have been shamed by labor leaders for being overpaid, in its annual studying reviewing compensation of hospitality company CEOs, más...
Picassos over big brands for this UK-based GM
"I have the most extraordinary hotel job imaginable – I am part of a university structure and, if I need a few minutes' cultural stimulus, there más...
Briefs: The hotel trust looking to sell US$900M by 2020
Yotel in D.C.: Yotel has acquired the Liaison Washington Capitol Hill hotel via partners Metrovest Equities and BLDG Management. The hotel group will más...
AHLA responds to multimillion-dollar Airbnb scheme
The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) has issued a statement regarding a New York Times article that details New York City officials más...
People on the move: Langham | JW Marriott Hong Kong
A newly opened eco-resort in Indonesia’s Anambas Islands has named a general manager and Hostmark Hospitality Group appointed a chief operating más...
Miraval chief: ‘Corporate wellness is exploding’
Two years ago Hyatt Hotels Corp. signaled a clear direction for the company with back-to-back acquisitions of Miraval Group, a wellness resort and spa más...
Briefs: Hitting a Home(inn) run | Big deal in Australia
Homeinns in JV: Homeinns Hotel Group affiliate of BTG Hotels (Group) Co., Ltd. of Shanghai and Hyatt Hotels Corp. entered a strategic joint venture más...
How is hotel school like a hotel? Ex-GM finding out
GOSTELOW REPORT—"Being actively involved in setting up a hotel school is actually quite like opening a hotel," says Dagmar Woodward, honorary president más...
Openings: Life House | Low/no booze | 25hours
The first Life House: The brainchild of Rami Zeidan (formerly of Starwood and 1 Hotels), the Life House brand is a collection of immersive boutique hotels más...
Briefs: Lisbon values spike | CBRE updates US forecast
US looks good through 2020: A favorable economic outlook will lead to continued growth in U.S. hotel revenues and profits through 2020, according más...
Why now for Hilton's ‘Signia’
Hilton has entered the big box meeting and events market with the launch of a new brand, Signia Hilton. With a minimum of 500 guest rooms and 75-square-feet más...
Will northern Europe lead regional growth again?
Recent STR data reveals a continuous increase in new hotel openings across Europe, from 52,050 rooms in 2016 up to 63,454 new rooms in 2018. Where has más...
Briefs: A very ‘Public’ lawsuit | Standard's $5M in funding for…
‘Public’ outrage: The Public Theater (officially known as the New York Shakespeare Festival) filed a lawsuit Thursday against Ian Schrager más...
The toughest hotels to finance and why
Show them the money: Financing hotels is a tricky game. Independent properties may have their on-trend experiential focus and unique anti-brand offerings más...
Briefs: ‘Improving’ Accor | Better in the Bahamas
25Hours in Denmark: 25hours Hotel Company is planning its first hotel in Copenhagen by signing a long-term lease agreement with the Hines real estate más...
How Fairmont redefines the luxury Maldives resort
No perfectly straight line exists in nature, and it doesn’t exist at the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi, either. That’s by design. más...
Peninsula Paris’ acting GM relishes the competition
"I ended last year as hotel manager and, with no end in sight, started this year as hotel manager and acting GM," says Brice Delclos, temporary boss of más...
Briefs: Marriott activates Bonvoy | Forbes awards announced
Mixed January in U.S.: While overall performance growth was muted in January 2019, particularly on the rate side, the U.S. hotel industry reported positive más...
People on the Move: Maxx | Belmond | Sheraton
A 5-star Colombian resort welcomed a new executive chef, while a Houston hotel hired a director of F&B who started his career at the same property más...
Openings: Schrager | Moxy | Branson
An ‘Edition’ to Times Square: A year and a half after opening his New York “hotel for the people,” Public, Ian Schrager has revealed más...
Indian Hotels launches homestay brand with Tata Coffee
The Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL), owners and operators of the iconic Taj hotel brand under the Tata Group, has launched in India “Ama más...
Briefs: UK Hiltons sold | IHG plans all-suite brand
IHG reports earnings, plans new brand. IHG reported Q4 2018 results on Tuesday, which showed pre-tax profits off 26% but an increase in dividends by 10% más...
New VP raising Marriott’s luxe brands in Asia Pacific
"I have the most incredible job, taking innovation into the marketplace and testing it,” said Bruce Ryde, Marriott International’s vice president más...
Hilton's plan for 100% sustainable seafood
Hilton Hotels has set an ambitious goal of buying 100% sustainably sourced seafood by 2022. The goal divides the sustainable seafood into 25% procured más...
Best Western grows upscale presence with WorldHotels deal
To enhance its upper upscale and luxury portfolio, Best Western Hotels & Resorts has acquired global representation company WorldHotels and its collection más...
Briefs: Owner gives Six Senses deal positive review
One thumbs up for Six Senses deal. The owners of the Six Senses Fiji, Sequitur Hotels, and its Managing Director Gordon Fell told HOTELS late last week más...
Trump shelves new brands citing political climate
Citing fake news and harassing Democrats who create a negative climate surrounding the presidency of Donald Trump and his namesake organization, the Trump más...
A (brief) starter guide to IoT
Michael Laas, founder of Sustainable Futures Group, a sustainability consulting company, says IoT sensors make it much easier for hotels to track key más...
Briefs: Brexit takes its toll on this London company
M&C London hiring troubles: Hotel group Millennium & Copthorne has said Brexit uncertainty is making it difficult for its London hotels to recruit más...
The ‘not very sexy’ – but critical – role of the supply chain
Rooftop gardens, onsite composting and even marine-friendly straws are all easier sells than supply chain sustainability. But according to experts, supply más...
Conversions? Here’s what matters most, according to Google
Listen to Google: We all know mobile increasingly drives bookings and Google wrote a think piece this week suggesting site design matters more than anything más...
Briefs: Accor grows in UK | Massive southern Spain project
Accor adds in UK. AccorHotels has signed a UK portfolio of six Mercure hotels (864 rooms) under a hotel management agreement with Proark más...
IHG buys Six Senses, further cements in luxury
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) continues to bolt-on luxury brands with its early Wednesday announced acquisition of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas' más...
5 ways to make your wine list more appealing
What is the flavor profile of this wine? What should it be served with? Is US$44 a good deal for this bottle? More importantly, even if you are familiar más...
Briefs: Hilton’s better than expected Q4 | Hilfiger hotel sells
Where Hilton stands: According to analysis by Baird Equity Research, while 4Q18 results easily topped expectations and guidance (primarily due to better-than-expected más...
People on the move: IHG | Mandarin Oriental | Hilton
Sea Island, a coastal Georgia resort, promoted two executives while Midas Hospitality hired an executive who spent more than two decades at InterContinental más...
Hyatt’s head of wellness: ‘Everything is on the table right now’
Mia Kyricos’ book of business has two chapters: Not only is the senior vice president and global head of well-being leading Hyatt Hotels’ más...
Briefs: Cycas' first CEO | US supply growth exceeds 2%
Deadly fire in New Delhi: A fire at the fully occupied Arpit Palace hotel in central New Delhi on Tuesday morning killed at least 17 people, according más...
‘Build a career’: Boyen’s message to grads
"In my Glion speech on February 1 my main message to the 300 graduates was to stay in the industry and build a career,” says Filip Boyen, CEO of más...
Sustainable, versatile: This fruit is an easy sell
When executive chef Kyle Griffith received a random call from a guest at the Omni Hotel Nashville the day after a banquet, he was expecting the worst más...
Briefs: LVMH poaches Ritz GM | Saudi prince’s latest mega venture
Sharaan in the works: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched on Sunday a mega tourism project in Al Ula, including a resort designed más...
‘Going green’ goes for financing, too: Here's how
There are a multitude of ways for hotel companies to keep their operations in line with sustainable initiatives, but financing can be an environmentally más...
Your dessert wine pairings are all wrong
When Ryan Bailey made the trek from the NoMad New York to Los Angeles to head up the wine program at the restaurant’s new location más...
Briefs: Bye, former Trump hotel | Airbnb’s big hire for travel
A once NYC Trump development gets the axe: Midtown’s Grand Hyatt Hotel is getting torn down. The glass-sheathed tower, Donald Trump’s first más...
REPORT: Good news for market investors
Cautious yet optimistic may best describe the global hotel market’s investor sentiment, so sayeth JLL Hotels & Hospitality’s latest annual más...
NYC bans this in-demand chemical from restaurants
Forbidden F&B: Here in the U.S., marijuana and its byproducts are starting to hit the mainstream, but the introduction of things like edibles más...
Briefs: ‘A way to go’ for women in hospitality
Women in hospitality 2019: The nonprofit Castell Project, aimed at accelerating the careers of women in hospitality, released its 2019 leadership report más...
Four Seasons’ big ambitions for branded residential
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has been in the branded residential business since 1985, but this year, it is introducing its first standalone residential más...
How this Parisian hotelier manages the ‘yellow vests’
“Every Saturday, I feel as if I am running a peaceful operation in the eye of a major storm,” said Gérald Van Reck, general manager más...
Briefs: The OTA slap on the wrist | A CEO in trouble
Turn and face the strange: Major travel websites including Trivago, Expedia, Agoda and Booking.com have agreed to change the way they do business after más...
People on the move: Arlo | Choice | Hard Rock
An Argentinian will lead a Miami property’s food and beverage program while an Irish native became general manager of an Orlando resort. Meanwhile más...
Sustainability from the ground up at Colombian retreat
An hour and a half from Medellín in a protected forest of Antioquia, a trio of well-traveled entrepreneurs – two Americans and a Colombian más...
Briefs: Hilton deals in Brazil | Trump gets support
Hilton partners in Brazil. Hilton and Brazil’s Atlantica Hotels have signed a management license agreement allowing Atlantica to más...
Hyatt VP talks Brexit, wellness
GOSTELOW REPORT—"This is such an expanding and evolving industry, and we all need to give back. I was really happy to host a charity event at the más...
Why fine dining chefs are turning their attention to casual wine bars
For a lot of people, few things about eating out are more daunting than staring at a leather-bound wine list, hoping to make a good choice for the table más...
Ask yourself: ‘What keeps you up at night?’
We are in week six of the New Year and it is fair to say that 2019 is well and truly underway. But ask yourself this: Does the same hold true for your más...
Briefs: Accor's new brand | Equinox campaign
New economy brand from Accor. AccorHotels is reportedly preparing to launch a new brand called Greet, which is initially intended to attract independent más...
The rise of branded yachts
As more and more hospitality companies set sail (pun intended) with branded yachts and boats, a question arises: How do you keep the brand going strong más...
Lights, camera, movie action at Budapest hotel
"It helps when your government makes it easy for inward investment,” says Yves Giacometti, general manager of the Four Seasons Gresham Palace, Budapest más...
Briefs: Rockbridge, Hard Rock, Radisson
Rockbridge grows in Knoxville. Rockbridge has acquired from Commercial & Investment Properties The Tennessean Hotel and the Holiday Inn Knoxville más...
Loyalty, disruption, Chinese tech: Top 5 stories, January
In January, it was all about questioning the why and how of hospitality. Marriott International debuted its much-awaited umbrella loyalty program, “Marriott más...
How influencers may have fueled a dumpster Fyre
Powers, pitfalls of self-promotion: Another lesson in how some social media influencers can get tripped up in misleading attempts to show everyone how más...
Briefs: Rosewood, Interstate, Red Planet
Kona Village rebirth. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has signed a deal with developer Kennedy Wilson to manage Kona Village on the big island más...
enero 2019
ALIS notebook: Managing through potential end of cycle
Despite increasingly conservative forecasts for the U.S. hotel business for the first time in the past 10 years, a reported 3,000 people attended the más...
8 wellness trends, from smart clothes to ‘dying well’
The Global Wellness Institute, a research and advocacy nonprofit for the global wellness industry, released its top trends for 2019, and it’s a más...
Briefs: Hotels can’t win in search, study claims
Unequal search: According to a study by the Center for European Economic Research, hotels are given inferior positions in the search results, for example más...
People on the move: Marriott | Choice | Waldorf Astoria
Chesapeake Hospitality announced several promotions while Marriott International named five general managers to launch properties across Australia. Meanwhile más...
Nairobi attack underscores urgency for crisis planning
For nearly a full day following the January 15 assault of the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi, news coverage and social media feeds of the general public spread más...
Briefs: Via ALIS – Brace for a slowdown
The reality of the next two years: The U.S. hotel industry is projected to report a further slowdown in performance growth in 2019 and 2020, according más...
US recession coin flip in 2020: Goldman CEO at ALIS
While the tone among the record 3,000 attendees at this week’s 2019 Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles remains upbeat as expansion más...
Indian islands developer is a natural — with big plans
GOSTELOW REPORT—"Producing one-off resorts in spectacular landscapes in the most inaccessible parts of the world must be a labor of love as well más...
Teng to step down as Leading Hotels chief
Leading Hotels of the World Ltd. announced Monday that after 10 years as the company’s president and CEO, Ted Teng is stepping down on April 12 más...
Briefs: Outrigger, Dream, Caesars make news at ALIS
Hilton + Dominvs: Hilton will expand into the UK after extending its partnership with Dominvs Group, a property investment and private equity firm. Dominvs más...
The true future of luxury – for those who can achieve it
Is your brand’s mission to amaze and immerse your customers? Or is it to enable your customers to realize their own unique potential — to más...
Inflection point in U.S. asset value cycle: STR
U.S. hotel lenders are more cautious in their short-term outlook and believe that asset valuations are at or near peak, according to a survey conducted más...
Briefs: £203M Paddington project | LuLu in Zurich
Premier Inn, Staycity in Paddington: As part of a £203 million (US$265.0 million) development in London’s Paddington area, Whitbread will más...
Lowe returns to management business with CoralTree
Los Angeles-based developer Lowe is getting the band back together by launching the CoralTree Hospitality Group after having sold its interest in Two más...
The life-changing magic of tidying up – with a digger
Don't take it personally: A hotel room is a fresh start. You only bring what you need in the moment, and you focus on whatever brought you there, without más...
Briefs: One of NY’s most significant transactions in years
Four Seasons Okinawa: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Berjaya Okinawa Development Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysian group Berjaya Land Berhad más...
Transformative travel insights from HBA
The word ‘experiential’ has spread so far into the travel ecosystem, that while it may still be desired by some, it’s accessibility más...
Navigating automation — and the employees it displaces
While there’s little dispute that backend automation has brought hotels operational savings — remember the days before computerized reservation más...
HOTCO take-aways: Optimism, growth and a hunger for funding
"The benefit of partnering with the annual Hotel Investment Platform CEE & Caucasus, HOTCO, goes way beyond commercial value,” says Stephan más...
Briefs: Aspen Skiing launches Little Nell Hotel Group
Little Nell takes flight. Aspen Skiing Co. has formed a hospitality division called The Little Nell Hotel Group, a privately held, Aspen, Colorado-based más...
Book on Google results? Here's what this company sees
Choice Hotels International has been using Google’s hotel booking option since early October. Book on Google, which is also now available via Google más...
People on the move: Virgin | Scandic | Outrigger
Virgin Hotels welcomed two members to its leadership team and announced an internal promotion. Owen Deignan became director of food and beverage operations más...
Briefs: Hotels not a target, Sorenson says at Davos
Are hotels security target? Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson said Tuesday in an interview with CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland más...
Bash at ‘timeless’ Dubai Kempinski makes royal history
GOSTELOW REPORT—On January 16, “I achieved my dream, a launch party for my new hotel that will provide a home for royal history – and más...
Why Hilton partnered with this company on its new luxury London entry
Sometimes it makes sense to have another company manage your property (even when you’re in the business of managing yourself). Take London-based más...
Briefs: SBE makes big move into Mexico
Mondrian and more for Mexico. Lifestyle operator SBE has announced a partnership with Be Grand and its CEO Nicolas Carrancedo to develop 144 más...
Why you should care about Alibaba’s hotel strategy
Imagine walking into a hotel without waiting in the check-in line. The elevator takes you to your floor without you touching any button. Your room door más...
U.S. had great 2018, but can it keep going?
The U.S. hotel industry had a great year: According to STR, the absolute values in three key performance metrics were each the highest STR has ever benchmarked más...
Briefs: Airbnb moves to buy hotel booking site
Japan tourism breaks record: According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, more than 30 million overseas travelers visited Japan in 2018 más...
What does Marriott’s Bonvoy say about loyalty?
On Wednesday, Marriott International officially unveiled the long-awaited solution to its myriad of loyalty programs in the form of Marriott Bonvoy. más...
The AI misstep: When good robots go bad
Fall of the robots: It was pretty obvious that the Henn na Hotel was a lot of – albeit fun – hype, even if the mechanical dream has turned más...
Briefs: Blackstone’s billions | Scandic CEO out
Scandic replaces president: Stockholm-based Scandic Hotels Group AB appointed Jens Mathiesen to replace Even Frydenberg as president and CEO. Jens Mathiesen más...
Manga, millennials key to Fujita Kanko’s ambitious play
Responding to a vibrant tourism economy and shifting consumer demand, Fujita Kanko Inc. is reaching beyond its traditional niche into new markets. Among más...
Cheers to the unlikely check-in desk at Brøchner hotel
"The bar is the heart of any Brøchner property and the bar counter doubles as front desk – yes, about one percent of guests do not like this más...
Say ‘Bonvoy’age to old Marriott loyalty
Marriott International has officially unveiled the long-awaited solution to its myriad of loyalty programs – Marriott Bonvoy. With an emphasis on más...
Briefs: Brexit deal failed – what’s next?
What’s ahead for Brexit and Britain? On Tuesday, as expected, Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Parliament, más...
People on the move: Kimpton | Oyo | MGM
Kimpton named a general manager for a California hotel and a Montana ranch promoted a general manager with deep experience on the property. Oyo Hotels más...
Are you worthy of your guest’s trust?
The Marriott International data breach may have been the worst in industry history, but it won’t be the last. If anything, this massive hack of más...
Briefs: Dubai investment? | Airbnb to hit 500 million
Mondrian shifts brand: The Mondrian London is changing its name to Sea Containers London in a play on its building’s history. It’s now an más...
How to manage the highest ADR in the Maldives
GOSTELOW REPORT—“I knew nothing about the hotel business when my brother asked me to run his resort," says Michal Šmejc, general manager más...
Committee rejects Jin Jiang's bid for remaining Radisson shares
Back in November, Shanghai's Jin Jiang Hotels and Luxembourg-based private equity fund Sino-Cee Fund acquired a majority stake in Radisson Hospitality más...
Briefs: Hang on as U.S. travel trends downwards
U.S. travel trends: Growth of both international and U.S. domestic travel are on target to decelerate in the first few months of 2019, owing to a number más...
Son of industry icon talks disruption, opportunities
Following in the footsteps of a famed hotelier father, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea General Manager Marc Bromley understands the value of life balance más...
Why international brand consistency matters
Hoteliers invest a great deal in creating and maintaining a consistent brand presence across physical properties and digital channels. This can be a challenge más...
Briefs: The NY hotel sold for US$302 million
Aston comes to Malang: Indonesia-based hospitality management company Archipelago International will debut Aston City Malang Hotel in Malang, East Java más...
Why this hotel raced to stage a three-day Serengeti run
It’s a “fine line,” says Singita’s Lindy Rousseau, between creating an experience for guests and creating one that is “genuinely más...
Welcome to the anti-experiential food
It’s just lunch: “In Norway, you’re not supposed to look forward to your lunch.” In the hotel industry, where everything is an más...
Briefs: The Florida resort selling for US$1 billion
Interstate adds two: Arlington, Virginia-based Interstate Hotels & Resorts unveiled the addition of two new properties to its managed portfolio – más...
New York weighs next steps on home-share court decision
Political leaders in New York are vowing to defend a new law that regulates home-sharing sites but may have to bend to allay concerns about government más...
Acting fast after Maldives fire
"In the island resort world, you have to be prepared for anything," said Jean-Christophe Nager, GM of Huvafen Fushi, Maldives, in the Indian Ocean. On más...
Briefs: Detroit’s anticipated hotel opens | Wynn Resorts suing
Shinola opens its doors: The Shinola Hotel has now officially opened its doors in downtown Detroit. Two local companies with a love for the city, Shinola más...
Fighting the trap of ‘authenticity’
Today’s buzzword for customer experience enterprises is authenticity and all brands, big and small, seek it. But what is it, and when does authenticity más...
People on the move: Spire, Lanson Place, Montage
In this week’s people moves, Spire Hospitality gets a new VP of accounting, the former chief marketing officer of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group más...
Briefs: Why be a governor when you can work for MGM?
Gov turned MGM: Former Gov. Brian Sandoval is joining MGM Resorts International as its first president of global gaming development, the company announced más...
Langham’s Leser plays up the pink: ‘Know who you are’
GOSTELOW REPORT—"There must be a twinkle, a playfulness, to make consumers remember you, and to motivate the team," says Stefan Leser, CEO of Hong más...
How The Temple House tackles sustainability
Kurt Macher, general manager of Swire Hotels’ The Temple House in Chengdu, China, chatted with HOTELS about the operational challenges of implementing más...
Briefs: Oyo ramps up expansion plans
500 more for Oyo: India-based hospitality firm Oyo Hotels is looking to add up to 500 Townhouse hotels across India during 2019 as part of its expansion más...
Why hotels are hiring data scientists
WANTED: Savvy data cruncher to analyze copious amounts of information related to guest behavior, sales opportunities and revenue results. Previous hospitality más...
Como CEO dishes on invite-only loyalty card
"It makes business sense to have a name, like Amanjunkies, for your followers, and we are in the process of thinking what fits our Como-addicts the best más...
Marriott revises breach numbers downward
Marriott International said on Friday that the number of guests whose passport numbers and payment card numbers were involved in the September Starwood más...
Briefs: MGM staff cuts | What happened to Scion?
MGM plans US$300M boost: MGM Resorts International plans to cut its U.S. staff to save US$100 million by 2020. In a statement Thursday, the company said más...
A GM who found a way to make the Caribbean work
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Having been brought up around the world is really helpful when working in the Caribbean," says Mark Sterner, general manager más...
Get ‘uncomfortable’ with revenue management
Sharing for RM sake: Perfecting revenue management strategies today is like finding the holy grail of hotelkeeping. Alas, it remains elusive, but in a más...
Briefs: SLS Brickell sells | Best Western moves in Mexico
Best Western moves in Latin America: Best Western Hotels & Resorts assumed direct responsibility for the Best Western brand in Mexico and Central más...
Chip Conley's 'surf report' for 2019
Inexplicably, I’ve taken up surfing in my late 50s. I’m not very good at it, but it has helped improve my vision for the difference between más...
How a ‘reverse leader’ drives guest loyalty
Guest experience is a hot topic these days. It is, in fact, an expression of how guests experience the interaction within any channel or touchpoint of más...
Briefs: Radisson rejects Jin Jiang bid for extra shares
Rejection, for now: Radisson Hospitality has rejected an offer for additional shares from a consortium (led by Jin Jiang International Holdings Co., including más...
Aiming for growth despite challenges in Russia
Armin Eberhard’s placement in Moscow is the longest in his career. “That says something for the destination, I think,” says Eberhard más...
Ex-Oberoi president’s new Postcard to hotels
"There was a big gap in the way resorts operated, focussing more on product than experience," says Kapil Chopra, who, as CEO of The Postcard Hotel, announced más...
People on the move: Outrigger, Radisson, MGM
Commonwealth Hotels, Covington, Kentucky, has appointed Michael Fay to the position of field director of sales. Prior to joining Commonwealth Hotels, más...
Marriott’s massive data breach: Top 5 stories, December
Marriott International dominated our most read stories in December with a data breach which affected some 500 million customers staying at Starwood hotel más...
HOTELS top stories of 2018
This past year has been full of new brands, challanges to old models and a celebration of both hotel legends as well as young hoteliers on the rise. Take más...
Art of hotelkeeping pays off for Setai at Miami fest
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Miami Beach really would not be what it is today without Art Basel Miami Beach,” says Alex Furrer, general manager más...
diciembre 2018
AccorHotels buying spree: Top deals of 2018
AccorHotels wins the award for making the most hotel deal headlines for 2018 with its spree that included Sbe, 21c, Mövenpick, a deal with Katara más...
4 predictions for global hoteliers in 2019 and beyond
Tourism around the globe continues to rise, with over 1.3 billion arrivals in 2017 according to the World Tourism Organization—a 7% increase over más...
Spa and wellness: In 2018, a trend explodes
In 2018, wellness claimed its space. No longer confined to the spa or gym, hotel companies including AccorHotels and Hyatt Hotels hired big más...
3 areas of risk hotels must prepare for in 2019
The recently discovered and disclosed hack of the Starwood reservation system means the identities of some 500 million guests of Marriott International más...
HOTELS 20 Next-Gen Leaders all 40 and under
To further understand what’s on the mind of next-gen leaders, in 2018, HOTELS interviewed 20 rising stars all 40 and under, asking questions ranging más...
'What should the industry be doing differently?'
In our May 2018 issue, HOTELS interviewed 20 rising stars (all 40 and under) about their careers and forward-looking views on the industry. Nine of those más...
Hoteliers with messages: Best profiles of 2018
From messages about the promotion of more women into leadership roles, to the next big conceptual ideas, and growing love affairs with the hotel industry más...
People on the move: Four Seasons | Waldorf Astoria
As the year comes to a close, hoteliers are finding new homes for 2019, including David Emig, the new resort manager for Four Seasons in Hawaii; Justin más...
A very Mary Christmas: Gostelow Report’s best of 2018
Where in the world is HOTELS contributor Mary Gostelow? Everywhere. Who is she talking to? Everyone who matters in the world of hospitality. Here are más...
New soft brand, and ambitious goals, for Chhatwal at Taj
GOSTELOW REPORT: "Shares have gone up over 20% since I joined Taj's parent Indian Hotels Company Ltd. a year ago," says Puneet Chhatwal, managing director más...
Biggest booking innovations of 2018
The past year saw a myriad of twists and turns in distribution and booking opportunities. Airbnb extended a proverbial olive branch, giving independent más...
Braemar predicts 3%-plus luxury RevPAR growth in 2019
Over the past year, the luxury chain-scale segment has delivered superior performance compared to other chain-scale segments in the industry. According más...
Wellness, lifestyle growth comes with challenges in 2019
The two trends for 2019 that I see are the proliferation of lifestyle hotels and wellness concepts – but there are questions and issues surrounding más...
The workout company now targeting hotels
Orange you glad you’re in a hotel? Florida-based workout company Orangetheory Fitness is making its first endeavor into the pop-up world – más...
Briefs: Choice conversions | A US$63 billion market
Choice adds eight: Choice Hotels International signed an agreement with Hammock Worldwide Hotels & Resorts to convert and open eight Choice-branded más...
Why 2019 comes with a new playbook for growth
By most measures, 2018 was a strong year for the lodging industry as consumer confidence and spending grew alongside employment and economy-boosting reforms más...
How a Swedish shoe tycoon discovered the Maldives
"I predict Robinson Crusoe as the next travel trend," says Lars Petrie, developer and owner of Kudadoo Maldives Private Island by Hurawalhi, which opened más...
Briefs: ALG grows in Europe | New AHLA CEO
Apple Leisure grows in Europe. As part of its aggressive growth strategy in Europe, Apple Leisure Group (ALG) announced on Wednesday an agreement to purchase más...
How CEO Geoff Ballotti is transforming Wyndham
Confidence is on the rise at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts — not just among the executive team, but with franchisees who feel pretty good about its más...
People on the move: Wynn | Dream | Hotel Figueroa
The big news from the past week has Marilyn Spiegel returning to Wynn Resorts as president. Spiegel previously served in the same role from 2010 to 2013 más...
Coincidence? AccorHotels debuts Orient Express
Coincidence? Maybe. But five days after Belmond (Orient-Express Hotels until 2014) was sold to French luxury giant LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton más...
Briefs: Deutsche funds growth | Radisson ends JV
Deutsche’s deal: German hotel company Deutsche Hospitality created a European hotel real estate fund with German real estate asset and investment más...
Strengthening data security – a call to action
It is easy to take for granted the special relationship that we as hotel operators have with our guests. Simply stated, our guests trust us with their más...
Belles Rives’ literary legacy helps it write new history
GOSTELOW REPORT—"Having the owner on site the whole time helps the team relate to each other and to guests, and I honestly believe it helps with más...
Briefs: US$300M San Fran sale | Wynn's new president
Keep your eye on Mumbai: Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management is close to buying at least four of five luxury hotels and a large land parcel owned más...
What will become of LVMH's 'racy' play for Belmond?
Most insiders agree French luxury giant LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE is a great suitor for the luxury Belmond hotel portfolio. What LVMH will más...
Why, for developers, Russia is a long-term play
In a vast country like Russia, whose economy is no bigger than New York state, when the cost of capital rises, the viability of hotel projects decreases más...
Briefs: A US$900M deal in Orlando
Marriott on the ‘road’ in Japan: Marriott International and Japanese housing developer Sekisui House are teaming up to open hotels in fall más...
Expected and surprising pipeline updates for 2019
Looking ahead to pipeline expectations for 2019, Lodging Econometrics reports the United States and China will continue to be powerhouses globally, while más...
At Bhutan resort, all-inclusive adds up to mindful wellness
You could argue that simply being in Bhutan is a wellness retreat in itself: The tiny Himalayan country measures itself by the Gross National Happiness más...
How the small fish wins in the big pond
"I feel such a minnow compared with Marriott and other big companies so we have to work all the harder with product, service and truly outstanding experiences más...
Briefs: Who's running the kitchen at the new TWA Hotel?
Exxe takes 3: Lewes, Delaware-based Exxe Group, which has a focus on synergistic acquisitions in real estate, fintech, AI, media and financial services más...
All-inclusive wellness: How to make it work
Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary has a couple of things going for it, says Amy McDonald, owner and CEO of Under a Tree Health and Wellness Consulting. Besides más...
Is Marriott caught up in Chinese espionage?
Following the largest data breach in the hotel industry's history, Marriott International is now facing the possibility that the hack may be attributed más...
What you need to know when driving rooftop revenue
This musing from F&B consultant Guy Rigby pretty much sums up the catch 22 of rooftop restaurants: “They’re very popular, and if más...
Briefs: LA finalizes homeshare rules | JLL's deal data
LA finally regulates homesharing. The Los Angeles City Council has approved a measure that effective in July allows city residents to rent out rooms and más...
If banks move from UK, how will hoteliers be affected?
With the pending UK withdrawal from the EU, some London-based banks are planning to move billions of assets to Frankfurt to retain their pan-EU banking más...
Why it pays to be a Russian owner in Russia
Moscow-based owner-operator Azimut Hotels owns 16 properties in Russia and manages another 12. Owned by Alexander Klyachin, who has the historic Metropol más...
People on the move: Provenance | Nobu | Auberge
It has been a big week for F&B and chef appointments at resorts in Florida and Hawaiian, and on Nevis. Meanwhile, Auberge Resorts Collection más...
Briefs: Jin Jiang’s Radisson offer | Azerai’s second act
Another Jin Jiang bid: Reuters is reporting that a consortium led by China’s Jin Jiang International made an offer for Sweden’s Radisson Hospitality más...
How breakfast, F&B delivery matters in 2019
It was recently reported by The NPD Group, an American market research company, that restaurant traffic in 2018 largely stayed flat and customer spending más...
AT ITLM, it’s about staying relevant (and, of course, networking)
GOSTELOW REPORT—"Stressing wellness for all those involved in luxury travel, from owners and investors through to operators and, of course, consumers más...
How changing booking habits will impact 2019 profits
Heading into 2019, when looking at the traditionally tracked metrics of hotel-collected RevPAR, ADR, and occupancy, we expect the U.S. lodging industry más...
Briefs: The US$2B Korean partnership with this U.S. film company
An Expedia bot: Expedia Group is launching a bot powered by artificial intelligence designed to aid growth for lodging companies. Rolling out in the first más...
How independents can navigate myriad affiliation options
In the past decade, hotel owners have faced a barrage of new brands, new choices for independent hotels seeking the shelter of a larger organization, más...
The affiliation explosion: Brand overkill?
The explosion in hotel brands has been breathtaking: Between 2006 and 2018, U.S. parent companies created 72 new brands, and each month it seems the big más...
Briefs: Wanda has its Moments | Seeing Red in Vienna
Wanda introduces new strategy, brand: China’s Wanda Hotels & Resorts announced that it is changing its development strategy to become more asset-light más...
Fortified Forte family ready to double portfolio
The U.K.’s famed Forte hotel family is writing its next chapter with Sir Rocco Forte reenergized, working alongside his three children and planning más...
The disturbing potential behind chatbots
Keep an eye on your bots: This New York Times opinion piece about chatbots raises some disturbing questions. They’re not (yet) capable of complex más...
Briefs: Who’s behind Marriott hack? | Chatham buys in Dallas
More clues in Marriott’s data breach: Reuters is reporting that hackers behind Marriott’s data breach left clues suggesting they were working más...
How all-inclusives are evolving experience, audience
Twenty years ago, all-inclusive resorts had a reputation of catering to budget-conscious, mass-market travelers who wanted nothing more than a few pool más...
The exclusive partnership landed by this glamping company
How to expand in a nontraditional hospitality company? Partner with the marketing vehicle that’s been driving your growth in the first place. Santa más...
Briefs: Hostel/co-working hybrid heading to US, Mexico
Selina hybrid comes North. Selina, a hostel/co-working concept started in Panama in 2015, has announced plans to come to New York City as well as aspirations más...
Engaged leadership‘s role in personal branding
Our leadership series focuses on ‘professional visibility’ and ‘personal brand’ building – that is, the competencies, knowledge más...
Brand.com: The ultimate sales tool
Right now, more than 4.2 billion people have direct access to your hotel or resort's website, each one a potential booking, or at least an opportunity más...
Update on whether Trump hotels causing constitutional violation
Whether or not U.S. President Donald Trump has violated the emoluments clause of the Constitution to profit off his presidency is back in the headlines más...
People on the move: Hilton | IHG | GMs everywhere
Hilton has made a big move in its luxury division with a first for the group in its food and beverage department, while IHG welcomes a hospitality más...
Briefs: Subpoena for Trump D.C. records issued
Finances uncovered: The attorneys general of the District of Columbia and Maryland said they are moving forward with subpoenas for records in their case más...
How to fix 500 million breaches of customer trust
The tools you need to save a relationship with an unhappy customer are the ones you use to attract them in the first place, says Matt Rizzetta: customization más...
How Goco is turning day-tripping spa fans into overnight guests
GOSTELOW REPORT—"The secret to running a day spa with average spend of US$150 is be authentic, and give an experience to remember," says Goco founder más...
Briefs: Driftwood's crowdfunding way to expansion
The crowdfunded way. Miami-based Driftwood Acquisitions & Development (DAD), a hospitality real estate firm that has developed a crowdfunding más...
What's the fallout from Marriott's data breach?
In one of the largest data breaches in history, and certainly the largest in the hotel industry, Marriott International disclosed on Friday that data más...
2019 Tech Forecast: The promises of the future
To many, it might appear that the pace and degree of change must inevitably slow down as the result of consolidation, the high costs of implementing new más...
Briefs: Four Seasons residential | How Brits plan travel
Four Seasons residential in San Francisco: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts announced its second standalone residential project in North America, in San más...
noviembre 2018
Two hoteliers, one Marriott: Top 5 stories, November
Our five most read stories this month were split between two global hoteliers making great gains at both the property and corporate levels, and what’s más...
Why blending in with your brand’s logo might not be so bad
Why it pays (not) to stand out: Feel like you’re seeing more sans-serif logos everywhere you look? It’s not a trick of the eye, according más...
Briefs: Fairfield sweeps Japan | Israel’s hot ADR streak
Marriott signs 12 in Japan: Marriott International announced the signing of 12 Fairfield by Marriott hotels across in Kyoto, Wakayama, Mie, Gifu and Tochigi más...
Cycle-tested developer's take on market dynamics
Across three investment cycles starting in the mid-1990s, John Rutledge estimates he and his team at Oxford Capital Group in Chicago have acquired, developed más...
How Upper House’s GM manages his global network
"Networking is the secret weapon to success, and I thank my father," says Marcel Thoma, general manager of Swire Hotels' The Upper House, Hong Kong. Thoma más...
Briefs: Will 2019 mark a 10th consecutive year of growth?
Neue money: NeueHouse, a members-only workspace for prominent creatives, artists and entrepreneurs, has closed a US$30 million round of growth funding más...
Why Yotel’s fledgling residential called to this Miami developer
It hasn’t even been a year since Yotel announced the launch of its branded residential component, YotelPad, in January. The brand’s pipeline más...
People on the move: Benchmark | Omni | Rosewood
Benchmark Resorts & Hotels has created a new position: the role of field marketing support. Omni Orlando Resort snagged a longtime Ritz veteran as más...
Briefs: Dutch hybrid darling announces expansion
Bold Dutch brand makes moves. Amsterdam-based extended-stay hybrid Zoku has announced new properties in Copenhagen and Vienna set for 2020 openings. Zoku más...
Burj Al Arab maintains its winning streak at Ultratravel
GOSTELOW REPORT—"Being awarded best hotel in the world for 12 years running is a tremendous honor and a responsibility," says Tony Costa, the managing más...
To gram or not to gram? Two hotels, two Instagram strategies
Just about every hotel has a social media strategy, whether it’s an occasional post on Facebook or a dozen snaps of this week’s influencer más...
India’s Hotel Leela Venture appears to be takeover target
The shares of Hotel Leela Venture were jumping this week due to news circulating that a consortium led by Thailand’s Minor International más...
Briefs: Park Hyatt trades | Kimpton to The Netherlands, again
Park Hyatt trades. Xenia Hotels & Resorts has acquired the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa, a 327-room luxury resort located in Carlsbad más...
Start better preparing for franchising in Asia
Ready or not, hotel companies need to be prepared to offer franchising options in Asia for all brand scales below the luxury level. Up till now, franchising más...
Running a resort? Basically 'an intense 13-hour marriage'
GOSTELOW REPORT—"After, well, a couple of decades running city hotels, I had heard many times that the resort sector was different – but I más...
Briefs: Do we have new name for Marriott Rewards?
Marriott says Bon Voyage? A user at rewards website One Mile at a Time found on a test server what could be the soon-to-come rebranded Marriott-Starwood más...
Is the rapid, recent increase in leased hotels here to stay?
Until the early 2000’s the hotel model for generations had been hotel occupiers owning their own assets when suddenly we began to see a quantum más...
Learn something from this gourmet Japanese tourism train
Talk about tourism: Japan’s Tohoku Emotion, a gourmet restaurant train designed to promote tourism, sure does have it going on. In addition to a más...
When a guest is also an accessibility ‘tester’
A U.S. hotel manager’s biggest sources of worry may center on staffing issues, maintaining supplies and keeping up with maintenance. But then arises más...
The two hoteliers you need to know in 2019
Jay Shah and Philippe Leboeuf are HOTELS 2018 Hotelier of the World award winners. As you kick back for the holiday weekend, whether in the U.S. or on más...
See the who's who at Hotelier of the World
It is Thanksgiving here in the United States and what better time than to show party shots from HOTELS 2018 Hotelier of the World celebration held November más...
Under-supply puts focus on Francophone Africa
W Hospitality Group’s hotel development pipeline analysis shows that more than 30% of the current Africa pipeline – both pre-construction más...
Briefs: Anbang selling Strategic hotels | Kushners buy in NYC
More Chinese-owned assets selling. Chinese company’s continuing divestiture of U.S. hotel assets is in the news again with Bloomberg reporting that más...
Inside the painstaking restoration of Paris’ Hôtel Lutetia
The only “grand hotel” on Paris’ Left Bank, the Hôtel Lutetia in Saint-Germain-des-Prés holds a remarkable place in the más...
People on the move: IHG | Playa | Four Seasons
Fairfax, Virginia-based Playa Hotels & Resorts has appointed a new executive vice president and chief development officer, someone who was with the más...
Briefs: What’s up with the Marriott-Expedia agreement
The Marriott strike continues in Hawaii: Some 2,700 Hawaii-based Marriott hotel workers are expected to remain on strike through the Thanksgiving holiday más...
2019 Sustainability Forecast: Six priorities for your company
Where is sustainability headed for the hotel industry? Xenia ze Hohenlohe, managing partner and founder of Considerate Hoteliers, a hospitality consultancy más...
Don’t drop the ball on grab-and-go ROI
In years past, the grab-and-go was a basic hotel amenity offering simple pre-packaged snacks and beverages to meet very basic needs. Today however, the más...
Briefs: What happens when a fugitive drops his right to a NY hotel
The Aidens and Sadies are among us: After recently launching its two new boutique brands, Best Western Hotels & Resorts has revealed its first Aiden más...
NYC’s ‘ReformBNB’ takes global aim at home-sharing
A conference being held Monday in New York City is billing itself as the “first international conference on illegal short-term rentals.” The más...
Starwood Capital makes big deal in Hawaii for 1 brand
Starwood Capital Group has acquired from the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) the 251-room St. Regis Princeville Resort on más...
1 Hotel’s sustainable play attracts more than savings
Yes, a sustainable product requires additional maintenance, but its return on investment more than compensates for such extra requirements as regular más...
Briefs: The Marriott strike that will last through Thanksgiving
Pabst sells two: Two hotels at the Pabst Farms development in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin have been sold to a Kenosha, Wisconsin-based investment group (KGNMP más...
This hotelier seeks opportunity amid turmoil in Iran
Things were looking bright for Iran when Mario Candeias became managing director of Espinas Hotel Group in early 2017: Global relations were thawing amid más...
Gen Z’s rising up ... and they’re distracted and hungry
Gen Z Friday: We received two thoughtful news items about the new next generation. Forget about millennials for a moment and learn from Expedia Group más...
Briefs: Detroit’s billion-dollar deal
Two in Oman for Radisson: Radisson Hospitality AB signed two new hotels in Oman – the Radisson Hotel Apartments, Muscat Hills and Park Inn by Radisson más...
How Marriott's loyalty merger shifts the playing field
Marriott International’s recent merging of its three separate loyalty programs under the Marriott Rewards umbrella has pushed an already formidable más...
Innovation with ‘hostmanship’ at Urban Resort
Hostmanship is a buzzword being promoted by Markus Engel, CEO of Urban Resort Concepts, based in Shanghai, China. "The hotel world has lost the essence más...
Briefs: Who bought the Ritz Lake Tahoe | What else, a new brand
It’s Braemar: Dallas, Texas-based Braemar Hotels & Resorts has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the 170-room Ritz-Carlton Lake más...
Marriott VP Von Ertfelda on risk, relevance – and F&B
Marriott International’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts has helped change how the industry views its penchant for risk, which appears más...
People on the move: Marriott | Radisson | Mandarin
This week, Radisson Hotel Group created a new role: Vice president of IT service management. Marriott International named Liam Brown to president and más...
Briefs: Jin Jiang seals Radisson | Forte crescendo
Jin Jiang completes Radisson acquisition: A consortium led by China’s Jin Jiang International Holdings announced that it has completed the acquisition más...
'Mom,' modesty star at Hotelier of the World awards
On Monday night in New York City, 'M' was the letter of the day for HOTELS 2018 Hotelier of the World award winners Philippe Leboeuf of the Mandarin Oriental más...
The politics, economics of disruption at Deloitte conference
GOSTELOW REPORT—"AirBnb has become most searched-for in the accommodation brand, and hoteliers should learn from their experience of disruption más...
Briefs: Rock’s first Reverb | U.S. pipeline rolls
Reverb to debut in Atlanta: Hard Rock International announced that the first property of its Reverb select-service brand will be located in Atlanta, scheduled más...
Don't let competitors poach your F&B crowd
Meetings and conferences are big business for many hotels. But groups can be fickle, opting for an offsite venue that promises a change of scenery. Clever más...
3 easy ways to win over meeting planners
There's plenty of hot spots outside of hotel F&B where corporate types end up flocking for trendy business lunches, dinners and pretty much any moment más...
Briefs: New Wynn lawsuit | U.S. Q3 pipeline
Wynn sues gaming board: Steve Wynn filed a lawsuit to stop the public release of a report addressing alleged sexual misconduct, according to the Las Vegas más...
The ‘punk spirit’ of the Crillon’s artistic director
Aline Asmar d’Amman, through projects such as the renovated Hôtel de Crillon, the reimagination of the Eiffel Tower’s Jules Verne restaurant más...
Bada Boom, Bada Book on Google
Choice says yes to Book on Google: Choice Hotels International has enabled Book on Google, allowing customers to complete a reservation online on Google más...
Briefs: China will overtake France as top destination
Karisam hires for growth. Karisma Hotels & Resorts has named Diego Jaramillio as the new general director of Karisma Latin America to play más...
Where is the Middle East’s mid-market pipeline?
Largely known for its 5-star and luxury hotel offering, the Middle East has slowly but surely been waking up to the mid-market trend. But will this segment más...
Fighting low occupancy with 'Tuesdays'
Low occupancy days got you down? California-based Terranea Resort found a solution. The 360-room property’s “Travel Tuesday” campaign más...
Briefs: Union says AHLA 'Promise' initiative lacks teeth
Union says industry “Promise” lacks teeth. In what appears to be an escalating battle between U.S. hotel unions and hoteliers, Unite Here más...
Humanist aims to dismantle status quo
Select-service owner-operator Vision Hospitality Group is setting up a separate division for its growing boutique hotel platform because, among other más...
People on the move: Rosewood | Sage | W Hotels
Sage Hospitality named a new CIO. A luxury Rosewood property opening early 2019 in Southern California now has its managing director. W Hotels Worldwide más...
Briefs: Will MGM, Caesars roll the dice together?
Will MGM, Caesars roll the dice? MGM has hired investment bank Morgan Stanley as well as a law firm to study the potential for a merger with Caesars Entertainment más...
Marriott 3Q: ‘Steady as she goes’ through a few bumps
An upbeat Arne Sorenson acknowledged bumps in Marriott International’s 3Q2018, including hurricanes and softer than expected transient business más...
Lessons from Jay Shah: It’s all about the rigor
Jay Shah likes to tell a story about when he was in third grade in the 1970s, riding in the front seat with his father heading to auctions near Harrisburg más...
25hours’ Hoffmann on Accor: ‘The people are fun’
GOSTELOW REPORT—"I like being part of Accor, they leave me alone. And the people are fun,” says Christoph Hoffmann, CEO and board member of más...
Briefs: Marriott's Q3 | The European city attracting investors
Marriott’s Q3 results: In the two years since Marriott International acquired Starwood, “we are in the home stretch on integrating the companies más...
The luxury hotelier who isn't afraid to don a beard
It’s the height and the beard that first strike you the minute you’re expertly greeted by the French-born Philippe Leboeuf. At 6-foot-4, he más...
How to digitize and stay true to your brand: Landor
A business traveler arrives at her hotel for a week-long conference. On check-in, the desk clerk offers her a tablet where she can key in her dietary más...
Briefs: Vision Hospitality launches lifestyle division
New vision. Vision Hospitality Group, Chattanooga, Tennessee, has unveiled a separate lifestyle development and management company called Humanist. Under más...
Loyalty, both ways, at heart of Marriott union strike
Representatives of the national union representing striking workers in San Francisco for almost a month responded to a letter sent by Marriott International más...
The Silicon Valley-funded hotel company trying to change the game
Life House breathes new life: On Tuesday, a chain of hotels co-founded by Rami Zeidan (formerly of Starwood and 1 Hotels) and Yury Yakubchyk made its más...
Briefs: Minor takes stake in GHA | ESA sells 32 hotels
ESA sells 32 hotels. Extended Stay America (ESA) has completed sales of two portfolios totaling 32 branded Extended Stay America hotels. The company recently más...
Vertical buffet setup pays off at Shanghai Kempinski
Elements all-day restaurant at the 678-room Grand Kempinski Hotel, Shanghai, China, can do over 1,500 breakfasts a day. Hotel General Manager Rüdiger más...
Why it pays to move social contests away from your feed
By May, the Mandarin Oriental Miami had reached 25,000 Instagram followers, up from 13,000 the previous year. To celebrate, the property launched a “25K más...
Is the executive chef on the way out? Top 5 Stories, October
We’re heading into new territory where traditional roles are no longer set in stone and top-down managing is on the decline. For instance, could más...
Briefs: Hot September in Europe | Hurricane bump in Florida
Hyatt’s modest Q3 beat. Hyatt Hotels Corp. reported 3Q18 adjusted EBITDA of US$175 million, above consensus of US$172 million. There was no 3Q guidance más...
octubre 2018
3 takeaways from Google’s new desktop hotel search design
On Tuesday, Google debuted a new desktop design for hotel search to be more consistent with the mobile hotel search redesign that it launched in February más...
People on the move: Mandarin | Shinola | Canyon Ranch
In this week’s news, Mandarin Oriental names a new chief marketing officer; Detroit’s Shinola Hotel announced its leadership team; and Canyon más...
Briefs: St. Regis to Morocco | Cambria headed to Monterey
St. Regis deal for Morocco: Marriott International and Abu Dhabi-based developer Eagle Hills have signed a deal to bring the St. Regis brand to Tamuda más...
How Peninsula gets ‘wanghong’ with its Chinese audience
GOSTELOW REPORT—“Communicating to Chinese requires a completely different Internet language, and an acceptance of gigantic numbers,” más...
Briefs: MGM tries to settle big case | Extra fees hit new high
MGM tries to settle. MGM Resorts International is scheduling mediation to negotiate a possible settlement with the victims of the October 1, 2017 más...
How hotels can help fight carbon emissions
In a new assessment on global warming published recently by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on October 8, the panel said limiting más...
Mandarin CEO Riley’s growing love affair with hotels
James Riley, group chief executive of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group since April 2016, is not one to mince words. In fact, he calls himself somewhat cynical más...
What’s driving the ROI of wellness
Has the hotel industry reached “peak yoga,” or is there still more to come? The rise of wellness in the hospitality industry over the past más...
Briefs: Accor diversity initiative | Canadian record
Accor’s RiiSE: AccorHotels’ Women At AccorHotels Generation group is getting a new name, RiiSE, and a renewed emphasis on gender equality más...
TripAdvisor goes social: What does that mean for hotels?
In September, travel giant TripAdvisor announced that it would be rebranding itself by year’s end into a social platform that builds upon its almost más...
Why do influencers still have so much cred?
Last month, TripAdvisor announced its rebranding as a social media platform and along with that came the news that beta testing for the new site was already más...
Briefs: U.K. investment streak | Why loyalty matters
Outside investment in U.K. rises: According to Savills, overseas investment represents nearly half of transaction volume so far in 2018. Up to Q3, it más...
Scary stuff: From haunted hotels to Google changes
Haunted heads in ghostly beds: Historic Hotels of America’s top 25 haunted hotels in the U.S. is a fun read – that depends on your idea más...
Norman Van Aken: What today’s chefs are missing
Chef Norman Van Aken is known as the father of New World cuisine, a fusion of Latin, Asian, African and other flavors (and according to his website, he más...
On Facebook: 'It isn’t sufficient to launch a campaign and let it run'
When Dubai-based Amwaj Rotana wanted to get some attention for its new shisha (hookah) lounge Fumo Lounge by Rosso, it used Facebook. From November through más...
Briefs: Hilton’s 3rd quarter | Opportunity in vacation home resorts?
Meet Rentyl: Orlando-based Ndm Hospitality Services has launched Rentyl, a hospitality organization focused on branded vacation home resorts. Rentyl originated más...
Shangri-La selling out converted family suites
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, is finding its themed family suites a tremendous success and nearly sold out since going on the market last December. Hui más...
Hilton’s new Motto is 'not so edgy'
Hilton launched its latest brand, Motto, with an “affordable urban lifestyle” tilt and a big play into the hostel space aimed, it seems, at más...
Nassetta: Motto not a response – it’s a statement
There are several aspects of Hilton’s new brand, Motto, that Chris Nassetta emphasizes – the room footprint, the urban vibe – but he más...
People on the move: Accor wellness VP | Two Hilton D.C. execs
AccorHotels appointed a vice present of wellbeing for its luxury and upper upscale brands and the Hilton Washington D.C. National Mall named two women más...
Briefs: Generator deal for D.C. | Tapestry's California foothold
Homesharing wins. The San Diego, California, city council on Monday repealed new restrictions on short-term rentals, leaving the city in limbo on the más...
Inside preliminary plans for a revived Regent
GOSTELOW REPORT—On Friday, October 19, InterContinental Hotels Group, revealed third-quarter figures that showed the strongest Q3 pace for 10 years más...
Another alternative lodging collection emerges
The alternative hotel concepts movement continues with hotel industry veterans Daniel del Olmo and Keith Pierce announcing last week the launch of The más...
Briefs: Another chain on Amazon Pay | First look, Zip pods
Amazon alternative: Room Mate Hotels is the first boutique hotel chain in Spain to launch Amazon Pay on its website for all its hotels. Moving forward más...
How Hyatt is using VR to recruit – even in far-flung places
Many hotel companies work with community-based organizations to provide opportunities to entry-level workers, but often, as well intended as they may más...
Dan debuts cash-free Link brand
The Link, latest brand of Dan Hotels Corporation, opened its first hotel at the beginning of September 2018 and achieved 90% occupancy of open rooms in más...
Briefs: Big win for Hilton in Indy | US RevPAR streak ends
Hilton wins in Indy. It appears Hilton will be the beneficiary of Indianapolis, Indiana’s plan to add a 50,000 square foot convention center ballroom más...
Facebook’s new tool wants to boost ads targeting
As a hotel, one of the ultimate goals, is getting advertising in front of the eyes of people who are actively planning to travel. Facebook (and Instagram) más...
Repositioned Regent brand emerges from IHG
With the hotel development world gathering in Hong Kong for the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific, IHG took the opportunity to announce the repositioning más...
The hotel bar made out of a fuselage
Will they serve drinks in tiny bottles? It makes perfect sense that the futuristic TWA Hotel at JFK airport in New York City, designed by Eero Saarinen más...
Hotels starry-eyed over sky-high experiences
Stargazing is a hobby that is trending worldwide. On May 23, 2018, Australia’s ABC television organized a Stargazing Live event that resulted in más...
Briefs: Rosewood's Asia play | Accor wellbeing chief
Rosewood in Asia: Rosewood Hotel Group will manage four properties in Asia: Rosewood Shenzhen (opening 2022, 300 rooms and 50 residences), owned by China más...
Exclusive: Stepping stone deal for Auberge Resorts
Auberge Resorts had fallen behind schedule this year on its objective to expand its presence to the East Coast of the United States and to Europe. It más...
Driving booking conversions via Instagram Stories
Talk about opening with a bang. Newport Beach, California-based Lido House, the 148th hotel in Marriott’s Autograph Collection, officially opened más...
How to protect guests – and your data – in a hurricane
Hurricanes and severe storms can disrupt hotel operations and cause severe damage. While physical damage is often the top concern, equally as devastating más...
Briefs: The ‘Hilton Effect’ | Wyndham in Greece
Quite an effect: As Hilton heads toward a milestone 100th anniversary in 2019, best-selling author and Stanford Business professor Chip Heath will publish más...
Owners: How to avoid a Ken Friedman-type lawsuit
Last week, the developer behind the Ace Hotel in New York – GFI Hospitality – filed a lawsuit claiming restaurateur Ken Friedman allegedly más...
People on the move: Dorado Beach, Jumby Bay, Thompson Chicago
People are moving all over the world: Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, makes eight appointments in time for its reopening in Puerto Rico; Rotana más...
Briefs: Hot-button issue | Caribbean comeback
Panic button costs: The Long Beach (California) Post says that a ballot measure requiring hotels to provide panic buttons for hotel housekeepers and impose más...
Terror threats not stopping travel: Security summit
GOSTELOW REPORT—Just over a year after a lone gunman opened fire from a hotel room in Las Vegas, it seemed an opportune moment for the Jerusalem más...
What it looks like when Hyatt Centric enters India
Bangalore — or Bengaluru, to give it its official name — is a city that rolls with the zeitgeist. In the one-time garden city, now the heart más...
Briefs: Pandox, Fattal buy icon | No end to Hawaii strike
Manchester icon sold. Pandox, Copenhagen, has entered into an agreement to acquire Manchester, England’s Midland hotel from real estate investment más...
Executive chef? Not for these new F&B models
When the executive chef at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa in Kuala Lumpur was let go, the hotel didn’t replace him. Instead, John Tage Nielsen, at más...
'There is definitely purpose to the executive': Q&A
Matthew Dahlkemper is executive chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre. He spoke with HOTELS on his view of the evolving más...
Are executive chefs going the way of the dinosaur?
This opinion piece by Stéphane Bellon, founder of Studionomie in Geneva, Switzerland, and a blogger for HOTELS, originally ran in June and inspired más...
Briefs: Branson-Saudi talks on hold | Strikes continue
Branson pulls out of Saudi projects: Virgin Hotels founder Richard Branson has said he's pulling back from two tourism projects in Saudi Arabia and más...
Hilton GM: Keeping calm at the center of a hurricane
John Parkinson has been through a dozen hurricanes. But today, “it’s a regular day for us in south Florida,” says Parkinson, Hilton’s más...
What restaurants (and hotels) should learn from #MeToo
#RestaurantsToo: Beginning with Ronan Farrow’s courageous reporting in October 2017 around the multiple sexual assault allegations against film más...
Briefs: 3 Vocos now for Australia | A partnership worth noting
Voco Melbourne: IHG has officially signed its third Voco in Australia since the brand’s global launch in June, opening the Voco Melbourne Central más...
Note to our readers: Get a bigger jump on the day's news
HOTELS daily newsletter is helping you get a bigger jump on the biggest news in the global hotel industry: Starting Monday, you will receive this email más...
How to make your bar a guest magnet
A lively bar establishes a certain tone and energy for a hotel. An empty space is a lost opportunity, not only for that shot of energy but for profit más...
Virgin's Instagram game changer
What to do when your social branding needs a refresh? Miami-based Virgin Hotels got back to basics and showed off its hotels on Instagram with a consistent más...
Hospitality F&B giant Bob Puccini dies
Bob Puccini, founder of the Puccini Group and a pioneer in restaurant and hospitality design, died on October 9, the company said. Puccini founded his más...
4 changing realities of hurricane season for hoteliers
Only a year has passed since the costliest hurricane season on record in the U.S. took thousands of lives and amounted in over US$306.2 billion in damages más...
Briefs: Union acquires another in U.S. | The devastation of Michael
Union in the U.S.: Frankfurt, Germany-based Union Investment has acquired a further hotel property in the US. Opened in 2015, the property is located más...
Kempinski adds to JV, territory in China
Kempinski has extended its joint venture in China by 50 years, and expanded its territory, says Michael Henssler, speaking exclusively from Beijing, China más...
People on the move: Proper, Dream, Choice
This week, Proper Hospitality and Davidson Hotels & Resorts made executive appointments, Hyatt named a CFO and Hard Rock hired a vice president of más...
Briefs: The Mandarin London comeback | Marriott to Sri Lanka
Mandarin comeback. After a fire in June closed the newly renovated 181-room Mandarin Oriental London, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced más...
6 ways to protect your LGBT employees
Everyone in the workplace should feel welcome and empowered to express themselves so that they can contribute at their highest level. Having a large and más...
Rosewood president thinking big with D.C. boutique
GOSTELOW REPORT — "You simply cannot do what everyone else does: Sometimes it is necessary to go against the norm," says Radha Arora, characterful más...
'You never knew who was driving the Ferrari'
Milan native Marco Novella joined Oetker Collection’s Lanesborough in August, succeeding decorated hotelier Geoffrey Gelardi. His formidable résumé más...
Briefs: Avid MDA in Germany | Measuring Florence's impact
MDA for Avid in Germany. IHG announced a Multiple Development Agreement with existing partner GS Star GmbH (GS Star) to bring 15 avid hotels to the German más...
Hyatt buys Two Roads and its special 'fairy dust'
Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Monday announced the acquisition of multi-branded lifestyle management company Two Roads Hospitality. The Chicago company bought más...
How chatbots are helping close bookings
A few months ago, Google unveiled Duplex, a new “conversational assistant” powered by artificial intelligence. Duplex’s main functions más...
Briefs: Pebblebrook plans for LaSalle | Wellness grew this much
Pebble plans: In September, Pebblebrook announced it would pay US$5.2 billion to acquire hotel REIT LaSalle Hotel Properties, ending a series of offers más...
A Parisian F&B giant that wants to be a hotelier
Fashion houses have been jumping into the hotel business with their designer chic concepts for some 20 years now. So why has it taken so long for a food-driven más...
Trump not paying off | Brand evolution | Influence studies
Another Trump effect: Washington Post sleuthing has uncovered how Trump condo-hotel owners expecting ongoing strong returns are hurting. During robust más...
Briefs: Marriott strikers | Union buys portfolio
San Francisco strike. About 2,500 Marriott employees headed to a picket line on Thursday. Seven hotels in the city are affected by the strike by Unite más...
If you only spend your marketing dollars in one place…
As customer acquisition costs continue to grow along with new ways to market to guests, it’s not always clear where hoteliers should be putting más...
Katherine Lo wants to drive ROI through activism: Here’s how
Does advocacy for progressive social change mix with hotel development and branding? We are about to find out with activist-hotelier Katherine Lo’s más...
A 20-second video with over 64K views
Using both Facebook and Instagram, Hong Kong-based Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’ “A Sense of Mexico” campaign had more than 3.4 million más...
Briefs: MGM shooting lawsuit update | Who’s spending US$350M in Indiana?
MGM denied on suit request: A panel of federal judges on Wednesday denied a request from casino operator MGM Resorts International to centralize 13 lawsuits más...
Owners optimistic about Marriott’s new co-brand cards
When changes to Marriot International’s new co-branded credit cards went into effect at the end of August, the changes mostly merged everything más...
People on the move: Provenance | Badrutt’s | Sage
For the first week of October, Aparium filled leadership positions at its upcoming Crossroads Hotel, Badrutt's names a new managing director and the Woodstock más...
What happens when your ‘office’ is the lobby
Mickael Damelincourt, managing director of Trump International Hotel, Washington D.C., spends at least five hours of every working day based in his “office” más...
Briefs: D.C Airbnb crackdown | Best Western’s new loyalty
An Airbnb hit: The Washington D.C. city council unanimously gave preliminary approval Tuesday to curbs on short-term rentals that would put in place some más...
Is Google's new hotel price comparison tool a good thing?
At the end of August, Google debuted a new mobile-specific feature allowing users to track hotel prices over time in addition to comparing prices with más...
Oetker MD on loyalty, change – and getting the lighting right
GOSTELOW REPORT—"Palacio Tangara translates exactly the concept of luxury,” said a TripAdvisor reviewer from the U.K. who posted on September más...
Briefs: Concord's new suitor | Marriott expands homesharing
Concord has new owner. Alleghany Capital Corp, has acquired a majority interest in owner-operator Concord Hospitality Enterprises Co., Raleigh, North más...
Using virtual concierge system? 3 ways to protect your hotel
Two recent class action lawsuits have brought to light an unexpected potential threat inherent in “virtual concierge” systems. Many hotels más...
Lodging notebook: Labor, modular, pipes
The industry continued to celebrate a robust business pace last week at the 24th annual Lodging Conference in Phoenix. While an economic slowdown in the más...
6 companies acing social media
Independence. That is, fundamentally, what social media is about. In an era where we’ve become absolutely inundated with selfies, cat photos and más...
Briefs: Hyatt is hiring | Marriott adds in Africa
Youth opportunities at Hyatt: Hyatt Hotels Corporation launched a global program, RiseHY, that includes a commitment to hire 10,000 “opportunity más...
Guest-driven luxury: September’s most read stories
The changing face of luxury was certainly on your minds this past month. From Accor’s strategy to emphasize global luxury and lifestyle growth, más...
septiembre 2018
How new luxury is changing the hotel business
Luxury is defined first and foremost by the guest. New luxury is shrinking guest room footprints and blowing out mixed-use lobbies, rooftop pools, up-to-the-second más...
Hyatt takes bold stand against hate speech
At an industry conference on Thursday, Hyatt Hotels Corp. CEO Mark Hoplamazian surprised the crowd by announcing the company will no longer allow hate más...
Just how close is Oyo to being the ‘world’s biggest brand’?
Will Oyo indeed conquer the world? Oyo Hotels’ Founder Ritesh Agarwal has won the week in the hotel business, having raised US$1 billion to increase más...
Briefs: Condor REIT in self-review | M&C CEO out after 3 months
Condor takes a closer look: Maryland-based REIT Condor Hospitality Trust has initiated a process to evaluate strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder más...
Nike took a stand: Hotels can take one, too
Hotels Editor in Chief Jeff Weinstein recently wondered if hotels could take a leaf out of Nike’s book and hang their brand on an issue that has más...
Hilton-Playa alliance plays to all-inclusive trend
News earlier this month of the strategic alliance between Hilton and Playa Hotels & Resorts comes as the growing all-inclusive segment appears to más...
Why Best Western’s betting on boutique
On Wednesday, Best Western Hotels & Resorts launched two new global brands, Sadie and Aiden, targeting the upscale and upper midscale segments más...
Briefs: Mandarin goes to Moscow | Choice’s in Mexico
Mandarin lands in Moscow: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has signed a management contract with Capital Group, one of Moscow’s largest development más...
Looking to market in Russia? Here's how
Internet use continues to rise and thrive in Russia, presenting hoteliers with a major digital marketing opportunity. And that market’s social media más...
No serious red flags – yet – at Lodging Conference
While everyone at the Lodging Conference this week keeps looking over their shoulders, no one can quite put their finger on what could cause the nine-year más...
Best Western adds upscale brands Sadie and Aiden
Best Western Hotels & Resorts has launched a pair of boutique brands – Sadie Hotel and Aiden Hotel, with Sadie targeting upscale segments and más...
People on the move: Accor | Rosewood | Radisson
As September draws to a close, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Rosewood Hotel Group, AccorHotels and Radisson Hotel Group all filled senior leadership positions más...
Briefs: Trump Panama rebrands to JW Marriott | Oyo aims for US$1B
Trumped by a Marriott: A luxury hotel and condominium tower in Panama City that used to bear the Trump name was formally rebranded Tuesday as the JW Marriott más...
5 Asia Pacific hotels doing something right
Thanks to a growing awareness of sustainable development across Asia Pacific, especially among eco-conscious travelers and smart hoteliers who understand más...
How this London hotel manager gets the Chinese guest
"I get much more satisfaction from running a 212-room hotel than being an electrical engineer, though that training certainly comes in useful,” más...
Who’s buying what for US$255M | A chunk of NY’s Marriott Marquis sells
Host says goodbye to part of NY Marquis: Host Hotels & Resorts sold the New York Marriott Marquis retail, theater, and signage commercial condominium más...
Why 'Lux' is the new face of AccorHotels: Q&A
The Orient Express hotel brand is poised to return to the marketplace this year under the direction of Chris Cahill in partnership with brand owner SNCF más...
Hospitality veteran Habeeb launches Maverick
Changing expectations by guests, employees and owners guided industry veteran Bob Habeeb in establishing a new Chicago-based operator, Maverick Hotels más...
This rooftop found protection – and profit – under bigger brollies
Ever since it opened in June 2017, Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills has found its 13th-floor rooftop outdoor lounge bar extremely popular with local residents más...
Briefs: Choice lights fire on Cambria | New facets to Prism
Choice Cambria plan: Choice Hotels and an affiliate of Oz Real Estate signed a letter of intent to jointly develop Choice’s Cambria brand in the más...
Why franchisees should care about the Red Collection
Red Roof has launched the first property in its new Red Collection soft brand: Chicago’s 208-room St. Clair, a former Red Roof Inn that underwent más...
Here's what Chinese travelers will be looking for
What Chinese travelers want. For those of you who can’t get enough intel about Chinese traveler hotel preferences, Expedia Group and research firm más...
Briefs: Accor appointments | Oetker’s version of home-sharing
Cahill, Morin promoted at Accor: Chris Cahill and Jean-Jacques Morin have been appointed deputy chief executive officers of AccorHotels. Cahill, until más...
How Chhatwal is driving revival of Taj
One of the Indian subcontinent’s most iconic brands, The Taj, started to lose its way in 2008 when the collapse of Lehman Brothers started a global más...
Choice extends Clarion to midscale select-service
Choice Hotels is bringing the Clarion brand name back into the fore with Thursday announced launch of a midscale select-service conversion brand, Clarion más...
Briefs: Ascott nabs property for 1st Lyf | A $US275M Hard Rock sale
Living that Ascott Lyf: The REIT Ascott Residence Trust has acquired a greenfield site for US$62.4 million for its inaugeral development project. It will más...
Why US REITS are still on a hot streak
Perhaps what’s most significant about Pebblebrook Hotel Trust’s recent victory over BRE Landmark LP, an affiliate of New York-based Blackstone más...
Here’s what the panic-button movement means for hotels
Having pledged to provide employees with security devices, or so-called panic buttons, hotel managers face the complex challenge of actually rolling it más...
People on the move: Week of September 17, 2018
JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group named Gilda Perez-Alvarado chief executive officer of the firm’s Americas Hotels & Hospitality Group más...
India-based disruptor Oyo makes big move into UK
Oyo Hotels, India’s largest and fastest-growing tech-enabled budget hotel group, is about to take the UK by storm with a newly announced plan to más...
Briefs: Wynn lawsuit | Kimpton’s UK debut
US$1B lawsuit filed against Wynn Resorts: The former owners of the Suffolk Downs racetrack Monday have filed a US$1 billion federal lawsuit against Wynn más...
Lemon Tree’s Keswani aims to dominate India’s mid-market
Patu Keswani is something of a sensation in India’s hospitality industry as the man who reinvented the mid-market. He grew Lemon Tree Hotels from más...
5 key takeaways from the TripAdvisor announcement
On Monday, TripAdvisor announced it would be rebranding itself by year’s end into a social platform that builds upon its almost 20-year success más...
Briefs: Another Taj in Dubai | Louvre conquering India
Kyriad coming to India. Louvre Hotels Group has agreed with Indian operator Orange Tiger to open and operate eight hotels under the Kyriad brand by mid-October más...
Gostelow Report: Hilton GM taps Tirana’s global brand potential
"What an opportunity this is, to launch a global brand in virgin territory,” says Mike Walker, general manager of the 143-room Hilton Garden Inn más...
Hamburg Fairmont’s ship-shape fitness center pays off
The fitness center of Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Hamburg, Germany, is surely unique. As gym enthusiasts know, the typical fitness room may, if it más...
How Hoshino leaps from luxury to urban leisure
Trendy might describe Hoshino Resorts’ new Omo urban leisure brand, but trendy is far from the adjective that best describes the Japanese hotel más...
Is all-inclusive gaining traction? Hilton thinks so
Playa Hotels & Resorts and Hilton on Monday announced a strategic alliance that will first introduce all-inclusive resorts this year in the Dominican más...
TripAdvisor forges full speed ahead into social media
In a move clearly heading towards the dual buzz words of personalization and customization, travel website TripAdvisor is rebranding itself by year’s más...
Briefs: Ascott stake in operator | Big Sky Montage
Ascott invests in Tauzia: Singapore-based Capitaland’s serviced residence unit, The Ascott Limited, took a 70% stake in Green Oak Hotel Management más...
How Caribbean hotels are luring skeptical visitors back
As the high winds and storm surges of Hurricane Florence make landfall in North Carolina, Caribbean hotels still are recovering from the epic storms of más...
Exactly who is going to dare enter Room 301?
Kimpton’s ‘social experiment’: It’s not a crazy question, especially because the teaser video for the room, which exists for a más...
Briefs: Union negotiations continue | Westin Las Vegas sold
U.S. union deal updates. The union strike affecting 26 hotels in Chicago reached its seventh day on Friday with Unite Here suggesting there is no end más...
A year later, Puerto Rico on the mend
Nearly a year after Hurricane Maria -- and amid a tempest triggered by a presidential tweet -- Puerto Rico is boosting its hotel room inventory by 25% más...
Generator CEO talks evolution, profitability
Don’t call Generator a hostel anymore, says CEO Alastair Thomann, who assumed the mantle of the 13-property brand in May 2017 after the company más...
Ireland’s 2nd-largest hotel chain sold in €600 million deal
US private equity firm Apollo Global Management has acquired Ireland’s second-largest hotel chain Tifco in a deal said to be worth up to €600 más...
Briefs: Ronaldo's next hotel | ‘Something went wrong’ in Egypt
An Italian soccer star in Paris: Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo is set to open a new hotel in Paris, the sixth in his "CR7" chain. As reported by más...
Why Hoshino’s Omo breaks with tradition
Most hotels seek to create memorable guest experiences within the property. Hoshino Resorts' new Omo brand wants its guests to get off the property and?experience más...
The African country with the most new branded hotels
With many countries still advising against travel to the Sinai Peninsula and Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt’s tourism continues to recover from the effects más...
People on the move: Week of September 10, 2018
The San Diego Tourism Marketing District Corporation named an executive director with strong hospitality industry roots while EHL Group, the holding company más...
Briefs: Hurricane Florence news | PE invests in Hotel Equities
Hurricane Florence update. Hoteliers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are starting to prepare for the imminent arrival of Category más...
Gostelow Report: Hoplamazian on loyalty, SLH link-up
"We announced a partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World on August 1, and after five weeks I am more than ever convinced it will be win-win,” más...
Did you make our list of 10 Great Hotel Restaurants?
More than anything, the 10 restaurants recognized by HOTELS panel of international judges show attention to detail: not just in how the dishes are made más...
Briefs: Florence could be eighth-costliest storm in U.S. history
Hurricane Florence could be eighth-costliest storm in U.S. history: Florence could be especially devastating for the tourism business in the Carolinas más...
Design for convertibility in public spaces
One of the biggest ongoing challenges in successful restaurant and bar design continues to be day-night convertibility. How do you create space that looks más...
Tunisia looks to capitalize on record tourism
Tunisia is transforming its image from a hive of all-inclusive budget resorts into a destination with more diverse offerings and visitor profiles. Hilton’s más...
How to include kids in your wellness strategy
Lots of hotels have kids programs that provide adventure and education (along with a break from, and for, the parents). Lots and lots of hotels más...
Briefs: Two signings and a sale
MCR sells in downtown St. Louis: The New York-based hotel owner-operator has sold the 195-room Hilton St. Louis Downtown at the Arch, located at 400 Olive más...
Major US brands pledge to improve staff safety by 2020
In a venture estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars for tens of thousands employees, on Thursday the American Hotel & Lodging Association más...
Inside the face of this hot new Parisian brand
Licensing luxury in Paris: Another retailer is getting into the hotel game – this time in Paris with Jacques-Olivier Chauvin, who has been CEO with más...
This F&B director takes ‘hyperlocal’ seriously
Ryan Beaudoin is director of culinary education at the Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. The oceanfront New England resort offers farm-to-table más...
Briefs: Tech groups tango | Strike in Chicago
HFTP, HTNG partnership: Two hospitality tech organizations, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) and Hospitality Technology Next más...
Pebblebrook wins battle for LaSalle REIT
After an initial bid in March and a back-and-forth bidding war with Blackstone Group, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has emerged as the winner to acquire LaSalle más...
Why hoteliers should care about this Chinese smartphone company
In my last piece, I mentioned that although some hotel chains have invested tremendously on Internet of Things (IoT) to transform “in-room” más...
How one hotel dresses up room service delivery
Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, Greece, is scheduled to open in March 2019, and General Manager Sarantos (Sam) Ioannidis admits private dining más...
Marriott to deploy panic buttons in North America
Marriott International announced today that it is making panic buttons a new standard across its portfolio of more than 5,000 managed and franchised hotels más...
Briefs: China's Fosun moves for Club Med IPO
Club Med IPO? Fosun International plans to float its Club Med holiday business in Hong Kong and raise up to US$700 million, three years after it won the más...
Chip Conley's next big idea
If you are looking for something different, leave it to Chip Conley, who has made a career out of think outside the box – first with the edgy Joie más...
Residential opportunities 'popping' for Marriott
Marriott International is bullish about residential, announcing on Wednesday plans to grow its branded residential portfolio by more than 70% in four más...
People on the move: Week of September 3, 2018
The Anam in Cam Ranh, Vietnam, added three members to its food and beverage team, while Shinta Mani Wild, a luxury tented camp in Kampot, Cambodia, named más...
Briefs: RLJ’s US$188.5M sale | Radisson in China
RLJ sells Florida Renaissance: Bethesda, Maryland-based RLJ Lodging Trust sold the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club for US$188 más...
Gostelow Report: Leading in Egypt through crisis and change
“In times of crisis you need to motivate your colleagues by winning hearts and minds and encouraging them to look after each other as well as guests más...
Briefs: Forte takes Puglia | Hoteliers meet with Trump
Forte expands in Italy. Rocco Forte Hotels, London, is taking over the operation of Masseria Torre Maizza, an existing 5-star resort in Puglia, Italy más...
Hoteliers address the plastic bottle conundrum
Every minute, consumers across the globe purchase one million plastic bottles, most for drinking water, The Guardian reports. Many of these purchases más...
3 ways to get team on board with smart water use
Simply put: properties and brands alike need to identify challenges specific to each area and address them. In meeting areas this likely will mean más...
Briefs: Marriott masters Grand Duchy | Scandic frees hens
Marriott masters Luxembourg. Marriott International has reportedly signed a 500-room, three-hotel franchise agreement with Félix Giorgetti S.A más...
agosto 2018
Blockchain? Keep calm and carry on
The hotel industry long has been chided for being behind the times when it comes to adopting new technology. That largely dates from the late 1990s, when más...
China’s hotel crypto-crackdown
What does it all mean? China has shut down numerous blockchain-related news accounts on the popular WeChat social app and banned hotels in downtown Beijing más...
Briefs: Big profit bump in Europe | Waldorf milestones
Karisma to Colombia. Karisma Hotels & Resorts has announced a strategic alliance to manage the 290-room Irotama Resort on Rodadero Beach, as well más...
Hilton’s ‘silent’ brand launch: August’s 5 most read stories
The big brands dominated the list of what you found most compelling, but they weren’t the only ones. A boutique property in Detroit may not be Marriott más...
Why it pays to take foodies to the spa
Foodies are fast becoming the best friend of wellness resorts: These highly inquisitive, knowledgeable epicureans want to visit spas without sacrificing más...
Ending sexual harassment: Implementing the right policies
The food and hospitality industries are prime breeding grounds for sexual harassment to occur given the working environments, which may involve isolated más...
Briefs: Thomas Cook sued prior to deaths | What’s up with the Huazhu hack?
Thomas Cook ruled negligent in prior food poisoning: The company has been ordered to pay £26,000 (US$34,000) in compensation and costs to a family más...
Hungry for tourism, Rwanda and Uganda beef up hotels
Foreign investment is heading to Africa: For evidence, look no further than AccorHotels’ investment arm and Qatar’s Katara Hospitality, which más...
People on the move: Week of August 27, 2018
Hilton appointed Danny Hughes executive vice president and president, Americas, effective September 4. Hughes will oversee Hilton’s interests across más...
Briefs: St. Regis signs 1st in Australia | What Dalata just bought in London
St. Regis in Australia: St. Regis Hotels & Resorts has signed The St. Regis Melbourne, marking the first hotel in Australia for the luxury brand. más...
Gostelow Report: Canyon Ranch takes flight, eyes expansion
"After the Wall Street Journal linked Canyon Ranch to the science of long-haul travel, even more consumers have become aware of the importance of looking más...
Ending sexual harassment: Are you asking the right questions?
Imagine that your employee comes to you and tells you that a few days ago when she was helping a busboy change out the kegs in the basement, he groped más...
Briefs: Who acquired the Ritz Denver for US$100M? | Curtain Club sells
It’s Xenia: Orlando-Florida-based Xenia Hotels & Resorts has acquired The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, a 202-room luxury hotel, for a purchase price más...
Why Marriott's betting on ‘FOMO,’ even when it comes to loyalty
Marriott International has had its eye on the music fest scene for a while. In March 2017, the company offered the option to book pop-up branded Safari más...
Interstate’s e-commerce vision
Arlington, Virginia-based Interstate Hotels & Resorts recently named Mike Wylie as its new head of eCommerce. For the past decade, Wylie ran his own más...
Briefs: Trump CFO quiet no more | US profits dip in July
Digging deeper into Trump. Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg — who has also watched over the president’s personal finances and tax más...
Latest Pebblebrook offer 'superior' to Blackstone's
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust’s latest bid for LaSalle Hotel Properties might beat Blackstone Group’s all-cash offer after all, according to a new más...
See how many rooms top hotel companies added
The players in HOTELS ranking of the top 300 corporate hotel companies and top 25 marketing consortia are familiar. But as those behemoths tighten their más...
The anti-pop-up hotel that charges US$1,700 per couple
All the world’s a stage: French hotelier Thierry Teyssier, creator of Dar Ahlam in Morocco, is doing it again, this time with a concept called más...
Briefs: A tale of two sales – Jurys Inn, Edinburgh and London’s Curtain
Amaris deal with Fattal: Amaris Hospitality sold the 186-room Jurys Inn, Edinburgh to Fattal Properties Europe, a subsidiary of Fattal Holding, according más...
A round – of golf and drinks – available a la cart
Mountain Shadows, in Paradise Valley, Arizona, makes the most of its 18-hole, par-3 short course, re-designed in 2017 to its original design by golfing más...
Briefs: Mandarin Oriental skips Sao Paulo for safer waters
Eye on the Santiago prize: Mandarin Oriental is bypassing Sao Paulo, the region’s cultural and financial hub, in favor of the more sedate Santiago más...
Cambria’s local, efficient design aims for ‘engagers’
Standing out in the crowded field of brands designed for business travelers is not the easiest proposition. The cookie-cutter strategy works for those más...
People on the move: Week of August 20, 2018
Radisson Hotel Group named a vice president of marketing for the Americas and Onyx Hospitality Group filled seven hotel leadership positions as part of más...
Go inside IHG’s first Avid brand property
IHG opened the first property of its midscale Avid brand, the 87-room Avid Hotel Oklahoma City-Quail Springs. The brand aims to offer “essentials más...
Briefs: A surprise Pebblebrook offer on LaSalle? | Hawaii braces for Lane
Pebblebrook raises offer ahead of LaSalle-Blackstone merger vote: Pebblebrook has sent another letter to LaSalle's board of trustees containing an effective más...
Instagram ecommerce: And what exactly that means for hotels
Unlike its more ROI-friendly cousins, Facebook and Twitter (where hyperlinks, and the potential tracking they provide, are encouraged), Instagram hasn’t más...
Gostelow Report: Building culture, nurturing talent at Four Seasons
"I could not do this role if I had not been in operations – I understand what it takes, every minute of every day,” says Christian Clerc, más...
Anbang updates Waldorf progress | Record US room demand
Anbang updates progress on Waldorf. Anbang Insurance Group announced on Tuesday the start of the second phase of the restoration efforts at Waldorf Astoria más...
How to keep loyal employees challenged? Share them
Grace Hotels took a counterintuitive approach to building employee loyalty: It let them go. The privately owned company, through a pilot strategic labor más...
US$5.5B ask for Anbang portfolio of 15: WSJ
The retreat of overzealous outbound Chinese hotel investment continues with the Wall Street Journal reporting Anbang Insurance Group is now trying to más...
Briefs: Fight over Trump hotel records | Direct bookings uptick
U.S. fights Trump hotel record release. U.S. Justice Department lawyers asked a federal judge on Friday to let them file a legal appeal that could, for más...
Are you on HOTELS list of top companies?
It's that time of year again: HOTELS presents its annual ranking of the top 300 corporate hotel companies and the top 25 marketing consortia. As well más...
In case you missed it: The potential hack at your hotel
Just how safe is your in-room tablet? That's the takeaway from new research presented last Friday at the DefCon hacking conference Friday by Ricky Lawshae más...
Briefs: Trump’s China crisis | Global hotel market snapshot
Chinese tourism to U.S falls: Chinese tourist bookings slumped 8.4% following tariffs announced earlier this year by President Donald Trump, according más...
What security looks like in a post-Mandalay Bay world
At the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, California, — an eye-catching, modern glass and metal building just a few blocks from touristy Santa Monica más...
STR lifts US projection for 2018, 2019
The U.S. hotel industry is projected to exceed earlier forecasts and continue on its record-breaking performance run through 2019, according to a STR más...
Briefs: BW files to go for-profit | Big US transaction bump in H1
Best Western files for-profit. Best Western reportedly has filed with the U.S. Security Exchange Commission to issue shares and become a for-profit business más...
Bellagio squeezes returns out of juice bar
For a guaranteed return on investment introduce a food or drink product that is already well-known. Add in a nutritious element and today's wellness followers más...
Timing ripe for growth in SE Europe
As globalization drives travelers beyond top-tier cities, the former Yugoslavia and its neighbors are striving to replace the image of a war-torn landscape más...
People on the move: Week of August 13, 2018
Two Chicago hotels selected general managers and Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment appointed three executives. Meanwhile, a Honolulu resort named a director más...
Briefs: Red Roof extended-stay play | Hostel territory in Israel
New sub-brand under Red Roof: Columbus, Ohio-based Red Roof has created an extended-stay sub-brand in HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof. The brand will más...
Gostelow Report: Taking sustainability seriously at Minor
"Like a growing number of other hoteliers we are really aware of sustainability. We were among the first to stop plastic drinking straws and we do have más...
What it looks like to build an observatory in a hotel
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas earlier this year opened the “first and only observatory” in the island nation — a 16-inch telescope más...
Briefs: Minor bids for 100% of NH | HGV fires CFO for behavior
Minor moves on NH. NH Hotel Group presented its first-half 2018 earnings, led by year-on-year growth of 3.9%. It also stated that Minor International más...
Shinola Hotel adds polish to downtown Detroit
With its soon-to-open hotel, Shinola joins the ranks of retail names expanding into hospitality as part of a lifestyle branding strategy. The Shinola más...
How to reduce water waste at the bar
The drive to minimize waste in hotels’ F&B operations takes many forms – among them recent bans on plastic straws, efforts to streamline más...
Briefs: TravelClick sells for US$1.52B | Indian Hotels signs Vivanta Heathrow
Amadeus acquires TravelClick: Travel tech company Amadeus has acquired TravelClick from private equity investment firm Thoma Bravo for US$1.52 billion más...
Jin Jiang takes HNA’s stake in Radisson
In a move that has been rumored for more than a month, Shanghai’s Jin Jiang International Holdings has made a deal with a neighbor, of más...
ICYMI: Immigrants – they get the job done (in France, hopefully)
French hotel owners lobbying government: The reason? to regulate more undocumented migrants in order to fill 100,000 jobs for which they have found no más...
Briefs: Great London pipeline fire | Yarra Valley Voco
Record-breaker for London: Preliminary data for STR shows record-breaking ADR and RevPAR for London in July: Year over year, supply is up 2.0%, demand más...
Keswani champions ‘losers of ovarian lottery’
Patu Keswani, chairman and managing director of Lemon Tree Hotels in India, is reinventing the mid-market sector in his homeland, but more than más...
Belmond considering sale
Belmond Ltd. announced that it is reviewing its “strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value” – including a sale of the luxury más...
Restaurant service, not just room service, at Hazelton
The room service “menu” at The Hazelton Hotel, Toronto, is an attractive black card folder, 8.4 inches high by 11 inches across. It is clearly más...
Briefs: LaSalle 2Q | Hot in Scotland
LaSalle quarterlies: Bethesda, Maryland-base LaSalle Hotel Properties reported 2Q 2018 results: Net income was US$31.6 million, a 43% decline from the más...
People on the Move: Week of August 6, 2018
Virgin Hotels named Thomas Becker senior vice president of operations, based in Miami. Becker is responsible for the operational performance of all Virgin más...
Briefs: IHG’s Edge | Yo, Glasgow
IHG’s Business Edge: IHG has introduced Business Edge, a corporate travel tool for small and mid-sized businesses. The company says it gives smaller más...
Is your personal branding grounded in relatability?
This contribution marks the start of an exclusive HOTELS quarterly feature contributed from Aethos Consulting Group about ‘executive presence.’ más...
Gostelow Report: Timely – never merely trendy – at Las Ventanas
"My best ideas come in the night. I am so lucky I can remember my dreams,” says Frédéric Vidal, managing director of the 85-key Las más...
Marriott roars during solid Q2 earnings report
During Marriott International’s Q2 2018 earnings call on Tuesday, CEO Arne Sorenson was asked, with NH Hotel in play, is Marriott ready to consider más...
Briefs: Hyatt's wellbeing leader | Airbnb business inroads
Hyatt all in on wellbeing. Hyatt Hotels Corp. has named Mia Kyricos as senior vice president, global head of wellbeing to further define Hyatt’s más...
Gaw’s Spain JV is first step in European expansion: CEO
Hong Kong’s Gaw Capital Partners has a lot on its plate, and bigger ambitions still: It recently acquired a 50% stake in Spanish boutique hotel más...
Hilton unofficially announces luxury soft brand
Almost hidden in a press release from Hilton last week was news about one of three to five slow-to-emerge brands under development – this one a más...
Gaw Capital in JV for Spanish boutique hotels
Hong Kong-based private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners purchased a 50% equity stake in Hospes Hotel Group, a boutique hotel brand with 10 properties más...
Briefs: ‘Chef of the century’ dies | Indonesia quakes
Robuchon dies: Joël Robuchon, the “most starred chef in the world,” died this morning in Geneva, Switzerland. The French restaurateur más...
Jin Jiang now linked to deal for HNA's Radisson
As beleaguered HNA Group continues its sell off to pare debt, news has emerged that China’s state-owned hospitality group Jin Jiang International más...
In case you missed it: Beware the ‘boutique apart-hotel’
Safari done right: Time + Tide, a sustainable, luxury safari brand in Zambia and Madagascar just did a complete redesign of one of its classic safari más...
Briefs: RateGain’s DHISCO beat | Top U.S. pipelines
RateGain acquires DHISCO: Cloud-based travel tech company RateGain acquired hotel distribution service DHISCO, or Distribution Hospitality Intelligent más...
Why Marriott sees Instagram Stories as the future
Instagram Stories is like the quirky, disheveled little brother of Instagram. It’s fast, it’s messy and most of all, it doesn’t have más...
Briefs: Amadeus TravelClick-ing? | Music City spa resort
Amadeus clicking with TravelClick? Bloomberg is reporting that distribution giant Amadeus IT Group SA is in discussions to acquire TravelClick Inc. from más...
Bathtub-shower combo makes a splash in tight spaces
Bathtub-showers are associated with older-age consumers and with those who have mobility challenges. Since they are also ideal for small bathrooms that más...
The keys to keyless entry: Consistency, standardization
Keyless entry systems have been slower to take off than the hype would suggest, at least for hotels – and for many properties, despite its advantages más...
People on the move: Week of July 30, 2018
With plans to double its portfolio of hotels in the Middle East and Africa by 2022, Hyatt Hotels Corporation appointed Kurt Straub vice president of operations más...
Briefs: Mandarin takes Lake Como | Hyatt, SLH align
Mandarin takes Lake Como. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has taken over management of the 79-room CastaDiva Resort & Spa, an existing resort spread más...
What the kids think: HOTELS 5 most read posts, July
Once again, it’s the new, emerging voices that caught your attention in July. Three out of our five top performing posts last month came out of más...
Tea trays deliver more for Chewton Glen Hampshire
Having tea and coffee equipment is now so universally standard that the executive committee at Chewton Glen Hampshire, a mile from the south coast of más...
julio 2018
Gostelow Report: Hotel Sanders keeps Kølpin on his toes
"Hotels and dancing are so closely related — I think about live performance and musicality,” says Alexander “Sander” Kølpin más...
AccorHotels keeps buying; this time U.S. boutique brand
AccorHotels CEO Sebastien Bazin is working hard on his stated goal to have more brands than Marriott International as on Tuesday the Paris-based hotel más...
Vegas workers battle bots in contract negotiations
As automation and artificial intelligence make inroads, there’s a greater chance hotel management and worker unions will negotiate what type of más...
Briefs: TripAdvisor's $3M mistake | Discrimination suit settles
Why you don’t mess with Trip Advisor: Meriton Property Services has been fined US$3 million for preventing customers from leaving potentially negative más...
Hyatt backs off NH bid after Minor increases stake
Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Monday stepped away from its offer to acquire NH Hotel Group after rival bidder Minor International disclosed it was in the process más...
Finally, a bedside table marrying form and function
Bedside tables should be so useful, but they rarely are. At Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London, six of the suites have open-fronted boxes which double-up más...
Briefs: LaSalle favors Blackstone | U.S. conference spending falls
LaSalle stays with Blackstone. LaSalle Hotel Properties said it remains committed to completing its acquisition by Blackstone Group LP after its board más...
Hyatt makes move for NH Hotels; Minor adds shares
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has sent a non-binding letter to NH Hotel Group stating its interest in acquiring the Madrid-based hotel operator and challenging the más...
In case you missed it: Bensley knows how to glamp
Breathtaking from Bensley: On November 1, renowned designer Bill Bensley will open his second Shinta Mani property – this time in Cambodia’s más...
Ovolo, Ascott emerge in hybrid co-work, co-live spaces
At Ovolo Hotel’s Mojo Nomad in Hong Kong, guests can book a bed for as little as US$30 a night. They can buy a drink at the bar and cook a meal más...
Briefs: European profits up thanks to World Cup
Europe says thank you football: Profit per room at hotels in Europe increased by +23.4% in June, which was one of the most significant months of year-on-year más...
Will MGM's roll of the dice pay off?
MGM Resorts’ recent legal maneuver to protect itself against multiple lawsuits stemming from the mass shooting last October at the Mandalay Bay más...
Briefs: Marriott’s loyalty rollover sets a date
August it is: Marriott International has announced the official date of the launch of its new combined loyalty program: August 18. Regardless of which más...
IHG announces plans for Covivio portfolio
On the heels of its May agreement with Covivio to rebrand and operate 12 UK hotels, IHG on Thursday launched its Kimpton and new Voco hotel brand in the más...
5 simple hotel photo hacks, including 'the pillow trick'
This is the follow up to tips on hotel photography, following Tuesday's feature on equipment, lighting and tips about how to organize shoots. 1. The más...
Big career changes for Boyen, Inzerillo
Two high-profile luxury hoteliers are in the news on Wednesday with Jerry Inzerillo leaving his CEO post at Forbes Travel Guide to become CEO of the Diriyah más...
People on the move: Week of July 23, 2018
Kempinski Hotels appointed a chief commercial officer, Small Luxury Hotels of the World announced a chief executive officer, and Wynn Resorts named an más...
Briefs: AccorInvest selling big in Australia | Trump emoluments case proceeds
Got US$300M lying around? AccorInvest is selling a portfolio of 23 Australian hotels, its entire local real estate holdings, for more than US$300 million más...
What's next for hoteliers moving into 'adjacent spaces'?
The writing is on the wall – disrupt or be disrupted and risk the future. To avoid becoming relics, hotel companies are starting to step outside más...
Gostelow Report: Riding wellness wave at Six Senses
"We may have been known as an Asian resort company – but now we are already in Europe and, with our first city hotel open in Singapore and another más...
Marriott scores big Ritz-Carlton deal in Manhattan
Marriott International has signed an agreement with New York-based developer Flag Luxury Group to create a Ritz-Carlton in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood más...
Briefs: Who's investing $94.5M in Samhi? | Kimpton to Germany
Piramal gets in the Samhi game: Piramal Capital & Housing Finance, the real estate finance unit of Piramal Enterprises, the India-listed conglomerate más...
5 tips for better hotel photography
Google "hotel photography" and you'll get over 700 million results. Some 7 billion people walk on this planet every day and chances are that you share más...
Radisson’s reboot: Executing on five-year plan critical
The newly christened Radisson Hotel Group is betting on the strength of the Radisson name to elevate it into the ranks of global hotel company best. But más...
Katara, Accor launch US$1B Africa fund
Aiming to create the number one sustainable hospitality fund dedicated to Africa, the hospitality arm of the Qatar Sovereign Wealth Fund, Katara Hospitality más...
What you need to know about the straw ban
Hotel chains from Marriott International and Meliá Hotels International to the Oetker Collection, among many others, all have announced plans to más...
Briefs: Q2 regional results | New CEO at SLH
Q2 results: Here are Q2 2018 results in several regions, according to STR. Middle East: Occupancy fell 3.5% to 60.2%; ADR fell 5.8% to US$159.13; and más...
Ocean House GM: 'It’s all about communication and growth'
As a fourth-generation hotelier, Antonia Korosec says she can’t imagine doing anything else. The newly minted general manager at Ocean House in más...
In case you missed it: One social media fad that's not going away
Say cheese. The HongKong Poly hotel school has published an interesting study about what motivates travelers to share their food-related experiences más...
Briefs: Game on in Japan? | Q2 for Europe, U.S.
Airbnb fight in Maryland: Two Baltimore, Maryland, city council members introduced a bill that would apply the city’s 9.5% hotel tax to short-term más...
HAMA president: How to improve owner-operator relations
With the cost of doing business in some cases rising faster than revenue, the asset manager is playing a more critical role for owners. Maxine Taylor más...
Overlooked strategic marketing can deliver superior ROI
‘‘Hoteliers who wish to succeed in the times ahead must listen carefully to the customer, have an ability to think creatively and possess más...
Briefs: NYC pins Airbnb | Kon'nichiwa, Kimpton
New York just fine with Airbnb. New York City’s council passed a bill requiring home-sharing companies – read: Airbnb – to hand over más...
An airy solution to closet space in a cave
In 2013, Andreas Nauheimer was tasked with upgrading Iconic Santorini, on that Cyclades island in Greece, into an ultimate design environment that would más...
Next-gen hotelier: ‘It’s important for people to see a career path’
Rachel Higbie, in her four years in the hotel industry, has advanced to senior director, operations strategy at Atlanta-based Davidson Hotels & Resorts más...
People on the Move: Week of July 16, 2018
Hilton appointed Noha Abdalla vice president of social media marketing. In the newly created role, Abdalla will lead the global, enterprise-wide más...
Briefs: Atelier Ace to NOLA | Airbnb shames NYC council
All about the experience. Hyatt announced the launch of Find, an extended way for eligible World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points on experiences más...
Gostelow Report: Getting to yes at Iceland’s Hotél Rangá
"Hotel-keeping is my retirement hobby – I had been wondering what to do after running one of Iceland's largest fish exporting companies,” más...
Can once-regal Regent rebound with IHG?
The launch of Regent in 1970 was heralded as a new age for global luxury hospitality, and InterContinental Hotels Group must be hoping the heritage brand más...
Briefs: MGM lawsuit strategy | Golden City Blu
MGM files preemptive lawsuits: MGM Resorts, which owns the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino and the Route 91 Harvest Festival, is suing victims of October’s más...
Lungarno’s Antonioli painting Portrait his way
His original dream was to be captain of the Starship Enterprise. But undaunted, Valeriano Antonioli, CEO of The Lungarno Collection, still aims to boldly más...
Wage increases eroding profit in the US
The profitability of hotels in the United States is being eroded by rising labor costs as a result of incremental increases in minimum wage, according más...
Briefs: Airbnb’s London stake | Apple grows in St. Martin
Hyatt Newport Beach sells. Sunstone Hotel Investors, Aliso Viejo, California, reportedly has sold the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach to Woodridge Capital más...
Rosewood revenue director advocates for career opportunities
As a “data enthusiast” who regards herself as innovative, enterprising and acutely curious, Nicole Young serves as corporate director of revenue más...
In case you missed it: The Chinese company you didn’t know you need to know
Bazin knows what’s up: Chinese midmarket operator Huazhu Group is an up and comer you should be paying attention to writes The Business Times via más...
Briefs: Viceroy New York sells | LGBTQ-oriented group nabs 1st U.S. hotel
The Viceroy NY sells: New York REIT will the sell Viceroy New York for US$41 million (or US$171K per key). According to Baird Equity Research, while the más...
Jumeirah duo has a message for the world
José Silva and Michael Ellis could easily form a mutual admiration society, rooted in a respect for each other and a shared enthusiasm for sublime más...
Is there success in food halls?
Food halls are as much about the variety of food and the focus on higher-quality items as they are communal gathering spots. Hotels are finding ways of más...
Briefs: Shari'ah-compliant financing | Pendry repositioning estate
All clear in Japan: Japan’s Setouchi region, recovering from unusually heavy rain in early July, has reported that the area’s key tourism más...
Recycling works (and guests will thank you)
The US$1.4 billion MGM National Harbor, is in Prince George's County, Maryland, some 20 minutes from central Washington, D.C. No-one realized before its más...
Numbers-savvy hotelier builds on a legacy
A self-proclaimed “egghead,” Andrea Olshan knows her numbers, but she also gets the soft side of the business. Olshan is CEO of Olshan Properties más...
People on the move: Week of July 9, 2018
New general managers stepped up in Malta, New York City and Bangkok. Crescent Hotels & Resorts, Denihan Hospitality, Hilton and Concord Hospitality más...
Briefs: Marriott’s facial recognition foray | Standard takes its business elsewhere
Getting a facial: Alibaba Group (which entered into a joint venture with Marriott International back in August 2017) will now spearhead Marriott’s más...
NYC may be undersupplied in 5 years: JLL
New York is a hot spot of major transformational real estate development that is rapidly changing the city’s landscape and lodging environment, más...
Gostelow Report: Hitting his stride at Warsaw’s InterContinental
"There is absolutely no short cut when running 100 kilometers (62 miles). Just like being in charge of a hotel, you need to have a plan and, while allowing más...
Fishing for F&B options? The buffet is back
High-quality ingredients, fresh, local — it’s what diners want right now. And some dinner buffets are delivering that now. That’s right más...
Briefs: Soffer suffers sins of slick ‘Saudi’ | Can’t give away the Taj Mansingh
Trust no one: Billionaire real estate developer Jeffrey Soffer triggered an investigation that led to the prosecution of a Colombian-born con man who más...
7 ways AI will transform hospitality
Great hospitality experiences drive guest loyalty. Guest loyalty drives recommendations and revenue. While larger chains have more customer and performance más...
D’Estaing sharpens focus on nouveau Club Med
Three years ago, a nasty and protracted takeover battle left an already weakened Club Med in limbo. But after Chinese conglomerate Fosun International más...
Rise of the deconstructed closet
The stripped-back, DIY-chic hostel, the Superbude St. Pauli in Hamburg, has come of age in today’s mid-market lifestyle hotel space. From pipes más...
Briefs: Airbnb climbing in UK | Haiti Best Western attacked
Britain Airbnb listings soar. Airbnb listings represent one third of the hotel rooms available in London, according to a study by U.K. accounting firm más...
West Africa snapshot: Nigeria leads, Cote d’Ivoire growing
Nigeria holds its lead for hotel development in West Africa despite a slight reduction over last year, according to a regional pipeline survey from Lagos-based más...
Third-gen hotelier innovates in the name of happiness
A third-generation hotelier, Amruda Nair devoted the early part of her hospitality career to real estate and finance. She started at Jones Lang LaSalle más...
In case you missed it: Other ways AI could help guests
“Alexa, help give me peace of mind.” A Vancouver-based associate professor is seeking volunteers for a study that explores how más...
Is Niseko, Japan, becoming Alpine haven of the East?
Tourism arrivals to Asia’s leading alpine destination, Niseko, Japan, rose 17% year-on-year in 2017 and bumped up a five-year growth spree with más...
Briefs: What does it take to innovate? | Managing the Plaza
Best practices of innovation. A research project out of Switzerland’s Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne breaks down the drivers of innovation más...
Is US development pipeline slowing?
Where is the market for new hotel development headed for the rest of 2018? When we look back on 2018 at ALIS in January 2019, how will it compare to previous más...
AccorHotels creates first 'green' credit facility
To reinforce its liquidity and increase the average maturity of its financial resources, AccorHotels has signed a unique €1.2 billion revolving credit más...
This Greenland hotel gets help from little red trolley
Carl Juhl and Helge Tang, both Danish, have been investing in Greenland for several decades. They own Hotel Hans Egede, in Nuuk, the island's capital más...
Briefs: HNA chairman dies | De Niro out of London
HNA grapples with chairman’s death. Wang Jian, 57, the co-founder and chairman of China’s HNA Group, died after a fall while on holiday in más...
How one exec navigates a tech-driven world
Having worked in both the private and public sector and in countries across Asia, James Mabey has managed to build relationships across all areas of the más...
People on the move: Week of July 2, 2018
In a move designed to support the company’s operations and expansion into Europe, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts appointed Sabine Dorn-Aglagul más...
One voice: How to manage hotel collection on social media
I have always thought of myself as an early adopter. I love the ever-changing landscape of technology and put a great deal of emphasis on the importance más...
Gostelow Report: Hilton Asia-Pac chief aims for ‘best in class’
"Asia Pacific may be late to market, but now this is very much Hilton's focus,” says Alan Watts, Hilton’s Singapore-based President Asia Pacific más...
All or nothing: Japan’s bet on resort bill
Japan’s controversial casino implementation bill is capturing worldwide attention, promising major large scale development and investments. This más...
Qatar fund to buy Plaza for US$600M: Reports
A fund controlled by the Qatar has agreed to purchase the Plaza Hotel in New York City for about US$600 million, according to published reports. Sources más...
Briefs: Union deal in LV? | Home-sharing site smackdown
Tentative deal for Las Vegas union. The Culinary Union, which represents thousands of Las Vegas casino workers, reached a tentative labor agreement with más...
Scandic CEO: Reorg will drive digital capabilities
A corporate reorganization at Scandic Hotels aims to boost the Stockholm-based company’s capabilities in digitalization, branding and marketing más...
A HOTELS Trump throwback: June 2008
Ten years ago in June, HOTELS Investment Outlook ran a cover story on a family-led business that was ramping up to capitalize on some major development más...
Briefs: Third Plaza suitor emerges | Lodgis acquires Cambodia Raffles
New player in Plaza drama. The battle for ownership of New York’s storied Plaza Hotel has taken another turn with the emergence of a third potential más...
Who might be in line to acquire Radisson?
As HNA Group continues to sell assets in its downsizing effort to slash debt, it should probably come as no surprise that over the weekend reports surfaced más...
junio 2018
AccorHotels strikes again taking Sbe stake
AccorHotels acquisition spree continued on Friday with news that it has signed a letter of intent to acquire a 50% stake in Sbe Entertainment Group, expanding más...
In case you missed it: Sarah Huckabee Sanders, coaster-style
Talk about perfect timing: In this politically charged time, how perfect of Washington, D.C.’s famed Hay-Adams to release new political coasters más...
Briefs: GOPPAR going in Europe | Traveling while female
Europe sees drop in GOPPAR. After 12 months of year-over-year profit growth, gross operating profit per available room at European hotels fell 3.6% in más...
Exactly where are we headed? HOTELS 5 most read posts, June
In June you gravitated more towards the operational side of the industry – who are the people and trends driving this ship and just exactly where más...
How hotels are helping digital nomads feel at home
The digital nomads, a new breed of roaming traveler and gig economy worker who views the world as their oyster, is generating a new opportunity for developers más...
Marriott buys Phoenix Sheraton to become showcase
Marriott International is putting its money where its mouth is for the re-launch of the Sheraton brand as on Thursday it became the majority capital partner más...
Briefs: Host weighing US$2B sale | ‘Trumped’ by a JW Marriott
Keep your eye on this one: Host Hotels & Resorts is weighing a sale of a large portfolio of non-core hotels, according to Blomberg. The Bethesda, más...
Waste less, spend less: ‘It’s a no-brainer’
For hotels, reducing waste has gone beyond a moral imperative and become an economic one: The food scraps, packaging materials and cleaning chemicals más...
Chocolate stall has sweet payoff at Belmond Copacabana
Just over a year ago Andrea Natal, general manager of Belmond Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro, and in charge of the company's entire Brazil portfolio más...
Digital, data demand lets Accor VP thrive
Michael Innocentin wears a number of hats as vice president of e-commerce and digital for AccorHotels North & Central America. He heads up regional más...
People on the move: Week of June 25, 2018
PM Hotel Group appointed two executives to positions in business development and communications. Amish Naik joined the group as vice president, business más...
Briefs: Ashford’s new funding program | Meet Margaritaville Biloxi
Ashford’s new funding program: Ashford and Ashford Hospitality Trust have launched a new funding program, a first of its kind in the public REIT más...
What do you do when civility and hospitality collide?
Chandra Ram is editor of Plate, HOTELS sister culinary publication for professional chefs. Here’s her take on the intersection of politics and customer más...
Gostelow Report: Emiliano building a legacy in Brazil
“It really is a big help to understand construction when you are building your own hotel,” says Gustavo Filguerias, who has two hotels open más...
How hotels can directly benefit from Alipay and WeChat
As a hotelier, you may have already noticed the influx of Chinese tourists wherever you are – be it a casino in Las Vegas, a grand in London, a más...
Briefs: A Marriott protest looms | The hot start-up coming to the U.S.
Fire up the picket signs: Thousands of Marriott International workers plan to demonstrate as the company negotiates contracts for around 10,000 workers más...
A Blockchain plan: less middlemen, more personalization
If you’ve been paying attention to all the talk about blockchain and its potential impact on the hospitality field, you might be worried that you’re más...
Asia, Europe stepping in as Chinese capital retreats
Reined in amid scrutiny from Beijing authorities, Chinese buyers are retreating from outbound investment in hotels. What new investors might step in? más...
An industry lacking in analysis, not data
“The amount of data an average hotel collects these days through different sources can be quite overwhelming,” says Iris Steinmetz, vice president más...
How to make smart use of historic space
Contributed by Chicago-based hospitality design firm The Gettys Group's Principal Meg Prendergast and Project Designer Ali Bacon “What’s más...
Briefs: LaSalle acquires Japan hotel | Central, South America RevPAR
LaSalle buys Ibis Styles Tokyo Bay. Chicago-based LaSalle Investment Management acquired Ibis Styles Tokyo Bay hotel through its LaSalle Asia Opportunity más...
Pastry guru happy to share his secrets with the world
Danny Ho has put Hotel Icon on the foodie map with his decadent and innovative pastries. The 37-year-old executive pastry chef has racked up numerous más...
In case you missed it: The purple (hotel) haze of memory
Purple plans. What’s your earliest hotel memory? Mine, second only to a Holiday Inn with a clover-shaped swimming pool, is the Purple Hotel más...
Hospitality revolution: Overthrow your org chart
This is the third in a four-part series by David Keen, CEO of marketing agency Quo, on what hotels need to do to stay competitive. Read the first installment: Hospitality más...
Briefs: Trump-Kushner end Jersey deal | Blackstone buys in Spain
Apperances. The Trump Organization and the Kushner Cos. have terminated their partnership in a New Jersey hotel, Bloomberg reported. A person familiar más...
Why go hotel-ing when you can pitch a tent?
As low-cost, long-haul travel widens travelers’ horizons, so too does their thirst for experiential tourism. Not only does alternative accommodation más...
5 hotel companies doing yoga right
With dedicated hotel yoga studios popping up around the globe, holiday indulgence now means a customized wellness experience, while business travelers más...
Briefs: Accor brings hostel to Rio | 21C coming to Chicago
Accor hostel brand to Rio. The architectural complex of “Largo do Botícario” in the Cosme Velho neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro is being más...
American traveler intent: good or bad news first?
Travelers are seeking more meaning behind each vacation, rather than more vacations, according to MMGY Global’s 2018-2019 Portrait of American Travelers más...
Voice, including rollout of hotel-driven Alexa, dominates at HITEC
“Voice” was on everyone’s lips at this year’s HITEC, the annual hospitality tech show hosted by HFTP. Though it wasn’t officially más...
People on the Move: Week of June 18, 2018
RLH Corporation promoted Paul Sacco to executive vice president, president of global development. In this role, Sacco will oversee all franchise growth más...
How to prepare for your next natural disaster
In a crisis situation, when hotel property, brand reputation and guest safety are at stake, there isn’t any time to wonder what to do next. Hotels más...
Briefs: Say hello, Alexa | Seeing Red in Denmark
Amazon anoints Alexa for Hospitality. Amazon announced that it has developed a version of Alexa, its voice-activated smart speaker, specifically for hotels más...
This F&B trend is fueled by plants
Once considered a fringe group, vegans are becoming one of the fastest-growing consumer segments – and they’re hungry. Hoteliers are responding más...
Gostelow Report: Celebrations, challenges for Shangri-La in Middle East
"The World Cup started last Friday, June 15, and it could not have been better timed for the hotel world. Ramadan ended this year on Thursday, June 14 más...
What’s the biggest threat to Facebook’s dominance?
Facebook has come under fire recently following revelations that the personal information of more than 87 million users was improperly harvested by a más...
Briefs: Global pipeline | Pullman’s city-state debut
Global pipeline up 7%. According to Lodging Econometrics, the total global construction pipeline stands at 12,714 projects/2,139,002 rooms, up 7% by projects más...
Big ambitions for this small-footprint concept
From independents to major brands, hospitality companies are jumping on the micro-hotel concept. With guest rooms of less than 200 square feet — más...
Imagination incubators: Co-working spaces take off
Do inspired spaces lead to inspired thoughts? Championing this belief are lifestyle hotels that steer clear of stuffy boardrooms by balancing the sociability más...
LaSalle spurns Pebblebrook again; prefers Blackstone's cash
LaSalle Hotel Properties said on Monday it prefers Blackstone Group’s US$33.50 a share cash offer that values the hotel owner at US$4.8 billion más...
Briefs: REIT buys in Minneapolis | Scandic switches up execs
KKR sells Minneapolis Radisson Blu. Massachusetts REIT Hospitality Properties Trust, a longtime partner of Radisson Hotel Group, acquired the 360-room más...
He’s focused on culture, but a little glitz never hurts
Lukus Grace is at the heart of the “glitz and glamor” that makes the hotel industry special. The 36-year-old Grace, hotel manager at Hotel más...
In case you missed it: Need vertigo? Meet the hotel of your dreams
Morpheus awakes. Late architecture phenom Zaha Hadid’s firm unveiled the Morpheus, the flagship hotel of Macau’s City of Dreams development más...
Briefs: Asia pipeline data | Suit says Trump illegally promoted hotels
China, A-P pipeline. Lodging Econometrics reports the total pipeline in China has 2,481 projects/546,424 rooms, up 2% year-over-year.? ?There are más...
Turning the cocktail bar into a revenue driver
The hotel cocktail bar has evolved from a cursory stop for pre-dinner drinks to a critical element of today’s burgeoning culinary scene. When travelers más...
A look inside Airbnb’s hotel game
The homesharing giant ramped things up in March when it announced it would open its doors wide to allow boutique hotels and bed and breakfast-types to más...
New crop of hotel farms grows more than produce
Some hotels boast of rooftop gardens where chefs make use of a single ingredient in a dish, but other hotels are taking gardening seriously, planting más...
Briefs: A new lawsuit for Wynn Resorts | Airbnb’s Japan plan
Not so hot for Wynn: A former part owner of the land sold to Wynn Resorts for its Everett casino project is suing the company for breach of contract and más...
The next step in innovation: What vision looks like
This is the second in a four-part series by David Keen, CEO of Quo, on what hotels need to do to stay competitive. Read last week's installment: Hospitality más...
This club offers a touch of home – Brazilian style
Grand Hyatt Saõ Paulo, Brazil, has had a highly popular Grand Club since the 466-key hotel opened in 2002 – the hotel is immediately next más...
This tech developer moves fast on Red Planet
Jai Govindani had already racked up some impressive feats before joining Red Planet Hotels. Among other things, he helped Thailand’s largest más...
People on the move: Week of June 11, 2018
Hilton appointed Vera Manoukian senior vice president and global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts. Manoukian will oversee the brand portfolio for the más...
Briefs: Outrigger sells 6 | Watch Waldorf's new message
The LaSalle saga. LaSalle Hotel Properties’ third-biggest shareholder, HG Vora Capital Management, said on Tuesday that Pebblebrook Hotel Trust’s más...
Two contenders in arms race to grow loyalty
Visa and Mastercard. Airbus and Boeing. Pepsi and Coke. And now, Hilton and Marriott International. After mergers and aggressive expansion, roughly a más...
IHG launches upscale conversion brand for EMEAA
IHG has a new home for a number of the 12 assets for which it recently agreed to a long-term managed lease agreement with Covivio (formerly Foncière más...
Questions hoteliers should ask (and answer) about Blockchain
Wilko Weber wants to make a bet with you: that within a couple of years, some outside disruptors will develop a blockchain-based solution to a problem más...
Briefs: A new Graduate | Trump emoluments decision soon?
Graduate Eugene: AJ Capital Partners has acquired the Hilton Eugene in Eugene, Oregon. The hotel will continue to operate as Hilton Eugene until year más...
Gostelow Report: Ibiza's 7Pines has Lück, ‘pizzazz’ on its side
"As a new 'independent' I have exactly the same network support I enjoyed working for a brand, but starting from scratch I do admit I have needed all más...
A palette of dips for palates at Bvlgari’s Rivea
Even before you have had time to look at the menu in Rivea by Alain Ducasse at Bvlgari Hotel, London, you have a taste of the French chief's creativity más...
Pebblebrook back in play with new offer for LaSalle
Advantage Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, which on Monday made its third and more attractive offer to acquire LaSalle Hotel Properties for US$37.80 a share, más...
From co-working to yachts, hotels redefine disruption
The hotel industry might not like Airbnb, but its existence, along with the likes of WeWork, has served as a needed wakeup call. Hoteliers are answering más...
Briefs: Marriott signs in Jeddah | An Andaz rebrand
Marriott signs in Jeddah: Marriott International has signed three deals in Jeddah with the Al Murjan Group. The projects will add over 500 rooms in the más...
Why the breakfast bowl isn’t just a gimmick
Breakfast is hot. But not just any breakfast. It’s gotta be freshly made, seemingly healthy, served in a bowl and available to go. What’s más...
Following family footsteps, with a detour through doughnuts
Hugo Germain grew up knowing he wanted to join the family business, Le Germain Hotels. “When I was young, I wanted to work with my father,” más...
In case you missed it: Trump courts the Asian traveler
But will Asian guests bite? Trump Hotels is currently gearing up for an Asia debut which means two openings in Indonesia and further plans to target more más...
Is this Marriott's last chance to turn around Sheraton?
Marriott International furthered its repositioning of the legacy Sheraton brand this week by showcasing its vision for a new lobby design that appeals más...
Briefs: Crescent turns Brown | Robuchon out of Singapore
Crescent buys Denver’s Brown: Crescent Real Estate has purchased Denver’s 241-room Brown Palace Hotel and Spa and the adjacent 231-room más...
4 easy ways to rock out your cocktails
Mixologists are truly mixing it up. The cocktail has gone way beyond a splash of soda and a twist of lime. It’s even migrated from behind the bar más...
NYU notebook: Finding slower news in 1:1 meetings
The news flow was slower than usual at this week’s 40th NYU hotel investment conference. In fact, not one new brand was launched, and that alone más...
Hotels get into flow with water conservation
By 2050, more than half the world's population will live in water-stressed areas, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers. Unfortunately más...
Briefs: Equinox lawsuit settled | Hyatt reaches further into Canada
An Equinox by any other name: Equinox Holdings reached a settlement with a similarly named San Francisco-based hospitality company that had claimed the más...
An entrepreneurial hotelier who’s got it Made
Sam Gelin is a true believer in successful partnerships and working with people who are the best at what they do. It’s all part of his nature más...
People on the move: Week of June 4, 2018
SBE appointed a global senior vice president of sales and marketing, and Pacific Hospitality Group appointed a president and chief operating officer. más...
NYU interview: Caesars aims to make bank outside gaming
Do traditional gaming companies have the legs to travel into non-gaming opportunities? Caesars Entertainment is betting yes with its announced plans to más...
With new $724M stake, Minor to launch NH takeover bid
Minor International has set the stage to acquire Spain’s NH Hotel Group after reaching an agreement with HNA Group to increase its equity stake más...
Finding your hustle and making it count
Great service and amenities have become the price of entry. Making guests feel comfortable, like they truly belong in your hotel, is now the key differentiator más...
Briefs: European pipeline | Mandarin Oriental fire
Europe pipeline: According to Lodging Econometrics, Europe's construction pipeline by project count includes: Top countries: Germany with 246 projects/47 más...
NYU Investment Conference: Don’t worry, be happy. Sort of
Contentment can best describe the mood at this week’s 40th annual NYU hotel investment conference in New York City. Absent black swans and más...
Gostelow Report: Kempinski’s Schroeder: ‘The world is shifting’
"I always said that when I reached 50 I would go back to Europe,” says the perennially youthful Bernold Schroeder, member of Kempinski AG’s más...
Get smart: What hotels can learn from Internet of Things
Is there a more confusing term for hoteliers than Internet of Things? Yet increasingly, it’s a technology component that can help hotels improve más...
Briefs: Pendry lands swank Manhattan project | Florida’s Diplomat sells
Pendry lands Manhatten West: Pendry Hotels, in collaboration with Brookfield Properties, has been selected as the hotel operating partner for Manhattan más...
Hospitality has evolved – and hotels need to think differently
It’s time to take the hotel out of hospitality. Gone are the days of white gloves and concierges. Gone are the days of that miserable chocolate más...
The right lobby formula, right now
Ennismore’s Sharan Pasricha says the idea surrounding the lobbies at the London group’s hot The Hoxton hotel brand is to walk in and “you más...
Claiming US$500M in developer interest, Sheraton starts to take form
Two years after acquiring Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, a legacy brand long in need of a refresh, Marriott International has released a sneak preview of más...
Briefs: Accor airline aims? | Tisch: ‘Extreme vetting’ hurts US
Accor eyes stake in Air France KLM. France’s AccorHotels confirmed that it is in talks to acquire all or part of the French government’s 14 más...
The next big trends? We're watching them
Forget where we've been: How about where we're going? Here's the list of issues and innovations HOTELS editors have our eyes on in 2018 and beyond. By más...
Barcelo circling NH again: Report
Grupo Barcelo is considering taking another run at HNA Group’s US$780 million stake in NH Hotel Group, sources told Bloomberg. The Spanish company más...
What’s next for AccorLocal?
In 2017, AccorHotels launched AccorLocal, a local services app designed for people to use anytime — not just when they’re traveling or staying más...
A young hotelier’s advice: ‘Always be thinking of that next step’
Jay Gauer’s view has definitely improved over his three decades in the hospitality business: At age 8 he was working in a hotel kitchen; today, más...
In case you missed it: The happy hedonism of hotel buffets
The unabashed buffet fiend: Sometimes you can know something’s bad for you and just not give a care. I feel that way towards White Castle’s más...
Briefs: Stake high in Vegas | Latin pipeline stalls
High stakes in Vegas. The two biggest resort operators in Las Vegas could lose over US$10 million a day combined starting at midnight on Thursday if an más...
Hospitality’s Next-Gen vision: HOTELS 5 most read posts, May
In May, hands down, you gravitated towards our package around 20 Next-Gen hotel leaders all under 40 years old. Their wants, desires, projections, their más...
mayo 2018
Leading an ambitious Caribbean expansion
Enrique Calderon Fernandez, chief operating officer for Posadas, was bitten by the hospitality bug early. His uncle was the general manager at the former más...
How this restaurant made more room for the view
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, had an enviable challenge. The hotel's 38th floor houses Thirty8 restaurant, which wraps around the entire square más...
Briefs: Margaritaville’s new brand | Who’s NOT looking to acquire Wynn
Wasted away again in…Compass? Margaritaville Holdings now has a new upscale boutique select-service hotel brand. Compass by Margaritaville Hotels más...
Meet the 34-year-old co-founder of Pendry Hotels
Best job ever for a teenaged boy: pool attendant at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. A close second, 20 years later: creating a new luxury brand. That’s más...
People on the move: Week of May 28, 2018
This week’s roundup of appointments and promotions includes two visiting professors at The Penn State School of Hospitality Management, a chief más...
Briefs: Sunny U.S. skies | Oh, Bless
CBRE lodging forecast. CBRE’s Hotels’ Americas Research arm raised its outlook for the year, based on solid 1Q performance. CBRE is forecasting más...
German hotel market grows – despite Airbnb
The investable hotel market in Germany grew by 6% in 2017 to EUR 52.6 billion compared to 2016, according to a new report from Union Investment Real Estate más...
Four Seasons Asia leader waxes on industry evolution
“I admit I worried a little about sensitivities when I was promoted from regional vice president to president but my colleagues have been so supportive más...
How this U.S. company implemented WeChat Pay, Alipay
In October 2017, Los Angeles-based Luxe Hotels became the first hotel company in L.A. and Beverly Hills to implement Chinese-based mobile payment options más...
Briefs: MGM’s US$850M deal | Rumor on HNA stake in NH
HNA's stake in NH. Bloomberg reported on Monday that HNA Group’s 30% stake in Spain’s NH Hotel Group has attracted interest from más...
Marriott VP: ‘You’re going to see more consolidation’
Sheila Farahpour brings a life-long passion for design, fashion and real estate to her role as vice president of global development with Edition and W más...
Could Ennismore's Pasricha get big capital infusion from dad-in-law?
Potentially big news out of London on Monday with Bloomberg reporting Ennismore’s Sharan Pasricha, creator of the hot Hoxton brand, might receive más...
Stand-up events no longer balancing acts for guests
In September 2017 Conrad Centennial Singapore replaced its small pool-side serving kiosk with a permanent glass box. Since this structure is big más...
How to extend momentum in elongated cycle
Kirk Pederson, president of Kokua Hospitality, and Vamsi Bonthala and Sheenal Patel, co-CEOs of Arbor Lodging, offered HOTELS their insights on what they más...
GDPR arrives: The known unknowns
Unless you’ve been on a distant planet lately, you’ve likely have heard about the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) of the European más...
In case you missed it: Nobu’s De Niro enacts a Trump ‘ban’
Don’t call him late to dinner: Robert De Niro, actor and founding partner of restaurant and hotel chain Nobu has now officially banned U.S. President más...
Briefs: Oxygen starts flowing | Faena plans expansion
A first for newcomer. Oxygen Hospitality Group has acquired The Ivy Palm Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, California. The 4-building, 2-story, 100-room más...
An owner perspective on Marriott’s loyalty program: OPINION
(What should owners be aware of with the roll out of Marriott International's new loyalty plan? Find out from HOTELS blogger Chad Crandell, CEO of asset más...
Blockchain's potential — and potential consequences: Q&A
Blockchain technology allows digital information to be distributed to a network – but not copied – via a secure ledger. Records are public más...
What it means to provide for today’s ‘vegan’ guest
The Stanford Inn by the Sea knows vegan. Based in Mendocino, California, the 41-room oceanside bed and breakfast was experimenting with all vegan cooking más...
Briefs: Wyndham's new sleep plan | Canada pipeline
Canada pipeline. The construction pipeline in Canada currently has 237 projects/29,881 rooms, up 11% by projects year-over-year, according to Lodging más...
The day I was ‘limoncello-ed': OPINION
(Is there a fine line between good service and service that borders on the pretentious? That's the question asked by HOTELS blogger Guy Rigby, president más...
A VP who’s making work/life balance happen
As a self-described analytic, strategic and passionate person, Catherine Driscoll loves numbers and believes that they tell a story. She uses this belief más...
People on the move: Week of May 21, 2018
Properties in Denver and London named executive chefs while general managers stepped up in Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina and California. Read about más...
Minor's growing stake in NH enhances European holdings
Minor International moved more assets outside Thailand on Wednesday when it announced the acquisition of 30 million shares of Madrid-based NH Hotel Group más...
Despite U.S. stance, Hilton invests in major carbon reduction plan
Hilton on Wednesday announced it plans to cut its environmental footprint in half, with an ambitious plan to reduce its carbon emissions 61% by 2030. más...
Going above and beyond on guest communications: OPINION
(If you’re managing a hotel that wants to up its burnish its reputation regarding highly personalized – and personal – service, there’s más...
Briefs: IHG grows in Thailand | Crestline raises fund
Crestline set to grow. Third-party management company Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Fairfax, Virginia, has announced the creation of a US$300 million más...
Gostelow Report: Piloting a company on local engagement
"I admit it took me two years to understand the unique business model of a hotel company which believes that dividend is improvement of the quality of más...
Hotel Icon experiments with the Impossible
Richard Hatter, general manager of the Hotel Icon in Hong Kong, has been leery of beef since a recent outbreak of mad cow disease in the United Kingdom más...
Briefs: Dusit sells 23% stake | Auberge grows in Hawaii
New investor for Dusit. Thailand-based retail developer Central Pattana Public Co. Ltd. has acquired a 22.93% stake in Bangkok-based hotel company Dusit más...
How tech has turned design upside-down: OPINION
(Photo-realistic renderings are great, but they also cement the design very early on in the process, which can be limiting, write Ed Ng and Terence más...
Blackstone's cash appears to win war for LaSalle
Blackstone Group’s all-cash offer on Monday to acquire LaSalle Hotel Properties at a valuation of US$33.50 a share, or US$4.8 billion including más...
How U.S. hotel companies are tackling Alipay
Chinese consumers know what they want: streamlined mobile payment options. And perhaps no one knows this better than China’s most-used mobile payments más...
As the Plaza turns: Another twist in proposed deal
Just when you thought there was closure on the sale of New York’s Plaza hotel, news broke late last week that suitors Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp más...
Briefs: U.S. room revenue jumps | Kempinski to debut in Singapore
U.S. hotels advance in April. gained by 4.2% to US$88.54 in April, according to data from STR. Occupancy rose 0.9% to 67.9% compared with April más...
OPINION: The unintended impact of NYC’s M1 amendment
(The views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly those of the author, Daniel Lesser, president and CEO of New York City-based LW Hospitality más...
The 29-year-old VP who took a gamble that paid off big
Timing and flexibility have factored heavily in the career path of Juan Corvinos, Hilton’s 29-year-old vice president of development, Latin American más...
In case you missed it: A first look at Hard Rock London
Hard Rock London rocks it: Take a look the inside of the newly revamped Hard Rock London, the glammed out 1,000-room property. Designed by British architecture más...
Briefs: Blackstone sells Hilton shares | More bad news for Airbnb
Blackstone out at Hilton. Hilton said Friday stockholders affiliated with The Blackstone Group are going to sell 15.8 million shares of Hilton common más...
The reservations game and cancellation policies
(How far do you go with your cancellation policy? Or to put it more bluntly, what can your brand get away with, asks HOTELS blogger Larry más...
Breakfast tweak keeps it simple – and surprise-free – for guests
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. At Anantara Siam Bangkok, in the capital of Thailand, General Manager Patrick Both, from Germany, and his executive más...
Brown Hotels rides wave of Israeli boutiques
Tel Aviv is hot. The economy is thriving and boutique hotels, a relatively new phenomenon compared to other destinations, have bourgeoned in just over más...
Scandic’s Downtown Camper creates urban base camp
Base camp. Two words that are sweet music to hikers, a place to rest, recharge, gather resources before the big adventure. Cities are why people want más...
Briefs: Wynn to keep Everett | Mandarin Vegas turning to Waldorf
Everett stays with Wynn: Wynn Resorts has decided to keep the 3 million-square-foot casino-resort that it is building in Everett on the banks of the Mystic más...
AMResorts partners to enter Mediterranean
Apple Leisure Group (ALG) and NH Hotel Group (NH) on Thursday announced that the companies have formed a strategic alliance to bring AMResorts’ más...
Five minutes, five hours or five days?
(Handling yourself under pressure is one of the hotelier's great unsung tools: How do you manage asks HOTELS blogger Bart Berkey of Ritz-Carlton?) más...
What it takes to launch your first all-inclusive luxury brand
From an early age, Andrea Chapur paid her dues working in the trenches for the family business, Miami-based AIC Hotel Group (formerly All Inclusive Collection) más...
People on the move: Week of May 14, 2018
Langham Hospitality Group appointed a chief executive officer, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts named a director of Saudisation and Onyx Hospitality más...
Briefs: Dalata doubles down | Two in Peru for Tapestry
Dalata in U.K.: Dalata Hotel Group of Dublin signed agreements to lease two new hotels totaling 580 rooms to be built in the U.K. A Clayton Hotel is planned más...
Four Mexican markets to watch: JLL
Mexico ranked the eighth most visited country in the world last year by the World Tourism Organization with more than 35 million travelers each year, más...
Social networking’s power for recruiting
(How often do you use social media as a recruitment tool? You should be doing it more often, according to HOTELS blogger Tom Roelens, GM of the Four más...
'Future-proofing' against unknown technology challenges
Upgrading a hotel’s technology infrastructure, whether as part of the guest experience or for the back of the house, may cause more than a few hoteliers más...
Gostelow Report: ‘No two days are the same’ – she prefers it that way
"I could not do what my job requires without years of operational experience – I understand what happens in a hotel – and what can and what más...
Pending NYC bill could have chilling effect on Airbnb
New York's City Council is crafting a bill that would require online home-sharing companies to provide the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement with más...
How technology helped me optimize my brain
(This is an excerpt from HOTELS blogger Anna Bjurstam: this one focused on her expereince with the Seattle-based 40 Years of Zen program) más...
Briefs: More shakeup at Wynn | Langham names new CEO
New leader at Langham. Langham Hospitality Group, Hong Kong, has appointed Stefan Leser as chief executive officer. He will oversee all aspects of más...
A lending library that books sales, too
At the start of 2018, Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort in San Jose Del Cabo, Baja California, started selling 30 additional residences. One más...
An accidental hotelier takes on risk, then Europe
Vivek Chadha is a man of restless energy. Only 30, he is the key driver behind the expansion of London-based hotel development company Nine Group, which más...
Meet the women leading Wynn Resorts’ culture change
A new CEO and reconfigured board of directors should empower Wynn Resorts to overhaul the company culture and advance women, say the executives leading más...
Briefs: Summit at Shangri-La | Hotelier named EU ambassador
Trump, Kim to meet at Shangri-La. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are expected to meet at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore más...
AccorHotels, Chilean investor buy Atton Hoteles
AccorHotels and Chilean investment group Algeciras have signed an agreement to acquire Atton Hoteles, which operates 11 hotels (2,259 rooms) across Chile más...
Where next for the wellness wave?
(This is an excerpt detailing the third edition of HOTELS blogger Peter Joehnk's Speakeasy Salon: this one focused on the question, "What is wellness?") más...
A Hyatt-loyal millennial who isn’t eager to job jump
In an industry where moving and switching brands to take a higher job position is common, Megan Carlson might be an anomaly. Her entire career in hospitality más...
In case you missed it: What IHG stands to gain (and lose) in China
IHG’s big China push: InterContinental Hotels Group just signed 10 deals under seven brands in Western China, but what does it all mean? más...
The staffing crisis: 10 solutions to a growing problem
As my previous blog regarding the current industry staffing crisis garnered many comments, emails and telephone calls, I thought más...
Briefs: Air$n$ | Starwood Capital HQ move?
Airbnb’s billion-dollar valuation: Forbes estimates the value of home-sharing behemoth Airbnb at US$38 billion – that’s US$7 billion más...
How this Wisconsin hotel drives revenue with programming
Located on the shores of Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, The Edgewater Resort had for decades been a “hub for Madison society,” says Amy más...
Ex-Anbang chair jailed; what's fate of hotel assets?
Wu Xiaohui, the former chairman of Chinese insurance giant Anbang Group, which currently holds the Waldorf Astoria in New York and Strategic Hotels & más...
Goal for Journal Hotels co-owner? Beat the brands
Stephen Brandman, co-owner and chief executive officer of Journal Hotels, Los Angeles, is changing his approach with his latest venture. Brandman, who más...
Briefs: LaSalle results | Wyndham makes it official
LaSalle RevPAR falls: Maryland-based LaSalle Hotel Properties’ RevPAR for 1Q 2018 fell 7.6% year over year (from US$178.81 to US$165.23), slightly más...
Enter HOTELS SoHo Awards: Let your best social shine
Show us your ROI. Entries are now open for HOTELS 2018 Social Hotel Awards, which highlights the best of the best in social media at both the brand más...
At just 24, this Savoy bartender is already a superstar
At a time in our competitive industry when outside-the-box thinking is all but a requirement, the professionals featured by HOTELS can inspire you to más...
People on the move: Week of May 7, 2018
Playa Hotels & Resorts and Omni Hotels & Resorts both named new sales executives. Hôtel de Crillon in Paris brought a pastry chef on board más...
Prince Alwaleed, Ashkenazy trump Plaza bidders
In a last-minute maneuver not all that unexpected, minority owners of New York City’s Plaza hotel, Saudi Prince Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding más...
Briefs: Marriott bumps RevPAR guidance | Clift goes to Sonesta
Strong Q1 for Marriott. Marriott International announced Q1 2018 earnings on Tuesday and increased its full-year guidance on RevPAR growth to 3%-4% from más...
Trump is good for US hotel owners: LIIC survey
The hotel real estate trading in the U.S. is fluid and trending similar to 2017, according to The Lodging Industry Investment Council (LIIC) annual survey más...
Gostelow Report: Campbell Gray’s creativity fuels global projects
"When you take over a grand hotel you inherit those who love it, and all of them, your team plus guests and loyal locals, must be cosseted,” explains más...
Cocktail trends raising the bar (and the ROI) for F&B
A good hotel bar increases the bottom line: Guy Rigby says he cannot emphasize this enough to his international clients. “I’m currently working más...
Briefs: Intrigue at Dolder Grand | Big JW expansion proposed in LA
Marriott expansion at LA Live. Los Angeles entertainment giant Anschutz Entertainment Group is proposing a US$1.2-billion expansion to its Los Angeles más...
5 cocktail trends that don't disappoint
In a world of fleeting libations trends, here are 5 examples of cocktails ahead of the curve and properties looking forward at what's to come. más...
Germain siblings launch loft-style Alt+ brand
Quebec City-based Group Germain Hotels identified a gap in the market and is answering the need with its third brand, a loft-style concept called Alt+ más...
Salt Hotels’ Bowd on how to create a committed employee
HOTELS spoke with David Bowd, CEO of Salt Hotels, about a year and a half ago, shortly after he had engaged in an experiment: Find and train employees más...
How to ensure your online booking experience is optimized
Thanks to their speed and convenience, online booking engines are increasingly popular with leisure and business travelers alike: so much so that the más...
Briefs: UK developer buys LA DoubleTree | Mandarin opening in Oman
L&R enters US market. The U.K.’s London & Regional Properties purchased its first hotel in the U.S., a 283-room DoubleTree by Hilton in más...
RLH Corp. senior VP: ‘There’s a brand crisis right now’
Calvin Anderson says in his heart of hearts, he’s a “liberal arts person, a creative guy.” However, he eschews the conventional más...
In case you missed it: Instagram quietly tests e-commerce
An Insta e-commerce? Hold the phone, Instagram just quietly added a native payments feature to its app for some users, according to Tech Crunch. The function más...
Plaza sale saga takes another twist
Yet again, news is surfacing about a deal to sell the famed Plaza in New York City – this time to a group led by Shahal Khan, founder of the Dubai-based más...
Briefs: Club Med back in D.R. | US pipeline update
Club Med in the D.R. Club Med has a new destination, breaking ground at Miches on the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic. The all-inclusive más...
Starwood Capital's US$1B-plus UK sale; IHG big benefactor
Starwood Capital Group on Thursday announced the sale of 14 UK hotels with 2,648 keys from its Principal Hotel Co. to Foncière des Régions más...
Choice coming off strongest development year since 2007
Patrick Pacious, president and CEO of the Rockville, Maryland-based franchisor, said 2017 marked the company’s strongest year for development since más...
Briefs: Host 1Q beats expectations | LA looks to limit Airbnb
Host beats expectations: Maryland-based Host Hotels & Resorts raised its full-year forecast after strong 1Q results of adjusted EBITDA of US$370 million más...
Gostelow Report: Supervising a personal touch at Colombo Shangri-La
"We are in a time of significant tourism growth and my department contributes directly to the business success of the hotel's entire operation,” más...
Personal twist spins new success for comment cards
Guest comment cards may have been used since time immemorial, but Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa, Lausanne, Switzerland, has added an innovative streak that más...
Vision Hospitality’s Patel finds his calling
At a time in our competitive industry when outside-the-box thinking is all but a requirement, the professionals featured by HOTELS can inspire you to más...
People on the move: Week of April 30, 2018
A general manager took the helm at a boutique hotel in Kuala Lumpur, a Michelin star chef joined a lauded hotel restaurant in Bangkok and Dream Hotel más...
Choice unveils new logo for Comfort
Choice Hotels International on Wednesday revealed a new logo for its Comfort brand during its annual convention in Las Vegas. “From new lobbies más...
Briefs: Big promotion at Hilton | IHG doubles up in Melbourne
IHG double dips in Melbourne. IHG announced on Tuesday that it will open its first Australian dual-branded hotel by 2022 with the signing of Hotel Indigo más...
Get guests invested in sustainability strategy
There is little doubt that the climate is changing fast, and countries now have agreed to reduce carbon?dioxide emissions to net zero emissions by 2050 más...
Meet HOTELS 2018 Next-Gen Leaders
Forever and a day the biggest challenge for hoteliers has been recruiting and retaining the best and the brightest talent. What makes the process even más...
Hampton unveils new prototype: EXCLUSIVE
Hampton by Hilton, Hilton’s upper-midscale brand, today unveiled a new Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton and Hampton Inn by Hilton prototype for más...
Marriott, Marriott, Marriott: HOTELS 5 most read posts, April
In April, you wanted to read about Marriott International and we delivered. (And then some). From the details (both evident and not so much) of the hotel más...
Briefs: Soho Chicago sold | Centric in Melbourne
Soho House sold: Sino-Ocean Group, a Hong Kong-listed real estate investment group, partnered with Gaw Capital to acquire the 40-key Soho House Chicago más...
Listen to HOTELS Next-Gen Leaders: AUDIO
In our May issue, HOTELS interviewed nine of 20 up and coming leaders (all 40 and under) at a Wall Street Journal-sponsored roundtable in January just más...
abril 2018
Aggressive AccorHotels acquires another bolt-on brand
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts finally reached a space where the mid-sized platform needed a bigger parent company to harness power to grow, and más...
Marriott Vacations acquires ILG in US$4.7B deal
Marriott Vacations Worldwide has acquired all outstanding shares of Miami-based Interval Leisure Group (ILG) for approximately US$4.7 billion, creating más...
Briefs: Wynn sues former hairdresser | Expedia-MGM deal
Wynn sues hairdresser; name change: Casino mogul Steve Wynn is suing a former Wynn Las Vegas salon director for defamation. Wynn filed a lawsuit más...
Good plan is first protection against cybersecurity threats
When guests stay at your properties, they put their trust in you. Despite the legalese version of “use at your own risk,” guests assume you’ve más...
A robot take-over? Not yet, but at least they're vacuuming
Guests at the Aloft Hotel at Dallas Love Field who call the front desk for extra towels are greeted by a delivery robot. The robot navigates the lobby más...
In case you missed it: U.S. federal savings? Airbnb says they’re on it
So shrewd: The seemingly ever-escalating battle between the hotel industry and savvy lobbyist Airbnb took another interesting twist this week when its más...
Courting Chinese, Marriott begins to reveal results of Alibaba JV
After announcing a joint venture with Alibaba Group Holding in August 2017, Marriott International has finally begun to share details of what that partnership más...
Briefs: Rezidor name change | tough Q1 in Mexico
No Rock for Palm Springs. Hard Rock International this week said that it has left Palm Springs, California, ending its management agreement at the más...
Found Hotels rolls out stylish city spaces for nomads on budget
An investor group that includes Los Angeles real estate developer Lew Wolff is launching a brand that seeks to attract younger travelers with affordable más...
A table trick to boost F&B orders at Abu Dhabi Park Hyatt
Before the October 2011 opening of Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas, on Abu Dhabi's beautiful Saadiyat Island, General Manager Stuart Deeson knew más...
Briefs: Accor in talks to buy Mövenpick | US$375M Raffles property for Boston
Accor in talks to buy Mövenpick: AccorHotels is in talks to buy hotel chain Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Le Figaro newspaper reported in más...
A developer with an eye on private-member hotels and clubs
At a time in our competitive industry when outside-the-box thinking is all but a requirement, the professionals featured by HOTELS can inspire you to más...
People on the move: Week of April 23, 2018
Wynn Resorts’ board of directors expanded to 11 board members by appointing Betsy Atkins, Dee Dee Myers and Wendy Webb as independent directors más...
Briefs: Caesars’ US$200M Baja project | Sunny outlook for US RevPAR
Caesars to build in Mexico: Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment Corporation announced plans to bring a Caesars Palace resort to Puerto Los Cabos, Mexico más...
Hilton advances Connected Room technology, reach
Hilton announced on Wednesday that is Hilton Honors app will now be able to turn guests’ mobile phones into an in-room remote for television entertainment más...
Gostelow Report: Details drive hands-on Rotana COO
"This is a hotel company run by passionate hoteliers," says Guy Hutchinson, chief operating officer of Rotana Hotels & Resorts, based in Abu Dhabi más...
Briefs: Blackstone buys Biltmore for US$403M | A Margaritaville in NY
Blackstone buys Biltmore: The Arizona Biltmore has reportedly sold for US$403.4 million to New York-based Blackstone Real Estate Advisors on April 20 más...
HNA finds new course to further development: Reuters
Perhaps learning its lesson about the perils of excessive leverage, Reuters reported on Tuesday that HNA Group wants to raise as much as US$1.5 billion más...
Courtyard brand refresh aims at young professionals
Marriott International is repositioning its biggest brand, Courtyard, with an updated logo and an ad campaign aimed at younger business travelers and más...
Which brands dominate new Africa pipeline data?
Marriott International tops this year’s table for the most planned new hotel rooms under construction in Africa, according to an annual hotel pipeline más...
Now Marriott's jumping on the homesharing bandwagon
To further extend its booking options and grow loyalty, Marriott International on Monday provided details about plans to enter the homesharing market más...
'What's one prediction you're willing to make about the industry?' VIDEO
Earlier this month, we asked our HOTELS Next-Gen leaders: "What should the industry be doing differently?" Now it's their turn to make a prediction about más...
Briefs: Record sale on Ritz Paris furniture | Hong Kong’s Butterfly fetches pretty penny
Not bad for a 19th century bathtub: Furniture auctioned off by the iconic Ritz hotel in Paris sold for €7.3 million (US$9 million), a world record más...
Ashford – now Braemer – caps luxury-sector pivot with rebrand
Dallas-based Ashford Hospitality Prime is changing its name to Braemer Hotels & Resorts. "This rebranding marks an important step to better differentiate más...
This bartender experiments on guests – and they love it
Daniel Lermo had planned to work in an office until a stint in London as a barista led him to bartending. Today, the native Canary Islander, 28, works más...
In case you missed it: The new TWA design takes flight
Groovy baby: This week, Tyler Morse, CEO of MCR and Morse Development, officially revealed the model guest room for the TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy International más...
Briefs: Marriotts for Tampa, Belize | AMResorts in Mexico
Edition addition. Strategic Property Partners, a partnership between Cascade Investment and Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team owner Jeff Vinik más...
Marriott’s new loyalty program: Here’s what it left out
On Tuesday, Marriott International revealed a plan a year and a half in the making, ever since its US$13.3 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels and más...
Briefs: U.S. breaks 1Q record | Wynn adds to board
Record-breaking U.S. performance: The U.S. hotel industry reported record-breaking performance during the first quarter of 2018, according to STR. Compared más...
Antique looks, fresh revenue at Corinthia London’s tea
After nearly six months of preparation, Corinthia Hotel London launched its new afternoon tea on April 11. "We did not want simply to hand out individual más...
U.S. hotels operating at highest efficiency since 1960
U.S. hoteliers enjoyed an eighth consecutive year of increasing profits in 2017 despite another slowdown in the rate of revenue growth, according to the más...
The developer who launched his company during a recession
Launching a hotel enterprise at any time is risky. Launching one in a global recession is an even greater gamble. For Marc Rahola, founder and CEO of más...
People on the move: Week of April 16, 2018
Sunway Hotels & Resorts appointed a chief executive officer, The St. Regis New York named an executive chef and Radisson Hotel Group designated a más...
Briefs: Multiple deals at AHIC | 97 straight RevPAR increases
Deals at AHIC. Multiple deals have been announced at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in the UAE's Ras Al Khaimah. The Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. has más...
Marriott answers 'Starwood' question: Rolls 3 loyalty programs into 1
The question of what to do about loyalty has been the elephant in the room ever since Marriott International completed its $13.3 billion acquisition of más...
Gostelow Report: Leveraging opportunity at Portugal’s Pine Cliffs
"Summer is just about to bring extra business, but the resort world is undeniably volatile and it is essential to be alert at all times," says Yannis más...
Briefs: Airbnb's healthy initiative | More bidders for LaSalle
Airbnb gets healthy. Airbnb on Tuesday launched the Office of Healthy Tourism, an initiative to drive local, authentic and sustainable tourism in countries más...
AHLA takes another jab at Airbnb on tax day
The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) called on U.S. state and local government leaders on Tuesday, National Tax Day, to start taxing Airbnb más...
RLJ's new CEO: 'When you invest in people it can pay dividends'
Leslie Hale has been inspired by many mentors and role models throughout her life and now as the newly named CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust, which gives her más...
Tropicana casinos sells in US$1.85B deal: Reuters
Hedge fund manager Carl Icahn has sold casino business Tropicana Entertainment in a deal offloading most of its properties and operations for US$1.85 más...
Pebblebrook raises offer for LaSalle
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust is taking another stab at acquiring LaSalle Hotel Properties, this time increasing its offer to more than US$3 billion. The new más...
Briefs: MGM offloads Illinois casino | Caesars in Dubai
Goodbye Grand Victoria: MGM Resorts International will sell the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, Illinois, of which a subsidiary of the company owns más...
Meet Shawn Jervis: hotelier, goat whisperer in Georgia
Shawn Jervis is general manager at the Barnsley Resort in Adairsville, Georgia: a 3,000-acre property which gets a little maintenance assist from workers más...
In case you missed it: Why Marriott can’t get enough of Coachella
Talk about targeting: Kudos to Marriott International for returning to California’s Coachella festival this weekend for the second straight year más...
Briefs: Dream shows planners love | Grace Bay expands
Loving the planners. Dream Hotel Group, New York City, announced Thursday it is now offering a 12% commission for qualified groups and meetings that are más...
The future looks bright – and branded ‘by Wyndham’
One thing was clear at Wyndham Hotel Group’s annual conference: With its flag planted firmly in the economy sector, the company is confidently surveying más...
Growing dollars with flowers in Edinburgh
The Balmoral, Edinburgh, Scotland, decided at the end of 2016 to upgrade its lobby flowers. Now, every Thursday at 5 a.m. the mother-and-daughter team más...
Briefs: Paris suit against Airbnb | Meininger signs in Lisbon
Paris files suit against Airbnb: The city of Paris has filed a lawsuit against home rental service Airbnb for failing to respect local laws regulating más...
Rayong tourism supercharged by China’s ‘Belt and Road’
China’s massive outbound economic expansion is now experiencing a massive impact on Thailand’s enormous infrastructure initiative, the EEC más...
The trials and tribulations of a first-time developer in Belize
At a time in our competitive industry when outside-the-box thinking is all but a requirement, the professionals featured by HOTELS can inspire you to más...
People on the move: Week of April 9, 2018
RLJ Lodging Trust on Tuesday made a milestone announcement, naming Leslie Hale the first African American female CEO of a REIT. She will succeed retiring más...
Briefs: Orlando courts Wyndham HQ | Choice + Sercotel
Orlando courts Wyndham HQ: Florida and Orange County are lining up US$1.2 million to lure 200 new jobs to the Orlando area, if they can convince Wyndham más...
How much privacy do US hotel guests really have?
The United States Supreme Court has ruled on a number of occasions that a hotel guest has a reasonable expectation of privacy when in a hotel room. But más...
Gostelow Report: A daughter makes good on wellness
“Being asked to update the wellness facility of a 55-year old signature hotel is such an honor,” said Rebecca Pisani, whose father, Alfred más...
RLJ's Hale to become first black CEO of REIT
RLJ Lodging Trust on Tuesday made a milestone announcement, naming Leslie Hale the first African American female CEO of a REIT. She will succeed retiring más...
Wyndham adding 'by Wyndham' extension to all brands
At Wyndham Hotel Group’s annual meeting at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, President and CEO Geoff Ballotti told the thousands of franchisees and owners más...
Jennifer Fox taking over at Britain's M&C
Britain’s Millennium & Copthorne Hotels on Tuesday named Jennifer Fox as its new chief executive effective June 19 to replace Aloysius Lee, más...
Reminder: Vote for HOTELS 2018 Hotelier of the World
HOTELS presents its nominees for the 2018 Hotelier of the World awards, now in its 38th year. Readers are encouraged to vote for one corporate and one más...
Briefs: Trump Hotels denies Panama plea | Cycas steps into France
Trump Hotels denies Panama plea: Lawyers representing Trump Hotels on Monday responded to news reports detailing a letter the firm sent to Panama's president más...
'What should the industry be doing differently?' VIDEO
Next-gen leaders are coming up fast and changing the rules about work-life balance, how to respond to disruption in the hotel space, and what they need más...
A hospitality-driven app for the blind and visually impaired
An app targeted at blind and visually impaired guests recently got its first U.S. commercial implementation. The mobile app, Loud Steps, debuted last más...
Briefs: London breaks ADR streak | Fattal buys Dutch
Fattal grows Europe again. Israeli hotelier David Fattal’s Fattal Holdings continues to expand its European business announcing will acquire a Dutch más...
Hilton repurchasing some HNA shares, raises Q1 estimates
Hilton announced on Monday that it has entered into an agreement to repurchase 10 million shares from an HNA Tourism Group affiliate making más...
Could MGM be angling for Wynn Resorts?
MGM Resorts International is reportedly making back channel approaches and preparing a bid for rival casino giant Wynn Resorts, sources told más...
In case you missed it: Just how realistic is a hotel in space?
I wonder if they offer a press rate. Is anyone else as fascinated with this as I am? Granted, the actual opportunity to stay in Orion Span’s “luxury más...
Briefs: Ace takes Japan | Zuckerberg takes Boston?
Ace takes Japan. Ace Hotel has announced a deal with NTT Urban Development Corp. for the Ace Hotel Kyoto as part of the redevelopment of ShinPuhKan. Designed más...
The Monaco luxury hotelier you've never heard of
There is no place in the world like Monaco. The prosperous principality, independent for most of the past 600 years, squeezes 125 nationalities on 487 más...
HNA plans to sell part or all of its Hilton stake
HNA Group is planning to sell part or all of its US$6.3 billion stake in Hilton Worldwide via public offerings, according to a regulatory filing with más...
Radisson CEO roundtable: Tech, Times Square and top 3
Following the opening ceremony at the newly rebranded Radisson Hotel Group’s Americas Business Conference in Orlando, Florida, Tuesday morning, más...
Asset manager pay suffers from herd mentality: Report
To ensure compensation programs for asset management executives are positioned competitively, Aethos Consulting Group released results of its Hotel Asset más...
Accor adds to African footprint with stake in Mantis
AccorHotels announced a strategic partnership with South Africa-based Mantis Group, a collection of hotels and lodges. The partnership includes the launch más...
Briefs: Blackstone to make full bid for Spain’s Hispania
Blackstone to bid for Hispania: Blackstone will make a full takeover bid for the George Soros-backed Hispania via investment vehicle Alzette Investment más...
New art popping up at art-nouveau Hotel Bristol
When Piotr Madej was appointed executive assistant manager of Hotel Bristol, Warsaw, in his hometown, the ever-creative Pole set to work. "That was September más...
He brought ‘ubuntu,’ and gorillas, to Uganda eco-tourism
At a time in our competitive industry when outside-the-box thinking is all but a requirement, the professionals featured by HOTELS can inspire you to más...
Wyndham selling Knights Inn to RLH Corp.
RLH Corp. announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire the Knights Inn brand from Wyndham Hotel Group for US$27 million in cash. The deal is expected más...
People on the move: Week of April 2, 2018
Rocco Forte Hotels and The Benson Hotel in Portland, Oregon, formed sales and marketing teams; Benchmark named vice presidents of food and beverage, and más...
Dusit jumps into affordable lifestyle with Asai brand
Dusit International, Bangkok, announced on Wednesday the launch of a millennial-minded, affordable lifestyle brand with a focus on local experiences, más...
Groups, local concepts, grab-n-go power F&B: Avendra
Groups spending more on higher-tier options, self-managed local restaurant concepts accompanied by an upscale bar, and more grab-n-go demand were among más...
Briefs: Mandarin Oriental fan club | Europe up, MENA down
MO launches loyalty: Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group launched a loyalty program, Fans of M.O. Read the press release Meliá más...
Gostelow Report: Keeping ROI healthy at Ritz-Carlton Osaka
"Having had my own business helps me think from an owner's perspective,” says Chris Clark, general manager of the 291-room The Ritz-Carlton Osaka más...
Redefined Radisson nabs two deals, including Times Square
In one of the first pieces of news since it announced a strategic five-year operating plan, the newly renamed Radisson Hotel Group on Tuesday said it más...
New design, tagline, visuals launched by Radisson
Another element of the strategic five-year operating plan to transform the Radisson Hotel Group business was announced on Tuesday at its Americas Business más...
Germany's Novum, giant Wyndham strike development deal
Hard-charging German hotel developer Novum Hospitality has announced yet another long-term development agreement, this time with Wyndham Hotel Group, más...
Briefs: Apple pairs with Mark | TripAdvisor ad placements
Apple, Mark Travel unite: All-inclusive vacation company Apple Leisure Group and The Mark Travel Corporation, owner of Funjet Vacations, are joining to más...
HOTELS Legend: Talk about the passion
Serge Ethuin had barely settled into the GM role at the Royal Monceau in Paris before he was approached about the same job at the Hotel Metropole in Monaco más...
Can Virgin's allure revive Las Vegas' Hard Rock hotel?
Can the high profile Virgin brand and its rock star founder Sir Richard Branson save the off-strip Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas? We shall soon see if más...
Saudi Arabia's first female GM: HOTELS 5 most read posts, March
By far, our most-read online post in March was the story of a new face leading the hospitality sphere (while another top hitter revolved around a much más...
Briefs: Aimbridge to manage for AHIP | Hyatt to Atlantic City
Aimbridge-AHIP deal: Plano, Texas-based hotel management company Aimbridge Hospitality will take over management of American Hotel Income Properties REIT’s más...
marzo 2018
Outrigger names Trump veteran CEO
Hawaii-based Outrigger Hotels and Resorts named Jeff Wagoner president and CEO. Wagoner, most recently executive vice president of Trump Hotels, will más...
In case you missed it: The Chelsea Hotel, now ‘paper thin’
A recycled Chelsea homage: We’ll bet you’ve never seen the Chelsea quite like this. Los Angeles-based artist-duo Dosshaus is premiering an más...
Briefs: Wynn Boston ‘absolutely’ considering name change
Dropping the Wynn? Wynn Boston Harbor has taken real steps to rebrand, with casino executives saying they are “absolutely” considering renaming más...
Vote for HOTELS 2018 Hotelier of the World
HOTELS presents its nominees for the 2018 Hotelier of the World awards, now in its 38th year. Readers are encouraged to vote for one corporate and one más...
2018 Corporate Hotelier of the World: The nominees
Read about the four nominees for HOTELS 2018 Corporate Hotelier of the World below and cast your vote here: Walter Isenberg, president and CEO, más...
2018 Independent Hotelier of the World: The nominees
Read about the four nominees for HOTELS 2018 Independent Hotelier of the World below and cast your vote here: Laurent Carrasset, regional managing más...
Steve Wynn's ex-wife testifies in dispute
Elaine Wynn, the ex-wife of Wynn Resorts founder Steve Wynn, testified Wednesday about the allegations of sexual misconduct that led Steve Wynn to step más...
Lawsuit over Trump hotel profits moves forward
U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte on Wednesday made a preliminary ruling stating that Maryland and Washington, D.C., have the right to pursue their claims más...
A subtle hint to breakfast-in-bed lovers at Paris Sofitel
At breakfast time, as you enter Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg's Blossom restaurant, you pass a freshly set breakfast tray. “This does subconsciously más...
Briefs: Sydney Indigo | Glasgow Meininger
IHG signs in Sydney: IHG and Sydney, Australia-based Watson Elite have signed a Hotel Indigo Sydney Central that will open in 2021. The hotel will have más...
How a Grindr creative found his way to Standard International
At a time in our competitive industry when outside-the-box thinking is all but a requirement, the professionals featured by HOTELS can inspire you to más...
People on the move: Week of March 26, 2018
Executive chef appointments in Peru, Rhode Island, Mexico, South Africa, North Carolina and Beverly Hills round out this week’s lineup of industry más...
Briefs: LaSalle rebuffs Pebblebrook | Buying into Plaza with bitcoin?
Pebblebrook takes run at LaSalle. LaSalle Hotel Properties on Wednesday confirmed that its Board of Trustees unanimously rejected an unsolicited proposal más...
A disruptor’s advice to hoteliers: 3 takeaways
At a time in our competitive industry when outside-the-box thinking is all but a requirement, the professionals featured by HOTELS can inspire you to más...
Gostelow Report: Deutsche CEO marshals team for growth
"After 28 years with Starwood I was a serious player in a big corporation but now I am a CEO I feel like a general, which comes with a lot of responsibility más...
Is Minor Group interested in HNA's stake in NH Hotels?
Bangkok’s Minor Hotel Group is reportedly interested in acquiring the 29.5% stake in NH Hotel Group owned by China’s HNA Group, according más...
Briefs: Paris has record year | Hurricane-affected markets get boost
All good in the City of Lights: Paris had a record number of hotel stays in 2017, boosted primarily by business travel and international arrivals. Overnight más...
Open letter: Why do developers ignore security?
An open letter to the hotel industry: Please help me understand Dear Hotel Executive: I’m having great difficulty understanding why the hotel industry más...
Machines at your service: How AI is working its way into hotels
Without a doubt, the hot new guest room amenity is a virtual personal assistant such as Siri or Alexa. The voice-activated devices can help a guest decide más...
Briefs: Meruelo buys the SLS Vegas | A new Dubai Avani
Meruelo buys the SLS Vegas: The Nevada Gaming Commission approved the ownership transfer of SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino to The Meruelo Group, positioning más...
India's Lemon Tree launches 'expensive' IPO
Mumbai-based Lemon Tree Hotels launched an Rs 1,040 crore (US$161 million) initial public offering on Monday at a price band of Rs 54-56 per share (US$0 más...
Steve Wynn cashes in all his chips in Wynn Resorts
Has the gaming industry seen the last of Steve Wynn? News broke late Thursday that Steve Wynn sold his remaining shares of Wynn Resorts, cashing out of más...
In case you missed it: What 15,000 Do Not Disturb signs look like
Do Not Disturb, but please take: There’s a lot of good collectable swag in the hotel industry: pens, stationary, robes. But one man was drawn to más...
Briefs: Hilton cuts group commissions | Trump Panama setback
Hilton on group commissions: Following a similar move by Marriott International, Hilton will reduce group booking commissions starting in October, the más...
Aman’s Fasel drives ambitious urban strategy
Roland Fasel is busy. He just completed his first year as Aman Resorts Hotels & Residences’ chief operating officer – a year of intense más...
Kimpton De Witt’s functional ‘quirk’ in the bath
At Kimpton De Witt in Amsterdam, hairdryers in all 274 bathrooms hang in printed linen bags. As hotel General Manager Mike Robinson says, "These bags más...
Briefs: Steve Wynn offloads shares | Auberge in Punta Mita
Wynn drops some shares: Steve Wynn, the former chief executive of Wynn Resorts, has lowered his stake in the casino operator to about 7.8% from 11.7% más...
Meet Saudi Arabia's first female GM
At a time in our competitive industry when outside-the-box thinking is all but a requirement, the eight professionals that HOTELS will feature in the más...
People on the move: Week of March 19, 2018
Omni Hotels & Resorts has named Peter Strebel as president. Strebel, who has provided senior leadership to the brand for 20 years, will work to keep más...
James Packer resigns from Crown Resorts
Australian billionaire James Packer resigned as director of Crown Resorts, citing personal reasons for his departure. Consolidated Press Holdings, an más...
Briefs: AC Hotel Seattle Bellevue sells for US$87M | Plateno in Indonesia
AC Hotel Seattle Bellevue sells: The AC Hotel Seattle Bellevue/Downtown in Bellevue, Washington has sold to lshin Aju Hotel Bellevue for US$87 million más...
Gostelow Report: Military precision, personal touch at Bellagio
"I run the 3,933-room Bellagio Las Vegas in the same way as my former hotel, Ritz-Carlton Boston, which only has 193 rooms, although walking the floors más...
How hotels can lure the overlooked – but lucrative – ‘mid-lifer’ guest
Millennials are getting all the attention from hoteliers, but another “m” category – mid-lifers – is being ignored as a potentially más...
Briefs: Major chains hit with antitrust suit | The cost of Alwaleed’s freedom
Antitrust suit hits the big guns: A new class-action lawsuit claims to have uncovered an antitrust scheme by major hotel chains, including Choice más...
Deutsche looks to Maxx out soft brand potential
If the name of Steigenberger Hotels' new soft brand, Maxx by Steigenberger, sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because the company employed it 30 years más...
Big Easy imbibing: New Orleans’ new wave of hotel bars
New Orleans’ (often gilded, always packed-to-the-gills) hotel bars are the stuff of legend. After all, who hasn’t longed to sip a Sazerac más...
Don't use technology gimmicks as scapegoat
As hospitality professionals operating in the digital and technology sphere, we have had growing concerns that technology could become a scapegoat due más...
Briefs: Aman to Mexico | No Trump hotels for The Hill?
Wyndham spin-off. With a goal of enhancing shareholder value, Wyndham Worldwide on Monday announced it has publicly filed a Form 10 Registration Statement más...
Concord Hospitality leading with purpose
Concord Hospitality Enterprises Co.’s Grant Sabroff says the development, ownership and management company based in Raleigh, North Carolina, is más...
IHG among few investors bidding for Principal Hotel Co.
Intercontinental Hotels Group is reportedly working with a property investor to participate in the £1.2 billion (US$1.7 billion) auction of Starwood más...
Strebel promoted to president at Omni
Industry veteran Peter Strebel has been promoted effective immediately to president at Omni Hotels & Resorts. The former chief marketing officer and más...
In case you missed it: Britain prepares for Brexit hiring spree
A mass exodus? Hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars are preparing to hire at the fastest pace in a year, due to increasing fears of a mass exodus of más...
Briefs: Steve Wynn may sell shares | Ctrip falls short
Wynn may offload shares: Steve Wynn may try to sell his shares in Wynn Resorts now that he and ex-wife Elaine Wynn have scrapped an agreement preventing más...
Inside the mad scientist cocktail lab at the Fairmont Pacific Rim
The Cocktail Lab at the Botanist inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver began as a pipe dream. A year before the restaurant más...
Raising — er, moving — the bar at Phoenicia Malta
London-based designer Peter Young was commissioned late 2015 to give a fresh look to the 136-room Phoenicia Malta. Originally opened in 1947 by one of más...
Briefs: Radisson grows in Lithuania | Key Sbe hire
Radisson grows in Lithuania. Rezidor Hotel Group has signed the Park Inn by Radisson Vilnius Airport Hotel & Business Center. Expected to open in más...
IHG deals to revive faded luxury brand, Regent
Can InterContinental Hotels Group resurrect a one-time luxury icon? That's the bet it made Wednesday when it announced plans to acquire from Taipei’s más...
People on the move: Week of March 12, 2018
A Milwaukee fashion designer lands a residency in a historic hotel, a global hotel management firm names a new chief development officer for North America más...
Prince Alwaleed reportedly sells Four Season Damascus
Saudi Prince Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding Co. reportedly has sold its stake in the Four Seasons Damascus to Samer Foz, a businessman with apparent más...
Briefs: US transaction price falls | Shamin in Big Apple
U.S. transaction price falls: A shift in the U.S. hotel transaction mix led to a 12% drop in investment price per room, according to a report by STR and más...
Gostelow Report: Savoring Santorini at St. Regis Bal Harbour
"It is a tremendous help having an F&B background, as I know how to work hard," says Oliver Key, general manager of Florida's St. Regis Bal Harbour más...
Beacons enhancing guest experience, employee efficiency
For a few years now, beacon technology has been on the up and up in hotels as a way to communicate with guests on-property. Using devices that emit Bluetooth más...
Briefs: Invesco sells to Oman investor | Hotelhouse.co launches
Invesco selling: Invesco Real Estate has sold four German hotels to an Oman-based investor three years after acquiring them for a UK institutional más...
Airbnb open letter continues courtship of small hoteliers
Airbnb is continuing its push to bring more boutique hoteliers and bed and breakfast owners into its fold. In an open letter on Tuesday entitled “Airbnb más...
Vietnam: If you build it, will they come?
An “if you build it, they will come” scenario is playing out in Vietnam, where a lively lodging development scene helps draw new visitors más...
Dean of the J.W. Marriott talks Phu Quoc
One year in, the J.W. Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay in Vietnam has attracted a lot of attention for its themed design. Celebrity designer Bill Bensley’s más...
Briefs: Hainan Airlines takes over HNA hotel business
Hainan takes over HNA hotels: Hainan Airlines, the flagship carrier of HNA Group, will take over the group’s hotel business as part of an asset más...
Meet Wink, the tech-heavy new kid in Vietnam
Vietnam is one of three countries Singapore-based Vanguard Hotels has targeted for expansion in the affordable lodging segment (the others are Philippines más...
Europe drags as Brexit keeps UK’s future murky
As hotel investors make plans for 2018, what is the investment outlook for Europe – one of the largest and most mature hotel markets on the más...
In case you missed it: The hotel that accepts Bitcoin
Next-gen appeal: Tribe Theory, a new "venture hotel" in Singapore that targets entrepreneurs and start-ups, accepts Bitcoin and Ethereum más...
Briefs: Wynn Resorts settles US$2.6B suit | Trump strikes back
Wynn settles suit: Wynn Resorts has agreed to pay US$2.6 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by Japan's Universal Entertainment and its U.S. unit, ending más...
One woman’s quest for more female hospitality execs
These are the numbers: Women make up 30% of managers at the vice president and district director level within hotel companies. Higher up, they represent más...
Shinola Hotel preview video not what you'd expect
Brand building is an art and the 130-key Shinola Hotel in downtown Detroit is previewing its concept with an authentic video that is bound to grab attention más...
The intersection of racial diversity and promoting women: Q&A
The Castell Project is an Atlanta-based nonprofit initiative created in 2017 with the goal of tracking and monitoring the status of women within hospitality más...
Briefs: Brazil bounce | Mantra deal gets ok
Brazil bounce: A double-digit increase in occupancy during January 2018 was further evidence of hotel performance recovery in Brazil, according to más...
A solution in Berlin for hanging longer garments
Julia Himburg, GM of Hotel Provocateur, Berlin, does admit that even the best designer does not always consider practicality. When Saar Zafrir brilliantly más...
Colorful CEO socks serve as metaphor for the times: IHIF
Perhaps the overall positive outlook of this year’s International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin can be summarized by the bright hues of the socks más...
People on the move: Week of March 5, 2018
Appointments in Wisconsin, New York, Florida and several in Texas fill out this week’s roundup of industry professionals taking next steps in their más...
Briefs: Airbnb makes Amazon Prime hire | Portland’s Porter sells
Airbnb hires former head of Amazon Prime: After 18 years at Amazon, Greg Greeley is joining Airbnb as its president of homes, heading up one of the más...
Thomas Cook dives deeper into hotels to improve margins
British travel company Thomas Cook has set up a £150 million (US$208 million) hotel fund as part of a plan to raise margins through new Thomas Cook-branded más...
Gostelow Report: Finding a future at The Jefferson
“I am drawn to small, family-owned properties because employees tend to be more empowered than in larger brands,” says Ali Aghamehdi, director más...
Pro-Airbnb actor Danny Glover shouted down at NY rally
An Airbnb-sponsored rally on Tuesday in Albany, New York, led by actor Danny Glover to support a bill that would allow and regulate short-term rentals más...
Briefs: IHG on heels of luxe buy | Deutsche’s new Maxx brand
IHG on heels of brand acquisition: InterContinental Hotels Group is close to announcing acquisition of a luxury brand (though it wouldn’t say which más...
Why US hotels will feel unintended tax reform impact
Has the U.S. hospitality industry thought through all the consequences of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act? The hospitality sector generally has applauded the más...
Singapore-based Naumi Hotels enters New Zealand
Singapore-based design hotel group Naumi Hotels has launched Naumi Auckland Airport as its first location in New Zealand, as part of wider expansion plans más...
Why it’s worth it to reconcept your F&B
There are lots of reasons to re-concept a hotel F&B outlet. Guy Heksch sums up the biggest one. “The number one question to the concierge más...
Radisson Hotel Group officially launches at IHIF
The newly named Radisson Hotel Group (formerly Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group) made its rebranding official on Monday with a big press conference at the más...
Briefs: Trump out at Trump Panama | Anti-Airbnb gears up
No more 'Trump' at Trump Panama: On Monday, executives associated with Trump Hotels abandoned the management offices of a luxury hotel in Panama that más...
New Crowne Plaza design tries to ‘shake up’ Europe
IHG on Monday unveiled new designs for its Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand across Europe. IHG is partnering with owners on three Crowne Plaza más...
Courtyard by Marriott launches evening F&B menu
Courtyard by Marriott has announced the launch of Bistro Bar, an elevated evening experience that is available at more than 900 Courtyards in the U.S más...
Lima's Intursa now big Marriott partner, eyes outward growth
Inversiones Nacionales de Turismo S.A. (Intursa), the owning company of Lima, Peru-based Libertador Hotels, Resorts & Spas, in January completed the más...
HNA primed to sell 25% stake in Park Hotels
Is the HNA Group pullback from global hotel investment upon us? Reuters reported on Friday that the highly leveraged Chinese conglomerate plans to sell más...
In case you missed it: AC Hotels milks your senses
An eye on the senses: A new ad campaign from AC Hotels by Marriott has smartly tapped into the smart creatives behind the scenes to produce its “Unpacked” más...
Vienna House launches 'tribrid' concept
Vienna House, Austria, has introduced Vienna House R.evo, a concept that allows guests to check-in for one night, several months or an afternoon as they más...
Briefs: Hot management contracts for Dorchester, Interstate
Dorchester Collection managing One Palm: The company will manage Omniyat’s luxury One Palm development on The Palm Jumeirah, making it the first más...
5 Middle East development takeaways: Rotana CEO
Abu Dhabi-based Rotana Hotels and Resorts is on track to open 14 properties by the end of 2018, a move which will see the company entering new markets más...
Squeezed for space? This GM's solution comes in a bag
Lubosh Barta, general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, had a challenge that many hotel GMs would relish. Koreans love to move into hotels for más...
Briefs: AH&LA apprentice program | Canyon Ranch summit
Free tuition: The American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AH&LA) educational foundation is launching a pilot program to offer streamlined más...
Marriott’s Sheraton plan: HOTELS 5 most read, February
The past month’s most read posts had something in common: change and disruption. Whether it was our top story about Marriott International’s más...
febrero 2018
This CEO is turning Hamburg-based Novum into a powerhouse
A flat hierarchy, rapid and flexible decision making, family values and ownership, as well as respectful behavior, explain many of the reasons behind más...
People on the move: Week of February 26, 2018
Kerzner International Holdings (Atlantis Resort and Residences and One&Only Resorts) has found a new CEO in Michael Wale, longtime member más...
Hyatt sets stage for select-service expansion in China
Hyatt Hotels is making good on goals to broaden its select-service footprint in coveted Chinese markets with an agreement, in cooperation with Chinese más...
Briefs: Cuffs on at Trump Panama | Hyatt aims ‘high’ in Malaysia
Cuffs on at Trump: Panamanian police on Tuesday handcuffed a security guard working at the Trump International Hotel and Tower Panama in the midst of más...
Minor mines its pipeline for new Avani Plus brand
Minor Hotels’ Avani Hotels & Resorts is adding a “Plus” to its upscale brand, with the first hotel in the more “millennial-minded” más...
Gostelow Report: When psychedelic tea drives F&B sales
"We have so many events that hosting over 300 for last weekend‘s Japan Marathon was simply all in a day's work," says Mike Williamson, general manager más...
#MeToo drives momentum to protect housekeepers
The #MeToo movement is providing momentum for hotel housekeepers seeking greater protection from sexual harassers. Unite Here, which represents 270,000 más...
Accor to sell majority of capital in AccorInvest
AccorHotels signed agreements with international investors with a view to sell a majority of capital in AccorInvest, its portfolio of 891 hotels. Under más...
Starwood Capital Group acquires Hilton UK portfolio
Starwood Capital Group announced today that a controlled affiliate of Starwood Global Opportunity Fund XI acquired a portfolio of seven Hilton hotels más...
Briefs: Extended Stay’s US$114M deal | Banyan Tree 'stocks' up
Extended Stay America sells 25 hotels to affiliate: The company has completed a US$114-million deal to sell 25 Extended Stay America hotels to an affiliate más...
Middle East development pivots: For the good
The past year was not kind to the Middle East. Overall development growth is estimated to have slowed dramatically to 1.8% in 2017 from 5% the previous más...
Midscale in Dubai? Local developer says yes
Dubai-based developer Nakheel Hospitality and Leisure sees a large tourism influx heading for the area – which means a larger investment in midscale más...
Briefs: You're fired! (sort of) | Middle East pipeline
Trump trouble in Panama, U.S.: The Trump Organization is fighting an attempt by the hotel owners’ association to evict its executives from Panama más...
Marriott reinforces commitment to KSA
In the wake of political turmoil in the Kingdon of Saudi Ararbia, Marriott International used the inaugural Saudi Arabia Hotel Investment Conference as más...
Aman’s Amanyangyun: How to move a forest
It started with a tree. The idea that a reservoir being constructed in his home city of Fuzhou in Jiangxi province would submerge a forest of 10,000 camphor más...
It all starts with a poached egg: Aloft's new breakfast pots
Learn how to poach an egg in a TurboChef and you have the makings of a new breakfast program for Marriott Intenational’s Aloft Hotels brand. That’s más...
Anbang seized; work continues at Waldorf in NYC
In its ongoing campaign to lower financial risks, the Chinese government on Friday seized control of Anbang Insurance Group Co., owners of the Waldorf más...
In case you missed it: Mama Shelter takes Belgrade
Gimme (this) shelter: Mama Shelter’s new Belgrade location draws on the area’s Ottoman history with funky takes on kilim patterns and an “Eastern más...
Briefs: Wynn board swamped with suits | Elvis lovers get the boot
Wynn board faces numerous suits: Wynn Resorts’ board could face a slew of legal action from angry shareholders, angered by its apparent failure más...
Amanyangyun: Secrets of an ancient Chinese village
While Aman's Amanyangyun resort outside Shanghai itself is a great story, there are other fascinating stories within the big one. Here are a few of them: más...
Hyatt delivers on plan with US$1.5B asset sale to Host
Host Hotels & Resorts on Wednesday during its Q4 2017 earnings call stated it is under contract to acquire three assets from Hyatt Hotels Corp más...
Airbnb 'pluses' it up by launching new listing category
Airbnb is acting more like a hotel brand everyday and on Thursday it took yet another competitive step by launching Airbnb Plus, accommodations that meet más...
Names of potential Accor property suitors emerge
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is in talks to buy a 15% stake in Accor SA’s property business in a transaction that could más...
Fed up with non-influential influencers
Not all influencers are created equal. That was the heart of a Twitter thread posted Wednesday by luxury brand social media influencer Tiffany Dowd in más...
Briefs: Trump tax break | Aspen IPO on hold
Trump project wins tax break: The state of Mississippi awarded a tax break worth up to US$6 million for a hotel project involving the Trump family business más...
Park Hyatt Seoul finds gold in a good vinyl collection
In November 2017, the Timberhouse Bar at Park Hyatt Seoul, Korea, replaced its live music with a vinyl station. Three months on, it is a tremendous success más...
Smart training tools that get employees engaged
A hotel employee can be taught how to run a front desk. F&B workers can learn on the job the best way to serve customers. Housekeepers can be trained más...
How role-playing gets employees to do their part
One of the most effective forms of training employees is role-playing, allowing them to play the role of a guest while working with staff who are training más...
People on the move: Week of February 19, 2018
Spa directors in Brooklyn and Bangkok, chefs in Wyoming and North Carolina, sales managers and a digital commerce executive are just some of the positions más...
Briefs: Airbnb Experiences slogs | Accor close to asset deal
21c changes: Co-founder Steve Wilson, 70, has retired as chairman of Louisville, Kentucky-based 21c Museum Hotels. Wilson founded the company with más...
Gostelow Report: 'Nothing is impossible' role prepped him for GM
"Everyone should experience the night-audit stint – but it is all the more worthwhile, and fun, at an airport hotel," says Istvan Kovacs, now hotel más...
NY-based Nakash Holdings nails second Israeli property
Nakash Holdings (they of designer Jordache jeans fame) has opened its second property in Israel, the 120-room Setai Tel Aviv. Initially constructed as más...
Briefs: Drumroll for Forbes awards | Sternlicht in short-term rental
Prestige on the line. Forbes Travel Guide on Tuesday unveiled its 60th list of worldwide Star Rating winners, including 27 new Five-Star hotels, 70 new más...
Is the Caribbean at risk of overbuilding?
The Caribbean is a vast swath of tropical ocean dotted with numerous seductive islands, each unique in culture, natural resources, physical beauty and más...
How Marriott plans to modernize Sheraton
Marriott International knows it has its hands full with Sheraton, the 80-year-old brand the company landed in 2016 when it acquired Starwood Hotels & más...
Rise of the plants: Vegan options here to stay
Vegan and vegetarian options are now par for the courses on most menus. Interstate Hotels & Resorts in January introduced 27 such menu items at 75 más...
4 lessons Stonebridge Companies learned about social media
In 1991, when Stonebridge Companies began, there was no way of foreseeing the impact that social media would have on the industry. Presently, 2.3 billion más...
Briefs: Caesars adds room checks | GHA results
“Do not disturb,” to a point: Caesars Entertainment told the Associated Press that security guards will check guest rooms every 24 hours at más...
A GM with a penchant for a good cigar: Q&A
Georges Midleje is general manager at the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa in Castelvecchio Pascoli, Italy. HOTELS spoke with him about más...
In case you missed it: Converse's anti-luxury 'One Star'
“Anti-luxury”: Brands like Muji and West Elm already have hotels in the works that feature their comfy furnishings and homebody aesthetic más...
Briefs: Ashford's US$171M buy | Super Bowl bonanza
Ritz-Carlton sale: Dallas-based REIT Ashford Hospitality Prime will acquire the 266-room Ritz-Carlton Sarasota in Florida for US$171 million, or más...
John Q. Hammons hotels bankruptcy finally settled
The two-year ownership saga surrounding John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts appears to be over as this week a settlement in bankruptcy court with the más...
Wyndham stays on course with vacation rental sale
Wyndham Worldwide Corp. announced on Thursday that it has entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of its European vacation rental business to más...
No pressing problems at ITC Grand Chola -- here's why
The foldaway iron boards at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai, India, are such a brilliant idea it is amazing that they have not become industry norm (few things más...
Four Seasons searching for its next CEO
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is about to turn a page as on Thursday it announced President and Chief Executive Officer J. Allen Smith will leave más...
Briefs: Dorchester’s first in Dubai | AHLA has words on DACA
Dorchester’s first in Dubai: In a collaboration with Dubai-based high-end developer Omniyat, Dorchester Collection will enter Dubai for the first más...
Earnings roundup: Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott, Hyatt
A roundup of first-quarter and full-year earnings from public U.S. hotel companies: Hilton On Wednesday’s earnings call, Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta más...
Sounding the alarm on #MeToo
The #MeToo movement is roiling workplaces, but the hotel industry is especially fraught with its distinctive conditions: hotel rooms, alcohol and a 24/7 más...
People on the move: Week of February 12, 2018
Industry career moves this week include appointments at new properties in Atlanta and Chicago, executive chefs in Fiji and Mexico City, chief technology más...
Briefs: Marriott signs in Melbourne | Demand in Hong Kong
Marriott in Melbourne: Marriott International signed the Le Méridien Melbourne, in partnership with owner and developer Jinshan Investment Group más...
4 management essentials that will set you apart
Contributed by Elizabeth Martyn, author of Service Excellence On-Demand Training, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration If you’re thinking más...
Gostelow Report: Tea and hospitality at Resplendent Ceylon
"We are a small and passionate company that cares – and, on the customer service side, it certainly helps having been a supplier for many years más...
Beacon technology of the future
For a few years now, beacon technology has been on the up and up in hotels as a way to communicate with guests on-property. Using devices that emit Bluetooth más...
Briefs: Waldorf in Africa | Wynn Resorts investigates claims
A Waldorf in Africa: Hilton will debut its luxury Waldorf Astoria brand in Egypt later this year – once rebranded, it marks the company’s más...
Survey: Flexibility, tech tops for meeting planners
Meeting planners say they are planning more events in 2018, but the emphasis is increasingly focused on flexible space and providing teambuilding experiences más...
Carlson Rezidor launching the Radisson revolution
It’s official. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group will announce on March 5 a change of its name to Radisson Hotel Group, according to a company spokesman más...
Blackstone kicking the tires around Anbang assets
Blackstone Group reportedly has held initial discussions about bidding for Anbang Insurance Group Co. hotel assets, including the Waldorf Astoria más...
Riu charged, released in connection with Miami renovation
Spanish hotelier Luis Riu Guell, who owns his namesake company with more than 100 hotels in 19 countries, surrendered Monday in Miami to face allegations más...
Marriott to flag ill-fated Fontainebleau site in Las Vegas
Luck has changed for The Fontainebleau, an ambitious Las Vegas Strip behemoth left uncompleted by the Great Recession and purchased at a bargain price más...
Briefs: The US$829M deal | Jumeirah’s plans for Zabeel House
A whopper of a deal: Texan private equity fund Lone Star has sold the final 25 hotels from its Amaris Hospitality portfolio to an Israeli-backed más...
Who owns your data?
Who owns your customer data? Is it all in-house, shared with other service providers, or are there parts of your data that are now owned by third parties? más...
Post-Vegas, hotels amping up insurance: Interview
The shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas that left 60 people dead, including the gunman perched in MGM Resorts International’s Mandalay Bay más...
In case you missed it: Wynn Resorts after Steve Wynn
The Steve Wynn fallout: There’s been a bevy of analysis pieces since Steve Wynn’s recent resignation following accusations of sexual misconduct más...
Briefs: Scion tax break | Detroit difficulties for Airbnb
Trump brand tax break: According to documents obtained the New York Times, developers of a Trump-branded hotel in Mississippi are seeking US$6 million más...
Surprising optimism from U.S. lenders: Survey
Hotel lenders in the United States are less cautious in their short-term outlook when compared with this time last year, according to the fifth annual más...
Airbnb does the inevitable: Invites more hotels to platform
In what one brand strategist called an “inevitable surprise,” Airbnb on Wednesday announced independent-minded hotels that meet its specific más...
Briefs: Group wants nix on Wynn name | Marriott signs in India
‘Down’ with Wynn: A women’s advocacy organization has called for ousted CEO Steve Wynn’s name to be removed from his hotel, saying más...
Membership has benefits, and a chef, at Ritz-Carlton Doha
The 23rd floor club lounge of the Ritz-Carlton Doha, Qatar, has been a success since the 374-room hotel opened in 2001. In August 2017 the hotel finished más...
Steve Wynn resigns, and maybe that's a good thing
It didn’t take long for Wynn Resorts stock to rally, up nearly 15 points and more than 9% in early Wednesday trading, after the company’s más...
People on the move: Week of February 5, 2018
Executive chefs from Rhode Island to Hawaii, general managers from Bangkok to Bahrain and several high-level sales staff announcements comprise this week’s más...
Choice CEO talks digital investment, #MeToo, and the future of A.I.
It’s been a busy couple months for Choice Hotels International. In December, the company acquired WoodSpring Suites in a US$231 million deal that más...
Briefs: Google travel upgrade | Mandalay Bay re-numbers
Google upgrades travel search: Google is updating smartphone accessibility for search results on hotels and flights. The search giant is making changes más...
Gostelow Report: Always in season in Saint-Tropez
"As always I am looking forward to this coming season, to showcase the new-found optimism and dynamism in France. And I am determined to convert our French más...
Sustainability snapshot: Scandic Hotels
At Scandic Hotels, a Nordic operator, employees are trained in the company’s sustainability program, which is based on the Ten Principles of the más...
5 fast steps toward better security
Hoteliers, particularly those who manage large properties, are looking to the safety and security of their guests and employees more than ever following más...
Briefs: Mama coming to U.K. | Leonardo leadership
Mama comes to Shoreditch. AccorHotels’ Mama Shelter has announced its market entry into the United Kingdom with plans to open Mama Shelter Shoreditch más...
Cornell dean on harassment, promoting women
Kate Walsh, dean and E. M. Statler Professor Management & Organizational Behavior School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, has researched más...
Briefs: Tax dollars at Trump? | Soho rumors
Government spending at Trump hotel? CNN is reporting that an employee of the federal agency that oversees the lease for the Trump Washington D.C. spent más...
Preparing for May's new data protection rules
As of May 25, 2018, hotels accepting reservations from citizens of a European Union (EU) country could be at risk for fines, depending on how those reservations más...
'Cosy' coffee service at The Lanesborough
Coffee pots at Céleste restaurant at The Lanesborough, London, are deliberately Regency-shaped to fit with the age of the hotel's building. It más...
Many ‘possibilities’ for Minor, Corbin & King
The reputation and strength of Corbin & King in the U.K. has been built on a number of iconic restaurants, both those with the celebrity status and más...
In case you missed it: A Ritz Paris sofa, yours for US$1,800
Who wouldn’t want the first Ritz Paris bathtub in their home? It could happen – if you make the winning bid at an auction April 17-21 by Artcurial más...
Briefs: Hilton Rotterdam sells | A go ahead for Dallas Cowboys owner
Hilton Rotterdam sells: The 254-room Hilton Rotterdam sold to a group of investors that includes First Sponsor Group Limited, a Singapore-based property más...
Do hotel brands surrender excellence, market position?
Most companies don’t lose their quality position in a pitched battle – they surrender it willingly. Many brands have had their moment in the más...
Meet the company that wants to take glamping global
In the wide-open space between traditional hotels and shared economy players sit experiential travel companies such as Collective Retreats, which brings más...
Oberoi New Delhi reopens after almost US$100M renovation
The Oberoi Group’s legendary Oberoi, New Delhi following an almost two-year, nearly US$100 million revamp which commenced shortly after the hotel más...
Briefs: Chinese money back | Branson announces Virgin No. 10
Airbnb IPO delayed? Airbnb Chief Financial Officer Laurence Tosi is leaving the company amid tensions and a shakeup in the senior ranks, according más...
Hilton revises Do Not Disturb: HOTELS 5 most read posts, January
January saw change and backpedaling. Easily our most read story was Hilton’s move to update its Do Not Disturb policy: the first of the big hotel más...
enero 2018
Mövenpick’s new prez Middle East & Africa sees the opportunity
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts recently promoted Marc Descrozaille to president Middle East & Africa, following the retirement of Andreas más...
People on the move: Week of January 29, 2018
Designers, chefs, a sommelier and gaming industry executives are some of the industry movers and shakers highlighted during this final week of January más...
Briefs: Singita takes a CEO | Data on incremental F&B revenue
New Singita leader: Singita announced this week that Tom Fels has joined the company as CEO – Hospitality, effective January 1, 2018. Luke Bailes más...
Serenity now at Taj Mahal Palace
Soon after he arrived in mid-2015, Taljinder Singh, GM of the iconic Taj Mahal Palace and integral Taj Mahal Tower hotels in Mumbai, discovered a quiet más...
Exclusive: Alwaleed's hotel group says business as usual
With continued conflicting reports about the level of freedom His Royal Highness Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has earned after his release from house más...
Gostelow Report: Famous last words of budding GM
“It really is a help to have been born with hospitality in the blood. My father owned and managed a small bed-and-breakfast back in The Bahamas más...
Briefs: Wanda continues to sell | Wynn project under scrutiny
Dalian Wanda continues to sell: Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group has agreed to sell its two Australian projects to a China-backed developer for más...
5 ways hotel restaurants can court locals
In HOTELS January report about how hotel restaurants can carve out a niche in the local community, Bob Puccini, CEO and founder of San Francisco-based más...
Steve Wynn denies misconduct allegation; stock tumbles
Shares in Wynn Resorts were sliding on Monday (down 13.91 points (-7.72%) at just after 12 p.m. cst) after a Friday report by the Wall Street más...
Saudi Prince Alwaleed reportedly free after months of detention
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has been released from his detention at the Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, according to CBS, which reports that three of the prince’s más...
Briefs: Royal Hawaiian outsourcing | Jumeirah's Zabeel in Dubai
Trouble at Honolulu’s Royal Hawaiian: Hotel workers and members of a hospitality industry union were picketing Honolulu’s Royal Hawaiian más...
Tipping point: What to know before eliminating gratuities
Now that some restaurants have moved away from tipping in favor of “service included” pricing or add-on fees, some hotel operators are eyeing más...
In case you missed it: So many suits, so little progress
Very timely: HOTELS Associate Editor Chloe Riley attended her first ALIS conference this week and was depressed about the lack of women in attendance más...
Briefs: Marriott cuts meeting planner rate | MGM Cotai delayed yet again
"I’m in a Ferrari, this is nice": A Ferrari owner is suing Marriott International for negligence and gross negligence after the hotel’s valet más...
Hotels falter in promoting women: Castell study
The hospitality industry lags other fields in promoting women into senior management, according to a new study by the Atlanta-based nonprofit Castell más...
Growing up Alila: CEO Flageat-Simon focuses on growth
Under the umbrella of John Pritzker’s Geolo Capital since 2014 and subsequently Two Roads Hospitality, Alila Hotels & Resorts is growing up más...
Atelier Ace developing a 'Sister' brand in NYC
The creators of the Ace Hotel brand are launching an “experimental” concept in New York City called Sister City, scheduled to open this fall más...
Carlson Rezidor placed at center of HNA global expansion plan
HNA Group’s hotel arm, HNA Hospitality, has said it wants to raise the number of Carlson Rezidor hotels by 25% globally in two years. The group’s más...
Briefs: Marriott cuts commissions | Taj Boston on block?
Marriott cuts agent commission: Marriott International will reduce commissions paid to group intermediaries for its U.S. and Canada properties, starting más...
Steigenberger ready to move forward with new CEO
Steigenberger Hotels has promoted Thomas Willms to the position of CEO effective immediately after serving as the luxury hotel company’s COO since más...
ALIS notebook: No bogeymen in sight
Having just returned from the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles this week, I would summarize the mood as appreciative. Everyone más...
People on the move: Week of January 22, 2018
Newly appointed executive chefs, vice presidents, general managers and a wedding catering specialist in locations from Charlotte, North Carolina to Karachi más...
Briefs: Fattal’s TASE IPO underway | Aspen REIT qualified by SEC
Fattal’s TASE IPO underway: Fattal Hotel Management’s TASE IPO is underway. Fattal, owned by businessperson and hotelier David Fattal más...
2017 global pipeline data shows solid growth
STR reported global regional data on Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and South America. Here’s where things stand (all figures más...
Embassy Suites launches bar-centric F&B concepts
Embassy Suites by Hilton is undergoing a refresh of its food & beverage program beginning with the launch of two new bar-centric lunch and dinner más...
Gostelow Report: Andaz F&B pair hold court in Delhi
"We are a brotherhood, with none of the ego that normally exists between F&B and a chef," explain India-born Vimal Verma and his German culinary partner más...
ITC gathers energy, momentum on green issues
“As one of the most populous nations in the world, (India has) a long way to go in energy and waste management,” says Nakul Anand, executive más...
Choice launches cloud-based reservation system, ChoiceEdge
Choice Hotels International has launched ChoiceEdge, a cloud-based global reservation system and digital analytics program that will ultimately be used más...
Jumeirah debuts ‘upscale casual’ brand
Dubai-based Jumeirah Group is jumping on the neighborhood launched an “upscale casual” brand, Zabeel House by Jumeirah. It’s the second más...
Briefs: Airbnb sting | Wynn rolls dice on Vegas
Hotel sting nabs illegal Airbnb: An intelligence agency operative working for New York’s hotel industry uncovered an illegally operating Airbnb más...
Building a buzz: How hotel F&B can create local appeal
Hotel restaurants at one time freeloaded off their more profitable sibling, the banquet department. Today, smart operators are figuring out how make their más...
Best Western COO Pohl talks brands, China, expansion
Of the 10 brands Best Western Hotels and Resorts has debuted over the past six years, newer brands (like the boutique flavored Vib and Glo) comprise 40% más...
Spanish hotel investment gets even hotter
Hotel investment in Spain reached €3.91 billion (US$4.77 billion) in 2017, up 79% on 2016 and overtaking the previous record set in 2015 of €2 más...
Briefs: Kabul hotel siege | U.S. record-breaker
Hotel siege in Afghanistan: At least 20 people were killed, including 13 foreigners, during an attack on the Hotel Inter-Continental in Kabul, Afghanistan más...
Hyatt realigns to accelerate high-end growth plan
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has announced plans to realign its corporate leadership team and operations to accelerate its strategy to put more focus on high-end más...
China's debt-ridden HNA, Wanda selling off assets
China’s HNA said on Friday it had hired banks to look for buyers of its majority 29.5% stake in Spain’s NH Hotel Group currently valued at más...
U.S hotels will outperform in 2018: Ashford's Bennett
It is no secret that the U.S. lodging industry and its leaders have mixed opinions about 2018. I, for one, am extremely confident about the year ahead más...
In case you missed it: Reading an influencer the riot act
Comeuppance: How many hotel operators were thrilled to read Dublin hotel owner Paul Stenson’s response to a social media influencer's request for más...
Briefs: Checking out of ‘Hotel California’ | Singita in the mist
Welcome to the … never mind: American rock band the Eagles and a Mexican hotel have settled a legal case after the hotel’s owners withdrew más...
Wyndham increases scale, midscale presence with La Quinta buy
Wyndham Worldwide Corp. has added scale and a new flagship upper midscale brand as on Thursday it announced the acquisition of La Quinta Holdings’s más...
More than a naked limb: Suh talks Standard’s Stowaway
Standard Hotels is dipping its toes in extended stay with the launch of Stowaway, a program that, like home sharing giant Airbnb, encourages guests to más...
Briefs: Trump rate decline | Six Senses in the city
Trump room prices fall bigly: Room rates at Trump-branded hotels have fallen over the past year, according to a study of 11 of the hotels by a U.K. company más...
Simple shift transforms VIP guest check-in
InterContinental New York Barclay had a challenge, explains Hervé Houdré, general manager and vice president of the 1926-vintage hotel, más...
To brand or not to brand? (Part 2)
That’s our question in this two-part series. We’ve looked at the argument for getting behind one of the bigger brands, now, turning to the más...
People on the move: Week of January 15, 2018
A retirement after a four-decade career in hospitality, promotions, and new hires in event sales, IT and management positions are included in this week’s más...
Jumeirah taps Four Seasons exec as new CEO
Jumeirah, Dubai’s government-owned hotel group, said on Wednesday it had appointed Jose Silva as the new company’s new chief executive. Silva más...
Briefs: Rezidor’s five-year plan | Another Dalian sale
Rezidor’s new operating plan: Rezidor Hotel Group intends to deliver revenue growth of 6% to 7% after implementing a new operating plan, it said más...
Country Inn & Suites brand gets Radisson spin
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is changing the name of midscale brand Country Inns & Suites By Carlson to Country Inn & Suites by Radisson to leverage más...
Gostelow Report: Behind the scenes with MD at Trump D.C.
“I am not a politician. I am not a hotelier. I am simply a businessman who got into the hotel industry via my then-girlfriend, now my wife,” más...
Singita: Sustainability on the wild side
South Africa-based Singita has a dozen lodges and camps in three southern African countries, but it calls itself a conservation company. With properties más...
Briefs: Caledonian sells for US$117M | Marriott gives ‘books’ the boot
A pretty penny for the Caledonian: Edinburgh’s Caledonian Hotel was sold to an overseas investor in a deal worth £85 million (US$117 million) más...
Yotel moves into extended stay with YotelPad
Yotel has dipped its toes into extended stay segment with the launch of the new YotelPad brand. Standard “Pads” will start from 215 más...
Getting greener – sooner – in hotel development
“For hotels, the nonsense about sustainability performance starts in the rooms,” Onno Poortier, a longtime hotelier and co-founder of Now más...
A US$400K suite for those eager to ‘meet’
California-based Dream Hollywood has rolled out its premier suite, a 1,800-square-foot, glass walled space targeted at those looking for smaller meetings más...
Briefs: Silence from Alwaleed’s allies | Marriott sacks employee over gaffe
What’s happening with Alwaleed? It's been more than two months since Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was first arrested and detained in what más...
Sustainable design: ‘We try to eliminate layers’
“In our process more we like to peel it back, to find out what we don’t need, and use less in materials,” says Tryggvi Thorsteinsson más...
Two Road’s CEO in Asia sees his baby growing up
Under the umbrella of John Pritzker’s Geolo Capital since 2014 and subsequently Two Roads Hospitality, Alila Hotels & Resorts is growing up más...
In case you missed it: Accor’s really ‘smart room’
Sensitivity: AccorHotels has introduced a "Smart Room" concept designed with accessibility standards that go far beyond the industry norm to accommodate más...
Briefs: China shuts down local Marriott site | IHG out of Nigeria
China shuts down local Marriott site: China has now shut down Marriott International’s local website and mobile phone app after the hotel chain más...
Serial contrarian owner with no complaints
Homi Vazifdar describes himself as a serial contrarian. The co-founder of Canyon Equities, Larkspur, California, which acquires and develops smaller luxury más...
Ritz Paris robbery: Some jewels, suspects recovered
Paris police have detained three suspects suspected of robbing over US$5 million from a jewelry store in the Hôtel Ritz Paris, according to reporting más...
Marriott apologizes after Chinese gaffe
Marriott International issued an apology to the Chinese government this morning and is taking other steps to quell a furor after a loyalty program email más...
Recovery – and risks – in the Caribbean in 2018
Following a relatively flat year for the Caribbean hospitality market — prior to the catastrophic storms that slammed the region in September — más...
Oberoi’s lobby art screen reveals and reflects
The Oberoi New Delhi re-opened on January 1 after a 21-month closure (the hotel had not had a serious upgrade since 1982). Among other enhancements, room más...
Briefs: Taj battle wages on | NH rejects Barceló
Taj battle wages on: Though the battle for Taj Mansingh, one of the crown jewels of Indian Hotels Company Ltd. may have got longer, the Tata company is más...
To brand or not to brand? (Part 1)
That is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to go the route of Best Western, (which debuted some 10 brands over the past six years alone) más...
Blackstone in US$1.1B deal for Grand Wailea
Private-equity group Blackstone Group LP reached an agreement to acquire the Grand Wailea, a luxury resort on the Hawaiian island of Maui, for about más...
People on the move: Week of January 8, 2018
From newly named executive chefs to vice presidents, strategists and general managers, here are the people making moves this week. Renovated and reopened más...
Al-Waleed, other detainees at Ritz transferred to Saudi prison
After months of being held at the Ritz-Carlton Riyadh amid demands for money from the successor to the Saudi throne, a group of detainees including Saudi más...
Briefs: Snowbound in Zermatt | W's Japan debut
Airlift in Zermatt: The Swiss ski resort of Zermatt is using helicopters to evacuate about 13,000 tourists stranded by heavy snowfall; a train line was más...
Economy drives U.S. travel optimism in ’18: survey
A new survey says that the strong U.S. economy and a desire to experience the world will lead to further growth in the U.S. luxury travel sector in 2018 más...
The Gostelow Report: History renewed at Shanghai Fairmont
"To have inbuilt history is a definite marketing advantage – and who else has a nonagenarian jazz band playing every night?" asks George Wee, general más...
Wearables of the future
Imagine this: A housekeeper enters her first room to clean for the day. She wears a smartwatch that gives her a checklist of what to clean. While she’s más...
Briefs: IHG signs Hotel Indigo Venice | Chicago hotel revenue falls
IHG signs Hotel Indigo Venice - Sant'Elena: InterContinental Hotels Group signed the Hotel Indigo Venice - Sant'Elena. It is the third Hotel Indigo to más...
EHL Young Hoteliers Summit: Eyes on the future
The 9th edition of the Young Hoteliers Summit will take place at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland from March 12-14. With this year’s más...
Marriott’s roadmap to sustainability
In November, Marriott International introduced Serve 360, a roadmap for the company to reduce its environmental impact and operate more sustainable hotels más...
Wittwer is back with new brand launching in Ajman
After announcing a new management company in July, veteran hotelier Reto Wittwer and partner Ulrich Eckhardt have announced the management takeover of más...
Briefs: O.J. Simpson threatens suit against Vegas hotel | St. Regis in Hong Kong
O.J. threatens lawsuit: O.J. Simpson is threatening a $100 million legal action against the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas over an incident in más...
Hilton rewards its elites with Honors updates
Hilton on Monday announced updates to its guest loyalty program, Hilton Honors with new perks, including what it says is the highest elite point más...
Onyx deals to grow serviced apartment brand in China
Thailand-based Onyx Hospitality Group and Chinese real estate company Sincere Holdings Group have formed a partnership to further develop Onyx’s más...
Content creator: Orania Berlin’s Müller-Elmau
A man whose claim to fame had been creating hotel software is today the talk of Berlin for creating and operating the Hotel Orania Berlin, which couldn’t más...
In case you missed it: The robots are coming
Craving a Manhattan? There’s a robot for that: This week, LG Electronics said it’s on the verge of showcasing three new "concept robots" at más...
Briefs: Ads on Alexa? | Washington L&H rebounding
Are the Alexa ads coming? Amazon has been in talks with several companies about allowing them to advertise products on the company’s Echo devices más...
Hotel spaces pivot to experiential meetings
The experiential meeting is on the rise. According to American Express’ 2018 Global Meetings and Events forecast, hoteliers are predicting an increase más...
Little touches keep guest loyalty blooming
The guest relations team at Park Hyatt Zurich takes great care in devising welcome gifts that are highly personalized. A single female guest, for instance más...
Briefs: Millennials favorite reason to book | Trafficking at Terranea?
Take a picture, it’ll last longer: According to travel site Expedia, the biggest priority for millennials travelling abroad revolves around their más...
Hilton quietly revises its Do Not Disturb policy
The movement in the U.S. to revise policies surrounding “Do Not Disturb” signs is gaining momentum as on Wednesday USA Today reported that más...
People on the move: January 1, 2018
After only just eight months as president and CEO of Proper Hospitality, Arash Azarbarzin has been nabbed by Starwood Capital Group’s SH Group and más...
Briefs: Panic buttons | Nadler steps down
Panic buttons in California: The California Legislature will introduce a bill requiring employers to provide panic button devices to hotel employees and más...
Pricing outside the room reservation
The competition between hoteliers is hotter than ever, and has been made even more complex by disruptive businesses like Airbnb, changing the way business más...
Gostelow Report: Finger burns are worth it for Gainsborough manager
“Since we started offering Spa Day Passes exactly a year ago our spa is more than ever an essential part of our operation. Day-visitors raise awareness más...
How one hotel company ‘speaks’ to its hearing impaired guests
In October, the Spanish chain Room Mate Hotels launched a tablet-based interpreting service for deaf and hearing-impaired guests. The way it works? Upon más...
Briefs: John Portman dead at 93 | Baha Mar lawsuit
Architect John Portman: John Portman, who created the “atrium hotel” with his Atlanta Hyatt Regency, among many other high-profile, soaring más...
Best of 2017: Interviews with innovators and icons
Hotels are about people, and HOTELS is all about the people who innovate in the hospitality space. Some of HOTELS top profiles this year delve into how más...
Choice acquires WoodSpring: HOTELS top 5, December
December was a month full of big moves, be they on the development or people end. Choice Hotels International jumped on a US$231 million deal to acquire más...
diciembre 2017
Best of 2017: Schulze sells Capella
Be it brands or the social tools used to get the word out around them, 2017 saw a shift in the way brands are both perceived and marketed. Trump más...
In case you missed it: Disney tweaks ‘Do Not Disturb’
Security matters: Perhaps in the wake of the deadly October 1 shooting emanating from the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas, four Walt Disney World hotels más...
Best of 2017: 5 hottest F&B trends for the new year
Readers responded strongly to our 2017 HOTELS Great Restaurant nods, with hotels like Mexico-based One&Only Palmilla, M Social Singapore and Four más...
Sofitel Sydney updates maritime history
The Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour has opened, marking the first new-build 5-star hotel in the city in more than 15 years, according to AccorHotels, which más...
Best of 2017: China dominates deal headlines
High-flying outbound Chinese investment was reined in this year with Dalian Wanda’s Founder Wang Jianlin agreeing to buy a majority stake in Wanda más...
People on the move: Week of December 25, 2017
General manager and senior vice president, global revenue support center director, president. The people making this week's moves. Tom Cupo was named más...
Best of 2017: The Gostelow Report’s top five
Did you make the Gostelow Report this year? This year, Mary Gostelow talked to far-flung hoteliers on nearly every continent, and below are the interviews más...
Andaz in Costa Rica debuts beach house
Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo recently debuted the Andaz Beach House located on Nacascolo Beach about 10 minutes away from the resort más...
Best of 2017: Disruption still rules the news
Disruption, in its many permutations, remained the buzzword of the year for hospitality. Throughout 2017, disruption ruled the headlines, ranging from más...
Gostelow Report: Fresh starts in Hotel Eden’s kitchen
Even though Christmas and New Year are traditionally times for indulgence, my food philosophy remains the same, concentrating on the five pillars of innovation más...
KSA wants US$6 billion from Prince Alwaleed: WSJ
Saudi authorities have reportedly demanded at least US$6 billion from Saudi Prince Alwaleed to be released from detention in Riyadh, according to the más...
Resort fees: Pressing for transparency
Scrutiny of resort fees is heating up as U.S. state attorneys general press an industrywide investigation into how the mandatory charges are disclosed más...
In case you missed it: Panic buttons and silence no more
The silence starts to lift: For hotel employees, the recent allegations of sexual abuse throughout multiple industries points also to the mistreatment más...
Briefs: HNA under scrutiny (again) | Trump dodges lawsuit
HNA under scrutiny (again): Lawmakers are calling for a national security panel to increase its scrutiny of billions of dollars in U.S. investments by más...
Education for employees? There’s an app for that
In recent years, high-tech gadgets have smartened up the guest room experience while software has become invaluable for back-of-the-house operations, más...
How to get training technology to work for you
Here’s how to get technology to work in your favor when training smartphone-distracted employees: Bite-sized info. Chris Adams of Ellis Adams Group más...
Using an old art to attract new guests
Providing a sense of place is increasingly important to hospitality worldwide. Pine Cliffs, a Luxury Collection Resort near Albufeira on the Algarve, más...
Briefs: Global data | Hard Rock in Maldives
Tempe development: Dick Portillo, Baum Revision, BlueRoad Ventures and Aparium Hotel Group are developing the Hayden Flour Mill and Silo buildings in más...
Midscale brand growth: Choice or commoditization?
Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Vision Hospitality Group faced a critical choice. Like other owner/developer/managers intent on growth, Vision Hospitality más...
Overbuilding the middle?
New brands equal new franchise opportunities and new supply. At the point where supply growth outpaces demand growth is historically the point where the más...
People on the move: Week of December 18, 2017
Director of learning, development and wellbeing, regional chief engineer, senior vice president. The people making this week's moves in hospitality más...
Briefs: U.S. performance | Karma in Dharamshala
U.S. positive in November: The U.S. hotel industry reported positive results in the three key performance metrics year over year in November 2017, according más...
Gostelow Report: High-rise hotelier at InterCon Los Angeles
"I had never worked in the USA and honestly there is not that much difference, although California takes more notice of the work-life balance and of course más...
Investors talk strategy to prepare for the inevitable
When the hotel investment community gathers in January in Los Angeles for the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), how will investors view the year más...
Briefs: Airbnb lands $200M JV | Auberge managing Madeline
Airbnb lands $200M JV: Brookfield Property Partners LP plans to invest as much as US$200 million in a joint venture with Niido, the multifamily development más...
MENA investment could hit record high in 2018
The Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2018 (AHIC) is forecasting significant opportunities for hotel investors targeting the Middle East in light of más...
Choice extends its reach with WoodSpring acquisition
The bolt-on trend continues as Choice Hotels International on Monday announced it reached a definitive agreement to acquire for approximately más...
Why some guests choose their hotel based on a cocktail
A solid beverage program is critical for any full-service hotel worth its salt, but some properties craft cocktails that generate enough buzz that the más...
Minor gains U.K. foothold with Corbin & King stake
Thailand’s Minor Hotels continues its westward march into the United Kingdom with what it called a “significant stake” in Corbin & más...
Briefs: Air-actual-B&B | San Jose sales
MGallery in Melbourne: An A$130 million (US$99.3 million) MGallery by Sofitel hotel will be built in Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping center. The más...
UK 2018: Consolidation likely as operators face challenges
The New Year is likely to be a challenging one for the UK's hotel operators with flat occupancy levels and increasing overheads, despite positive global más...
The Carlyle's McHale blends past and present
Anthony McHale has been since May in charge of The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, in New York City. The Englishman, who most recently was GM of the Burj al más...
In case you missed it: A hyper-local cured meat
A movement: Sourcing locally for F&B is becoming engrained into the hotel restaurant culture. One of the latest examples comes from Shangri-La Hotel más...
Briefs: Thor closes on James SoHo | Revving up in Galway
Thor closes on James SoHo: Thor Equities has closed on the purchase of the James New York hotel in Soho after a protracted legal battle with the seller más...
Red Lion breaks the franchise application mold
RLH Corp. is breaking another traditional mold with the launch of a designated website that allows hotel owners to apply online for a franchise under más...
RLJ makes splash selling first FelCor legacy hotel
RLJ Lodging Trust made its first move to make good on its promise to pay down debt and disposing of non-core, higher-value assets on Friday by announcing más...
Pandox makes US$1 billion deal for Jurys Inn portfolio
Sweden’s Pandox AB is acquiring a portfolio of 37 hotels in a £800 million (US$1.07 billion) deal from U.S.-based private equity firm Lone más...
Crown unloads failed Alon lot to Wynn for US$300M
After abandoning plans for its Las Vegas Alon casino project a year ago, Crown Resorts has now sold that property which, had it been developed, would más...
Briefs: Hilton hires Uber exec | Kimpton signs in Taipei
Hilton hires Uber exec: Hilton appointed former Uber exec Kellyn Smith Kenny senior vice president and chief marketing officer. As vice president, marketing más...
These Christmas trees make a statement
Paul Kwok, general manager of the Grand Hyatt Macau, is tremendously proud of his hotel's Christmas trees, which have been illuminated since early November más...
People on the move: December 11, 2017
The people - and the executives - making this week's moves. (Executives on the move) Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group promoted Christoph Mares to chief operating más...
Rosewood Phuket launches with new wellness concept
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has opened Rosewood Phuket in Thailand on the beachfront on Emerald Bay and debuted Asaya, the brand’s holistic wellness más...
Briefs: Bahia reorganizes | Napa fires scorch occupancy
Bahia rebrands portfolio: Spain-based Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts is reorganizing. Its 24 properties will be segmented into four categories: Luxury más...
Gostelow Report: Double duty at Hilton Tel Aviv
"We stuck our neck out and turned part of our hotel into a separate product. Until this March, Hilton Tel Aviv had 599 rooms and suites. Now it is a total más...
Urban camping: Moxy Times Square redefines select-service
The Toronto firm of Yabu Pushelberg frequently designs what partner George Yabu calls “the best of the best of the top of the market”: Luxury más...
Briefs: Avendra/Aramark sale in the bag | Thomas fire rages on
Avendra completes sale to Aramark: Avendra has completed its sale to Aramark for US$1,350 million. After redemption of management participation rights más...
All-day menus allow hotel guest grazing at any hour
Walk into the sun-drenched lobby restaurant of the Ace Hotel in Chicago, and you’ll find tables filled with hip locals and even hipper out-of-town más...
Guests DIY their eggs – and meet the chickens – at Pig Near Bath
The Pig Near Bath, England, makes breakfast – so often the last experience in any hotel – into a stand-out memory. Nearly 80% of guests boil más...
Briefs: Nobu sold | Fragrance in Devon (again)
JW in Tampa: Strategic Property Partners will build a 26-story JW Marriott in Tampa, Florida. The 519-room hotel is part of a US$3 billion project aimed más...
What most companies get wrong about service
Whether you sling hash, manage a reservation desk or plan high-end travel excursions, you’re part of the service industry—a sector that employs más...
B&B Hotels’ González carving out niche in Spain
French budget chain B&B Hotels is expanding its footprint in Spain following its acquisition of Sidorme last year. The takeover combined 15 Sidorme más...
In case you missed it: Mondrian movie | Hotels’ #MeToo moment
For those of us in the chilly northern hemisphere, designer Marcel Wanders’ latest wonder is a warmly vibrant visual feast: The Mondrian Doha, which más...
Rediscovered: Investors are giving new love to Madrid
Barcelona, with its famed Gaudí architecture and other modernist landmarks, historically has outdrawn Madrid in foreign visitors. But with Catalonia’s más...
Briefs: Global pipeline | Albanian luxury play
Briefs: Global pipeline | Albanian luxury play Global pipeline: According to Lodging Econometrics’ Global Construction Pipeline Trend más...
Spain: Madrid, second-tier cities shine; resorts near peak
Once the basket case of Europe, Spain has returned from the dead and its hotel market is one of the brightest spots in Europe. Operators have been enjoying más...
Hilton’s Canopy comes to North America
The first ever North American Canopy by Hilton has opened in Washington, D.C. With design from New York-based luxury hospitality design firm Krause más...
Briefs: Avid gets rolling | UBS buys US$339 million of MGM
Avid gets rolling: IHG’s newest brand Avid has 100 franchise applications received, including 34 which have already been converted to signed deals más...
New Rosewood brand hopes to carve another niche
Rosewood Hotel Group, Hong Kong, is launching a lifestyle, modern-day Asian business hotel brand called Khos. Derived from the Mongolian word meaning más...
Hilton launches 'connected' guest room technology
Hilton Worldwide on Wednesday introduced its Connected Room, a digitally enhanced hotel room that allows guests to control their environment from their más...
How short, people-driven videos really do reel in guests
At the beginning of the video, we see a dashing gentleman in a perfectly tailored blue suit scan the hotel lobby over the balcony before heading down más...
People on the move: Week of December 4, 2017
Director general, regional sales manager, CEO and general manager. The people making this week's moves. New York-based Kimpton Ink48 Hotel más...
Briefs: Wyndham murmurs | Trump D.C. investigation?
Wyndham rumor: Wyndham Worldwide Corp. may receive bids of more than US$1 billion from buyout firms for its European vacation rentals business, according más...
Interstate taking 82 White Lodging contracts
Third-party management gaint Interstate Hotels & Resorts got a lot bigger on Wednesday announcing it has agreed to acquire from White Lodging the más...
Lingonberries, Za’atar? Kimpton's take on F&B trends
From Chifa and Nordic-influenced cuisine to Za’atar and Vadouvan spices, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ chefs and bartenders from 80-plus más...
Gostelow Report: Updating history at The Merrion
“The longer I am on the job the more I turn to de-cluttering and simplicity,” declared Peter MacCann, the general manager since 1996 of The más...
How well do CEOs earn their paychecks?: Aethos
According to a 2017 report from the Economic Policy Institute on CEO pay, chief executives at the largest 350 public companies in the United States made más...
Marriott takes another step toward unified loyalty
Likely using its scale to negotiate better deals for its hotel owners and to move a step closer toward unifying its loyalty programs, Marriott International más...
Marriott expands relationship with Malaysia's YTL
Marriott International and Malaysia’s YTL Hotels have agreed to develop two new luxury hotels in Malaysia under the JW Marriott and Edition brands más...
Briefs: Raffles deal for Dubai | Ronaldo grows hotel brand
Raffles deal in Dubai. AccorHotels on Tuesday signed a management agreement with Dubai-based master developer Nakheel that will lead to the 2021 opening más...
Karim Alibhai’s big vision results in most ambitious play
Karim Alibhai has extensive hotel experience: Acquisitions. Development. Driving the airport shuttle. The 53-year-old Alibhai, principal of Miami-based más...
Zurcher’s indigenous design in Papagayo
Ronald Zurcher, president and principal architect of Zurcher Arquitectos in San Jose, Costa Rica, has been visiting Peninsula Papagayo most of his life más...
Airbnb, UNWTO pair to bring host program to developing areas
Airbnb and the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have created a partnership including pilot programs that train women in poorer areas to use the más...
Le Meridien, David Collins take South Korea
Blending Parisian opulence with strong mid-century references, the Le Meridien brand has landed in South Korea with its first property Seoul created by más...
News in brief: Wang takes Wanda | Yotel lands in Edinburgh
Wang buys Wanda hotels. Dalian Wanda’s Founder Wang Jianlin has agreed to buy a majority stake in Wanda Hotel Development Co. for US$470 million más...
RLJ's post-FelCor path: Q&A with CEO Bierkan
RLJ Lodging Trust, Bethesda, Maryland, did not exactly receive rave reviews for its April 2017 decision to acquire FelCor Lodging Trust in an all-stock más...
In case you missed it: Mangia with hotelier Coppola
Saluti: What could be better for your Friday than listening and watching conversations between Anthony Bourdain and filmmaker and hotelier Francis Ford más...
Heinecke, not so ‘Minor’: HOTELS top 5 posts, November
Our Hotelier of the World coverage honoring both Minor Hotels’ William Heinecke and Beverly Hills Hotel GM Ed Mady were the clear front runners más...
Briefs: Yoo and Opus partner up | ‘Gatsby’ hotel sells
Yoo and Opus too: United Kingdom-based Yoo Hotels and Resorts and Canada’s Opus Hotel Corporation have formed a brand partnership and 10-year expansion más...
noviembre 2017
Caribbean cleans up, looks toward the future
The months of August and September 2017 saw Mother Nature unleash a string of fury: Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria battered Texas, Florida and the más...
Low European lease cap rates expands investor pool
Capitalization rates for fixed income prime hotel investments such as lease contracts have reached sub 5%, according to a report from HVS Hodges Ward más...
Pick a card and solve a guest problem
Service awareness role-play cards came into use at The Ritz-Carlton Guangzhou, China, in September. "The idea is to capture the most frequent complaints más...
Briefs: Four Seasons Hanoi | Caesars sale-leaseback
Four Seasons in Hanoi: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and BRG Group of Vietnam are planning a new Four Seasons hotel in the country’s capital of más...
Convictions trump fears: Viceroy CEO focuses on ‘why’
Bill Walshe and his team at Viceroy Hotel Group don’t spend time in meetings risk-mitigating decisions. They don’t wonder when the next wave más...
People on the move: Week of November 27, 2017
Director of people growth, vice president of strategy and planning, vice president of food & beverage: The hospitality people making this más...
The addendum that could make or break your hotel development
Many first-time hotel developers are surprised to find out that the management agreement with the brand needs to be finalized long before the hotel is más...
Briefs: Margaritaville Times Square? | Dorchester gets academic
Break out the tequila: Sharif El-Gamal’s Soho Properties, in partnership with MHP Real Estate Services and Flintlock Construction más...
Gostelow Report: Digital direction at Peninsula HK
"The industry still needs old-fashioned media, but traditional PR is antiquated," says Olivia Toth, director of communications for The Peninsula más...
Living history: Amanyangyun preps in China
Opening on January 8, 2018, Amanyangyun will be Aman’s fourth destination in China and stands as tribute to a bold, 15-year preservation project más...
Gym giant Equinox slapped with hotel lawsuit
With gym giant Equinox prepping for its hotel debut in New York City in 2019, news comes that it has hit a snag as a San Francisco-based hotel más...
Briefs: Trump trouble | 2019 outlook?!
Trump out of Panama? Owners of the Trump International Hotel in Panama want to remove the name and fire the Trump Organization as managers of the 70-story más...
Watch: Lessons from a smart GM-driven video
Sometimes you don't know the power of a piece of content until you create it. Thailand-based Anantara Siam Bangkok had initially developed a video más...
Fashion forward for Andaz Tokyo employees
For the whole of November, Andaz Tokyo, Japan, has been partnering with Red Card, a local fashion company led by Yuji Honzawa, whose philosophy follows más...
Hearty investment appetite in Europe: Deloitte
Deloitte’s annual European Hotel Investment Survey revealed a continuation of a positive investment sentiment with Amsterdam retaining más...
Briefs: A Trump rebranding | Starwood’s grand Budapest buy
Trump out of SoHo: The Trump Organization announced that it is exiting management of the Trump SoHo Hotel in New York City in a buyout with the building’s más...
The Standard brand embraces 'high' life
Minibar sales will go through the roof at The Standard Hollywood in Q1 2018 if its new partner, Lord Jones, earns approval from regulatory authorities más...
People on the move: Week of November 20, 2017
Food and beverage operations manager, chief financial officer, president. The people making this week's moves. Raffles Dubai appointed más...
Trump’s Cuba policy likely to reverse trends
On November 9, 2017, the Trump administration amended the Cuban Assets Control Regulations and Export Administration Regulations restricting travel to más...
Briefs: Toe-to-toe with Airbnb | Pandox eyes Jury Inn
Tit for tat: Similar to what it did on Monday with Marriott International, Airbnb on late Tuesday told HOTELS it sent letters to the CEOs of Hyatt Worldwide más...
Happy Thanksgiving from HOTELS
We are taking off a few days for the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. HOTELS Daily News Service will return on Monday. más...
Gostelow Report: Leading a charming Carolina life
“I run my hotel company as an extension of my family,” said Richard Widman, president of Charming Inns, Charleston, South Carolina. In fact más...
Millennium lands 'M' brand in Auckland
Following the launch of its M Social Singapore last summer, London-based Millennium & Copthorne Hotels has added a second M Social hotel, this one más...
War of words between Airbnb and hoteliers heats up
The old adage about the best defense being a good offense might best describe Airbnb’s new attack on Marriott International and the hotel industry más...
Briefs: MGM hit with shooting-related lawsuits | Wanda responds
MGM slapped with lawsuits: Attorneys who filed one of the first lawsuits after the October 1 mass shooting that killed 58 concertgoers and left hundreds más...
Deloitte conference: Hot quotes, Europe’s economy, trends
Optimism about the near-term fortunes of the hotel world are not limited to the United States, according to sentiments shared on November 7-8 in London más...
New brand for Brown with opening of ‘The Dave West’
Tel Aviv-based Brown Hotels has opened The Dave West, the first property in a new brand of affordable urban hotels. This new line of properties, "Son más...
Grupo Barcelo makes bid for 60% of NH Hotels
NH Hotel Group, Madrid, said on Monday it had received a unsolicited, non-binding merger offer from rival Spanish hotel group Grupo Barcelo, reportedly más...
Briefs: High on The Standard | Wanda sells out
Pass the Doritos: In a collaboration with Lord Jones, makers of cannabis and CBD infused products, The Standard Hollywood in early 2018, subject to approval más...
Hotelier of the World: VIDEO
HOTELS celebrated our 2017 Hotelier of the World award winners this week – empire builder William Heinecke of Minor International, Bangkok, and más...
In case you missed it: How Marriott landed Gwen Stefani
Making the music moves: Gwen Stefani recently partnered with Marriott International to play an exclusive gig at the newly opened Renaissance Downtown más...
Briefs: Positive 2018 outlook | Japan cracks down
STR sees growth: The U.S. hotel industry is projected to record stronger-than-expected growth for 2017, according to STR and Tourism Economics’ más...
Lengthy development periods the issue in West Africa
West Africa has been at the heart of the continent’s growth and economic transformation in recent years. Notwithstanding the sharp slowdown experienced más...
Hotelier of the World: PHOTOS
HOTELS celebrated our 2017 Hotelier of the World award winners Monday evening – both empire builder William Heinecke of Minor International, Bangkok más...
A Boston homecoming on Fairmont club level
The fourth-floor Fairmont Gold Club at Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston, is themed for a townhouse in Boston’s Back Bay, says George Terpilowski, general más...
Revamped NYC Waldorf will have 350 rooms: Report
The development team behind the revamp of New York’s landmark Waldorf-Astoria Hotel will start construction in December and will más...
Briefs: Sunny outlook from PwC | AC in Phoenix
Brighter future, says PwC: Consulting firm PwC has revised its 2018 lodging forecast upward, saying 2018’s U.S. ADR, occupancy and demand growth más...
Hilton launches social lobby in its HQ
Hilton on Wednesday launched "The Social," turning the ground floor of its global headquarters in McLean, Virginia, into a public gathering space intended más...
Heinecke, Mady feted as 2017 Hoteliers of the World
HOTELS feted on Monday night its 2017 Hotelier of the World award winners – empire builder William Heinecke of Minor International, Bangkok, and más...
People on the move: Week of November 13, 2017
Resort manager, chef de cuisine, chief operating officer, director of mountain operations. The leaders in this week's people on the move más...
Fate of New York's Plaza takes another twist
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, one of the most influential figures in Qatar, has acquired the mortgage on New York’s famed Plaza hotel más...
Will Alwaleed sell Lebanon hotels; Savoy’s future uncertain
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, part owner of Mövenpick and Four Seasons hotels in Lebanon, has put the properties up for sale más...
AccorHotels rolling out services to connect with locals
AccorHotels, about to celebrate its 50th anniversary, on Wednesday announced the further rollout of its AccorLocal service, which gives local shopkeepers más...
Briefs: Hilton moves in London| Limiting ‘do not disturb’
Hilton in London: Arora Group made new agreements with Hilton in London. The developer’s 360-room hotel at Heathrow’s Terminal 2 will open más...
Gostelow Report: Chief chef keeps busy at Bürgenstock
“I jumped at the opportunity to set up the largest food operation in the European hospitality scene", says Mike Wehrle, culinary director of Bürgenstock más...
Mandatory 'resort fees' are under attack, again
A small but growing percentage of hotels advertise room rates at a base price, but then disclose a mandatory “resort fee” for a bundle of más...
Le Méridien makes its move on South Korea
Marriott International’s Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts has officially expanded into South Korea with the opening of Le Méridien Seoul más...
Marriott creates smart guest room lab
Marriott International has created a guest room laboratory to test mobile and other technology that the company says can improve guest experience, room más...
Best Western annual meeting: Experience, expansion
An annual meeting broke out at a music festival headlined by Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ employees in Nashville. David Kong, president and más...
Best Western’s digital chief on change, cybersecurity
Greg Adams is Best Western’s senior vice president and chief digital officer. Last year, his focus was implementing an updated and reimagined company más...
The key to loyal locals? Give them the breakfast they want
Although typically 85% of those breakfasting in The Grill at The Dorchester London are hotel guests, many on breakfast-included rates, the remaining 15% más...
The TRICK to navigating the seas of transition
Approximately a month ago, following Ritz-Carlton's previous announcement about moving into the cruise line sector, I contemplated the issues that must más...
AccorHotels ending independent booking service
Give them credit for trying something different, but on Thursday AccorHotels confirmed that it would halt its service that allows independent hotels to más...
In case you missed it: Want faster check-in? Sell your soul to China
Fear and loathing in China: China is embarking on what basically amounts to the most terrifying sounding thing ever: a plan to rate its citizens in a más...
Briefs: Starwood Capital sale? | Balazs accused of groping
André Balazs accused of groping: In recent weeks, as stories about alleged sexual misconduct by powerful men have made headlines in the U.S., several más...
Nomura launches Nohga Hotels in Tokyo
Nomura Real Estate Development Co. Ltd. and Nomura Real Estate Hotels Co. Ltd., Tokyo, have announced the launch of the Nohga Hotel brand with the first más...
Bazin expands on Accor's plans for Orient Express
AccorHotels, which now has a hand in shaping Orient Express Hotels for the future after buying a 50% stake of the brand from France state-owned rail group más...
Bangkok firm takes majority stake in Standard International
Sansiri Public Co. Ltd., Bangkok, announced Wednesday its plans to invest US$80 million in six leading global technology and lifestyle businesses, including más...
Capella Shanghai Jian Ye Li opens in “shikumen” landmark
Shanghai’s only all-villa urban resort in one of the last remaining cluster of historical "shikumen" (a type of stone warehouse gate) has opened: más...
Briefs: Americans now banned from 83 Cuban hotels
Trump cracks down on Cuba: The Trump administration on Wednesday tightened the economic embargo on Cuba, restricting Americans from access to hotels, más...
Preferences of Japanese, Chinese, Aussie travelers: Expedia
Expedia Media Solutions, the advertising arm of Expedia, Inc., has unveiled new generational data looking at the motivations, preferences and travel attitudes más...
Gostelow Report: Keeping Nihi Sumba a little wild
"I had to go against my peer group and take a big chance, leaving the mainstream industry to set up an edge-of-wildness concept – especially since más...
Oberoi makes deal to come to the Americas
Mexican real estate developer Grupo GDI on Wednesday signed a letter of intent and an exclusive agreement with the Oberoi Group of India to develop the más...
People on the move: Week of November 6, 2017
Executive chef, general manager, chief technology officer, chief operating officer. The people making this week's moves. Gerhard Aicher was named más...
News in brief: London hoteliers feel the pinch
London bed tax. The British Hospitality Association is calling a proposed London “bed tax” unfair. The London Assembly Economy Committee said más...
HOTELS Corporate Hotelier of the World: William Heinecke
William Heinecke doesn’t do much by accident. The visionary entrepreneur and self-made billionaire has shaped circumstances and taken opportunities más...
Hotelier of the World: Heinecke's artful influences
Minor's William Heinecke was named HOTELS 2017 Corporate Hotelier of the World. His art-filled penthouse atop the St. Regis Bangkok (available for about más...
Wink: Quo launches new brand in Vietnam
Bangkok-based hospitality branding agency Quo announced the launch of Wink Hotels, a luxury brand focusing on Vietnam and Indochina. The developer is más...
Hilton Daytona Beach sinks US$25M into revamp
Florida-based Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort has completed a $25 million renovation. Formerly known as the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort/Ocean más...
News in brief: Is Prince Alwaleed sleeping on the floor?
Is Prince Alwaleed sleeping on the floor? Images and video coming from the Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, where detained princes and ministers, including billionare más...
HOTELS Independent Hotelier of the World: Ed Mady
Ed Mady should write the book on luxury hotelkeeping. Even though he never stops refining his craft, the 65-year-old has his work down to a science. He más...
Ireland’s Adare Manor receives largest revamp in 25 years
The 104-room Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland has reopened following property updates: the hotel’s largest such in a quarter of a century. más...
Billionaire hotel owner Prince Alwaleed held in KSA
Until now arguably the international face of business in Saudi Arabia, billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is among several princes and ministers who más...
Briefs: Airbnb eyeing Wyndham vacay rental biz
Airbnb has eye on Wyndham: Airbnb is among potential suitors for Wyndham Worldwide Corp.’s European vacation-rental business. First-round más...
Hotelier of the World: Ed Mady’s sporty influencers
Ed Mady, GM of the Beverly Hills Hotel and West Coast regional director for the Dorchester Collection, was named HOTELS 2017 Independent Hotelier of the más...
Do you use feedback like a drunkard or an explorer?
“Customer comment collection is a tremendously valuable tool. But it has nothing to do with managing quality.” This was the opening más...
In case you missed it: Takeaways from TripAdvisor mess
Skip the happy talk: TripAdvisor is learning a tough lesson about how customers want to be advised – turns out they want the truth. It’s come más...
TripAdvisor sorry for deleting rape-related review: NY Times
TripAdvisor has apologized to a Texas woman for repeatedly deleting her review of a Mexican resort that detailed how she had been raped there by a security más...
Briefs: Sorenson on Trump | HNA’s dilemma
Sorenson slaps Trump: “At the moment there’s a perception around the world that the U.S. is a little less welcoming than it was in the past más...
The bulls still running at The Lodging Conference
There’s an old adage that suggests looking at GDP growth to best understand the current state of affairs in the hotel business. With the U.S. Department más...
Capella sale: HOTELS' top 5 posts in October
Horst Schulze’s sale of Capella Hotel Group Singapore's Kwee family topped HOTELS five most-read stories for October. Also included was a post Hurricane más...
Taking tea and bringing in business
Promoting afternoon tea via a permanent display in the lobby has a notable effect. "Hardly anyone goes past without stopping, looking and commenting, más...
Briefs: No bids on ‘Billionaire’s Row’ | Hilton fined
Bad timing on Park Lane Hotel bid? The New York Times reports on the Park Lane Hotel, a gold-plated property, and its complicated backstory involving más...
One CEO’s take on learning from disasters
Alex Zozaya is CEO of Apple Leisure Group, and he experienced two devastating earthquakes in Mexico City – one in 1985, and the recent, 7.1-magnitude más...
People on the move: Week of Oct. 30, 2017
Chief executive officer, Asia. Corporate director of digital marketing and transformation. The titles of the people making this week's moves. más...
Briefs: Quest wets toes in UK | C1 Capital acquisition
Quest wets toes in UK: Quest Apartment Hotels has expanded into the UK with the signing of its first site in Liverpool, a £10 million (U.S$13 más...
Wyndham deal to add 46 U.S. hotels
Wyndham Hotel Group and American Hotel Income Properties REIT Inc. announced an agreement to convert 44 hotels across the U.S. to three Wyndham brands más...
octubre 2017
Gostelow Report: Power pair at Waldorf's new flagship
“Five months ago, we had 57 simultaneous check-ins on our opening day," say Luc Delafosse and Vanessa Williams, respectively managing director and más...
Journal’s Mondrian Park Avenue comes to New York
Mondrian Park Avenue has opened in New York City’s NoMad neighborhood. Managed by Journal Hotels and licensed from SBE, the hotel was originally más...
Nissenbaum named CEO of Dan Hotels
Ronen Nissenbaum was named the next CEO and president of Tel Aviv, Israel-based Dan Hotels, starting January 1. He succeeds Raffi Sadeh, CEO and más...
Briefs: Meliá signs in Asia Pacific | Auberge managing Mukul
Meliá Asia Pacific: Meliá Hotels International signed agreements for several new hotels with major local partners in Asia Pacific, taking más...
Striving for optimal: How to maximize revenue performance
Hotels traditionally benchmark their performance against the RevPAR of their comp set. Using this method, they are incentivized to strive for an average más...
Give back, get back: Good business in social programs
When the Hyatt Cartagena in Colombia opened its doors in December 2016, giving back to the local community was part of its mantra. It created a market más...
5 of the hottest F&B trends for 2018
New York-based Baum+Whiteman released its 11 Food and beverage trends to look out for in 2018. Here’s five to stoke your “hunger” for más...
Toronto Sheraton in C$335M deal
Toronto’s downtown Sheraton Centre Hotel was acquired by an arm of Brookfield Asset Management in a C$335 million (US$261.4 million) deal. CBRE más...
Best Western launches 11th brand, BW Signature Collection
Best Western Hotels & Resorts will add another brand to the fray, BW Signature Collection by Best Western, its 11th. The brand joins the company’s más...
Briefs: Waldorf Astoria reno starts | Wynn’s Paradise Park
Waldorf Astoria reno starts: The historic Park Avenue hotel, which has been closed since March, has finally hired a demolition crew to begin its más...
'Good ol' boys' network scrutinized in light of Omni harassment claim
With attention heightened on sexual harassment in the workplace, news broke on Thursday in Dallas about a former property supervisor with Omni Hotels más...
Stories you missed: Hope for the silver-haired
Everything must go: Got your eye on that crystal vase? It can be yours legally, without having to smuggle it out in your purse! At New York’s Baccarat hotel más...
Briefs: Puerto Rico Marriotts struggle | Caesars affected by shooting
Puerto Rico Marriotts struggle: At a recent summit held by Yahoo Finance, Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson said some of his hotels could be closed más...
Mexico Q3 results not as bad as expected
STR’s Q3 performance report for Mexico is not as bad as expected considering a new report from Bloomberg citing a 10% occupancy dip this year in más...
‘Inherently wasteful’: New approaches to the buffet
In an on-demand culture, hotels are eager to ditch inefficiencies plaguing F&B ("F&B's new buffet mandate: Speed up, shrink waste"). Part of that más...
It’s official: Aman entering New York
Set to debut in 2020, Aman's third property in the United States and second in a major city center was announced Thursday as the neo-classical Beaux-Arts más...
Caesars sinks US$100 million into palace tower
Caesars Palace Las Vegas has completed renovations on its Palace Tower – the resort’s largest – an effort that ultimately topped out más...
Briefs: Another app cuts profits | Waldorf gets the 'Arch'
Waldorf get: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts was appointed by Prime Investors Capital Ltd to operate the Admiralty Arch Waldorf Astoria, London which más...
Data analytics: Leveraging guest info for competitive advantage
In recent years, businesses have shifted to meet customer demands for more personalized services. To do this and to better understand their customers más...
F&B’s new buffet mandate: Speed up, shrink waste
In the on-demand culture driven by Amazon and Uber, “wait” is a word of the past and hotels are eager to ditch inefficiencies plaguing F&B más...
Hard Rock's Reverb lives; settlement in copyright case
Red Lion Hotels Corp. and Hard Rock Cafe International (USA) have fully resolved, to their mutual satisfaction, all aspects of their dispute regarding más...
Marriott improves the odds with next gen of employees
Marriott International has launched the Marriott Careers chatbot for Facebook Messenger. Powered by data-driven logic and specialized algorithms, the más...
People on the move: week of Oct. 23, 2017
Staypineapple, Corinthia Hotels, Caesars Entertainment Corporation, Peninsula. The companies where people are making this week's moves más...
Briefs: The city of Neom | YOO ‘hoo’ Canada, Mexico
The city of Neom: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has launched plans for the city of Neom, a site which will be backed by más...
Gostelow Report: Forging a new path at Shangri-La
"Life has its twists and turns, and I gave myself six months to sort my life out," says William Mackay, now invigorated in his entrepreneurial role as más...
InterContinental L.A. Downtown tallest on west coast
The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown has opened, making it the west coast’s tallest at 1,100 feet and 73 stories. Part of the billion-dollar más...
Briefs: Mantra in Tas | Ellison eyes old blue eyes
Mantra in Tas: Mantra Group will manage Launceston’s 108-room Peppers Silo Hotel in Launceston, Tasmania when it opens in April 2018. The A$25 million más...
How wildfires impact N. California performance
Recent Northern California wildfires caused significant hotel performance declines in Napa and Sonoma counties, while hotels in Mendocino and Solano counties más...
Exclusive: Schulze sells Capella to Singapore family
Horst Schulze, who founded Capella Hotel Group in 2002, has sold the company to Singapore's Kwee family, with whom he has had a relationship with since más...
Beekman invests in US$6,500/night luxury rooftop suites
Thompson Hotels’ The Beekman is unveiling two new luxury penthouse suites. Designed by London-based Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, the suites come más...
Briefs: Virgin in D.C. | Starwood gets a REIT
Virgin in D.C.: Virgin Hotel will open and operate a new hotel in Washington D.C.: the 178-room Virgin Hotels Washington D.C. Union Market. Expected to más...
Lagniappe: A few minutes with Boston Harbor's Johnston
Stephen Johnston is managing director and general manager of Boston Harbor Hotel. The native of Ireland's previous hospitality gigs include GM of the más...
‘Constant optimization’: The evolution of dynamic pricing
Dynamic pricing has been a go-to strategy by hotel revenue managers. But as the business intelligence tools that collect market data and customer information más...
IHG makes move to improve loyalty karma
IHG on Friday announced plans to bring together its two loyalty programs – IHG Rewards Club and Kimpton Karma Rewards. In early 2018, Kimpton Karma más...
SBE adds in Latin America, Middle East
Hotel developer and manager SBE announced 10 management and licensing deals in Latin America and the Middle East. "With these 10 new deals, más...
Stories you missed: Yes, there is bad publicity
The bad publicity is continuing: Cancellation fees, Las Vegas, resort fees and now a report from Oxfam Canada entitled Tourism's Dirty Secret: The más...
Ode to infamous break-in in Watergate Hotel room 214
Washington, D.C.’s Watergate Hotel is forever attached to scandal and infamy as on June 17, 1972, E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy stationed themselves más...
Briefs: Accor, IHG results| M&C on defensive
Accor reports revenue: AccorHotels of France reported Q3 2017 revenue results: Revenue increased 6.4% to €504 million (US$595.9 million). Its HotelServices más...
The good, bad and opportunity in cancellation policies
Moves by Marriott International and Hilton Hotels to implement a 48-hour deadline to cancel hotel room reservations are a strike against “business más...
Interstate launches lifestyle management division
Interstate Hotels & Resorts on Thursday launched its new lifestyle management division, Intrigue Hotels & Resorts by Interstate, referring más...
‘Don’t get a hotel’: A snapshot of consumer cancellation woes
Over the past several months, starting with Marriott International, big guns including Hilton and IHG have pushed the traditional 24-hour cancellation más...
When cupboards double as entertainment
Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, launched its entertainment suite in June and at the present rate of occupancy, the considerable investment will más...
Halekulani takes flight | Wanda loses 90210 partner
Further opposition to M&C deal. Kwek Leng Beng’s City Developments Ltd. (CDL), which already owns 65.2% of London-based Millennium & Copthorne más...
What you need to know about the Avendra sale
After Monday’s announced deal of food, facilities and uniforms provider Aramark acquiring for US$1.35 billion hotel procurement service system, más...
People on the move: Week of Oct. 16, 2017
Executive chef, vice president of operations, CEO for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The globally-driven people making this week's moves. más...
Briefs: MGM dodges ad misstep | IHG debuts brands in Asia
MGM dodges ad misstep: Just weeks after a shooter stationed at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas carried out the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history más...
Blackstone strengthens portfolio in Spain
Blackstone Real Estate Partners Europe V (“Blackstone”) has agreed to acquire Hotel Investment Partners (HI Partners), a leading Spanish hospitality más...
Hyatt sets ambitious select-service goals in China
Hyatt Hotels’ select-service brands have a fast-moving pipeline: With seven open properties in China, the company aims to have 40 operating hotels más...
Gostelow Report: All tucked in at the Finca Cortesin
"I am just starting what will be a 12-month program upgrading all our bedlinens," says Sandra Juez, executive head housekeeper at Finca Cortesin más...
Aparthotel Wittenberg first in Europe for Saco
Boutique aparthotel Wittenberg is coming to Amsterdam. Set to open in November, the 115-room hotel is the first location in continental Europe for UK-based más...
Briefs: Mantra M-City | Need hotel? Launch Indiegogo
Mantra in Melbourne: Mantra Group will operate the hotel and letting apartment component of Saraceno Group’s US$1 billion mixed-use development más...
Scrutiny not slowing HNA Group growth: Reuters
HNA Group plans to invest US$7.6 billion over the longer term to promote tourism and its digital transformation, according to a Reuters report citing más...
‘Talent addict’: Kimpton’s Too on culture, people
In April, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants ranked number one on Fortune’s list of the 25 best workplaces in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2017. más...
Aramark acquires Avendra in US$1.35B deal
Food services company Aramark Corp. has acquired Avendra, the hospitality procurement services provider, for a purchase price of US$1.35 billion más...
Blurred lines: Enforcing ‘soft’ brand standards
As more and more hotel brands are brought to the market, including the recently announced IHG brand, Avid, the lines that distinguish each brand’s más...
Tryp by Wyndham Dubai invests in co-working space ‘Nest’
Tryp by Wyndham Dubai is investing in an elevated shared workspace concept in Nest Co-working. Set to open at the beginning of November with membership más...
Briefs: Riyada in Riyadh | Wanda's golf courses
Riyada in Riyadh: Wyndham Hotel Group along with Riyada International Hotels & Resorts and Concept Towers Real Estate Limited have agreed to develop más...
Co-working it out: Selina blossoms in Latin America
Are co-working spaces the next big hotel amenity? It is incorporated into the lobby design of Hard Rock International’s Reverb concept (currently más...
The great @HiltonSuggests revamp
Hilton Hotels & Resorts received a Best of the Best nod for the refresh of its @HiltonSuggests Twitter account in HOTELS 2017 Social Hotel Awards más...
The One Shot: The opposite at The Arts Club
The norm is for hotels to add additional facilities, or outsource services. But The Arts Club in London’s prime Mayfair area has done it the other más...
Stories you missed: The hotel that Airbnb built
The hotel that Airbnb built: Business Insider couldn’t resist taking a stroll through Ian Schrager’s new baby, Public. With less staff and más...
Briefs: When did he start shooting? | Hyatt breach
MGM disputes shooter timeline: MGM Resorts International yesterday released the following statement offering more details on its timeline of events immediately más...
CityBlue leads local developers in sub-Saharan Africa
Founder and CEO of Dubai-based Diar Capital Jameel Verjee launched his mid-market CityBlue hotel brand in Rwanda in January 2013 and today has an asset-light más...
AccorHotels becoming powerhouse in Australia
AccorHotels acquisition continued on Thursday as it signed a deal valued at A$1.2 billion (US$934 million) to acquire Mantra Group for A$3.96 in cash más...
Marriott’s Fairfield gets brand refresh
In honor of 30-years of Fairfield, Marriott International has unveiled a new design concept for the brand. The concept for Fairfield, Marriott’s más...
Briefs: California fires cause closures | HNA update
Fire closures in Cali: The California wildfires have forced the closure of several hotels in Napa and Sonoma Valleys, two of the state’s biggest más...
Optimism, patient progress for Africa developers
“I always call Africa a land of goldmines and landmines. You just need to know how to manage the landmines,” says Saurabh Chawla, chief development más...
People on the move: Week of Oct. 9, 2017
Director of banquets, weddings and event sales manager, director of spa, chief operating officer. The people making this week's moves. más...
MGM Resorts questions police account of Vegas shooting
MGM Resorts issued a statement last night saying that police briefings regarding the investigation of the October 1 Mandalay Bay shooting “may not más...
Briefs: Four Seasons and NetJets | China tourism growth
Four Seasons and NetJets: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and NetJets, the world’s largest private aviation company, announced a partnership. Three más...
A social influencer program that works
Resort at Pelican Hill was highlighted as one of six Best of the Best (BOBs) for HOTELS 2017 Social Hotel Awards. Talk about using influencers más...
Gostelow Report: Le Calvez has ‘never felt as free’
"My eyes light up at the realization that I am finally going to do my own thing,” says Didier Le Calvez, CEO of Paris-based Michel Reybier Hospitality más...
Ritz-Carlton Chicago gets ‘Ritz’ again, US$100M later
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has reopened following an extensive US$100 million revamp that now has officially positioned as part of the Ritz-Carlton family más...
Next revenue manager: A geek who can speak
As HOTELS has previously reported, the hospitality industry is mobilizing to meet the increasing complexity in hotel distribution with data-driven revenue más...
Briefs: Sonoma fire | Marriott in Africa
California fires: The 250-room Hilton Sonoma Wine Country hotel in Santa Rosa, California, was burned to the ground amid wildfires sweeping through más...
Accor makes US$920M bid for Mantra
Paris-based AccorHotels has bid A$1.18 billion (US$920 million) for Australia-based Mantra Group – a deal that would combine Australia’s two más...
When 1 minute of video gets you 10K views
The Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest made HOTELS Best of the Best (BOB) list during our 2017 Social Hotel Awards with its use of documentary-style más...
US$2.34B bid for Millennium & Copthorne
The majority owner of Millennium & Copthorne, City Developments Limited, has put in a bid to buy the remaining shares of the hotel company. The deal más...
Briefs: Wynn on Vegas tragedy | SLS out of Seattle
“A whole bunch of alarms”: Wynn Resorts’ Steve Wynn told a U.S. news program on Sunday that the actions of Stephen Paddock, who shot más...
Puerto Rico GM: The journey after Maria (Interview)
In September, HOTELS spoke with Pablo Torres shortly after Hurricane Irma hit the island of Puerto Rico. Torres, general manager of the Caribe Hilton más...
Holiday Inn taps 'Stranger Things' star
HOTELS 2017 Social Hotel AwardsBest integrated digital campaign: brandHoliday Inn (tie, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts) Holiday Inn received a más...
Briefs: Howes gets piece of Great National | Hotel rates forecast
Howes gets piece of Great National: Rachel Howes, former managing director of Booking.com, has taken an ownership investment in Irish owned hotel chain más...
Stories you missed: TWA preview | Paulson’s bad Puerto Rico bet
Kitsch a glimpse. Too many years in the making, we are starting to get some reveals of the expected 2018 opening of the TWA Hotel at New York’s más...
Helping hotel employees after a tragedy (Q&A)
As Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino grapples with the aftermath of Sunday night’s mass shooting in Las Vegas by a gunman stationed on the hotel’s más...
Hilton commits $50 million to Africa expansion
Hilton stated on Thursday that it is committing US$50 million over the next five years to support the conversion of around 100 hotels (roughly 20,000 más...
Japan's Hoshino has new formula for urban markets
With an aim to capitalize on the nation’s tourism boom and an accommodation crunch, especially in urban centers, Hoshino Resorts Inc. on Thursday más...
CitizenM moves in on France with third hotel
Netherlands-based CitizenM opened its third hotel in France, the 338-room CitizenM Paris Gare de Lyon. Dutch firm Concrete was both architect más...
Briefs: Wynn tightens up after Vegas | Nobu in South America
Wynn starts searches: Following Sunday’s the mass shooting connected to the Mandalay Bay, the New York Daily News reports that two uniformed security más...
AccorHotels, SNCF Group reviving Orient Express
AccorHotels announced on Wednesday it is taking a 50% stake in the share capital of Orient Express, until now fully owned by SNCF Group, and intends to más...
What a successful Twitter takeover looks like
HOTELS 2017 Social Hotel Award WinnerBest Twitter: PropertyRenaissance New York Midtown For its Twitter takeover strategy, Renaissance New York más...
People on the move: Week of Oct. 2, 2017
Vice president of acquisitions and development, global director of sales, chief financial officer. This week's hospitality people making their más...
Briefs: Tivoli in Qatar | Loews in St. Louis
Tivoli in Qatar: Minor Hotels’ Tivoli Hotels & Resorts will operate the Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels in Doha, Qatar. The nine buildings, managed más...
The One Shot: Recycling top of mind
When Miami's 1 Hotel South Beach opened in 2015 in Miami Beach there were many obvious sustainability pointers associated with the property and concept más...
Gostelow Report: Keeping the beat at Jaz Amsterdam
“I wanted to go into the Dutch military so I could be in charge of lots of men, but I'm even more satisfied being a wise friend, social worker and más...
Meet India’s largest influencer-led brand video campaign
ITC Hotels Responsible Luxury Fellowship campaign, India’s largest by brand; Outrigger’s investment in a Japanese landing page; Dorchester más...
Updates on the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay shooting
Following Sunday’s mass shooting in Las Vegas by a gunman stationed in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, the hotel has issued a statement on Twitter más...
Briefs: Vail charity | London NYC to rebrand
Vail Resorts charitable fund: Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz established a US$58 million charitable fund to support social services in mountain communities más...
AccorHotels buys B2B distribution specialist
AccorHotels announced Monday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Gekko, a business travel hotel reservation company, to enhance the range of services más...
Gunman in Mandalay Bay kills 58 at Las Vegas concert
A gunman perched in a suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas shot and killed 58 people and wounded approximately 500 más...
Las Vegas tragedy: What can be done?
In the wake of the horrific events in Las Vegas on Sunday night, the discussion of the day is, ‘What can be done?’ Clearly the event organizers más...
The SoHos: ITC, Luxury Collection's ultimate Instameet
HOTELS 2017 Social Hotel Award WinnerBest visual network: brandITC Hotels and the Luxury Collection ITC Hotels and the Luxury Collection partnered on más...
Gaw Capital poised to buy Standard in Manhattan
Hong Kong-based private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners is obtaining a US$170 million loan from French bank Natixis, according to The Real Deal, to purchase más...
Puerto Rico shipping ban lift: what hoteliers should take away
Last Thursday, in an attempt to hasten Puerto Rico’s recovery from a back-to-back hurricane battering, U.S. President Donald Trump lifted shipping más...
Briefs: Emoluments lawsuit | Belfast Hilton
Trump seeks dismissal: U.S. President Donald Trump is asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit that alleges he is violating the Constitution by taking profits más...
septiembre 2017
Future of revenue management: Data analytics, big investments
Today’s revenue managers have an astounding amount of information at their fingertips to help determine room pricing and to maximize revenue, but más...
The One Shot: Infusing art at La Residencia
Belmond La Residencia on Spain's Balearic island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean has been infused with local art for years. The 73-bedroom hotel is in más...
Stories you missed: Goodbye Hugh Hefner, Michelin star
Read these for the articles: The death of Hugh Hefner Wedneday at age 91 reignited arguments about whether he championed or exploited women with his celebrated más...
TripAdvisor’s Best Value ranking causes uncertainty
According to the 2016 TripBarometer Study, 93% of TripAdvisor survey respondents ranked price as the most influential factor in making accommodation booking más...
Briefs: Another Azerai | Bacara bought
Azerai in Vietnam: Adrian Zecha’s Azerai brand announced its second property, in Can Tho along Vietnam’s Mekong Delta river. The 60-room “affordable más...
Meet Mr. Fun: Proper president on team culture
Arash Azarbarzin is serious about something so simple behind the hotel industry’s magic formula for success: If he is not having fun, then the rest más...
Lightstone opens flagship Moxy in Times Square
Marriott’s massive New York City Moxy in Times Square has opened – a 612-room property which will also be the brand’s flagship. The más...
Q Hotels deal is U.K.'s biggest of the year
Real estate investment company Aprirose has acquired the 26-hotel Q Hotels portfolio from private equity owners Bain Capital Credit and Canyon Partners más...
Briefs: Marriott meeting | Element Miami sold
Muslim group responds: A Muslim advocacy group based in the U.S. responded to Marriott International CEO Arne Sorensen’s comments at a Skift conference más...
Surviving Hurricane Maria: A Puerto Rican hotelier's story
Joaquin Bolivar III, owner of the 135-room Courtyard by Marriott San Juan Miramar and the 80-room San Juan Water & Beach Club Hotel on Isla Verde más...
Coup at Sydell Group? It’s Zobler vs. Burkle
Investor Ron Burkle and real estate developer Andrew Zobler, who teamed up with Sydell Group to develop and manage boutiques such as NoMad in New York más...
People on the move: Week of September 25, 2017
Executive pastry chef, corporate director of sales, senior revenue manager, CEO. The people making this week's hospitality moves. W Fort más...
Briefs: Low bids for Excelsior | Squaw Valley redo
Briefs: Low bids for Excelsior | Squaw Valley redo No sale for Mandarin Oriental: Mandarin Oriental International said it would not sell The Excelsior más...
The Gostelow Report: Real-time training at Four Seasons Amman
"Stepping up to GM-in-training has opened a whole new perspective on my professional life," declares Mali Carow, who was promoted in mid-2015 from F&B más...
Yotel gets big cash infusion from Starwood Capital
Starwood Capital Group (SCG) on Tuesday announced it is taking a 30% interest in the micro-hotel brand, Yotel, making a US$250 million investment. SCG’s más...
Wanda Hotel unit to buy assets from parent (report)
Hong Kong-based Wanda Hotel Development said it would buy Wanda Hotel Management from a unit of its controlling shareholder, Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties más...
Briefs: Thomas Cook and LMEY | PTT tiptoes into budget
Thomas Cook and LMEY: Tour operator Thomas Cook formed a strategic partnership with LMEY Investments to grow its own-brand hotel portfolio. As part of más...
Feasibility: Leap a little further
An integral part of the initial stages of any self-respecting hotel development project is our good friend, the feasibility study. This animal is used más...
How these hotels maximize the social media influencer
When The Everly, a Kimpton Hotel, opened in Hollywood, California, in early August, the hotel used a thoroughly modern way to get the word out — más...
Mid-century modern hotel meets challenges of an old building
Following an extensive two-year, US$15 million renovation, New Orleans’ Bristow Tower has reopened as the 90-room Alder Hotel. The building first más...
Red Roof joins the 'collection' craze
Red Roof on Monday launched a brand extension to create a new franchise opportunity – an upscale economy to midscale soft brand called The Red Collection más...
Briefs: U.S. travel ban reaction | Tokidoki time
GBTA reacts to new U.S. travel ban: In response to travel restrictions announced by the U.S. (added to the list: Chad, North Korea and Venezuela; remaining más...
Overtime Overreach: U.S. court strikes down expansion
Hoteliers in the United States can rest a bit easier now that a federal court in Texas has struck down the Obama administration’s expansion of the más...
Here to stay: Apartment hotels expanding alternatives
Apartment hotel operators are targeting the millennial mindset with brands that tout communal kitchens and shared workspaces – and they are gaining más...
Updates from the Caribbean as hurricanes persist
As Hurricane Maria continues to wind through the Caribbean, the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) reported on Thursday it was seeing broader más...
Legal tips to help recover from recent hurricanes
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma once again have forced the construction industry to focus on best practices for responding to major events. Now is the time más...
HOTELS: 5 things you missed this week
A tent hotel concept for Burning Man fans, a food blogger’s boarding house, and an in-room hedgehog gone wild. This week’s must-reads from más...
Briefs: Tokyo Sheraton acquired | A Citizen goes to D.C.
JV to acquire Sheraton in Tokyo: Sovereign wealth fund GIC will enter into a joint venture with Invincible Investment Corporation, a public hotel and más...
Guests take in-room tech personally (but don’t skimp on WiFi)
When it comes to in-room technology, amenities like cable TV, on-demand movies and iPod docks are practically ancient relics. Today’s guests expect más...
The One Shot: 'Adults-only' bubbly at this Portuguese resort
Sometimes it takes just a few small touches to skyrocket rate. What had previously been Tivoli Victoria, located in Portugal's most southerly Algarve más...
Briefs: HNA in hot seat again | Lemon Tree files for IPO
Questions over HNA ownership: HNA The Swiss Takeover Board has asked China’s HNA Group to clarify its ownership structure by early next month given más...
How Marriott is updating its luxury brands (Interview)
Lisa Holladay drives the global brand marketing strategy for Marriott International's luxury brands, including Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., Ritz-Carlton Reserve más...
People on the Move: Week of September 18, 2017
Director of design, executive chef, chief sales and marketing officer, CEO. This week's moves by the people rising to the top. Roedel Companies más...
Hurricane Maria battering Puerto Rico, neighboring islands
Hurricane Maria is causing major damage in Puerto Rico on Wednesday after having slammed Dominica on Tuesday. The Category 4 storm, the biggest hurricane más...
Briefs: Four Seasons Dalian | 'Heightened oversight' re: Trump
Four Seasons in China: Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Chinese developer Luneng Group are developing a Four Seasons hotel in Dalian, in China’s más...
2018 F&B trends: How big is your bubble?
With stocks in the U.S. at their all-time highs, people in the business of making money are wallowing in profits. So investing in oddball restaurant concepts más...
Gostelow Report: Selling strategies at Swissôtel Lima
"I cannot do my job without the support of my GM, Frank Spielvogel,” says Carlos Sologuren, director of sales and marketing at Swissôtel más...
Ritz gets mitts on Switzerland with 152-year-old hotel
Ritz-Carlton’s opened its first ever property in Switzerland: the 74-room Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix, Geneva. Renovations on the 152-year-old más...
Are revenue managers meeting requirements, getting paid?
The dynamic and rapidly evolving state of revenue management is resulting in a lack of truly qualified people and a need to reconsider pay structures más...
Briefs: Houston hospitality relief fund | Graduate Hotel Columbus
Houston relief: The Houston Hospitality Employee Relief Fund will provide aid to help offset financial losses incurred due to the storm and its aftermath más...
Ground-up or rehab: Will your lender have the final say?
Hotel investors and developers are faced with an interesting decision about where they will be putting their investment dollars in the coming years. With más...
The direct debate: The ultimate hotel-OTA relationship (Part 4)
In a competitive environment where hotels are pushing direct booking and OTAs are offering the possibility of reaching new customers, how do hoteliers más...
IHG debuts Avid, riding the new midscale model wave
IHG is further checking the midscale boxes, as it were, with the launch of Avid, its new brand with communally driven public space, a sleep differentiator más...
New IHG CEO Barr makes bold organizational move
In his first major leadership move since becoming CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) last July, Keith Barr is creating a new operating region más...
Four Seasons to open private residence property in London
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts is opening a private residence in London’s Mayfair neighborhood, the first to be operated independently of one más...
Briefs: Excelsior bidders make their move | Byron Bay Beach sells
Excelsior bidders: Mandarin Oriental International received interest from potential buyers of the Excelsior hotel in Hong Kong. There were at least five más...
The direct debate: Debunking hype for independents (Part 3)
In a world overflowing with distribution options and emphasizing direct booking, four industry leaders discuss their strategies. In Part 3 of HOTELS’ más...
Review might slow Chinese investment in U.S.
Chinese investments in U.S. hotels have increased by the billions in only a year. Deals have ranged from the sale of individual hotels, like Waramaug más...
The One Shot: Not-so-hidden details at Hotel Eden, Rome
Since Rome’s Hotel Eden re-opened in April, the average rate has more than doubled. “It is all about the details,” General Manager más...
Briefs: Brad Pitt, hotelier | Hilton snags Marriott Denver
Brad Pitt, hotelier: Brad Pitt now has a stake in a US$2.5 billion resort development in Zablance, Croatia. Currently in development, the resort más...
The direct debate: RLH on expanding your reach (Part 2)
Whether direct booking programs are the best and cheapest route to capture business and drive loyalty depends on where you look. The cost of a direct más...
HR considerations for hoteliers heading to sea: Aethos
One has to applaud the blue-sky thinking of Ritz Carlton's management team for having the guts to 'go for it.' While the brand continues to proliferate más...
Radisson Red comes to Cape Town
Cape Town now has a Radisson Red. The brand, from Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, embraces tech-driven design and multifunctional social spaces, while más...
Briefs: De Vere is here | RevPAR in a hurricane
De Vere relaunch: Britain’s De Vere brand is being relaunched after an investment of more than £100 million (US$132.6 million) from Starwood más...
The direct debate: How Marriott differentiates (Part 1)
Whether direct booking programs are the best and cheapest route to capture business and drive loyalty depends on who you ask and what research you want más...
People on the move: week of Sept. 11, 2017
Manager of adventure programming, director of catering, vice president of sales and marketing. The people making this week's moves. The más...
Briefs: That Marriott ship | Intercity partnership
Marriott ship situation: Marriott International is facing heavy winds after stories of a rescue ship that picked up guests – but left other stranded más...
Gostelow Report: On the run at the Ritz-Carlton Vienna
"Social media has really changed the way hotel networks operate," says Philipp Voigt, running concierge at The Ritz-Carlton in Vienna, Austria. "Even más...
Caribbean hurricane update: September 12
As of Monday evening, in the Bahamas, the Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau is open and international flights are beginning to return to más...
Make your own cappuccino at new Aloft Philadelphia
The 179-room Aloft Philadelphia Downtown is open and catering to coffee drinkers who just can’t wait. In addition to make-your-own cappuccinos, más...
Briefs: IHG supports marriage equality | China pipeline update
Asia corporate preferences. According to Sabre Corp.'s 2017 Asia Pacific Corporate Traveller study, a key trend suggests almost half (43%) of all más...
Hurricane Irma, Harvey hoteliers picking up the pieces
From Antigua to Havana in the Caribbean and Miami to Naples and across to St. Augustine in Florida, the destruction created by super storm Hurricane Irma más...
For this Four Seasons hotel, vegan the star, not afterthought
The Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita recently sunk millions into a full-scale renovation oriented around wellness and fitness programming, including dietary más...
Briefs: Hard Rock lawsuit | Mallorca food poisoning scam
Hard Rock lawsuit: The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 has filed an unfair labor practice charges against the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas más...
Hurricane Irma: How Hilton Caribe team beat the storm
Irma was Pablo Torres’ seventh hurricane. But the general manager of the Hilton Caribe, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, still feels lucky and blessed más...
Disaster update: Florida braces for Irma; Taj clear in India
As Hurricane Irma unleashes its fury in the Caribbean on its path toward the U.S. mainland in Florida, HOTELS continues to reach out to hoteliers to learn más...
Briefs: New name for Ritz Buckhead | Wilson merges with Valor
A new name in Buckhead: One of the original Ritz-Carltons, Ritz-Carlton Buckhead, is getting a new name. According to a release, Host Hotels & Resorts más...
Trump Chicago gets multi-million dollar revamp
Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago has finished a renovation of its 339 guest rooms and suites. Design team Hirsch Bedner Associates was behind más...
Harvey fallout goes beyond storm damage for area hotels
Human resource and supply shortages were among the obstacles the hotel industry in southeast Texas faced as Hurricane Harvey and subsequent flooding slammed más...
Caribbean hotels humbled by Irma (updated 3 p.m.)
Hurricane Irma's 185mph winds have been ravaging Caribbean islands on Wednesday and Thursday with reports of extreme damage to hotels on St. Maarten/St más...
Joie de Vivre sinks US$28m into San Fran hotel refresh
Joie de Vivre Hotels’ boutique Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco has completed a US$28 million renovation. While the building’s exterior más...
Briefs: Brooklyn hotel doesn't go to Schrager | Four Seasons Greece
Not a “Public”: Kushner Companies sold the 30-story hotel at 90 Sands Street in Brooklyn traded to 90 Sands Owner LLC for US$135 million. más...
Wharf’s Marco Polo, Niccolo brands on Asian journey
Now that it has advanced beyond its solo Marco Polo brand with Niccolo Hotels, Wharf Holdings has debuted an umbrella brand to reinforce both and to cement más...
People on the move: Week of September 4, 2017
Spa director, executive chef, director of diplomatic sales, chief operating officer. The people moving on up this week. Sanderling Resort in Duck, North más...
Barcelo circling NH for possible takeover
Spanish newspaper El Confidencial is reporting that Spain’s Barcelo hotel group has hired a bank to study the possible takeover of NH Hotel Group más...
Expedia launches hotel-driven property analytics tool
Expedia Inc. today debuted PartnerCentral Property Analytics, a tool for hotels that uses the most updated property, competitive set and market data to más...
Briefs: MGM National Harbor | Irma is coming
MGM National Harbor sold: The MGM National Harbor casino and resort in Maryland will be purchased for US$1.2 billion by MGM Growth Properties, a REIT más...
Gostelow Report: Women shape Hyatt Kiev experience
“Having about two-thirds of my team female creates a calming ambience,” said Gordon Campbell, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Kviv (Kiev) más...
Another Manhattan boutique, Made Hotel, jumps on the scene
The inaugural Made Hotel has opened in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood. The 108-room hotel, which touts the “ethos of community,” is más...
Briefs: Marriott's Irma statement | FEMA’s Harvey hotel rooms
Marriott Irma: Marriott released a statement in anticipation of Hurricane Irma, scheduled to hit the northeastern Caribbean islands and Puerto Rico más...
OTAs become early choice in high OTA-mix markets
Common wisdom in the hotel world has been that hotels utilize lower cost channels to fill hotels first, and then fill occupancy gaps as necessary with más...
HOTELS' Great Hotel Restaurants 2017, Part 2
From formal to fun, from whimsical to a little wild, all 10 of HOTELS' Great Hotel Restaurants 2017 have one thing in common: They deliver a rare combination más...
Mövenpick reinvents its traditionally Swiss menu
The creative juices have been flowing in the kitchens at Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts where the hospitality firm’s director of food and beverage más...
Briefs: Grupo Piñero chief passes; Carlson grows in Vietnam
Side effect of Harvey. Demand for hotel rooms in Houston and nearby cities is expected to increase 15% over the next four months, according to a CBRE más...
HOTELS' Great Hotel Restaurants 2017, Part 1
From formal to fun, from whimsical to a little wild, all 10 of HOTELS' Great Hotel Restaurants 2017 have one thing in common: They deliver a rare combination más...
Harvey likely to affect national RevPAR for 2017: STR
The fallout from Hurricane Harvey and the subsequent flooding in southeast Texas ultimately could negatively affect national revenue figures for the U más...
One Shot: Banking on the bar at the Park Hyatt Vienna
Bank Brasserie in Park Hyatt Vienna, Austria, occupies the one-time banking hall of what had previously been Laenderbank bank headquarters. When the hotel más...
Briefs: Allegient Air gets into hotels | Marriott back in Australia
Allegient Air checks into hotels: Las Vegas budget carrier Allegiant Air will announce plans Tuesday to build a beachfront resort with a hotel, nine condominium más...
agosto 2017
Way beyond a kids’ club in Switzerland
A young Swiss couple is redefining child-friendly hotel by going beyond the typically mandatory kids’ club, nannies for hire and pasta and más...
Kohler invests in football, new standards in Green Bay
Wisconsin-based Kohler Hospitality (they of kitchen and bath product fame) has made further moves in the state with an updated Kohler Lodge concept in más...
Briefs: Expedia names new CEO | Club Med Sri Lanka
New Expedia CEO: Expedia named Mark Okerstrom as its new president and chief executive, replacing Dara Khosrowshahi who left the U.S. travel-booking company más...
Hard Rock experience moves to mobile game
Hard Rock International, in collaboration with a mobile gaming company on Thursday announced the launch of Hard Rock Puzzle Match game, available \for más...
Rotana CEO discusses opportunities in Africa
Africa has a hotel development story about as diverse as its 54 countries. That story varies greatly depending on the stage of the supply cycle. While más...
Dormant Fontainebleau in Las Vegas has new life
The ill-fated, never-completed Fontainebleau Resorts in Las Vegas has been acquired by a partnership led by New York City-based investor Witkoff for US$600 más...
People on the Move: Week of August 28, 2017
Chefs, GMs, revenue managers, F&B directors. The people driving the industry are making their moves. California-based Courtyard Marriott Long más...
Briefs: Trump D.C. scrutinized | Harvey price gouger loses flag
Trump Hotel D.C. under scrutiny: The General Services Administration's Office of Inspector General is now undertaking a formal review of how the agency más...
Gostelow Report: Making mischief at London’s Hari
"Taking away a brand and becoming independent needs flexibility. Fortunately, I hate routine. I have no office and work wherever I am needed," explains más...
Chhatwal leaving Deutsche to become Indian Hotels CEO
Deutsche Hospitality CEO Puneet Chhatwal leaves at the end of 2017 to become managing director and CEO at the Tata group's Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., which más...
New Hyatt deal makes even bigger bet on wellness
Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Tuesday announced a deal for an undisclosed price that furthers its commitment to wellness initiatives and adjacent spaces by acquiring más...
Briefs: ‘The Doors’ hotel facelift | Farewell Hard Rock Chicago
Adios Chicago Hard Rock: Chicago’s Hard Rock Hotel will reopen as independent brand the St. Jane Chicago next year. The new name pays homage to más...
Will China’s high-flying investors be grounded?
Editor’s note: Ahead of the soon-to-mail September issue of HOTELS’ Investment Outlook, we want to present to you the cover story, which originally más...
Isrotel expands collection, opens Orient Jerusalem
Israeli hotel chain Isrotel opened the Orient Jerusalem, the company’s only property located within the country’s capital. First started in más...
20% increase in U.S. supply this year: Study
So far this year, 448 hotels/50,521 rooms have already opened in the U.S., with another 573 projects/64,385 rooms forecast to open by year-end, according más...
Briefs: PwC forecast | Westin St. Louis
Lodging industry study: “Hospitality Directions,” a study released today by PwC’s hospitality and leisure group, says that for the rest más...
Building a partnership over a bankrupt Holiday Inn
Richard Jabara and William Meyer first met as teenagers, hanging out once a year at the Holiday Inn in Durham, North Carolina, owned by their fathers más...
Hyatt scores in measurement of digital governance
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, has been identified as a leader in digital governance, coming in first place in its industry in the latest Sitemorse Index más...
Puerto Rican resort revamps chef-led beach club
Puerto Rico’s St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort has debuted a multi-million revamp to its beachside club, rebranded the Beach Club by Jose Enrique after más...
Briefs: Workforce study | La Quinta lawsuit
Immigrant workforce study: Limited visas for immigrants in the U.S. are creating challenges for the hospitality industry, according to a new study by más...
IFA's UIP teams with Bespoke in Portugal
United Investments Portugal (UIP), a company belonging to Dubai-based IFA Hotels & Resorts Group, has invested €100 million in development in más...
One Shot: Le Negresco holds the cards
Salespeople have a challenge in trying to make their presentations stand out. When iPads and other tablets came in, swiping visuals was a differentiation más...
Plaza up for sale, but partner prince pushing back: New York Times
Manhattan’s famed Plaza Hotel may be up for sale, but partner Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal has other ideas. According to reporting by más...
Briefs: Aman bankruptcy move? | Japan’s hotel market
Aman pleads its case: Aman Resorts is requesting that two involuntary Florida bankruptcies filed by former owner Omar Amanat in the long-running dispute más...
Why the smart hotelier invests in local language
If English is prevalent in most major markets, what’s the use of investing in a customized website translation that would offer the guest the chance más...
People on the Move: Week of August 21, 2017
Here's the people making this week's moves. Daniela Trava Albarrán was named onsite manager of the Grand Residences Riviera Cancun. Prior más...
‘Cabinet of delights’ at new Landmark Hong Kong suite
Guests looking for something to do won’t have to look far in the new Entertainment Suite in the Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. The 2,250-square-foot más...
Briefs: Red flag in Mexico | Europe still rising
U.S. warning in Mexico: Rising homicide rates in Mexican resort locations including the states of Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur prompted the U más...
Gostelow Report: Living the ‘like’ at Mandarin Oriental Miami
"I can hire a model for $5,000 but then Instagram does not get nearly as many likes," says Sharazade Kirton, digital marketing manager of the Mandarin más...
Winners, losers under President Trump’s NLRB
Despite recent political turmoil in the U.S., the disbanding of two of President Donald Trump’s economic councils – the Manufacturing Jobs más...
The Hot: Sexy Hôtel National des Arts & Métiers opens in Paris
The latest offering from the French Clé Group has opened: the lush and velvety Hôtel National des Arts et Métiers in Paris. Plush más...
Briefs: Wyndham spin-off team | Proper Design
Wyndham names hotel leadership: Wyndham Worldwide named executive leadership for its Wyndham Hotel Group, half of the resulting spin-off of the Parsippany más...
Asia’s deal market: All eyes on China
Although the volume of transaction activity in Asia Pacific for the rest of 2017 and potentially 2018 appears to be pretty much in line with recent history más...
Trinity, Oaktree JV likes these 4 markets
Trinity Investments and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management on Monday announced the formation of a joint venture to invest up to US$3 billion más...
China places restrictions on outbound hotel investment
China announced on Friday formal rules on overseas investments that prevent "irrational” acquisitions of assets, including hotels, according to más...
The Hot: Le Méridien Hamburg public space gets revamp
Entrance and lounge spaces at Le Méridien Hamburg have been updated with a shout out to the city's nautical history. European interior architecture más...
Briefs: Mandalay Hilton | A ‘Blockbuster’ deal
Boutique in Waco: The landmark Geyser Ice building in downtown Waco, Texas, will become a boutique hotel called The Geyser. Diamante Development purchased más...
Take a nap, buy the pillow: Bowd talks West Elm style
Last September, Brooklyn-based furniture retailer West Elm announced plans to open hotels in the U.S. with management firm DDK. One of the Ds is hospitality más...
Hyatt, Expedia reach formal deal to remain 'frenemies'
Hyatt Hotels Corp. reported to HOTELS on Friday that it has reached a final agreement with Expedia to maintain distribution of Hyatt hotels on Expedia más...
What’s ‘category marketing’? Marriott will tell you
Marriott International is entering category marketing, leveraging a set of brands to present a more powerful offering to consumers. Its “classic más...
The Hot: Innside by Meliá in Hamburg
Innside by Meliá has opened a location in Hamburg’s Hammerbrook district. The canal-side Innside Hamburg Hafen, part of Meliá Hotels más...
Briefs: DoubleTree management| Courtyard sale
Management at LAX hotel: Hotel management, investment and development firm Twenty Four Seven Hotels will oversee operations and asset management for the más...
Aman aiming for urban expansion: COO Fasel
Aman is leaning toward building vertical hotels in cities rather than the sprawling properties in resort locations that have characterized much of its más...
The Hot Shot: Some bubbly with that bullion?
The Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas has found its 23rd floor lobby's 40-foot high wall of 1,516 mock-gold bars, looking like bullion, a selfie hit. To celebrate más...
Oetker Collection takes over Caribbean's Jumby Bay
Luxury owner-operator Oetker Collection has taken over management of Jumby Bay Island, a 300-acre private island resort located two miles from Antigua más...
Briefs: Cancun resort buy | Westin conversion
Cancun resort acquired: Mexico’s FibraHotel will acquire the Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun resort in Mexico for Ps. 2,892 million (US$162.9 million) más...
Woodbine fund chases 'late cycle' deals
Dallas’ Woodbine Development Corp. is best known for its partnership with oilman Ray Hunt that produced high-profile projects such as the Reunion más...
People on the Move: Week of August 14, 2017
Hawaii-based Halekulani and Waikiki Parc hotels promoted Bonnie Bise from sales manager to public relations manager and appointed Robert Oneha to sales más...
The Hot: Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe's Lake House
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, has launched an amenity with multiple layers of function and style – a Lake Club. Designed by Principal Architect más...
Briefs: RLJ-FelCor to merge | Into Africa
RLJ gets hitched: RLJ Lodging Trust and FelCor Lodging Trust shareholders agreed to a merger in a stock-for-stock transaction according to terms agreed más...
Gostelow Report: A way of life at ForteVillage Resort
"Every year about August 15th is a watershed. We need to assess all permutations: How is this season going, what does the world look like, what elections más...
The Hot: Meet and green at updated Pebble Beach
Come for the golf, but stick around for that big meeting: Pebble Beach Resorts, a 99-year-old golf course and resort, has updated its offerings on the más...
Work to resume on 10,000-room Saudi project
Work is about to resume on a US$3.5 billion, 10,000-room Saudi Arabian mega-hotel that has been halted since 2015. The news on Abraj Kudai in Mecca, which más...
Briefs: On Airbnb’s case | Pod ‘pads’
Ex-cop tracks Airbnb: The Hotel Association of New York City hired a former police officer to seek out illegal rentals in the city on Airbnb. His company más...
D.C. hoteliers respond to news about Trump profits
With the General Services Administration publishing on August 10 that the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., recorded a US$1.97 million profit más...
How growing demand is igniting capital in Japan
With the decision to hold the Olympic games in Japan in 2020, a number of new hotel developments are preparing for the influx of tourists. To name a few más...
The Hot: Cliveden unveils new spa
The restoration of England’s 350-year-old Cliveden House includes a very modern update of its spa space. The multimillion-pound renovation – más...
Briefs: Another London record | Nhow in Frankfurt
London numbers: U.K. hotels saw record-setting occupancy, ADR and RevPAR in 1H 2017, according to STR: Compared with the first six months of 2016, occupancy más...
Asia’s deal market: All eyes on China
Although the volume of transaction activity in Asia Pacific for the rest of 2017 and potentially 2018 appears to be pretty much in line with recent history más...
Trump hotel in DC generates big profits in early 2017
Even with 42.3% occupancy at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., the hotel posted a US$1.97 million profit during the first four months más...
The Hot: City utility headquarters? Nope, Nopsi Hotel
A building that was once utility headquarters for the city of New Orleans has received a second life as the Nopsi Hotel. Managed by Salamander Hotels más...
Briefs: ‘Dirty’ redux? | Dalata in Birmingham
New moves for Catskills resort: The owner of the long-closed New York resort that inspired the movie “Dirty Dancing” has applied for state más...
Making the “dean’s list” at Cape Cod’s Wequassett
Imagine a 120-room seasonal resort with 70, count them 70, training classes so staff members can more consistently deliver passionate service with a higher más...
Wanda restructures, sells chairman-controlled assets
As part of a restructuring perhaps tied to Chinese leadership’s desire to curb excessive outbound investments, Wanda Hotel Development, a unit of Chinese conglomerate más...
Modest growth to continue for U.S. in 2018: STR, TE
Continued modest growth is projected for the U.S. hotel industry through 2018, according to STR and Tourism Economics’ latest forecast. “Demand más...
Complete with “cave bar,” Villa Brown Jerusalem opens
A 24-room boutique hotel property in Jerusalem has opened following extensive renovation of the one-time private residence, including the addition of más...
Briefs: Caesars jumps on WeChat | Tech, powered by Expedia
Caesars is fat to WeChat: Caesars Entertainment Corporation has debuted the prominent Chinese digital payment app WeChat Pay at 16 select locations inside más...
Woodbine fund chases “late cycle” deals
Dallas’ Woodbine Development Corp. is best known for its partnership with oilman Ray Hunt that produced high-profile projects such as the Reunion más...
Wanda subsidiary halts trading for possible restructuring
In the ongoing saga revolving around increased scrutiny of outbound Chinese investors, especially those coveting global hotel assets, Wanda Hotel Development más...
People on the Move: Week of August 7, 2017
They’re at it again. Here’s the hospitality people making the moves this week. St. Kitts Christophe Harbour named Ketut Agustika as más...
Briefs: Lawsuits, Expedia and The Plaza
Expedia fights fraud: Expedia urged a California federal court on Monday to trim a proposed class action that claims it lures in customers with false más...
Gostelow Report: Yes, you can make money with 9 keys
“Yes, I can make money with a nine-room hotel, and I will do it again,” promises Ignacio Masias, owner of Atemporal in Lima, Peru. The hotel más...
Gaw buying Standard High Line at discount: NY Post
The Standard, High Line Hotel in New York City has found a surprise buyer, sources tell the New York Post: Hong Kong-based developer Goodwin Gaw and Gaw más...
Hong Kong landmark closing for big renovation
InterContinental Hong Kong is expected to close for a 12- to 16-month major renovation in the first quarter of 2019. The transformation by owner Gaw Capital más...
PHOTOS: Two Roads takes its Alilia brand into the U.S.
The expansion of Two Roads Hospitality’s Alilia brand into North America is close to becoming reality, as the company gears up to open Ventana Big más...
Briefs: Huntley slap on the wrist | Hyatt Centric heads south
Huntley fined for laundering: Upscale Santa Monica hotel The Huntley agreed to a US$310,000 fine for laundering donations to City Council candidates and más...
Bellweathers Marriott and IHG report solid quarters
Two industry giants, Marriott International and IHG, reported solid 2Q17 earnings yesterday with Marriott citing particularly strong transient demand más...
Marriott to grow outbound Chinese share with Alibaba JV
With China’s online travel market valued at almost US$87 billion and growing, Marriott International is about to get a big boost marketing its hotels más...
Mantra acquires Art Series hotels across Australia
Mantra Group on Friday announced it has entered into an agreement with the Deague Group to acquire the Australian-owned Art Series Hotel Group for approximately más...
The Hot: Standard encourages activism with phone booth
Gimmicky? Maybe. But it seems the message is honest, filled with truths and not intended to drive an ROI. The Standard, High Line in New York City’s más...
7 tips for success from Teneo’s Mike Schugt
A graduate’s first job hunt can be a stressful slog, often with the competition fierce and the stellar jobs few. That’s where strong más...
Briefs: Marriott dodges lawsuit | Four Seasons in Korea
Marriott robocalls: Marriott International dodged a proposed class action that accused the company of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act más...
More contradictions about state of outbound Chinese investments
Mixed messages about the state of outbound investment by bigger and busiest Chinese investors continue. On one hand, Chinese financial regulators are más...
Hyatt moves into more “adjacent spaces”
During Hyatt Hotels Corp.’s Q2 earnings call on Thursday, CEO Mark Hoplamazian announced a minority investment in Oasis Collection, a curated marketplace más...
The Hot: Revamped Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch
There’s new guestrooms for the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch, part of a multi-million dollar tune-up that also included an update to the hotel’s más...
Briefs: Accor gets in on Nextdoor | Millennials for Ascott
Accor gets in on Nextdoor: In a joint effort with Bouygues Immobilier, AccorHotels has created a 50/50 joint venture with the aim of accelerating the más...
Wyndham to separate hotel, timeshare businesses
Wyndham Worldwide has announced plans to spin off the company’s hotel business resulting in two separate, publicly traded companies. Wyndham Hotel más...
Hotel industy v. Airbnb feud about to get uglier still
The hotel industry’s ongoing battle with Airbnb is about to turn uglier still with the home-sharing leader preparing a new television ad for Thursday más...
In-suite DJ booth? This Hong Kong hotel has you covered
For the guest unable to function without a club scene, the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong recently unveiled its entertainment suite, complete with más...
Briefs: China's US$120 billion tourism surplus | Hyatt’s 2Q17 results
China posts US$120 billion tourism trade surplus: China received 138 million inbound tourists in 2016, up by 3.5%, and generated US$120 billion, up by más...
Messenger, chatbots try to keep it real-time
Facebook’s Messenger app helps 1.8 billion people keep in touch conveniently with each other – and with your hotel. Are king rooms available? más...
Creativity the great disruptor for independents
At a recent press conference in New York City, Llenrock Group Managing Partner Andrew Benioff and Eagle Point Hotel Partners co-founder Erik Warner presented más...
People on the Move
The shifters, climbers, wheelers, dealers. Call them what you will: here are the people making global industry moves this week. Mövenpick Hotels más...
Briefs: Choice results | Felcor NYC property sold
2Q at Choice: Rockville, Maryland-based Choice Hotels International reported 2Q 2017 results – net income at US$45.0 million, up 16% year over year; más...
Gostelow Report: Healthy competition at Mandarin Sanya
"Running a resort in China with 85% domestic business, and line staff turnover that was 50% last year, is a challenge," says Eric Kee, general manager más...
Hyatt, Expedia crisis averted – for now
Hyatt's deadline to drop Expedia came and went, with the hotel company saying that it’s now agreed on new terms “in principle.” más...
Report: China scrutiny squeezes HNA, Rezidor deal
China-based HNA Group’s offer to purchase outstanding shares in Sweden’s Rezidor Hotel Group AB has been postponed until September amid increased más...
The Hot: US$100M overhaul for Diplomat, with Iron Chef eats
Focus is squarely on the food at the newly renovated Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida, which sunk a solid US$100 million into its revamp, partly to tout más...
Briefs: Lessons from craft beer | ‘Hotel of Doom’
Playing in Vegas: An analysis of the Las Vegas Strip’s gambling industry by Moody’s finds that ADR rose 4.6% in 2016, has increased an additional más...
julio 2017
Can hotels’ Snapchat content stick with millennials?
Hoteliers seeking to engage millennials through Snapchat are banking on content, even if the exchange only lasts seconds. But maintaining a long-term más...
‘Baloney’: NYC hotel group says of Airbnb outrage over ad
In a scathing ad set to debut Monday, New York’s hotel industry accuses Airbnb of recklessness around security standards – and the home-sharing más...
Anbang told to sell overseas portfolio: Bloomberg
Bloomberg is reporting on Monday that Chinese authorities have asked Anbang Insurance Group Co., now owners of the original Waldorf Astoria in New más...
Briefs: Unlucky 13 | Hey St. Peter
13 Holdings misses deadline: 13 Holdings Limited missed a deadline today to open its luxury hotel in Macau. Opening was a condition to receive a HK$3 más...
The triumphs and challenges of the outdoor kitchen
If you ask Jonathan Vieria the best part of the Old Man & the Sea Villa hotel, he’ll say that it’s how familiar, or familial, it is. “It más...
Technology, new models reshape landscape: JLL
Technology, changing consumer travel preferences and new business models are reshaping the global hotel industry resulting in investors re-examining their más...
The Hot Shot: Sweet, sweet music
Throughout this summer, real musical instruments – presumably not of the Stradivarius type – hang next to displayed menus outside The Kensington más...
Briefs: Dual-brand in Indonesia | Hot water in Antigua
IHG in Indonesia: IHG signed a dual-brand management agreement with PT. Graha Agung Indahsentosa for the Holiday Inn Resort Bintan Lagoi Beach and Hotel más...
Mobile frontier: Three companies hunt for direct bookings
The phone. The mobile device that turned us all into dutiful Internet addicts has pulled a 180 and is now lord high gatekeeper to the physical world as más...
La Quinta to spin off real estate biz
After earlier announcing plans for a new REIT, La Quinta Holdings will follow through with that plan, aiming to spin off its real estate business – más...
The Hot: Return of Chicago’s Ambassador
A 1926 hotel that was the hangout of celebrities in its heyday has returned to the scene: The Ambassador Chicago, in the city’s Gold Coast. This más...
Briefs: Sunstone in Sunshine State | New road for Alila
Sunstone acquisition: Aliso Viejo, California-based Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. paid US$175 million for a new resort property, the Oceans Edge Hotel más...
Gostelow Report: Happy GM in UK’s happiest place to live
“We re-flagged what had been Holiday Inn Harrogate, England, to Crowne Plaza Harrogate on March 14, 2017, and since occupancy has risen 4% and our más...
China's acquisitive HNA clarifies its ownership structure
To better clarify its ownership structure and perhaps win back the confidence of global investment banks and regulators at home, multiple reports on Tuesday más...
Cancellation games: IHG going to mostly 24-hour policy
In the industry’s latest cat and mouse game, IHG on Tuesday announced that starting this month most of its hotels will move to a 24-hour cancellation más...
Hilton Garden Inn gets an update
A refresh for Hilton’s Hilton Garden Inn includes six new prototypes for the 25-year old brand and F&B components like small plates and shareable más...
The Hot: A Rosewood villa in Tuscany
Guests who prefer a vintage from their own private vineyard can lift a glass at The Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco in Tuscany, Italy. The Villa más...
Briefs: Graduate in Iowa | Woodbine buys a W
Graduate enrolls in Iowa City: AJ Capital Partners of Chicago acquired the Iowa City Sheraton from RockBridge. The 234-room hotel will continue to be más...
Young developer saves hotel damsels in distress
Vivek Chadha has a nose for distressed assets. Nearly 30, the young investor and developer has amassed 16 hotels in the UK over the past two years – más...
The Hot: Solar panels, fresh fish at the Chandolin
Design Hotels' boutique Chandolin opened in Switzerland, with an emphasis on the freshly caught and environmentally sound. Designed by local architecture más...
Briefs: Ascott, Arbor acquisitions
Ascott buys housing stake: CapitaLand’s serviced residence unit, The Ascott Limited, is acquiring an 80% stake in Synergy Global Housing, an accommodation más...
Sri Lanka: A stronger target for development
Sri Lanka has miles of untarnished beaches, ancient Buddhist shrines, tea plantations and wildlife preserves. But tourism languished in the heat of a más...
The Hot Shot: Dutch detail at Kimpton De Witt
Stick out those pinkies. When Kimpton, now part of IHG, opened its first European property, the Kimpton De Witt Hotel Amsterdam, it had to make más...
Improving outlook for tourism in Israel: HVS
Israel’s hotel sector saw a relatively stable performance during 2016 with significant potential for future growth due to a rise in incoming tourism más...
Blackstone made failed bid for RLJ
Blackstone Group recently made about a US$3 billion offer to acquire RLJ Lodging Trust, a move that would have trumped RLJ's deal to acquire FelCor Lodging más...
Briefs: Quake in Greece | Move over, Mickey
Dalata acquires La Tour: Dublin’s Dalata Hotel Group plc acquired the entire issued share capital of Hotel La Tour (Birmingham) Limited for £31 más...
Lessons from the Leslie Jones/Ritz-Carlton Twitter blow-up
Last month, comedian Leslie Jones tweeted accusations of racism at the Ritz-Carlton, presumably after staying at the brand’s Los Angeles hotel following más...
The Hot: Westin Los Cabos reopens as timeshare
No more hotel component for the mod-looking redbrick Westin Los Cabos – the property has just reopened and is now committed to solely vacation ownership más...
Briefs: Hersha buys a Westin | Hyatt’s weekend website
2Q U.S.: Compared with Q2 2016, U.S. hotel occupancy was up 0.5% to 69.5; ADR was up 2.2% to US$127.43; and RevPAR rose 2.7% to US$88.58 – record más...
Are cancellation fees the new normal? Just wait
Moves by Marriott International and Hilton to break the 24-hour cancellation barrier might signal the beginning of some bigger changes down the road for más...
China’s Wanda names new buyer for hotels
In a sudden turn from a deal announced last week, China’s Dalian Wanda Group Co. said it would sell its hotel assets to R&F Properties of Guangzhou más...
Danziger responds to search for Trump Hotels deals
"Inappropriate and irresponsible": That's what Trump Hotels CEO Eric Danziger called a media-driven nationwide search for the locations of the 39 proposed más...
People on the move
Salvatore Acquilato was named vice president of design and construction for Stonebridge Companies in Denver, Colorado. Acquilato has extensive construction más...
Briefs: Hotels winning booking? | 88-month hot streak
Direct booking increase: Six of the top 10 hotel brands had direct bookings increase from May 2016 to May 2017, according to Hitwise; three of the top más...
Gostelow Report: Swire GM with big ideas
Kurt Macher said when he was 10 he wanted to be a chef. “Now I would like to be CEO of a really cool company by the time I am 50,” said the más...
Six steps to differentiate your brand
In my piece, “The proliferation of lifestyle brands: Differentiate or die,” I highlighted the lack of differentiation among the burgeoning más...
Hotel comp sets – one size does not fit all
When evaluating success and assessing opportunities in the market, hotel companies often use the same competitive set for different segments of guests más...
Wyndham Hotel Group acquires AmericInn
Further cementing its focus on midscale, Wyndham Hotel Group will acquire the Minnesota-based AmericInn brand as well as its management company, Three más...
Briefs: The hunt for American Idea | Dream in New Delhi
Find ‘em all: Trump Hotels says it’s signed letters of intent for 39 different locations – Media outlets ProPublica and Forbes are now más...
Pacious ascending to CEO role at Choice
After a decade as the strong and vocal leader of industry giant Choice Hotels International, the company announced Friday that effective January 1, 2018 más...
Hard Rock responds to RLHC lawsuit
Hard Rock International has responded to a lawsuit claiming that it stole ideas for its new Reverb brand from RLH Corp. RLH (Red Lion Hotels Corp.) alleges más...
Increasing balance: Indemnity clauses, Part 2
As explained in the first installment of this series on indemnity clauses, in most cases when a hotel is managed by a chain management company, all the más...
World tourism up 6% from 2016: Report
The U.N.’s World Tourism Barometer is reporting strong results for the first half of the year: International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by más...
The Hot: Ennismore infuses Gleneagles with hipster chic
After being bought by the London-based developer Ennismore two years ago, the 5-star Scottish sporting estate Gleneagles has completed a major más...
Briefs: Conrad Brickell | More cheeseburgers in paradise
Conrad Brickell sale, reno: Miami’s Conrad Brickell Downtown, just sold for US$72 million by Holborn LC to Mast Capital, will undergo a renovation más...
Red Lion sues Hard Rock; claims Reverb rips off Hotel RL
RLH Corp. (Red Lion Hotels Corp.) on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Hard Rock Café International in federal court in New York, alleging that más...
The Hot: Lifestyles of the rich and fab at Dream Hollywood
Celebrity is the name of the game at Dream Hotel Group’s newly opened Dream Hollywood, which plans to be a draw for L.A.’s most attractive más...
Management agreements: The thorny indemnity clause
Almost every commercial contract contains an indemnity clause, pursuant to which a defaulting party is obliged to “hold harmless” the non-defaulting más...
Study: Mobile app linked to guest satisfaction
A study by J.D. Power is making the connection between a hotel’s mobile app and functionality and higher guest satisfaction. According to the marketing más...
Briefs: Airbnb spies? | German investment
Spies in the house? New York newspaper the Daily News is reporting that Airbnb wants an explanation from the city for cooperating with “intelligence más...
Stein works to make Dream come true
Dream Hotel Group (DHG), New York, had a few false starts under its previous incarnations as Hampshire Hotels Management and Debut Hotel Group. There más...
Unique Marriott-Schrager partnership heads to Japan
The Bill Marriott-Ian Schrager partnership is in the news again with Marriott International announcing the signing of two lifestyle Edition hotels in más...
The Hot: Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay gets revamp
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay has completed a two-year renovation with upgraded beachfront villas. Designed by Indonesian firm Jaya International más...
People on the Move
Group Germain Hotels made several appointments: Christina Baldassare, marketing director, Marie Pier Germain, director of operations, Julie Brisebois más...
Briefs: ‘Alexa, book a room’ | London investment
Reservations with Alexa: Alexa, Amazon Echo’s virtual assistant, now has the capability of booking a hotel room through Kayak through voice commands más...
Gostelow Report: Artistry at the Conservatorium
"I always loved to draw as a child, and I really relish the five minutes or so it takes to draw, and then paint, unique welcome cards for guests just más...
The Hot: The Duniway and a Top Chef Masters winner
Portland’s getting a revamped boutique hotel and celebrity chef restaurant all rolled into one with the opening of The Duniway. Chef Chris Cosentino más...
Business travelers want cross-device integration
Egencia, the business travel arm of the Expedia group, has announced results from its 4th edition Egencia Business Travel and Technology Survey, highlighting más...
Briefs: Stay a-Wilde in London | Hard Rock in Spain
Getting Wilde in London: Dublin, Ireland-based serviced residence company Staycity introduced a new brand, Wilde Aparthotels by Staycity. The first one más...
Scrutinized Wanda offloads hotel real estate to Sunac
China's Dalian Wanda Group Co. sold its 76 hotels, as well as land and other projects, for US$9.3 billion to Sunac China Holdings Ltd., which is making más...
Sought-after Sahara asset finally sold to NYC investors
After countless rumors and much speculation, Subrata Roy and Sahara India Pariwar has finally sold one its highly coveted assets, London’s Grosvenor más...
The proliferation of lifestyle brands: Differentiate or die
In his recent post, “More hotel brands – really?”, HOTELS blogger and hospitality consultant Daniel Lesser bemoans the proliferation más...
The Hot: Design refreshes for dueling L.A. brands
Two neighboring midscale Santa Monica hotels have debuted complementary design refreshes – both with a roadtrippin’ theme and bold graphic más...
Briefs: Where Chinese aren’t going | Hilton’s country debut
Iran’s winter resort: Iran’s Kish Island in the Persian Gulf is building a US$21 million winter recreation center. Snow Land will open in más...
HOTELS’ Hot Issue: Redesigning luxury
In the final installment of HOTELS’ Hot Issue, we’re taking another look at design: how it’s bringing people together – for relaxation más...
How lodging, lifestyle converge: Amex
Lifestyle, fashion, fitness, culinary and design brands – from Equinox and Nobu to West Elm and Restoration Hardware – are latching onto the más...
The Hot: Gourmet all-inclusive at Sensatori Jamaica
The Azul Beach Resort Sensatori Jamaica, with its emphasis on gourmet all-inclusive, has opened. Located on Negril’s Seven Mile Beach, the 285-room más...
News in brief: Bespoke sold; Avani in Mauritius
Flight Centre Travel to acquire Bespoke: Thailand-based hotel management company Bespoke Hospitality Management agreed to be acquired by Flight Centre más...
HOTELS' Hot Issue: F&B goes big
As part of HOTELS’ 2017 guide to what’s hot in categories like design, wellness, technology, sales and marketing, and development, we present más...
The Hot: Paws Up adds largest tented camp
The Resort at Paws Up, the Montana-based luxury resort famed for pioneering "glamping," has opened North Bank Camp, what it claims is the largest más...
Live "bigly" in 25hours Hamburg Trump suite
U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly struggled to find a hotel room for this weekend’s G20 Summit in Hamburg. He could have stayed at his namesake más...
Briefs: Big bucks, Hyatt Centric | Airbnb has French in a tizzy
Hyatt Centric, big dollars: In a deal that will translate into one of the highest prices per room ever paid in downtown Chicago, a German investor has más...
The Hot: Hôtel de Crillon roars back amid Paris rebound
After enduring a massive €200 million (US$227 million), four-year restoration, Paris’ Hôtel de Crillon reopened its doors – más...
Shinta Mani rebranding, announces further developments
Cambodian boutique hotel group Shinta Mani Hotels, founded by Sokoun Chanpreda, a businessman who returned from overseas to invest in the future of his más...
Ascott bulks up stake in Quest
Singapore-based The Ascott Limited has taken a majority stake in Quest Apartment Hotels with an A$180 million (US$137.2 million) investment in the apartment más...
Women make inroads on placement; pay gap remains
As a follow up to a recent Aethos Consulting Group article, Women's Presence Growing in Hotel Boardrooms, the company said research indicates that más...
News in brief: StayWell, Queens Bilderberg acquired
Prince to acquire StayWell: Prince Hotels Inc. of Japan will acquire the business operations of Australian hotel chain StayWell Hospitality Group Pty más...
People on the Move
Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch named Joseph Bidwell executive chef. Bidwell joins the property from Hyatt Regency Reston in Virginia. He más...
Gostelow Report: Away from it all in the Maldives
“What is a history major with a background in art and politics doing running an island in the Indian Ocean?” asks Pietro Addis, general manager más...
When will VR go mainstream for travel brands?
Virtual Reality (VR) is a new consumer technology and remains in early adopter mode currently, so when should travel brands expect the technology to really más...
The Hot: Factory-converted hotel opens in Hong Kong
One of the first factory converted hotels in Hong Kong, Camlux Hotel, has opened in the city’s Kowloon Bay area. Managed by Camlux Hospitality más...
Review features influence booking intentions: PolyU
Potential guests reading online hotel reviews are influenced by a range of underlying features when forming their booking intentions, according to Ph más...
HOTELS’ Hot Issue: Technology gets personal
Robots haven’t taken over (yet?), but the human touch is getting a big hand from automation and artificial intelligence. Guests are sharing their más...
The Hot: Hotel Landing, small hotel, mighty mobile check-in
The Hotel Landing may be in the very small town of Wayzata, Minnesota (pop. 4,449) but guests at the boutique hotel will still have the very cosmopolitan más...
South African room revenue will grow by 10.1%
South Africa’s hospitality sector is poised for further growth in the next five years bolstered by inbound travelers amid a difficult and volatile más...
News in brief: Absolute-Vienna hookup; Scandic goes big
Absolute, Vienna cooperate. Bangkok-based hospitality management company Absolute Hotel Services Group (AHS) has announced a new cooperation with Vienna más...
junio 2017
HOTELS' Hot Issue: F&B gets adventurous
Pull up a chair and have a great meal – not necessarily in the hotel, though. F&B is getting adventurous, taking guests’ craving for experience más...
Why your hotel needs a chatbot
The rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning has led to a wide range of online marketing solutions that are driving higher conversions and más...
The Hot: Surfers lend a ‘hand’ to remodeled Hotel Erwin
Developer Erwin Sokol has revamped Venice Beach’s Hotel Erwin, and he recruited some surfers and artists along the way to help him do it. Each guest más...
Briefs: Airbnb creeps up on luxury, InnVest wins 'big' in Toronto
Airbnb Lux: Airbnb is planning to launch a new rental service for mega-homes, mansions and penthouses that will be inspected to ensure they make the grade más...
HOTELS’ Hot Issue: Wellness explodes
Hotels and resorts are upping their pampering game – going way beyond hot-stone massages and helping guests prepare for a better night’s sleep más...
Shift in U.S. from global to domestic leisure travel: MMGY
In a year of projected slowdown for travel, millennial families in the United States are going to spend more and travel more than all other generational más...
Outgoing WTTC's Scowsill on future of T&T
David Scowsill on Thursday announced he is stepping down on June 30 as president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Before departing más...
The Hot: NH brings taste of Madrid to Brussels
Madrid-based NH Hotel Group opened another property under its upper-upscale NH Collection brand, the NH Collection Grand Sablon in Brussels. With the más...
Briefs: India hot to trot, Korean investors eyeing Silicon Valley
Hot Indian domestic travel: Indian domestic travel market is poised to become a US$48 billion industry by 2020, according to a new report published by más...
HOTELS’ Hot Issue: Marketing manifesto
It’s all about capturing hearts, minds and eyeballs. Hotels are touting mission and manifesto to attract similarly minded guests, while loyalty más...
The Hot: Food trucks, s’mores cart at Montage Palmetto Bluff
Yes, we’ll have s’more. Food trucks that is. After undergoing an expansion last September, South Carolina-based Montage Palmetto Bluff resort más...
Expedia data shows strength among independents
For Q1 2017, Expedia data shows independents continued to excel on ADR growth versus branded properties, and in addition, travelers spent more per night más...
People on the Move
Aspen Skiing Company appointed Alinio Azevedo as chief operating officer for its hospitality division. Azevedo most recently served as the vice president más...
Briefs: Kessler refutes Disney plans, DoubleTree L.A. sells
Kessler denies Disney move: A spokesperson from the Kessler Collection denies that the group is looking to construct a hotel at Walt Disney World’s más...
Marriott launches master classes through loyalty programs
Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) are launching a master class series, learning experiences that include personal interactions with más...
Gostelow Report: Peninsula GM stays grounded in Paris
“The so-called Macron effect has honestly not yet made a noticeable difference to hotel numbers but the overall sentiment is already positive. Everyone más...
The Hot: China’s Shangri-La Hotel, Yiwu opens
The 362-room Shangri-La Hotel, Yiwu has opened within the 52-story mixed-use Yiwu World Trade Centre – the tallest building in China’s Zhejiang más...
The serviced apartment moment
Serviced apartments are in the midst of a revolution. The industry has grown a phenomenal 80% in the past seven years and everyone wants a piece of the más...
Briefs: Mandarin in Melbourne, Trump outta Toronto
Mandarin Melbourne: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group signed a management contract for a new luxury hotel and branded residences to be developed in Melbourne más...
Supreme Court reinstates key parts of Trump travel ban
Part of President Trump’s travel ban will go into effect after the Supreme Court announced on Monday that it would decide in October whether it más...
Mantra consolidates brands under Mantra Hotels
Australia’s Mantra Group has consolidating its multi-branded portfolio into a new single consumer brand, known simply as Mantra Hotels. With 128 más...
Sub-brands effective versus disruptors: Landor
Global brand strategist and design firm Landor has released research findings that suggest innovative hotel sub-brands have been particularly effective más...
Hot Openings: Graduate sets sights on Cali with debut of Graduate Berkeley
Graduate Hotels has made its foray into the California market with the debut of the 144-room Graduate Berkeley. Formerly the Hotel Durant, the más...
Briefs: Crown China gambling, Viceroy stays, Expedia Paris
Crown employees sentenced for gambling, China: A court in Shanghai sentenced three Australian employees of Crown Resorts to less than a year in prison más...
HOTELS' Hot Issue: Designing experiences
HOTELS’ Hot Issue focuses on what’s trending in design, F&B, wellness, technology, sales and marketing, and development. In this batch: más...
Hot Openings: Fairmont Quasar debuts in Istanbul
The Fairmont Quasar Istanbul has opened, marking the first hotel for Fairmont in Turkey and the fifth property of parent company AccorHotel’s luxury más...
More NYU conference takeaways: Deloitte
Rethinking the midscale hotel segment, investing in game-changing technology and welcoming a rising, global middle-class of travelers were among the key más...
Aimbridge adds TMI assets to portfolio
Fargo, North Dakota-based hotel developer and manager TMI Hospitality has been acquired by an affiliate of Aimbridge Hospitality for an undisclosed price más...
News in brief: Melia, Dusit, American Hotel Income Properties
Melia Cuba: Melia Hotels International signed a contract for managing the Gran Hotel, Colón Hotel and Camagüey Hotel, three iconic facilities más...
The Ritz-Carlton sets sail with yacht experiences
More than four and a half years in the making, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has announced its entry into the luxury yachting and cruise arena with plans más...
Airbnb about to test premium service: report
Airbnb is about to launch a more upscale rental service to attract higher-paying travelers who prefer the amenities found in better hotels, according más...
Hot Openings: ‘Sexy genius’ themed EMC2 opens in Chicago
Autograph Collection and SMASHotels have debuted a 195-room hotel in Chicago with a focus on great historical minds (and their intellectual sexiness) más...
People on the Move
David Bodette was named GM of Gurney’s Newport Resort & Marina in Rhode Island. Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vermont named Robert Burnetti más...
Briefs: Hard Rock, RLHC, Trump, IGY
Sea to land. IGY Marinas, New York, has promoted Charles “Charlie” Irons to vice president of hospitality to grow its hospitality pipeline más...
Scandic to acquire Restel portfolio in Finland
Scandic Hotels Group has signed an agreement to acquire Restel’s 43-hotel (7,600 rooms) portfolio in Finland for €114.5 million (US$127.6 million) más...
More details on IHG midscale brand, Holiday updates
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) at its 2017 Americas Conference this week in Las Vegas announced plans to launch a midscale concept that focuses on más...
Hot Openings: Euro style at AC Hotel Irvine
AC Hotels is bringing its European aesthetic to southern California. An affiliate of Irvine, California-based Pacific Hospitality Group, announced the más...
News in brief: Loews, Affinia Dumont, Ligula
Loews at convention center: Loews Hotels & Co. is a joint equity partner in an agreement with KC Hotel Developers LLC to develop a hotel at the new más...
Gostelow Report: Disrupting status quo at Ritz-Carlton, Budapest
"I am a disruptor, I always have been. I question rules and regulations and, in all my career, I have always found a way to make life better for everyone más...
Hot Openings: Fairmont Empress gets revamp, fancy chandelier
Canada’s Fairmont Empress has unveiled the results of a US$60 million restoration that took place over two years. Highlights of the revamp más...
Hilton Hotels & Resorts launching new ad campaign
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is launching its first major ad initiative since 2014 with a campaign called, The World Is Right Here. Starting this week más...
News in brief: James Hotel, Six Senses Ibiza, Hyatt Place Hotel
James Hotel backs out: The James Hotel has unexpectedly departed from a deal to put a property along Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. The move inevitably más...
HOTELS’ Hot Issue: Development
The hotel development universe this year is applying its thinking both inside and outside the box to fight commoditization and keep its properties hot más...
Hot Openings: Le Méridien Visconti Rome opens
The Italian-based Toti Group has opened the Le Méridien Visconti Rome, which will be managed by Marriott. Following a $US20 million conversion más...
Abu Dhabi fund trying to take control of Viceroy
Abu Dhabi-based fund Mubadala Development Co. reportedly is in talks with the U.S. Department of Justice for approval to buy the remaining 50% stake in más...
Some Trump Hotels revenue disclosed in new filing
According to a 98-page financial-disclosure document released by the federal Office of Government Ethics on Friday, President Trump’s más...
News in brief: Trump Toronto, Mali update, Pullman Tokyo
New name for Trump Toronto? The 65-story Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto may soon have a new name on the door, with Marriott International’s más...
How to equip static templates for future changes
Last week, three new hotel brands launched into the market: Tru by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, and Trademark Collection by Wyndham. While hoteliers’ más...
Cuba restrictions threaten anticipated U.S. development
U.S. President Donald Trump made good Friday on a campaign promise to roll back easements to the 56-year-old Cuban trade and travel embargo in 2014 by más...
NYU Notebook: Embassy, ESA, Montage, Zoku
During one-on-one interviews during the NYU hotel investment conference, HOTELS learned of new development news. Here is a summary from those meetings más...
Hot Openings: Plaid dominates at Royal Hotel in Edinburgh
The Berlin-based Leonardo Hotels has opened its first Scottish property in Edinburgh with the 282-room Royal Hotel. Leonardo sunk some €7 million más...
News in brief: IHG, Accor, Summit
IHG Kuwait: InterContinental Hotels Group signed an agreement with Kuwaiti conglomerate Bukhamseen Group Holding to build and operate its hotels exclusively más...
HOTELS’ Hot Issue: What's trending in F&B
Hotels are making inspired changes in their F&B offerings everywhere from the restaurant to the minibar. They’re growing it themselves, touting más...
Improving the RFP process: GBTA research
The GBTA Foundation released a new study in partnership with Best Western Hotels & Resorts on Wednesday that explored the hotel request for proposal más...
Bagan, Myanmar, emerging as sustainable destination
Rising gateway access from Mandalay has spurred growth in Myanmar’s Bagan both by air and road, according to a new report by C9 Hotelworks titled más...
Hot Openings: Boutique Las Alcobas opens in Napa Valley
Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel, has opened in Napa Valley – the area’s first luxury resort in seven years. The 68-room boutique hotel más...
W launches 'Frogger-style' video game
Marriott International’s W brand is launching what it says is the hotel industry’s first video game, complete with real life rewards, called más...
News in brief: Emaar, Somalia, Mövenpick
Emaar in Makkah: Emaar Hospitality Group’s Address Hotels & Resorts will manage a 1,490-key hotel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The developer más...
HOTELS’ Hot Issue: Design trends
Trends are evolving fast, and inspired changes are landing everywhere from hotel lobbies to guest rooms – and even from inside the minibar. Here’s más...
Raffles makes big move with London deal
AccorHotels has beefed-up its luxury portfolio yet again with news that London’s Old War Office building in Whitehall is going to be transformed más...
What’s Hot: Napa food concept Alba opens
Luxury Napa Valley hotel the River Terrace Inn has opened a new dining experience, Alba. Matthew Grigg, Alba’s executive chef, pays homage to Northern más...
People on the Move
Scott Allen has been appointed general manager of the recently opened Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. Most recently, Allen was general manager at Andaz Maui at más...
News in brief: Delta, W
Delta Hotels: Marriott International said it intends to double the size of its Delta Hotels by Marriott brand in the next two years. Delta, which the más...
Gostelow Report: Shifting gears at Rosewood Hotel Georgia
"I wanted to be a professional cyclist but my parents thankfully diverted me into hospitality," explains Philip Meyer, managing director of the 156-room más...
Hot Openings: Design Hotels' Sir Nikolai enters Hamburg
Design Hotels has added another “Sir” to their collection with the opening of the Sir Nikolai in Hamburg. Sandwiched between the Altstadt más...
Ice cream trends go wild
Here's the scoop on scoping out what's happening with frozen desserts, according to Michael Whiteman of Baum+Whiteman International Restaurant Consultants más...
News in brief: Crown Resorts, Meliá, Shangri-La
Crown Resorts: Employees of Crown Resorts’ Chinese operations were charged with offenses related to the promotion of gambling. Nineteen current más...
NYU notebook: Reverb, IHG, IHR, AccorHotels, Two Roads
There were a five brand launches at NYU there would have been more if Hilton didn’t hold back due to what Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta called “too más...
What owners must know about Hyatt-Expedia drama
Contributed by Kristie Dickinson (ISHC), executive vice president, CHMWarnick Last week, Hyatt hotel owners received notification of Hyatt’s intent más...
Bonke heads to Shangri-La as president, COO
Oliver Bonke is joining Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts as president and chief operating officer. He’ll start his new position, at the company’s más...
Trump hotels in lawsuit; Cuba policy announcement coming
The attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit today claiming that government payments to President Donald Trump's businesses más...
Hot Openings: Palácio Tangará splashes into São Paulo
Oetker Collection has opened the Palácio Tangará, with a restaurant from Jean-Georges Vongerichten, in São Paulo. Designed más...
News in brief: Morgans Hotel, Hilton, Seattle hotel workers law
Morgans Hotel acquisition: Shlomo Bakhash’s Kash Group, in partnership with Shel Capital, is in contract to acquire the Morgans Hotel, which it más...
First female Saudi GM talks leadership, plans
The Rezidor Hotel Group hired what it says is the industry’s first Saudi female general manager, Maram Kokandi, to open the Park Inn by Radisson Jeddah más...
Hot Openings: Ian Schrager’s latest 'disruption,' Public Hotel
Declaring his new hotel a “disruption in hospitality,” hotelier Ian Schrager (he of Studio 54 and Palladium nightclubs fame), has launched más...
‘Bleisure’ traveler profile from GBTA
In the past year, 37% of North American business travelers extended a work trip for leisure, according to a study by the GBTA Foundation. Millennials más...
News in brief: Messi, Venice, Japan
Lionel Messi: FC Barcelona football star Lionel Messi has purchased a 4-star hotel in Sitges, a beach town near Barcelona. The price for the 77-room hotel más...
Gostelow Report: Brewing artistry at NUO Hotel Beijing
“I was always an adventurer, and when the chance came to design and lead China's first international brand, I leaped at it," says Adrian Rudin, más...
With travel ban, American Idea, ‘Trump’ dominates at NYU
“Trump” was unavoidably in the conversation of a sea of hoteliers and consultants alike during the final hours of the New York University más...
Loews launching new identity, ad campaign
As part of a year-long rebranding process, Loews Hotels on Wednesday announced the launch of a new national advertising campaign, A Wonderful Place to más...
News in brief: Labor rule, Intrawest
U.S. labor rule: The American Hotel & Lodging Association today praised the Department of Labor’s decision to rescind an Obama administration más...
Marriott combats homelessness among LGBTQ youth
Marriott International, along with "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" actor Tituss Burgess, True Colors Fund, Casa Ruby and social influencers Raymond más...
What’s Hot: Ames Boston renovates
The Ames Boston Hotel has completed a US$6 million renovation of its public spaces in a project headed by New York City-based architecture and design más...
NYU CEOs check-in: On a scale from 1 to 10
During the CEO panel on Monday morning at the 39th annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, this question was posed: On a más...
Values in U.S. expected to remain stable for 3 years: HVS
HVS' Hotel Valuation Index (HVI) Overview Report on 38 U.S. markets and the nation was released this week, indicating which market areas are experiencing más...
News in brief: Woodbine, Internos, Dalata
Woodbine Development: Dallas-based developer Woodbine Development Corporation launched a US$85 million private equity fund, Woodbine Legacy Investments más...
Hot Openings: Art-, music-themed The Stella debuts
Independent, upscale boutique hotel The Stella opened in Bryan-College Station, Texas. Art and music themes dominate the 176-room property, which más...
People on the Move
JLL's Hotels & Hospitality Group named Arthur Adler Americas’ chairman. The Westin Chicago Northwest named Ahmed Azizy executive chef of más...
Croissants coming out rainbows at Hotel Café Royal
It takes two days to taste the rainbow at London’s Hotel Café Royal. Its croissants, made by the hotel’s executive pastry chef, Sarah más...
Trump goes midscale with American Idea brand
“Local history and neighborly service” is how Trump Hotels Organization describes its newest brand, American Idea, which makes its debut with más...
RLHC relaunches Signature Inn brand
Red Lion Hotels Corporation announced that it is relaunching its Signature Inn economy brand. The new concept is intended to attract more developers and más...
Marco Polo, Niccolo combine under Wharf Hotels
Two Hong Kong-based hotel brands, Marco Polo and Niccolo, are now grouped under the umbrella of Wharf Hotels. The company is a subsidiary of Wharf Hotels más...
Five ways to personalize guest outreach without getting too personal
Hotel organizations have integrated advanced data analytics into their operations to an unprecedented degree, using an array of tools to personalize guest más...
What’s Hot: Kimpton Shorebreak updates SoCal style
San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants introduced a refreshed design at its Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach, California. The más...
News in brief: Hilton, Auberge, AH&LA
Hilton: Hilton signed a management agreement with KDU Adventures (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of KDU Group (Pvt) Ltd, to manage the 140-room DoubleTree by más...
Wyndham debuts independent brand Trademark
Wyndham Hotel Group today announced a new brand, the Trademark Hotel Collection, an independent collection for upper-midscale and above hotels in the más...
Tisch warns of another ‘lost decade’ in U.S. tourism
Loews Hotels Chairman and CEO Jonathan Tisch urged the hospitality industry to support pro-travel policies and avert what he called another “lost más...
Summit acquires five U.S. hotels for US$163 million
Summit Hotel Properties and Xenia Hotels & Resorts announced an agreement for a Summit affiliate to acquire five hotels from Xenia for US$163 million más...
Marriott: Independent portfolio will grow 50% by 2019
Marriott International expects to grow its brands of independent hotel collections by nearly 50% by 2019. Arne Sorenson, the company’s president más...
Book Direct and the future of guest loyalty
Over the past year, most of the major hotel brands have launched marketing campaigns with messaging focused on driving consumers to book directly with más...
Hot Openings: Darcy adds character to Washington, D.C.
Hilton added another hotel to its Curio Collection in early May with the opening of the Darcy Washington D.C., located six blocks from the White House más...
News in brief: Mandarin Oriental, Wyndham
Mandarin Oriental: Mandarin Oriental International is reviewing its options for the Excelsior, a hotel in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay, according to más...
Anbang, Blackstone dance again in Amsterdam
The Anbang Group-Blackstone romance continues as several reports surfaced this week that the Beijing-based insurance and property giant has acquired from más...
Chicago owner, operator merge to create Arbor Lodging
Chicago-based hotel investor Arbor Lodging Partners and management firm NVN Hotels on Thursday announced the two companies will now operate under the más...
37 reportedly dead in Resorts World Manila attack
Thirty-seven people have been killed at Resorts World Manila following an attack in the early hours of Friday morning by a lone gunman who fired shots más...
What’s Hot: Room revamp for the Hotel d’Inghilterra
Starhotels Collezione’s Hotel d’Inghilterra has completed a major room renovation it began in January. The 51-room renovation included design más...
News in brief: Yotel, Expotel, TripAdvisor
Yotel Amsterdam: Yotel will open its first city center property in Amsterdam. The 204-cabin hotel will be located in the Amsterdam Noord area of the city más...
IHG program in AMEA fast-tracks young GMs
While the Asian hotel industry bemoans a lack of GMs, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) in AMEA is producing them faster than it has properties in the más...
Resorts World Manila on lockdown after gunfire
Resorts World Manila, a tourist complex in the Philippines, is on lockdown after reports of gunfire and explosions. Multiple injuries were reported. According más...
Maestro Schrager’s return to NYC
Ian Schrager has a certain magic touch to attract a crowd, and now he is back in New York -- a little older, a little more mellow, and no doubt wiser más...
Hot Openings: Mexico-based Rosewood Puebla debuts
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has opened its fourth property in Mexico, the Rosewood Puebla. Located about 75 miles southeast of Mexico City, the city más...
Boomers in the US biggest summer spenders: Shifflet
More than three out of five U.S. residents plan to take at least one leisure trip this summer and 37% of those travelers will be Baby Boomers, which is más...
News in brief: Hotel California, Starwood, Swire
“No”-tel California: The owner of a Mexican hotel being sued by the Eagles for using the name Hotel California has called for the más...
mayo 2017
Five minutes with Bill Marriott and Arne Sorenson
Bill Marriott and Arne Sorenson were in Chicago on May 25 to accept Marriott International’s 20th consecutive Great Place to Work award from Fortune más...
Dearth of US deals continues in April
Deal volume in the U.S. hotel sector fell 55% year-over-year (YOY) in April on sales of US$1.4 billion. This decline comes on the heels of growing investment más...
What’s Hot: Hilton’s ‘Five Feet to Fitness’ room
Hilton is making it easy for guests to roll out of bed and hit the gym: The company is putting the gym right in the guestroom. Its “Five Feet to más...
Hilton opens first hotel in its Tapestry Collection
Hilton has opened its first Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotel, a conversion to Hotel Skyler Syracuse, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, owned by Woodbine más...
People on the Move
The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills named Steve Benjamin as executive chef of the Jean-Georges Beverly Hills. Benjamin previously helmed the kitchen at más...
News in brief: Ascott, Karma, London
Ascott REIT: Ascott Residence Trust acquired the 224-unit DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New York – Times Square South for US$106 million. It’s más...
Gostelow Report: Versatile Italian At Stoke Park
“I never thought I would stay in the English countryside for eight years, but with Bond and Bridget Jones movies shot here, and regular events, más...
Xenia makes big Orlando play with Hyatt buy
Xenia Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday announced its acquisition of the 815-key Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida, from an affiliate más...
Hot Openings: revamped Eiffel Blomet opens
Paris-based Bal Blomet – which originally opened in 1931 – has rebranded itself the Eiffel Blomet Hotel. A group of seven hotel owners collectively más...
Profits under pressure in Europe: HotStats
A report by HotStats, which polled the performance of hotels across key European hotel markets over the last 10 years, revealed that in a number of locations más...
News in brief: Tata Group, Intercontinental, Airbnb
Tata Group exec resigns: Rakesh Sarna, the managing director and chief executive of Indian Hotels Co., part of the Tata Group, resigned from the company más...
First Tru by Hilton, 5,000th Hilton opens in Oklahoma
Hilton on May 25 celebrated the grand opening of the first-ever Tru by Hilton - the company's 5,000th hotel – at the 86-room Tru más...
Forecast: U.S. hotel openings up 22% this year
Lodging Econometrics predicts that 2017 will see a 22% year-over-year increase in hotel openings in the U.S. In the first quarter of this year, 212 hotels/24 más...
Element Kuala Lumpur marks brand’s debut in Southeast Asia
Marriott International’s Element brand has moved into Southeast Asia with the opening of Element Kuala Lumpur. Designed by London-based Foster+Partners más...
STR releases regional hotel performance numbers
Data benchmarker and analyst STR released updated performance numbers in several markets. Here’s a summary, with some highlights: Europe The European más...
Marriott summer survey reveals travel trends
Marriott International has announced findings of its inaugural U.S. Summer Travel Trends Report 2017 based an analysis of nearly 2 million Marriott.com más...
Video: Bill Marriott on Memorial Days past and present
With the Memorial Day holiday at hand in the United States, HOTELS sat down with Bill Marriott while he was in Chicago on Thursday to accept the Fortune más...
Hot Openings: Days Inn Chicago reopens as Hotel Versey
A former Days Inn has reopened as the Hotel Versey, from Chicago-based Oxford Hotels & Resorts. Renovations on the 137-room hotel, once known locally más...
Update: Sahara refutes story about sale of the Plaza
Representatives from Dream Hotel Group Chairman Sant Chatwal in New York contacted HOTELS on Thursday evening with a statement refuting a story hotelsmag más...
Hot design trends for summer, fall
MatchLine Design Group, a Dallas-based interior design firm with projects that include a soon-to-open Delta by Marriott, an Embassy Suites and a Cambria más...
News in brief: China sale, Hagaman dies
China sale. State-owned property developer Shenzhen Investment is selling its interests in several projects in smaller Chinese cities, including its equity más...
Prince Alwaleed, Ashkenazy partnering to buy Plaza?
The New York Post on Thursday reported that Saudi Prince Alwaleed has partnered with Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. to force a buyout of New York’s más...
Hot Openings: Africa's Seen Hotel Abidjan Plateau debuts
Mangalis Hotel Group has further expanded its upper midscale footprint in Africa via the unveiling of Seen Hotel Abidjan Plateau. This is the third más...
Radisson Blu to go carbon-free with meetings
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s Radisson Blu brand is offsetting the carbon footprint of its meetings by supporting water projects in Guatemala, Malawi más...
News in brief: Google, Trump
Google: Google confirmed that it is rolling out a new interface for its Google Hotel Finder, which it launched in 2011. Read more on Search Engine Land más...
M&A: Investors remain steadfast in the face of headwinds
Nationalism and isolationism are on the rise in the West. Terrorism continues to wear on the global psyche. Interest rates are edging up in the United más...
Shareholder urges Interval to merge with Marriott Vacations
FrontFour Capital Group, a significant stockholder of Interval Leisure Group (ILG), said on Tuesday it delivered a letter to the board of directors of más...
Hot Openings: Life Hotel opens in former Life Mag space
Developer David Mitchell and hospitality vet Stephen Hanson have opened the first-ever Life Hotel in the original building that once housed LIFE magazine más...
People on the Move
Red Lion Hotels Corporation named Calvin Anderson senior vice president and chief of revenue optimization. Anderson joins RLHC from Duetto, where más...
News in brief: European hotels, TripAdvisor, Anbang
European hotels: STR reports that the European hotel industry saw growth in occupancy (up 3.3% to 65.6%), ADR (up 2.5% to €102.82, or US$115.46) más...
Gostelow Report: Secure at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar
"My years as a military commando gunner are certainly useful – I have no problem making quick decisions,” says Darren Darwin, general manager más...
Dusit partners in China to grow Princess brand
Dusit International, Bangkok, has signed a strategic partnership with China’s Dossen International Group to operate and develop DusitPrincess resorts más...
Hot Openings: Converted Detroit Foundation debuts
Chicago-based Aparium Hotel Group has opened its latest venture, the Detroit Foundation Hotel, located in the former headquarters of the city’s más...
Staybridge launches digitally driven campaign
InterContinental Hotels Group’s extended-stay Staybridge Suites brand is launching a new marketing campaign called Hugely Different. Through the más...
News in brief: U.S. growth, pipeline, electronics ban
U.S. growth forecast: CBRE is predicting an eighth consecutive year of occupancy growth for U.S. hotels. For 1Q 2017, hotel demand increased 2.8% and más...
Escarrer focuses Meliá on sweet spot of ‘bleisure’
In a shifting industry where brands are proliferating, consolidations are abounding and well-funded competition is coming from just about anywhere, most más...
Belmond acquires Cap Juluca on Anguilla
As part of its 2020 strategic growth plan to expand its global footprint, Belmond Ltd. on Monday announced that it has entered into agreements to acquire más...
Hot Openings: Kimpton enters Europe with Kimpton De Witt
IHG has made its Kimpton foray into Europe with the Kimpton De Witt in Amsterdam. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants was acquired by IHG in 2015. más...
Dream Hotel Group announces nine new deals
Dream Hotel Group, New York, on Monday announced nine new hotel developments expected to open by the end of 2020. After significant investment and repositioning más...
Momentum in U.S. expected to taper into 2018: PwC
Encouraged by the prospect of a strengthening economy, U.S. lodging performance continued to improve in the first quarter of 2017, according to the updated más...
Krabi benefits from big growth in airlift from China
Full-year arrivals to Krabi International Airport in Thailand rose to an all-time high of two million passengers last year, sending tourism growth to más...
News in brief: Marriott, Bushkill, Marsa Al Arab
Marriott Zanzibar: Marriott International signed of an agreement with Pennyroyal Gibraltar Limited to debut its Ritz-Carlton brand in Zanzibar Archipelago más...
AccorHotels Bazin: Trying to be right more than wrong
In less than four years, AccorHotels Chairman and CEO Sébastien Bazin has changed the direction and perception of a French hotel company that not más...
Impact of geopolitical uncertainty US$13.b in 2017: GBTA
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) on Friday released a forecast looking at the cumulative economic impact of global uncertainty and anti-travel más...
Where vacation ownership is growing fastest
Property operators ask me many questions, but there is one that I hear over and over again:“What makes for a successful timeshare property?” más...
Marriott Europe launches TED Talks-style workshop series
In a move that nods to TED Talks - a Marriott partner - the hotel compnay's European branch has unveiled a new series of complimentary workshops with más...
What’s Hot: Omni King Edward restores crystal ballroom
The glitz is back for the Omni King Edward Hotel. The Toronto-based hotel’s crystal ballroom, which originally debuted in 1922, received a US$6 más...
News in brief: Construction pipeline, Sharjah Investment
Construction pipeline: According to Lodging Econometrics, the franchise companies with the largest pipelines by rooms in Q117 are; Marriott with 163,063 más...
Where’s 2017 Americas transaction market headed next?
When the industry gathers for ALIS in January 2018, how will 2017 compare with previous years? To start this dialogue now, BHN talked with transaction más...
Gencom moves to Bermuda with big acquisition
Rosewood Hotels & Resort's 88-room Tucker's Point Hotel and Resort in Bermuda has been purchased for approximately US$60 million, according to sources más...
Distribution strategies: moving beyond benchmarking
Benchmarking is a hallmark of performance measurement. Knowing where a hotel falls in relation to the performance of its closest competitors is an important más...
Hot Openings: Luma Hotel Times Square launches
Luma Hotel Times Square, from owner/developer 41st Midtown Hotel, has officially opened its doors. New York Midtown Hotel will manage the hotel, which más...
News in brief: Resorts World, Dalata, Muslim tourism
Resorts World Las Vegas: Malaysia’s Genting Group is pushing back the opening date of its proposed 3,000-room, US$4 billion Resorts World Las Vegas más...
SAHIC Cuba: The country that is ready to dance
SAHIC Cuba, the country’s first international hotel and tourism investment conference, appeared to usher in a new era of hotel development. It could más...
Mövenpick creates committee to attract younger audience
AccorHotels introduced its millennial-focused “shadow board” and now comes word that Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has recruited a team más...
Hot Openings: Micro hotel group Pod expands to D.C.
New York-based BD Hotels' Pod Hotels brand opened the Pod DC, a 245-room micro-hotel, its third, located in Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Modus más...
New limited-service brand launching on Cayman Island
Howard Hospitality Group (HHG), an international hotel investor, developer and operator, has announced the launch of a new limited-service hotel brand más...
People on the Move
The Peninsula Beverly Hills named Darlene Adams as director of sales and strategy. Most recently, in 2014, she joined Aman Resorts in a regional capacity más...
News in brief: Langham, Marriott, Favstay
Langham: Langham Hospitality Group will open its first Cordis hotel in mainland China this month in Shanghai, has signed an agreement to manage Cordis más...
Gostelow Report: Big day at hand for Empress GM
“I have 300,000 owners, it seems. Everyone who lives nearby, here on Vancouver Island, feels they own a bit of Fairmont The Empress, and all have más...
AccorHotels takes to the air with packages
AccorHotels.com, which since June 2015 has distributed independent hotels on its platform, has taken the personalization of services with the launch of más...
Will La Quinta spin off its real estate?
La Quinta Holdings is reportedly looking to spin off its real estate into a real estate investment trust, while retaining its management and franchise más...
Best Western strengthens Scandinavia platform
Best Western Hotels & Resorts is vastly expanding its footprint in Scandinavia with the acquisition of Sweden Hotels, Gothenburg, Sweden. The launch más...
Sneak preview: Alila to open second China property
Singapore-based Alila Hotels and Resorts, owned by Two Roads Hospitality, Denver, in July will open its second property in China, the Alila Yangshuo. más...
News in brief: Crescent, Crown, IHG
Crescent: Crescent Hotels & Resorts will manage the newly opened six-story, 125-room Courtyard by Marriott Toronto Mississauga/West. Crown: más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Danziger Cries, 'March On'
The scrutiny couldn’t be greater. The noise – both pro and con – couldn’t be louder. But for Trump Hotels’ indefatigable más...
Hot Openings: Design’s ION City Hotel debuts in Reykjavik
Design Hotels has opened an 18-room boutique hotel in Reykjavik. Located on the city’s main avenue, Laugarvegur, the ION City Hotel is housed in más...
Is Stewart's Sandals brand up for sale?
Caribbean resort operator Sandals Resorts has reportedly hired Deutsche Bank to explore its strategic alternatives, including a potential sale of the más...
Dublin, Milan, Madrid hot European investment cities
Dublin, Milan and Madrid top the rankings of European ‘hot’ cities for hotel investment, according to new research by real estate advisor más...
News in brief: NY tourism, STR data, StepStone
NY tourism: New York State's tourism industry set new records for total number of visitors, economic impact and direct spending in 2016. Last year, a más...
Meliá announces addition of 8 hotels in Cuba
On the eve of the inaugural SAHIC Cuba investment conference in Havana, Meliá Hotels International announced during the International Tourism Fair más...
Generator deal complete, leads to management changes
Queensgate Investments Fund II, which is managed by Queensgate Investments, a real estate private equity manager has completed the acquisition of Generator más...
Disruptor roundtable: Bonke on managing social media
The days of retailers controlling the message through their websites are over because every one of your customers could be talking to existing and potential más...
Adlon employees allegedly skimmed €1 million
Employees of Kempinski’s Hotel Adlon in Berlin are under investigation for allegedly skimming off more than €1 million (US$1.1 million) by más...
Investments and the importance of relationships
In the world of real estate, relationships play a huge role. The hotel business is a very small world, and the amount of knowledge that people have about más...
Hot Openings: Contemporary art-driven 21c Nashville debuts
21c Museum Hotels has opened its seventh property, the 21c Nashville, in a rehabbed historic building in the city. The 124-room boutique hotel also has más...
News in brief: Moxy, Study, Hawaii RevPAR growth
Moxy: Moxy Hotels has planned two new properties in Japan. Moxy Tokyo Kinshicho and Moxy Osaka Honmachi are both set to open in late 2017. más...
Choice 'intends to own the upscale category'
A spike in direct bookings, increased RevPAR growth and touting an increased investment in luxury were top points of pride for Choice Hotels International más...
Investment trends, challenges: LIIC
Results from a survey of the members of The Lodging Industry Investment Council (LIIC) revealed a list of the major U.S. hotel investment opportunities más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Indigo comes to downtown L.A.
IHG and China's Greenland USA opened the Hotel Indigo in downtown Los Angeles, the first of the brand in that city. The 350-room, 18-story Hotel Indigo más...
News in brief: Element, Lenders, Dusit, Trump
Dusit to Vietnam. The result of a long-term franchising arrangement with Linh Chi Limited Co., Dusit International will make its Vietnam debut this December más...
Disruptor roundtable: Linnartz on role of data, content
Just as the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) was convening in January at the JW Marriott at LA Live, HOTELS invited eight industry leaders to más...
SilverNeedle rebrands, adds services for owners
SilverNeedle Hospitality Group, Singapore, is rebranding as Next Story Group and re-branding its hotel division as Next Hotels. The news comes after the más...
Hilton all-suites brands launches joint ad campaign
Hilton’s all-suites brands – Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites by Hilton – are declaring “suites for all” más...
Choice reveals new tools and tech at annual conference
Choice Hotels International is opening its 63rd annual convention on Wednesday in Las Vegas with the “Future Ready,” which conveys its goal más...
Hot Openings: The Maven Hotel opens in Denver
Sage Hospitality has opened The Maven Hotel at Dairy Block in downtown Denver in the LoDo neighborhood. It’s part of the city’s más...
People on the Move
Proper Hospitality, a California-based high-end lifestyle hospitality company, has appointed industry veteran Arash Azarbarzin as president and chief más...
News in brief: Rotana, London, cyber attacks
Rotana: United Arab Emirates-based conglomerate RSG International signed a management agreement with Rotana for a new hotel in Dubai, next to UAE Exchange más...
Gostelow Report: Modern take at Jumeirah Al Naseem
"Having two teenagers myself certainly added depth when planning this hotel," says Richard Alexander, father of an 18-year-old and a 12-year-old - and más...
Strong international growth aids Marriott's Q1
Marriott International's first quarter 2017 results were well ahead of guidance and consensus estimates based on strong international growth and benefits más...
Crown Resorts sells remaing shares in Macau JV
James Packer’s Crown Resorts reportedly is selling for US$1.2 billion its remaining stake in a Macau casino joint venture to Melco Resorts, the más...
Hot Openings: 39-story Novotel London Canary Wharf debuts
The Novotel London Canary Wharf has opened. The 39-storey hotel has 313 rooms, 26 suites, a New York-style gym and pool, nine design meeting rooms más...
News in brief: RLHC, Pivot
RLHC: RLHC realigned its brands following the acquisition of Vantage Hospitality’s franchising business in 2016. Its strategy focuses on the following más...
Dart further develops the Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands’ biggest commercial real estate developer and the driving force behind Kimpton Hotels’ first Caribbean property, Kimpton más...
AH&LA taking on OTA duopoly
The American Hotel & Lodging Association is planning a marketing and PR campaign that aims to portray online travel agents Expedia and Priceline as más...
Disruptor roundtable: Holthouser on hotel-OTA relations
Just as the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) was convening in January at the JW Marriott at LA Live, HOTELS invited eight industry leaders to más...
Aethos analyzes recent CEO 'musical chairs'
With all the recent changes in the C-suites at Carlson, Rezidor and IHG, Aethos consulting interpreted and analyzed the fallout. "The recent CEO shifts más...
Red Lion unveils new brand alignment to drive growth
RLHC (Red Lion Hotels Corp.) announced Monday the evolution of its brand portfolio following the acquisition of Vantage Hospitality’s hotel franchising más...
What’s Hot: Hotel Palomar LA unveils US$12M update
The 264-room Hotel Palomar Los Angeles - Beverly Hills, a Kimpton hotel, recently completed a US$12 million propertywide renovation. The revamp, más...
News in brief: Puerto Rico, Intertur, Deutsche
Puerto Rico: JLL arranged the sale of a beachfront casino hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to an unidentified Chinese buyer for US$184 million. The 527-key más...
IHG, Rezidor CEOs stepping down
Two of the hospitality industry’s big players will step down: IHG CEO Richard Solomons and Rezidor Hotel Group CEO Wolfgang M. Neumann. Solomons más...
Disruptor Roundtable: Omni's differentiated hotel stay
Just as the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) was convening in January at the JW Marriott at LA Live, HOTELS invited eight industry leaders to más...
What’s Hot: Miami's Mandarin Oriental launches beach space
The Mandarin Oriental, Miami is now offering its private Brickell beach as an exclusive 20,000-square-foot events space. The beach, the only one located más...
News in brief: Lowry, Ascott, Waldorf Astoria
Lowry: The Lowry Hotel in Manchester, England, was sold for £52.5 million (US$67.7 million) to Singapore-based CDL Hospitality Trusts. Read more más...
Regional Report: Tourism driving Australia’s pipeline
Record numbers of international tourists funneled into Australia this year, with Asian visitors at the head of the pack. Chinese, Korean and Japanese más...
Regional Report: Ovolo finds niche near Sydney’s ICC
Sydney’s massive AU$1.5 billion (US$1.1 billion) International Convention Centre (ICC) opened in Sydney in December – officially Australia’s más...
Regional Report: Developer Schwartz on long-term plans
Local developer and plastic surgeon Dr. Jerry Schwartz recently dropped A$350 (US$268 million) on the 600-room Sofitel Darling Harbour, his 12th hotel más...
Kempinski restructures management organization
Following a critical review of the organization, Kempinski Hotels, Geneva, announced Thursday a new management board to lead Europe’s oldest luxury más...
Loews announces huge Texas project, 'Live' brand
Loews Hotels & Co., The Cordish Companies and the Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers announced on Thursday their vision for the hotel and más...
Consumer Reports has good, bad news for hoteliers
There is good news and bad news for hoteliers based on new Consumer Reports research about home-sharing services. The good news: nearly 90% of Americans más...
Hot Openings: Cambridge’s Tamburlaine Hotel
The first UK opening from Dublin-based O’Callaghan Hotel Group has arrived in the Tamburlaine, a 155-room hotel named after a Christopher Marlowe más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Choice, London
Hyatt 1Q: Hyatt Hotels Group released first quarter 2017 earnings. A few highlights, compared with the year-earlier period: Net income increased 104.8% más...
F&B: The end of old-school meetings
Gone are the days of that perfect storm: overstuffed meeting-goers and under-appreciated PowerPoints – the dreaded four-course corporate lunch más...
F&B: Meetings of the future
So what’s next in meetings? Eliminating food waste is an avenue, and Hilton is one of several hotels partnering with the World Wildlife Fund in más...
Disruptor Roundtable: Sharing economy impacts hotel-OTA relations
Just as the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) was convening in January at the JW Marriott at LA Live, HOTELS invited eight industry leaders to más...
Venetian offers direct booking through Facebook Messenger
The Venetian Las Vegas has launched a Facebook Messenger direct booking channel to help reduce interface friction and enable guests to stay within their más...
Eagles tell hotel owners to leave 'Hotel California' alone
The rock n' roll band The Eagles have filed a lawsuit accusing the owners of a hotel in Mexico of using, without their permission, the band’s famous más...
People on the Move
Hyatt named Asad Ahmed senior vice president, global sales. Previously, Ahmed was vice president for Starwood’s Europe, Africa and Middle East (EAME) más...
Hot Openings: Hotel VIA to open in San Francisco
The independently owned and operated 159-room Hotel VIA will open in spring in San Francisco’s South Beach neighborhood. The 12-story boutique hotel más...
News in brief: Gaw Capital, Ashford, Crowne Plaza
Gaw in Oakland? According to the San Francisco Business Times, Hong Kong’s Gaw Capital intends to purchase a Marriott in Oakland, California, for más...
Gostelow Report: Sipping success at London's Langham
"It's a double-edged sword having such a successful bar as our Artesian as, wherever I am, even on vacation, I am always researching beverage trends," más...
Columbia Hospitality acquires Coastal in regional deal
Seattle-based Columbia Hospitality said Monday it has acquired Coastal Hotels and will take over management of six hotels and two golf courses in Washington más...
Bardessono partners with chef Keller on pastries
Bardessono Hotel & Spa in Yountville, California, announced a partnership with Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery that will bring complimentary más...
Hot Openings: Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu, Japanese 'onsen' resort
Japanese hospitality company Fujita Kanko has opened Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu, the newest addition to its resort portfolio in Hakone, Japan, a popular hot más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Hilton, Mandarin
Airbnb settles in San Francisco: Airbnb settled a lawsuit against the city of San Francisco around transparency and the enforcement of existing registration más...
Disruptor Roundtable: Hard Rock's response to sharing economy
Just as the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) was convening in January at the JW Marriott at LA Live, HOTELS invited eight industry leaders to más...
As biz travelers sign on, Airbnb launches search tool
After seeing a bump in business-related bookings in the past year, home sharing giant Airbnb will launch a search tool focused around business travel más...
What’s Hot: Stafford unveils carriage house, restaurant updates
Five-star boutique hotel The Stafford London unveiled the multi-million dollar redesign of its carriage house suites. Designer Alexandra Champalimaud más...
News in brief: Viceroy, Hawaii, employment
Viceroy in Vietnam: Viceroy Hotel Group announced plans to open Viceroy Da Nang Vietnam in 2020 as the anchor of the country’s Cocobay entertainment más...
abril 2017
Disruptor Roundtable: Kong on competing with Airbnb
Just as the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) was convening in January at the JW Marriott at LA Live, HOTELS invited eight industry leaders to más...
Marriott makes big push for modular construction
Marriott International expects to sign 50 hotel deals that will involve modular construction by its approved vendors, underscoring the growing appeal más...
What’s Hot: Hilton Buena Vista Palace gets revamp
The Hilton Buena Vista Palace, a Walt Disney World hotel in Orlando, Florida, has gotten a facelift. Design firm The Gettys Group was behind the más...
News in brief: Ramada, Claremont
Ramada in Christchurch: Wyndham Hotel Group is introducing the Ramada Encore brand to Christchurch, New Zealand. The 88-room Ramada Encore Christchurch más...
Leveraging VR while it continues to evolve
Want to effectively reach lots of potential hotel customers in a visually engaging way? Virtual reality technology might not get you there – yet más...
Poortiers launch portal to further sustainable hotelkeeping
NOW, a new initiative calling for accountability around sustainability in travel, launched on Earth Day (April 22). NOW’s mission is to create a más...
What’s Hot: Melrose Georgetown’s presidential suite
The Melrose Georgetown Hotel in Washington, D.C., has updated its presidential suite. The suite has been redone in a color palette of muted grays, ivory más...
News in brief: Omni, HVS, First Group
Omni in Atlanta: Omni Hotels & Resorts acquired Time Warner’s 50% interest in the Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center and now has full ownership más...
Disruptor Roundtable: Chip Conley learns from Airbnb years
Just as the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) was convening in January at the JW Marriott at LA Live, HOTELS invited eight industry leaders to más...
One&Only launches three new brands
Kerzner International Holding’s One&Only brand is launching three new brands to compliment its Beach Resorts portfolio with One&Only Nature más...
At AHIC, discussion of demographics, technology
A shift in global economic power, demographics and digitization were among the topics discussed as part of the opening session of the Arabian Hotel Investment más...
Hot Openings: Knoxville’s Tennessean Hotel debuts
The 82-room Tennessean Hotel has opened. The hotel, which also contains 12 luxury residences, sits on the grounds of the 1982 World’s Fair Park más...
People on the Move
L.E. Hotels appointed Bianca Porto Barga vice president of account management. Prior to joining L.E. Hotels, Barga served as director of sales and más...
News in brief: Brussels, Wynn, Wyndham
Brussels occupancy: Hotels in Brussels posted five consecutive months of occupancy growth after 12 months of declines, according to STR. November 2016 más...
Gostelow Report: Practice makes perfect at Surf Club
“By the time we opened on March 23rd, 2017, every one of our 72 bedrooms had been slept in by a manager at least three times," says Reed Kandalaft más...
Ashford says offer for FelCor adds more value
Ashford Hospitality Trust on Tuesday sent a letter to the FelCor Lodging Trust board stating it believes its recently revised offer to include 50% cash más...
Myanmar beach destinations emerging: report
Four of Myanmar’s beach destinations are emerging as leading contenders in Asia’s search for the next exotic tropical getaway spot, according más...
Hot Openings: IHG's first Holiday Inn H4
IHG has opened its first Holiday Inn property with the brand’s H4 design, which was developed in collaboration with Holiday Inn hotel owners and más...
News in brief: Crescent, IHG, Hoshino Osaka
Crescent, JFK: Fairfax, Virginia-based Crescent Hotels & Resorts will manage the 330-room Crowne Plaza JFK Airport Hotel. IHG: InterContinental más...
RLJ to acquire FelCor in all-stock transaction
RLJ Lodging Trust said on Monday it would buy FelCor Lodging Trust in an all-stock transaction that values FelCor at US$8.54 per share based on the April más...
Starwood Capital launches economy extended-stay brand
Starwood Capital Group on Monday officially announced the launch of Uptown Suites, an upscale, economy-priced extended-stay suites brand for the United más...
Hot Openings: Grand Hyatt Baha Mar debuts
After over ten years in development, the first phase of the Bahamas-based Baha project - the Grand Hyatt - will open in late May. The 1800-room hotel más...
Mövenpick program focuses on kids
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts introduced a global program, Mövenpick Family, that offers baby items on demand, healthy children’s menus más...
Q1 results for EMEA, Asia, Latin America: STR
STR reported Q1 data versus the previous year for EMEA, Asia and Latin America with strength in Europe leading the way. Through March, European hotels más...
News in brief: Starwood Capital, Al Marjan, Oman
Starwood eyeing James? According to The Real Deal, CIM Group is close to a deal to sell the 286-room James hotel in Los Angeles to Barry Sternlicht’s más...
HOTELS now taking entries for the 2017 SoHo Awards!
Get your social media groove on. Entries are now open for the HOTELS 2017 Social Hotel Awards, which honor brands and individual properties más...
Hot Openings: Soho, Sydell club The Ned debuts
The Ned, the posh collaboration between Soho House and Sydell Group, has splashed onto London’s scene, following four years and around £200 más...
News in brief: Viceroy, Airbnb, VAT
Viceroy in Serbia: Viceroy Hotel Group is partnering with KPI DOO Belgrade on the Viceroy Kopaonik Serbia, a 120-room ski resort that will open in 2018 más...
Noble House launches systemwide F&B promotion
Noble House Hotels & Resorts, a hotel ownership and management group with an upscale portfolio of 15 properties spanning the U.S., has unveiled its más...
Amid data concerns, transparency can pay off
After data breaches at several major hotel companies, including one most recently at IHG that reportedly affected more than 1,100 properties, hotels have más...
What’s Hot: Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne's redesigned rooms
The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami unveiled its newly redesigned guest rooms and signature restaurant concept. Designed by Wimberly Interiors más...
HOTELS now taking entries for the 2017 SoHo Awards!
Get your social media groove on. Entries are now open for the HOTELS 2017 Social Hotel Awards, which honor brands and individual properties for stellar más...
News in brief: Dusit, Barceló Group, Genting
Dusit: Dusit International will expand with the opening of Dusit Princess Dhaka, the company’s first property in Bangladesh, under a long-term arrangement más...
Pass the guacamole at The St. Regis Punta Mita
The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort along the shores of Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit has announced the inaugural Pop-Up Avocado Bar in celebration of Cinco más...
Airbnb responds to industry plan to rein in home sharing
The temperature is rising in the ongoing battle between the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the leading home sharing service, Airbnb. In más...
How to minimize choice in the world of big data
In the world of data, bigger is better. Bigger data produces more insights and more robust analyses. A big database is a competitive advantage and data más...
Hot Openings: Anam resort's Vietnamese aesthetic
Anam, a locally owned and operated 117-villa and 96-room resort on the northern Cam Ranh Peninsula in Vietnam, is set to open later this month. The 5-star más...
People on the Move
Island Hotel Newport Beach named Bob Arrivillaga director of sales and marketing. Arrivillaga was recently with the acclaimed Montage Deer Valley más...
News in brief: Star Wars, Costa Rica, data breach
Star Wars hotel? A resort designed to look like a starship is rumored to be in the works for Disney’s Star Wars Land theme park at Disney World más...
Gostelow Report: One can be better than 30
"I gave up heading 30 hotels for just one, but to be in charge of Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski, La Habana, Cuba is the chance of a lifetime," said Xavier más...
Sorenson stumps on behalf of US tourism: FT
Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson is continuing to speak out about how Trump administration policies on immigration and travel can damage travel más...
News in brief: Hotel Julian, Wyndham, Hakkasan Group
Hotel Julian: A redevelopment and adaptive re-use hotel conversion of Chicago’s Atlantic Bank building will be renamed the Hotel Julian, the flagship más...
Hot Openings: Hyatt Regency Amsterdam
Hyatt’s first Amsterdam-based Hyatt Regency has opened. Located in the historical east side of the city, Hyatt Regency Amsterdam, the third Hyatt-branded más...
Thai players make poshtel push in Southeast Asia
A new Thai company, Heritage Stay, aims to transform old heritage buildings in Southeast Asia into poshtels, while current market leader LubD (meaning más...
Barclays bid for Grosvenor House
Billionaire brothers David and Frederick Barclay bid more than £600 million (US$751 million) for London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, according más...
Louvre starts reimaging of Golden Tulip brand
Jin Jiang-owned Louvre Hotels Group has announced it is investing in the renovation and re-launch of the Golden Tulip brand in the Middle East and North más...
Hot Openings: Hilton Norfolk The Main
Hilton’s Norfolk The Main has opened. Located in Norfolk, Virginia – a U.S. naval base – one of the signature features of the 300-room más...
News in brief: Rotana, Dubai, Airbnb
Rotana in Dubai, Muscat: Abu Dhabi-based Rotana plans to open four new properties by 2020, with a total value of US$300 million. Two, the Pearl Rotana más...
HOTELS Profile: Neil Dipaola gets his glamp on
AutoCamp’s Neil Dipaola – who’s upped the ante in luxury camping – talks about what it takes to succeed outside the traditional más...
US$150 million settlement in visa fraud suit
A US$150 million settlement has been reached in the largest fraud in the history of the U.S. EB-5 immigrant visa program. Brokerage Raymond James reached más...
Hot Openings: Arizona’s Mountain Shadows
Mountain Shadows, a US$100 million project some 12 years in the making, has opened in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Popular in the 1960s and '70s, más...
News in brief: Omni, Bellagio, Delta
Omni in Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Port Authority named Omni Resorts & Hotels and New Boston Hospitality LLC to build a hotel next to Boston’s más...
HOTELS Profile: Fredo Taffin ‘pirates’ millennials
Sailor turned architect turned hotelier Fredo Taffin talks about his journey to millennial-oriented resort brand, Le Pirate. This is the latest in a series más...
Program announced for first SAHIC Cuba
The program has been announced for the first SAHIC Cuba, May 15-16 at the Melia Cohiba in Havana. President and Founder of the SAHIC Latin America Hotel más...
What’s Hot: Park Hyatt Washington D.C.'s renovation
New York-based interior designer Tony Chi has revamped the 220-room Park Hyatt Washington, D.C. Chi, who specializes in elite international hotels and más...
News in brief: Mammoth, Chinese tourism, home sharing
Mammoth Resorts sells: Aspen Skiing Co. will buy Mammoth Mountain and three other southern California ski areas. Mammoth Resorts confirmed it will be más...
HOTELS Profile: Allen Law learns from inside out
Park Hotel Group’s Allen Law rolled up his sleeves to learn the processes that lead to better innovation and sustainable growth. This is the latest más...
U.S. room construction approaching previous peak
STR’s March 2017 Pipeline Report shows 571,311 rooms in 4,721 hotel projects under contract in the United States, representing a 14.4% increase más...
Hilton Garden Inn revamps F&B offering
Hilton Garden Inn on Wednesday announced the transformation of its F&B concept to address consumers’ changing dining preferences, including más...
What’s Hot: Tribe brand to debut with Perth location
The first location of Tribe Hotel Group’s brand is opening in May in West Perth, Australia. Mantra Group will manage that location, and the partnership más...
People on the Move
LBA Hospitality appointed Thomas Agar as vice president of operations. Agar, who has more than more than 30 years of expertise in the hospitality industry más...
News in brief: Memphis Sheraton, Meraas, St Giles
Memphis Sheraton: Memphis, Tennessee’s convention center hotel, the 600-room Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel, will be sold by Host Hotels & más...
Gostelow Report: Colorful creativity at Anantara Bangkok
"I'm a creative entrepreneur, so opening the first custom-built Avani a year ago suited me just fine – I even managed to get our line staff into más...
Stephen Brandman, partners launch Journal Hotels
Veteran hotelier Stephen Brandman, along with new Hong Kong-based business partners Goodwin Gaw and David Chang, are launching Journal Hotels with an más...
Hyatt expanding in-room streaming services
Hyatt announced Tuesday it is expanding its personalized, in-room television streaming solution to guests through its World of Hyatt mobile app. This más...
Hot Openings: Oberoi Beach Resort Al Zorah
Oberoi Hotels & Resorts has opened the Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah in Ajman. The hotel was master planned by Solidere International and a joint más...
News in brief: Felcor, Mantra, Radisson Red
Ashford revises Felcor bid proposal. In a Tuesday research note, R.W. Baird analyst Michael Bellisario said in a preliminary proxy statement filed Tuesday más...
HOTELS Profile: Kijkanakorn's hotels steeped in culture
Anchalika Kijkanakorn’s Akaryn Hotel Group puts a Thai spin on barefoot luxury. This is the latest in a series of profiles of leaders around the más...
Hot Openings: Japanese-inspired Nobu Ryokan Malibu
Nobu Hospitality – the Japanese-themed boutique hotel and restaurant chain co-owned by Robert De Niro – will debut its Nobu Ryokan Malibu más...
KSL, Aspen Skiing acquire Intrawest ski resorts
Aspen Skiing Co. and KSL Partners on Monday acquired Intrawest Resorts for US$1.5 billion, giving the partnership control of Steamboat and Winter Park más...
News in brief: NoMad, Mövenpick, Trump
NoMad in London: NoMad Hotel company Sydell Group says it’s close to announcing the site of a new NoMad in London, according to The Caterer website más...
HOTELS Profile: Philip Wood, the hotel dean of D.C.
Managing Director Philip Wood keeps The Jefferson Hotel above the luxury fray. This is the latest in a series of profiles of leaders around the world más...
Hot Openings: Shangri-La’s Kerry Hotel Hong Kong
Kerry Hotel Hong Kong, the first new-build hotel to open on the Kowloon waterfront since 1995, will open later this month. Architect and más...
News in brief: Playa Hotels & Resorts
Playa public: Playa Hotels & Resorts became a publicly traded company earlier this week. The group is the first and only all-inclusive hospitality más...
St. Regis Princeville's new take on wedding amenities
The St. Regis Princeville Resort has developed a partnership with fashion illustrator and style expert Dallas Shaw to serve as the property’s bridal más...
Heckmann clarifies Google’s role in the travel journey
A few months ago, HOTELS talked to Oliver Heckmann, who for almost two and a half years has been Google’s vice president of engineering for travel más...
Another AccorHotels deal further services independents
With more than 2,000 independent hotels already listed on its website and stated plans to grow its “third-party” digital services business más...
Expedia pushes for Airbnb regulation in New South Wales
As New South Wales prepares to make a decision on regulation of the short-term accommodation market (including giant Airbnb), Stayz, the Australian short-term más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Indigo debuts in Los Angeles
InterContinental Hotels Group opened its first Indigo brand in Los Angeles, in the city’s Metropolis mixed-use development. The developer and owner más...
Magnuson, Jin Jiang, Louvre alliance goes live
A marketing alliance representing 8,000 hotels and 800,000 guest rooms went live on Thursday as Magnuson Hotels, Spokane, Washington, as well as Shanghai’s más...
News in brief: Hilton, Hard Rock, Sorenson
Hilton in Sri Lanka: Hilton signed six management agreements with Melwa Hotels & Resorts Private Limited to manage three Hilton Hotels & Resorts más...
HOTELS’ Profile: For Jimmy Suh, no revenue left behind
Standard International's Jimmy Suh carves out a new niche by looking outside traditional boundaries. This is the latest in a series of profiles of leaders más...
Hard Rock details $375m Atlantic City plan
Hard Rock International on Wednesday officially announced the completed acquisition as well as unveiled plans for the launch and significant redevelopment más...
What’s Hot: First look at Bürgenstock’s Palace revamp
The Palace Hotel, a belle époque-era property on Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne that has undergone an eight-year restoration has reopened for más...
People on the Move
DoubleTree by Hilton Colorado Springs is pleased to announce Ryan Blanchard as the hotel’s new assistant general manager. Blanchard most recently más...
News in brief: NH, Providence, Trump
Providence grows UK management. Fairtree Capital’s Hospitality Real Estate private equity fund has acquired four hotels in southwest UK – más...
Gostelow Report: L&R’s steward of history
"I am keeper of some of England's magnificent historic houses, rather than a mainstream hotelier," admits Andrew Stembridge, heading up L&R's newly más...
Preferred launches mobile app with member rates
Preferred Hotels & Resorts on Monday launched a mobile app and member rate program as major enhancements to its points-based hotel rewards program más...
Updating sustainability's impact on business booking
Only one in six travel management professionals (16%) currently incentivize their business travelers to stay in hotels with sustainable practices, according más...
What’s Hot: Westin Nashville’s penthouse suites
The Westin Nashville unveiled its luxury entertainment suites, on the 26th floor of the 453-room property. The Nashville, Belmont and Broadway Suites más...
News in brief: South Place Hotel, Crestline, Summit
South Place Hotel sold: UK real estate fund manager Frogmore sold the South Place Hotel in London to Tian An China Investments Company for £67 más...
HOTELS Profile: Ana Brant puts service in context
The Dorchester Collection’s Ana Brant believes context is what turns service into an experience. This is the latest in a series of profiles of leaders más...
Maui Westin acquired in US$317 million deal
A joint venture of funds managed by Trinity Investments and Oaktree Capital Management acquired a long-term leasehold interest in The Westin Maui Resort más...
Marriott's latest effort to help reinvigorate Sheraton brand
In the latest iteration to reinvigorate the Sheraton Hotels & Resorts brand, Marriott International on Monday launched the Go Beyond platform más...
Accor buys booking platform VeryChic
AccorHotels announced that it has acquired VeryChic,?a digital platform for the private sale of luxury hotel rooms and apartments, cruises, breaks and más...
IHG launches next Holiday Inn TV campaign
IHG’s Holiday Inn brand is returning to TV with the launch of its new, multimillion-dollar marketing campaign called Smiles Ahead, which highlights más...
Hot Openings: Ascott Marunouchi Tokyo debuts
Singapore-based Ascott Limited has opened its new luxury residence property in Tokyo, the Ascott Marunouchi Tokyo. The design concept pays homage to the más...
News in brief: TCC Group, LaSalle, Mövenpick
US$3.5 billion Bangkok development: Thailand’s richest man, Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, is planning a US$3.5 billion property development in central más...
marzo 2017
HOTELS Profile: Adrian Zecha takes luxury downscale
Adrian Zecha is up to his old tricks: following the backpackers, but this time with a 3-star-plus brand. This is the latest in a series of profiles of más...
Takeaways from Atlanta's Hunter investment conference
The Hunter hotel investment conference in Atlanta ended earlier this and we have a roundup of key takeaways about the U.S. investment and performance más...
1 Hotels 'not so' creative with room service amenities
To elevate and bring greater attention to its room service amenities, Starwood Capital’s eco-luxury hotel brand, 1 Hotels, has launched a menu of más...
News in brief: Brexit, Tapestry, Trump
Brexit and hospitality: The British Hospitality Association published a report stating that without future EU migration, the hospitality sector faces más...
What’s Hot: Anantara Angkor Resort gets refresh
The Cambodia-based Anantara Angkor Resort has reopened, following renovations to the resort’s suites, restaurants and common areas. The resort más...
Communal Element added to extended-stay
The communal living trend is heading into the extended-stay space. Marriott International announced in January that its extended-stay Element brand would más...
1 Hotels jumps on mindfulness trend with meetings format
The mindfulness trend is making its way into meetings with 1 Hotels launching Meaningful Meetings -- first at 1 Hotel Central Park, followed by 1 Hotel más...
Marriott delivering more content -- now on Snapchat
The most prolific brand content developer, Marriott International, is at it again – this time taking to Snapchat. Marriott Rewards announced Thursday más...
What’s Hot: Dorchester reopens Rome’s Hotel Eden
Dorchester Collection is on the verge of reopening its Hotel Eden, the company's property in Rome, which underwent an extensive 18-month restoration. más...
News in brief: Deutsche, Fairtree, Seibu
Deutsche: Deutsche Hospitality signed an agreement for its first hotel in Thailand. The 5-star Steigenberger Hotel Riverside will open in the capital más...
HOTELS' Groundbreaker: Cyril Aouizerate
HOTELS introduces its 2017 Groundbreaker, Cyril Aouizerate. Aouizerate, the co-creator of the Mama Shelter brand with the Trigano family, is a philosopher más...
Exclusive: First images of NYC Waldorf renovation
The very first renderings of the two- to-three-year repositioning of The Waldorf Astoria New York have surfaced in the form of plans for landmarked public más...
Starwood Capital partners with Chinese developer for Asia
Shimao Property Holdings Ltd., a Chinese property developer whose Shimao Hotels & Resorts operates 20 hotels in China with approximately 6,500 rooms más...
Aman adding 11 new properties to its pipeline
With details yet to emerge, Aman is reporting that it has signed and is developing 11 new hotels, each with a residential component. The expansion will más...
Dusit, E-Hotel operator in Japan JV
Dusit International is entering Japan for the first time, in a joint venture with Colours International Co., operator of the E-Hotel chain. The two companies más...
People on the Move
Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa appointed Katherine Beja-McLennan director of sales and marketing. Most recently, Beja-McLennan was más...
News in brief: Trump, Nobu, Rezidor
Trump: The Trump Organization wants to open a second Washington hotel as part of a planned nationwide expansion, potentially creating another venue where más...
Gostelow Report: Tea and history at Four Seasons Kyoto
"Authenticity is the key, and it really helps to have gardens that are said to go back eight centuries," says Alex Porteous, general manager of the 123-room más...
News in brief: Marriott, Accor, Noble House
Marriott London: Marriott International expanded its extended-stay brand, Residence Inn by Marriott, with the signing of two new properties in London más...
Hot Openings: Hilton Saint Petersburg ExpoForum debuts
The Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand has landed its first property in the northwest region of the Russian Federation, with the opening of Hilton Saint más...
Note to hotel schools: Tout innovation, not achievement
I have recently been delving into the world’s hotel education establishments on the back of Son-Number-Two’s desire to seek a career in the más...
HOTELS’ Legend: Peninsula’s Sir Michael Kadoorie
HOTELS introduces its 2017 Legend, Sir Michael Kadoorie. Kadoorie is building on his family’s legacy in business, and its longtime history of philanthropy más...
The power of big data – a beginners guide
Much has been written and said on the topic of Big Data and data itself. Over the last years, the cost of data storage has decreased dramatically from más...
Hot Openings: The Lowell Hotel’s Majorelle opens
With the opening of Majorelle, a restaurant from famed chef Charles Masson, earlier this month, the Upper East Side’s 74-room Lowell Hotel has officially más...
News in brief: Union, China pipeline, Sydney
Union in Seattle: Union Investment acquired the 222-room Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Seattle, which opened in 2015, for US$90 million. It’s the más...
New York hotel market chases recovery
New York City has been working through an enormous hotel construction pipeline for the past several years — the largest in the nation — and más...
What’s Hot: Eden Roc at Cap Cana adds beachfront suites
Relais & Chatêaux property Eden Roc at Cap Cana has added 26 beachfront suites. Two new room types are available – one-bedroom más...
Kimpton offers stress-busting dogs for meetings
Meetings can be stressful. So what better way to break away than a cuddle session with a hotel dog? That is what Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia believes más...
News in brief: Crowne Plaza Perth, Trump, Asia pipeline
Crowne Plaza Perth: Singapore’s I-Power Management bought the 189-room, 4.5-star Crowne Plaza Perth for A$50 million (US$30 million). More from más...
After years of struggle, Club Med makes comeback
Club Med is on an expansion tear following its 2015 acquisition by China’s Fosun Group. The Paris-based originator of the all-inclusive resort plans más...
Sign up for HOTELS' Social Hotel Awards webinar
Punch up your social media skills by attending HOTELS' one-hour webinar on April 27 showcasing the winners of the 2016 Social Hotel Awards. más...
What’s Hot: InterCon NYC's new penthouse, presidential suites
The InterContinental New York Barclay has debuted the fruits of a US$180 million, 20-month labor, including the new Harold S. Vanderbilt penthouse and más...
Baur au Lac staff vies to make best Easter egg
Staffers at the Baur au Lac, Zurich, are competing to determine which internal department can make the best Easter egg. Each team created an Easter egg más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Colliers, Viceroy
Wyndham: Wyndham Hotel Group unveiled plans to manage the 242-key Wyndham Grand Ambergris Caye, the first resort in Belize to fly the Wyndham Grand flag más...
Case study: Hilton Cleveland’s crowd-sourced Instagram art
The Hilton Cleveland Hotel, before its opening last year, promoted an Instagram campaign that got the community involved in designing a community-driven más...
SBE in discussion to acquire Hakkasan
SBE on Wednesday announced that it is in advanced discussions to merge with Hakkasan Group. SBE Founder and CEO Sam Nazarian said the merger is expected más...
Emerging technology’s impact on hospitality experiences
Consumers are most willing to engage brands with new technology if they feel that they are in control of their experience and hospitality operators should más...
Consumers love digital channels: What does it mean for hotels?
The proportion of hotel rooms being booked through digital channels, including brand.com, GDS and OTAs, is increasing ever year. This proportion, on a más...
What’s Hot: Gwen Chicago's new lobby, restaurant and lounge
Luxury Collection Hotel The Gwen Chicago has debuted a new lobby, restaurant and lounge concept as well as its rooftop terrace, Upstairs at The Gwen. más...
People on the Move
Colorado’s Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch named Aaron Baxendale executive sous chef of WYLD, the resort’s new signature restaurant. Scott más...
News in brief: Kauai, Cornell, Deutsche
Kauai hotel: Hawaii developer Jeff Stone plans to develop an 80-unit hotel at the Princeville Resort master-planned community in Hanalei on Kauai’s más...
Gostelow Report: Poetic license at Miami Beach’s The Betsy
"Creativity takes courage, but then I never intended to be a hotelier. My wife, Lesley Goldwasser, and I were both financiers in New York and a friend más...
Marriott invests to make loyalty more experiential
With the likely goal to help its loyalty platforms reflect a more experiential profile, Marriott International on Monday invested in PlacePass, a technology más...
Migrating data to the cloud can be a quick win
There seems to be consensus in the hotel industry that technology should be migrating toward cloud-hosted platforms, rather than on-premise systems built más...
Hot Openings: NYX Prague debuts
European-based Leonardo Hotels from David Fattal has opened its second NYX-branded European hotel, NYX Prague. German-based Andreas Neudahm is behind más...
News in brief: Mantra, MGM, Trump
Mantra in sights of Asian investors: The US$800 million hotel manager Mantra may be the latest company being targeted for a takeover with suggestions más...
GM breaking the operations mold at Park Hyatt Bangkok
When it opens on May 12, Park Hyatt Bangkok will be atypical of the brand as its general manager, Michael Golden, breaks with traditions. The seasoned más...
Blackstone acquires Rio’s Atlantica hotel
Copacabana Beach’s Windsor Atlantica Hotel has been acquired by funds managed by Blackstone’s real estate business, the firm announced today más...
Images of AccorHotels' first Jo&Joe surface
The first Jo&Joe from AccorHotels is preparing for a May 29 unveiling in Hossegor, France, and some of the first images have surfaced for sharing más...
Crowne Plaza campaign aims at ‘mostly’ biz traveler
InterContinental Hotels Group today launched “We're All Business, Mostly,” the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand's largest consumer más...
Hot Openings: Trump Int'l Hotel & Tower Vancouver
TA Global Bhd.’s Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver has opened, though a number of bigwig city officials failed to show up for the más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Viaduct Harbour Holdings, Disney
Airbnb Miami: Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has reached an agreement with home-sharing platform Airbnb to collect county resort taxes. Under the agreement más...
Accor shadow board: More function, less theory
What does a hotel company have to do to connect with the younger generation? AccorHotels is giving them a seat in the boardroom. To integrate younger más...
Hot Openings: Firmdale’s Whitby opens in Manhattan
Firmdale Hotels' The Whitby has opened in Manhattan. This is the second property from hoteliers Kit and Tim Kemp – their Crosby Street Hotel más...
Marriott offers glamping package at Coachella
Marriott International is coupling a promotion of its hotel brands with an opportunity for Coachella festival-goers to stay in tented versions of guest más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Las Vegas, Timbers Resorts
Hyatt: In connection with the March 11, 2017 business combination of Playa Hotels & Resorts and Pace Holdings, Hyatt Hotels yesterday más...
Caribbean sees solid growth; braces again for Cuba, Zika
U.S. hotel companies circling in the waters off Florida’s coast might notice a few things when they survey what until recently was utterly forbidden más...
Rezidor makes milestone GM announcement in Jeddah
The Rezidor Hotel Group has appointed what it claims is the industry’s first Saudi female general manager at its Park Inn by Radisson in Jeddah más...
Hot Openings: Sneak preview of Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
The 170-room Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is set to open in early June, and here are the photos to prove it. Located adjacent to The Beverly Hilton más...
News in brief: Canyon Ranch, Hoshino, Virtuoso
Canyon Ranch: Canyon Ranch founders Melvin and Enid Zuckerman announced their retirement from the wellness destination pioneer after nearly 40 years. más...
Q&A: Minor CCO Michael Marshall talks expansion
Minor Hotels has been moving and shaking lately in the expansion department. New Anantaras have opened in Sri Lanka and Oman, and the company just opened más...
Deitemeyer lands at Interstate as CEO
Mike Deitemeyer has been named CEO of Interstate Hotels & Resorts. His appointment at Arlington, Virginia-based Interstate, which manages 420 hotels más...
Hot Openings: Auberge debuts Chileno Bay resort
Auberge Resorts Collection has opened Chileno Bay Resorts & Residences in Los Cabos. With design from Glazier Le Architects and BAMO, the resort’s más...
Israel's Brown Hotels heads to beach for promotion
In collaboration with the Israel Ministry of Tourism and the city of Tel Aviv, Brown Hotels unveiled on Wednesday the Lifeguard Tower Hotel, located on más...
People on the Move
Rosewood Sand Hill in Silicon Valley appointed three new members to the hotel’s culinary team: Reylon Agustin was promoted to executive chef, Michael más...
News in brief: Hilton, Best Western, Accor
Hilton Paris Eiffel Tower: Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand will add a second property in central Paris, the Hilton Paris Eiffel Tower. Plans were más...
Gostelow Report: ‘Hilton through and through’ at Conrad Tokyo
"Having 120 luxury travel professionals in-house is a really good way of showcasing our hotel,” says Neil McInnes, general manager of the 290-room más...
Westin launches program promoting better sleep
Westin Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday started pledging support to the World Sleep Society for those who use the #SleepStrong hashtag to showcase their más...
Hot Openings: JW Marriott Phu Quoc an island retreat
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts opened JW Marriott Phu Quoc, Emerald Bay, on Vietnam’s largest island. It’s the second hotel for the brand más...
News in brief: Cornell University hotel, Airbnb, Meininger
Cornell University hotel: AJ Capital Partners and Cornell University will build a hotel on the university’s new Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt más...
Generator changes hands for record hostel deal price
Patron Capital and Invesco Real Estate are selling Generator Hostels to private equity firm Queensgate Investments for €450 million (US$480 million) más...
Some of the best quotes from Berlin investment conference
The 20th International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin last week was met with optimism based on performance on the continent, and at the same time tempered más...
Hot Openings: Seascape views at Monterey Tides
The only beachfront hotel in Monterey Bay, California, has undergone a US$12 million renovation at the hands of Joie de Vivre Hotels and made its debut más...
News in brief: Park Hyatt, Capella, Dolder Grand
Park Hyatt Beaver Creek acquired: Ashford Hospitality Prime entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the 190-room Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort más...
Balazs leaving Standard, wants to try hand at ultra-luxury
Lifestyle empresario André Balazs is checking out of the Standard brand he started in Hollywood, California, in 1999, stating he now wants to redefine más...
Notes from IHIF: Differentiation amid uncertainty
The International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin earlier this week reflected as many nuanced opinions as the diversity of delegates of the 20th anniversary más...
Hot Openings: Argentinian brand opens first U.S. property
Argentinian hospitality brand Urbanica debuted its first U.S. based property, The Meridian, in Miami Beach. Located in Miami Beach’s South of Fifth más...
Governments should protect children in tourism: UNWTO
The 32nd meeting this week of the UNWTO World Tourism Network on Child Protection focused on the need for governments to play a leading role in advancing más...
News in brief: Sunset Tower, Trump, Helmsley Sandcastle
Sunset Tower Hotel: Managing Partner Jeff Klein has exercised a right of first offer and made a deal with an unidentified partner to buy the storied Sunset más...
AH&LA continues drumbeat: Airbnb “illegal hotels”
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released a new report on Thursday that suggests Airbnb’s business in the U.S. is moving even más...
Caldwell assumes president’s role at Omni
Omni Hotels & Resorts announced Tursday that its CEO, Jim Caldwell, will also assume the role of president, effective immediately. Omni said in a más...
Paris has most attractive investment climate: Colliers
Despite predictions that investors and tourists would lose faith in the city due to political uncertainty and the perceived threat following various national más...
What’s Hot: Four Seasons NY unveils US$120 million revamp
The Four Seasons Hotel New York has spiffed up with a US$120 million upgrade. Four Seasons owner and Beanie Baby mogul Ty Warner curated the renovation’s más...
Revised travel ban will still cut business trips: GBTA
Nearly 4 in 10 (37%) U.S. business travel professionals expect some level of reduction in their company’s travel because of President Trump’s más...
Now profitable Airbnb raises another cool billion
Now profitable Airbnb has closed on a more than US$1 billion round of funding, CNBC reported, citing source close to the company. The round was confirmed más...
Trump administration causing travel anxiety, survey says
American travelers are planning vacations with safety and security in mind, according to the Travelzoo Spring 2017 Travel Trends Survey. According to más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Chiang Mai, MGM
Wyndham executives: Wyndham Hotel Group appointed Barry Goldstein as chief marketing officer and Scott Strickland as chief information officer. Prior más...
Personalization: The new holy grail
Discounted rates via direct bookings are nice, but they aren’t a very personal approach in an increasingly depersonalized world, nor are they differentiators más...
Host acquires W Hollywood for $219m
Host Hotels & Resorts on Wednesday announced the acquisition for US$219 million (US$718,000/key) of the 305-room W Hollywood, which includes 10,800 más...
IHG program in Pacific aims to inspire female leaders
On International Women’s Day, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced RISE, a program to inspire female leaders at its 141 hotels in Australia más...
What’s Hot: Aman launches Nama culinary concept
Singapore-based Aman Hotels and Resorts has launched Nama, a new culinary concept surrounding the tradition of Japanese cuisine. A year in the making más...
People on the Move
Reginald Archambault was appointed general manager of Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond in St. Michaels, Maryland. Most recently, he was general manager of más...
News in brief: Vienna House, Hyatt, IHG
Vienna House sale complete: Austrian subsidiary of Thailand's U City PCL, Vienna House Capital, acquired Vienna House hotels. The sale is expected más...
Gostelow Report: Rhapsody for GM in Prague
“Finding and retaining staff in a city with 2% unemployment is my biggest challenge,” admits Miroslav Forejtek, general manager of the 210-room más...
Changes continue at Associated Luxury Hotels
Associated Luxury Hotels, the parent company of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) and Worldhotels, announced Tuesday that it has named Josh más...
Pan Pacific parent makes big deal in Melbourne
Singapore’s UOL group has acquired from Host Hotels & Resorts and Plenary Group the 396-room Hilton Melbourne South Wharf for a reported US$174 más...
Marriott boasts 2020 growth plans for Europe
Marriott International announced Tuesday that it expects to dramatically increase the size of its portfolio in Europe across all segments of the industry más...
What’s Hot: Anantara's European debut in Algarve
Minor Hotel Group is dipping its toes into the European market with the opening of Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort, a rebranded former Tivoli Hotels más...
News in brief: IHG, Auberge, Stonebridge
IHG Holiday Inn: IHG signed eight new Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels in Germany, a country which is now IHG’s second biggest market más...
Leondakis leaving Two Roads; no replacement planned
Two Roads Hospitality representatives told HOTELS on Monday that Niki Leondakis, CEO of Hotels & Resorts, is stepping down effective March 8 from más...
AccorHotels takes 50% stake in resort player Rixos
To increase its presence in the resort segment AccorHotels on Monday announced it will take a 50% interest in the Dubai-based Rixos Hotels management más...
Grace Leo new CEO at Swiss luxury hotel company
Ledunfly Hospitality, part of the family office of Swiss businesswoman and philanthropist Dona Bertarelli, on Monday announced the appointment of hotelier más...
Trump administration introduces new travel ban
The Trump administration on Monday signed a revised immigration executive order, which temporarily suspends immigration into the United States for citizens más...
Hot Openings: Westin Nashville debuts
Westin Hotels & Resorts has opened the Westin Nashville, a 27-story luxury hotel in the city’s downtown area. Designed by David Mexico Design más...
Eastern Europe values up 11%; rest of Europe off 2.1%: HVS
Hotels in Eastern Europe are benefitting from tough times in Western Europe with room values in the region seeing an impressive 11% average growth, according más...
European city hotels set for continued growth in 2017-18: PwC
Resilient European economies, the continued popularity of Mediterranean leisure destinations and Europe’s importance for business travellers should más...
Marriott Traveler debuts podcast, ‘Behind the Design’
Marriott International’s digital travel magazine Marriott Traveler has debuted its first-ever podcast. “Behind the Design,” an más...
News in brief: Facebook, Invesco, Dusit
Facebook city guides: Facebook launched a city guides function, with the additional option of booking a hotel, restaurant, or tour. The feature was quietly más...
Croatia soaks up investment from unlikely corners
Croatia’s entry into the European Union in 2013 may have knocked down barriers to international investments – but a reality television show más...
Accor to rebrand, manage 26 Brazil hotels
AccorHotels signed an agreement with Brazil Hospitality Group to take over the management of 26 hotels totaling 4,400 rooms owned or managed by BHG. The más...
What’s Hot: Architect’s private residence gets new life in Soori Bali
A Singapore-based architect has converted what was originally intended to be his private vacation home into a luxury wellness hotel. Designed, owned and más...
McKibbons adopt-a-dog program breeds pride
McKibbon Hospitality’s Aloft Tallahassee (Florida) Downtown has embarked on a foster dog adoption program that provides unique guest experiences más...
News in brief: Avignon, Trump, Prism
Avignon: Avignon Capital has made its debut hotel acquisition, investing €48.5 million (US$51.1 million) in Germany with the purchase of two más...
Pandox rules: Competitive Nissen will manage his way
Anders Nissen is a sportsman and competitive by nature, which might explain why he is also considered by hotel management companies to be one demanding más...
Ashford Prime REIT announces two big acquisitions
Luxury-focused REIT Ashford Hospitality Prime on Thursday announced it has agreed to acquire the 80-room Hotel Yountville in California for US$96.5 million más...
Hong Kong JV snags Vancouver hotel for US$145 million
A joint venture based in Hong Kong plans to buy the Rosewood Hotel Georgia in Vancouver, British Columbia, for US$145 million. The seller is Delta Land más...
Report: Mobile dominates hotel searches
Mobile is now the dominant channel for hotel searches, with 53% of searches originating from a mobile device, according to a report by direct-booking más...
Guest reviews impact net revenue performance dynamics
The idea that a hotel with better guest reviews will likely make more money is not a particularly controversial one. It stands to reason that the more más...
Hot Openings: La Serena Villas reborn in Palm Springs
Originally the site of a hotel that opened in 1933 in downtown Palm Springs, California, La Serena Villas is the latest addition to the city’s hotel más...
News in brief: Hard Rock, Marriott, Montage
Big deal for Montage. Montage International and The Robert Green Co. reached an agreement Thursday for the development of the SilverRock Resort in La más...
K.P. Ho: Banyan Tree-Accor alliance transformative for industry
A structure of collaboration between Banyan Tree Holdings and AccorHotels is being formed following their deal, signed in December, to "co-develop" Banyan más...
McKinsey tracks shifts in distribution landscape
A new report by consultancy McKinsey outlining the pace of change in travel distribution and underlines its admonition that in order to stay competitive más...
People on the Move
AccorHotels appointed Maud Bailly as chief digital officer. Bailly will serve as head of the digital, distribution, sales, and information systems, and más...
What’s Hot: Alain Ducasse’s Rech, at InterCon Hong Kong
Chef legend Alain Ducasse is debuting a new restaurant, Rech by Alain Ducasse, at the InterContinental Hong Kong. Rech has taken over the former Spoon más...
News in brief: Marriott, Dalata, L’Auberge de Sedona
Marriott appoints loyalty chief: Marriott International named David Flueck senior vice president, loyalty, overseeing Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards más...
febrero 2017
Gostelow Report: Cultivating loyalty at Mandarin Bangkok
"I am out there at breakfast, every day, working the floor with my team and talking to guests," says Amanda Hyndman, general manager of the Mandarin Oriental más...
Last call for 'Greatest of them all' before big refurbishment
Tonight is the last night to say at The Waldorf Astoria New York as it closes tomorrow for two to three years for a complete renovation and partial condo más...
FelCor tells Ashford it would consider a cash offer
FelCor Lodging Trust CEO Steve Goldman sent a letter to Ashford Hospitality Trust (AHT) Chairman Monty Bennett on Monday suggesting FelCor would be willing más...
HNA sells NH shares to avoid mandatory takeover
HNA Group Co. Ltd. said on Monday it sold 541,931 shares of Spain’s NH Hotels to avoid launching a mandatory takeover bid per a European Union directive más...
Hot Openings: ‘Tiny’ hotel, Thailand’s Bocage
Louis T Collection has opened its second Thai property in Hotel Bocage, a tiny hotel in Hua Hin with a luxury punch. Louis T Collection has acquired más...
News in brief: Priceline, Crown, InterContinental
Priceline bookings up: Priceline Group reported a 26% increase in fourth-quarter gross travel bookings, to US$15.1 billion, over the same period a year más...
Q&A: Mob Hotel’s Aouizerate builds 'concrete utopia'
Imagine entering a hotel where the lobby is a market promoting a rotating selection of local and handmade goods. You are greeted by two artisans at handmade más...
Pan Pacific names CEO to further growth ambitions
Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) on Monday announced the appointment of Lothar Wilhelm Nessmann as its new chief executive officer, effective March 1, más...
What’s Hot: Hermosa Inn's multimillion-dollar renovation
Pheonix area-based boutique hotel Hermosa Inn recently completed the second phase of a US$5.5 million dollar renovation and expansion. Located on six más...
News in brief: Marriott, Virgin, Houdré
Marriott construction pipeline: Lodging Econometrics reports that at year-end 2016, Marriott International had the biggest pipeline in the U.S. of any más...
Hilton split: Legacy helps vacation ownership stand alone
On January 4, Hilton Worldwide spun off into three separate and simplified publically traded companies – all motivated by goals to capitalize on más...
FelCor publishes response to Ashford bid
FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. on Friday offered clarification on the unsolicited, non-binding and conditional proposal to combine its business with Ashford más...
GBTA: Travel ban puts biz spending in jeopardy
The executive director of the Global Business Travel Association is raising alarm bells over the bottom-line economic impact from the U.S. travel ban más...
HSMAI conference: Trends, metasearch tips from Google, TripAdvisor
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International presented its 2017 HSMAI Digital Marketing Strategy Conference earlier this week in New más...
Vienna House to be acquired, adds hotels
Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG will be fully acquired by Vienna House Capital, the Austrian subsidiary of Thailand’s U City PCL, a commercial más...
Hot Openings: SBE's first Middle East hotel, Mondrian Doha
SBE is on the verge of opening its first hotel in the Middle East with the fall launch of Mondrian Doha in Qatar. Designed in collaboration with Dutch más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Taj, Sunset Tower Hotel
Airbnb, Tilt: Airbnb bought social payments startup Tilt, with the company’s co-founder and CEO James Beshara joining Airbnb, as well as Tilt más...
Hilton split: Park REIT in Baltimore’s wheelhouse
On January 4, Hilton Worldwide spun off into three separate and simplified publically traded companies – all motivated by goals to capitalize on más...
Shakeup at Outrigger with KSL exec taking control
Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, Honolulu, announced late Wednesday that KSL Resorts co-founder and CEO Scott Dalecio will take over day-to-day oversight más...
Hyatt officially launches customer engagement program
Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Thursday officially announced the launch of World of Hyatt, a new global platform that it says is “grounded in the simple más...
Ascott tests co-living spaces for its millennial brand
Singapore’s The Ascott Limited has launched a “living lab” to test co-living spaces intended for its millennial brand, Lyf. The project más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Myconian Kyma
Set to open in May, the Grecian Myconian Kyma is the latest property from the Design Hotels portfolio. Located on the Greek island Mykonos, the más...
News in brief: Crown, Pan Pacific, Ctrip
Crown restructuring: Billionaire James Packer has replaced the chief executive officer of Crown Resorts and scrapped a hotels listing as the casino operator más...
Hilton split: Nassetta off to the races
On January 4, Hilton Worldwide spun off into three separate and simplified publically traded companies – all motivated by goals to capitalize on más...
Hot Openings: Zecha returns with Azerai in Laos
At age 84, hotel industry legend Adrian Zecha is not slowing down. The man who created hotel “junkies” with his Aman ultra-luxury brand only más...
Accor sets profit records; names Sarkozy, new platform
AccorHotels reported on Wednesday its Q4 2016 results, which included posting record profits for 2016 despite weakness in its biggest market, France. más...
Could 1,800 UK hotel companies be in trouble?
UK-based accountancy Moore Stephens has reported that the headwinds created by Brexit could result in 1,800 UK hotel companies having at least a 30% chance más...
People on the Move
Hotel Cosmo Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia appointed Azrule Aziz general manager. Previously, Aziz served as executive assistant manager for Malaysia’s más...
News in brief: Click decline, Host results
Not clicking around: According to a new study, leisure travelers are only visiting 4.4 unique websites before booking travel – a steep decline from más...
Gostelow Report: Investing in Miami Beach’s The Setai
"My banking career taught me clear organization and the necessity of keeping standards up at all times," says Alex Furrer, general manager of The Setai más...
Ashford makes public its push to buy FelCor
Ashford Hospitality Trust announced Tuesday that it has submitted a non-binding proposal to acquire FelCor Lodging Trust in an all-stock transaction for más...
Report on Bali warns of mass market shift
After a very challenging 2015 for Bali, occupancy was up by more than 4% in 2016 bringing a shot of fresh air and hope, but at what cost? Hotels’ más...
What’s Hot: Blue Waters Resort gets update
Antigua-based Blue Waters Resort & Spa has completed major resort-wide renovations. Following suit on previously completed updates to guestrooms and más...
News in brief: IHG, U.S. pipeline, Vail Resorts
IHG 2016 results: InterContinental Hotels Group released its 2016 preliminary results. Global RevPAR was up 1.8%, with Americas RevPAR up 2.1%. Within más...
Rezidor rejects HNA's offer for outstanding shares
The board of directors for Rezidor Hotel Group unanimously recommended Monday that shareholders not accept HNA Tourism Group's mandatory offer of SEK más...
Report: Supply will top demand in 2017
Lodging Econometrics reports that in 2016, 842 hotels/98,990 rooms opened in the United States, the most since 2009 and up from the 736 hotels/82,094 más...
Hot Openings: $75 million Andaz Scottsdale debuts
Hyatt’s Andaz brand has opened its first Scottsdale location: the Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa, the company’s 14th such property más...
ITC chefs lead ‘food sherpa’ tours
ITC Hotels of India is offering guests insights into India’s culinary traditions with “food Sherpa trails,” led by the hotel company’s más...
News in brief: Olympia, HNA, Crescent
Maine boutique: The Olympia Companies will develop and manage a 42-room boutique hotel on the campus of Colby College in Waterville, Maine. The hotel más...
JLL: Who will buy U.S. hotels in 2017?
JLL research projects that the Americas will garner US$31 billion in hotel transaction volumes in 2017. Coming off of a year when liquidity was underpinned más...
Airbnb nabs Luxury Retreats
Tech giant Airbnb has acquired Montreal-based Luxury Retreats, a luxury vacation rental company with over 4,000 homes in 100 destinations around the world más...
Hot Openings: Ritz-Carlton, Haikou debuts
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company opened its first golf resort in China: The Ritz-Carlton, Haikou. Located on Hainan Island, the 175-room, 16-suite más...
F&B trends: Local, sustainable among watchwords
Local, sustainable and natural are three watchwords from a 2017 food and beverage trend list compiled by Teneo Hospitality Group. Teneo, an Eden Prairie más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Millennium & Copthorne, Carnival
Wyndham lawsuit: A federal judge rejected efforts by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to throw out a proposed class action lawsuit against it over más...
Wyndham growing in peer-to-peer-plus space
Wyndham Worldwide was in the shared economy space way before it became cool. In fact, Wyndham Destination Network (WDN), led by CEO Gail Mandel, started más...
Marriott Q4 results: 'Never been more optimistic'
Marriott International today reported fourth quarter 2016 results, the first full quarterly period as a combined company after its purchase of Starwood más...
Hyatt, Choice report results
Hyatt Hotels and Choice Hotels International both reported their quarterly results today. Hyatt In reporting quarterly results, Hyatt President and más...
Hot Openings: Barry Sternlicht’s 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge debuts
Starwood Capital Group CEO Barry Sternlicht’s eco-friendly 1 Hotels has opened its third hotel in Brooklyn. Designed by Marvel Architects más...
News in brief: Accor, Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe
Accor Ethiopia: AccorHotels will open three hotels in Ethiopia by 2021. In an effort to counter slowed European growth, AccorHotels and others have expanded más...
Europe investment outlook: Modest growth, some concerns
The bi-annual BHN Hotel Investment Survey completed in January, coupled with input from industry experts, suggests that European hotel investment activity más...
Q4 earnings seasons kicks off with Hilton, Wyndham
Hilton on Wednesday reported results in line with expectations, with Q4 earnings per share of US$0.70, 5 cents better than analyst estimates. Revenue más...
People on the Move
Matthias Al-Amiry will now manage the 5-star Adlon Kempinski Berlin at Brandenburg Gate. He succeeds Emile Bootsma, who has held the reins there más...
Hot Openings: Mangalis launches first Yaas Hotel
West African developer Mangalis Hotel Group announced the opening of its first hotel in its Yaas brand – the Yaas Almadies Hotel Dakar. The hotel más...
News in brief: Onefinestay, Legoland, Hotel Chelsea
Onefinestay introduces Collections: Short-term home rental company Onefinestay launched Collections, a series of new market launches of its private rentals más...
Gostelow Report: Aiming for top-tier at Raffles Dubai
"I am going to make my hotel as world-famous as Raffles Singapore,” promises Ayman Gharib, general manager of Raffles Dubai, in the United Arab más...
Soaring airlift pushes Samui to year-round destination
The twosome of Bangkok’s Airways International expansion and emergence of Surat Thani as a secondary aviation gateway has dramatically altered the más...
Unseen automation: The next wave of productivity
We have all heard of robots greeting guests at Japan’s Henn-na Hotel, and Aloft Hotels’ Botlr, a robotic belltop handing out drinks to sunbathers más...
Hot Openings: TV exec opens Naïa Resort and Spa in Belize
A Belizean television executive is the lead partner behind a new luxury resort along the Placencia Peninsula. Following a 35-year career in Belizean journalism más...
News in brief: Evolution, Scout, Martin Resorts
Evolution managing Hotel Angeleno: California-based management company Evolution Hospitality will manage the 209-room luxury boutique Hotel Angeleno in más...
What will KSL do with Outrigger?
Outrigger Hotels and Resorts President and CEO David Carey is working with new owners KSL Capital Partners to create long-term goals, and expectations más...
FelCor names veteran hotelier Goldman new CEO
FelCor Lodging Trust named Steven Goldman CEO effective March 1. Troy Pentecost will continue as president and chief operating officer after serving as más...
Don’t fear negative reviews – embrace their authenticity
As Valentine’s Day approaches, and with it the thick of engagement and wedding planning season, the pressure is on hotels and restaurants to deliver más...
Hot Openings: SIR opens Amsterdam’s Sir Adam
European-based boutique hotel collection SIR has opened its third hotel, the Sir Adam, in Amsterdam. Located in the first eight floors of the city’s más...
News in brief: Fairmont, Radisson, StepStone
Fairmont Newport Beach sells: Sunstone Hotel Investors today sold the 444-room Fairmont Newport Beach in Aliso Viejo, California, for $125 million. The más...
SBE’s new chief operating officer looks to the future
Now that SBE finally has gained control of the Morgans Hotel Group portfolio in a December deal valued at an estimated US$805 million, what’s next más...
Trump travel ban impact: New data
New data from the Global Business Travel Association suggests that the recent U.S. travel ban may have a larger and more immediate impact on the travel más...
Why live video is right for your hotel brand
In 2006, 65,000 videos were uploaded to YouTube by users daily. That number has grown to more than 300 hours of video uploaded per minute. Where posted más...
Shangri-La’s Hotel Jen launches Night Light
Hotel Jen, part of Shangri-La International Hotel Management, has debuted “Night Light,” the company’s effort to tap into nighttime-specific más...
What’s Hot: Lounge 32 at Four Seasons Sydney
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney has unveiled a new executive club, Lounge 32. The hotel worked with Australian interior designer Miriam Fanning of Mim más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Expedia, Trump
Airbnb buy? Home-rental site Airbnb is in talks to acquire Luxury Retreats, a Canadian company that deals in high-end vacation villas, in a US$200 million más...
Ex-Starwood exec replacing Fiskers at Scandic
Even Frydenberg will take over as president and CEO of Scandic Hotels after current CEO Frank Fiskers leaves the company this summer, the Stockholm-based más...
Sherwood leads consortium acquiring three South African hotels
Liz McGrath Collection (Pty.) Ltd., a recently formed South African company owned by a consortium of investors led by Belmond Ltd. (formerly Orient-Express más...
Taj sunsets sub-brands as part of restructuring exercise
Tata Group’s Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. (IHCL) announced on Thursday it will sunset its Vivanta and Gateway brands and bring all properties under its más...
What’s Hot: Cape Town's Mount Nelson revamps guestrooms
Cape Town's Belmond Mount Nelson has refurbished 48 guestrooms and suites via London-based designer Inge Moore. Chandeliers and old world elements dominate más...
News in brief: Crown, Nashville, George V, W Hotels
Crown scores Melbourne tower: Casino giant Crown Resorts got the go ahead to build Melbourne's tallest building - a A$1.75 billion (US$1.3 billion), 90-story más...
Confident Singapore manager ready to make his mark
A newcomer to Singapore’s hotel industry is Wee Teng Wen, 37, perhaps unsurprisingly given his family ties with the United Overseas Land (UOL) Group más...
Details emerge on first Tapestry Collection by Hilton
When Hilton launched its upscale Tapestry Collection by Hilton during ALIS on January 23, it referred to seven signed letters of intent, but didn’t más...
Hot Openings: Tel Aviv's Atlas launches Bezalel Hotel
Tel Aviv-based Atlas Hotels has opened the Bezalel Hotel in Jerusalem, the company’s third in the city. Housed in a restored landmark building más...
Leadership: Pause to assimilate but never stop running
Wherever I go, I see signs of people wanting to hit the pause button, to take a moment to assimilate what is happening around them. Overwhelmed by fast-paced más...
People on the Move
The President by Akaryn in Vientiane, Laos named Chris Adams as general manager. Puerto Rican-based International Hospitality Enterprises appointed Francisco más...
News in brief: Yardley, Priceline, Okura
Yardley acquires Hampton: Hampton Inn & Suites Newtown, Pennsylvania, sold to Yardley Hospitality Holdings, LLC for $10.72 million. Yardley plans más...
Gostelow Report: Remaining relevant at Ritz-Carlton Montreal
"Luxury is identifying individual appreciation – one day a guest wanted to mark an anniversary and his budget was C$20, so we asked him his wife's más...
Kempinski, Gaviota bringing luxury hotel to Havana
Kempinski on Tuesday announced that it has signed a management contract with the Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA to open its first hotel in Cuba in the second más...
What's Hot: Marriott launches redesigned mobile app
Based on actual hands-on guest research and feedback, Marriott International on Tuesday announced the launch of its newly redesigned Marriott Mobile app más...
Starwood Capital gives 1 brand a jumpstart
As Starwood Capital Group prepares to launch this month the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge in New York, the group announced Monday that it will expand the mission más...
Is travel to U.S. suffering 6.5% Trump slump?
United States President Donald Trump’s ban on nationals from seven mainly Muslim countries entering the U.S. appears to be deterring travellers más...
Domestic investors on the rise in US markets
JLL’s 2017 Hotel Investment Outlook forecasts that domestic investors will become more influential players in the U.S. lodging market this year más...
News in brief: McKibbon, Sage, Leeu
McKibbon picks up Aloft Orlando: McKibbon Hospitality added the Aloft Orlando Downtown hotel to its management portfolio. Aloft Orlando Downtown opened más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Associated Luxury acquires Worldhotels
Associated Luxury Hotels (ALH) has significantly expanded its global footprint, its collection of member hotels and resorts, and its worldwide sales, más...
AccorHotels further expands luxury private rental portfolio
AccorHotels continues to look to grow its alternative accommodation portfolio with Monday’s announced intention to acquire Travel Keys, a private más...
New boutique brand launching in Australia
Australia’s Event Hospitality & Entertainment (EH&E) on Monday announced a new boutique hotel brand for modern business and leisure travel más...
UAE developer launches flexible Form hotels
UAE-based Smartotels Hospitality International has launched Form Hotel, an upscale hotel brand that offers “accessible premium hotel fundamentals más...
Hot Openings: The Study at University City debuts
Study Hotels has opened its second property, The Study at University City in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 10-story 212-room hotel was designed más...
News in brief: Mandarin Oriental, Accor, InterCon, Two Roads
Mandarin Oriental Hawaii: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will open a new luxury hotel and branded residences in Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oahu más...
HSMAI survey: Revenue management’s evolution
Here’s one not-so-surprising finding from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s first survey of revenue management más...
Hot Opening: New Orleans Troubadour debuts
San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre has expanded south with the opening of the Troubadour Hotel in New Orleans. Located in a 17-story landmark building más...
Provenance pushes pinot noir soap pamper
Those looking to infuse their love for light-bodied reds and soap can rest easy – Provenance Hotels has combined forces with Pasadena-based Lather más...
News in brief: Regal, Heathman, Crescent
Regal deal: Shares in Regal Hotels Group were on the rise after the company won a contract for development of a new hotel project at Hong Kong International más...
Schöpfer ready to reap rewards in Bürgenstock
Bruno Schöpfer likes to talk about how important it is for his GMs to develop their own “toolboxes” to succeed without having to over-rely más...
Choice on U.S. travel order: ‘Find balanced approach’
Choice Hotels today released a brief statement regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order suspending refugee admissions and más...
EU investigation into online sales practices includes Meliá
The European Commission on Thursday said it was launching three separate investigations to assess if certain online sales practices, including hotel sales más...
Hawkeye acquires Carey Watermark portfolio
Coralville, Iowa-based development firm Hawkeye Hotels today announced the acquisition of a portfolio of three Hilton hotels from Carey Watermark Investors más...
Karisma, Margaritaville to develop all-inclusives
Karisma Hotels & Resorts and Margaritaville announced a partnership to develop all-inclusive Margaritaville resorts. Margaritaville, an All-Inclusive más...
What’s Hot: Hyatt Churchill gets facelift
With help from Sir Winston Churchill’s family members, the 5-star Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill has reopened following a multimillion-dollar más...
News in brief: Scion, Trump, Hotel Deca sale
Scion deal: New York-based Trump Hotels will open its first Scion – the first of the new hotels without the Trump name – in downtown Dallas más...
Two Roads' Torchio on evolution of engaging website content
Website content beyond standard e-commerce information is the focus of every hotel company working to more directly engage with guests and potential customers más...
Hot Opening: Assila Hotel in Saudi Arabia
The largely European-based Rocco Forte Hotels will open its first property in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in February. Located in the Saudi city of Jeddah más...
People on the Move
Minor Hotels appointed Alejandro Bernabé as group director of Avani Hotels & Resorts. Bernabé started his career in F&B working más...
News in brief: West Point Capital, Avani, Graduate
Colorado Springs Marriott sold: West Point Partners and co-sponsors Lions Gate Capital and the Harp Group, through their affiliates, closed on the acquisition más...
enero 2017
Gostelow Report: Country living at The Pig at Combe
"I am one of the few lucky GMs who opened with such a strong brand that we went straight into near-full house, and complete weekend 100% for months to más...
Hilton updates Honors loyalty program
Hilton Worldwide announced a name change to its company – Hilton – and its loyalty program – to Hilton Honors, without that extra H más...
Hard Rock bets on resort play in Japan
Hard Rock International has launched Hard Rock Japan LLC and appointed Edward Tracy CEO of the division. The move for Orlando, Florida-based Hard más...
What to expect next as wellness movement surges
The worldwide wellness industry grew an impressive 10.6% to US$3.72 trillion from 2013-2015 (while the global economy shrank -3.6%), according to data más...
What’s Hot: Tulum resort adds jungle Treehouse
For those looking to experience a more rugged side of the popular Yucatán coastline, Design Hotels has opened the Treehouse, an addition to its más...
News in brief: Hilton, ransomware update, Yotel
Hilton franchise: New York-based developer JMH Development and Mettle Property Group have signed a franchise agreement with Hilton for the development más...
ALIS Notebook, Part 2: Best Western, Choice, Wyndham, more
In one-on-one meeting with operators and developers during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit held last week in Los Angeles, HOTELS presents highlights más...
New grab-and-go at world's biggest Marriott
In response to consumers wanting gourmet food on-the-go, the world’s largest Marriott hotel, the Orlando World Center Marriott, has launched más...
Keep construction contracts as well-equipped as guest rooms
Hotel construction contracts can be among the most powerful tools to help developers comply with brand standards. This article will focus on the specific más...
What’s Hot: L.A.’s Terranea Resort revamps Catalina Kitchen
Los Angeles-based Terranea Resort has tweaked its main restaurant, Catalina Kitchen, redesigning its interiors and exteriors as well as food and beverage más...
News in brief: Hacking, rebranding, banning
Key card hackers: The Romantik Seehotel Jaegerwirt, a 4-star hotel in Austria, had to pay thousands in Bitcoin ransom to cybercriminals who managed más...
ALIS Notebook, Part 1: News from the giants
With approximately 3,100 in attendance and barely any public discussion of the new Trump administration’s impact on the hotel business, the 2017 más...
Airbnb doubles business since 2014: Report
Home-sharing service Airbnb experienced significant growth over the past three years, according to a report tracking business travel spending trends. más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons' history-saturated London hotel
It’s a building that has housed a civic institution, hosted the United Nations and even starred in a James Bond film. And now it’s reopened más...
Canada’s Group Germain adds brand: Alt+
Canadian hotel company Group Germain Hotels is adding a brand to its Le Germain and Alt brands: Alt+, the first location of which will open in 2018 at más...
Hotel Jen greets Hello Kitty in Malaysia
Hotel Jen Puteri Harbour, Johor has opened 12 Hello Kitty-themed rooms, designed in partnership with Sanrio, the creator of the fictional cat-like character más...
News in brief: Brexit, inauguration numbers, bed tax
Brexit: A study by STR and Tourism Economics indicates that the United Kingdom’s tourism and hospitality sectors have benefited from an increase más...
Carlson, NH appoint CEOs, create more controversy
Carlson Hotels and, curiously, NH Hotel Group announced new CEOs on Wednesday with former NH CEO Federico González Tejera appointed chief executive más...
Deloitte's 2017 forecast focuses on disruption
Deloitte’s recent industry analysis found that forward thinking companies with an eye towards innovation could turn some of 2017’s potential más...
Sabre identifies Asian traveler ‘types’
A recent report by technology company Sabre says that Asia Pacific is seeing a polarization of travel preferences by region and identifies four “types” más...
What’s Hot: New Pullman in San Francisco
AccorHotels added the Pullman San Francisco Bay to its portfolio in October, the second Pullman address in North America from the global hospitality group más...
News in brief: Trump, FelCor, SureStay
Deals in works for Trump's Scion brand: Trump Hotels has signed 17 letters of intent with potential owners for its new Scion hotel brand, the Trump Organization’s más...
Grupo Habita’s Couturier: ‘We are pioneers’
Carlos Couturier is another by-chance hotelier who approaches the business in a somewhat nontraditional manner, developing hotels far from the typical más...
Forecast: Steady growth for U.S. in 2017, ’18
The U.S. hotel industry is projected to see slower but steady growth through 2018, according to a forecast by STR and Tourism Economics. According to más...
Cornell studies evolution of revenue management
Revenue management professionals suggest that total hotel RM is the wave of the future and that, going forward, technology and data analytics will help más...
What’s Hot: Nice’s Hotel Negresco adds bedrooms
Studio Marc Hertrich & Nicolas Adnet has designed seven new bedrooms for the Hotel Negresco in Nice, France. The hotel on the city’s Promenade más...
People on the Move
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort named Nick Anderson director of group sales and Aaron Weegar director of sales. The move comes más...
News in brief: Trump, Virgin, lenders
Trump U.S. expansion: The Trump Organization plans to triple the number of its namesake luxury hotels via a U.S. expansion, with the first of más...
Gostelow Report: Cloister culture at Sofitel Legend Santa Clara
"We French should be proud of our hospitality. We understand brands, we have a way of working on refinement and blending the arts with local techniques más...
ALIS 2017: From muted forecasts to healthy pipelines
The record crowd was the most interesting number coming out of “data day” on Monday at ALIS 2017, the first major hotel investment conference más...
PwC: Post-election momentum for 2017
Strong industry performance in Q4 2016, along with a surge after the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president in consumer and business sentiment that más...
Why rappelling off a building will help solve opioid crisis
I’m incredibly proud to be part of a group of hospitality industry CEOs and executives who are “taking the plunge” by rappelling off más...
What’s Hot: Kamalame Cay adds bungalows
Kamalame Cay, a private island resort in the Bahamas, have introduced eight new one-bedroom beachfront bungalows along the island’s north coast más...
News in brief: Thompson, Canopy, regional data
Thompson in Texas: Two Roads Hospitality is developing three Thompson Hotels in Texas in Dallas, San Antonio and Houston. The 217-room Thompson Dallas más...
Hilton launches upscale Tapestry Collection
Hilton today announced the launch of its second collection brand, this one comprising independent upscale hotels that the company says will cater to guests más...
Fairmont to take over L.A.’s Century Plaza
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Next Century Associates will take over management of the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles’ Century City. The más...
Cuba: On track to add 8,000 rooms per year
Cuba is experiencing tremendous projections for growth in hotel development, real estate, and tourism as we lead into 2017. Tourism continues to grow más...
What’s Hot: Rosewood San Miguel de Allende’s outdoor kitchen
Mexican boutique hotel Rosewood San Miguel de Allende expanded its culinary offerings with a new outdoor venue, Los Pirules. The 492-square-foot más...
News in brief: Marriott HQ, Trump, Iran
Marriott chooses HQ site: Marriott International is staying in Bethesda, Maryland. The company’s search for a new headquarters has it staying in más...
Evolution of loyalty: Experience is everything
Guests checking into the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles International Airport one day in late November were greeted with a surprise perk — tickets to más...
Early 2017 booking data outpacing 2016: Tourico
U.S. wholesale travel brokerage company Tourico Holidays reported this week that 2017 hotel booking data from nearly 80,000 hotels in 4,500 global destinations más...
Buyers gained upper hand during 2017 RFP season
The 2017 hotel RFP season proved more favorable for buyers than in recent years, as corporates saw softer rate increases than projected and a slightly más...
Steigenberger was prepared for players in Davos
The Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvédère in Davos, Switzerland, has been a hotspot for attendees of the World Economic Summit since 1971. más...
Hot Openings: Vib opens in Turkish resort of Antalya
Best Western Hotels & Resorts opened the first Vib hotel in the Turkish city of Antalya. The hotel company’s boutique concept and lifestyle más...
News in brief: Riu, Hyatt Place, YTL
Riu’s “urban line”: RIU Hotels & Resorts has signed a joint venture with Baraka to own and renovate the Edificio España in más...
Chip Conley’s Airbnb experience: 10 key lessons
Editor’s note: Chip Conley’s last day in an operational, day-to-day role at Airbnb is Monday, January 23. He will transition from head of más...
La Quinta may spin off real estate business
Irving, Texas-based La Quinta Holdings Thursday announced that it is pursuing the separation of its businesses into two stand-alone publicly traded companies más...
Hotels fairing quite well versus Airbnb: STR data
An independent analysis by STR compared 32 months of Airbnb proprietary data with hotel performance data in 13 major global markets and suggested that más...
Hot Opening: Contemplative privacy at Hoshinoya Bali
Japanese hotel management company Hoshino Resorts is opening its first Hoshinoya brand hotel abroad in Bali, Indonesia, tomorrow. Hoshinoya Bali is surrounded más...
Meliá CEO Escarrer outlines 2017 challenges
At the FITUR Tourism Trade Fair in Madrid, Meliá Hotels International Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gabriel Escarrer offered his thoughts más...
News in brief: Hotel Equities, Italy, Hard Rock
Hotel Equities’ new CEO: Atlanta-based Hotel Equities promoted President Brad Rahinsky to President and CEO. Fred Cerrone, founder of the firm, más...
Hyatt doubles down on wellness with Miraval acquisition
Continuing its commitment to a holistic health and wellness strategy as an extension of its purpose, Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Wednesday announced its acquisition más...
What’s Hot: Peninsula New York adds Fifth Avenue Suite
The Peninsula New York added to its collection of suites with its Fifth Avenue Suite, located on the hotel’s 17th floor. The 2,500-square-foot suite más...
People on the Move
Dream Hotel Group made three appointments at its West Coast flagship, Dream Hollywood: Ayo Akinsete as general manager, from GM at Dream Downtown in New más...
News in brief: W, SBE, Radisson Blu
W in Budapest: Marriott International announced an agreement with QPR Properties Kft, part of Constellation Hotels Holding Ltd., to introduce a W brand más...
Gostelow Report: Melbourne GM wears game face
"I run a hotel that could be said to be dictated by annual events, but this month's Australian Open (which started January 16) is perhaps the most challenging" más...
DOS at branded, luxury hotels earn more: Aethos
A recent compensation review of more than 250 directors of sales (DOS) from 4- and 5-star properties throughout the United States showed there is a correlation más...
What’s Hot: JW Marriott Marco Island shows off renovation
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts introduced the US$320 million renovation of its JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. The renovation of the former más...
News in brief: World tourism, Aloft, Best Western Plus
World Tourism Barometer: International tourist arrivals in 2016 grew by 3.9% to reach a total of 1.24 billion, according to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer más...
Special Report: Evolution of loyalty programs
When Marriott International announced its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, many feared what would happen to the companies’ respective más...
Conley stepping down from day-to-day at Airbnb
Chip Conley, Airbnb’s head of global hospitality and strategy, has confirmed with HOTELS that after four years he is stepping down on January 23 más...
IHG: Four paradoxes driving customer decision-making
Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) on Monday launched its 2017 Trends Report - The Uncompromising Customer: Addressing the Paradoxes of the ‘Age más...
Hot Openings: Scribner’s Catskill Lodge debuts
Scribner’s Catskill Lodge made its debut in New York’s mountains last fall. Calling itself a new interpretation of a Catskills classic, the más...
News in brief: Bayswater, Hyatt, Wanda
Bayswater interest sold: Singapore-based Lum Chang Holdings Limited sold the Pembridge Palace Hotel investment in Bayswater, London, to an overseas investor más...
Louvre wins the day in India by acquiring Sarovar
Paris-based Louvre Hotels Group acquired on Thursday a controlling stake in India’s Sarovar Hotels Pvt. Ltd., which operates 75 hotels in the premium más...
Virgin Chicago sells access to communal spaces with perks
In response to the co-working space trend, more hotels are recognizing the opportunity to monetize its unused public and meeting spaces with Crain’s más...
Hot Openings: El Retablo celebrates Peru’s colorful heritage
El Retablo, a two-story, 17-room bed & breakfast that celebrates the cultural heritage of Cusco, Peru, opened last month. Mountain Lodges of Peru más...
News in brief: Anantara, Pacifica
Zanzibar resort: Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas will develop the Anantara Zanzibar Resort, expected to open in 2020 as part of the Zanzibar Amber más...
Sustainability in F&B: Tell your story
Read more about sustainability in F&B and how big hotel companies are revamping their relationships with suppliers and reshaping the supply chain más...
Westin launches first global ad campaign in 5 years
Westin Hotels & Resorts on Thursday unveiled its first global brand campaign in more than five years, a multi-million dollar, integrated advertising más...
Edition partners to up ante on fitness/wellness trend
Believing that wellness is now a global phenomenon, coupled with a strategy to take a much more visible approach to the guest experience, Marriott International’s más...
What’s Hot: Beaux arts renovation at HGU New York
New York-based Alfa Development invested US$18 million in its first boutique hotel project, HGU New York, in the city’s NoMad District. The hotel más...
News in brief: Trump, more Trump, Hersha
Trump will maintain hotel ownership: In a press conference on Wednesday, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he would maintain ownership of the Trump más...
Rwanda rising with strong, new leadership
Twenty years ago, Rwanda’s war and genocide made global news. Today, the eastern African country of diverse geography and rich wildlife has among más...
Asia Pacific consumer trends drive opportunities
A study released Wednesday by Sabre Corp., in collaboration with TrendWatching, explores a series of quirky ‘behavioral’ trends emerging amongst más...
Hilton signs nine Mexico hotels
Hilton announced the signing of nine properties in Mexico in cities including its first in Playa del Carmen and the company’s first dual-branded más...
People on the move
Worldhotels, Frankfurt, has selected Geoff Andrew as the organization’s new chief executive officer. He has been employed by Worldhotels as COO más...
What’s Hot: Turneffe Island Resort renovates
Turneffe Island Resort, a private 14-acre island 35 miles off the coast of Belize, debuted its resort-wide renovation to mark its 15th anniversary. The más...
News: Thayer, RockStar, Moxy
Thayer launches ‘disruptive’ fund: Thayer Ventures appointed Leland Pillsbury managing director and launched its third investment fund, targeted más...
Gostelow Report: Seafire GM’s working paradise
"The only disadvantage to working in the Caribbean is having to wear shades, particularly when you have sensitive eyes,” admits Steven Andre, general más...
U.S. immigration, hotels and the Trump administration
President-elect Trump has expressed strong views on immigration and he has indicated that he plans to make significant changes to U.S. immigration laws más...
Airbnb leads funding of restaurant-booking app, Resy
As Airbnb seeks to close the loop around experiential travel, it announced on Monday it led a US$13 million round of funding for restaurant-booking app más...
What’s Hot: ONE UN’s US$70 million renovation
Millennium Hotels & Resorts introduced its US$70 million renovation to ONE UN at United Nations Plaza. The aim was to preserve the architectural integrity más...
Living salads on the menu at Hilton in Chicago area
Living salads are the new order of the day at the farm-to-table restaurant called B. at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center más...
News in brief: Mövenpick, Margaritaville, Hyatt
Mövenpick Accra acquired: Quantum Global’s Africa Hotel fund acquired the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra, Ghana, from Kingdom Holding más...
Hotels use buying power to make sustainable change
You won’t see a lavish breakfast spread at MOB Hotel of the People. “I am very skeptical of brunches and huge buffets, which are instruments más...
Playa creates new resort brand with consumer partner
Playa Hotels & Resorts is partnering with consumer brand Panama Jack to launch a new, all-inclusive resort brand. Playa, with a portfolio of 13 resorts más...
Hilton taps TripAdvisor's instant booking program
Hilton Worldwide and TripAdvisor on Monday announced a partnership to make Hilton's portfolio of 13 brands accessible in the TripAdvisor instant booking más...
Montage puts international spin on its branding
Montage Hotels & Resorts announced Monday the creation of a new parent company brand, Montage International, to encompass the company's distinctive más...
Hot Openings: Ashford’s spa, gym update 12th-century castle
Parts of Ireland’s Ashford Castle were built in the 13th century, but its new spa and gym were just introduced a few months ago, marking the completion más...
News in brief: Accor, Centara, Rezidor
Accor Lifestyle: AccorHotels created a Lifestyle division including the Jo & Joe, Mama Shelter and 25h Hotels brands and named Cédric Gobilliard más...
Auberge’s Reid measures strength of modern luxury
The Auberge Resorts Collection’s newly opened property in Los Cabos, Mexico, Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, is punctuated by its taco bar más...
FTC report says undisclosed resort fees harm consumers
The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Economics released a report on Thursday stating hotels that do not include resort fees in their room rates más...
Japan casino approval opens investment door
Inbound tourism has become one of the few promising industries in Japan, which met 2020’s initial goal of 20 million foreign visitors in 2016. Foreign más...
Hot Opening: Six Senses Zil Pasyon’s ocean vibe
Six Senses Zil Pasyon, located on the private island of Félicité, designed to take advantage of its picturesque landscape, opened in September más...
News in brief: London, Trump (x 2), Florida
London leads U.K. transactions: Investment into the London hotel market accounted for just over 50%, up from 45.2%, of all hotel transactions in 2016 más...
Brandmark to put Lagerfeld stamp on hotels
Karl Lagerfeld’s distinctive aesthetic vision has helmed iconic fashion houses – Chanel, Fendi, his own eponymous line. Now the German designer más...
Performance outlook softens but remains positive: JLL
JLL's annual Hotel Investor Sentiment Survey indicates that more hotel markets are plateauing as the industry enters its eighth consecutive year of RevPAR más...
Element brand updates fitness offering
Marriott International on Thursday announced that Element Hotels, the company’s eco-innovation lab, is upping its fitness game with partnerships más...
Hot Openings: Island-hopping to Sailrock Resort
Sailrock South Caicos Resort, a 770-acre resort located within a residential community on South Caicos Island, is opening this month. The design was led más...
News in brief: Marriott, Loews, Kimpton
Copenhagen Marriott sold: ATP Real Estate and PensionDanmark are in a 50/50 deal to acquire the Copenhagen Marriott hotel for a combined DKK1bn (US$141 más...
Glyn Aeppel makes big move with MOB
With a CV that lists developing and building hotel brands, raising capital, asset managing and investing for the likes of Marriott International, Interstate más...
Venetian offers co-working pop-up
The Venetian Las Vegas and the Palazzo Conference Center is introducing a 1,170-square-foot pop-up co-working lounge in a partnership with online shoe más...
People on the move
Aimbridge Hospitality promoted Don Ayres to vice president of development. Ayres joined Aimbridge Hospitality in January 2014 as director of development más...
What’s Hot: Hotel Karlan San Diego rebrands
Hotel Karlan San Diego – a DoubleTree by Hilton completed its rebranding and renovation. The 174-room property, which is 15 miles from San Diego más...
News in brief: Hilton, Trump, Element
Hilton completes spinoffs: Hilton Worldwide completed the spin-offs of Park Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Grand Vacations. Park and HGV will begin trading más...
Union Investment’s Löcher on opportunities in Germany
According to a recent CBRE hotel investment report for Q2 2016, German hotel investment saw an increase of 34% year-over-year, with transaction volumes más...
Successful partnerships between hoteliers, travel buyers: GBTA
The success of most companies relies on the relationships built around it, whether that is with customers, suppliers or other partners. Successful partnerships más...
Hot Openings: Renaissance debuts in Lagos
Renaissance Hotels opened its first hotel in sub-Saharan Africa: the Renaissance Lagos Ikeja Hotel. The 155-room hotel, located in Nigeria’s commercial más...
News in brief: Graduate, Airbnb, Ritz-Carlton
Graduate in Minneapolis: AJ Capital Partners acquired The Commons Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from Rockbridge investment firm. The property, next más...
Gostelow Report: Dutch hospitality at The Pulitzer
"Experience counts, as de-flagging is much more taxing than flagging,” says Alex van Gastel, general manager of The Pulitzer in Amsterdam. The 225-room más...
What’s Hot: The Gwen refreshes guestrooms
Chicago hotel The Gwen, a Luxury Collection Hotel, started its guestroom renovations in December. The hotel, named after Chicago sculptor Gwen Lux, is más...
Best Western’s Pohl named SVP, COO
Best Western Hotels & Resorts promoted Ron Pohl to senior vice president and chief operations officer. Pohl joined the Phoenix, Arizona-based hotel más...
News in brief: InterContinental, Hilton, Colony
InterCon security breach: InterContinental Hotel Group is investigating a security breach that may have affected credit cards at several hotels in the más...
diciembre 2016
Steigenberger finds strength under Deutsche umbrella
Puneet Chhatwal wanted to give the long-standing tradition of the Steigenberger brand new stimulus. So with the blessing of the Steigenberger Hotel Group más...
Rezidor evaluating offer from HNA Tourism Group
HNA Tourism Group Co. on Thursday announced a mandatory public offer to the shareholders in Rezidor Hotel Group AB to acquire all shares in Rezidor for más...
Union Investment makes big deal in NYC
Hamburg-based Union Investment has made its third hotel acquisition in the United States with the announced purchase from developer Hidrock Properties más...
2017 Wellness Trends: From 'Silence' to 'Beyond the 1%'
Wellness trends for 2017 and beyond have a “get real” quality (not the “charcoal is the new kale” variety), according to the 500-plus más...
Hot Openings: Towers at Pacifica, ‘resort within a resort’
Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Golf & Spa Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, is calling its Towers at Pacifica expansion a “resort within a resort.” más...
News in brief: Miraval, Crown Resorts, Rezidor
Miraval to develop in Texas: New York-based Miraval Group acquired a 220-acre resort in Texas’ hill country that it will redevelop into a 120-room más...
HOTELS Daily News Service returns January 2
The HOTELS team is taking a break for the holidays and will return with HOTELS Daily News Service on Monday, January 2. Until then, we wish all of you más...
Louvre reportedly acquires India's Sarovar
France-based Louvre Hotels Group, owned by China’s Jin Jiang International, has reportedly acquired Indian hospitality chain Sarovar Hotels, who más...
AccorHotels restructures major lease portfolio in Australia
AccorHotels has reached an agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority ("ADIA") to restructure a portfolio of 31 hotels más...
Hot Openings: Regent Chongqing, ‘urban resort’
Regent Hotels & Resorts is debuting Regent Chongqing in late December in the city’s Jiangbeizui financial district, at the confluence of the más...
One more #TBT: Editor's viewpoint
I have been chief editor at HOTELS for more than 22 of the 50 years we have celebrated throughout this year. On this final #ThrowbackThursday marking más...
News in brief: Starwood lawsuit, global pipeline, Emaar
Starwood lawsuit: Starwood Hotels & Resorts is being sued by former employees who claim that high investment management and other fees cost plan participants más...
Marriott's Sorenson stares down heavy integration process
The enormity of Marriott International’s US$13.3 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in September leaves the lead architect, Marriott más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons Kyoto’s attention to heritage
Hospitality interior design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates is behind the new Four Seasons Kyoto surrounding an 800-year-old pond. The Four Seasons Kyoto más...
Communication: Key to avoiding the HR domino effect
At the beginning of the year, Aethos conducted an industry-wide survey, intending to shed light on the alignment between the HR function and senior leadership más...
People on the move
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, a Noble House Resort in Little Torch Key, Florida, announced Stephen Belie as the new executive chef at its restaurant más...
News in brief: KSL-Outrigger, Ducasse, Prism
Dual-brand in Arizona: Dallas-based Prism Hotels & Resorts will manage the Holiday Inn Express/Staybridge Suites, a new dual-brand hotel opening in más...
Gostelow Report: Dream job at Crown Towers, Manila
“My father always said that going to work should be like going on vacation, and this is how I feel, every day,” says Marlon Hirsh, general más...
Highgate, partners acquire, rebrand Affinia Manhattan NYC
Patriarch Equities, Sioni Group and Highgate announced Tuesday that they have purchased the 618-room Affinia Manhattan NYC hotel through a joint venture más...
TripAdvisor’s insights into how travelers book
TripAdvisor’s newly released TripBarometer 2016 study reveals that a much higher percentage of U.S. travelers prefer to vacation in their home country más...
Airbnb Trips bigger threat to smaller hotels
Airbnb Trips poses another challenge to hotels, but not the ones you might think. Much has been written already about the peer-to-peer lodging site’s más...
What's Hot: Belmond in Cambodia now all suites
Belmond La Résidence d’Angkor opened in mid-December as an all-suite hotel following a renovation. The property, near Siem Reap and a short más...
News in brief: Dakota, TripAdvisor, Mövenpick
Dakota hotels expansion: Dakota boutique hotels plans to expand to a few more sites in the U.K., according to the site Big Hospitality. Deals are close más...
Q&A: Wanda’s Zhu talks about roaming West
Only four years young, Wanda Hotels & Resorts is starting to spread its wings beyond China and has designs on what seems to be a reasonable goal of más...
Economic trends impacting US hotels in 2017: Opinion
The recent US presidential election may serve as a reminder that although the past is our best predictor of the future, it is not consistently reliable más...
What’s Hot: David Citadel completes redesign
David Citadel in the heart of Jerusalem completed its multi-year phased renovation overseen by Italian designer Piero Lissoni. The project involved a más...
Kindred’s 2017 meeting trends: Experiential, local, wellness
Kindred Resorts & Hotels, a collection of independent hotels and resorts focused on the group and meetings market in North America, has announced más...
News in brief: Trump, Dalmatia, Langham
Trump cancels deals: The Trump Organization canceled a hotel licensing deal in Azerbaijan and intends to do the same for a project in Georgia. A lawyer más...
Are the rules of luxury hotelkeeping changing?
The classics like the Ritz Paris, Peninsula Hong Kong, The Plaza in New York City will likely remain just that – classics that stand the test of más...
Hot Opening: The Henderson debuts on Florida’s Gulf
The Henderson, a Salamander Beach & Spa Resort, opened in November along Florida’s Gulf Coast. The 170-room hotel is owned by Dunavant Enterprises más...
Spa revenue at US hotels outpaces other sources: CBRE
In 2015, hotel spa department revenue grew at a faster pace compared to other sources of hotel revenue. According to the recently released 2016 edition más...
News in brief: Wanda, Trump, Xenia
Wanda out of Madrid deal: China’s Dalian Wanda sold a historic property in Madrid for €272 million (US$283.2 million), citing uncertainties más...
F&B outside the traditional hotel box
Calling a hotel a “box” has gratefully become dated nomenclature because developers, designers and operators have realized lifestyle must más...
Châteaux & Hôtels Collection, Paris, starts listing on Airbnb
Châteaux & Hôtels Collection, Paris, will start listing its independent member hotels on Airbnb, as well as participate in Airbnb Experiences más...
Marriott launches reality series about hotel openings
Marriott Content Studio is debuting a half-hour reality series about hotel openings, The Hollywood Reporter reported exclusively on Thursday. The six-part más...
Crown sells stake in Macau business, pulls plug on Vegas
In a big retreat, Australian gaming leader Crown said Thursday it is canceling plans build a casino in Las Vegas, would sell half its stake (US$1.2 billion) más...
Walter stepping down at Host Hotels
W. Edward Water will step down as president and CEO of Host Hotels & Resorts, the largest hotel REIT in the United States, at the end of the year más...
La Quinta adds points-for-purchases benefit
La Quinta Holdings has added a benefit to its loyalty program that allows members to redeem their points for everyday purchases like a cup of coffee. más...
#TBT: Trump the hotelier
Hey, look what we found! It seems fitting that the penultimate #ThrowbackThursday for HOTELS’ 50th anniversary year would be, in some más...
What’s Hot: Hotel Hassler Roma unveils executive suites
Hotel Hassler Roma introduced three newly expanded suites, decorated in the hotel's traditional-meets-contemporary style and featuring views of the Eternal más...
News in brief: Japan casinos, Atlantis, holiday travel
Japan legalizes casinos: Japan’s parliament legalized casinos, opening the door to gambling. Companies including Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts are más...
Gostelow Report: Party atmosphere at Barrière Le Majestic, Cannes
"Last week was one of the most exciting in our annual calendar, with a full house, nearly all single occupancy, of hoteliers and travel advisers in Cannes más...
Will President-elect Trump be able to keep DC hotel?
The General Services Administration (GSA) has assessed that unless President-elect Donald Trump fully divests his interests in the Trump International más...
Rosewood launching new wellness brand
In April 2017 at the Rosewood Phuket, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will debut a new brand initiative, Asaya, an integrative wellness concept, which was más...
The ebb and flow of China's pipeline: LE data
Shanghai with 109 projects/22,071 rooms; Guangzhou with 107 projects/20,195 rooms; Chengdu with 88 projects/23,582 rooms; and Suzhou with 88 projects/16 más...
Hot Openings: ‘Contemporary oasis’ of Grand Hyatt Sanya Haitang Bay
Hyatt Hotels introduced its version of a contemporary fishing village with the Grand Hyatt Sanya Haitang Bay Resort and Spa on the South China Sea in más...
People on the move
Andrew Beer has been tapped as the executive chef at Boston Park Plaza. Most recently, he was executive chef at Taj Boston. Matt Borger, currently the más...
News in brief: Kimpton, Fibra, Euro pipeline, Proyecto
Kimpton minus two. Two Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants hotels are being sold in Washington, D.C., area, according to a Washington Business Journal report más...
KKR, KSL acquire Apple Leisure Group
KKR and an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners (KSL) have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Apple Leisure Group from Bain Capital Private Equity más...
Playa bought by Pace Holdings, going public
Playa Hotels & Resorts B.V., an owner, operator, and developer of all-inclusive resorts, has entered into a definitive business combination agreement más...
Baha Mar deal finally closes
Hong Kong conglomerate Chow Tai Fook Enterprises has agreed to buy the embattled Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas. Terms of the deal were not disclosed más...
Five challenges faced by hiring managers
Georgianne Fsadni, managing director, Melbourne, at hospitality-focused executive search and advisory firm Aethos Consulting Group, discusses issues in más...
Hot Openings: Seafire Resort & Spa, Kimpton’s luxury foray
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has introduced its first luxury property outside of the U.S., the Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa in Grand Cayman. Located más...
Le Meridien collaborates with Chinese art collective
Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts has announced the brand’s first-of-its-kind collaboration with Chinese art collective X+Q Art, founded by más...
News in brief: Emaar, Six Senses, IntercityHotel
New CEO at Emaar group: Olivier Harnisch has been named CEO of Emaar Hospitality Group, Emaar Properties’ hospitality and leisure business. Harnisch más...
Investment outlook 'broadcast' not crystal clear: Burba
BHN recently connected with hotel investment leaders across the Americas to gauge their investment sentiments as the New Year approaches. They were asked más...
$5 billion development coming to Hoi An, Vietnam
A US$4 billion integrated tourism and leisure destination in Vietnam, Hoiana, has been announced by its joint venture partners, Vietnam’s más...
‘Millepreneurs’ shaping the future of hospitality
As CEO of Les Roches Global Hospitality Education, I am constantly engaged with a young generation of students often referred to as millennials. They más...
Hot Openings: Crown Towers Perth focuses on details
Melbourne based architects, interior designers and urban planners, Bates Smart, led the design of the public spaces at Crown Towers Perth, which opens más...
News in brief: Okura, Mövenpick, HNA
Okura in Vietnam: Hotel Okura Co. will develop and manage the 250-room Okura Prestige Saigon, the Okura Prestige brand's first más...
De Lowe leads emerging luxury player, Proper Hospitality
Applying all the experiences from its previous incarnation as Viceroy hotels, the emerging modern luxury Proper Hospitality, owned by the same partners más...
Emerging tech in travel: Sabre Labs report
In an ever-shifting technology landscape, Sabre has identified three major trends that will have the greatest impact on travel in 2017. In addition to más...
What’s Hot: Adlon Kempinski’s updated lobby
Berlin’s Hotel Adlon Kempinski unveiled an expanded lobby that adds contemporary touches to the historic, circa-1907 property. The expanded lobby más...
Restel signs Cubanacan for global representation
In a deal that allows Cubanacan to extend its global reach, Restel, the hotel reservation center belonging to Grupo Hotusa, Madrid, has incorporated the más...
News in brief: Four Seasons, Best Western, Art’otel
Skiing with Four Seasons: Four Seasons will open two mountain destinations in Europe by late 2017: The Four Seasons Hotel Megève, in France, with más...
AccorHotels keeps spreading its wings with Banyan Tree deal
Banyan Tree Holdings on Thursday announced that AccorHotels has taken a 5% stake in the company with an initial investment of S$24 million (US$16.9 million) más...
Hot Openings: Conrad Chicago blows into Windy City
A former office building off Chicago’s Magnificent Mile has been transformed into the 20-story Conrad Chicago. The redesign was led by hotelier más...
New F&B concept does double duty at Kimpton in San Diego
In mid-November, Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar San Diego announced the closing of its gastro lounge Saltbox Dining & Drinks to make room for Mexican más...
#TBT: The Asian contagion abates
After two years of near-standstill hotel asset buying activity in Asia Pacific, the first year of the new millennium was a welcome change. The March 2000 más...
News in brief: Claridge’s, DoubleTree, Accor
Claridge’s basement buildout: London’s Claridge’s hotel has been granted permission to build out its 20,000-square-foot, five-story más...
How can hotels keep up with endless stream of devices?
Guests are bringing their own personal entertainment systems into their hotel rooms these days. Whether it be on a smartphone or a tablet, they’re más...
HNA completes acquisition of Carlson Hotels
In a deal first initiated in late April, the Chinese group HNA Tourism Group Co. Ltd. announced on Wednesday the successful completion of its purchase más...
What’s Hot: Four Seasons New York’s US$120M upgrade
Billionaire businessman and hotelier Ty Warner took the remodeling of Four Seasons New York personally: He oversaw every detail of the US$120 million más...
Ritz-Carlton Dallas chef turns events into sensory experiences
Interactivity. DIY. Culinary animation. Food as entertainment. Performance cuisine. These among the trends in meetings and events experiences. Jumping más...
People on the move
Hotel Crescent Court, Dallas, appointed Diego Anea as director of food & beverage. He most recently had a three-year stint at the Monterey más...
News in brief: Akaryn, Rosewood, Poland
Akaryn expands: Thailand’s Akaryn Hotel Group will launch three luxury hotels: today, the Akyra Beach Club Phuket opens on Natai Beach in Phang más...
Gostelow Report: High energy at Wynn Las Vegas
"Feeding your team properly is win-win,” says Wynn Las Vegas' Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Gulbrants, who has a total of 12 más...
Lausanne Report explores six future risks, opportunities
Forty hospitality industry leaders from 15 countries recently gave Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) their input during interviews and workshops más...
What will make hospitality headlines in 2017: Aethos
December is the month of prognostication. Aethos Consulting CEO and Managing Director Keith Kefgen, New York, shares some commentary regarding labor costs más...
Hot Openings: Updated Bauhaus at Tel Aviv’s Poli House
The Poli House, a 40-room Tel Aviv hotel in a landmark Bauhaus building, has reopened with a reimagined, futuristic interior by industrial designer Karim más...
News in brief: RLJ, Wyndham, Trivago
US$286 million NYC sale: RLJ Lodging Trust sold two hotels in New York City for US$286 million or $494,500 per key, saying it reduces its exposure as más...
Malaysia's YTL strengthens UK, global presence
Under-the-radar YTL Hotels of Kuala Lumpur is becoming a force to be reckoned with: to wit, its recent acquisition of assets in Edinburgh, Berkshire and más...
Labor costs, branding, big data's impact on EMEA: Aethos
Aethos Consulting Group Managing Directors Chris Mumford and Thomas Mielke, both based in London, share commentary regarding labor costs, branding, big más...
Hot Openings: SLS Brickell joins Miami skyline
Los Angeles-based hospitality company SBE opened its second SLS hotel in Miami, the SLS Brickell, in mid-November. The 55-story property in Miami’s más...
News in brief: Dream, Airbnb, Melia
Dream in Vietnam: Dream Hotel Group signed its first hotel in Vietnam with the country’s Beegreen Group to develop Dream Oceanami Villas & Spa más...
Special Report: The changing face of hospitality
As hospitality schools race to keep up with hotel companies establishing brand beachheads that emphasize locality, technology and personality, they are más...
Predictions for human capital issues: Aethos
With just weeks left in the 2016 calendar year, Aethos Consulting Group’s Melbourne Managing Director Georgianne Fsadni shares her thoughts regarding más...
2017 forecast for meetings trends: Destination Hotels
Destination Hotels, Denver, now part of Two Roads Hospitality, released key findings on 2017 meetings trends from its fifth annual “State of the más...
What’s Hot: Six Senses Ninh Van Bay villa reno
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay in Vietnam has renovated and upgraded its 35 pool villas that front a private 1-mile stretch of beach. The interiors feature lighter-toned más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Deutsche, Shelborne
Airbnb gets tough: Airbnb set an automatic limit to the number of nights hosts can rent out their homes in London (90 days a year) and Amsterdam (60 days más...
Wyndham acquires Latin leader, Fën Hotels
Wyndham Hotel Group on Thursday announced its acquisition of Latin America's Fën Hotels, adding 26 management contracts across the region and the más...
SBE closes Morgans acquisition
SBE closed on Wednesday its US$805 million enterprise value acquisition of cash-strapped Morgans Hotel Group, New York City. The transaction more than más...
Marriott sells one Starwood asset to Qataris
Marriott International on Thursday announced it has completed the sale of The St. Regis San Francisco hotel for approximately US$175 million to Qatar más...
Lark Hotels execs on tech, social media trends
With 2017 just around the corner, what better time to consider trends and predictions for hotel sales and marketing. CEO Rob Blood and Chief Inspiration más...
#TBT: New York City rebounds
“A year after the events of September 11, the New York hotel community is battling back, and hoteliers say they are optimistic but realistic about más...
What’s Hot: Kimpton Shorebreak installs climbing wall
Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel has put a twist on the traditional hotel fitness center with a 40-foot-wide climbing wall. Located on the patio just outside más...
News in brief: Politics of travel, Walter Reed site
Politics of U.S. travel: A November 12-14 survey by travel industry research company Phocuswright of 1,500 European travelers gauged their sentiment around más...
noviembre 2016
Changing The Set: Stephen Alden’s new ambition
Seated in the Presidential Suite of London’s Café Royal, Stephen Alden is in reflective mood. He has just returned from Paris, where The más...
Hot Openings: Al Baleed Resort Salalah debuts in Oman
Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara opened earlier this month in Oman. The resort, bordering the historic Al Baleed UNESCO archaeological site in southern más...
China's Fosun creating new tourism entity
Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Shanghai-based Fosun Group is folding Club Mediterranee and tour operator Thomas Cook Group into a new entity called más...
Abu Dhabi, Accor in talks to restructure US$1B portfolio
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is in talks with AccorHotels to restructure its US$1 billion portfolio of hotels and resorts. ADIA, the Middle East’s más...
US performance will be mixed in 2017: CBRE
The 2017 outlook for U.S. hotels offers mixed blessings, with near record occupancy levels projected while average daily room rates are expected to continue más...
People on the move
Rene Teuscher has been appointed general manager of the 464-room New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel. Previously, Teuscher was, for eight years, the más...
News in brief: Melco Crown, Wanda, Cvent
Melco Crown hotel plan: Melco Crown Entertainment Chairman Lawrence Ho plans a US$1 billion hotel project in Macau to launch a new brand, aiming to expand más...
Gostelow Report: Sporting life at Vivanta Guwahati Assam
“Being a soccer-oriented hotel is really good for business, and we have already had 1,700 room nights taken by the North East United Football Club más...
Vienna-based developer launching Almanac Hotels
WSF Group, Vienna, a closely held real estate investment firm with a current roster of seven hotels, is launching a new brand called Alamanac Hotels. más...
Marriott categorizes brands into ‘Distinctive,' 'Classic'
Marriott International has reorganized its 30 brands into two categories that it says help consumers sort through the plethora of choices according to más...
Taj, Shangri-La align loyalty programs
In what may become the wave of the future, two Asian luxury hotel groups, Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and Mumbai-based Taj Hotels Resorts más...
PwC: U.S. occupancy to decline in 2017
An acceleration of supply growth and continued deceleration in demand growth is expected to result in declining occupancy levels at U.S. hotels in 2017 más...
Hot Openings: London Marriott County Hall’s transformation
Marriott Hotels celebrated the grand re-opening of its London Marriott Hotel County Hall after a multimillion-pound renovation. The 206-room hotel on más...
News in brief: Gatlinburg, Lodz, Brisbane
Evacuations in Gatlinburg: Wildfires in the eastern Tennessee town of Gatlinburg, a vacation community near Pigeon Forge and Dollywood, are forcing evacuations más...
Adelphi’s plans: Boutique gastronomy
The team behind the Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York, want to make history of their own. Adelphi Hospitality Group, backed by the firepower más...
What’s Hot: Diplomat Beach Resort in US$100M renovation
The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida, is undergoing a US$100 million renovation. The hotel, part of Curio A Collection by Hilton, is updating más...
Factors shaping travel trends for the coming year
Magrino, a New York-based lifestyle public relations agency for hospitality brands, consumer and luxury goods, and food, wine and spirits, last week announced más...
‘Room boom’ changing face of Australian hotel sector
A hotel building boom is set to change the face of Australia’s hotel industry, with some 120 hotel projects in the pipeline, which will grow the más...
News in brief: Barcelona, overtime, Toronto
Barcelona fines Airbnb, HomeAway: Barcelona city hall said late last week that it would fine home rental websites Airbnb and HomeAway €600,000 (US$635 más...
Lagniappe: Hermann Elger, Baccarat Hotel New York
Hermann Elger says there are no shortcuts to a successful hotel career and the native of Mexico City has learned his lessons well, having spent more than más...
Survey: F&B revenue falling in U.K. hotels
Profit per available room in F&B has dropped by 19.6% at regional U.K. hotels due to declining revenues and increasing costs, according to a study más...
The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels' uplifting 150th
The 150th anniversary of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited (HSH) reached its pinnacle on Thursday at a party held at The Peninsula Hong Kong that más...
What’s Hot: Waldorf Wonderland Lobby
New Orleans’ Roosevelt Hotel, a Waldorf Astoria property, is dressing up its lobby for the holidays. The hotel, in an 1863 building downtown más...
CapitaLand jumps into communal living space
CapitaLand’s wholly owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited, has unveiled a new brand, Lyf (pronounced ‘life’), designed más...
Outlook: Brexit hasn’t hit travel market, for now
The U.K.’s Brexit referendum in June caused ripples but markets have snapped back after an initial slide, according to the GBTA BTI Outlook – más...
Hot Opening: Revival of SF's Tilden Hotel
The Tilden Hotel in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood opened in October. The lobby of the hotel on Taylor Street is designed for socializing más...
#TBT: My toughest assignment
In 2002, HOTELS launched a feature called My Toughest Assignment, with first-person accounts of some of the amazing feats that hoteliers are called on más...
News in brief: Deutsche, MHL Hotel Collection, Ctrip
Deutsche expands in Africa. Deutsche Hospitality has signed management contracts with The Resort Group to develop two new hotels in the Cape Verde archipelago más...
Trump's impact on Asia hospitality: Cachet CEO opines
These are fascinating times as the incoming U.S. President has made his wealth not just as a mixed use real estate developer but as a key player in branding más...
Hot Opening: Kempinski Beirut inspired by nature
Hospitality interior design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates led the design of the newly opened Kempinski Beirut, located along the city’s waterfront más...
Survey: Affluent families using hotels, not Airbnb
Only 3.5% of affluent parents are choosing Airbnb as accommodation during luxury family vacation travel, according to a new survey. The survey by Top más...
HVS: U.K. ‘subdued’ in wake of uncertainty
Transactions in the U.K. hotel market are likely to be subdued until the implications of Britain’s exit from Europe become clearer and business más...
People on the move
Hilton named Katie Beirne Fallon senior vice president and global head of corporate affairs. She previously served as a senior adviser at the White House más...
News in brief: Mantra, Marriott, Vera Bradley
Mantra signs five: Australian hotel and resort operator Mantra Group has signed five new hotels with a total of more than 900 rooms in Australia and New más...
Gostelow Report: Energized at Fairmont Royal York
“Some of those hotel magnates years ago knew what they were about when they included lots of high terraces,” says Edwin Frizzell, general más...
Hot Openings: Bahia Principe Fantasia
Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts expanded its presence in the Dominican Republic with the opening of its newest Punta Cana property, Luxury Bahia Principe más...
Singita partners with Tesla for sustainable energy
Singita Lebombo and Sweni Lodges in South Africa’s Kruger National Park have teamed up with U.S-based Tesla Energy Products and SolarAfrica to use más...
2017 trends: Social media breaks, science of sleep
Muriel Muirden, trend forecaster for architectural and design firm WATG, has released her list of the top hospitality trends to look out for in 2017. más...
News in brief: Dusit, Deutsche, dual-brand
Dusit in Phuket: Dusit International signed a management agreement with Phuket, Thailand-based property developer Layana Development to operate the DusitD2 más...
Japan: Land of rising opportunity
Japan’s economic stimulus plan is paying off as its status as a destination brightens, particularly among Asian travelers. “Major cities in más...
Hot Openings: Nekupe Sporting Resort & Retreat
Nekupe Sporting Resort and Retreat, an eight-room property on a 1,300-acre nature reserve in Nandaime, Nicaragua, opened this month as the country’s más...
Marriott chooses accelerator program winners
A voice-activated personal assistant and a mobile professional networking platform have been championed by Marriott Hotels in Europe and the developers más...
Competitors should collaborate on tech challenges
Hotels undoubtedly are in competition with OTAs and even search engine giants like Google for as many direct bookings as possible. Attracting enough consumers más...
News in brief: Sarovar, Ritz-Carlton, Hilton
Sarovar in play? According to website DNA Money, Wyndham Hotel Group has reinitiated talks to acquire India’s Sarovar Hotels & Resorts. DNA más...
Spain's Hotusa turns to franchising for growth
Grupo Hotusa’s 2015 sales of more than €955 million (US$1.07 billion) set a record for the Barcelona-based company, which includes a hotel más...
What’s Hot: W Boston lobby, suites
W Boston unveiled its redesigned welcome area and suites in late October. The design aims to honors the city’s history of rebellion and intellectualism más...
Airbnb adds more experiential Trips to its offer
Airbnb on Thursday unveiled what it called the most significant development with the launch of Trips – bringing together where people stay with más...
Corinthia ‘neuroscientist in residence’ to lead study
Starting in November, Corinthia Hotel London will host a year-long neuroscientist in residence, Dr. Tara Swart, to research the mental resilience of people más...
News in brief: Pandox, FibraHotel, 21c
Pandox acquires in Europe: Sweden’s Pandox has entered an agreement with Invesco Real Estate to acquire four hotel properties in Germany, two in más...
With Brexit shock subsiding, what should you expect next?
Since the U.K. sent its currency bouncing and stunned Europe – and many Britons – in the days after its citizens voted to exit the European más...
Hot Openings: NH Collection Mexico City Reforma
NH Hotel Group officially launched its NH Collection brand in North America with its NH Collection Mexico City Reforma. The hotel in the heart of the más...
New JV in Vietnam starts with $300m platform
Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm focused on growth investing, and VinaCapital, one of the largest private equity firms in Vietnam, on Thursday más...
Best Western, Expedia strike meetings alliance for Germany
Expedia on Tuesday announced an alliance with Best Western to provide its MeetingMarket technology to more than 200 Best Westerns in the German market más...
Brazil's Atlantica names new president, CEO
Atlantica Hotels, the largest privately held hospitality company in South America, on Wednesday announced the appointment of Eduardo Giestas as its new más...
#TBT: Into the great unknown
“Traditionally, HOTELS’ January issue forecasts trading performance fo the year to come, even assigning numeric projections for occupancies más...
News in brief: Hilton REIT, 2017 outlook, Radisson
EVP at Hilton REIT: Matthew Sparks has been appointed executive vice president and chief investment officer of Hilton Worldwide Holdings' Park Hotels más...
Tisch, McBride fêted at Hotelier of the World
Loews Hotels & Resorts Chairman Jonathan Tisch and Nihiwatu co-founder and Managing Partner James McBride were honored Monday night at HOTELS’ más...
Hot Openings: Eneko at One Aldwych
One Aldwych hotel in London has launched Eneko at One Aldwych, a new Basque restaurant from three Michelin-starred Chef Eneko Atxa. The split-level venue más...
U.K. firm buys Le Méridien Etoile for €365 million
U.K. property firm Henderson Park bought Paris’ largest hotel, Le Méridien Etoile, from U.S. group Mount Kellett Capital Management and U más...
AmEx travel forecast: Subdued growth, global uncertainty
After an uneven 2016 that saw only limited increases in overall pricing, the business travel outlook for next year looks to be similarly subdued, with más...
Accor platform to add North American hotels
France’s AccorHotels will expand its North American distribution network early next year by opening its AccorHotels.com Marketplace to 200 independently más...
People on the move
Trinity Investments, Honolulu, a leading private real estate investment firm, announced Greg Dickhens has joined the firm as principal and chief investment más...
News in brief: Airbnb, VAT, Rosewood
Morgan Stanley warning on Airbnb: A survey by bank Morgan Stanley found that peer-to-peer travel startup Airbnb is presenting an even greater threat to más...
Gostelow Report: Home at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
“I have always looked after a hotel as if it is my own house,” says Tony Costa, general manager of the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. He lives más...
Hot Openings: Kigali Marriott Hotel
Marriott International in October opened its first Marriott Hotel in Rwanda. “Rwanda is going through an economic transformation and we are más...
Report: Millennial travel tops US$200 billion
Millennials spend more than US$200 billion each year on travel and are the most prevalent generation of travelers, vacationing more often for both business más...
Bridge divide between what customers expect and get
By the time a guest arrives at your hotel, his or her expectations have been set by everything they have gleaned from your website and online ads to past más...
The meeting room of the future: IACC
As part of an ongoing initiative from IACC, a second set of research has been conducted and reported following the survey of global venue operators, suppliers más...
F&B tabletop: Finishing a meal with flare
Desserts and drinks served with flare and sometimes with a bit of whimsy provide the flourishes that leave a lasting impression. Hotel chefs and F&B más...
Hot Openings: Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo
Following a $30 million renovation, DoubleTree is making its debut on the Big Island of Hawaii with the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo – a DoubleTree más...
Marriott’s Sorenson pens letter to Trump
Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, wrote an open letter to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on LinkedIn, in which he congratulated más...
ADA litigation in the US: Hotels, beware
Hotels, hotel chains, resorts, inns and motels are prime targets of Americans With Disabilities Act litigation and common targets of Department of Justice más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Melià
Hyatt in Pakistan: Hyatt Hotels announced plans to put its Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency brands in Pakistan with the signing of management agreements más...
Potential: 400 million beacons will be active by 2020
With the fear of missing out becoming more widespread, marketers are taking advantage of keeping customers in the know while promoting their brand. As más...
Potential imbalances in four US markets: Moody's
High levels of construction since the end of 2014 have resulted in supply-demand imbalances in four major U.S. hotel markets, Moody’s Investors más...
Hot Openings: Thompson expands to the American South
Thompson Hotels in October opened Thompson Nashville in Tennessee, marking the brand’s first property in the greater American South and the first más...
San Diego Marriott offers day passes
A Marriott hotel in San Diego is partnering with an online booking platform to sell day access to use the hotel’s facilities. The Marriott Marquis más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Dubai, Lighthouse, Autograph
Airbnb v. New York. The New York Times reported Friday that Airbnb is in talks with New York City and New York state to settle a lawsuit over a new state más...
Examine technology's impact on guest experiences
Nowadays, it’s commonplace to find a tablet on the hotel room nightstand that allows guests to control room lights, adjust the temperature, open más...
Further delay on SBE acquisition of Morgans
Morgans Hotel Group has extended to November 30 the time its suitor SBE Entertainment has to close on its planned acquisition of the cash-strapped, New más...
#TBT: Developing Six Senses
In the mid-’90s, Sonu Shivdasani and his wife , Eva Malstrom, were newlyweds vacationing on an island in the Maldives. They liked the area so much más...
What’s Hot: Hotel Royal Savoy, Lausanne
After a seven-year rebuilding program, Lausanne’s grande dame hotel, the Royal Savoy, has re-opened. Located in a private garden with views over más...
News in brief: W, Scotsman, LQ, Four Points
Four Points news. PM Hotel Group, Washington, D.C., has signed an agreement to manage the Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh in North Carolina. The hotel más...
KSL to acquire Honolulu family-owned Outrigger portfolio
Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, Honolulu, owned and operated by the Kelley family for 69 years, is selling its 37-property portfolio to KSL Capital Partners más...
What happens to Trump assets in presidency?
GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump’s victory last night puts the hotelier and businessman in the White House and business assets in question más...
Hot Opening: Paradisus Los Cabos
Melia Hotels International is transforming Melia Cabo Real into the new Paradisus Los Cabos following a $35 million renovation. Upon opening in December más...
People on the move
Peter Roth has been named area vice president luxury and lifestyle brands and general manager of the Park Hyatt New York. Roth was most recently working más...
News in brief: The Greenbrier, Park Hyatt, Chesapeake
Another hotelier wins race. The Greenbrier Owner and CEO James Justice, II, on Tuesday won the Gubernatorial Election in West Virginia. Justice, who won más...
Gostelow Report: Leading at Hotel Grande Bretagne
“I had been prepared for nearly everything in my professional life, but when the Greek Crisis was looming in 2009, no one expected that what has más...
What’s Hot: Hotel Eden Roc room refresh
Hotel Eden Roc in Ascona, Switzerland, is introducing newly designed rooms after a three- phase interior redesign that took about two years. The final más...
Marriott's Q3 falls a bit short on RevPAR growth
With eight days of Starwood Hotels & Resorts earning on its books, Marriott International on Monday reported third quarter results that fell a bit más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Radisson, Israel, Hyatt
Ritz-Carlton first. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has signed a management agreement with NDG Asia Pacific Limited to open the first Ritz-Carlton property más...
The Salt way: Learning by heart
First you hire someone, then you train them. Right? David Bowd thinks that’s backward. Earlier this year, the CEO of Salt Hotels was preparing to más...
Hot Openings: Cambria Chicago Magnificent Mile
Choice Hotels International converted the former MileNorth Hotel in Chicago into the Cambria Chicago Magnificent Mile in a partnership with Fillmore Capital más...
Accor acquires stake in 25hours
AccorHotels is acquiring a 30% stake in 25hours Hotels of Germany as part of a strategic partnership to grow the brand globally. 25hours is also expanding más...
Europe looks east for 2017 investment opportunities
New research from Deloitte revealed ahead of its 28th annual European Hotel Investment Conference this week shows Amsterdam replaces London as Europe’s más...
CEOs averaged $6 million paycheck in 2015: Aethos
Using a proprietary pay-for-performance model, hospitality advisory firm Aethos Consulting Group on Monday released its 2016 report evaluating the performance más...
News in brief: ‘Flashpacking,’ Trump, Airbnb
‘Flashpacker’ hotels in Asia: Asia has seen a 42% increase in new beds coming online in the “flashpacker,” or upscale hostel, más...
The Interview: Father-son duo that was meant to be
When Michael Fuerstman’s caller ID reads “Alan Fuerstman,” he has no idea what type of conversation he’s about to jump into. It más...
Pebblebrook reportedly sells Manhattan NYC
The Real Deal in New York is reporting on Friday that Highgate, in partnership with Isaac Chetrit’s AB & Sons and Ray Yadidi’s Sioni Group más...
AHLA study shows impact of U.S. hotel industry
The American Hotel & Lodging Association has released an economic analysis of the U.S. hotel and lodging sector that documents the industry’s más...
Guy Hands invests further into German market
Private equity firm Terra Firma, led by veteran UK hotel developer Guy Hands, has acquired a 12-hotel Welcome Hotels portfolio in Germany from the Haus más...
HSMAI: Analytics, strategy critical to revenue management
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s released a report concluding that predictive analytics and data-driven strategy más...
What's Hot: Landmark Hotel Astor unveils reno
Hotel Astor in Miami Beach recently unveiled its US$4 million refurbishment, which includes a new lobby, re-imagined guestrooms and suites, and the updated más...
News in brief: CNL, Choice, Tribute
CNL sells ski resorts: CNL Holdings reached an agreement to sell its ski resorts and other properties in the U.S. Och-Ziff will assume ownership of 14 más...
2016 Hotelier of the World awards honor McBride, Tisch
The reach of this year’s Hotelier of the World award winners goes beyond the physical hotels they develop and the memories they help create for más...
Hot Openings: Principe expands in Dominican Republic
Bahia Principe Hotels this week opened its 14th property in the Dominican Republic, the Luxury Bahia Principe Fantasia Don Pablo Collection. The resort más...
2016 Social Hotel Awards: Best Reputation Management
Social media has become more than a nice accessory for hotel brands and individual properties looking to engage guests and drive business. More than just más...
Hilton reaches milestone with veteran hires
Hilton today announced that its program to hire 10,000 veterans, spouses and dependents has met its goal two years ahead of schedule. The Operation: Opportunity más...
#TBT: 2000’s independent hotelier
James McBride’s award as 2016 Independent Hotelier of the World continues a 30-year tradition of honoring independent hoteliers (see related story más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Paris, Africa
Hyatt releases results: Hyatt Hotels reported third-quarter financial results: Net income increased 148% to $62 million from the same quarter in 2015; más...
2016 Hotelier of the World awards honor Tisch, McBride
The reach of this year’s Hotelier of the World award winners goes beyond the physical hotels they develop and the memories they help create for más...
HNA calls on NH board to start CEO search
HNA Group, NH Hotel Group’s largest single shareholder, on Wednesday issued a letter to NH shareholders calling on the board to immediately announce más...
2016 Social Hotel Awards: Best Use of Digital Video
Social media has become more than a nice accessory for hotel brands and individual properties looking to engage guests and drive business. More than just más...
Kimpton's take on 2017 food, cocktail trends
Cocktails with a culinary twist, the “nose to tail” movement, South American and Mediterranean-influenced cuisine, and reimagined childhood más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Indigo debuts in Alabama
IHG recently opened its first Hotel Indigo property in Alabama. Owned by Chance Partners and managed by Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Interstate Hotels & Resorts named CEO Jim Abrahamson chairman of the board. Philip Barnes was appointed más...
News in brief: Choice, Hilton, Wyndham
Choice expands in California: Choice Hotels International signed an agreement with franchise partner Villa Developers & Investments, LLC, to develop más...
Gostelow Report: Keeping it local at Hazelton
“Being part of a vibrant restaurant and its team makes the difference,” says Hani Roustom, who in February joined The Hazelton Hotel, Toronto más...
2016 Social Hotel Awards: Best Use of Visual Networks
Social media has become more than a nice accessory for hotel brands and individual properties looking to engage guests and drive business. More than just más...
Marriott announces layoffs at Starwood HQ
Marriott International plans to lay off approximately 163 employees at Starwood Hotels & Resorts headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, by the end más...
MGM Resorts considers Japanese casino
MGM Resorts International may reportedly build a Japanese casino via a publicly traded REIT. According to Reuters, CEO James Murren said MGM would spend más...
What’s Hot: Room reno at Mandarin Oriental, D.C.
Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C., recently unveiled a renovation of its guestrooms. Led by Kent Interior Design, Inc., the redesign inspired by the más...
News in brief: Hotel Chelsea, Mélia, Omaha
Hotel Chelsea ownership: BD Hotels’ joint venture partner in the US$250 million purchase of New York City’s Hotel Chelsea has been revealed: más...
octubre 2016
2016 Social Hotel Awards: Best Integrated Digital Campaign
Social media has become more than a nice accessory for hotel brands and individual properties looking to engage guests and drive business. More than just más...
Mistaken Identity: How well do you really know millennials?
Millennials are an influential force, spending an estimated US$226 billion on travel this year. Perhaps they aren’t the biggest force in the industry más...
Is social media driving record capex in the US?
The amount spent on capital expenditures (“cap ex”) for the U.S. lodging industry is forecast to be at a record level of $6.6 billion in 2016 más...
What’s Hot: Four Seasons Maui unveils reno
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea recently unveiled a “floor-to-ceiling transformation” of its guestrooms, suites and other spaces. The renovation más...
News in brief: Room Mate, Japanese hotels, China business travel
Room Mate's beachfront expansion: Room Mate Hotels announced a new line that will expand to beachfront locations. The beach line will add approximately más...
Hyatt revamps loyalty program
Hyatt Hotels is overhauling its loyalty program, replacing its Hyatt Gold Passport program to World of Hyatt, adding a membership tier and making other más...
CTFE looks to purchase Baha Mar
Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited (CTFE), has entered into negotiations to acquire Baha Mar. CTFE applied to the Government of The Bahamas for approval más...
2016 Social Hotel Awards: Best use of Twitter
ocial media has become more than a nice accessory for hotel brands and individual properties looking to engage guests and drive business. More than just más...
IHG hits milestone in Wi-Fi upgrade
InterContinental Hotels Group said it’s on track to install its IHG Connect Wi-Fi upgrade in 1,500 hotels by the end of the year. It plans to roll más...
Sofitel sings a new tune
BETC Pop & BETC Luxe partnered with Sofitel Hotels & Resorts to create the new brand song, "Rêverie." The song was written specifically más...
What's Hot: Designing for 'Grand' in London
MKV Design recently completed a three-year, multi-million pound restoration and redesign of the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane. The new design aims to más...
News in brief: Tata, Interstate, Expedia
More Tata trouble: An Indian high court dismissed a plea by Tata Sons Ltd’s Indian Hotels Co. against a decision to auction the company’s más...
2016 Social Hotel Awards: Best Facebook promotion
Social media has become more than a nice accessory for hotel brands and individual properties looking to engage guests and drive business. More than just más...
Corporate negotiations further reduce US ADR forecast
As the 2017 corporate and contract rate negotiation season is in progress, U.S. lodging industry average daily rate growth is slowing much more than expected más...
Four Seasons open R&D studio at corporate
Dedication to the guest experience and a belief that no detail is too small is the inspiration behind the new Four Seasons Research and Discovery Studio más...
Hot Openings: Westin debuts in Cairo
Westin Hotels and Resorts recently made its debut in Cairo with The Westin Cairo Golf Resort & Spa Katameya Dunes. Owned by New Cairo for Real Estate más...
#TBT: Four Seasons George V’s rebirth
There was no gilt or gilding in the late-1990s renovation of Paris’ famed palace hotel, the George V. But you might think so, based on the cost más...
News in brief: Hilton, IHG, Davidson
Hilton earnings: Hilton Worldwide released its Q3 2016 earnings, reporting adjusted EBITDA was US$765 million and a system-wide comparable RevPAR increase más...
2016 Social Hotel Awards: Best Facebook page
Social media has become more than a nice accessory for hotel brands and individual properties looking to engage guests and drive business. More than just más...
Four Seasons launches immersive F&B intiative
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts on Wednesday launched Taste of Place, a global initiative that features a curated collection of immersive más...
GuestCentric acquires Great Hotels of the World division
GuestCentric, a provider of cloud-based digital marketing software for hotels, on Wednesday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement más...
Hot Openings: Anantara’s first resort in Oman
Anantara recently opened its first resort in Oman, the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort. Perched 2,000 meters (6561.68 feet) above sea level on the más...
Is mobile wallet coming faster than you think?
Consumers are keener to adopt mobile wallets than many businesses realize, according to a global survey of 2,000 consumers and 300 executives conducted más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Interval International promoted Marcos Agostini from senior vice president of resort sales and business más...
News in brief: Hersha, Dalata, Wyndham
Hersha acquires two: Hersha Hospitality Trust is acquiring two hotels – the Sunnyvale Courtyard by Marriott and the Ambrose Hotel in Santa Monica más...
Gostelow Report: Into the wild at One&Only Wolgan Valley
“Logistics are a bit of a challenge when you are three hours from a major city, and your all-inclusive guests obviously want the best,” admits más...
Hotels to host India InstaMeet
India’s ITC Hotels and The Luxury Collection are collaborating with a creative agency to bring 20 social media influencers to an InstaMeet taking más...
How hotel developers can break into senior housing
“We’ve seen the data. Baby boomers are planning for retirement and demand for quality senior living communities is scheduled to outpace más...
Hot Openings: NH Collection launches in Mexico City
NH Hotel Group recently celebrated the launch of its NH Collection in Mexico City with the NH Collection Mexico City Reforma. The 306-room hotel was refurbushed más...
News in brief: Barceló, Best Western, Lotte
Barceló Group signs in Morocco: The Barceló Hotel Group signed an agreement with the Tikida Group to manage the Rivoli Hotel in Morocco más...
Aggressive HNA acquires 25% stake in Hilton
China’s continued investment in U.S.-based hospitality assets took its most significant turn yet on Monday when HNA Group agreed on Monday to buy más...
Airbnb fights back after onerous New York bill signed into law
Airbnb is not happy with the state of New York and on Friday afternoon filed a federal lawsuit just hours after a New York law was signed that would impose más...
Blackstone pulls back sale of The Del to Anbang
Apparent opposition by U.S. security officials has scuttled an important piece of Blackstone’s US$6.5 billion sale of Strategic Hotels & Resorts más...
Meditation in a New York minute
New York City’s The Benjamin hotel is offering On Demand Meditation, two 10-minute guided meditation programs available by pushing the “meditation” más...
What's Hot: Shangri-La, At The Shard, unveils 'sky-high' bar
Earlier this month, Shangri-La, At The Shard, London, unveiled its new Sky Lounge and Wine Wall. The champagne bar is located on level 34 on the hotel más...
News in brief: Tata, Marcus, Preferred
Mistry out at Tata: Tata Sons today removed Cyrus Mistry as chairman, nearly four years after he was appointed the first chief outside the family. The más...
Middle East: Tapping the middle market
Undersupplied” is how Action Hotels CEO Alain Debare describes the Middle East. “There is massive potential for midmarket.” Economy más...
AccorHotels partners with LinkedIn
AccorHotels has joined forces with professional networking site LinkedIn to enrich its mobile app. Business Check powered by LinkedIn, is intended to más...
Wyndham extended-stay brand creates e-cookbook
Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, Wyndham Hotel Group’s extended stay brand, has introduced Homemade @ Hawthorn, a chef-driven in-room cooking program más...
Hot Openings: Hilton debuts in Montenegro
Hilton Hotels & Resorts last month opened its first hotel in Montenegro, the Hilton Podgorica Crna Gora. The new hotel aims to cater to both business más...
News in brief: Airbnb, IHG, Atelier de Hoteles
Airbnb willing to 'crack down' in NYC: With the clock ticking on a bill on the New York governor’s desk that imposes steep fine on anyone who rents más...
2016 Great Hotel Restaurants: Genuine commitment
Great Hotel Restaurant judge Jean-Luc Fourrier, an asset manager from Dubai, put it best: “As beautiful as a hotel room can be, great hotel restaurants más...
HICAP update: China matures, smaller markets emerge
Seven thousand miles isn’t far enough to escape talk of the U.S. presidential campaign, as attendees of the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific más...
Thai management companies rising
For the past decade, Thailand’s tourism industry has fueled a growing number of Thai hotel management companies (HMCs). Spurring this trend has más...
What's Hot: Anantara's second resort in Sri Lanka
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has opened its second resort in Sri Lanka, the 141-key Anantara Kalutara Resort, a secluded hideaway located along más...
#TBT: Design in the year 2000
In January 2000, minimalism was a hot topic influencing hotel design. But it was guest demand for personalization that was driving those changes – más...
News in brief: Hoxton, Indigo, Marriott, Lanesborough
Indigo for Milan. IHG has announced the signing of Hotel Indigo Milan - Corso Monforte. The hotel will be the brand’s second Italian location and más...
Best Western celebrates 70 years in hometown Phoenix
Best Western on Tuesday celebrated the company's 70th anniversary at its annual convention in Phoenix, recapping accomplishments and growth as well as más...
What’s Hot: Final redesign at Hotel Eden Roc
Hotel Eden Rock in Ascona, Switzerland, recently unveiled its newly designed guestrooms, the final phase of an interior redesign spanning about two years más...
Starwood Capital sells stake in $2B hotel portfolio
Starwood Capital Group sold a stake in a US$2 billion portfolio of U.S. hotels to a group led by China Life Insurance Co. Ltd. In a statement, Starwood más...
Ace Hotels offers the sonic experience
Ace Hotel announce a year-long partnership with B&O PLAY, which will be marked by a series of inventive and immersive sound events at the New York más...
London hotel unveils 'Spa Social'
Agua Spa at Mondrian London recently unveiled its Spa Social wellness initiative. The program aims to provide “an alternative and healthier choice más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain in Colorado named Stephanie Bennett más...
MOHG GM Wagner not afraid to imagine
“Creativity is an essential part of good hotelkeeping today,” said Lars Wagner, GM of Mandarin Oriental Geneva, Switzerland. No, he was not más...
Kinsell resigns, Tisch back as Loews CEO
Loews Hotels announced Tuesday that Jonathan Tisch will resume the duties of CEO for the company following the departure of Kirk Kinsell, effective immediately más...
InterContinental latest to launch content platform
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, along with digital agency Mirum, has launched the first in a series of multi-sensory journeys across properties más...
Disruptors: Shortage of RM talent holding hotels back
Perhaps it’s top of mind for hoteliers right now during budget season, but for far too long the hotel industry has been under-investing in the next más...
UK transaction volumes 12% above long-term average
Investment into the UK hotel market totaled £3.1 billion (US$3.8 billion) in the first three quarters of 2016, 12% above the 10 year average, according más...
What’s Hot: New World Millennium Hong Kong's reno
New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel recently unveiled its renovation, which includes new guestrooms, lobby, lounge and event spaces. The hotel’s más...
News in brief: Marriott HQ, Element, Fibra
Marriott roots. Marriott International said Tuesday it intends to remain headquartered in Montgomery County, Maryland, and that its real estate search más...
Omni's Deitemeyer loves customers, not chaos
Mike Deitemeyer doesn’t like to get distracted by all the industry chatter about OTA wars, consolidation and the sharing economy, nor is he one más...
Calderwood estate accuses Ace leader of fraud
Ace Hotel President Brad Wilson was accused of conspiracy to defraud Alex Calderwood’s estate in a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed Monday in más...
Marriott giving wholesalers real-time rate access
Marriott International on Monday unveiled a new distribution and booking solution, www.MarriottWholesalers.com, that provides thousands of authorized más...
Expedia launches new promotional tool
Expedia announced Monday it is further rolling out a Value Add Promotions tool on Expedia PartnerCentral for hotels to offer complimentary amenities that más...
Six Senses Samui farm aims for sustainability
Six Senses Samui has unveiled its latest sustainability initiative, Farm on the Hill, an environmentally conscious Thai farm experience for guests and más...
What’s Hot: West Galleria Dallas unveils refresh
The Westin Galleria Dallas recently completed a multimillion-dollar refresh of its property. The renovation includes an update of its 448 guestrooms and más...
Briefs: Ascott, Dubai data, Four Seasons
Ascott in KSA. CapitaLand’s The Ascott Limited continues to extend its footprint in the Middle East by clinching contracts to manage another three más...
After Brexit vote, what’s next for U.K.?
Since the U.K. sent its currency bouncing and stunned Europe – and many Britons – in the days after its citizens voted to exit the European más...
Industry legend Bollenbach dies at age 74
Legendary hotel dealmaker Steve Bollenbach, who most notably served as Hilton Hotels Corp. CEO from 1996 to 2007, passed away in New York City on October más...
Hilton expands soap recycling program
All 750 Hilton Worldwide properties across its All Suites brands will recycle discarded soap and amenity bottles and donate them to reduce hygiene-related más...
What’s Hot: Corinthia Prague unveils lounge, boardrooms
The Corinthia Hotel Prague in the Czech Republic recently unveiled a new lobby bar, Lounge 62, and two boardrooms. The new Lounge 62 was named after the más...
News in brief: Karl Lagerfeld, Hay Creek, Four Seasons
Karl Lagerfeld hotels: Karl Lagerfeld is launching Karl Lagerfeld Hospitality and Karl Lagerfeld Hotels & Resorts, with plans to build an international más...
Marriott celebrates merger with NYC marketing event
Marriott International is wasting little time flexing its new marketing muscles after its historic merger with Starwood Hotels & Resorts as on Thursday más...
#TBT: Predicting the future in 2000
In HOTELS’ January 2000 issue, an architect predicted that in the distant future – the year 2017 – we’d be awakening in our rocket más...
Grupo Hotusa encourages innovation at annual challenge
Forty-five young professionals and entrepreneurs recently took part in the second Hotusa Challenge, an innovation meeting run by Hotusa Ventures, the más...
What's Hot: Sneak peek at The Strand Yangon’s refurb
Set to reopen in November, The Strand Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar, is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment. Originally constructed in 1901 in más...
News in brief: AHS, HRI, Rotana
AHS to open in Vietnam: Absolute Hotel Services will open a new branded property in the Bin Thuan province of Vietnam in late 2017. U Mui Ne Vietnam will más...
Technology Q&A: Commoditization, cyber attacks
As part of HOTELS’ 50th anniversary issue, the editors spoke to leaders in the technology space to chronicle their opinions on trends to watch más...
Hilton signs First Job Compact for youth
Hilton Worldwide and nearly 40 other U.S. companies joined as signatories to the White House's First Job Compact, an initiative to help communities and más...
What's Hot: Holiday Inn Dayton reno inspired by flight
The architects behind the 203-room Holiday Inn Dayton Fairborn’s new interior design scheme embraced the dawn of flight as the hotel is located más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Boyne Resorts appointed Ian Arthur chief marketing officer. Previously, Arthur was chief commercial más...
News in brief: Mövenpick, distribution, YTL
Mövenpick in Thailand: Swiss management company Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts and developer Nusasiri Plc are launching three projects in Thailand: más...
Gostelow Report: Team player at Waldorf Astoria Chicago
“Since I arrived in the USA a year ago I have learned so much,” says Marlene Poynder, general manager of the 215-room Waldorf Astoria más...
Wyndham promotes, then pulls SPG point grab
Today was supposed to be the day that Wyndham Worldwide “spread the magic” of its loyalty rewards program. For 12 hours, former members of más...
Grupo Posadas rebrands resort portfolio
Hotel operator Grupo Posadas rebranded its collection of 12 Mexican resorts, the Fiesta Americana Resort Collection, into La Colección. La Colección más...
Hot Openings: Coppola debuts Belizean private island
The Family Coppola Resorts recently opened Coral Caye, a private island off the coast of Placencia, Belize. The island aims to offer an "authentic tropical más...
News in brief: Leonardo, Ritz-Carlton, BridgeStreet
Leonardo acquires Haymarket Hotel: The European arm of Fattal Hotels Group, Leonardo Hotels, acquired the Haymarket Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland, for más...
Deutsche's Chhatwal: Growing ‘made in Germany’ brand
With last week’s announcement that Steigenberger Hotels AG was changing its name to Deutsche Hospitality, CEO Puneet Chhatwal said the new umbrella más...
Street art studio launches at Berlin hotel
Through October 26, the Scandic Berlin Kurfürstendamm will serve as a performance studio for street and urban art with its new #SWBLNART project más...
What’s Hot: Hotel Colonnade Coral Gables completes reno
Formerly The Westin Colonnade, Hotel Colonnade Coral Gables in Florida recently completed a US$18 million renovation. Designed by Dawson Design Associates más...
News in brief: Hurricane Matthew, Starwood Capital, Brazil
Statement on Hurricane Matthew: The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) released a statement expressing sadness and concern in the aftermath más...
Technology: Aiming for the 'digital natural'
Note: For HOTELS' 50th anniversary issue in September, the editors called on industry leaders to offer their ideas about the current state of disciplines más...
What talent challenges will consolidation create?
"I expect there are a lot of people out on the market at present?" I have been presented with this supposition on a large number of occasions this year más...
The rise of metasearch, its impact on distribution
The next big thing in hotel distribution might be metasearch, says Cindy Estis Green, CEO and co-founder of Kalibri Labs. While metasearch has been a más...
What’s Hot: DoubleTree Wroclaw’s ‘futuristic conversion’
Envisioned by Paris- and Israel-based Gsarch-Gottesman Szmelcman architecture firm, the DoubleTree by Hilton Wroclaw in Poland was designed to be a “sculpture más...
News in brief: Marriott, Rocco Forte, Jucy
Statement on Hurricane Matthew, Marriott: Marriott International issued the following statement on Hurricane Matthew: Marriott International, Inc. is más...
Bazin's new buzzwords: "Agility" and "horizontal"
One-third of AccorHotels’ revenues in the future will not be from traditional room and F&B sales, said its Chairman and CEO Sebastien Bazin más...
Plateno launches new brand for Europe
Guangzhou, China-based Plateno Group has launched PAI Hotels to expand in Europe by offering European hoteliers the opportunity to join through a rebranding más...
Marriott testing trendy accelerator business
Marriott International is launching a six-week accelerator program across Europe called Test Bed to work with technology startup that can enhance the más...
#TBT: How to succeed in Cuba
With the warming of U.S.-Cuban political relations in the past year, American hotel companies are slowly rebuilding ties cut more than 50 years ago. For más...
Hot Openings: Glamorous Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
Since Grand Hyatt Hong Kong’s original opening in 1989, has hosted several international dignitaries and Heads of State, A-list celebrities and más...
News in brief: Ascott, Best Western, Hyatt
Ascott adds three in India: CapitaLand’s wholly owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited, signed a contract with Sandhya Hotels más...
Gostelow Report: Key players at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur
“My professional life is all about making it easier for others, and that would not be possible without Dato'Rose,” says the general manager más...
Marriott makes Africa first deal locale after Starwood
Marriott International on Wednesday announced six new signings with 1,100 rooms in Africa, including properties in Cape Town, Nairobi, Cairo and Mauritius más...
Hilton launches adoption assistance program
Hilton Worldwide on Wednesday announced a new adoption assistance program, offering U.S.-based hourly and salaried team members reimbursement for expenses más...
Branson restates vision for sexy hotels in space
British entrepreneur Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic is setting out to create the world’s first “spaceline,” so it’s no más...
Rising airlift pushes Krabi onto Asia’s tourism stage
Once upon a time, the southern Thai resort area of Krabi flip-flopped between a regimented high season catering to snowbird visitors from Scandinavia más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Auberge resort in Cabo
Scheduled to open in December, Chileno Bay Resort & Residences aims to provide guests of all ages with a relaxed, interactive resort escape in Los más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Stephanie Barnes was named director of sales at the Marriott Port-au-Prince in Haiti. Most recently más...
News in brief: Crestline, Grupo Hotusa, Hyatt
Crestline to manage in NYC: Crestline added the Dylan Hotel in New York City to its managed portfolio. The 1903 beaux-arts style boutique hotel includes más...
Steigenberger Hotels is now Deutsche Hospitality
Steigenberger Hotels AG is changing its brand architecture and consolidating its three hotel brands into one umbrella brand: Deutsche Hospitality. “These más...
JLL: Cautious optimism in sub-Saharan market
Investor sentiment for hotels in Sub-Saharan Africa remains positive despite economic headwinds in key markets, according to research by JLL. The más...
Westin in Napa ties SPG rewards to trendy step count
The Westin Verasa Napa in California’s wine country has launched the Fitness Redemption Program, which rewards visitors who reach a specified step más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Radisson Red Minneapolis
Set to open in November, Radisson Red will open a flagship hotel in Minneapolis. Influenced by local art, music and fashion, the hotel aims to offer “innovative más...
News in brief: 7 Days, Airbnb, Hilton
7 Days in Venice: Plateno Group will open its first 7 Days Premium hotel in Italy in Venice. The 208-room 7 Days Premium Venice Mestre will be part of más...
Winners and losers in Latin American hotel development
If you attend the South American Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (SAHIC) for a few years in a row, you begin to notice how attitudes evolve regarding más...
Kingdom sells Toronto Four Seasons for US$171.8M
The investment firm owned by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal sold the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto for C$225 million (US$171.8 million). más...
Hilton signs in Ghana, aims to double Africa hotels
Hilton Worldwide is developing three hotels in Africa as part of a larger plan to double its footprint to more than 80 hotels in the next three to five más...
Trump’s D.C. hotel defaced with graffiti
The entrance to Donald Trump’s new luxury hotel in Washington, D.C., was tagged on Saturday afternoon with spray-painted messages with Black Lives más...
What’s Hot: New F&B at Burj Al Arab
The Burj Al Arab recently welcomed Nathan Outlaw at Al Mahara. The new restaurant is the first international offering for the British chef and features más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Macau, Airbnb
Ritz-Carlton signs in China: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. signed an agreement with Sichuan Jiuzhai Luneng Eco-Tourism Investment Development Co. Limited más...
septiembre 2016
HOTELS' Lodging Conference notebook
While looking over their shoulders wondering how slowing RevPAR growth will impact their bottom lines, how continual disruption from a dizzying number más...
What’s Hot: San Fran icon unveils reno
Hyatt Regency San Francisco recently completed a complete renovations that include the lobby areas and suites. Originally designed by architect John Portman más...
SBE shareholders approve Morgans acquisition
SBE earlier this week received shareholder approval for the acquisition of Morgans Hotel Group. With the acquisition, SBE will add a portfolio of 20 properties más...
IHG, Novum to develop European hotels
InterContinental Hotels Group and Hamburg, Germany-based Novum Hotel Group of Germany signed an agreement to develop 20 hotels in European markets including más...
Grupo Hotusa sets sights on growth
Grupo Hotusa had a record year in 2015. The Barcelona-based company includes a hotel consortium – the largest in the world – along with tourism más...
News in brief: Hotel Tonight, Indonesia, Extended Stay
Hotel Tonight launches loyalty program: Hotel Tonight, the website offering last-minute hotel deals, has launched a loyalty program to reward its users más...
Disruptors Q&A: Commoditization, personalization – and yes, OTAs
As part of HOTELS’ 50th anniversary issue, the editors spoke to “disruptors” – leaders of competitive or complementary industries más...
Malone partnership adds to Irish portfolio
A partnership headed by U.S. billionaire John Malone reportedly has paid more than €150 million (US$168 million) for a portfolio of three Dublin más...
Choice improves parental leave, caretaking benefits
Choice Hotels International on Thursday announced new parental leave and caretaking benefits that, among other things, offers up to four weeks leave for más...
#TBT: Less Y2K, more bubbly
In 1999, pretty much everyone was fretting about Y2K – the computer bug that was threatening to knock out operating systems and cause havoc the más...
Hot Openings: Historic elegance, modern amenities in Syracuse
Formerly the Hotel Syracuse in New York, the Marriott Syracuse Downtown recently opened its doors following a two-year, US$76 million restoration. Managed más...
News in brief: Kimpton, Plateno, international tourism
Kimpton expands in Florida: Kimpton Hotels and Resorts will expand its presence in Florida with a new hotel in Miami set to open in 2018. Kimpton Hotel más...
Gostelow Report: Back to school at The Claremont, Berkeley
“We have been intrinsically linked to our neighbor, University of California – Berkeley, for over a hundred years,” says Len Czarnecki más...
Artistry introduces boutique brand
Orlando, Florida-based Artistry Hotels Partners is developing a full-service, independent boutique brand that it describes as a lifestyle hotel in the más...
Red Planet expanding with US$70M infusion
Investment firm Goldman Sachs is investing US$70 million in Asian budget chain Red Planet Hotels to fund expansion. The company will help the company más...
Hot Openings: Playa Largo marks 100th Autograph
Marriott International recently welcomed its 100th Autograph Collection property with the opening of Playa Largo Resort & Spa in Key Largo, Florida más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Omni FortWorth Hotel in Texas appointed Amol Agarwal executive chef. Most recently, Agarwal was executive más...
News in brief: Argyle, Meliá, Four Seasons
Argyle grows in China: Argyle Hotel Group signed its 90th hotel in China in the Guizhou province. Argyle Grand Guizhou will feature 400 guestrooms, Chinese más...
Best Western introduces ‘white label’ franchise
Best Western Hotels & Resorts today introduced a subsidiary called SureStay Hotels, three brands that it calls a “white-label” franchise más...
Trump’s lifestyle hotel brand has a name
Trump Hotels, which hinted in June that it would introduce a new lifestyle offering, has given it a name: Scion, a next-generation brand that will be más...
AccorHotels launches millennial-focused Jo&Joe
AccorHotels has launched a new brand, Jo&Joe, aiming to blend “the best of private-rental, hotels and hotel formats.” The French hotel más...
What’s Hot: Ciel Bleu reopens in Amsterdam
Designed by architect Bert Verway, Ciel Bleu Restaurant at Hotel Okura Amsterdam recently reopened following a complete redesign. The new concept aims más...
News in brief: Anbang, Generator, Hyatt
Anbang, Strategic deal mostly complete: Anbang Insurance Group Co. completed most of its US$6.5 billion acquisition of Strategic Hotels & Resorts más...
Destination, Commune become Two Roads
Destination Hotels and Commune Hotels & Resorts, which merged in January, announced the next step for the combined company: a new name and new roles más...
What’s Hot: Le Méridien Etoile unveils reno
Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts last week unveiled the completion of the multi-million dollar renovation of Le Méridien Etoile in Paris más...
West Elm to develop hotel chain
Brooklyn, New York-based furniture and design retailer West Elm announced today that it is launching a hospitality brand. West Elm Hotels, a partnership más...
Horwath: Dutch market up, Belgium under pressure
The Dutch hotel market is continuing to show increases in occupancy and ADR rates over the past year, but its neighbor, Belgium, is struggling after terrorist más...
News in brief: Grosvenor House, Emaar, Trump
Qatar out of hotel talks: The Qatar Investment Authority ended talks to buy London’s Grosvenor House Hotel and the Dream Downtown and Plaza hotels más...
Marriott celebrates Starwood deal, links loyalty programs
Today’s completion of Marriott International’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts creates a behemoth hotel company with 30 brands más...
The new Marriott: Q&A with development chief Tony Capuano
The hotel deal to end all hotel deals is done with Marriott International on Friday completing its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide más...
Airbnb raises $850M in latest funding round
Wall Street Journal reports that Airbnb has brought on Alphabet’s investment arm as a backer, part of an expected US$850 million funding round that más...
Benchmark-Gemstone merger leads to new identity
Following the merger of Benchmark Hospitality International and Gemstone Hotels & Resorts, the collective company has launched an expanded organization más...
Hot Openings: W brand debuts in UAE
W Hotels this week made its debut in the United Arab Emirates with W Dubai Al Habtoor City. Set within the Al Habtoor City project, the hotel is 33 stories más...
News in brief: IHG, Hyatt, Middle East pipeline
IHG to open Maldives resort: IHG signed a management agreement with Hotel Properties Limited to open a new InterContinental resort on the island of Maamunagau más...
Disruptors: The evolving guest experience
Note: For HOTELS' 50th anniversary issue in September, the editors called on industry leaders to offer their ideas about the current state of disciplines más...
Hot Openings: Colonial beach resort in Vietnam
The Anam in Cam Ranh, Vietnam, recently opened its doors to guests ahead of its grand opening scheduled for the end of 2016. The all-villa resort is set más...
Hilton names new leadership for all-suites, Curio
Hilton Worldwide announced the appointments of three company veterans within its all-suites and Curio brands to lead initiatives including consolidating más...
Fund developing new boutique brand for Italy
Hermes-Sojitz International Investment Fund, an alliance of Asian and European shareholders based in China, is in the process of developing a boutique más...
#TBT: The theme hotel
Every hotel has a target market: Business travelers, families on a budget, free-spending luxury holidaymakers. In the ’90s, that kind of segmentation más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Six Senses, Middle East construction
Hyatt Regency to debut in Cambodia: An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. has entered into a management agreement with Chip Mong Group for a Hyatt Regency más...
F&B Q&A: Of sustainability, profitability and ignorance
As part of HOTELS 50th anniversary issue, the editors spoke to F&B leaders to chronicle their opinions on trends to watch as well as ignore, keys más...
Real Capital, Prism in $200M development deal
Dallas-based Prism Hotels & Resorts is partnering with Louisville, Colorado-based Real Capital Solutions in a US$200 million investment fund initiative más...
Amenity-driven peer-to-peer rental service launches
Sonder, a new peer-to-peer home rental service seemingly offering more amenities and services, on Wednesday announced US$10 million in Series A financing más...
Salt Hotels needed staff, so they opened a school
Salt Hotels saw an opportunity to give back to the community in the opening of its newest hotel, in Asbury, New Jersey. The hotel decided to “recruit” más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Ahmet Antepli was appointed general manager at Dusit Hotel & Suites Doha in Qatar. Most recently más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons arrives in downtown NYC
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts this week unveiled its second New York City property. Designed by Yabu Pushelberg, the new Four Seasons Hotel New York más...
News in brief: Expedia, IHG, Tribute
Expedia launches Rev+: Expedia unveiled Rev+, a revenue management tool to provide actionable data and insights for its hotel partners. Rev+ will be “gradually” más...
Gostelow Report: Alpina Gstaad’s seasonal clockwork
“As always, twice a year, we closed punctually – this time at 12 noon last Sunday, September 18,” says Eric Favre, general manager of más...
It’s official: Marriott, Starwood clear final hurdle
Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide received approval for their merger from the Chinese government. With the removal of más...
Starwood Capital brings new brand names to UK assets
First reported in HOTELS in May and following a more than year-long capital investment of approximately £150 million (US$196 million), Starwood más...
Standard launches same-day app for curated hotels
Standard International, the company behind The Standard hotels and the majority owner of the Bunkhouse Group, on Tuesday launched One Night, the first más...
Omni's early returns from alt direct booking program
After two months, Omni Hotels & Resorts’ alternative to discounting for direct bookings, its Say Goodnight to Hunger campaign, is showing early más...
What’s Hot: The Redbury’s transformation in NYC
The former Martha Washington Hotel was recently transformed to Sbe’s The Redbury New York. Following successful openings in Hollywood, California más...
News in brief: Atlantis, Google, Europe pipeline
Atlantis in Hawaii: Atlantis Resorts’ first U.S.project will be on vacant oceanfront parcels near Disney’s Aulani hotel at the 642-acre Ko más...
Recipe for F&B success: Heart and soul
Note: For HOTELS' 50th anniversary issue in September, the editors called on industry leaders to offer their ideas about the current state of disciplines más...
Hot Openings: QT arrives in Melbourne
QT Hotels & Resorts earlier this month unveiled QT Melbourne in Australia. The façade was designed by architect Angelo Candalepas, while the más...
Eldorado Resorts makes big play for gaming competitor
Gaming company Eldorado Resorts said Monday it plans to acquire rival Isle of Capri Casinos for US$1.7 billion, including debt. Following the deal, Nevada-based más...
Duck & Waffle pop-up coming to Hong Kong hotel
The iconic 24/7 British restaurant Duck & Waffle will take over Ozone, 490 meters above sea level, at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong from September 26 más...
News in brief: Carlson Rezidor, Hyatt, WoodSpring
Carlson promotes direct booking: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s Club Carlson launched the Members Only Rate, allowing rewards members to save up más...
Wyndham focuses on quality growth in brands, markets
Wyndham Hotel Group, the largest hotel company in the world by number of hotels, has been busy. Its loyalty program underwent a US$100 million revamp más...
Hot Openings: ‘Fashion-forward’ Shangri-La Fort Bonifacio
Shangri-La at Fort Bonifacio recently celebrated its soft opening in Manila, Philippines. Designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), the hotel’s más...
Hold rate to hold your own when demand drops
Nobody knows the exact date the hotel industry’s cycle in the United States will peak, but unfortunately, most hoteliers’ responses to a downturn más...
Best Western launches VR tours at North American hotels
As part of Best Western® Hotels & Resorts’ virtual reality (VR) experience, guests now have an immersive 360-degree look into all of the más...
A sneak peek at the new Crowne Plaza uniforms
As part of IHG’s US$200 million Crowne Plaza Accelerate plan launched in June, it announced last week that Timo Weiland, a New York based clothing más...
News in brief: Prince Waikiki, China construction, Benchmark
Big changes at Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki: The Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki and Golf Club will undergo a US$55.4 million redevelopment and rebranding más...
What will GHM's mid-tier Tin brand look like?
Since its founding in 1992, GHM has catered to people who don’t want to be seen. They pay top dollars to stay in its hotels because they value the más...
Marriott launches big loyalty marketing initiative
Marriott International on Thursday launched a loyalty program marketing initiative led by the use of the tagline “You Are Here” across multiple más...
New mystery bid for Morgans Hotel Group
An unnamed bidder has upped the ante for Morgans Hotel Group by offering US$2.75 per share for the struggling New York-based hotel company, outbidding más...
Chinese traveling abroad actually prefer luxe hotels: research
New research from ITB Berlin and IPK International analyzing China’s outbound travel behavior seems to break a myth that Chinese prefer to stay más...
#TBT: All systems go for euro
In 1998, the end of the millennium was looming, and along with concerns about what would happen when the virtual calendar flipped on everyone’s más...
Hot Openings: Luxury family resort in Lisbon
Earlier this month, Martinhal Family Resorts debuted its newest hotel in the heart of historic Lisbon, Portugal. Martinhal Chiado Family Resort includes más...
News in brief: Hyatt Centric, Baha Mar, Riu
Hyatt Centric adds three: Hyatt Hotels announced that three hotels are transitioning from the Hyatt brand to the Hyatt Centric brand. The hotels are in más...
Red Lion makes bold move to grow franchise network
Red Lion Hotels Corp. (RLHC) has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Vantage Hospitality Group for an initial aggregate price más...
21c finds investment partner to grow its brand
21c Museum Hotels and Junius Real Estate Partners, a specialized real estate investment unit of J.P. Morgan Private Bank, announced on Tuesday that its más...
Wyndham sees rewards in loyalty, brand revamp
$100 million to No. 1: At Wyndham Worldwide’s owner conference this week in Las Vegas, lots of numbers were thrown around, but those two might be más...
Detroit's Shinola brand getting into hotel business
Detroit’s Shinola brand, whose handcrafted, trendy watches and bicycles manufactured in what has been an economically depressed area have been all más...
The Purpose Hotel concept has new lease on life
After failing to reach an initial Kickstarter goal of raising US$2 million to launch The Purpose Hotel brand, the concept being developed by celebrity más...
Hot Openings: Breathless debuts in Cancun
AMResorts recently celebrated the opening of its first Breathless Resorts & Spas in Cancun, Mexico. Designed by HKS Hospitality Group, the adults-only más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Jason Adams was appointed executive chef at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. más...
News in brief: WoodSpring, Quorum, G6 Hospitality
WoodSpring signs in San Francisco: WoodSpring Hotels entered into an agreement with West77 Partners to develop up to 25 hotels throughout the greater más...
Gostelow Report: GM sketches career with Como
“A background in F&B really helps in all management sectors – having to deal with unruly customers in an Australian bistro-with-rooms más...
Hospitality's move to mobile raises legal risks
The hospitality industry is embracing mobile applications for social media and loyalty programs to reservations, keyless entry and remote check-ins. These más...
Marriott in on iOS 10 launch with new emojis
With Tuesday’s launch of Apple’s iOs 10 and its iMessage apps comes partner Marriott International’s virtual stickers. Marriott Rewards más...
What’s Hot: New suite collection at Fairmont Pacific Rim
Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver recently unveiled “The Owner’s Suite Collection,” aimed for the “in-the-know traveler.” más...
News in brief: Hersha, Lemon Tree, Marriott
Hersha sells five-hotel portfolio: Hersha Hospitality Trust entered into a definitive agreement to sell a five-hotel portfolio totaling 757 rooms for más...
Management: Humanity, esprit de corps still matter most
As part of HOTELS 50th anniversary celebration, the editors asked leading operators about what's important now and what they can’t ignore to remain más...
“Golden Rules” for effectively marketing restaurants
It’s something we often hear from our clients: as much as they’d like to invest in comprehensive pre-opening marketing for their restaurant más...
Mantra launches video job applications
Australia-based Mantra Group launched video job applications through its online MyCareer recruitment platform. Applicants are encouraged to create a 60-second más...
Hot Openings: Grupo Habita makes Chicago debut
This fall, Grupo Habita will make its Chicago debut with The Robey and The Hollander. Developed by Convexity Properties, the Chicago location will mark más...
News in brief: StayWell, Meliá, Millennium & Copthorne
StayWell expands in the U.K.: StayWell Hospitality Group entered a partnership with Fiveways Hospitality. The newly formed master licensing agreement más...
Management: Rethinking our relationship with technology
Note: For HOTELS' 50th anniversary issue in September, the editors called on industry leaders to offer their ideas about the current state of disciplines más...
Hot Openings: Trump Washington, D.C.
After years of renovation, the historic Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C., has been reimagined as a luxury hotel with the opulent Trump touch más...
Harmonizing standards; then we hold hands and sing 'Kumbayah'
Last spring there was a meeting of cutting-edge and top-tier retailers. Among the group was the head of the stupendously successful Apple Retail shops más...
Hyatt launches dual-branded ad campaign
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has launched its first-ever dual-branded marketing campaign, “You’ve Come Too Far to Settle Now,” for the Hyatt Place más...
North American business travelers like their hotel apps
Business travelers commonly use hotel apps, according to a new study released by the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business más...
News in brief: Best Western, Erin Andrews
Best Western in Caribbean: Best Western Hotels & Resorts added the Best Western Premier Hotel at St. Mary’s Court on Antigua. The 126-room hotel más...
Design: Experiment, innovate—but value guest above all
As part of HOTELS 50th anniversary issue, the editors talked to design experts about the future of this hotel discipline, and discerned their likes, dislikes más...
Airbnb commits to rooting out discrimination
In response to growing criticism, Airbnb, San Francisco, on Thursday announced changes to combat discrimination in its rental policy and would ask all más...
U.S. 4-, 5-star GMs median base pay $178k: survey
A recent compensation review and analysis of more than 300 general managers of 4- and 5-star properties throughout the United States by Aethos Consulting más...
Caesars starts booking function on China's WeChat
Continuing its longstanding relationship with the leading social communication app, WeChat, Caesars Entertainment Corp. said Thursday it is launching más...
Marriott, TED in content partnership
Marriott Hotels has formed a partnership with the nonprofit TED to deliver inspirational content to hotel guests that will be curated by the nonprofit más...
What’s Hot: New suites at The Savoy
Designed by ReardonSmith Architects, The Savory recently debuted a new Savoy Suite and a renovated Royal Suite. Completed in July, the two suites aim más...
#TBT: Starwood-ITT a ‘deal for the ages’
There was Rand Araskog, chairman and CEO of ITT. There was Stephen Bollenbach, president and CEO of Hilton Hotels. And there was a 36-year-old “overachiever” más...
News in brief: Bespoke, Charlestowne, Mövenpick
Bespoke grows in London: Bespoke Hotels signed an agreement with Criterion Capital to operate a series of properties across London, scheduled to open más...
M Social: Singapore managers speak “right language”
Singapore’s most famous hotel investor Kwek Leng Beng had the idea for his M Social brand some six to seven years ago, when millennial-minded hotels más...
CBRE forecasts less volatile revenue, profit increases in US
Based on the first half performance data in the United States, CBRE Hotels’ Americas Research has adjusted its forecast for 2016, suggesting hotels más...
JW Marriott ‘treatment’ in new ad campaign
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts launched a new creative campaign that showcases the luxury brand through the eyes of its employees. The campaign, created más...
Rise of Chinese tourists, shared accommodation in APAC
Asia Pacific intra-regional tourism is forecast to grow by 286.3 million trips by 2020 and will remain the key demand driver as people are most likely más...
What’s Hot: Ty Warner Mansion in Los Cabos
Earlier this summer, Las Ventanas al Paraíso, a Rosewood Resort, in Los Cabos, Mexico, unveiled the new 28,000 square-foot (2,508 square-meter) más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Akshay Bahl was appointed general manager at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. Bahl más...
News in brief: Miami, Gatehouse, Claridge’s
Canceling Miami: News in August of Zika cases in the Wynwood area of Miami caused a wave of cancellations to the city for the Thanksgiving holiday, according más...
Gostelow Report: Trump’s D.C. debut
“No hotel opening is easy, but when you have the Trump name attached to one of the most historic buildings in the whole of the USA, expectations más...
Marriott using Expedia technology for dynamic packaging
Even while Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson turns up the volume on the need to drive more direct booking to better manage distribution costs and más...
Tokyo, Osaka stock to increase 20-30% by 2018: CBRE
The hotel property transaction volume reached JPY325.2 billion (US$3.1 billion) in 2015, more than three times that of 2012, according to a new report más...
Hilton adds personalized ‘Fun Finder’ to app
Hilton Worldwide added a feature to its HHonors app at two resorts that offer personalize recommendations and special offers. The company’s Fun más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Moments debuts with history
Located in a historic building in Budapest, Hotel Moments recently opened on Hungary’s World Heritage site of Andrássy Avenue, near the Hungarian más...
News in brief: Airbnb, NH Hotels, Hotel Jen
Airbnb releases transparency report: Airbnb is publishing its first transparency report as part of its Community Compact, an initiative to make the company más...
Design: Experiment, innovate—but value guest above all
As part of HOTELS 50th anniversary issue, we asked design leaders to discuss the trends, and even some of the mistakes being made. Here is their take: más...
“Bleisure” gains popularity with millennials
Vacation time just isn’t what it used to be. Under the stress of an always-on culture, workers are increasingly leaving vacation days on the table más...
Westin continues to grow its concierge programming
In an era when hotels are trotting out everything from opera to butterfly concierges, Westin Hotels & Resorts is doing something a bit more practical más...
Hot Openings: Kimpton unveils 10th in DC
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in June opened the Kimpton Glover Park Hotel, its 10th hotel in Washington, D.C. The project is a collaboration between más...
Design: A laboratory for innovation
Note: For HOTELS' 50th anniversary issue in September, the editors called on industry leaders to offer their ideas about the current state of disciplines más...
Hot Openings: Ikona in Fort Lauderdale
Ikona Hotel recently opened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, following a multimillion-dollar renovation of the former Shell Motel. Ikona Hotel is Gzella Collection’s más...
News in brief: Australia, Ashford, Hampton
Australia rate deal: Australian regulators said online hotel booking companies Expedia and Booking.com agreed to allow hoteliers in that country to offer más...
IHG celebrates World Water Week
In partnership with Water Footprint Network and in celebration of World Water Week, IHG mapped its global estate of more than 5,000 open properties and más...
Dolder does some heart math and gets sums right
Eight years and US$470 million later, The Dolder Grand, Zurich’s most elevated urban resort, has achieved the intent of its renovation. Since re-opening más...
Kimpton latest to get hit by malware
InterContinental Hotels Group’s Kimpton brand said today that it completed its investigation into a possible data security breach card breach at más...
#TBT: Great Hotel Restaurants
It’s almost that time of year again: In HOTELS’ upcoming October issue, we’ll be revisiting one of our favorite features – highlighting más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Denver’s Ramble Hotel
The independent Ramble Hotel is set to open in late 2017 in Denver. The three-story boutique will include 50 guestrooms; a theater; meeting space; a small más...
News in brief: Autograph, Greenbriar, Hotel Equities
Autograph grows in London: Marriott International added Hotel Xenia to its Autograph Collection. The 99-room hotel will be Autograph’s third property más...
agosto 2016
Investment: Understanding pulse and spirit
Note: For HOTELS 50th anniversary issue in September, the editors called on industry leaders to offer their ideas about the current state of multiple más...
Shangri-La adds F&B to loyalty program
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts announced the launch of The Table by Golden Circle, a new food and beverage loyalty program that offers benefits to members más...
What’s Hot: Sheraton renovates in Australia
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts earlier this week revealed the completion of an extensive AUD$43 million (US$32.6 million) renovation of the beachside Sheraton más...
Monkey with a message to climb Opposite House
Beijing hotel The Opposite House will celebrate Beijing Design Week and Golden Week with a 45-foot-tall, inflatable monkey. The hotel is collaborating más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: John Allanson was appointed general manager at Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort. Previously, Allanson más...
News in brief: Cuba flight, Expedia, Marriott
Jetblue lands in Cuba: Jetblue Flight 387 touched town in Cuba today, the first scheduled commercial flight from the U.S. to the country in more than más...
Gostelow Report: G20 at Four Seasons Hangzhou
“The G20 heads of state meeting is only two days, September 4-5, but delegations have been around for several weeks. Our hotel has been completely más...
Overseas capital returns to London post-Brexit
Junson Capital, Hong Kong, has acquired the entire share capital of the company which owns the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in London’s Docklands más...
Fees, surcharges in US reach record level
New research indicates fees and surcharges collected by U.S. hotels are expected to increase by approximately 4% to a record level of US$2.55 billion más...
What’s Hot: NYC's Maritime debuts new look
The Maritime in New York City recently revealed its renovation that intends to reflect the West Chelsea neighborhood. Originally opened in 2013, the hotel’s más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Atlantis, Turkey
Rezidor grows in UAE: Rezidor signed three new properties in the United Arab Emirates. The Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Waterfront and The Park Inn by Radisson más...
Q&A: Kimpton's subtle move into the luxury space
IHG is quietly lifting the profile of its Kimpton lifestyle hotel brand as it sees an opportunity to take it further upmarket and fill a gap in the luxury más...
Four Seasons enters Vietnam with Hoi An resort
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is entering Vietnam for the first time when it begins managing the Nam Hai Hoi An starting in December. The company signed más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at The Hotel at Oberlin
Set to officially open on September 13 in Ohio, The Hotel at Oberlin will aim to be one of the most environmentally sustainable hotels in the world. Developed más...
News in brief: Crown, Karisma, Marriott
Packer sells shares: Australian casino billionaire James Packer sold enough of his Crown Resorts stock to lower his stake to less than half the company más...
Should U.S. hotel brands pack their bags for Cuba?
In June, Starwood Hotels & Resorts began managing the Quinta Avenida in Havana, a hotel owned by Grupo de Turismo Gaviota, a wholly owned subsidiary más...
Chang buys two NYC hotels for US$155 million
Sam Chang’s McSam Hotel Group purchased two New York City Club Quarters hotels for US$155 million. The Midtown properties were acquired from Rockwood más...
Hot Openings: Radisson Blu enters Chile
Earlier this month, Radisson Blu opened its first location in Chile, the Radisson Blu Santiago La Dehesa. Formerly the Radisson Santiago La Dehesa, The más...
King David's new wine bar focuses on local varietals
Dan Hotels’ King David Hotel in Jerusalem has opened the Wine Bar, an addition to the hotel lobby's Oriental Bar, showcasing wines exclusively más...
News in brief: Lightstone, Interval, Quebec City
Lightstone acquires in Salt Lake City, Seattle: Lightstone Value Plus Real Estate Investment Trust III, Inc., acquired two Home2 Suites by Hilton: a 125-key más...
Luxury operator GHM moving into mid-market
Traditional luxury operator GHM, Singapore, has announced a partnership with van de Bunt Partners to launch a yield-driven and efficient mid-market lifestyle más...
Aloft launches voice-activated rooms
As part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ “Project Jetson” experiment in collaboration with DigiValet, Aloft hotels has unveiled voice-activate más...
TBT: The greening of hospitality
Nowadays, nearly every hotel touts its record of environmental responsibility while asking guests to hang up their towels. Back in the 1990s, the word más...
Hot Openings: The Logan Philly joins Curio
Following a multi-million dollar renovation, The Logan Philadelphia has opened as a Curio – A Collection by Hilton-branded property. Designed by más...
News in brief: Wyndham, IHG, Beverly Hills
Wyndham in Danang: Wyndham Hotel Group has unveiled plans to open a new hotel in Danag, Vietnam. The 779-room Wyndham Soleil Danang will be part of a más...
Is Latin America the next great opportunity?
There are certainly signs that merit further enquiry. Latin America has been in the news a lot lately. Brazil has garnered the lion’s share of attention más...
Anbang considering IPO in 2017
China’s Anbang Insurance Group is considering launching an IPO next year in Hong Kong, Bloomberg and others are reporting. The Beijing-based company’s más...
Red Lion offers members-only rates through Expedia
In a move that flies in the face of the major brand’s discounted direct booking programs, Red Lion Hotels Corp. (RLHC) has made a deal with Expedia más...
Baha Mar has new lease on life in Bahamas
The long-delayed Baha Mar hotel-casino project on Cable Beach in Nassau, Bahamas will resume construction in September after the local government and más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Nobu Miami Beach
With a soft opening scheduled for this fall, Nobu Hotel Miami Beach’s visionaries include renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Academy Award winner Robert más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Sal Abaunza was appointed general manager at Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs, California. Most recently más...
News in brief: IHG, Carlson Rezidor, Dalata
IHG, Alipay sign partnership: IHG signed a global partnership with Alipay, a Chinese third-party online payment solutions company. The new partnership más...
Gostelow Report: Hosting ‘godfather’ at Fairmont’s flagship
“Living on the job has its advantages, as I found last Friday when we unveiled the Tony Bennett statue,” says Paul Tormey, general manager más...
New, global prototype for Wyndham Garden brand
The Wyndham Garden brand is launching its first global hotel prototype at a construction cost of approximately US$115,000 per key with new operating efficiencies más...
QT Sydney cocktails with a playful touch
Gilt Lounge at the hotel QT Sydney has unveiled a line-up of new cocktails with a playful "Aussie" touch. Made in Perlini shakers, poured from antique más...
What's Hot: W Seattle completes city-inspired reno
W Seattle recently unveiled its US$18 million renovation. Inspired by the property’s Pacific Northwest location, owners Host Hotels & Resorts más...
News in brief: Onefinestay, Hyatt, Oakwood
Onefinestay in Miami: Short-term vacation rental company onefinestay plans to open in Miami, the third city in the AccorHotels-owned company’s U más...
Q&A: Latest perspective on investment climate
As part of HOTELS 50th anniversary issue coming out in September, a series of Q&As allowed industry leaders to talk about the future of multiple aspects más...
Austrian hotel furthers Starwood disposition strategy
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced the sale of Hotel Goldener Hirsch, A Luxury Collection Hotel in Salzburg, Austria, to companies of the más...
Holiday Inn Express’ ‘pancake selfie’ truck rides again
Holiday Inn Express is going on a multi-state “mobile breakfast tour” with a food truck that laser-prints pancakes with selfies. It’s más...
Hot Openings: RL comes to Spokane
Red Lion Hotels Corp. recently opened Hotel RL Spokane at the Park in Washington. Inspired by local culture, the property is the fourth Hotel RL location más...
News in brief: Expedia, Solid Rock, U.S. hotel performance
Suit filed against Expedia: A California hotel operator has filed suit against Expedia that alleges that it buys search and social media advertising for más...
Is it finally India’s time to shine?
The bi-annual “BHN Hotel Investment Survey” completed in July, coupled with input from industry experts, suggests that the hotel investment más...
Opinion: 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 más...
‘Alchemy wellness’ workshops at Six Senses
The Alchemy Bar at the Six Senses Douro Valley in Portugal is holding “wellness workshops” for guests who want to blend their own ingredients más...
What's Hot: Sneak peek at Peninsula Beijing's reno
The Peninsula Beijing announced a US$123 million transformation of the hotel in celebration of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels’ 150th anniversary más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Zika, Ramble
Airbnb pulls app: Airbnb removed from Google Play an unreleased app called Airbnb Trips it was testing that offers personal itineraries with information más...
Implications of Brexit: Uncertainty, indecision
With the dust settling following the UK’s decision to leave the EU, Prime Minister Theresa May’s government is slowly preparing to initiate más...
#TBT: Taking a gamble on casinos
When it comes to gaming around the globe, the rule of profit is simple: Whoever gets in first wins. That was true in October 1996, but as the cover story más...
Melbourne hotel launches pre-opening contest
In preparation for September’s opening of QT Melbourne, QT Hotels and Resorts is asking local artists to submit a creative interpretation of a QT más...
What’s Hot: Kimpton Ink48 unveils ‘design-driven’ reno
Kimpton Ink48 Hotel in New York City recently unveiled an “extensive and design-driven renovation” of its guestrooms, suites and lobby. Designed más...
News in brief: Oxford Capital, Starwood, Marriott
Oxford Capital to develop Godfrey: Chicago-based Oxford Capital Group purchased property in Hollywood and will develop it into The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood más...
Gencom acquires Peninsula Papagayo
A Gencom affiliate acquired the Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica from seller Wing of Papagayo. Although the exact purchase price was not disclosed, the más...
Military barracks turned ‘arts hotel’ in San Diego
McMillin, Untitled Hospitality and NTC Foundation have announced a collaboration to debut The Barracks Hotel in San Diego. Set to debut as an “arts más...
Hot Openings: Hilton arrives in Edinburgh
Earlier this month, Hilton Hotels & Resorts opened Hilton Edinburgh Carlton, marking the 16th property in the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands más...
People on the move
Mario André Miralles Alcazar was appointed executive chef at 6.8 Palopó restaurant at Casa Palopó in Guatemala. WaterWalk Hotel Apartments más...
News in brief: IHG, Charlestowne, Davidson
IHG grows Poland: IHG signed the Holiday Inn Gdansk City Centre in Poland. The property will operate under a management agreement with UBM Development más...
Gostelow Report: Grand Hotel’s joint GMs
“We think in tandem and bounce ideas off each other,” say Urs Grimm and Yasmin Grimm Cachemaille, joint general managers of the Victoria-Jungfrau más...
Lodging investment outlook steady: JLL
Key indicators of the U.S. hotel industry strength in Q2 2016 continue to suggest that the sector is stabilizing at normalized performance levels, according más...
MGM Resorts takes bigger stake in MGM China
MGM Resorts International on Tuesday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 188.1 million ordinary shares of its subsidiary más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Milu Hotel
Designed by studio DO/architect David Ohayon in collaboration with Carmel Ilan&Matteo Baroni, Milu Hotel in Florence, Italy, aims to embody the “essence más...
How to develop more financial leadership
As a hotel owner you’re pretty sure there is more that your hotel management team could do to leverage your asset and get you a greater return. You más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Hipmunk, US pipeline
Wyndham boasts. Wyndham Rewards on Tuesday was named No. 1 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Hotel Rewards Programs 2016-’17 ranking más...
Equinox hires high-profile luxury exec as its hotel CEO
Developer Related Co’s. Equinox Holdings continues to bulk up the executive team for its fledging luxury Equinox hotel brand with a Friday announcement más...
Busting the myths of millennial travel
Millennials have more in common with their baby boomer parents than you might think, says new surveys by American Express. Both demographics appreciate más...
What’s Hot: ‘Deep in the art of Texas’
HKS Hospitality Group unveiled its renovation of the 1880s-era Hotel Saint George in Marfa, Texas. The redesign aims to combine the “austere beauty más...
News in brief: Dusit, Starwood, NYC construction
Dusit signs in Dubai: Dusit Hotels and Resorts signed a management agreement with ACES Property Development to operate DusitPrincess ACES Dubai, a new más...
Starhotels’ Fabri breaks the mold in Italy
In an Italian market long known as fragmented and dominated by family-run independents there is Starhotels, still independent but Italy’s largest más...
Asian group sets regional standards for hotel jobs
Professional certification isn’t unknown in the hotel industry, but an agreement adopted by 10 member nations of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) más...
Stone, Untitled Hospitality develop brewery hotel
Stone Brewing and Untitled Hospitality have partnered to develop Stone Hotel, the companies’ first brewery hotel. Located adjacent to Stone Brewing más...
Fairmont lets you vote with your drink
The Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown recently launched an unofficial “Presidential Cocktail Poll.” The hotel’s Lobby Bar is más...
What’s Hot: The Nines’ artful refresh
The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel, in Portland, Oregon, recently unveiled its property-wide renovation. Led by the original designer of the hotel, más...
News in brief: London’s growth, Blasts in Thailand
Growth in London, STR: STR’s preliminary July 2016 data for London indicated performance growth driven by rate. Year-over-year comparisons include más...
Trinity Investment on the move in Japan, Mexico
With hospitality as its sweet spot, Trinity Investments, Honolulu, is lighter than usual in hospitality asset holdings with just four in the fold as of más...
Blackstone launches non-traded REIT
Blackstone Group, with more than US$103 billion in real estate assets under management as of June 30, is launching a non-traded real estate investment más...
What’s Hot: Sumaq Machu Picchu unveils reno
Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel recently completed a renovation of its guestrooms and public spaces. Designed by Carmine Furgione and Sandra Chávez, the más...
#TBT: Ecotourism blooms
“If you create a great experience, people will pay, whatever the cost,” said Michael Freed in HOTELS’ March 1996 issue. At the time más...
News in brief: Raffles, Madeira, Cambria
Raffles in London? Bloomberg is reporting that Raffles Hotels & Resorts is the preferred operator of a hotel in the Old War Office in London’s más...
Japan's APA Group makes big deal in N. America
Japan’s largest hospitality company, APA Group, Tokyo, is acquiring Vancouver, Canada-based Coast Hotels for US$210 million from Okabe Co. Ltd. más...
Karma, Sanctum founders to open rock-themed brand
John Spence, chairman and founder of travel and lifestyle brand Karma Group, and Mark Fuller, CEO of Sanctum Hotel Group, have formed a joint venture más...
Hot Openings: Dusit unveils mountain resort
Located on the fringe of Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dusit International’s new dusitD2 Khao Yai opened más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently in the move: Ronen Aviram was named general manager at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, Arizona. Most recently más...
News in brief: GCC hotels, U.S. construction, tourism and terror
Downturn for GCC hotels: Recent data and analysis from STR shows that hotels in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have experienced a downturn in más...
Gostelow Report: Work in progress at D.C.’s Rosewood
“I had a week's notice to do an overnight rebrand,” says Pascal Forotti, who on April 21 rebranded the former Capella Hotel Washington D.C más...
Pérès moving from Mövenpick to Kerzner
Kerzner International Holdings on Tuesday announced the appointment of Jean-Gabriel Pérès as its new president and CEO with a start date más...
Developer-investor turns operator with new Arlo brand
Making the unorthodox shift from investor and equity partner to a top-to-bottom owner/manager, Quadrum Global, London, on Tuesday announced it will soon más...
Paris hotel occupancy down sharply in July
The French government has launched a million-euro campaign in the wake of a sharp downturn in tourism, British newspaper The Telegraph reported, due mostly más...
Hot Openings: ‘Experimental luxury’ in Tel Aviv
Housed in a restored Bauhaus architecture-style building in Tel Aviv, the Poli House opening in October. Designed by Karim Rashid, the 40-room property más...
How much is a hotel really worth?
The real estate property assessor is overworked and under stress. He or she is looking for the most convenient way to do a job that in many taxing jurisdictions más...
News in brief: U.S. hotels, Chinese investment, Preferred
After the peak: The end of strong growth in U.S. hotels’ revenue and occupancy rates could hurt loan performance for CMBSs as interest rates rise más...
Anbang denies pending bid for IHG
As quickly as a report surfaced in London’s Sunday Times that Anbang Insurance Group was negotiating with bankers to make a US$12 billion dollar más...
China continues to hold up Marwood deal
In a deal that was expected to close last month, Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Monday that they agreed más...
W offers $500,000 inaugural ball package
Visitors to Washington don’t need to worry about getting an invitation to an inaugural ball in January. They can throw their own and invite 250 más...
News in brief: Centara, Hilton, Vail Resorts
Centara signs in China: Centara Hotels & Resorts signed two management agreements in China for Centara Grand Beach Resort Jin Tai Hainan in the Hainan más...
Video: The medium is the driver
Mobile devices are rapidly becoming one of the primary ways in which we watch video, even if it’s just in quick bursts presented on a tiny iPhone más...
STR: Rio gains 9,500 rooms ahead of Olympics
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has gained 38 hotels and more than 9,500 hotel rooms since being named host of the Summer Olympics, which celebrates its opening más...
How brands are testing chat bots and what consumers think
Some see chat bots as the future of customer service. Some say they’ll give it a week. It’s really early days still to más...
Hot Openings: Ascott marks decade in Hong Kong
The Ascott Limited recently unveiled two properties in Hong Kong with the opening of the Citadines Harbourview and Citadines Mercer. The openings come más...
News in brief: Novum, Fibra, Best Western
Novum in Stuttgart: A Novum Style Hotel with more than 200 rooms is being built in Stuttgart, Germany, as part of a 12-story building and office complex más...
Mövenpick names Olivier Chavy as new CEO
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts (MH&R) has appointed Olivier Chavy, 52, as new CEO. Olivier Chavy will take over the leadership from Jean-Gabriel más...
Is Airbnb getting into the hotel business?
Airbnb has launched an in-house design studio, Samara, whose first project is the Yoshino Cedar House in Yoshino, Japan. With a goal to “merge the más...
Disruptors: Finding the winning direct booking strategy
In one of his most recent blog posts for HOTELS, CHMWarnick CEO Chad Crandell asked the central question of the hotel industry’s campaign to reclaim más...
#TBT: Design with the customer in mind
“Responding to research that suggests its clientele is getting younger and trendier, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, is replacing the outmoded coffee más...
What’s Hot: Bernardus Lodge redesign
Opening earlier this week at the iconic Bernardus Lodge & Spa in Carmel Valley, California, the new villas and suites aim to “raise the bar más...
News in brief: Baccarat, HRI, Swiss International
Baccarat taps Elger: Hermann Elger was appointed managing director of Baccarat Hotel New York and chief operating officer of Baccarat Hotels and Resorts más...
Why Horst Schulze is jealous of his Asia group CEO
Horst Schulze, the founder, chairman and CEO of Capella Hotel Group, admits he is jealous of Nicholas Clayton, who has been appointed CEO of Capella Hotel más...
Defining brand loyalty in the face of consolidation
The Marriott-Starwood merger is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. Unfortunately, for travelers, this milestone serves as only the beginning más...
Hot Openings: ‘Parisian authenticity’ at Nolinski
Situated near the Comédie Française and the Palais Royal gardens, Nolinksi Paris recently opened its doors. Owned by Evok Group and designed más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Pietro Addis was appointed general manager at COMO Mallifushi in the Maldives. Most recently, Addis más...
News in brief: Horseshoe Bay, Vietnam, Springhill Suites
Horseshoe Bay management: Horseshoe Bay Resort in Texas signed an agreement with Fairfax, Virginia-based Crescent Hotels & Resorts to manage the hotel más...
Gostelow Report: Going from macro to micro
“Going from macro to micro is a big transition,” admitted long-time Hilton hotelier Armin Schroecker, who, with his wife Anahid Harrison Schroecker más...
Earnings roundup: Choice, IHG, Hyatt
Here are the highlights from second-quarter earnings reports by Choice Hotels International, InterContinental Hotels Group and Hyatt Hotels Corp. más...
How to turn virtual training into virtual learning
Virtual training is a fantastic tool to activate awareness about the importance of incorporating new ideas to gain success. But don’t be confused: más...
Hot Openings: House turned hotel in Quito
The Carlota Hotel opened its doors on July 21 as the first LEED-certified hotel in Ecuador and the first LEED-certified design boutique hotel in a UNESCO más...
News in brief: Crown, MGM, Zetter
Crown faces legal challenge: James Packer’s proposed Crown Resorts property in Barangaroo, Australia, will be contested in court after a community más...
F&B: Meetings get the trendy local touch, too
In partnership with celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, The Knickerbocker’s Legendary Meetings Package includes a variety of options for breakfast, lunch más...
RLJ names new CEO, COO
RLJ Lodging Trust has appointed Ross Bierkan as president and CEO and Leslie Hale as COO. Bierkan was initially appointed as interim president and CEO más...
Avoid merger challenge litigation
Consequences of M&A activity in the hospitality industry are increasingly making headlines, fuelled by a greater complexity of owning and operating más...
Loews creates Brazilian cocktails for Olympics
Loews Hotels is inviting guests and locals to celebrate the Rio 2016 Olympics by serving up distinctly crafted Caipirinha cocktails. Available at Loews más...
News in brief: Dorsett, FibraHotel, medical tourism
Dorsett expands in U.K.: Dorsett Hospitality International will develop its second hotel in London. Dorsett City is set to open in Q1 2017 and will include más...
julio 2016
Chef's viewpoint: Breakfast for dinner
Breakfast is a major part of many group meetings. Mark Dayanandan, executive chef at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, has seen an increase in demand más...
HNA: NH board members have formed ‘cabal’
HNA Group issued a letter to NH Hotel Group shareholders saying that activist board members Hesperia and Oceanwood Capital should be required to launch más...
PwC: South Africa on growth track
Consulting firm PwC is predicting steady growth in the next five years for the South African hotel market driven by an increase in international visitors más...
What’s Hot: Brooklyn Marriott unveils reno
A year in the making, the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City this week unveiled the completion of its US$45 million top-to-bottom más...
News in brief: Hersha, Host, Ritz-Carlton
Hersha acquires Envoy: Hersha Hospitality Trust acquired the Envoy Hotel in Boston for US$112.5 million. The 136-room hotel in the city’s Seaport más...
Choice's Janis Cannon ready for liftoff
Part of Janis Cannon’s first weeks on the job included hanging out in hotel lobbies. But she wasn’t just passing the time. Choice Hotels International’s más...
Hilton, Marriott mildly temper guidance
Two industry powerhouses, Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide reported second quarter results on Wednesday, generally meeting expectations and más...
#TBT: A luxury shopping spree
In the mid-1990s, upscale travelers were splurging on stays at top-of-the-line hotels, knowing that luxury was worth the cost. Hotel companies were splurging más...
Ovolo in Hong Kong all in on Pokémon Go
Ovolo Southside, Hong Kong’s first warehouse conversion hotel, has opened its doors wide open to the city and the world’s Pokémon trainers más...
What’s Hot: New lobby at Hilton SF Union Square
The Hilton San Francisco Union Square Hotel recently unveiled its new 17,160-square foot (5,230.4 square-meter) lobby. Designed by Indidesign, the lobby más...
News in brief: Sahara, Peninsula, Public
Sahara spurns offer: Sahara Group rejected a US$1.3 billion offer by a consortium of investors for its three hotels, including London’s Grosvenor más...
HOTELS 325 ranking reveals further upheaval
Even before “the deal” closes, which should vault the new Marriott International even further ahead of its giant competitors, the redefined más...
Kimpton’s second Europe hotel set for Paris
InterContinental Hotels Group is developing a Kimpton hotel in Paris that will open in 2020, its second hotel in Europe. The hotel, to be located near más...
Hot Openings: Ronaldo, Pestana debut collection
Soccer star Christiano Ronaldo and Portuguese hotel operator Grupo Pestana SGPS SA debuted their first hotel from their partnership, Pestana CR7 Funchal más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: George Adel was appointed director of revenue management at W South Beach in Miami. Stonebridge Companies más...
News in brief: AccorHotels, Hilton, Wyndham
AccorHotels to acquire John Paul: AccorHotels has begun negotiations for the acquisition of John Paul, a technology-enabled concierge company. AccorHotels más...
Gostelow Report: Putting InterContinental Marseille on map
“The aesthetics of my job, with beautiful flowers and team fashion and the overall feel, remind me that as a child I wanted to be an architect,” más...
Starwood posts Q2 loss; hurt by forex in Italy
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide reported a loss US$263 million (US$1.56 per share) in its second-quarter earnings, mostly attributed to a large más...
Marriott launches 4th social media tracking studio
Marriott International has launched the company’s fourth M Live Studio in London to create and deliver real-time content as well as generate social más...
Preferred strikes global deal with UnionPay
Preferred Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday announced it has entered into a global partnership with UnionPay International – China’s most widely más...
How sales support PR can deliver added revenue
The primary form of public relations utilized in the hospitality industry is called promotional PR, which aims to enhance the brand and marketplace perception más...
What’s Hot: R floor at The Rittenhouse
The Rittenhouse in Philadelphia recently unveiled its new Rittenhouse (R) Floor. The floor has been redesigned with 15 "urban sanctuaries," including más...
News in brief: Cornell, Moody’s, Aloft
Cornell sustainability benchmark: Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research released two new benchmarks—climate and hotel type—from más...
Navigating opportunities, obstacles in Cuban market
In June, Starwood Hotels & Resorts began managing the Quinta Avenida in Havana, a hotel owned by Grupo de Turismo Gaviota, a wholly owned subsidiary más...
Charlestowne’s saturation method drives loyalty
At Charlestowne Hotels, our OTA strategy is concentrated on the saturation of all modes and disciplines at each segment of the booking cycle, from parity más...
Guest review study ranks luxury hotels
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Library Hotel Collection were the best-performing large and small luxury hotel brands in guest satisfaction, according más...
Hot Openings: W grows in Mexican market
W Punta de Mita in Mexico’s Rivera Nayarit recently opened, joining W Mexico City as the brand’s second hotel in the market. Designed by ASET/AOMA más...
News in brief: Meininger, Leonardo, Sheraton Grand
Meininger to open in Leipzig: Meininger Hotels will open a hotel near Leipzig's main station at the beginning of 2017. The former ibis Hotel from AccorHotels más...
Moving to the cloud can get messy. Is it worth it?
“Moving to the cloud” is meant to simplify a hotel’s operations, but making the actual transition from a physical data center to one más...
Marriott, NBA extend partnership
Marriott International and the National Basketball Association have announced that it extended its partnership. As part of the agreement, Marriott will más...
Presidential suite of amenities from D.C. hotel
It might be a bit of a stretch to call the current political season in the U.S. fun, but one Washington, D.C., hotel is taking a “if you can’t más...
Hot Openings: ‘Fun-loving’ Venice Beach boutique
The Kinney recently debuted in Venice Beach, marking Pacifica Hotels’ latest property opening. Described as a “fun-loving, beach-centric” más...
News in brief: Hilton, Marriott, Trump
Hilton in Baltics: Hilton Worldwide is bringing its midscale Hilton Garden Inn brand to Lithuania and Latvia by 2018. That follows news last month that más...
Social media training, interaction key
Social media is rising so rapidly in importance to the overall hospitality landscape that many hotels and even broader chains are racing to keep up. For más...
A property owner's perspective on the M&A trend
In 2015, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) amounted to a total value of US$4.6 trillion, the highest since the 2007 peak (Source: The Economist, 2014a más...
#TBT: ‘Will guests have time to sleep?’
If you happened to be at the Shangri-La Resort & Country Club in Alton, Oklahoma, in 1995, you might have found yourself on the cusp of a revolution más...
Hot Openings: Moxy makes U.S. debut
Marriott International’s lifestyle brand Moxy Hotels made its U.S. debut this past spring in New Orleans and Tempe, Arizona. Moxy first launched más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Oakwood, security concerns
Airbnb taps Holder: Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was hired by Airbnb as an adviser to develop a strategy to address potential racism and other más...
Recruiting renewed: Tell your hotel’s ‘unfiltered’ story
Susan Terry says hotels have an F&B staffing crisis, and she has a way to mitigate it. Go beyond posting a job description and determine how to attract más...
Dubai retailer jumping into hotel business
A new hotel brand is emerging from Dubai as retailer Forever Rose has announced plans to develop properties in Dubai, London and Qatar. Al Samadi Group más...
Hot Openings: ‘Not your grandfather’s Hilton’ in Cleveland
In time for the Republican National Convention, the Hilton Cleveland Downtown recently opened steps away from the GOP’s stage at Quicken Loans Arena más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Alex Ahluwalia was named general manager at JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert más...
News in brief: Chinese tourism, Omni, Austria
Chinese tourism surge: Ninety-two percent of Chinese travelers intend to increase or maintain spending on travel in the next 12 months, according to Hotels más...
Gostelow Report: Sky’s the limit at Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
“If I could change something every day, then we would have an even better hotel,” declares Pierre Perusset, general manager of the world’s más...
Bawadi being revived in Dubai: Report
Bawadi, announced as the largest hospitality and leisure development in the world in 2007, is being revived in Dubai, Dubai Holding Chief Executive Officer más...
French real estate firm acquires 5 NH hotels
French real estate developer Foncière des Régions has acquired the purchase options for five NH-branded hotels across Germany for €125 más...
Oetker Collection launches retail brand
The Oetker Collection and Eden Rock Group are introducing a retail lifestyle brand that aims to reflect the luxury hotel company’s properties. The más...
What’s Hot: Park South unveils reno, repositioning
Owned and developed by Atlantic Stars Hotels & Cruises, the 131-room Park South Hotel in New York City recently completed its US$20 million renovation más...
News in brief: Airbnb, W Hotels, Hawkeye
Airbnb strikes tax deal in L.A.: Airbnb signed a deal with Los Angeles city budget and tax officials to start collecting lodging taxes from rental hosts más...
Pairing mode: Be careful whom you invite to share
Hotel partnerships are evolving as the “sharing economy” gains momentum, and hotels are leveraging it to—they hope—burnish their más...
Opinion: Terrorism breeds new face of tourism
France today, Belgium yesterday, but also Great Britain, Spain a few years ago… European nations are targeted by terrorists for their involvement más...
What’s Hot: The Pierre’s Rotunda re-imagined
The Pierre, a Taj Hotel, in New York City recently re-opened its iconic Rotunda as a culinary space. Re-designed by architect Daniel Romualdez, the Rotunda más...
A backyard barbecue on the road
TownePlace Suites by Marriott is offering guests an amenity that they previously could only get in their own backyard: a barbecue grill. The company’s más...
News in brief: Century Plaza, Grupo Posadas, Park City
A Century in the making: Next Century Partners says it has received financing of more than US$1 billion to redevelop the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles más...
Inzerillo focuses on trust at Forbes
Next year, larger-than-life Jerry Inzerillo will celebrate his 50th anniversary in the hotel business, starting when he was 13 as a banquet busboy for más...
Mantra luring Pokemon Go fans to its hotel bars
Capturing Pokemon can be thirsty work, so a hotel group in Australia is hopping on the augmented-reality game craze with drink and food specials at two más...
What’s Hot: ‘Contemporary safari’ in South Africa’
After undergoing a significant renovation, Singita Lebombo Lodge aims to offer “the most forward-thinking, contemporary safari experience in Africa más...
News in brief: Meliá, Four Seasons, Priceline’s biz bet
Meliá strategy update: Meliá Hotels released a statement on its commitment to renovating and repositioning its hotels, saying that it reached más...
The Puerto Rico problem
Amid Puerto Rico’s US$72 billion debt crisis, developers on the Caribbean island have been weighing the effect of the economic distress on attracting más...
#TBT: Beginning of an era
It was January 1995, and optimism was ringing in the New Year. HOTELS had something to celebrate, as well: The issue that month included Jeff Weinstein’s más...
Marriott breaks ground on Nashville triple play
Marriott International is breaking ground this morning on its first triple-branded hotel building, in the SoBro neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee. más...
Hot Openings: ME by Melia debuts in U.S.
Meliá Hotels International earlier this week opened its first ME by Meliá-branded hotel in the U.S. Owned by CGI 1100 Biscayne Management más...
News in brief: Centara, Four Points, Ritz-Carlton
Centara grows in Krabi: Centara Hotels & Resorts will open its third property in Krabi, Thailand. Centra by Centara Phu Pani Resort Krabi will include más...
AccorHotels to create separate real estate subsidiary
As AccorHotels finalized its acquisition of FRHI Hotels & Resorts also announced plans to turn its HotelInvest property group into a separate subsidiary más...
Google updates searches for hotel deals
Google is changing its search results for travel planners looking for deals on flights and hotels. The search engine has announced updates that include más...
Jaz Amsterdam opening 'prank' goes viral
With Steigenberger Hotels’ Jaz Amsterdam preparing for its opening next to the Ziggo Dome where a crowd was queueing up for an Adele concert, management más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Archer Austin
Scheduled to open later this summer, Archer Hotel Austin in Texas will mark the second property in the Archer collection by owners and developers LodgeWorks más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Ashmeed Abass was named food and beverage manager at Hyatt Regency Trinidad in the Caribbean. Hotel más...
News in brief: Booking.com, Disney, guest satisfaction
Booking.com launches bot pilot: Booking.com unveiled its Destination Experiences bot pilot, a service that will help travelers decide what to do when más...
Gostelow Report: Royal reception at The Savoy
“Whatever happened at Wimbledon these last two weeks really had little effect on occupancy. Tennis lovers come for the overall entertainment rather más...
Accor takes FRHI, names Cahill head of luxury
It’s official: AccorHotels Group has won approval to acquire FRHI Hotels & Resorts (FRHI) and its three hotel brands: Fairmont, Raffles and más...
Airbnb partners with corporate travel planners
In a major step forward for Airbnb’s desire to increase its business mix, American Express Global Business Travel, BCD Travel and Carlson Wagonlit más...
Interstate develops new partner in Europe
Interstate Hotels & Resorts is developing a partnership with Netherlands-based Odyssey Hotel Group to expand in Germany, The Netherlands and other más...
Hot Openings: Generator debuts in Stockholm
Hostel brand Generator recently opened adjacent to the Norra Bantorget Square in Stockholm. Designed by Design Agency, the 11-floor property includes más...
News in brief: Chiwayland, Airbnb, London data
Chiwayland to develop in LA: Chiwayland International of Shanghai will develop a mixed-use project in Los Angeles for US$69 million in partnership with más...
Benchmark, Gemstone merge; planning positioning
Benchmark Hospitality International and Gemstone Hotels & Resorts, a Gencom affiliate, have announced a merger, creating a portfolio of 58 properties más...
The Disruptors: Hotels don't need to fear tech startups
Investors raising US$5.2 billion to disrupt the hotel industry sounds like a lot to fear, but it really isn’t. That figure, which according to research más...
Hot Openings: Kimpton Journeyman, Milwaukee
Kimpton Hotels opened its Kimpton Journeyman Hotel in late June in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. The project was a joint venture among Milwaukee-based más...
News in brief: Gaw Capital, Hilton, Omni
Gaw Capital raises initial capital: Gaw Capital Partners raised US$150 million in initial capital for its hotel fund. To date, the private equity real más...
Sage's Walter Isenberg: Love the one you're with
Sage Hospitality is among the group of stylish, staunchly independent hotel owner-operators that continue to thrive and grow beyond their roots. Co-founded más...
Brexit-ing: Hospitality finds bright spots in Britain
Two weeks after the U.K. voted to leave the European Union, throwing its currency into a tailspin, statistics show that it hasn’t put a damper on más...
Technology brings positive change to hotel construction
Today’s hotel building boom will bring more than 100,000 new rooms to cities across the U.S. by the end of 2016. Most of these hotels are located más...
What’s Hot: Nai Harn Phuket unveils new look
Following an extensive 18-month remodeling, The Nai Harn Phuket recently revealed its new look, infusing contemporary style with traditional Southern más...
News in brief: Airbnb, member discounts, Cuba flights
Airbnb cleans up: Airbnb said it kicked 2,233 more listings—5% of listings—off its platform in New York City, seeking to weed out hosts who más...
Hardly another day at the office for Starwood in Cuba
The Starwood Hotels & Resorts operations team acts as though the opening of the 186-room Four Points Havana, even with the country’s limited más...
Yet another rumor surfaces about Sahara hotels sale
Rumors surfaced once again on Thursday that Subrata Roy’s Sahara Group and the Qatar Investment Authority have agreed upon a US$1.6 billion price más...
Hot Openings: Fusing past with present in Brisbane
The new-build Mantra Richmont Hotel recently opened in Brisbane’s Spring Hill. The design aims to embrace of the past and the present, with modern más...
#TBT: Brushes with greatness
A GM wears many hats and must have many skills, but no one would deny that the job provides a good workout most days. While most hotel managers run the más...
All-electric fleet for Hong Kong hotel
Hotel Icon, Hong Kong, is further reducing its carbon footprint with the introduction of a fully electric transportation fleet, consisting of Hong Kong’s más...
News in brief: Hilton, Meliá, U.S. timeshares
Hilton has largest global pipeline: According to Lodging Econometrics, Hilton Worldwide has the largest brand presence by both project and room count más...
What's Hot in Technology: Go mobile or go home
In the June issue of HOTELS, we presented some of the hot trends driving hotel technology innovation, ranging from guest experience apps and hot direct más...
Hot Openings: ‘Rebellious’ hotel in San Fran
Previously The Prescott and housed in the former Cecil Hotel and Press Club of San Francisco, the Hotel Zeppelin opened in San Francisco’s Union más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Stonebridge Companies named Judy Blattert vice president of sales and marketing, Clay Hopkin systems más...
News in brief: Apple Leisure, U.S. travel, Minor
Apple Leisure explores sale: Reuters is reporting that Apple Leisure Group, which operates resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico, is exploring a sale that más...
Gostelow Report: Detail-oriented at Mandarin Oriental Boston
“I have always believed in being honest, and there was no way I could lie about how I broke my ankle,” admits Alain Negueloua, GM of Mandarin más...
SACO launches boutique aparthotel brand
SACO, the Serviced Apartment Company, on Monday unveiled a serviced apartment-hotel brand called Locke that it says will combine the best aspects of boutique más...
Mouse power: Anaheim bans short-term rentals
The City Council of Anaheim, California, the Anaheim City Council voted to ban all future short-term rentals in residential areas of the city and más...
Hot Openings: Atton unveils U.S. flagship
Opening this month, the Atton Brickell Miami marks the debut of Atton Hotels' flagship. “Opening a flagship hotel in Miami is a natural move más...
News in brief: Canopy, Mandarin Oriental, Swissôtel
Canopy celebrates first hotel opening: Hilton Worldwide’s new lifestyle brand, Canopy by Hilton, and Icelandair Hotel announced the opening of the más...
What's Hot in Design: Lobbies, libraries and more
In the June issue of HOTELS, we presented some of the hot trends driving hotel design, ranging from trendy multi-tasking lobbies to address the "together más...
One more approval to go for Marwood. Who's left?
One more approval stands between further authorization of the Marriott-Starwood deal, and interestingly its China. Marriott International announced it más...
Interview with a service industry robot
While waiter robots have debuted with mixed results in Asia, small fleets of robotic butlers and concierges are enjoying successful test drives at several más...
Choice tracks American's summer travel habits
With gas prices down and more money in the pockets of Americans, Choice Hotels International reveals the findings from its annual summer travel survey más...
What's Hot: Furama expands to Koh Samui
Furama Hotels International (FHI), Singapore, has rebranded the Farmer’s Boutique Resort, Koh Samui, as FuramaXclusive Farmers Boutique, marking más...
News in brief: Marriott, Verde Hotels, Starwood
One more to go. Marriott International has announced it has received authorization from competition authorities in Saudi Arabia and Mexico to proceed más...
Starwood starts to take its curtain call
As the closing of the Marriott-Starwood deal comes closer to fruition, Starwood is starting to bid its farewells. Not surprisingly, as it merges with más...
Is your staff delivering hyper-local experiences?
Millennials don’t want to visit places, they want to experience them. The under-36 set wants to find the hot new restaurant off-the-beaten path más...
Pop artist, designer team up on ‘SupaPop Space’
Pop artist Sean Danconia and Henry Chebaane, a London-based experiential designer, are putting their unique spins on a hospitality and retail enterprise más...
Hot Openings: Welcome back to Asbury Park
Opening U.S. Memorial Day weekend in Asbury Park, New Jersey, The Asbury aims to offer a reimagined classic beach hotel. Designed by iStar, Bonetti Kozerski más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Jin Jiang, Disney
Wyndham in Auckland: Wyndham Hotel Group announced plans to build an NZ$50 million (US$35.5 million) hotel in Auckland. The 86-key hotel, which will have más...
junio 2016
Hot F&B: Concepts that drive the bottom line
Food and beverage with an edge has become a big drawing card for hotels – not only for in-house guests, but to draw locals who fill the lobby bars más...
#TBT: Carmen Wirth, soul of the Hassler
Carmen Bucher Wirth’s life is the stuff of hotel legend, and it was only fitting that she would be named HOTELS’ Indepdent Hotelier of the más...
Business travelers embracing self-service, personalization
Mobile technology continues to make it easier for travelers to manage their own travel while in-transit and the majority of global business travelers más...
Starwood Asia Pac launches cultural digital magazine
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific this week launched Momentum, a multi-channel digital magazine created by an editorial team and supported by más...
What’s Hot: Red Rock unveils new spa
Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas recently opened its newly renovated spa and wellness facility, Well & Being Spa. Managed by Trilogy Spa Holdings, the más...
News in brief: Pandox-Scandic, Kayak, ‘American Brexodus’
Pandox-Scandic renew leases: Pandox and Scandic Hotels have renewed and extended lease agreements for 19 hotels in the Nordic regions. The agreements más...
Another big deal: Diamond Resorts sold
Las Vegas-based timeshare company Diamond Resorts International announced Wednesday it is being acquired by Apollo Global Management in an all-cash deal más...
Momentous occasion for U.S. hotels in Cuba
The American flag is flying once again in Cuba as Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Wednesday announced the opening of Four Points Havana, representing más...
Who’s Hot: Meet the hoteliers shaking things up
The heart of the hotel business is the people who make it all happen, and a lot is happening with the personalities shaping the industry. HOTELS has gathered más...
What’s Hot: IHG unveils dual-brand reno in Atlanta
Spire Hospitality and IHG today announced the completion of the Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites Midtown Atlanta hotel renovation. The property marks más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Kara Akers was named associate director of sales at The Oxford Hotel and The Crawford Hotel in Denver más...
News in brief: Marriott, Jeju, Onyx
Marriott, Schrager in Singapore: Marriott International and South Beach Consortium Pte. Ltd. announced that the 634-room South Beach Hotel will become más...
Gostelow Report: Local flavor at Tokyo’s Shangri-La
“My grandmother really wanted me to be a banker,” says Düsseldorf, Germany-born Marcus Bauder. “She was horrified when I told her más...
Why standard inspections no longer work: Richey
Richey International created the concept of service and quality scores for hoteliers in the early 1980s. But today, we can no longer support the concept más...
How independent hotels can reclaim bookings from OTAs
The drive to increase direct bookings has moved into high gear for many hoteliers, with the large global chains and hospitality industry giants leading más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Milaidhoo Island Maldives
Set in the heart of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Baa Atoll region, the boutique five-star Milaidhoo Island Maldives is set to open in November. Designed más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Barcelo-Plateno, IHG
Airbnb sues San Francisco: Airbnb filed a lawsuit over a new law that requires the short-term rental company to verify that hosts have registered with más...
Trending: Instant communication
Calling down to the hotel’s front desk for extra towels may soon be obsolete. Messaging technology is gaining traction with several hotel companies más...
Waldorf closing, converting most rooms to condo: WSJ
While plans have not been finalized, the new owner of the original Waldorf Astoria in New York, China’s Anbang Insurance Group Co., plans to shut más...
John Q. Hammons Hotels files for bankruptcy
John Q. Hammons Hotels filed for bankruptcy protection on Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri, just weeks before the start of a trial to determine if the más...
Deloitte: Little consensus, many views at NYU
If there was one consistent theme throughout NYU’s 2016 International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, it was “divergent views más...
What’s Hot: Redesign at Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky
The Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky recently unveiled the redesign of its public areas, bar and restaurants. The Amsterdam hotel’s transformation was led más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Aloft, AEG
Airbnb as media owner: Brian Chesky, founder and CEO of Airbnb, said at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity that he wants the room-sharing platform más...
Brexit decision's potential impact on hotels
HOTELS blogger and Spanish-based consultant Ivar Yuste offered his insight on Friday morning about the impact of Thursday’s historic vote in favor más...
Steigenberger JV in India plans 20 luxury hotels
Germany’s Steigenberger Hotel Group has announced a partnership with Indian education services giant MBD Group to manage and franchise some 20 hotels más...
Clever brand extension from Mama Shelter
As an extension of its hotel brand, the leadership of Mama Shelter is launching Mama’s Kiss, a colorful and character-driven café with an más...
Sofitel launches local, sustainable summer menus
Sofitel Hotels recently launched new De-Light by Sofitel menu items across properties in North America. Items include French-inspired, low-calorie and más...
What’s Hot: Iconic Gleneagles gets makeover
The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, recently announced an extensive, multimillion-dollar renovation. The first phase of the project includes más...
News in brief: Regional results, Starwood Capital, UAE taxes
STR on Europe, Mideast, Africa, Central/South America: The European hotel industry recorded mostly positive May results year-over-year: The continent más...
Oberoi patriot Chopra shares his goals
You can detect the high energy in Kapil Chopra’s voice. He speaks fast and is keenly aware of how quickly the world and consumer needs are changing más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Anantara Kalutara
Anantara is set to open its second luxury resort in Sri Lanka in October. Surrounded by tropical gardens, coconut palms and shoreline, the resort was más...
What Brexit could mean for hotels
As Britons decide today whether the U.K. should leave the European Union, STR says future growth of the hotel industry could be crimped if voters approve más...
#TBT: The debut of HOTELS’ Investment Outlook
Hot off the presses in April 1998 was the first issue of a magazine that promised to “read the bottom line first.” The hotel business was más...
Study tracks consumers’ changing hotel behavior
American hotel bookers spent nearly 25% more time on their hotel path to purchase than their flight plan to purchase, according to travel tech company más...
Carlson launches bike rental program in U.S.
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Minnetonka, Minnesota, has launched a pilot program that will offer bike rental stations at select hotels. Avanti bike rentals más...
News in brief: Dream Hotels, Pan Pacific, Wyndham
Dream Hotels to open in Nashville: Dream Hotel group will open Dream Nashville in mid-2018. The US$70 million project will include 169 rooms. Read more más...
NH Hotels CEO ousted during shareholder coup
NH Hotels’ activist shareholder, British fund investor Oceanwood Capital, has taken control of the NH board, removing three representatives appointed más...
AC by Marriott collaborates with startup community
AC Hotels by Marriott has joined forces with global startup community Startup Grind to provide entrepreneurs with inspirational places to work, preferred más...
What’s Hot: Coastal Carolina retreat unveils reno
Sanderling Resort in Duck, North Carolina, recently completed a multi-phase “re-imagination” which includes 120 renovated guestrooms and suites más...
Iconic NYC hotel partners with Repeat Roses
The InterContinental New York Barclay and Repeat Roses have partnered to remove, recycle and compost flowers from weddings and other events taking place más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts appointed Devdutta Banerjee area director of revenue management más...
News in brief: Soho House, Aloft, Sandals
Soho-Sydell development: Soho House, along with New York City developer Sydell Group, have announced plans to open in Spring 2017 the 252-bed Ned hotel más...
Gostelow Report: Houdré entrusted with reborn legend
“Any GM is only as good as his owner's investment, and now I am entrusted with making what is a US$180 million renovation a worthwhile return,” más...
Hyatt acquires resort for Unbound Collection
Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced on Monday that a wholly owned subsidiary has entered into an agreement to purchase the 119-room Royal Palms Resort and Spa más...
Cuba: Protections for US-based companies
Fifty years ago Cuba celebrated the expulsion of foreign investment as both an ideological accomplishment and symbol of economic sovereignty. As the short más...
Hilton brands turn marketing attention to men
Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton are bucking marketing trends that focus on women and millennials with the “Travel MANager,” más...
Hot Openings: MGallery debuts in Brazil
The first MGallery by Sofitel in Brazil recently opened in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. Hotel Santa Teresa features architecture preserved by the neo-modernist más...
News in brief: Ascott, Hilton, Oxford Capital
Ascott adds hotels in Asia: The Ascott Limited secured seven new properties across seven cities in Asia: Somerset Ginza East Tokyo (opening in July 2016) más...
Depatie, KPH have fresh fund, clear vision
Mike Depatie recalled a 79-year-old friend who advised him to continually consider first what is becoming clearer, and then what is now truly clear. For más...
New York sends anti-Airbnb bill to governor's desk
A bill that makes it illegal to advertise entire unoccupied apartments for short-term rentals on Airbnb and the like passed the New York Senate on Friday más...
Omni takes philanthropic approach to direct booking
While many of the major brands are offering discounts for direct bookings, Omni Hotels & Resorts is taking a different approach, preferring not to más...
Who’s afraid of the bigger, badder sharing economy?
At the recent NYU International Hospitality Investment Conference, fellow attendees and hotel executives talked a lot about Airbnb and the sharing economy más...
Hot Openings: Renaissance Paris Republique debuts
Renaissance Paris Republique Hotel recently opened in the French capital's Bobo Republique neighborhood. Embracing the Renaissance brand’s new “Fearlessly más...
Residence Inn partners with Under Armour
Residence Inn by Marriott and Under Armour Connected Fitness on Monday announced a series of custom running routes that guests can access from each of más...
News in brief: Taj, Arbor Lodging, U.S. hotel construction
New Taj planned for Dubai: CG Hotels and Resorts, the hospitality division of Nepal’s billionaire Binod Chaudhary, signed a deal with Taj Hotels más...
Hard Rock partners with GLH for London deal
A week after announcing a big hotel deal for New York City, Hard Rock International, in an interesting collaboration with innovative London-based GLH más...
Choice Privileges expands loyalty rewards
Choice Hotels International’s guest loyalty program Choice Privileges added a several new partners to its midweek travel “Your Extras” más...
Edwardian Hotels launches 'virtual host'
Texting and messaging are quickly working into hotel operations as further evidenced by Edwardian Hotels London launch a new ‘virtual host’ más...
What’s Hot: New suites at 1 Hotel
1 Hotel & Homes South Beach in Miami recently unveiled The 1 Collection Suites. Defined as “luxury residential-like suites featured with exclusive más...
News in brief: Oetker, PPHE, Rezidor
Oetker teams up with Vongerichten: Oetker Collection announced a partnership with Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Palácio Tangará in São Paulo más...
Ennismore launching cool budget brand in UK
London-based Ennismore, the team behind The Hoxton, on Thursday announced NoCo, a new brand striving to challenge the status quo of budget hotel más...
#TBT: ‘At least we have customers’
The big hotel news out of Russia recently was the announcement by venerable Italian jewelry house Bulgari that it would build its first hotel in that más...
Internal disruptors can impact sales efforts
There is a lot of talk these days about the impact of Airbnb and OTAs on hotels. But what is being said about internal disruptors that affect the booking más...
What’s Hot: Sneak peek at Pulitzer Amsterdam reno
Pulitzer Amsterdam is set to reveal the final stage of its multi-stage renovation in August. Over the past three years, Jacu Strauss of Tom Dixon’s más...
News in brief: Airbnb, HNA, Aimbridge
Airbnb adds US$1 billion for expansion: Airbnb secured a US$1 billion debt facility from several large U.S. banks, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. más...
Yotel unveils sub-brands as development picks up
Yotel is spinning off three sub-brands from its roots as a pioneer of small, smartly designed "cabins" operating in airports. The three brands are Yotel más...
New luxury group launches in Saratoga Springs
Richbell Capital and Blue Skies Forever on Wednesday announced the formation of The Adelphi Hospitality Group (AHG), Saratoga Springs, New York, which más...
Anschutz family takes control of Sea Island Co.
Ownership of the Sea Island Co. in Georgia is being consolidated under the Anschutz family, one of its four current owners, marking the return of this más...
Worldhotels launches curated World Luxury
Worldhotels has launched a curated collection of its hotels called World Luxury, a program that caters to luxury hotels and travelers offering a more más...
Hot Openings: Leeu Estates arrives in Franschhoek valley
Leeu Estates recently opened its doors in the picturesque Franschhoek Valley in South Africa. The 17-room property is situated on 168 acres (68 hectares) más...
Fairmont’s new hotel brand: Luxury bee hotels
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and the nonprofit Pollinator Partnership are taking the hotel concept to an unlikely guest: wild mason bees. The bees have más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Portola Hotel & Spa in Monterey, California, named Danny Abbruzzese executive chef and Brian Hein más...
News in brief: Carlson Rezidor, Starwood, loyalty programs
Rezidor signs in China, Miami: Carlson Rezidor signed a management agreement for Radisson Suzhou in China with Suzhou Zheng He Investment Co., Ltd. Radisson más...
Gostelow Report: Close-knit at Café Royal
“I like the empowerment of a small company. Although I run this as if it were my own hotel, I have the confidence of knowing I am part of a small más...
Starwood closes on sale of two Florence assets
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Tuesday announced that it has closed on the sale for €190 million (approximately US$213 million) of the más...
Marriott puts its tag on Protea brand
Marriott International on Tuesday announced the rebranding of Protea Hotels to Protea Hotels by Marriott, which includes an updated and modernized logo más...
Boutique Salt Hotels gets creative with retail
Salt Hotels has launched its first retail outlet, Salt Supply, at The Chequit in Shelter Island, New York. Salt Supply is the brainchild of Salt más...
Hot Openings: Santorini Heights, Greece
Santorini Heights, a boutique villa hotel perched on the tallest hill on the Greek island of Santorini, opened in April. “The construction of the más...
News in brief: Rezidor, upscale projects, Marriott
Rezidor in Poland: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s Rezidor is opening two properties in Poland: The 166-key Park Inn by Radisson Poznán más...
Cuba: What happens when the novelty wears off?
Cuba is the hottest four-letter word in the hotel business right now. Plenty of the factors at play—the anticipated loosening of tight U.S. governmental más...
Hot Openings: 21c Museum Hotel, Oklahoma City
21c Museum Hotels just opened its sixth property in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a contemporary reinvention of the Oklahoma City Ford Motor Co. Assembly más...
Lotte postpones IPO after HQ raid
After its headquarters was raided Friday as part of an investigation into alleged slush funds, South Korea's Hotel Lotte Co. is postponing its US$3.5 más...
HNA: Not in any discussions with Accor
HNA International Hotels & Resorts Management Co. stated Friday that reports claiming that it was joining forces with AccorHotels to counter Jin Jiang más...
Hotel in Spain opens doors to accessible tourism
Astoria 7 Hotel in San Sebastian, Spain, has opened a state-of-the-art room for wheelchair users, as a result of an ambitious project focused on accessible más...
News in brief: Cuba, SBE, Hyatt
Cuba air travel: The Obama administration on Friday gave the go-ahead to six U.S. airlines to begin direct flights to Cuba as soon as this fall – más...
2016 NYU conference: Reporter's notebook
Here is a summary from some of the meetings HOTELS held with hotel company executives during the 2016 NYU hotel investment conference: Steve Van, Prism más...
How Facebook affects the hospitality industry
Social media has revolutionized the hospitality industry. Instagram helps you showcase your hotel visually and engage with guests. Twitter strengthens más...
W Hotels gets Fancy for Pride
W Hotels is partnering with multimedia artist Baron Von Fancy on three Snapchat filters to support the Human Rights Campaign during Pride month. The brand más...
Hot Openings: Celebrity lawyers unveil V Palm Springs
Owned by celebrity lawyers Mark Geragos and Brian Kabatech, V Palm Springs Hotel in California opened this past April. Managed by Filament Hospitality más...
News in brief: Lotte, Hyatt, Ryanair
Lotte offices raided: South Korean prosecutors raided the offices of Lotte Group and several affiliates, including Hotel Lotte, today. The company pushed más...
HOTELS Interview: In the garden with Philippe Starck
Famous designer Philippe Starck has wowed, perplexed, inspired, ruffled, poked thousands of people in the world with his creations. One thing he is not más...
MMGY: Record travel expected, trendsetters redefined
U.S. travel and hospitality marketing firm MMGY Global has released findings from its annual Portrait of American Travelers (POAT) survey that más...
Rockefeller’s legendary The Point has new owner
The Point, an exclusive 11-room Relais & Châteaux property and former Great Camp of William Avery Rockefeller, was acquired Wednesday at auction más...
#TBT: Bob Small thinks big at Fairmont
Flip through any copy of HOTELS magazine (either our paper copies, which date back to the 1960s, or the virtual ones on our website) and you’ll más...
Baccarat Hotels launches opulent $300k package
Baccarat Hotel New York has launched The Heritage Experience, a 12-day, US$300,000 journey that spans the United States, Europe and Asia, immersing guests más...
Hot Openings: Holiday Inn arrives in downtown Brooklyn
Earlier this week, IHG unveiled the new-build Holiday Inn Brooklyn Downtown in New York. Designed by Andres Escobar, the 14-story hotel features natural más...
News in brief: Expedia, Hyatt, Rezidor
Expedia unveils first bot: Expedia launched its first bot for Facebook Messenger. The both is design to help travelers quickly see hotel opens and move más...
Wyndham launches strategic brand transformations
Wyndham Hotel Group (WHG) on Wednesday unveiled plans for a strategic transformation of its 16 brands (nearly 8,000 hotels) aimed at elevating the travel más...
Ashford Prime received unsolicited $1.5B offer
Embattled Ashford Hospitality Prime Inc. has received an unsolicited, non-binding offer from the Los Angeles-based investor Weisman Group to buy the company’s más...
What’s Hot: Monarch Beach Resort debuts $40M renovation
On June 1, Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California, debuted a US$40 million renovation to the beachfront property. The redesign includes a new más...
Baird’s Loeb offers comments on timely issues
Baird, an employee-owned international capital markets, private equity, wealth and asset management firm, is hosting its annual Global Consumer, Technology más...
St Giles campaign takes VR cameras into cities
St Giles hotels is hoping to promote the next phase of a global marketing campaign by enticing guests to record their experiences with a 360-degree video más...
People on the Move
Ocean Resort & Spa in Atlantic Beach, Florida, named Joshua Agan resort chef. Most recently, he was executive chef of the Flying Iguana Taqueria & más...
News in brief: Corinthia, Host, Le Méridien
Corinthia enters Dubai: Corinthia Hotels signed agreements with Meydan Group to provide technical services and to manage a luxury beachfront resort under más...
Gostelow Report: Getting creative at W Guangzhou
“I never run out of ideas, but that is the joy of this brand, which is design, fashion, feel and music,” says Florian Kuhn, general manager más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Carmel
The Hotel Carmel opened in May after a US$2.5 million renovation. The coastal California hotel is the sister property of Laguna Beach House and is the más...
Trump to launch lifestyle brand
At a Monday night party at Trump Tower in New York City, Trump Hotel Collection’s leadership launched a new 4-star lifestyle brand that will focus más...
Citing conflict, investor wants HNA off NH board
Henderson Global Investors says it will vote to remove four representatives of China's HNA Group from the board of NH Hotel Group at the firm's June 21 más...
Belmond adds Andes sleeper train tours
Belmond is making tracks in Peru next year with the launch of its sleeper train, the Belmond Andean Explorer. The luxury sleeper train will begin next más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Cornell, U.S. pipeline
Hyatt Waikiki selling: Korea-based Mirae Asset, which bought Hawaii’s Fairmont Orchid hotel last year, is buying the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach más...
Hard Rock heads to New York City
Hard Rock Hotels announced plans to expand into New York City with a 445-room hotel that will open in 2019. The company is partnering with New York-based más...
Dream Hotels: $1.5 billion in development
Dream Hotel Group of New York signed its first Middle Eastern hotel in Doha, Qatar, with Qatar-based Al Alfia Holding, part of US$1.5 billion in developments más...
Hot (re-)Opening: Bienvenue, Paris Ritz
After four years of renovations and a re-introduction that was delayed by a major fire earlier this year, the Paris Ritz is back in business today. The más...
Tisch warns of ‘fear-filled rhetoric,’ urges industry unity
Loews Hotel Chairman Jonathan Tisch today called on the hospitality industry to advocate for smart public policies amid disruptive forces including tech más...
Tommie hotel deals in NYC terminated
Commune Hotels & Resorts and the developers of two hotels in New York terminated agreements for two Tommie hotels in the city. The company released más...
Peachtree to add 10 hotels to portfolio
Atlanta-based Peachtree Hotel Group is making a US$183 million investment to add 10 hotels to its U.S. select-service portfolio. Four hotels are under más...
Room Key adds loyalty member access
Room Key, the travel search site founded by major hotel companies, announced today that it is allowing access to loyalty member rates from more than 60 más...
News in brief: Starwood, Lotte, Leela
Starwood signings: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide says it saw a more than 50% increase in North American signings last year to date over the más...
IHG makes big Americas investment in Crowne Plaza
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) on Friday announced a US$200 million investment in Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts in the Americas region. The Crowne más...
Hilton names hotel REIT, timeshare spinoffs
Hilton Worldwide on Thursday said its board of directors approved its plans to spin off its real estate and timeshare businesses into standalone companies más...
MGM, Sydell join $450M Vegas resort renovation
MGM Resorts International and New York-based Sydell have partnered on a US$450 million renovation of Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The más...
Fledgling Pendry brand signs with Under Armour founder
Pendry Hotels, the offshoot of Montage Hotels & Resorts founded by Alan Fuerstman and his son Michael Fuerstman, has signed a deal for the fledgling más...
Another bid surfaces for prized Sahara assets
A member of the Saudi royal family and 3 Associates is close to formalizing a record, all-equity offer to acquire the Grosvenor House in London’s más...
Hot Openings: Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort & Spa
The 300-room beachfront Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort & Spa opened June 1 on a 145-acre former coconut plantation on the southern coastline más...
News in brief: Scandic, Taj, Provenance
Scandic’s HTL rebrands: Scandic Hotels is streamlining operations will rebrand and integrate its four HTL hotels, which were launched in 2014 in más...
Noku Roxy: Boutique aims for affordable upscale
Roxy-Pacific Holdings, a homegrown publicly listed property and hospitality group in Singapore, is managed by four brothers. The eldest, Chris Teo, a más...
What’s Hot: Coppola’s La Lancha, Guatemala
The Family Coppola Resorts unveiled renovations to La Lancha, its Guatemalan retreat along the Lago Peten Itza. The renovations, which were introduced más...
How big is Germany’s institutional hotel market?
The size of the investable hotel market in Germany is now a known quantity. Union Investment Real Estate and bulwiengesa have developed a new market value más...
#TBT: Suite life, at $25,000 per night
The editors of HOTELS have a tough job: We see photos of many hotels – opulent villas and their private views of beachfront, jungle or glittering más...
LaSalle sells Indianapolis Marriott for $165m
LaSalle Hotel Properties on Thursday announced that it has entered into a definitive contract to sell Indianapolis Marriott Downtown to affiliates of más...
Hyatt continues down wellness path
Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Be Well by Dr. Frank Lipman on Thursday announced they will work together to support guests’ health and well-being on and más...
News in brief: Booking.com, Viceroy, Ashford
Booking.com taxes: French tax authorities are seeking €356 million (US$397.0 million) in unpaid taxes from Priceline Group unit Booking.com. The más...
MGM to acquire Boyd’s stake in Borgata
MGM Resorts International is placing a US$900 million bet on Atlantic City. The company, which owns a 50% stake in Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, is más...
Hot Opening: HNA’s Tangla Hotel Brussels
Chinese investment company HNA opened its first European property, the Tangla Hotel Brussels, in April. The design incorporates a refined, contemporary más...
Morningstar ‘concerned’ on Manhattan hotel supply
Morningstar Credit Ratings LLC published research on Wednesday warning that booming room supply in Manhattan could increase risk for the US$3.68 billion más...
People on the Move
John Bradway is joining Cliff House Maine as director of sales and marketing. Most recently, he developed the marketing and branding program for más...
UAE developer invests in Cachet
Arjomand Group, an investment management firm based in the United Arab Emirates, has made an equity investment into Cachet Hotel Group. Arjomand will más...
News in brief: U.S. investment, NH, IHG
US$40.5 billion: That’s how much U.S. investors spent on hotel real estates acquisitions, post-acquisition capital and new developments in 2015 más...
mayo 2016
Gostelow Report: Hyatt’s Wallis moves on
“Hospitality cannot be taught, only shared – it cannot be found in a standards book, an operations manual or a marketing plan,” says más...
Hot Openings: Novotel Phu Quoc Resort
AccorHotels opened the Novotel Phu Quoc Resort in Vietnam earlier this year. It’s the fifth hotel in the country for the hotel company. The 366-room más...
Investor group to purchase Taj Boston
A group of investors has an agreement to purchase the Taj Boston, pending approval by the Taj Group. The investors include real estate firms New England más...
Worldhotels debuts luxury collection
Independent hotel group Worldhotels has introduced World Luxury, a collection of luxury hotels that it says are offering experiences tailored to travelers más...
These hotel employees watch you like hawks
… Because they are hawks: A hotel in Cannes is employing a trained team of airborne predators to keep the seagulls from swiping the food of their más...
News in brief: Steigenberger, Prem, Riu
Steigenberger in Iran: Germany’s Steigenberger Hotel Group signed an agreement with the Iranian government to build 10 hotels in Iran over the next más...
Instant communication: The growing power of messaging
Calling down to the hotel’s front desk for extra towels may soon be obsolete. Messaging technology is gaining traction with several hotel companies más...
Hawaii investments: A tale of two sales by CBRE
Transaction activity in 2015 was relatively muted in Hawaii, following two consecutive years of well over US$1 billion of hotels changing hands, according más...
Thailand's Khao Lak continues post-tsunami resurgence
One million arrivals are expected for Khao Lak in Thailand this year, a huge transformation for the destination, following the dark days after the 2004 más...
Shangri-La spreads #ParadiseWithin on Wellness Day
On June 11, Shangri-La hotels and resorts around the world will invite guests, colleagues and communities to find their #ParadiseWithin on Global Wellness más...
What's Hot: Leonardo Hotel Las Ramblas
The Leonardo Hotel Las Ramblas in Barcelona re-opened in February with an update that retains the building’s historic spirit and appearance. German más...
Q&A: Sorenson ready to write Marriott's next chapter
When the final signatures dry, Marriott International will begin the no doubt complicated process of absorbing Starwood Hotels & Resorts, creating más...
NH chair asked to step down citing HNA conflicts
Citing conflicts of interest related to major shareholder HNA Group’s recent purchase of Carlson Hotels Inc., London-based hedge fund Oceanwood más...
What’s Hot: Marriott Stanton South Beach update
The beachfront Marriott Stanton South Beach completed the second phase of a US$22 million renovation by updating many of its public spaces. The renovations más...
Airline chief: We need to be more like hotels
American Airlines President Scott Kirby told an investor conference yesterday that airlines must do as well as hotels in differentiating – and pricing más...
News in brief: Westgate, Hyatt, Blackstone
Westgate adds Wakulla: Westgate Resorts acquired the Wakulla Suites in Cocoa Beach, Fla. The 120-room resort will remain open during renovations andoperate más...
Rate parity: What's the next step to find balance?
In milestone decisions last winter and summer, legislators in Germany and France banned rate parity clauses from online travel agencies’ contracts más...
Aman announces unique project in Shanghai
Aman announced plans for its fourth property in China, a village of historic dwellings surrounded by a sacred camphor forest surprisingly close to downtown más...
#TBT: Five continents, one community
If you were a globe-trotting hotelier in the ’90s, chances are you were reading HOTELS magazine. And if you had lived on a few continents, chances más...
Op-Ed: The strange proxy fight over Ashford Prime
It has been a strange few months for shareholders of Ashford Hospitality Prime (NYSE:AHP). The upscale hotel REIT’s veteran management team was más...
Hot Openings: The Terrace at Burj Al Arab
Dubai’s opulent Burj Al Arab hotel unveiled its Burj Al Arab Terrace, a private leisure facility that stretches 100 meters into the Persian Gulf más...
News in brief: Dalata, Peak Resorts
Dalata in Dublin: Dalata Hotel Group agreed to a deal for a development site on Kevin Street in Dublin’s city center for €8.1 million (US$9 más...
Vietnam: 'Everything is a lot easier'
Vietnam hospitality investment is starting to heat up after several years of lukewarm interest among foreign investors. The key reasons include a relaxation más...
Hot Openings: Langham Haikou debuts in China
Hong Kong-based Langham Hospitality Group debuts its newest hotel, The Langham, Haikou in Hainan, China, on May 28. The 248-room, 14-story hotel with más...
U.S. summer: Record demand, muted rate growth
The U.S. hotel industry is projected to experience record-breaking room demand this year but low room rate growth during June through August, according más...
New hotel bling coming to Moscow
Despite a struggling economy, it appears Russian’s penchant for expensive labels is alive and well as Russian real estate investor Alexei Bogachev más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people on the move: Luca Allegri has been named managing director of Le Bristol Paris. Most recently, he was managing director más...
News in brief: Choice, Le Bristol, Airbnb
Choice announces leadership changes: Choice Hotels International promoted Chief Operating Officer Patrick Pacious to president and chief Operating Officer más...
Gostelow Report: GM’s role in transforming Hilton Durban
The first thing General Manager Markus Fritz had to do when he arrived at the Hilton Durban in 2013 was to supervise the transformation of the dark, 1997-vintage más...
Hot Openings: Zoku debuts in Amsterdam
The first Zoku hotel, a “work-meets-play” concept that takes a home-office approach suitable for long stays, is open in Amsterdam. Zoku, a más...
PwC forecasts a reset in performance for 2017
Occupancy levels at U.S. hotels have begun to stabilize after reaching peak levels in 2015, according to a new forecast from PwC US. Coming off the heels más...
STR: Zika dampens Caribbean occupancy
Fear of the Zika virus among tourists is cited as part of the reason for a downturn in occupancy and RevPAR at Caribbean hotels in the first four months más...
News in brief: Wyndham, U.S. revenue, New Zealand hotels
Wyndham grows in Canada: Wyndham Hotel Group signed an agreement with Canalta Hotels to develop 20 Ramada hotels over the next 15 years, growing the brand’s más...
Is the human element the biggest threat in India?
A more positive outlook prevails in India today with signs of encouraging economic growth and an increase in domestic tourism pointing to a payoff for más...
What’s Hot: Ritz-Carlton relaunches in Kuala Lumpur
The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, recently unveiled a complete refurbishment that features updates to its guestrooms and suites, restaurants, spa and other más...
FDM buys 18-hotel European portfolio
A subsidiary of French real estate investor Foncière des Régions paid €936 million (US$1.05 billion) for two hotel portfolios totaling más...
Is InnVest REIT buyer tied to Anbang?
China’s Anbang Insurance Group Co. is back in the news again, this time with potential ties to the purchase of one of Canada’s largest hotel más...
How to reach Chinese millennials on social media
Finding alternatives that allow socially proactive organizations to place better advertising and interaction opportunities in front of Chinese millennials más...
News in brief: Element, Ashford, Hilton, Roda
Ashford selling Courtyard: Ashford Hospitality Prime on Monday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the 250-room Courtyard más...
Opportunities to use fitness to develop brands
Equinox Holdings, the company that runs upscale Equinox fitness clubs around the world, last year announced that it will launch a full-service, luxury más...
Best Western moves forward with VR marketing
Best Western Hotels & Resorts is moving forward with the rollout of its the Best Western Virtual Reality Experience (BWVRE), which offers guests 360-degree más...
Holiday Inn Club Vacations continues expansion
The Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand, developed and exclusively operated by Orange Lake Holdings through a marketing alliance with InterContinental Hotels más...
Westin chefs compete to design healthy kids menu
From the fifth annual Building a Healthier Future Summit hosted by the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which works with the private sector más...
Hot Openings: Private island resort debuts in Venice
Set in a former monastery, The San Clemente Palace Kempinski Venice opened its doors to guests in March. The resort is located on its own private island más...
News in brief: Taj Boston, Crowne Plaza, Meliá
Taj Boston for sale: Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. plans to sell the Taj Boston hotel for at least $125 million. The move was announced in a May 18 filing with más...
HOTELS Interview: India's SAMHI in growth mode
Gurgaon-based developer SAMHI received a cash infusion from Goldman Sachs in January – a minority stake of 4.4 billion rupees (US$66 million); that’s más...
Deadline Extended: HOTELS’ 2016 Social Hotel Awards
The deadline for entries for HOTELS' 2016 Social Hotel Awards has been extended to 11:30 p.m. U.S. Central Time June 15. The awards recognize both más...
Mantra heads to Hawaii with big hotel purchase
Australia’s Mantra Group Ltd. is moving farther off-shore as Tuesday it was reported it is buying Outrigger Enterprises Group’s interest in más...
BofA downgrades hotels, saying cycle is over
BofA/Merrill Lynch analysts are downgrading multiple public hotel companies, citing threats such as soft corporate demand, increasing supply and más...
Airbnb targeted in class-action discrimination suit
The highly unregulated sharing economy is being attacked again as several reports surfaced Thursday stating Airbnb Inc. is now the target of a class-action más...
#TBT: Were you in the Global Hoteliers Club?
In 1991, HOTELS Publisher Don Lock asked readers a question: How many countries have you worked in? The responses he got – many, many responses más...
What’s Hot: Shangri-La launches ‘Suit(e)-up Lounge’ in Paris
Shangri-La Hotel, Paris, this week launched “Suit(e)-up Lounge” ephemeral evenings in its Shangri-La Suite. Located on the top floor of the más...
News in brief: Radisson Blu, Salt, Texas pipeline
Radisson Blu grows in Mexico: Sun-Star Group signed an agreement with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group for the development and operation of a Radisson Blu más...
New CEO Suthumpun setting her own tone at Dusit
After bringing satellite operator Thaicom from nowhere to eighth in the world and increasing its market cap five to six times in the four-plus years she más...
‘Impact experiences’ for Ritz group guests
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. announced the launch of a new program to offer group guests opportunities to participate in socially responsibly activities during más...
What’s Hot: Reviving glamor at iconic Zurich hotel
Hotel Atlantis by Giardino recently unveiled its retro-inspired renovation in Zurich. Designed by The Gallery HBA, the bold 1970s design has been softened más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Marie-Christine Bittencourt was appointed head of sales and marketing at Palacio Tangara, San Paulo más...
News in brief: Dan Hotels, Lotte, Holiday Inn
Dan Hotels in India: Israel’s Dan Hotels plans to build a 230-room hotel in Bengaluru. It’s scheduled to open in 2017. Read about it más...
Gostelow Report: A natural GM takes Tbilisi
It has never been a handicap having no formal hotel training, says Valeri Chekheria, wearing his hat as general manager of the Holiday Inn Tbilisi in más...
Students provide solutions in HAMA competition
The Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA) on Monday announced that senior Cameron Armstrong and junior Di Wang of Michigan State University were más...
Luggage to match that luxury hotel stay
The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts is teaming up with British luxury luggage brand Globe-Trotter to transport travelers to the Greek Islands, más...
What’s Hot: NYC icon reopens after extensive renovation
InterContinental New York Barclay reopened today following an extensive US$180 million, 20-month renovation. First opening its doors in 1926, The Barclay más...
News in brief: NH, Canopy, Wyndham
NH launches in Germany: The NH Collection brand launched hotels in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Dresden. An NH hotel in Cologne is scheduled to open más...
Chinese brands soldier on despite slower growth
A slowdown in China’s economy is affecting the pace of development for Chinese hotel brands, but the concept remains a strong proposition, according más...
Capture millennials with community connectivity
It takes more than a clever hashtag and well-shared selfie to win greater guest appeal and loyalty—but it is a good start. Connecting guests with más...
InterContinental brands gazes into its crystal ball
As IHG’s InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand celebrates its 70th birthday, it has collaborated with futurist Faith Popcorn to consider the más...
What’s Hot: Kimpton Palomar DC gets new look
Kimpton Hotel Palomar Washington, D.C. recently unveiled a multi-million dollar redesign to its 335 guestrooms and suites, public areas, and meeting and más...
News in brief: Aman, Carlson Rezidor, Wyndham
Aman debuts new wellness program: Aman is debuting Aman Wellness, encompassing individual wellness immersions and group retreat experiences, across its más...
Sal Gowili: Custodian of a London legend
The focus is firmly on people for newly appointed general manager of The Ritz London, Sal Gowili. Just as he drew inspiration at the start of his career más...
JLL report supports optimism in Latin America through 2025
JLL presented research on Thursday at the Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) Investment Conference that shows sustained investment in existing and más...
Esperanza offers a new experience at sea
In an era where the hotel stay is all about the “experience,” Esperanza, An Auberge Resort, overlooking the Sea of Cortez in Cabo San Lucas más...
What’s Hot: W Hotels debuts Sound Suite in Bali
In partnership with Coca-Cola, W Hotels Worldwide unveiled its first W Sound Suite at W Bali Seminyak. The private music studio and writer’s room más...
News in brief: Starwood, Oasis, U.S. construction
Starwood expands in Latin America: Starwood Hotels & Resorts signed two Aloft Hotels in Mexico: Aloft Veracruz and Aloft Queretaro. Aloft Veracruz más...
Gostelow Report: Hyatt GM's art of opening in Rio
“I am truly blessed because of the people working here at Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro,” said Christophe Lorvo, general manager of the only más...
#TBT: Catering to a key market – women
“By the year 2000,” the October 1988 issue of Hotels & Restaurants International predicted, “women business travelers in the U.S más...
Wyndham Rewards launches member levels
Member Levels is the name of the new enhancement to the Wyndham Rewards loyalty program that offers new benefits that increase by level of membership más...
Google Maps lets Hilton guests choose room
Hilton Worldwide has integrated Google Maps into its HHonors app, giving members who book direct the ability to see more details about the hotel's surroundings más...
Marriott furthers commitment to gender equality
Marriott International continues to prove its commitment to gender equality with the latest addition to its #LoveTravels campaign. Marriott Rewards is más...
What’s Hot: Dulles Airport hotel debuts new look
Designed by Jonathan Nehmer + Associates (JN+A) and HVS Design, the Crown Plaza Dulles Airport Hotel in Herndon, Virginia, recently unveiled its six-month más...
News in brief: Vistana, Marriott, Airbnb
Vistana acquisition complete: Interval Leisure Group completed the acquisition of Vistana Signature Experiences from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide más...
Canadian REIT sold to Hong Kong-backed company
The flow of capital coming out of China and into foreign hotel holdings continued on Wednesday when Bluesky Hotels & Resorts Inc., a closely held más...
Marriott, Starwood owners suing over impact issues
The owners of the Sheraton Grand Chicago and Westin Times Square in New York City are suing Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts in más...
'Undistracted' Choice joins direct-booking wave, plots course
At its annual conference in Las Vegas, Choice Hotels International joined other hotel giants on Tuesday with its expected announcement of members-only más...
Newly public Red Rock acquires high profile Vegas asset
Newly public Red Rock Resorts, Inc. on Tuesday announced that its Station Casinos LLC has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the 710-room más...
Hot Openings: NOLA mansion reborn as boutique
Originally a 1860s historic mansion in New Orleans, the Henry Howard Hotel was recently restored and updated as an 18-bedroom boutique hotel. Designed más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Brian Anderson was named director food and beverage at The Westin Portland Harborview in Maine. Previously más...
News in brief: AccorHotels, Anbang, Six Senses
AccorHotels enriches business travel: AccorHotels has entiched it subscription program for its business guests, AccorHotels Favorite Guest Business, and más...
SBE finally takes control of legendary Morgans hotels
After merger talks collapsed six months ago due to disagreements among Morgans Hotel Group shareholders, on Monday the deal got done when the struggling más...
IHG launches new franchise model for China
IHG on Tuesday announced the launch of Franchise Plus, a new franchise model for its Holiday Inn Express brand in China to offer owners additional benefits más...
U.S. profit margins surpass 2007 peak: STR
Results of STR’s 25th annual HOST Almanac indicate that U.S. hotel industry revenue topped an estimated US$189 billion in 2015, adding nearly US$14 más...
Guacamologist, tequilier spice up Ritz-Carlton Dallas
The nightly Guacamologist Experience at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas is taking on a new dimension this week thanks to the planned unveiling of a Tequila Vault más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Swire’s U.S. debut
On May 31, Hong Kong-based Swire Hotels will make its U.S. debut with East, Miami. The Florida hotel is a combination of two Swire brands, The House Collective más...
News in brief: Lemon Tree, Frasers, Airbnb
Lemon Tree expands to Middle East: Lemon Tree Hotels signed a partnership with Raine & Horne Dubai for a minimum of eight Middle Eastern developments más...
India’s hotel market poised for takeoff
Change starts from within: That seems to be the lesson from India, which has been quietly planting the seeds of its transformation in the shadow of headline-grabbing más...
Small Luxury Hotels restructures, ups ante
Management of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) announced a restructuring of the luxury hotel marketing company with plans to invest £12 million más...
Fairmont captures service culture in pictures
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has partnered with a creative visual storytelling agency to capture the stories of hotel team members delivering customer más...
Hot Openings: St. Regis debuts in Malaysia’s capital
Owned and developed by ONE IFC Sdn Bhd, The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur recently opened in Malaysia. With design “inspired by a luxurious Manhattan apartment más...
News in brief: Dusit, Hilton, hotel sales
Dusit signs in Fuzhou: Dusit Fudu Hotels & Resorts signed an agreement with Zheng Heng Group to manage a new Dusit Thani resort in Fuzhou, Fujian más...
HOTELS Personalities: Stretching a GM
Nabil Moubayed runs for exercise at 5 a.m. to help fire up his brain as early as possible. Because he is increasing his responsibility to eight hotels más...
Accor appoints chief disruption officer
AccorHotels hired its first “chief disruption and growth officer” to keep up with the consumer market and support the hotel giant’s más...
Sheraton takes on MLB rivalries in video series
As part of its partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), Sheraton Hotels & Resorts will launch an original content series on MLB.com. "Rival Town más...
What’s Hot: InterCon unveils refresh in Singapore
InterContinental Singapore recently unveiled its multimillion-dollar renovation by FBEYE International. The refresh encompasses the lobby, Main Tower más...
News in brief: IHG, Hard Rock, Red Lion
Lion roars in Florida. RLHC (Red Lion Hotels Corp.) announced Friday it signed a franchise license agreement to open a new Red Lion Hotel in Jacksonville más...
Gostelow Report: Always evolving in Dubai
“Hosting thousands of travel professionals would not be possible without my team,” says Margaret Paul, GM of Madinat Jumeirah – the más...
Are the Qataris buying two iconic U.S. hotels?
Multiple sources are reporting that the Qatar Investment Authority is in advanced talks to buy Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ St. Regis hotels in más...
#TBT: It’s still about the loyalty program
Loyalty programs are really, really important (just ask Arne Sorenson). They have always been a key way for hotels to build brand allegiance with customers más...
Carlson launches program to draw sports teams
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is rolling out its Sports Approved Hotel program across its Radisson, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By más...
What’s Hot: Sneak peek at M Social Singapore
Designed by renowned French designer Philippe Starck, M Social Singapore is set to open next month. The 293-room lifestyle hotel revolves around the concept más...
News in brief: Choice, Raffles, North American hotels
Choice reports Q1 results: Choice Hotels International reported revenue for the first quarter of 2016 was US$207.1 million, an increase of 18% from the más...
Interstate sold to New York private equity firm
Third-party management giant Interstate Hotels & Resorts has been acquired by New York private equity firm Kohlberg & Company from Thayer Lodging más...
Airbnb visitors to Hawaii spent US$353 million: study
Visitor expenditures from Airbnb guests in Hawaii totaled US$353 million in 2015, according to an economic impact study being prepared by Hospitality más...
What’s Hot: Lakefront refresh in Hamburg
Le Méridien Hamburg in March unveiled its redesign of its public areas by JOI-Design. Situated on the banks of Germany’s Aussenalster Lake más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Marriott Syracuse Downtown in New York named Chuck Anthony director of food and beverage, Phil Austin más...
News in brief: Booking.com, millennials, Aloft
Booking.com Messages: OTA Booking.com announced the release of Booking Messages, a communication platform that allows customers and accommodation provides más...
Christopher Stafford: Building strong Pillars for owners
Thailand’s Wongphanert family is spinning off a new luxury boutique hotel management company, 137 Pillars Hotels & Resorts, from their first más...
IHG to offer exclusive booking direct rates
IHG is joining Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International in offering benefits for booking direct. The hotel giant is rolling out “Your Rate by más...
STR: Europe can recover; oil and gas regions weakening
Hotel market and data benchmarking company STR released two studies today: The first found that on average, European hotel markets experience stabilized más...
Corinthia Hotel launches WhatsApp for guests
Corinthia Hotel St. George’s Bay has launched the WhatsApp service to communicate directly with its guests. The Malta hotel created a pre-allocated más...
What’s Hot: Michigan hotel unveils guestroom reno
Weber’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, recently unveiled its US$2 million revamp of its 158 guestrooms and suites. The renovation comes on the heels of más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Starwood, Mövenpick
Hyatt reports Q1 results: Hyatt Hotels Corp. reported net income attributable to Hyatt was US$34 million (US$0.25 per share) during the first quarter más...
Opportunistic Elegancia marches to unique Parisian beat
“In France, we’re not known as being welcoming to foreigners – it’s not true,” chuckled Elegancia Hotels co-founder Christophe más...
Enter HOTELS’ 2016 Social Hotel Awards
Entries are open for HOTELS' 2016 Social Hotel Awards, which will recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation más...
UK's L&R reportedly acquires Lone Star assets
London & Regional reportedly is moving into the limited-service sector by agreeing to acquire from Lone Star the 47-hotel Atlas Hotels portfolio in más...
Four Seasons announces 2017 jet itineraries
Guests of the Four Seasons Private Jet can take off in three different directions in 2017, including a trip with the head chef of famed Copenhagen restaurant más...
What’s Hot: New dining at Nikki Beach Dubai
Last month, Satine Restaurant & Lounge by Nikki Beach opened its doors in Dubai. The venue aims to be vibrant and offer great cuisine, music and views más...
News in brief: Vistana, Hersha, Choice
Vistana closing delayed: Interval Leisure Group Inc. of Miami and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced a brief delay in the planned April más...
abril 2016
Change maker: Cooking up his next big move
“It’s the most demanding city I’ve ever worked in,” says Sandro Gamba. That says something about Shanghai, especially coming from más...
Hot Openings: Autograph Collection arrives in Baku
MKV Design recently completed two new hotels in Baku, Azerbaijan: Intourist Hotel and The Boulevard Hotel. Both hotels are part of Marriott International’s más...
Consumer mega-trends impacting hospitality
If you are looking for new buzzwords to toss around, Sabre Hospitality Solutions has just what you need with its latest examination of emerging trends más...
Ace Hotels, Martin partner for musical micro-grants
Ace Hotels and Martin Guitar expanded their partnership with a music outreach program centered on live concerts in four hotels. “String Theory with más...
News in brief: Host, Emaar, Marriott
Host reports earnings: Host Hotels & Resorts said it was “pleased” with Q1 2016 results, reporting a 3.6% increase in RevPAR and total más...
China's HNA moves into the U.S. with Carlson acquisition
The Carlson family's long run in the hotel industry appears to be heading toward an end as on late Wednesday it was announced that HNA Tourism Group Co más...
#TBT: ‘Intimate’ hotel lobby makes a comeback
The hotel lobby has always been a combination welcome mat, front door and sitting room for guests. But lately, it’s become so much more: lounge más...
Ritz-Carlton launches ‘cultural’ spa experiences
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group introduced the Ritz-Carlton Spa in 20 of its hotels around the world, aiming to tailor spa experiences “anchored in local más...
What’s Hot: Sneak peak at Ritz Reserve Bermuda
Set to open in 2018, the Ritz-Carlton Reserve will debut in Bermuda. Designed by SB Architects and HBA, resort will operate under a long-term management más...
News in brief: Marriott, Wyndham, Priceline
Marriott reports first quarter results: Marriott International reported First quarter 2016 adjusted net income totaled $226 million, a 9 percent increase más...
Gostelow Report: GM living the dream at Singita
“I have the best job I could ever dream of,” says Tom Rutherford, general manager of Singita Sabi Sand, adjacent to Kruger National Park in más...
RLJ's Baltimore to lead Hilton's planned REIT
On the day Hilton Worldwide announced Q1 2016 results that showed revenue increased more than expected, it also announced that effective May 16 Thomas más...
Loews pop-up bar goes on tour
The Traveller Bar is toasting the current “golden age of cocktails” at Loews hotels this year. The pop-up bar, constructed from an old elevator más...
Hot Openings: Premier Inn debuts in Germany
Premier Inn recently launched in Germany with the opening of the new Premier Inn Frankfurt Messe. With interiors designed by JOI-Design, the hotel combines más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people on the move: Cliff Atkinson was appointed general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Miami. Most recently, Atkinson was general más...
News in brief: Accor, Fairmont, Onyx
Accor wins antitrust approval: AccorHotels received antitrust clearance for its proposed acquisition of Fairmont Raffles hotels International. The next más...
Change maker: IHG GM has the heart of a leader
Call Eric Viale the selfless area general manager of two InterContinental Hotels Group properties in the historic Portuguese city of Porto, a 20-year más...
Despite dip, Dubai ADR leader during Q1 2016: STR
STR reported Q1 2016 data from around the world this week and leading the pack was Dubai, United Arab Emirates, recording 2016’s highest first-quarter más...
Strike a pose, grab a pint at Austin Hyatt
If completing a workout means celebrating with a beer, the Hyatt Regency Austin can help. The hotel is leading a yoga series called “Pints & más...
Hot Openings: ‘6-star’ luxury comes to Silicon Valley
The Clement Palo Alto opened last month, offering 23 richly appointed suites in an “all-exclusive,” “6-star” luxury setting. Designed más...
News in brief: Starwood, Wyndham, Norway hotel strike
Starwood expands in Latin America: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed two new Aloft properties in Peru: Aloft Lima Miraflores and Aloft Lima más...
Change maker: Commune's visionary in Asia
Frederic Flageat-Simon’s favorite part of developing a property: “You can actually close your eyes, and you can create a script, and you envision más...
What’s Hot: Sisley Spa debuts in North America
The first full-service Sisley-Paris Spa in North America recently opened at The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, in New York City. Previously Sense, a Rosewood más...
Attend HOTELS' social media webinar on Wednesday
In a one-hour “Making Social Media Relevant” webinar on Wednesday, April 27, winners of HOTELS' 2015 Social Hotel Awards will más...
W Hotels kicks off women’s speaker series
Designer and philanthropist Diane von Furstenberg was the first featured speaker of W Hotels’ What She Said, a global series featuring leaders in más...
News in brief: Olympics, HMH, Exe
Olympics deadline: Olympics organizers are concerned that Rio de Janeiro’s first Trump-branded hotel won’t be open in time for the July games más...
Change makers: Radjimin's process at Artotel
What Artotel Indonesia CEO Erastus “Erry” Radjimin seems to have in his favor is clarity, which may have evolved from his youth when he followed más...
IACC research shapes future of meeting spaces
The adoption and use of technology, the physical design of meeting space and the emphasis on experience creation will be increasingly important to meeting más...
Gin, bourbon programs get hotels in the spirits
Two liquors with distinct personalities are starring in hotel restaurant programs: Kentucky bourbon and British gin. The Rosewood London’s Holborn más...
What’s Hot: Sneak peak at updated May Fair Kitchen
May Fair London’s May Fair Kitchen will re-open in May following a transformation overseen by Amir Jati, former head of Nobu. The acclaimed restaurant más...
News in brief: Asia Pacific, L.E., U.S. occupancy
Asia Pacific travel to grow: The number of international visitors to the Asia Pacific region is forecast to grow at an average rate of 4.6% each year más...
Change makers: Hostettler prioritizes guest relations
From as early as he can remember, Daniel Hostettler wanted to be a chef. However, his father cautioned him at a young age about the long work days, nights más...
Capella in DC sold, rebranded as Rosewood
Castleton Hotel Partners I, LLC on Thursday announced the US$65 million sale of the 49-room Capella Washington D.C., Georgetown to CTF Development International más...
Hot Openings: Delta Hotels debuts in U.S.
In partnership with JHM Hotels, Marriott International today debuted its Delta Hotels and Resorts brand in the U.S. with Delta Orlando Lake Buena Vista más...
#TBT: Lord Forte at the top of his game
Sir Charles Forte’s empire started with a single restaurant on London’s Regent Street in 1935. Fifty years later, he was heading a company más...
China tops in biz travel spending: report
China’s business travel market has overtaken the U.S. as the biggest in the world, according to the Global Business Travel Association. China spent más...
News in brief: Fujita Kanko, Waldorf Astoria, Warwick
Fujita Kanko to develop in Taipei: Fujita Kanko will open a new hotel in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2019. Huang Hsiang Construction Corp. will build and own the más...
Craftsmanship leads Bali's Katamama growth
Few hotels can say they are "handcrafted" but Katamama, which has just opened in Bali, is literally that, starting with handmade bricks that form the más...
What’s Hot: Sneak peak at Strand Yangon’s refurbishment
The historic Strand Yangon in Myanmar will close next month to undergo a “complete facelift” that aims to preserve the property’s legendary más...
Two big CEO moves in Wednesday's news
Two big names in the hotel industry are in the news on Wednesday with Stephen Alden, formerly CEO at London’s Maybourne Hotel Group, taking over más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Set appointed Stephen Alden CEO. Most recently, Alden was CEO at Maybourne Hotel Group Hyatt Regency más...
Park Hyatt gets bookish for kids
The Park Hyatt New York is collaborating with publisher Phaidon to offer children’s books to young guests. The “Feed Your Mind” program más...
News in brief: Accor, Jumeirah, Xenia
Accor reports revenue: Q1 2016 revenue at AccorHotels totaled €1.16 billion (US$1.32 billion). France, particularly Paris, continued to see an impact más...
Gostelow Report: Running a village in Jamaica
Running a city hotel needs quick efficiency, whereas a resort requires more personal attention and the ability to deliver something remarkable, says Sandro más...
Hot Openings: Radisson RED makes world debut
Radisson RED made its world debut yesterday with the opening of its first property in Brussels. Converted from the Radisson Blu EU Hotel, the hotel is más...
Rohm joins Auberge from Starwood Capital's SH Group
C. Scott Rohm, most recently president of Barry Sternlicht’s SH Group hotel management company, has joined the Auberge Resorts Collection as chief más...
Marriott Rewards rolls out new benefits
Marriott International launched three additional benefits of its Marriott Rewards program: Experiences marketplace The experiences marketplace is a collection más...
New Orleans hotel offers guests a little vodou
New Orleans’ International House hotel is celebrating a uniquely New Orleans holiday with an equally unique New Orleans “vodou queen.” más...
News in brief: Shearings, Capella, St. Regis
Lone Star buys Shearings: U.S. private equity firm Lone Star Funds acquired Shearings Leisure Group, which owns 46 hotels across the U.K. and has annual más...
HOTELS Legends: Sharp on life after Four Seasons
Isadore Sharp built a global brand synonymous with a 24-karat philosophy of service. As the second Legend in HOTELS' "People" issue, the founder of Four más...
Union Investment makes record acquisition in Chicago
Germany’s Union Investment Real Estate and Chicago’s Oxford Capital Group have team up again as the Hamburg-based investment manager has acquired más...
Ashford acts on plan to offload non-core assets
U.S REIT Ashford Hospitality Trust on Monday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell a five-hotel, 1,396-room portfolio of select-service más...
Mövenpick launches extended-stay concept in Jeddah
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts (MHR) on Monday rolled out a new hotel-apartment complex to fill a gap in the Saudi Arabian market for branded extended-stay más...
Hyatt Centric, GrubHub team in food delivery
Hyatt Centric hotels are piloting a program with mobile food-ordering service GrubHub to deliver meals to guests. Starting today, guests at three Centric más...
What’s Hot: Sophisticated Southern makeover
Hyatt Regency Lexington recently debuted a multimillion-dollar renovation of its 366 guestrooms, meeting and event space, hotel lobby and restaurant. más...
News in brief: Hilton, Starwood, Hyatt
Hilton grows in Europe: Hilton Worldwide signed a management agreement with Belaga Management Company D.O.O. to enter Serbia. The 242-room Hilton Belgrade más...
HOTELS Legends: Sharp on his changing role
Isadore Sharp built a global brand synonymous with a 24-karat philosophy of service. As the second Legend in HOTELS' "People" issue, the founder of Four más...
Kimpton hotel partners to create lobby record store
Just in time for Record Store Day on Saturday, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ The Goodland Hotel near Santa Barbara, California, has partnered más...
Hot Openings: Element debuts in The Netherlands
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide this week launched its Element brand in The Netherlands. Element Amsterdam marks the second Element hotel in Europe más...
News in brief: Dalata, La Quinta, Red Rock
Dalata grows in Belfast: Dalata Hotel Group signed a development agreement with McAleer & Rushe to open Maldron Hotel in Belfast, Ireland. The 206-room más...
HOTELS Change Makers: Revenue manager/diplomat
Kathleen Cullen is not technically a finance person, a technology person or an operations person (not anymore, anyway). It’s closer to the truth más...
Blackstone acknowledges Anbang's bid for Strategic
Blackstone Group’s global head of real estate Jon Gray confirmed at a New York investment conference on Wednesday that China’s Anbang Insurance más...
Apple Hospitality, Apple Ten REITs merge
Apple Hospitality REIT and Apple REIT Ten have entered into a definitive merger agreement for an implied transaction value of US$1.3 billion (~US$184 más...
#TBT: China’s ‘hotel fever'
“At present, there are no more than 10 world-class hotels in China, but that will change within the next year, for the race is on to build ever más...
Hot Openings: Residence Inn expands Miami footprint
The Residence Inn by Marriott Miami Beach South Beach today celebrated its grand opening of its 116-suite hotel in the Sunset Harbour neighborhood. The más...
News in brief: Four Seasons, construction, Japanese tourism
Four Seasons to manage in Biarritz: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts will manage the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz. Les Echos reports that Four Seasons beat más...
HOTELS Legends: Sharp on 5-star service
Isadore Sharp built a global brand synonymous with a 24-karat philosophy of service. As the second Legend in HOTELS' "People" issue, the founder of Four más...
Hot Openings: History infuses Ritz-Carlton, Budapest
Housed within a protected historic building on Elizabeth Square with views over St. Stephens Basilica, The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest has opened as the brand’s más...
Tribute guests can ‘double-tap’ to book stay
Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Tribute Portfolio are giving Instagram users a way to directly book a stay at its two newest hotels, Le Metropolitan más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Nemo Acimovic was named general manager at Millennium Corniche Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates más...
News in brief: Palisades, Ascott, Conrad
Palisades adds Mosaic brand: California-based Palisades Hospitality Group, which operates more than 35 hotels and restaurants, added Mosaic Hotel Group más...
Gostelow Report: Change of hands at Taj Cape Town
"How often do you have two GMs in one hotel at the same time?" say Michael Pownall and Sanjay Sood, both together on April 5 and in charge of Taj Cape más...
Jin Jiang eyes bigger stake in Accor: report
Jin Jiang International (Holdings) Co. is considering increasing its stake in French hotelier Accor SA, according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar más...
Ascend’s enVision plans additional openings
Ascend Hotel Collection, part of Choice Hotels International, recently announced plans to open three additional enVision Hotels-branded properties. The más...
Starwood, Pitchfork to harmonize at music festivals
Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Tribute portfolio hotels will host pop-up events and radio broadcasts at three upcoming music festivals in Palm Springs más...
What’s Hot: Dubai’s new bar of gold
Situated on the highest floor of Dubai’s Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, the new Gold On 27 bar features Art Deco design with gold leaf details and shimmering más...
News in brief: Business travel, Dunas, Outrigger
Uncertainty impacts biz travel: The Global Business Travel Association’s research arm slightly downgraded its forecast for U.S.-originated business más...
HOTELS Legends: Sharp on accountability at the top
Isadore Sharp built a global brand synonymous with a 24-karat philosophy of service. As the second Legend in HOTELS' "People" issue, the founder of Four más...
Best Western signs landmark agreement in Thailand
Best Western Hotels & Resorts signed an agreement with A.D. Houses Co. Ltd. to open four Best Western Plus hotels across Thailand, with three of the más...
Marwood reassures its loyalists after merger approved
With all the reported teeth gnashing by Starwood and Marriott loyalty program members about the impact of the pending merger of the two industry giants más...
Angola leads another strong growth year in Africa
The number of planned hotel rooms in Africa has soared to 64,000 in 365 hotels, up almost 30% on the previous year, according to new figures from the más...
What’s Hot: New Villa Collection in Cabo
The Resort at Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, recently unveiled its new Villa Collection. The collection is made up of private villas, including three-bedroom más...
News in brief: Scandic, Hilton, AMResorts
Scandic to open conference hotel: Scandic Hotels signed a lease agreement with ATP to take over the operation of the existing Radisson Blu Falconer in más...
HOTELS Change Makers: Tenacious deal maker
Cody Bradshaw says tenacity is the key to success as a hotel dealmaker. When you work for Starwood Capital Group mastermind, Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht más...
Shareholders approve Marriott-Starwood deal
Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced Friday that at separate special meetings the stockholders of both companies más...
Ashford decides not to sell Ashford Prime
After independent directors completed a strategic review process, Ashford Hospitality Prime announced Friday it will not sell the company, suggesting más...
Market updates: Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi
JLL has released market reports focusing on the African markets of Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi. Here is a summary of its findings: Addis Ababa más...
Hot Openings: NYC hotel transforms into The Roxy
Formerly the Tribeca Grand, The Roxy opened earlier this year in New York City. The transformation of the hotel’s 201 guestrooms was designed by más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Larry Auth was appointed hotel manager at Omni Fort Worth Hotel in Texas. Most recently, Auth was regional más...
News in brief: Millennials, taxes, Houston
Hey, millennials use email! Database marketing company Ryan Solutions conducted a study of 20 hotel email campaigns and were surprised by how high the más...
HOTELS Legend: Sharp on trusting your employees
Isadore Sharp built a global brand synonymous with a 24-karat philosophy of service. As the second Legend in HOTELS' "People" issue, the founder of Four más...
#TBT: M.S. Oberoi, ‘Man of the World’
Successful hoteliers often travel diverse and unconventional paths to get to the top of their field. None may have traveled further than Rai Bahadur Mohan más...
India's ITC again grows affiliation with Starwood
Indian hotel group ITC has signed a deal with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to run three of its new hotels under The Luxury Collection. The deal extends más...
Wynn planning recreational lake concept on The Strip
Steve Wynn and Wynn Resorts discussed plans at an investor conference on Wednesday for a new entertainment destination with a 1,000-room hotel called más...
What’s Hot: New fitness experience in Chicago
The Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile last month unveiled the completion of its fitness center's multimillion-dollar renovation. Aimed to meet más...
News in brief: Hilton, Red Lion, TripAdvisor
Hilton’s Curio to debut in Ibiza: Hilton Worldwide signed a franchise agreement with Grupo Avintia to bring Curio - A Collection by Hilton to Ibiza más...
HOTELS Change Makers: Heart and soul
When Eurostar passengers from Belgium and France emerge from the King’s Cross St. Pancras station in London, one of the first buildings they see más...
How to increase engagement on Instagram
With the rise of visual social networks and, in particular, Instagram, the old adage that a picture paints a thousand words has never been more relevant más...
Dorchester to take tea at Chelsea Flower Show
If a Pimm’s and lemonade isn’t enough for peckish visitors of London’s world-famous Chelsea Flower Show, an equally world-famous hotel más...
What’s Hot: Bermuda icon back in the pink
Hamilton Princess & Beach Club in Bermuda is about to show off its US$100 million restoration, a two-year process that transformed the 400-room property más...
News in brief: Cuba, Dolce & Gabbana, global pipeline
Cuban group joins AH&LA: Engage Cuba, a coalition of private companies and organizations that seeks to end the U.S. travel and trade embargo on Cuba más...
HOTELS Legends: Isadore Sharp’s 24k philosophy
Isadore Sharp built a global brand synonymous with a 24-karat philosophy of service. As the second Legend in HOTELS' "People" issue, the founder of Four más...
AccorHotels acquires luxury home rental service
AccorHotels on Tuesday announced the €148 million (US$168.5 million) acquisition of onefinestay, a high-end serviced home rental company that counts más...
Ducasse, hotelier to operate Palace of Versailles project
Chef Alain Ducasse and the LOV Hotel Collection reportedly have been chosen from 20 contenders to lead a project that will turn three buildings on the más...
The Disruptors: Points-based loyalty programs miss the point
I’ve been writing in this space for a year saying that hotels should refocus their loyalty programs to provide more value for the guest. Most importantly más...
What’s Hot: Returning to roots in Houston
Sotherly Hotels recently rebranded the Crowne Plaza Houston Downtown hotel to The Whitehall, returning the iconic hotel to its historic name. Reopening más...
News in brief: Westin, McSam, M&C, Malmaison
Westin to Monterrey. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced Tuesday that Westin Hotels & Resorts will expand its presence in Latin America más...
Gostelow Report: GM on the run at Hilton Gatwick
Running an airport hotel is not exactly what Guy Hilton had in mind as the GM of the Hilton London Gatwick Airport said he always wanted to work in sport más...
HOTELS Change Makers: The rookie
In its April issue, HOTELS presents Change Makers, 10 movers and shakers who are developing their own unique niches and making new headlines in a quickly más...
St Giles launches video campaign, revamped website
London-based St Giles Hotels, with properties in the U.S., U.K., Malaysia, Australia and the Philippines, has launched a global campaign titled “Be más...
What’s Hot: Viceroy rebrands iconic Beverly Hills hotel
Following a 10-month transformation, the Viceroy Hotel Group officially rebranded the former L’Ermitage Beverly Hills under Viceroy flag. Designed más...
News in brief: Minor, Sunway, Swiss International
Minor continues expansion in UAE: Minor Hotel group will open two new properties in the United Arab Emirates: the 60-key Anantara Jebel Dhanna and 230-key más...
Marriott likely winner of battle for Starwood
While it may have cost them an extra US$1 billion as a result of a late bidding war, it appears Marriott International will merge with Starwood Hotels más...
Hot Openings: Grand Hyatt debuts in Rio
Hyatt Hotels Corp. this week opened Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro. The hotel aims to offer Brazilian design and hospitality in an urban resort setting and más...
Morgans gets mindful with new programs
Morgans Hotel Group announced “spring renewal” wellness programs at its hotels that include programming and partnerships. Too stressed to más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Las Alcobas Napa Valley in California named Kara Adamson director of sales and marketing and David Shipman más...
News in brief: Thailand, Brussels, Oklahoma
Days Inn in Thailand: Wyndham Hotel Group recently launched the first Days Inn brand hotel in Thailand. The 122-room Days Inn Patong Beach Phuket, formerly más...
marzo 2016
NH Hotel Group signs JV, enters China
NH Hotel Group has formed a joint venture office in Beijing with HNA Hospitality. NH China (Beijing NH Grand China Hotel Management Co. Ltd.) will más...
Hot Openings: Hilton grows in Egypt
Hilton Hotels & Resorts today announced the official opening of its 18th hotel in Egypt, the Hilton Alexandria King’s Ranch. The hotel offers más...
#TBT: Everybody’s going to Cuba
The past few weeks have seen a lot of Cuba news – out of the U.S., that is, as companies including Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & más...
Report: Airbnb LA revenue driven by ‘illegal hotels’
A growing number of commercial operators are using Airbnb to run unregulated hotels, according to the second phase of an American Hotel & Lodging más...
Hotels urge repeal of 'bathroom bill'
Hilton Worldwide, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Choice Hotels were among more than 100 U.S. companies that signed a letter urging the government of más...
News in brief: Minor, New World, Kempinski
Minor implements GG2050: Aimed to further cement Minor Hotel Group’s commitment to sustainable tourism, all six brands have started implementing más...
HOTELS Change Makers: Ben Weprin is just getting started
In its April issue, HOTELS presents Change Makers, 10 movers and shakers who are developing their own unique niches and making new headlines in a quickly más...
What’s Hot: Island escape re-opens in Mozambique
Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort off the coast of Mozambique reopened earlier this month following an extensive refurbishment. The 12-villa, adults-only más...
Clamoring for Cuba: The top three challenges
The rapidly warming relationship between the governments of Cuba and the United States is generating a lot of excitement among the major players in the más...
Driving revenue with new event space technology
For many years, I had the pleasure to participate and visit events and congresses in some of the most beautiful and exciting destinations around the world más...
News in brief: GE Capital, Aiana, Four Seasons
GE to sell hotel franchise portfolio: GE Capital’s U.S. hotel franchise loan portfolio will be sold to a unit of Western Alliance Bancorp. The business más...
Gostelow Report: Change a constant at InterContinental Berlin
Changing our ballroom from theater-style into the maximum 1,200 full-formal white table-cloth luncheon within an hour is a bit of a challenge, admits más...
Italy’s Starhotels buys Royal Demeure hotels
Italian independent hotel group Starhotels has agreed with TDA Capital Group to acquire and manage four hotels of Rome-based Royal Demeure Group. Terms más...
Four Seasons to debut in Croatia
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Arqaam Capital have entered into a partnership to manage and operate Arqaam's luxury mixed-use resort currently being más...
Steve Wynn's ex-wife sues for control of her stake
Las Vegas gaming icon Steve Wynn is being sued by his ex-wife Elaine Wynn, who wants to take back control of her nearly 10% stake in Wynn Resorts Ltd más...
Hot Openings: Hampton unveils flagship in China
Hilton Worldwide recently announced the opening of Hampton by Hilton Guangzhou Zhujiang New Town, the newest Hilton hotel and flagship property for the más...
News in brief: Kimpton, Caesar’s
Kimpton unveils Charlotte plans: Kimpton Hotels & Resorts added two new hotels in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Charlotte Kimpton will be located más...
Anbang ups its offer for Starwood
China’s Anbang Insurance Group Co. raised its all-cash offer for Starwood Hotels & Resorts to US$82.75 per share, overtaking an earlier bid más...
Sahara avoids auction until June
Sahara Group will avoid the foreclosure auction of New York’s Plaza and Dream Downtown hotels until June. Mortgage holders Reuben Brothers extended más...
Westin rolls out ‘Sleep Well’ menu
Westin Hotels & Resorts recently introduced the Westin Sleep Well Menu that aims to promote rest and recovery. Available 24 hours a day, seven days más...
What’s Hot: Rustic luxury at Bachelor Gulch
Earlier this year, The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, in Beaver Creek, Colorado, unveiled the new Anderson’s Cabin. Previously home to one of Bachelor más...
News in brief: Phoenicia, StayWell, Hilton
Phoenicia in trouble: Declining tourism trade and regional uncertainty have put Lebanon’s iconic hotel, the Phoenicia, US$100 million in debt. Occupancy más...
Ennismore's Pasricha proves the revolution continues
On the equity side, brand building used to be restricted to the heaviest hitters: high net worth individuals on the lists of the world’s richest más...
What’s Hot: New over-water suites in the Maldives
Earlier this month, Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort unveiled its new over-water suites. Designed by The Beaumont Partnership, the suites use rattan decorative más...
Where the rich are traveling in 2016
Not only do rich Americans spend more time traveling than average, they also, not surprisingly, spend more money. With wealthy U.S. travelers spending más...
Aloft supports ‘gap year’ movement
Historically, gap years have been considered rites of passage by those between high school and college or between college and graduate school. Now más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel Valley, California, named Craig Barkdull director of sales and más...
News in brief: Tribute, Red Lion, L.E.
Tribute to Quebec: Starwood Hotels & Resorts added its 10th hotel to its Tribute Portfolio with the Hotel PUR Quebec. The 242-room property, owned más...
Tabletop: Harmony in diversity
“One of the most visual ways to make a restaurant feel distinctive, curated and special is with the thoughtful selection of china, glass and silver más...
Geolo Capital sells Thompson Miami Beach
Geolo Capital has agreed to sell its Thompson Miami Beach hotel to an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. The sale price was not disclosed. The 380-room property más...
#TBT: When Marriott was just a billion-dollar company
Marriott International has been in the news a lot lately. Its CEO, Arne Sorenson, was part of a U.S. presidential delegation on a historic trip to Cuba más...
AH&LA: 85% of Phoenix Airbnb market is long-term renters
The American Hotel and Lodging Association released a report detailing the commercial activity taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, on short-term rental más...
'Behind the scenes' in Cuba with Sorenson
Marriott International's CEO Arne Sorenson this week accompanied U.S. President Barack Obama on his historic trip to Cuba. Sorenson is also vice chair más...
What’s Hot: ‘Fearlessly chic’ in Boca Raton
The Renaissance Boca Raton in Florida recently unveiled its multi-million dollar renovation encompassing guestrooms and public spaces. The project was más...
News in brief: Best Western, Red Roof
Best Western unveils first look at GLo: Best Western Hotels & Resorts introduced a new vignette of the GLo brand at this weeks HI Connect hospitality más...
Gostelow Report: Conrad GM makes HK lounge hum
Redoing the executive club lounge has definitely helped raise repeat business, says Thomas Hoeborn, general manager of the Conrad Hong Kong. The 59th-floor más...
Could Chinese regulators stop Anbang counter?
If Anbang Insurance plans to once again trump Marriott International’s bid to merge with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, it may have to deal with más...
MGM-back REIT files IPO
MGM Growth Properties, an MGM Resorts-backed REIT with 10 gaming properties with 24,466 rooms, filed on Tuesday with the SEC to raise up to US$100 million más...
Vacation rental websites create difficult choices for hotels
In just a few years, vacation rental websites have exploded onto the scene, commanding a significant market presence in the hospitality industry and redefining más...
Hot Openings: First look at Cordis in Hong Kong
Langham Hospitality Group's rebranding of its 42-story Hong Kong flagship to it new upscale Cordis brand continues to roll out with global hospitality más...
News in brief: Tents, taxes, Autograph
World Cup tent city? Qatar may be 14,000 rooms short of Fifa’s 60,000 room requirement for the World Cup the country will host in 2022. Bedouin-style más...
HICAP Update: ASEAN remains region's bright spot
Southeast Asia remains a region of huge opportunities for hotel investors despite a slow pace of economic integration and headwinds such as a China slowdown más...
How far can Anbang’s acquisition appetite go?
China’s Anbang Insurance Group Co. Ltd. has shown its interest in the acquisition of hotel assets in overseas since February 2015, when the company más...
Analyst offers potential scenarios for Starwood deal
A day after Marriott International increased its bid offer for Starwood Hotels & Resorts about 15% to US$13.6 billion in cash and stock, R.W. Baird más...
Best Western names master franchisor in India
Best Western Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday announced that it has inked a master franchise agreement with Delhi-based Sorrel Hospitality to position más...
What’s Hot: Guestroom reno at historic Boston hotel
The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts today unveiled the completed US$11 million guestroom renovation of The Liberty Hotel, designed by Bill Rooney más...
New Orleans hotel launches experiential workouts
The Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans recently partnered with the Sweat Social, a fitness service company deigned for travelers (referred to as “fitsetters”) más...
News in brief: Best Western, Moody’s, Patriza
Best Western grows Vib: Best Western Hotels & Resorts signed an agreement with with Sajja Chairattivech, president of Thai Bedding Co. Ltd, for Bangkok’s más...
Advantage Marriott: Starwood accepts 15% higher offer
Marriott International on Monday increased its offer for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide by about 15% to US$13.6 billion, a deal that Starwood más...
Starwood, Marriott lead hotel charge in Cuba
Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International aren’t just making merger headlines: The two hotel giants are also the first to announce más...
Negative reviews? Call a lawyer – but maybe not right away
In our increasingly narcissistic culture, not only is everyone a critic, but everyone thinks their opinion is of the utmost importance. Smartphones permit más...
What’s Hot: Kimpton renovates in San Diego
Kimpton’s Hotel Solamar in San Diego recently unveiled its extensive renovation, including a redesign of its meeting spaces, lobby and 235 guestrooms más...
News in brief: Alabama construction, Republican National Convention
Alabama to build hotel, conference center: Alabama has started construction on a US$135 million hotel and conference center to replace a property destroyed más...
Starwood: Anbang offer 'superior'; ball in Marriott's court
The clock is ticking for Marriott International after Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced Friday that it has received what it calls a “superior más...
Hot Openings: Room Mate unveils European hotels
Room Mate Hotels recently launched two new boutique properties in Europe: Room Mate Giulia in Milan, Italy, and Room Mate Valeria in Malaga, Spain. Room más...
Ritz-Carlton launches proprietary coffee brand
Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts across the United States have a new proprietary coffee brand called First Drop Coffee, which is made 100% from coffee más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in California named Dan Chapman sommelier and Karin Cohen regional más...
News in brief: Outrigger, Oetker, Airbnb
Outrigger introduces Ohana: Outrigger Enterprises Group rebranded two Ohana Hotels & Resorts in Waikiki, Hawaii, as Ohana Hotels by Outrigger as part más...
Anwood or Marwood? Leaders speak out at HICAP
So, will it be Marwood or Anwood? Hotel investors and brokers at the HICAP Update this week in Hong Kong were split down the middle as to who, between más...
#TBT: The man behind Steigenberger
Albert Steigenberger was a German financier with a problem: He’d loaned a friend money – the bank said it was a good risk – but the más...
New York's Plaza, Dream Downtown heading to auction
The famed Plaza Hotel and the Dream Downtown in New York City are expected to be auctioned off at foreclosure on April 26 by the mortgage holders, billionaire más...
Marriott offers exclusive SXSW experiences
Through its partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG), Marriott Rewards will provide access to several performances at South By Southwest Music Conference más...
What’s Hot: Saltz debuts at Dolder Grand
Earlier this month, Saltz all-day dining restaurant made its debut at the Dolder Grand in Zurich. Designed by artist Rolf Sachs, the restaurant aims to más...
News in brief: AccorHotels, Scandic, Starwood
AccorHotels plans Thailand, Myanmar expansion: AccorHotels aims to open 17 additional hotels in Thailand including eight in Bangkok plus another six in más...
Latin America: A study in contrasts
No matter what part of the mixed bag that is the Latin American hotel market you are looking at, it helps to take the long view: A recent US$300 million más...
Register for HOTELS webinar on best social media practices
In a one-hour “Making Social Media Relevant” webinar on April 27, winners of HOTELS' 2015 Social Hotel Awards will discuss how social media más...
Marriott to offer direct booking rewards
Starting on April 11, Marriott will introduce lower room rates for Marriott Rewards members who book directly on its website, the mobile app, call centers más...
Where Chinese are traveling in 2016: Report
Chinese travelers take more trips than any other demographic, they spend more money than any other group in the world and they have the largest impact más...
Hot Openings: The Olympian comes to West Kowloon
Sino Hotels recently opened The Olympian Hong Kong, a boutique hotel in the heart of West Kowloon. The hotel boasts elements of Chinese character with más...
News in brief: Starwood, Hyatt, Fawlty Towers
Starwood in Nashville: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will open an Element hotel in OneC1TY west of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, in 2018. The más...
Gostelow Report: Park Hyatt GM adjusts to new desk
After 24 years working day-in, day-out in a continuously changing hotel environment, Philippe Roux-Dessarps, newly appointed vice president of the Park más...
Obama removes more barriers to Cuba visits
The door is opening further for Americans to travel to Cuba with the New York Times reporting on Tuesday that the Obama administration will allow individuals más...
Building in US bigger threat than Airbnb: Moody’s
Moody's Investors Service has published a report indicating that the supply-demand imbalance from overbuilding in the hotel sector poses a greater threat más...
Wrap up Bali experience with a sarong
Anyone who has wanted one of Bali’s rainbow-colored sarongs – and wondered how in the world to tie one – now has a chance to do both más...
Hot Openings: Hilton goes contemporary in West Palm Beach
Earlier this year, Hilton West Palm Beach opened as the only hotel in South Florida to be directly connected to a convention center. Designed by Nicholas más...
News in brief: Best Western, Hyatt, Marriott
Best Western expands in South Africa: Best Western Hotels & Resorts will grow its South African portfolio from one to 14 total properties over the más...
Starwood receives bigger offer from Anbang and partners
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has received an unsolicited, rival US$12.8 billion takeover offer from a group led by China’s ambitious más...
Blackstone selling Strategic 3 months after buying: Report
Just three months after taking the luxury hotel portfolio private, Blackstone Group has reportedly agreed to sell Strategic Hotels & Resorts más...
Starwood Capital makes another big deal in Spain
Starwood Capital Group and Barcelona-based hotel investor HI Partners on Monday announced they have established a joint venture that will invest €500 más...
China's Greenland sells $3b in assets to Singapore group
Amare Investment Management Group, Singapore, agreed on Thursday to acquire 19 hotels from China property giant Greenland Group for 21 billion yuan (US$3 más...
UK hotelier Robson forms boutique collection
Jeremy Robson’s Great Northern Hotel announced three management appointments as part of an expansion into a new group of boutique hotels he is forming más...
What’s Hot: Interactive Mayan dining experience
Banyan Tree Mayakoba recently introduced HAAB, an immersive outdoor dining experience that aims to bring to life the ancient culture, customs and cuisine más...
7 Days Inn offers ‘booster’ for Chinese market
Hotel companies hoping to gain access to Chinese tourists may get some help from 7 Days Inn Group Holdings Ltd. The 7 Days Booster is an online platform más...
News in brief: Riu, Cachet, Preferred
Attack at Ivory Coast resort: Gunmen attacked three hotels in the beach resort city of Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast, on Sunday. At least 16 people died. más...
Recovery, diverse opportunities in Europe: Burba survey
The bi-annual “BHN Hotel Investment Survey” completed in January, coupled with input from industry experts, suggests that European hotel investment más...
Marriott’s Sorenson to join President Obama in Cuba
The U.S. Department of Commerce released that Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, will travel with U.S. President Barack Obama más...
JLL reports on state of hospitality debt market
Following a strong year for financings in 2015, the debt capital markets have become increasingly volatile in early 2016, which has particularly impacted más...
PwC says Millennials not as different as you think
New research from PwC suggests Millennials are not really all that different from other travelers – except for when it comes to the sharing economy más...
Hot Openings: NYC hotel combines elegance, local roots
Marmara Collection recently opened a new U.S. flagship in New York City. Designed by Joe Ginsberg, the 128-room Marmara Park Avenue is located in a building más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco named Chio Aguirre sales manager, Elizabeth Githuka area reservations más...
News in brief: Best Western, Kimpton
Best Western expands in Malaysia: Best Western Hotels & Resorts signed the Best Western Plus Kuching in Malaysia. The 200-room new-build hotel is más...
HOTELS Interview: Hilton’s Shefsky on mobile key innovation
Last August, Hilton Worldwide began rolling its Digital Key, offering keyless entry into guestrooms, elevators, side doors and fitness centers at select más...
#TBT: Regent’s sparkling crown in Hong Kong
Service World International’s October/November 1981 issue was abuzz: The newest hotel for young upstart Regent International Hotels had just opened más...
Personalize or perish the mantra of new report
Grant Thornton released research this week suggesting an urgent need for hotels to leverage cutting-edge technology to personalize the customer experience más...
Homewood Suites partners with meal delivery service
Homewood Suites by Hilton has partnered with meal kit delivery service PeachDish to offer guests an approximate 20% discount on delivered, pre-portioned más...
What’s Hot: Bangkok hotel restores historic wings
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, recently completed a renovation of its historic Authors’ and Garden Wings. The project includes significant room redesign más...
News in brief: Waldorf Astoria, Plateno, Revel
Who’s cooking in Beverly Hills: Michelin-starred New York restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten will be the culinary partner in the Waldorf Astoria más...
Gostelow Report: ANA chief’s adaptation, disruption
“Some guest-facing individuals should be paid as much as senior executives,” says Hans Heijligers, CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan. más...
Mohegan Sun to develop resort in South Korea
The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA), operator of Mohegan Sun properties throughout the U.S., along with KCC Corp. and Incheon International Airport más...
Million-dollar Andrews verdict should put hotels on alert
Fox Sports News Host Erin Andrews’ US$55 million award in her civil lawsuit related to the secret recording and distribution of a nude video filmed más...
What's Hot: ‘Luxury lifestyle’ arrives in Charleston
With the grand unveiling taking place last month, The Restoration has dubbed itself as Charleston, South Carolina’s first “luxury lifestyle” más...
News in brief: Minor, Meliá, Puerto Rico tourism
Minor announces investment plans: Minor International plans to invest 40 billion baht (US$1.13 billion) over the next five years in a major expansion más...
Creditors seek millions from former hotel holding company (updated)
This story has been updated to clarify current ownership of the Aman hotel chain. A tangled relationship of investors got knottier as creditors filed más...
Klobuchar: US hotels should be allowed to operate in Cuba
US Senator Amy Klobuchar has called on the US Departments of Treasury and Commerce to allow American hotels to operate in Cuba. In a letter, Klobuchar más...
Erin Andrews awarded $55 million
A jury awarded Erin Andrews US$55 million yesterday in her civil lawsuit over the recording and release of a video during her stay in 2008 at the Nashville más...
Hoteliers split on the ‘Brexit’ question
A scant majority of European hotel professionals believe M&A activity and RevPAR would be adversely affected if Great Britain left the European Union más...
Welcoming outlook for South Florida hospitality development in 2016
Almost every indication points to a 2016 that is as stable and successful as 2015 was for hospitality real estate across South Florida. Last year más...
Hot Openings: Paris welcomes ‘groovy’ hotel
The Idol Hotel recently opened in Paris, offering guests a music-themed experience that strives to be nothing short of “groovy.” Renovated más...
News in brief: Hilton, lodging outlook, Marriott
Hilton getting hostel?: Hilton Worldwide Holdings CEO Chris Nassetta told Bloomberg that the company may add a new brand focusing on small, cheap más...
IHG: Search for deals about value, not size
InterContinental Hotels Group CEO Richard Solomons says that the hotel giant is looking to expand its portfolio this year with smaller deals but isn’t más...
Rezidor acquires Prizeotel, enters economy segment
Rezidor Hotel Group acquired a 49% stake of Prizeotel for €14.7 million (US$16.9 million), while also securing further rights including the acquisition más...
Action trumps speed for online haters
It’s not easy to hug your haters. But doing so makes business sense. Businesses that answer every complaint, in every channel, every time are businesses más...
NYC hotel invites guests to ‘scavenge’ for art
Kimpton’s Ink48 Hotel is holding a scavenger hunt, but guests won't have to leave the property to participate. Starting March 30, the in Midtown más...
What’s Hot: Redesign at Avalon Beverly Hills
Under Proper Hospitality’s new direction, Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills in Los Angeles recently rolled out a multi-stage, US$2 million renovation. más...
News in brief: Hilton, Marriott, Starwood
Hilton’s Canopy coming to London: Hilton Worldwide will bring its Canopy by Hilton brand to the UK with Canopy by Hilton London City. Following más...
The app game: Content is king
Contextual hotel apps have increasingly become a part of the growing hotel app market. Offering more than just booking, check-in, check-out and other más...
Accor's property division grows in the UK
Continuing its focus on finding acquisition opportunities, AccorHotels’ HotelInvest division will reportedly spend £160 million (US$226 million) más...
Iditarod racers mushing for a gold-plated dinner
Iditarod competitors will start the race on Saturday to cover 1,000 miles of wild terrain between Anchorage, Alaska, and the western Bering Sea coast más...
What’s Hot: Famed San Fran hotel gets modern refresh
The Palace Hotel in San Francisco recently unveiled its redesign of the restaurant, lounge, public spaces, and guestrooms and suites. Designed by Beatrice más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: NewcrestImage named Kellie Adams general manager and Monica Weagel director of sales at a dual-brand más...
News in brief: JW, Embassy, AC
JW to debut in Japan: Marriott International and Japan’s Mori Trust Group are developing the 150-room JW Marriott Nara. It’s the first JW más...
Dish from Kimpton's F&B leader
Food is like fashion as sooner or later what’s old is new again – at least that is what has Alex Taylor excited right now. The Austin, Texas-based más...
First rumors emerge about potential Carlson sale
Accor and HNA Group have surfaced as the first names associated with potential bids to acquire Carlson’s hotel group, according to a Bloomberg news más...
Hyatt expands sustainable power with fuel cells
On December 30, 2015, Hyatt Regency Greenwich in Connecticut significantly reduced its dependence on the electric grid. This is when the hotel started más...
#TBT: ‘What’s New in Fun & Fitness’
Ah, to be back in the ’80s, when “assorted pastries” was still considered health food (more on that in a bit). While swimming pools más...
Starwood adds 30 Design Hotels to rewards program
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has added 30 Design boutique hotels to its Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program, as part of an expanded partnership más...
Hot Openings: Iconic hotel re-launches in Lausanne
This past November, the Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne in Switzerland re-opened after a five-year, CHF 100 million (US$100.83 million) refurbishment program más...
News in brief: Hilton, Starwood, Kempinski
Hilton to debut Curio in Africa: Hilton Worldwide signed an agreement with Quits Hospitality Ltd. to open its first property under the Curio – A más...
HOTELS Interview: La Quinta’s CEO Cline makes debut
Keith Cline made his first appearance this week as La Quinta Holdings’ permanent president and CEO in front of some 1,500 people at the company’s más...
Hyatt launches its soft brand, Unbound Collection
Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Wednesday jumped into the “soft brand” segment by launching The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, which will include new más...
Hot Openings: Peninsula Beverly Hills’ remodeled Belvedere
The Belvedere at the Peninsula Beverly Hills re-opened in January after a four-month remodeling of not just its interior but its menu. Executive chef más...
One for the books: Safari with an author
Alexander McCall Smith is a bestselling, prolific author and a former law professor. This year, he also will become a safari leader, as part of a promotion más...
News in brief: Melia, Protea, InterContinental
Melia in Iran: Spanish hotel operator Melia Hotels International SA plans to open a hotel along the Caspian Sea in Iran next year. Some trade sanctions más...
Gostelow Report: Barcelona GM always prepared
Always have a Plan B, something that he learned leading Boy Scouts, is a maxim of Franck Sibille, general manager of the Fairmont Rey Juan Carlos I, Barcelona más...
Icahn trumps Taj Mahal bankruptcy
Trump Entertainment Resorts, which operates the struggling Trump Taj Mahal casino and hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, emerged from bankruptcy and más...
PPHE buying out joint venture partner in Croatia
PPHE Hotel Group Ltd., London, announced on Tuesday it is acquiring the outstanding 80% interest from its joint venture partner in Croatia, Arenaturist más...
Opinion: Airbnb 'crisis' needs to be met head-on
“Where there is smoke there is fire,” goes the old, if trite, saying. There has been plenty of smoke, most of it aired by Airbnb, when it más...
What’s Hot: Residence at Anantara Kihavah Maldives
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas recently unveiled its new three-bedroom beach pool residence. Secluded in a green cocoon of island lushness, the residence más...
News in brief: Ashford, Booking.com, Marriott
Rambleside vs. Ashford: Investment firm Rambleside Holdings sent a letter to the board of Ashford Hospitality Trust urging directors to explore strategic más...
febrero 2016
Cachet launches mid-market brand for China
Cachet Hotel Group (CHG) announced on Monday the signing of an exclusive development agreement with Qingdao Izunco Inn Investment Co. (Izunco) to develop más...
Jin Jiang crosses 10% share threshold in AccorHotels
Capital companies and Rubyrock Golden Apple Capital, controlled by China's Jin Jiang hotel group, has crossed the 10% share capital and voting rights más...
Marriott, TCC in US$500 million deal
Marriott International on Monday announced a seven-hotel deal that will make TCC Hotels Group of the largest owner of Marriott hotels in Thailand. The más...
NYC shuts Brooklyn space that was listed on Airbnb
Here’s a story the hotel world will enjoy: The New York Daily News has reported the city raided an apartment in Brooklyn last week that allegedly más...
Hot Openings: Shangri-La arrives in Doha
Earlier this month, Shangri-La, Doha, opened in the commercial district of West Bay in Qatar. The hotel was designed to resemble a falcon’s head más...
News in brief: Jin Jiang, Accor, Isrotel
Jin Jiang adds hotels: Investor Actis sold its minority stake in Chinese mid-range hotel chain Plateno Hotel Group to Shanghai Jin Jiang International más...
Hilton to spin one company into three
In a move to boost shareholder value, Hilton Worldwide said on Friday it plans to spin off its owned hotels into a REIT, as well as create a separate más...
Indian Hotels finally exits from Belmond
After attempting to buy the company over the past few years, Indian Hotels Co. (IHCL), operators of the Taj hotel brand, said Friday that its subsidiary más...
High-profile suitors emerge for Ascendas portfolio
Three suitors reportedly have emerged with preliminary bids to buy Singapore's Ascendas Hospitality Trust, including ever-present Blackstone Group and más...
The ears have it at Six Senses’ Maldives resort
The Chill Bar at Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives offers sunset views from its over-water hammocks and plenty of drink options to taste. Now it’s más...
Hot Openings: Renaissance goes Art Deco in Montreal
The Renaissance Montreal opened last month in the heart of the Canadian city’s downtown. Designed by Groupe Daca and managed by Urgo Hotels Canada más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Ritz-Carlton, Bali, appointed Stefano Attardi executive chef. Most recently, Attardi was executive más...
News in brief: Red Lion, X2, Curio
A lion in Brooklyn: RLHC signed a franchise license agreement for an RL in Brooklyn. The 70-room Hotel RL Brooklyn Bed-Stuy will open in early 2017. más...
Abigail Tan: Living, breathing St Giles
As a determined hotelier and granddaughter to the patriarch of one of Malaysia’s well-known real estate dynasties, Abigail Tan has the background más...
#TBT: Who’s number one?
Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International, InterContinental Hotels Group: Those companies grabbed the first three spots last year in HOTELS’ 325 más...
Horwath HTL: South Africa to experience 'difficult' 2016
Following political and economic events that unfolded at the end of 2015, Horwath HTL predicts travel and tourism in South Africa is anticipated to experience más...
Opinion: The new hotel-branding spectrum
Over the last 10 years, the number of hotel brands has expanded at an electrifying pace. A recent Associated Press article shows that "The más...
Hot Openings: New island hideaway in the Maldives
Earlier this month, Amari Havodda Maldives, a 120-villa private island hideaway opened in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. Designed by Singapore-based French designer más...
News in brief: Airbnb, SLH, Ritz-Carlton
Airbnb admits deleting NYC data: Business Insider is reporting that home-rental website Airbnb admitted to scrubbing about 1,500 commercial listings from más...
HOTELS Exclusive: KP Ho bites the bullet, restructures
Faced with challenges like a potential prolonged economic downturn and consolidation in the hotel sector, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts (BTHR) is biting más...
Three partners acquire 10-unit Marriott portfolio
Lead investor Gatehouse Capital, Dallas, has partnered with management company Interstate Hotels & Resorts and private investor Waramaug Hospitality más...
Paradisus campaign takes beach on the road
Melià Hotels International’s Be Sunny Mobile rolled into New York City recently to promote the company’s Paradisus Resorts and encourage más...
Hot Openings: New airport hotel design in Amsterdam
Designed by The Gallery HBA, the Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol recently opened within a cubic building designed by Mecanoo architecten. The interior más...
News in brief: AccorHotels, Best Western, IHG
AccorHotels expands in Thailand: AccorHotels and Avista Resort and Spa Patong Company Limited signed an agreement for AccorHotels to manage three properties más...
Gostelow Report: Seeing the world through hotel lenses
Moving to your next hotel is much more seamless if you have done your homework, says Frédéric Boulin, who officially took over the reins más...
Choice Hotels launches vacation rental business
Choice Hotels International is entering the vacation home rental industry, launching Vacation Rentals by Choice Hotels, which is forming selective relationships más...
The Disruptors: Battles for Europe's hoteliers
Several issues face today's hoteliers in Europe. While not all these topics are new, the nuances to which each has evolved and the implications to the más...
Is 'glamping' a hot new niche in SE Asia?
An increasing number of travelers in Southeast Asia are being attracted to a soaring new supply of tented accommodation in emerging destinations, according más...
Hot Openings: Novotel debuts on the island of Samui
AccorHotels recently opened Novotel Samui Resort Chaweng Beach Kandaburi, the first Novotel-branded property on the island of Samui in Thailand. The resort más...
News in brief: IHG, Turkey, Absolute
IHG results: InterContinental Hotels Group announced a US$1.5 billion special dividend in releasing its 2015 preliminary results. The company increased más...
Banyan Tree announces big restructuring plans
Ahead of what it expects to be a "relatively prolonged" global economic downturn, Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, Singapore, is undergoing a massive restructuring más...
Marriott expands footprint in Japan
Marriott International and Japanese real estate company Mori Trust Group announced an agreement to open five hotels in Japan under the Marriott Hotels más...
Marriott launches emerging artist campaign for Moxy
Marriott International’s Moxy Hotels is launching its #BlankCanvas campaign to find emerging artists who will become permanent contributors to art más...
What’s Hot: L'Auberge de Sedona introduces creekside dining
Arizona's L’Auberge de Sedona recently unveiled its multimillion-dollar renovation that includes several new restauarant concepts: Cress on más...
One restaurant, all desserts at Café Royal
A London hotel is taking the dictum “life is short; eat dessert first” seriously. The Café Royal hotel’s dessert restaurant at más...
News in brief: Starwood, Soho House, Ascott
Starwood expands Le Méridien brand in Europe: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced that Le Méridien will open in Rome, marking más...
Four Seasons banking on authenticity in Bali
After a challenging 2015 of lower arrivals and higher room stock, luxury hotels in Bali are bracing for a tougher year with more new rooms opening, more más...
La Quinta removes interim tag from CEO Cline
Keith Cline can remove the interim tag from his role as CEO of La Quinta Holdings Inc. as the company on Friday named him permanent CEO effective immediately más...
Regent returns to North America after a decade
Following a 10-year absence in North America, Regent Hotels & Resorts signed a strategic partnership agreement with Cottonwood Management for two más...
Dubai hotel to create rainforest in the desert
Hotel guests in Dubai looking for some relief from the desert heat will have a luxurious way to escape: The planned Rosemont Hotel & Residences will más...
What’s Hot: Historic New Orleans boutique unveils complete reno
Last month, the Chateau LeMoyne-French Quarter in New Orleans announced the completion of an eight-month long renovation throughout the historic property más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Miraval Group appointed Sue Adkins vice president, particularly to support the company’s goal más...
News in brief: Morgans, Millennium, Carlson
Morgans gets extension: Morgans Hotel Group received a 12-month extension on two loans totaling US$450 million, backed by two hotels, the Hudson New York más...
Accor spreads its wings into home rental business
Acquisitive AccorHotels reported on Thursday that it is getting into the online holiday rental business by taking a 49% stake in Squarebreak and a 30% más...
Earnings roundup: Giants report mixed Q4 results
Mixed results best sums up Q4 2015 results as several of the major public hotel companies reported earnings on Thursday, including Marriott International más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at St. Regis Langkawi
Set to open in April, The St. Regis Langkawi will mark the brand’s entry into Malaysia. Designed by G.A. Design's London and Kuala Lumpur offices más...
NYC hotel debuts rooftop 'bubbles' bar
Hyatt Times Square in New York City recently opened The Bubbles, two igloo-like bubbles that allow guests to stay warm while sitting outdoors on the hotel’s más...
#TBT: ‘Total management’—on 8K of memory
The problems of running a hotel don’t change, no matter what kind of technology helps solve them: Guests must be checked in, rooms must be cleaned más...
News in brief: ‘Marwood,’ Minor, Grupo Hotusa
‘Marwood’ stockholder meetings: Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will hold a special stockholder meeting más...
Marriott deals to develop Fairfield brand in China
Marriott International and Eastern Crown Hotels Group on Wednesday signed a development agreement targeting 140 signed Fairfield by Marriott hotel deals más...
Mövenpick's veteran CEO Pérès to step down
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts CEO Jean-Gabriel Pérès has informed the board of directors that he intends to step down after 17 years más...
Hard Rock to add multiple projects in South America
Hard Rock International on Wednesday announced three new hotel projects in Brazil, representing its first projects in both the country and South America más...
Choice revamps rewards program
Choice Hotels International Inc. announced changes to its Choice Privileges guest rewards program that it says will give “more and faster perks” más...
Hot Openings: Second Mercure debuts in Qingdao
AccorHotels recently opened its second property under the Grand Mercure brand in Qingdao, China. The Grand Mercure Qingdao Nanshan Resort is adjacent más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Hotel Indigo, Fe Equus
Hyatt in Vietnam: Hyatt Hotels and Vietnam’s Thai Group signed a US$165 million deal to build a Park Hyatt in Hanoi, the Vietnamese government said más...
Starwood sells Luxury Collection asset to Al Habtoor
Underscoring its continued commitment to advancing an asset light strategy, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Monday announced that it has closed más...
Hilton launches discount for loyalty club members
Hilton Worldwide on Tuesday announced that Hilton HHonors members canreceive an exclusive discount on room rates by booking directly through its brand más...
Troubling January STR data out of London
STR Global’s preliminary January 2016 data for London indicates negative performance compared with the same month last year. Based on daily data más...
What’s Hot: Redesign at Botswana luxury lodges
Belmond Eagle Island Lodge in Botswana last month unveiled a redesign that encompasses its tented guestrooms and public spaces. Designed by The Gallery más...
News in brief: Pandox, Hotel Elysee, Wyndham
Pandox divests hotels: Sweden’s Pandox AB sold eight hotels in Sweden to Midstar AB for 850 million Swedish kronor (US$100.8 million). The company más...
Gostelow Report: IHG GM creates common vision
Eric Viale, GM of the InterContinental Porto Palacio Das Cardosas, Portugal, and area GM Porto, won a Mini Cooper as InterContinental Hotels Group’s más...
Revamping hotel uniform trends for millennials
A recent study shows that 93% of millennials want a job where they can be themselves at work, which includes dressing in a more comfortable and stylish más...
Trojan Horse visits St Moritz
St Moritz's Kulm Hotel is paying homage to the Engadine Valley’s history of racing with a 45-foot-tall (14 meters) Trojan Horse. The 5.2-ton sculpture más...
Text analytics reveal impact of guest sentiment on reviews
Hotel guests often post a review of their stay along with a numerical rating of the hotel, but a new study from the Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) más...
What’s Hot: Banyan Tree unveils spa villas
Last month, Banyan Tree opened the Spa Sanctuary Villas at its Mexico properties, Banyan Tree Mayakoba on the Riviera Maya and Banyan Tree Cabo Marques más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Leading Euro fund makes inroads in U.S.
Finding lease partners in the United States is not easy, but Germany’s Union Investment Real Estate finally opened the door in December with its más...
What’s Hot: Masquerade inspires reno at W Mexico City
W Mexico City recently completed a multiphase transformation, including the debut of a J by José Andrés restaurant, updates to its guestrooms más...
London hotel launches gin bar inspired by botanicals
Café Royal in London unveiled its new Green Bar Botanicals & Tonics, a gin bar celebrating London’s history of using botanicals in gin más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Arnaud Bamvens was appointed general manager of Palais Namaskar in Morocco. Most recently, Bamvens was más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Curio, Cambria
Airbnb scrubbed N.Y. numbers? An independent report released on Wednesday claims that Airbnb removed about 1,000 hosts from data it released showing that más...
HOTELS Exclusive: New Starwood CEO weighs in
Tom Mangas, since mid-December the CEO at Starwood Hotels & Resorts and charged with bringing the “Marwood” deal to the finish line, told más...
#TBT: Before 'hyper-local,' it was 'international'
Locally sourced food is all the rage: A hotel restaurant touting its “farm-to-table” cred might feature greens harvested from its own garden más...
Hyatt, Khan Academy launch ‘Learnstorm’ in Chicago
In partnership with educational nonprofit Khan Academy, Hyatt Hotels Corp. recently launched "Learnstorm," a digital math challenge in the Chicago area más...
Hot Openings: Leasing launches at Hollywood Proper
Designed by Kelly Wearstler Interior Design, Hollywood Proper Residences in Los Angeles will begin leasing this month and welcome its first residents más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Worldhotels, Morgans
Hyatt names CFO: Hyatt Hotels Corp. appointed Patrick Grismer chief financial officer, effective March 14. Grismer joins Hyatt from his post as chief más...
HOTELS Interview: Fën Hotels CEO Patricio Fuks
With a US$300 million investment from George Soros’ Quantum Strategic Partners announced in November, Fën Hotels, Buenos Aires, has the means más...
Marketing your destination with 360-degree video
New forms of media have always been attractive to marketers and tourism professionals, but they don’t always come with an instruction manual. 360-degree más...
Wyndham launches in-room branded TV series
Launching today at more than 7,500 hotels, Wyndham Rewards has created “Have Points, Will Travel,” a branded in-room television content series más...
Hot Openings: Hyatt House debuts in New Orleans
In November, Hyatt House celebrated its launch in New Orleans with the opening of Hyatt House New Orleans/Downtown. Owned by affiliate Waypoint NOLA LLC más...
News in brief: IHG, Erawan, Caribbean
Dual-brand near Heathrow: IHG signed an agreement to develop a hotel near London’s Heathrow Airport with dual brands: a 433-room Holiday Inn London más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Insights on Cuba from Gaviota's Medina
As relations between the United States and Cuba continue to improve, talk has escalated about the Cuban hotel landscape and its potential. How will American más...
No 'smoking gun' with Airbnb in NYC: STR
An independent analysis conducted by STR released on Tuesday shows no direct correlation between Airbnb’s presence and hotel performance in Manhattan más...
Austin Radisson sold for US$130 million
Forestar Group Inc. agreed to sell the Radisson Hotel & Suites in downtown Austin, Texas, for US$130 million, or about $314,770 per room. The buyer más...
Westin, Fitbit collaborate on guest fitness
Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Westin brand is partnering with fitness app FitStar by Fitbit to deliver exercise programs for hotel guests. The más...
What’s Hot: Puerto Vallarta resort unveils amenities, upgrades
Grand Miramar All Luxury Suites & Residences in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, recently re-launched with upgrades to the resort, services and amenities más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Starwood, Oklahoma growth
Wyndham reports Q4, full year 2015 results: Wyndham Worldwide Corp. reported fourth quarter 2015 net income was US$140 million, compared with US$81 million más...
Gostelow Report: Hotel lifer back in Hong Kong
It was heartwarming to hear over 500 team members say welcome back, says Franz Donhauser, who returned as GM of Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong, after a más...
The Disruptors: Staying power
Airbnb recently confirmed its latest round of funding — US$1.5 billion — and the alternative accommodation provider is now valued at more más...
Starwood rolls out supper club-style dinners
Aiming to satisfy Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members’ passions for cuisine and luxury travel, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will offer más...
What’s Hot: Enhanced room experience in Naples
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, Florida, last month unveiled its newly “contemporized” guestrooms, suites and Club Lounge. Designed más...
News in brief: Bauer, Okura, Four Points
Bauer restructures debt: Bauer spa, owner of the Bauer Hotel in Venice, announced a debt restructuring of €110 million (US$159.5 million) with Blue más...
Radisson Blu launches interior design program
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s Radisson Blu brand introduced BluPrint, an interior design approach for its hotels that it says allows property design más...
Germany: Former Interhotel assets on the block
Brookfield Property Partners and Starwood Capital Group plan to sell German hotels valued at as much as €700 million (US$785 million), according más...
What’s Hot: Redesign at historic Santa Cruz resort
Chaminade Resort & Spa in Santa Cruz, California, recently unveiled the redesign of its guestrooms and suites. The design concept by CST Hospitality más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Nicholas Arnold was appointed executive chef at Caneel Bay Resort on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands más...
News in brief: Marriott, Best Western, RAR Hospitality
Marriott, Samhi develops in Bengaluru: Marriott International and Samhi launched a 336-room integrated property in Bengaluru, India. The property offers más...
Soft brands: Are strong pipes enough?
When Marriott International’s Julius Robinson talks about growth of the now five-year-old Autograph Collection, he says members tell him that “it’s más...
#TBT: ‘No end to the boom’
Oil prices may be languishing lately, but the situation was quite different in the 1970s: “You have to see it to believe it,” Service World más...
Hersha, Cindat form JV for NYC hotels
Hersha Hospitality Trust formed a joint venture with Cindat Capital Management Ltd. for seven hotels in New York City. Cindat will pay US$571.4 million más...
European hotel investment eclipses €20 billion
European hotel investment hit €22.8 billion (US$25 billion) in 2015, an increase of 79% year-over-year. A monumental fourth quarter saw 31% (€6 más...
What’s Hot: Los Cabos resort’s post-hurricane redesign
Hirsch Bedner Associates and HKS Hospitality Group recently unveiled the redesigned Hilton Los Cabos. The renovation follows 2014’s Hurricane Odile más...
News in brief: St. Regis, TripAdvisor, Cornell
St. Regis in Jakarta: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed a management agreement with Indonesia’s Rajawali Property Group to open 280-room más...
Gostelow Report: Serrano's update on Admiralty Arch
It is a huge responsibility to be leading the conversion of London's historic 1912-vintage Admiralty Arch into a unique 100-room hotel, said Rafael Serrano más...
BridgeStreet launches Mode Aparthotel
BridgeStreet Global Hospitality Wednesday introduced a serviced-apartment brand called Mode Aparthotel by BridgeStreet. The new brand aims to attract más...
What are luxury travel trends of wealthiest Americans?
A new study by international travel and tourism consultancy Resonance Consultancy of the top 5% and 1% of U.S. travelers reveals wealthy travelers más...
NYC hotel to offer tea box cocktails, Valentine’s Day pairings
This month, Four Seasons Hotel New York is offering new tea-inspired cocktails at its TY Bar as part of the ongoing Cocktail Quarterly series, a year-long más...
What’s Hot: Little Palm Island Resort's extensive reno
Noble House Hotels & Resorts Little Palm Island Resort & Spa off the Florida Keys coastline recently unveiled its multimillion-dollar revitalization más...
News in brief: IHG, Onyx, Playboy Mansion
IHG Foundation launch: IHG launched an independent charity called the IHG Foundation. The first wave of funding will help communities develop skills in más...
HOTELS Interview: Wyndham wants huge SEA growth
Wyndham Hotel Group is now setting sight on huge growth in southeast Asia, where it admits it’s been “a bit slow off the mark.” Moves más...
Sahara reportedly to sell Grosvenor to Qataris
India's Sahara Group told the country's Supreme Court on Tuesday that it was close to an agreement to sell the Marriott-operated Grosvenor House hotel más...
Top meeting package trends for 2016: IACC
Following research among the 378 members of the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC), the association released its Top Meeting Package más...
Shangri-La rolls out ‘Instant Dining Rewards’
As part of its #LoyaltyIs five-year anniversary celebration, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts recently launched “Instant Dining Rewards.” As más...
Hot Openings: New adults-only resort on Riviera Maya
Opening last November, Secrets Akumal on Mexico’s Riviera Maya offers 434 guest suites in an adults-only environment. Designed by HKS Hospitality más...
News in brief: Jin Jiang, Morgans, Airbnb
Jin Jiang raises Accor stakes: Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels increased its holdings in AccorHotels to 5.5%, becoming its second-largest shareholder más...
HOTELS exclusive: MHG completes Tivoli buy
Minor Hotel Group Monday completed its acquisition of Tivoli Hotels & Resorts for €294.2 million (US$318.6 million). Tivoli’s portfolio más...
2016 trends: Reviews, metasearch matter
Online reviews are king and the “sharing economy” will continue to enter the mainstream, according to Profitroom’s “Hotel Sales más...
Vancouver hotel to offer rare scotch whisky
Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver will introduce Balvenie 50, a rare Scotch whisky, in its lobby lounge. The 50-year-old whisky is regarded as one of más...
Hot Openings: Kimpton debuts in Austin
Kimpton recently debuted in Austin, Texas, with the opening of Hotel Van Zandt. The music-centric hotel was designed by Mark Zeff for “cultural más...
News in brief: IHG, Hilton, Mövenpick
IHG expected to return shares: IHG is preparing to unveil plans to return US$1 billion to shareholders. According to market sources, the company plans más...
enero 2016
2016 ALIS notebook: Meeting highlights
During this week’s Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles, HOTELS conducted multiple interviews with developers and operators más...
Hilton, Atlantica to develop brand in Brazil
Hilton Worldwide and Atlantica Hotels signed a management licensing agreement for Atlantica to develop and manage Hilton Garden Inn hotels in Brazil. más...
FelCor to sell its Morgans assets in NYC
FelCor Lodging Trust said Friday it plans to sell its 117-room Morgans and 186-room Royalton hotels in New York and will use the proceeds to fund initiatives más...
Preliminary re-opening date set for Ritz in Paris
A news report out of Paris on Friday suggested the landmark Hôtel Ritz will reopen in June, only three months behind schedule after a January 19 más...
Award-winning play to be staged in NYC hotel room
In partnership with UK-based theater company Defibrillator, Langham Place, New York, Fifth Avenue will present “Insignificance” in its Executive más...
Hot Openings: Boston hotel pays homage to building's history
Set to open to the public on February 3, The Godfrey Hotel Boston will debut in the Armory and Black Buildings in the city’s Downtown Crossing community más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Troy Bennett was appointed vice president and general manager at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte más...
News in brief: Marriott, Shaun White, Shangri-La
Marriott on Zika: Marriott International issued a statement saying it was taking precautions at its hotels to limit the Zika virus, which the World más...
2016 ALIS notebook: Mixed messages
The overriding outlook this week at The Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) at the JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles was “cautious optimism más...
#TBT: ‘Loews hunt the hungry tiger!’
“Hotel chains are springing up all over Europe and literally everybody is trying to cash in on the tourism boom,” read Service World International’s más...
Accor spinning off 85 European assets
AccorHotels announced Thursday it is working to complete a deal to spinoff 85 European hotels worth €504 million (US$548 million) into a new franchise más...
Dalata acquires leasehold interests, secures management
Dalata Hotel Group has conditionally agreed to acquire the leasehold interest of the Gibson Hotel Dublin, the Croydon Park Hotel in Croydon, the Clarion más...
Davidson unveils new lifestyle division, Pivot
Davidson Hotels & Resorts announced a new lifestyle division called Pivot. The 361-room Hotel Zephyr in San Francisco is Pivot’s inaugural property más...
Destination launches event designing program, certification
Destination Hotels recently launched its new event designing program, Destination Event Producers (D?P, pronounced "deep"). The program aims to serve más...
Hot Openings: San Francisco's tech-inspired boutique
Host Hotels & Resorts opened the new Axiom Hotel this week in San Francisco. The LEED-certified project will be managed by Kokua Hospitality with más...
News in brief: Worldhotels, Jumeirah, 2016 deal volume
New CEO for Worldhotels: Dirk Fuehrer will join Woldhotels as CEO on February 15. He formerly was chief commercial officer at Steigenberger Hotel Group más...
Kimpton goes global, signs in Amsterdam
IHG signed its first Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants hotel outside of the Americas on Wednesday. Debuting in Europe, the hotel will be located in the más...
Minor to launch Oaks brand in India
Minor Hotel Group announced the first Oaks-branded property in India. Scheduled to open in 2017, Oaks Neemrana is being developed in partnership with más...
Cachet to open first resort in Asia
Cachet Hotel Group will debut its first resort development in Asia. Located in Guizhou Province, China, the dual-branded resort development Cachet Resort más...
Montage, Ares announce strategic investment partnership
Montage Hotels & Resorts and Ares Management, L.P., announced that a real estate fund managed by Ares has made a strategic investment in Montage. más...
Goodwill, Interstate collaborate for recruitment
Goodwill and Interstate Hotels & Resorts have partnered to connect qualified candidates with jobs in the hospitality sector. Through GoodProspects más...
Hot Openings: London gets second InterContinental
IHG this week opened the InterContinental London – The O2 on the historic Greenwich Peninsula. The hotel will operate under a franchise agreement más...
News in brief: AccorHotels, guest engagement
China Lodging, AccorHotels: China Lodging Group, Limited, completed the transaction of its strategic alliance with AccorHotels. Under the terms of the más...
Gostelow Report: The importance of the native tongue
Being able to speak even basic conversational Mandarin made all the difference when Paul Jones opened Mandarin Oriental, Taipei. "The hotel opened May más...
Virgin expands to the US West Coast
Virgin Hotels will open and operate a new hotel in Palm Springs, California, marking its debut on the US West Coast. Expected to open in late 2018, the más...
Lender survey forecasts confident, albeit cautious, 2016 outlook
A shift in lender expectations suggests that financiers of US hotels predict the current period of growth in hotel asset values to peak within the next más...
What’s Hot: New signature suites at Radisson Blu Cologne
A trio of new hotel suites created by JOI-Design on the top level of the Radisson Blu Cologne in Germany were unveiled earlier this month. Each of the más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Langham, Starwood
Hyatt Centric expands internationally: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced the expansion of the Hyatt Centric brand with the first international Hyatt Centric más...
Hilton launches new midscale brand, Tru
Hilton Worldwide today unveiled Tru by Hilton, a midscale brand in the U.S. and Canada. Built from a belief that being “cost-conscious and having más...
Commune, Destination merge, combined company to manage 90+ properties
Commune Hotels & Resorts and Destination Hotels have merged to create a combined operator of independent and lifestyle hotels and resorts. The company más...
Marriott announces ‘MxM’ to maximize hotel performance for owners
Marriott International today announced “Managed by Marriott (MxM),” the new name and branded approach for the company’s hotel management más...
NYC hotel launches street art series
Quin Hotel has launched its year-long street art series with an exhibition from Nick Walter. The British artist and Quin Arts’ inaugural artist-in-residence más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Stage comes to historic Kowloon
Opening this month in the historic heart of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hotel Stage strives to take its guests on a journey through the lens of history, culture más...
News in brief: Kimpton, Hyatt, Cachet
Kimpton announces fifth Chicago hotel: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced the official name of the latest four-star boutique hotel in Chicago más...
Gostelow Report: At Copa, lots to celebrate
You cannot only be a GM – you need to be an artist, a shrink, a doctor and a confidant, and also make money, says Andrea Natal, GM of Belmond Copacabana más...
Carlson turns to banker to consider alternatives: WSJ
Carlson has reportedly asked Morgan Stanley to explore strategic alternatives for its Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, including partnerships, mergers or más...
2015 results in US strongest on record: STR
Compared with 2014, the U.S. hotel industry’s 2015 occupancy was up 1.7% to 65.6%; its average daily rate rose 4.4% to US$120.01; and its revenue más...
Hot Opening: Hyatt Ziva lands in Cancun
Earlier this month, Hyatt opened its all-inclusive resort, Hyatt Ziva Cancun, located in Punta Cancun surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. Owned and managed más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Thompson Hotels’ Gild Hall in New York City appointed Ileana Acosta director of sales and marketing más...
News in brief: Plateno, Hyatt, Synergy
Plateno to grow in Asia: Plateno Hotels Group’s Jakarta office reports it targets to open 25 more hotels in 2016, ranging from 2-star to luxury más...
FRHI, Chinese partner launch Millennial brand
FRHI Hotels & Resorts, in a joint venture with China’s Jiangsu Golden Land Group, on Thursday announced the debut of Neqta Hotels (Nuo Ge Ya) más...
#TBT: Decades of advertising, similar strategies
This Sheraton Hotels and Motor Inns advertisement’s goal in the May 1969 issue of Service World International was simple: Attract international más...
Jumeirah shipping 10,000 sq. meters deck to Burj
Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab Jumeirah is bringing an expansive outdoor luxury leisure concept called ‘North Deck’ to the hotel más...
What’s Hot: NYC hotel unveils luxurious, tech updates
The Muse, a Kimpton Hotel, in New York City’s Theater District recently completed an extensive top-to-bottom renovation that caters to the “modern más...
News in brief: Starwood, Choice, Davidson
Starwood to debut in Yinchuan: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed an agreement with Ningxia Minsheng Real Estate Co., Ltd., to open its Element más...
AH&LA study: Airbnb running 'unregulated hotels'
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) released a study on Wednesday suggesting nearly 30% (US$378 million) of Airbnb’s revenue más...
Prevention, containment key to hotel security
Egyptian authorities, in light of the recent attacks on Red Sea resorts, have announced that they are investing US$37 million in cameras, scanning más...
An ‘extremely enchanted’ Mardi Gras tea party
A donkey bartender pours spiked tea in a whimsical recreation of New Orleans’ Golden Age of Carnival at the International House Hotel. From January más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Four Seasons Lanai’s reno
Reopening on February 1, the Four Seasons Resort Lanai’s multi-million dollar, lobby-to-roof renovation will feature 217 redesigned guestrooms and más...
News in brief: AccorHotels, Crescent, Raffles
AccorHotels to manage in Koh Samui: Kata Group Resorts appointed AccorHotels to manage the former Kandaburi Resort and Spa in Thailand and rebrand to más...
Dusit names its third CEO, first outside family
Dusit International, Bangkok, has named Suphajee Suthumpun group chief executive officer and the first outside the founding family to succeed Chanin Donavanik más...
Fire hits suites and rooftop at Ritz in Paris
A fire broke out on the seventh floor at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris on Tuesday morning, reportedly significantly damaging two high-end suites and the más...
How Facebook beacons help upsell
As a hotelier, you want to heighten your guest’s experience. And, in a nice way of course, to upsell as many services as you possibly can. Now you más...
IHG challenges brands to create meaningful membership in ‘the Age of I’
IHG on Tuesday launched its 2016 Trends Report, Meaningful Membership: Transforming Membership in The Age of I, which highlights why brands need to recognize más...
Hot Openings: Cambria debuts in NYC’s Times Square
Choice Hotels International this month celebrated the grand opening of the Cambria Hotel & Suites in Times Square in New York City. Operated by Conrad más...
News in brief: SLH, Paris, W
SLH has an app for that: Small Luxury Hotels of the World launched an iPhone app that includes the ability to search more than 520 hotels, including a más...
HOTELS Interview: It's all in the wrists
Multinational travel and tourism operator TUI Group recently piloted its multifunction TUI Smartband (developed through a partnership with vendor Quadriga) más...
Burkina Faso, Mali join forces after deadly attacks
The prime ministers of the west African nations of Burkina Faso and Mali met in the wake of an attack on a hotel in Burkina Faso’s capital that más...
Budapest’s hotel sector heats up: report
An increase in visitors to the Hungarian capital of Budapest has helped the city’s hotel sector become one of the fastest growing in Eastern Europe más...
What to know about content marketing in 2016
By now, content marketing should be an integral part of any hotel’s marketing strategy. Whether you rely on email campaigns, blog posts, industry más...
Hotel security guard honored at State of the Union address
Earl Smith, a Vietnam veteran and security representative at the Hyatt Regency Austin in Texas, was among a few individuals selected to sit in the first más...
What’s Hot: Sneak peak at Peninsula Chicago’s ‘magnificent’ makeover
The Peninsula Chicago’s current renovation aims to establish its guestrooms and suites as the “most technologically advanced in the world más...
News in brief: Carlson Rezidor, MGM Resorts, international tourism
Carlson Rezidor expands in Dubai: Carlson Rezidor will open the Radisson Blu Residence Al Sufouh in Dubai in Q4 2017. The property will include 264 serviced más...
HOTELS Interview: Best of the best (brews)
As travelers become more discerning about their brews, so too are hotel bars. Four Points by Sheraton’s Best Brew program provides guests with a más...
KHP Capital Partners closes $210 million fund
KHP Capital Partners (KHP), the successor company to Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ fund management business, has announced that is has closed más...
Room Mate Hotels grows its sharing economy brand
Room Mate Hotels, Madrid, continues to grow its own sharing economy business with news that it is partnering with B Network, the accommodation sponsor más...
AH&LA study depicts industry's upward mobility
A new report from the the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and compensation consultancy WageWatch shows half or more of corporate más...
AccorHotels releases socio-economic ‘footprint’ report
AccorHotels released a study that quantifies its ripple effect on worldwide and local economies – and the giant hotel company says that its contribution más...
What’s Hot: New villas offer sense of place, authenticity
Earlier this month, Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay in Bali unveiled its fully renovated Premier Villas, Family Premier Villas and Deluxe Villas, aiming to más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Four Seasons Lanai named Gloria Ah Sam spa director and Kemar Durfield chef de cuisine. Andrew Arthurs más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Yosemite, Jakarta
Hyatt names hacked hotels: Hyatt Hotels Corp. said an investigation into a data security breach exposed last year affected 250 hotels in about 50 countries más...
#TBT: We’ve come a long way, baby
The cover story for this first 1969 issue of Service World International was headlined, “The Movers: The Men Who Make it Happen!” While that más...
Egypt to invest US$32 million in hotel security
The Egyptian government will spend US$32 million to upgrade security in two Red Sea resorts. The move, aimed at restoring confidence among foreign tourists más...
MGM Resorts names CEO for real estate trust
MGM Resorts International appointed James Stewart CEO of MGM Growth Properties LLC (MGP), a real estate trust that the company plans to take public. Stewart más...
Marriott meeting trends forecast: Wearables, ‘wholeness’
What are the trends shaping the future of meetings in 2016? Marriott International and the Professional Convention Management Association partnered on más...
Wyndham Grand launches Brew Parlor alongside all-star team
Wyndham Grand today launched Brew Parlor, a “happy hour with a jolt,” serving coffee-based drinks and cocktails developed with award-winning más...
What’s Hot: Living the suite life in St. Barths
Eden Rock – St. Barths this month opened its Christopher Columbus Suite, overlooking the same stretch of the ocean that the Italian explorer sailed más...
News in brief: SLS Hotels, Choice, Dublin brands
SLS Hotels to debut in D.C.: SLS Hotels is working with Peebles Corp. on a SLS Lux Hotel in Washington, D.C. The 198-room hotel will be the first SLS-branded más...
HOTELS Interview: IHG’s man in Asia connects the dots
Clarence Tan has no development background and is the first Asian to be appointed senior vice president development for Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) más...
Hotel Lotte seeks up to US$5 billion in IPO
South Korea’s Hotel Lotte Co Ltd could raise up to US$5 billion in what would be South Korea's biggest initial public offering, International Financing más...
Kids' programs, on-demand services among spa trends
Spafinder Wellness 365 released its 2016 Global Spa & Wellness Forecast on Tuesday. The forecast provides a guide to the top 10 trends expected to más...
Hot Openings: Short-stay apartment experience in NYC
Furnished Quarters in November opened Q&A Residential Hotel in New York City’s Financial District at the former AIG world headquarters. Designed más...
News in brief: Swissôtel, India rebounds, Easyhotel
Swissôtel in Sofia: Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts entered into an agreement with Turkish developer Garanti Koza to manage Swissôtel más...
HOTELS Interview: Oetker Collection’s Didier Le Calvez
When Didier Le Calvez has a moment to reflect, he realizes the script for his business career mostly could not have been written any better, including más...
Preferred enters Qatar with Katara partnership
Four hotels belonging to Murwab Hotel Group, Katara Hospitality’s hotel operating division, in Qatar and Switzerland will be represented by Preferred más...
India’s Lemon Tree Hotels plans IPO
Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd, a Delhi, India-based hotel chain, says it is planning an initial public offering within the next year and a half. The company operates más...
Scandic's HTL creates playlist with Spotify
HTL hotels, Stockholm, is starting a collaboration with Spotify distributor Soundtrack Your Brand that will give hotel guests the opportunity to experience specially más...
Hot Openings: All-suite hotel debuts at iconic Aussie beach
Nestled in one of Australia’s most iconic beach towns, QT Bondi opened its doors several weeks ago. Designed by Nic Graham, the hotel embraces QT más...
News in brief: IHG, Swissôtel, Best Western
IHG opens 5,000th hotel: IHG has reached the 5,000 hotel mark with the opening of the 293-room Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York. The hotel is the más...
Gostelow Report: Making business sense in Boston
“Realizing it is not only millennials who like hanging out makes business sense,” said John Maibach, general manager of the Loews Boston Hotel más...
Loews taps former IHG exec as CCO
Loews Hotels & Resorts appointed Oliver Bonke chief commercial officer. As the company’s first CCO, Bonke will oversee the strategic growth más...
Change at the top for Jumeirah Group
Dubai Holding on Monday announced that Jumeirah Group’s president and CEO for the past 18 years, Gerald Lawless, is transitioning to a new position más...
Badrutt’s toasts birthday with diamond cocktail
Twelve decades, twelve stories: Badrutt’s Palace Hotel is marking its 120th birthday with a dozen stories throughout the year that help tell the más...
What’s Hot: Restaurant re-opens at luxurious Dubai hotel
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah has re-opened its Bab Al Yam restaurant this month following a substantial upgrade to its interior and exterior design. Featuring más...
News in brief: Langham, search terms, UK hotel investment
Langham in Qatar: Langham Hospitality Group will develop a Langham Place hotel in the planned city of Lusail, north of Doha. The 238-room luxury hotel más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Roca has Hard Rock rolling
Marco Roca, executive vice president and chief development officer at Hard Rock International, is on a roll as the group picks up the pace on development más...
Gunfire at Egyptian Red Sea resort
Gunmen reportedly opened fire Friday at the entrance of the Bella Vista Hotel in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada, wounding three tourists. Assailants más...
Hersha acquires its first Ritz-Carlton hotel
Hersha Hospitality Trust, Philadelphia, has acquired from New York City-based Millennium Partners the 86-room Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C.’s más...
Laurus acquires Vail ski resort from Lowe Enterprises
Developer Laurus Corp has acquired from Lowe Enterprises for approximately US$90 million the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, one of Vail, Colorado’s más...
Fitch: Momentum ‘waning’ on lodging upcycle
A Fitch Ratings report released Friday says the US lodging cycle has entered a “twilight zone” -- an unsettled time that can show up más...
Hot Openings: MGallery arrives in the heart of Pattaya
Hotel Baraquda Pattaya MGallery by Sofitel recently opened in the heart of Pattaya, Thailand, offering guests access to the shopping, dining and entertainment más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Westin Fort Lauderdale in Florida appointed Chris Alto general manager, Matthew Echevarria director más...
News in brief: Capella, IHG, Ascott
Capella to manage Solís Hotel: Acron selected Capella Hotel Group to introduce and manage the Solís Hotel in Atlanta. The hotel is scheduled más...
Throwback Thursday: HOTELS starts 50th celebration
HOTELS kicks off its 50th anniversary celebration by using a very current and social publishing style called Throwback Thursday (TBT, or the hashtag #throwbackthursday) más...
Ascendas reviews bids by Blackstone, Gaw: report
Singapore’s Ascendas Hospitality Trust is reportedly weighing separate bids from Blackstone Group LP and Gaw Capital Partners, according to Reuters más...
Riviera acquisition builds on Perseus’ strategy
Independent hotel owner and operator Perseus acquired the Hôtel des Roches Rouges in Agay, on the French Riviera, late last year, another step in más...
Where will hoteliers increase marketing spend in 2016?
More than half (57%) of hoteliers said they are increasing their marketing budgets for 2016, according to a TravelClick survey, with respondents saying más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Ace Hotel New Orleans
Slated to open on March 14, Ace Hotel New Orleans combines inspiration from the Dadaists, Art Deco, modernism and The Bloomsburg Artists - Picasso, Braque más...
News in brief: Choice, Irish hotel sales, NYC construction
Choice expands in Durham: Choice Hotels International signed an agreement with Concord Hospitality and the Robert Finvarb Companies to develop a new Cambria más...
Mixed messages, restrained growth in Europe
European hotel growth has been considered to be somewhat muted, even though its economies began to regain momentum in 2014. While Lodging Econometrics más...
Mandarin able to acquire its hotel in Boston
Taking advantage of its right to acquire the Mandarin Oriental, Boston, for a price equivalent to the highest auction bid, Mandarin Oriental International más...
AccorHotels announces two big projects in Asia
Singapore’s GuocoLand Ltd. has signed a deal with AccorHotels for the management of the group’s two new-build, mixed-use hotel developments más...
Merrion's new tea master introduces tchi drinks
The Merrion Hotel in Dublin claims it is the first hotel in Ireland to employ a tea master, and to welcome 2016 the hotel is offering a selection of Tchi más...
What’s Hot: Wolfgang Puck debuts restaurants in Grand Rapids
Last fall, Wolfgang Puck debuted his latest restaurant concepts, The Kitchen and The Kitchen Counter, at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, más...
News in brief: Starwood, Utica Hotel, Renaissance
Starwood’s record 2015: Starwood Hotels & Resorts says it opened a record 105 hotels last year – that’s 22,500 rooms in 30 countries más...
Gostelow Report: Shangri-La GM a team player
“Being owned by your management company's group has advantages – and opportunities,” says Elaine Yue-Wibisana, GM of 304-room Shangri-La's más...
Goldman Sachs makes significant investment in SAMHI
In a market that recently has seen little capital activity, SAMHI Hotels Pvt. Ltd. has new funds to accelerate its expansion in India after announcing más...
Marriott to open 22 AC Hotels in 2016
Marriott International Inc. announced today that it plans to open 22 AC Hotels by Marriott around the world in 2016. This month, the lifestyle brand más...
Next-Gen guest rooms launch at HI Express in UK
IHG has launched its first four Holiday Inn Express Next Generation hotels in the UK modeled entirely on guest insight. The new experience will be launching más...
Hot Openings: Thompson adds second property in Mexico
Last fall, Thompson Hotels opened its second Mexican hotel in Playa del Carmen. The property consists of two locations: a centrally located main hotel más...
News in brief: Wyndham, AccorHotels, digital travel sales
Wyndham expands Ramada in Middle East: Wyndham Hotel Group announced plans to open four new Ramada hotels across Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Bahrain. The más...
Case study: Carlson Rezidor's data evolution
Big data isn’t all about knowing every nuance of your guests; it’s also about getting a closer look at your own business. For companies like más...
Big resort outside Athens sells for more than $400 million
Greece's privatization agency has sold for €400 million (US$434.3 million) the Astir Palace resort outside Athens to Jermyn Street Real Estate Fund más...
Prepare for a ‘hostile event’ as if your life depended on it
There is an inherent danger in generalization of any sort. Security is no exception. Since the terrorist attacks in Paris and Mali, a deluge of good advice más...
ALIS rappelling challenge will help fight addiction
As part of the 2016 Americas Lodging Investment Summit on January 25-26 in Los Angeles, the hotel industry will unite to fight addiction by rappelling más...
What’s Hot: Dubai resort unveils Turkish-style hammam
Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort has unveiled its newly expanded spa. The two-tier facility re-opened in December with an additional six treatment rooms más...
News in brief: Dubai blaze, Cleveland convention, Paris hotels
Dubai blaze raises questions: The emirate’s third skyscraper fire in as many years has prompted new questions about the safety of materials used más...
diciembre 2015
CSR: Smaller players display creativity, commitment
For the past five years, Rockbridge, a private equity firm that invests extensively in hotels, has held Rock the Road in its hometown of Columbus, Ohio más...
Hoxton makes $30 million play for LA tourists
British hotelier Hoxton purchased a decaying US$30 million building in downtown Los Angeles and plans to turn it into a boutique. This would be the second más...
Bali continues to face challenging conditions: study
Bali hotels have had a challenging year with slow arrivals growth, new hotel pressures, volcanic disruptions and government policy being partially balanced más...
Hot Openings: Phuket resort captures local essence
Manathai Hotels & Resorts this month opened a new resort in Surin Beach located on the southern Thai island of Phuket. Designed by Thai firm CDG, más...
Centuries-old tunnel becomes wine cellar
A forgotten tunnel underneath a 13th century Irish castle has been transformed into a 21st century wine cellar and event space. The tunnel was unearthed más...
News in brief: SAMHI, Dead Sea, Iran
SAMHI acquires Ahmedabad property: SAMHI Hotels purchased a 5-star, 156-room property from Sidhi Gujarat Hospitality for an estimated 1.35 billion rupees más...
Gostelow Report: GM changes pace at 1 New York
“Even in five months, 1 Hotel Central Park South in New York has attracted regulars and long-staying guests who like the way the eco-hotel makes más...
What’s Hot: Major room reno at legendary Swiss hotel
The iconic Kulm Hotel St. Moritz in Switzerland has undergone its largest room renovation, creating 26 rooms and suites in the property’s Neukulm más...
St. Lucia resort opens farmer’s market
As part of its multimillion-dollar renovation, Capella Marigot Bay’s private Capella Marina in St. Lucia has opened a weekly farmer’s market más...
News in brief: NYC hotels, Q&C, Radisson Blu
NYC hotels pledge to go green: Sixteen high-profile New York City hotels are pledging to lower greenhouse gases in their buildings by 30% in the next más...
Food & Beverage: The big shift to local concepts
While recent buzz in hotel food and beverage circles has centered on the celebrity and developing restaurants with chefs who have gained national renown más...
Accor adds to its strong Cuba portfolio
Gaining an even bigger lead on eager U.S.-based hotel companies, AccorHotels will begin in 2016 the construction of the 218-room Sofitel So Havana, according más...
Hot Openings: Vietnam welcomes fourth Pullman
Earlier this month, AccorHotels opened Pullman Vung Tau, its fourth Pullman hotel in Vietnam. Featuring views of Back Beach and Front Beach, the hotel más...
Local charities, global funding
Park Hyatt Washington's General Manager Andrew Davidson first walked into Miriam's Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides meals, transitional housing and más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Ascendas, Edition
Hyatt customer info breach: Hyatt Hotels found malware on payment processing computers used by 318 of the chain’s 627 properties. The company says más...
Gostelow Report: Singapore GM’s indie perspective
There are pros and cons in opening an unbranded 654-room hotel, but it helps to be designed by Philippe Starck, says Jan Büttgen, general manager más...
Insights into Marriott's S-4 filing for Starwood deal
Marriott International on Tuesday said that it has filed a joint proxy and registration statement on Form S-4 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission más...
Germany to Booking.com: End ‘best price’ clause
Germany’s antitrust regulator ordered online travel agent Booking.com to end a practice that restricts hotels from offering rooms at lower prices más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peak at new-build in Bangkok
Set along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, Avani Riverside Bangkok will stand 26 stories tall with 251 guestrooms and suites that offer uninterrupted más...
News in brief: Sheraton, 2016 outlook, Mövenpick
Sheraton slates Phuket resort: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed an agreement with Grand Bay Hotel Co. to build a 200-room resort in Phuket más...
People on the move
Centara Hotels & Resorts named Kamal Chaoui group director of operations – premium resorts responsible for Centara Grand Resorts, Austin Robinson más...
Outrigger ups capex as good buys become rare
Outrigger Enterprises Group, Honolulu, will be focusing on improving existing resorts as it finds it becoming increasingly harder to acquire reasonably más...
A moving performance: U.S. investment outlook
We are entering 2016 and a new investment landscape with the days of Wall Street paying premium pricing seemingly over. In this mature market, owners más...
Peninsula hotels and Manila GM give back in big way
Following the November 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, The Peninsula Hotels began a program to build Gawad Kalinga Village for those left más...
What’s Hot: Portland hotel unveils final phase of reno
Hotel Lucia, a Provenance Hotel in Portland, Oregon, has completed construction on the final phase of a US$5.5 million renovation by Portland's Staicoff más...
News in brief: AccorHotels, Carlson Rezidor, Mövenpick
AccorHotels rebrands Chinese Novotel: AccorHotels rebranded the Novotel Zhuhai in the Guangdong Province of China to its Pullman brand. The rebranding más...
Exclusive: Legacy lives on at Red Lion
Red Lion Hotels Corp. (RLHC) is using its size to its advantage. No, it is not among the giants with enormous marketing muscle and properties found far más...
Packer resigns from Crown Resorts board
Australian billionaire James Packer resigned from the board of Crown Resorts, a move that may presage an attempt to take the struggling casino operator más...
Sunstone sells leasehold on DoubleTree in Times Square
California-based REIT Sunstone Hotel Investors has sold its leasehold interest in a 468-room DoubleTree Guest Suites Times Square for US$540 million (US$1 más...
Asheville hotel offers gingerbread beer
The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, partnered with Oskar Blues Brewery to create Ol' Snap - Gingerbread Old Chub beer. The winter-inspired más...
Hot Openings: Art-focused hotel debuts in Brooklyn
Earlier this month, Real Hospitality Group opened Bklyn House in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The boutique hotel’s design was inspired by the neighborhood’s más...
News in brief: Lotte, Marriott, AccorHotels
Lotte aims for IPO: Lotte Group’s hotel unit applied for its initial public offering on the Korean Exchange, one of the reforms pledged by the retail más...
Soccer star Ronaldo, Pestana kick off partnership
Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and Portuguese hotel operator Grupo Pestana SGPS SA plan to invest 75 million euros (US$81 million) in four boutique hotels más...
Carlyle in exclusive talks to sell B&B hotels
Global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group and Montefiore Investment this week announced that they have entered into exclusive negotiations to más...
Concierge frames his Sofitel colleagues – in gold
All successful hoteliers must have an eye for detail, but Myles Bennell also has an eye for a well-composed portrait. Bennell, an assistant concierge más...
What's Hot: Aria unveils new suites, lounge
In November, Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas introduced its new Tower Suites and Lounge. “We created Aria Tower Suites to offer another opportunity más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The IHG Owners Association appointed Donald Berg CEO. Most recently, Berg was co-founder and managing más...
News in brief: Aria, Linchris, Tetrarch
Aria announces expansion: Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas will complete a US$154 million project that will add 200,000 square feet (60,960 square más...
Hilton seeks spinoff of some real estate into REIT
Hilton Worldwide is pursuing a plan to spin off many of its owned hotels into a REIT, which typically pay fewer corporate taxes and trade at higher multiples más...
Morgans shareholder aiming for takeover?
A shareholder of Morgans Hotel Group Co. appears to be preparing a proxy fight to take over the company after two failed deals. Rambleside Holdings, which más...
Montage name now coming to iconic Palmetto Bluffs
Although Montage Hotels & Resorts acquired The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in December 2013, the celebrated South Carolina resort will officially become más...
Star Wars fans can go sci fi with hotel stays
Just in time for the release of the latest Star Wars blockbuster, “The Force Awakens,” fans of the movie franchise don’t have to fantasize más...
Hot Openings: St. Regis debuts in Dubai
Earlier this month, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts entered Dubai with the opening of The St. Regis Dubai. Owned by Al Habtoor Group, the hotel is located más...
News in brief: Commune, NAMA, Choice, Paris
Commune grows JdV again. Commune Hotels & Resorts on Thursday announced it has won management of Park 968 Hotel in South Lake Tahoe and Monterey Tides más...
HOTELS Interview: Meliá's maven on Spain's potential
Although it is a global hotel chain with 274 hotels in 40 countries, Palma de Mallorca-headquartered Meliá Hotels International is heavily rooted más...
French railway cancels Airbnb partnership after backlash
France’s state railway cancelled a partnership with Airbnb on Tuesday after complaints by the country’s hotel industry, which has been hit más...
Reports suggest Packer trying to take Crown private
James Packer, the majority owner of Australia's Crown Resorts, is in talks with private financiers about a possible buyout that would take the casino más...
German fund reaches US via Godfrey acquisition
A lot of foreign capital from Asia and the Middle East has been entering the United States hotel real estate arena, but not so much has been coming in más...
Hot Openings: Vietnam welcomes art-focused hotel
Just in time for the holiday season, Apricot Hotel is welcoming its first guests in Hanoi, Vietnam. Despite just opening on December 14, the site of the más...
News in brief: Dalata, Hampton, Equinox
Dalata to acquire Tara Towers: Dalata Hotel Group plc announced an agreement to purchase the Tara Towers Hotel in Dublin for €13.155 million (US$14 más...
Gostelow Report: Paris GM soothes souls with art
“I have my hands free to do what I want when it comes to art,” says Gérald Van Reck, general manager of Buddha-Bar Hotel Paris. Sadly más...
Aron’s job is done; Starwood names new CEO
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Tuesday announced that Thomas Mangas, currently executive vice president and chief financial officer, has been más...
TripAdvisor releases travel trends for 2016
TripAdvisor Tuesday announced the results of its TripBarometer study, highlighting key travel trends for 2016. Conducted on behalf of TripAdvisor by Ipsos más...
Boutiques listing rooms on Airbnb
Fast Company reports that managers at several boutique hotels are using Airbnb in a similar way that they use booking services like Expedia and Priceline más...
Cauliflower, cocktails on Kimpton’s 2016 trend list
Meatloaf is ready for its close-up: The American comfort food makes Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ second annual Culinary and Cocktails trend más...
What’s Hot: Bahamian resort raises bar for ‘ultra luxury’
The iconic One&Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island in The Bahamas has unveiled a multi-million dollar, five-month renovation. The project included más...
News in brief: Sydney, complaints, IHG
Sydney hotels best since ’95: Sydney hotels reported their best November in 20 years. Occupancy rates rose to 91% and room rates are up almost 8% más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Kingdom's confidence in Accor
When the Accor-FRHI Holdings deal closes next year, the makeup of Accor’s ownership will take on an interesting new dynamic with sellers the Qatar más...
Hilton portfolio in Europe reportedly ready to trade
Oman’s sovereign wealth fund is reportedly poised to acquire an eight-hotel European portfolio from U.S. edge fund Baupost Group and Westmont Capital más...
Montreal hotel releases pre-opening videos
With a series of “Revelations” videos, the Renaissance Montreal has introduced its staff, designers and tastemakers prior to its opening más...
Hot Openings: Paying homage to a Miami icon
Built in 1958 as The Carillon Hotel by the "Father of Miami Modern Architecture" Norman Giller, the Carillon Miami Beach has aimed to revive the iconic más...
News in brief: Carlson Rezidor, Expedia, Barcelo
Carlson Rezidor signs seven hotels: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group signed a portfolio agreement with Mushtaq Group of Hotels to open seven hotels comprising más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Classic Hotels to open second Carmel location
As it looks to grow its portfolio primarily along the West Coast, Classic Hotels & Resorts is renovating its latest acquisition in the coastal California más...
Hilton Worldwide creates suites category, names brand leaders
Hilton Worldwide announced on Friday that it is creating an “All Suites” brand category – including Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites más...
Starwood releases sustainable seafood guides, posters
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has published materials to help associates select seafood that protects their local communities and the environment más...
Hot Openings: Le Méridien adds second hotel in Bhutan
Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts in October opened Le Méridien Paro, Riverfront, the brand’s second hotel in the Kingdom of Bhutan más...
People on the move
Fernando Arata was appointed director of polo and the Equestrian Center Dude Ranch at Casa de Campo Resort and Villas in the Dominican Republic más...
News in brief: Strategic, Preferred, Airbnb
Strategic to approve Blackstone buyout: Strategic Hotels & Resorts’ shareholders have approved its acquisition by the affiliate of The Blackstone más...
Gostelow Report: Growing up with Peninsula
Sonja Vodusek fell in love with the Peninsula brand for its ethics and values. Will she leave a bit of that emotion behind when she leaves The Peninsula más...
The Disruptors: Breeding innovation
We’ve all heard how much Expedia spends on marketing (nearly US$3 billion last year), but I recently heard the OTA giant cite another impressive más...
Hong Kong hotel serves ‘Burnt’ dishes
In collaboration with Sundream Motion Pictures, The Langham, Hong Kong is exclusively serving two signature dishes featured in the film “Burnt,” más...
Hot Openings: Como debuts in Australia
Como Hotels & Resorts has opened its first Australian property, Como The Treasury in Perth. The hotel was designed by Singapore-based Kerry Hill Architects más...
News in brief: Oxford, Cuba, Virgin
Oxford invests in Chicago’s Michigan Avenue: A joint venture of Oxford Capital Group LLC and Quadrum Global announced the acquisition of más...
Next big deal: Accor acquiring FRHI for $2.9 billion
The rumors were true: AccorHotels said on Wednesday it has reached a deal to buy FRHI Holdings Ltd., operators of the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotel más...
Frasers Hospitality buys four British boutiques
Frasers Hospitality has purchased four properties in Britain for £36.1 million (US$76.3 million) from Swire Properties Hotels Holdings, the Straits más...
Hampshire Hotels, partner in $2.5 billion Asian play
Sant Chatwal’s Hampshire Hotels Management and a partner, Castlewood Group, are planning 20 new luxury hotels in Asia over the next 10 years as más...
Wyndham settles FTC charges on data breaches
Wyndham Worldwide agreed to settle US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that the company’s security practices unfairly exposed the payment más...
Small Luxury Hotels updates brand, reward programs
Small Luxury Hotels of the World is repositioning itself as a brand for independent-minded people who appreciate the company’s “consistently más...
Langham creates sustainable Christmas trees
For the 2015 holiday season, Carmen Ng, corporate director of sustainability at Langham Hospitality Group, asked all Langham hotels around the world to más...
Hot Openings: Courtyard Marriott goes Art Deco
Studio HBA, a division of Hirsch Bedner Associates, recently completed a US$38 million renovation that transformed the historically registered 1929 Vantaggio más...
News in brief: Dream Hotels, Hilton, Mövenpick
Dream Hotels to debut in Hollywood: Dream Hotels will open Dream Hollywood, the brand’s West Coast flagship, in the second quarter of 2016. Hollywood más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Provenance fund aims to fill void
When IHG acquired Kimpton hotels, the leadership at Provenance Hotels, Portland, Oregon, recognized what it considered a void – a hand-crafted hotel más...
Hotels revamp family programming
With multigenerational family travel on the rise, hotels are responding by catering to the new ways that modern families travel. Marriott International más...
NYC hotel launches holiday sweepstakes
In partnership with Flight 001 and JetBlue, Yotel New York has unveiled its “12 Days of Travel Surprises” sweepstakes. During the month of más...
Hot Openings: Sixty Hotels debuts in Miami
Located in Miami’s Art Deco District, Nautilus, a Sixty Hotel, has debuted on the famed oceanfront. Originally designed as the Nautilus hotel in más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Trump, AccorHotels
Airbnb confirms US$1.5 billion in funding: Airbnb disclosed in an SEC filing that it received US$1.5 billion in new funding. That gives the on-demand más...
Pandox acquires 18 hotels in $435 million deal
Pandox AB has acquired 18 hotel properties in Germany in a US$435 million deal from Fattal Hotels of Israel and the Leopard Group of the UK. The Stockholm más...
Homeinns to merge with BTG Hotels
Chinese economy chain Homeinns Hotel Group has signed a merger agreement with BTG Hotels Group Holdings Co. BTG, a subsidiary of the Chinese hotel and más...
Louvre acquires sizable portfolio in Germany
Louvre Hotels Group announced Monday that it has acquired 25 hotels (1,816 rooms) in 11 German cities from the Nordic Hotels AG portfolio. The move doubles más...
Renaissance launches ‘Play to Stay’ for emerging artists
Renaissance Hotels and Bandsintown created the “Play to Stay” contest, offering emerging artists a free stay at Renaissance properties in más...
Hot openings: Shangri-La grows in India
Opening its doors this past September, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru, has added 397 upscale rooms to India’s hotel market. Situated between the Bengaluru’s más...
News in brief: Marriott, Sandals, Wyndham
Marriott’s CFO to retire, replacement named: Carl Berquist, Marriott International’s executive vice president and chief financial officer más...
Investment Outlook 2016: 10 Trends (Part 2)
The classic herd mentality of hotel M&A and development is passé. Too many investors have too many different criteria and risk profiles. As más...
More meetings combining leisure with business: Survey
Recreational options for meeting attendees are becoming more important for planners for the first time in years, according to the new “State of más...
Fairmont uses its talent to create new cocktail program
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is launching a global cocktail menu, Classics. Perfected., created by some of Fairmont’s best mixologists who collaborated más...
What’s Hot: Urban retreat in Zurich unveils reno
The renovated Atlantis by Giardino re-opened at the beginning of this month, boasting renovated guestrooms, restaurants, a spa and other public areas más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro named Silvio Araujo area director of sales and marketing – Brazil, más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Barrière, Starwood
Airbnb shares UK data: More than 3 million people in the UK used Airbnb accommodation for their travels in 2015, according to the company’s website más...
Investment Outlook 2016: 10 Trends (Part 1)
Hotel guests want to have everything their own way. Why shouldn’t hotel investors? Personalization, customization and curation are take-it-for-granted más...
Puerto Rico dodges default, for now
Puerto Rico made a crucial debt payment on Tuesday but warned that its deteriorating finances could trigger future defaults, as the governor granted the más...
Zecha busy curating private club in Miami
If you were wondering what Amanresorts Founder Adrian Zecha has been doing since ceding control of Aman to a new ownership group led by Vladislav Dornonin más...
Guests can go gluten-free at Scandic next year
Scandic is introducing additions to its breakfast buffet to appeal to vegans and people with food allergies. The new options, which were tested at three más...
Seattle hotel combines Star Wars and holiday cheer
The Sheraton Seattle Hotel unveiled its 23rd annual Gingerbread Village last week, with this year’s theme of “May the Holidays be with You más...
Hot Openings: Five-star luxury debuts on Na Jomtien Beach
Set to debut on December 15, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts will open a resort next to the Ocean Marina Yacht Club on Na Jomtien Beach in Pattaya más...
News in brief: Crestline, IHG, InSite
Crestline grows to 100 hotels: Crestline Hotels & Resorts will manage the Courtyard Columbus Downtown in Ohio and the Hyatt House Atlanta/Cobb Galleria más...
Where is the peak in North America?
Burba Hotel Network (BHN) recently connected with hotel investment leaders from across the Americas to gauge their investment sentiments as the New Year más...
Scandic starts trading on NASDAQ Stockholm
Scandic Hotels Group AB (SHOT) started trading its shares Wednesday on Nasdaq Stockholm market after setting its IPO at 67 crowns (US$7.70) per share más...
IHG launches safety, security, group initiatives
To build more trust and loyalty with business travelers, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) on Wednesday announced the global launch of two initiatives más...
Social media has little impact on bookings: Study
Social media activity has negligible impact on hotel bookings, according to research from Eviivo, an online booking app for small hotels and B&Bs más...
Hot Openings: Small boutique brings big luxury to South Africa
Leeu House opened its doors yesterday in South Africa, providing a five-star, 12-bedroom oasis in the picturesque Franschhoek Valley. Designed by Beverley más...
Viceroy Santa Monica partners with boutique candy maker
Viceroy Santa Monica has partnered with boutique candy company Sugarfina to bring "Winter Wonderland" inspired holiday cheer to the hotel's library. Viceroy más...
News in brief: Omni, Fairmont, Choice, Crestline
Omni expands. Omni Hotels & Resorts on Wednesday announced that it has acquired from CNL Lifestyle Properties, The Omni Mount Washington Resort, which más...
Starwood makes Design Hotels its 11th brand
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Tuesday announced an expanded partnership with Design Hotels AG, which consumers will see as an 11th Starwood más...
AccorHotels continues buying binge in Europe
Accor SA said Tuesday it had acquired 29 hotels (3,677 rooms) across Europe for €284 million (US$300 million), including 19 hotels from AXA Investment más...
The Disruptors: Death of the 'Billboard Effect'
A study by the University of Maryland Smith School of Business Center for Service Excellence and sponsored by the AHLA Consumer Innovation Forum, outlines más...
What’s Hot: ‘Total rebuild’ in Botswana
In November, Belmond Eagle Island Lodge in Botswana reopened to guests following a “total rebuild.” Reflecting the region’s natural más...
News in brief: Canopy by Hilton, IHG, Starwood, Dusit
New-build Canopy. Hilton Worldwide and Beatty Development Group on Tuesday announced plans to develop the 156-room Canopy Baltimore | Harbor Point. Beatty más...
noviembre 2015
Gostelow Report: Re-opening The Lanesborough with a smile
“I know I can be stubborn, but I am determined to go for quality – and the details,” says Geoffrey Gelardi, long-time managing director más...
Ettedgui stepping down at Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental International Ltd. on Monday announced that Edouard Ettedgui is stepping down as group chief executive on March 31, 2016, and being más...
HTL creates Paris pop-up in Stockholm
Sandic’s HTL Kungsgatan created a pop-up event November 14-15 with collaborator POPupSTHLM, offering the restaurant concept HERO, a playful food más...
Hot Openings: Baccarat brings taste of Paris to NYC
Earlier this year, Chevalier opened on the ground floor of the Baccaret Hotel in New York City. Completed by Shawmut Design and Construction, the new más...
IHG partners with Uber via apps
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Uber on Monday announced a collaboration where anyone who is traveling within the U.S. and signs up as a new Uber más...
News in brief: IHG, Meliá, Wyndham
Chinese bidders eye IHG: Chinese bidders are reportedly considering the purchase of IHG. Sources believe that IHG has been left “vulnerable” más...
Gaw Capital's group wants to be go-to developer
High-profile, Hong Kong-based Gaw Capital plans to escalate growth of its hospitality affiliate GCP Hospitality (GCPH), hoping to reach 12,000 rooms and más...
ADIA acquires another hotel in New York City
Blackstone Group has sold the 563-room London Hotel in New York City to Midtown to Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) for US$382 million (US$678,000 más...
Baird analyst Loeb on evolving sentiments at NAREIT
In his recap of the mid-November NAREIT conference, R.W. Baird analyst David Loeb suggested there was much uncertainty among the hotel REIT leadership más...
What's Hot: Macao hotel unveils lavish suites
Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central has unveiled 80 new suites on the top floors of the hotel. With the additions, there are now more than 350 suites más...
Per Aquum launches series of immersive experiences
In January 2016, Per Aquum Hotels & Resorts will launch Pulse, a stream of immersive avant-garde experiences from by creative icons and emerging artists más...
NYC hotel partners with Jean-Georges, Ladurée, Bergdorf
The Mark Hotel in New York City has partnered with Chef Jean-Georges, Ladurée and Bergdorf Goodman for a variety of festive offerings this holiday más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Fairmont Chateau Whistler appointed Isabel Chung executive chef. Most recently, Chung was executive más...
Starwood Associate Relief Fund nears decade of giving
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the southern region of the United States and left behind severe destruction and unforgettable heartache. As más...
Moderate rate increases for business travelers: Amex
American Express Global Business Travel this week released its 12th annual Business Travel Forecast, revealing moderate price increases are expected for más...
Sensory-filled pop-ups sell out at Four Seasons
Proof that the pop-up dining craze can be very effective comes from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts’ recent Four Seasons Undercover initiative with más...
Hot Openings: Boutique meets B&B in South Beach
Earlier this year, Menin Hospitality introduced the rebranded Kaskades South Beach in Miami. Formerly an extension of the iconic Gale South Beach, the más...
Hong Kong hotel exhibits Irish street art
J Plus Hotel by YOO in Hong Kong last week unveiled its latest collaboration with Irish urban-contemporary artist Fin DAC. “The Nadeshiko” más...
HOTELS Interview: Rahinksy discusses full-service division
Earlier this year, Atlanta-based Hotel Equities announced the formation of its Full Service & Resorts Division. At the time of its launch in October más...
Fabled Fairmont San Francisco has new owner
The companies that own renowned 592-room Fairmont San Francisco Hotel atop Nob Hill on Thursday sold the 108-year-old asset for US$450 million (US$760 más...
Another hotel attack: El Arish, Egypt
Islamic State militants on Tuesday attacked the Swiss Inn Resort in El Arish in the northern Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, killing at least seven people, más...
Ashford Prime acquires high-profile Caribbean asset
Ashford Hospitality Prime on Tuesday announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the 180-room Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas for US$64 million más...
Neumann vows to soon reopen Radisson Blu in Mali
Rezidor Hotel Group President and CEO has met with families of three hotel employees killed during last week’s attack on the Radisson Blu in Bamako más...
Dual-branded hotels coming to Heathrow Terminal 4
The Arora Group, Whitebridge Hospitality, an LJ Group company, and IHG have signed an exclusive agreement with Heathrow Airport Limited, to develop two más...
What’s Hot: Sri Lanka’s grande dame completes reno
More than 150 years after its debut on the shores of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka’s grande dame, the Galle Face Hotel, has emerged from a 30-month más...
News in brief: Hilton, Omni, KSL, Brussels
Hilton reports breach: Hilton Worldwide said it suffered a security breach related to customer credit and debit card payments at its hotels. Although más...
Gostelow Report: Smart career call by Six Senses GM
Even 18 months after leaving Four Seasons, Nick Yarnell, GM of Six Senses Douro Valley, Portugal, continually finds himself benchmarking with his former más...
After delays, Scandic ready for its IPO
About a year after first announcing its intentions to launch an IPO for Swedish hotel chain Scandic, EQT Partners and Accent Equity are poised to float más...
Two firsts for Rosewood coming to Laos
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has been appointed by Waterfall Management Sole Co. to manage Rosewood Luang Prabang in Laos, scheduled to open 2017. Located más...
Holiday Inn Express unveils breakfast emoji keyboard
IHG has launched the “BREAKFA-moji” keyboard for its Holiday Inn Express brand. Available to download for free at the iTunes App Store and más...
Hot Openings: Even Hotels debuts in NYC
Earlier this month, IHG opened the doors of its first Even Hotels property in New York City. Designed by Glen & Co. in collaboration with IHG and más...
News in brief: Dusit, Hilton, Marriott
Dusit signs in Jiangyin City: Dusit Fudu Hotels and Resorts, the Shanghai-based hospitality management arm of Dusit International, signed a second management más...
HOTELS Interview: In the director’s den
He turned the expansive library at Trisara Phuket into a "Director’s Den" (D-Den), a studio lounge equipped with the latest equipment and manned más...
GBTA: US business travel remains resilient post-Paris attacks
Nearly three-quarters of US business travel buyers say their company’s travel to Europe will remain “largely unaffected” by the recent más...
NYC hotel launches artisanal fireplace program
In partnership with wood sommelier Ted Whitehead (also known as “The Woodman”), Royalton New York has introduced a guestroom artisanal fireplace más...
What’s Hot: Peaceful luxury in the heart of Hong Kong
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, recently debuted its redesigned guestrooms and suites. Aimed to provide a peaceful and comfortable residential más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Google, Airbnb
Wyndham in discussions to acquire Sarovar: DNA India is reporting Monday that Wyndham Hotel Group is in discussions to acquire Sarovar Hotels & Resorts más...
In wake of Mali attack: Protecting your hotel
Hotels continue to be soft targets of extremists and terrorists, especially in politically instable markets. The latest attack came Friday when gunmen más...
Hostels to grow in Europe as sharing economy takes hold: HVS
The global growth of the budget and hostel sectors, including the fast-emerging commercialized private rental market such as Airbnb, is set to continue más...
Marriott launches marketing, brand newsroom in Hong Kong
Marriott International today opened its real-time marketing and brand newsroom “command center” in Hong Kong. M Live Asia Pacific will track más...
Hot Openings: SoSPA to debut in North America
This January, SoSPA by Sofitel will celebrate its grand opening at the Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. Featured at more than 28 Sofitel hotels around más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego appointed Matt Adams area vice president and general manager. Most más...
News in brief: IHG, Marriott, Starwood
IHG expands in Sydney: IHG signed a management agreement with Ausbao Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of BCDH Group, for a new Crowne Plaza hotel in Sydney’s más...
Commune focuses on tightening up Joie de Vivre
Commune Hotels & Resorts is busy tightening up the narrative for its historically wide-ranging, 28-hotel Joie de Vivre portfolio because the company’s más...
J.D. Power's unique take on Starwood-Marriott deal
Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood offers a number of interesting possibilities, particularly since there is quite a bit of overlap among their más...
What Facebook’s announcement around 360° means for hotels
Whenever Facebook goes in a new direction, ripples spread through any number of areas, including the hotel industry. The social media giant recently announced más...
Archipelago provides Muslim-friendly travel services
Archipelago International has partnered with Salam Standard to better serve the needs of Muslim tourists. The Salam Standard lists hotels in gold, silver más...
What’s Hot: Historic hotel celebrates revival in Texas
Originally built in 1909 in San Antonio, The St. Anthony debuted its extensive restoration this week. Together with its owner partner BC Lynd, Starwood más...
News in brief: Gaw Capital, Starwood, Marriott
Gaw Capital buys Singapore’s Big Hotel: Gaw Capital Partners purchased the Big Hotel at Middle Road in Singapore for S$203 million (US$143.65 million) más...
Gostelow Report: Mandarin GM can ‘Hang Ten’
Mandarin Oriental, New York is a community, a surrogate home for its team, says General Manager Susanne Hatje. “Manhattan is such a frenzy and the más...
Marriott-Starwood: Key comments from the conference call
Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts hosted a conference call on Monday after they announced the news that Marriott was acquiring más...
Soros to invest in Fen Hotels’ expansion
The Wall Street Journal reports that billionaire George Soros, founder of Soros Fund Management, will spend up to US$300 million on Fen Hotels’ más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Indigo adds flagship in NYC
This month, IHG opened its third Hotel Indigo-branded hotel in New York City. The 293-room flagship Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York is a joint venture más...
Swedish hotels ban bacon, sausage
Nordic Choice Hotel Group has taken sausage and bacon off the breakfast menu at its Comfort-branded hotels in Sweden. Reportedly swayed by his “environmental más...
News in brief: London development, Starwood, Diamond Resorts
London sees development growth: The number of hotel rooms in London is expected to grow by 12% over the next three years, with the increase being driven más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Arne Sorenson talks about the big deal
On Monday when Marriott International shocked the hotel world by announcing its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, HOTELS had a chance to speak más...
Jumeirah launches immersive digital platform with Google
Developed in collaboration with Google, Jumeirah Group has launched Jumeirah Inside, a virtual platform that enables users to make hotel bookings and más...
Cachet Hotels makes its way from Hong Kong to Cabo
Hong Kong-based Cachet Hotel Group (CHG) on Tuesday announced the debut of its first resort development, Cachet Corazon, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, which más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons debuts in South Korea
In October, Four Seasons opened its doors for the first time in South Korea. The new building was designed by Heerim Architects & Planners and LTW más...
Deloitte’s vision on challenges in the hotel business
Over the last two decades Online Travel Agents (OTAs) have transformed the hospitality industry. With Google recently becoming an OTA this transformation más...
NYC hotel sweetens the holiday season with chocolate
Loews Regency New York Hotel has partnered with La Maison du Chocolat for the holiday season. Starting on December 1, the hotel will offer a variety of más...
News in brief: Marriott, IHG, Hilton
Marriott’s Mobile Requests expands: Marriott International is expanding Mobile Requests to five additional brands: JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts más...
Blockbuster deal: Marriott acquires Starwood
When the deal closes in mid-2016, the new Marriott International will have 1.1 million rooms, 5,500 hotels and 30 brands – yes 30 brands – más...
Paris occupancy drops dramatically in one day
In the aftermath of the tragic terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, the occupancy rate in Paris dropped dramatically in one day, according to data más...
Starwood creates closer tie to Design Hotels
Lost in Monday’s big news about Marriott International’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts was an announcement made by Starwood más...
Rotana signs multi-hotel deal in Oman
Rotana Group signed a strategic agreement with Taameer Investment and Golden Group of Companies to build and manage five properties in Oman over the next más...
NYC to 'crack down' on illegal hotels
New York Daily News reports that New York City will spend US$10 million over the next three years in an attempt to shut down its illegal hotel market más...
Hot Openings: Jaz in the City makes its debut
Jaz Amsterdam opened earlier this fall as the first hotel operated under Steigenberger Hotel Group’s new Jaz in the City brand. Offering 247 guestrooms más...
News in brief: Noble House, Shangri-La, Red Lion
Noble House discovers payment card incident: Through an investigation with the FBI and a computer security firm, Noble House learned that malware may más...
Margaritaville: No wasting away here
Margaritaville is a destination, said John Cohlan, which makes it more than a famous Jimmy Buffett song. In fact, it is a growing hotel business and a más...
Airbnb adds features to build more business
Airbnb continued to take aim at the hotel industry and battle growing competition in the shared economy space this week by announcing at its Airbnb Open más...
Hotel app usage comes only when brand loyalty secured: study
Smartphones have emerged as the platform of choice for consumer hotel bookings. But to what extent are the apps that many hotel and travel brands are más...
Hot Openings: Part-hostel, part-hotel comes to Portland
Housed in a building originally built in 1881 as a lodging house for sailors, The Society Hotel in Portland, Oregon, was carefully designed to preserve más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Elida Arias was named director of catering and events at The Villa, Casa Casuarina in Miami Beach. Stanton más...
News in brief: Minor, Choice, Starwood
Minor expands in Australia: Minor Hotel Group will develop the first Avani hotel in Queensland, Australia. Avani Broadbeach Residences is scheduled to más...
HOTELS honors Hotelier of the World award winners
On Monday night in New York City at the Lotte New York Palace, HOTELS formally presented its 2015 Hotelier of the World awards to Richard Solomons, CEO más...
Japanese company launches APA brand in the US
Japan hospitality giant APA Group on Thursday announced a new partnership with Edison, New Jersey-based real estate developer Friendwell Group of Companies más...
Mr. T stars in Fairfield video series
Marriott International’s Fairfield Inn & Suites launched a new digital campaign with Lawrence Tureaud, also known as Mr. T. The video features más...
Sharm El-Sheikh hotel occupancies take huge dip
Hotels and resorts in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh have seen occupancy rates drop by 80% since the alleged bomb attack on a Russian passenger plane after más...
What’s Hot: NYC hotel unveils 'living room' reno
Last month, W New York – Times Square unveiled the US$10 million renovation of its iconic “living room.” The “see-and-be-seen” más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Fibra, Icahn
New Andaz resort. Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Thursday announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into an agreement with PV Scottsdale Hotel Owner SPE LLC más...
Singapore hoteliers turn to mentoring to slow labor crisis
Hoteliers in Singapore are making an unprecedented move in developing local talent – they are going out in force to mentor them. An Industry Mentorship más...
Mandarin Oriental hotel, residence coming to Boca
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced Wednesday that it will manage a new luxury hotel and branded residences currently under development by Penn-Florida más...
Weaker ADR growth causes PwC to adjust forecast
An updated lodging forecast by PwC US expects RevPAR growth in 2015 to be driven more by occupancy than previously expected, as average daily rate growth más...
St. Regis launches, markets bespoke scent
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts has unveiled Caroline’s Four Hundred, the brand’s first-ever bespoke scent inspired by Caroline Astor, the más...
What’s Hot: St. Lucia resort debuts holistic spa, fitness center
Earlier this year, Windjammer Landing in St. Lucia, West Indies, debuted a 6,000 square-foot (1,828.8 square-meter) spa and fitness center featuring a más...
News in brief: Steigenberger, Apple Leisure, Airbnb
New owner at Steigenberger Alpenhotel: Following the sale of the building of the Steigenberger Alpenhotel and Spa in Gstaad-Saanen, Switzerland, the Steigenberger más...
Gostelow Report: Far from Fawlty Towers in Jakarta
A popular television program spurred Carlos Monterde to know he could do anything. Now the opening general manager of the Fairmont Jakarta, years ago más...
Are virtual reality concierges coming?
In the next several years, virtual reality (VR) is expected to see massive adoption. According to Digi-Capital, VR is predicted to grow into a US$30 billion más...
HTL pop-up bring fun Paris F&B concept to Stockholm
Scandic’s HTL Kungsgatan will, together with POPupSTHLM, during 24 hours on November 14-15 offer a pop-up version of the restaurant concept Hero más...
Rosewood Mayakoba introduces new restaurant
Rosewood Mayakoba on Mexico’s Riviera Maya has launched a new restaurant concept, La Fondita, conceptualized by the resort’s Executive Chef más...
The Disruptors: Hotel sales incentive plans
A recent HSMAI Foundation survey of hotel directors of sales and sales managers indicated a negative net promoter score of -26% when asked if they would más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peak at restored Puglia masseria
Scheduled to open in March 2016, Masseria Le Carrube will mark San Domenico Hotels’ fifth property in Puglia, Italy. The restored masseria (farmhouse) más...
Solomon, Bruland win HOTELS Hotelier of the World awards
In a media-driven world where flamboyance and extravagance often make the headlines – even in the hotel world – it is more often the steady más...
Starwood makes big move in Vegas at SLS
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Monday announced its single largest addition of hotel rooms in North America since pre-recession with the signing más...
Four-hotel development announced in Ireland
Developer Johnny Ronan has announced plans to build four new hotels with an estimated investment of €250 million (US$268 million), including a 70-bed más...
Marriott signs agreement with Alitrip
Marriott International signed agreement with Alitrip to bring more travel options to Chinese consumers. Marriott’s room inventory will be made available más...
Overvalued London still woos investors: Deloitte
For the second year in succession, London has been voted the most attractive hotel investment destination in Europe, according to a survey of senior hospitality más...
Mixed-use construction projects can't be drafted in a vacuum
Construction contracts and related documentation for large projects are by their nature complex and require significant attention to detail on the part más...
Hot Openings: AccorHotels debuts dual-brand in New Delhi
Earlier this month, AccorHotels has opened a combined Pullman and Novotel New Delhi Aerocity project, adding 670 international-standard rooms in India’s más...
News in brief: Kempinski, Montage, IHG
Wittwer update. Kempinski Hotels, which is pressing criminal charges against its former president and chief executive Reto Wittwer, confirmed on Sunday más...
Makarechian believes now he can take the road less traveled
Paul Makarechian says technology is one very important element of his business plan that gives his Makar Properties an opening to develop an independent más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best property reputation management
Hotel del Coronado, San Diego, won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Reputation Management, Property. For the fourth straight year, más...
Ambitious buffet debuts at Grand Hyatt Taipei
With nearly three-dozen chefs at the helm in multiple show kitchens serving 168 global culinary options, the newly refocused Café at the Grand más...
What’s Hot: Provincial Chinese cuisine comes to Waldorf Astoria
Opening earlier this week at the Waldorf Astoria New York, La Chine aims to be one of Manhattan’s finest Chinese restaurants offering an authentic más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: TravelClick appointed Barrett Boston president, Americas, Rebecca Bursky senior vice president of human más...
News in brief: Marriott, MGM Resorts, Airbnb
Marriott launches Delta in U.S.: Marriott International announced Delta Orlando Lake Buena Vista in Florida will be the first Delta Hotels and Resorts-branded más...
How mobile, streaming media changing in-room entertainment
The ever-accelerating rise of guests arriving at hotels with multiple mobile and smart devices is causing a quantum shift in the world of guestroom entertainment más...
Morgans, SBE merger talks end without deal
The Wall Street Journal reports that merger discussions between Morgans Hotel Group Co. and SBE Entertainment Group have ended following several months más...
Expedia grows its stable with HomeAway deal
Expedia Inc. continued its buying spree on Wednesday agreeing to acquire vacation rental site HomeAway for US$3.9 billion and give it an opportunity to más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand reputation management
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Reputation Management, Brand. For the fourth straight más...
What’s Hot: Napa Valley spa provides personalized treatments
Currently undergoing an extensive US$60 million renovation, California’s Meadowood Napa Valley opened its new spa earlier this week. The new spa más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Lotte, Airbnb
Wyndham expands in South Korea: Wyndham Hotel Group signed a franchise agreement for a 186-room Ramada hotel on the island of Geoje in South Korea. Ramada más...
Gostelow Report: Perfectly suited Amsterdam hotelier
Experience includes appreciating the effect of a glass of Ruinart Champagne not only on arrival but on departure, says Tom Krooswijk, managing director más...
Big win for Airbnb in San Francisco balloting
With the hotel industry mostly sitting on the sidelines in this battle, Airbnb scored a big victory on Tuesday as San Francisco residents voted against más...
Union already moving on new US joint employer rule
Southern California labor union Unite Here Local 11 wasted no time taking advantage of the new joint employer rule, which states companies can be held más...
Hilton responds to FCC investigation
HOTELS reported yesterday that the U.S. Federal Commerce Commission (FCC) was looking into whether Hilton Worldwide blocked the lawful use of Wi-Fi hotspots más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best property use of digital video
One&Only Palmilla won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Use of Digital Video, Property. For the fourth straight year, HOTELS is más...
What’s Hot: Mexican oasis reimagined after room reno
Recently debuting its top-to-bottom renovation, the split-level deluxe guestrooms at Viceroy Zihuatanejo in Mexico aim to provide jaw-dropping ambiance más...
News in brief: Omni, Kempinski, Hilton
Omni previews Frisco design: Omni Hotels & Resort and the Dallas Cowboys previewed new details of Omni Frisco Hotel set to open in summer 2017. In más...
Kempinski files criminal complaint against former CEO
Kempinski Hotels on Tuesday announced it has filed criminal complaints of alleged professional misconduct and fraud against Reto Wittwer, the group’s más...
Now Hilton in trouble with FCC over Wi-Fi issues
The U.S. Federal Commerce Commission is apparently looking into whether Hilton Worldwide may have blocked the lawful use of Wi-Fi hotspots at one of its más...
New Driftwood affiliate to target local development
Driftwood Hospitality Management, Miami, on Tuesday announced the launch of a new affiliate, Driftwood Acquisitions and Development (DAD), after a successful más...
Hot Opening: Sneak peek at Ace Pittsburgh
The 63-room Ace Hotel Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, opens on December 10 as a five-story, century-old former YMCA in the heart of East Liberty. The in-house más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand use of digital video
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Use of Digital Video, Brand. InterContinental Hotels & más...
News in brief: Four Points, Hilton, Fibra, Hyatt
Four Points goes big in Makkah. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Tuesday announced an agreement with Sulaiman Abdulaziz Al Rajhi Real Estate más...
Packer’s stake in Nobu to propel expansion in Asia Pacific
Champagne glasses are clinking at Nobu Hospitality, which has added Australian billionaire James Packer to its star-studded cast of owners just when the más...
New York hoteliers turn up the heat on Airbnb
The Hotel Association of New York City is continuing its offensive against now-rival Airbnb with a new report suggesting in a recent 12-month period hotels más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best property use of visual networks
Both Grand Hyatt New York and Waldorf Astoria New York won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Use of Twitter, Property. For the fourth straight más...
London hotel debuts ‘Skinny Rebel’ workout
Conrad London St. James has introduced the “Skinny Rebel” workout, combining the use of altitude masks with high-intensity, total-body training más...
What’s Hot: Hollywood's new designer-inspired penthouse
The London West Hollywood Hotel in West Hollywood, California, debuted a new penthouse suite last month. Drawing inspiration from London’s history más...
News in brief: Red Lion, Pacifica, Hilton
Red Lion opens in Washington, D.C.: Red Lion Hotels Corp. opened Hotel RL Washington, D.C., at the former boutique hotel, The Quincy. Red Lion plans to más...
octubre 2015
Accor tipped as frontrunner for FRHI
Accor is reportedly the “preferred bidder” to acquire FRHI Hotels & Resorts for about US$3 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal más...
Host sells 8 European assets to JV
A joint venture between private equity real estate fund managers, UK-based Benson Elliot and U.S.-based Walton Street Capital, in partnership with Algonquin más...
Meliá partners in Thailand to develop three hotels
Meliá Hotels International on Thursday announced an agreement with Thailand’s TCC Land Asset World, a member of the TCC Group, to develop más...
Bubbly cocktails on Hong Kong's harbour
On November 3, the Lobby Lounge at the InterContinental Hong Kong will launch a new selection of colourful frothy, bubbly cocktails. The “Unbelievabubble más...
Hot Openings: A French icon is reborn
When France’s historic Hôtel Royal Evian closed its doors in late 2013, the goal was to return the centennial building to its original “luminous más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Mariza Ampaza was appointed group sales manager at The Robert Parker Collection. Angelina Andreoni was más...
News in brief: Expedia, Thomas Cook, Europe tourism
Expedia bookings increase: Expedia increased profit by nearly 8% in Q3 2015, earning US$283 million in the quarter. The value of bookings on Expedia sites más...
Gostelow Report: French rules at La Mamounia
Frenchman Pierre Jochem is, for the first time since leaving hotel school in 1981, holding morning meetings in French at La Mamounia in Marrakech. Typically más...
Starwood's Aron says strategic review almost complete
With rumors continuing to swirl around the fate of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Interim CEO Adam Aron on Wednesday said during the company’s Q3 más...
Hilton's Nassetta addresses the Airbnb phenomenon
While not dismissing its growing popularity, Hilton Worldwide CEO Christopher Nassetta does not consider Airbnb a threat to his company's business model más...
MGM to spin off 10 properties into a REIT
MGM Resorts International said Thursday it will form a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT), MGM Growth Properties LLC, that will include más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand use of visual networks
Both Conrad Hotels & Resorts and Four Seasons brands won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Use of Visual Networks, Brand. For the fourth más...
Hilton chefs infuse maple syrup in unlikely location
The Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel in Chicago, and Executive Chefs Stephen Henry and Mathew Wiltzius are unveiling a collection of barrel aged maple syrups más...
Hot Openings: Thai resort debuts floating cabins
X2 River Kwai in the Kanchanaburi of Thailand will introduce six floating guest cabins in November. As the first floating cabin in Asia, the XFloat Cabins más...
News in brief: Marriott, Host, Riu
Marriott reports Q3 results: Marriott International reported third quarter 2015 net income totaled US$210 million, a 9% increase over 2014 third quarter más...
Starwood rumors continue, sells timeshare business
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide remains atop the headlines and stock exchange advancers on Wednesday with rumors of a potential sale moving from más...
Cachet Hotel Group launching online lifestyle community
Cachet Hotel Group (CHG), Hong Kong on Wednesday announced the launch of Cachet World, a lifestyle community that features a search and booking engine más...
Shangri-La launches virtual reality experiences
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts rolled out Samsung Gear Virtual Reality (VR) headsets across all global sales offices and has produced immersive 360-degree más...
PwC: London hotels continue growth, but slower
London hoteliers saw record growth in 2014, but so far 2015 has not replicated the exceptional performance, according to a new PwC analysis. While demand más...
What’s Hot: Hollywood hotel unveils Mexican-inspired bar
Following a series of updates over the last year, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel recently opened its newest bar, The Garden. Located in a secluded oasis más...
News in brief: Hilton, Meliá, IHG
Hilton reports Q3 results: Hilton Worldwide reported system-wide comparable RevPAR increased 5.8% for the third quarter of 2015 on a currency neutral más...
Banyan Tree launches new brand on 21st anniversary
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts announced Tuesday, on its 21st anniversary, the launch of a new brand: Dhawa, named after the Dhawa tree (Anogeissus más...
Three Chinese companies want to bid for Starwood
At least three big Chinese companies are competing to win government approval to bid for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, The Wall Street Journal más...
Highgate, Goldman acquire European portfolio
Generating instant market penetration and a platform for growth in Europe, a joint venture between Highgate Hotels and investment bank Goldman Sachs has más...
Conrad launches customized, curated experience program
Conrad Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday announced the launch of Stay Inspired, a global, brand-wide initiative that marks a cultural shift in hospitality más...
Hot Openings: Best Western expands in Middle East
On the heels of its new branding last month, Best Western Hotels & Resorts has opened three new hotels in Saudi Arabia, with two properties in the más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Airbnb, Timbers Resorts
Wyndham reports Q3 results: Wyndham Worldwide Corp. reported revenues for the third quarter of 2015 increased 3% compared with the third quarter of 2014 más...
Authentic sip: Mixology lesson becoming big draw
Sipping a local beer or cup of freshly roasted coffee is the at-the-heart-of-it-all experience travelers crave; offering a local beverage option is a más...
Small Luxury Hotels names new CEO
Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), London, on Monday announced Filip Boyen as its new chief executive officer effective immediately. Boyen has a más...
Hot F&B trends, buzzwords for 2016
The two most noteworthy trends in for 2016 have nothing to do with food, according to Michael Whiteman, a New York-based consultant who has just released más...
Park Hyatt launches TasteMasters series
The New York Times and Park Hyatt have formed a new collaboration to bring together renowned chefs, designers and art curators. “The New York Times más...
What’s Hot: Las Vegas desert inspires steakhouse
Drawing inspiration from Nevada’s desert landscape, Wynn Las Vegas recently unveiled the revitalization of SW Steakhouse. The horizontal más...
News in brief: Hurricane Patricia, Archipelago, Mandarin Oriental
Puerto Vallarta back to normal: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is now fully operational with 100% of its hotel and restaurant facilities open after Hurricane más...
Sustainability upgrades no longer ‘nice to haves’
Hoteliers increasingly are investing in comprehensive sustainability initiatives that benefit both the planet and bottom line, taking new strategies for más...
Interval might buy Starwood's timeshare business
Timeshare operator Interval Leisure Group is in talks to buy Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's vacation ownership business, according to the Wall más...
Chinese luxury hotels equaling foreign rivals: PolyU
Domestic travelers in China are equally satisfied with foreign and domestic luxury hotel brands, according to a new report by Professor Cathy Hsu of the más...
NYC hotel launches emoji room service
Aloft Manhattan Downtown – Financial District in New York City on Wednesday launched the first-ever Text It. Get It. (TiGi) Emoji Room Service Menu más...
Hot Openings: W Hotels debuts in the Netherlands
W Hotels Worldwide debuted in the Netherlands this week with the highly anticipated opening of the W Amsterdam. The 238-room hotel spans two iconic buildings más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Regent Beijing appointed Uli Altrichter director of sales and marketing. Previously, Altrichter was más...
News in brief: Meliá, Ascott, Crescent
Meliá expands in Indonesia: Meliá Hotels International will add its 13th hotel in Indonesia under the Innside by Meliá brand. The más...
Authetic F&B: Of undisputed origin
Bart Spoorenberg, general manager, Il Salviatino in Florence, Italy, hosts a popular truffle-hunting expedition led by a local certified truffle hunter más...
Gaw Capital reportedly buying another hotel in Singapore
Gaw Capital Partners is reportedly acquiring the 308-room Big Hotel in Singapore for S$203 million (US$146 million), according to The Strait Times of más...
Rudnitsky named to lead Miraval, ESPA growth
Miraval Group, a joint venture of an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners LLC and Revolution Places, on Thursday announced the appointment of Steven Rudnitsky más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best property use of Twitter
Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Use of Twitter, Property. For the fourth straight year, HOTELS is más...
Four Seasons offers free Wi-Fi for unlimited devices
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has launched global complimentary Wi-Fi for unlimited devices. Four Seasons’ Wi-Fi will be available portfolio-wide más...
U.S. hotel spa revenues continue to climb: study
U.S. hotel spa department revenues increased by 5.1% in 2014, while spa department profits grew 10.5%, according to the 2015 edition of Trends in the más...
Wyndham makes further inroads into SE Asia
Wyndham Hotel Group on Thursday announced the signing of seven new franchise agreements in Asia, specifically Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam under the más...
Hot Openings: Margaritaville debuts in Hollywood Beach
On October 1, Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort in Florida opened its doors to guests. The resort strives to offer a laid-back, tropical and "no worries” más...
News in brief: Hilton, Asia Pac travelers, NYC pipeline
Hilton upgrades CSR reporting: Hilton Worldwide announced an upgrade to LightStay, its in-house corporate responsibility measurement platform. LightStay más...
HOTELS Interview: Danziger comes full circle
The 17-year-old kid who started his hotel career some 44 years ago wearing a pillbox hat while carrying bags outside the Fairmont in San Francisco says más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand use of Twitter
ITC Hotels won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Use of Twitter, Brand. For the fourth straight year, HOTELS is honoring the best of social más...
Oxford Capital buys Tampa asset to create lifestyle hotel
Developer Oxford Capital Group, LLC on Tuesday announced the acquisition of The Bay Harbor Hotel & Conference Center in Tampa Bay, Florida, from más...
AccorHotels gains naming rights to Paris arena
AccorHotels on Wednesday announced the official signing of a 10-year naming rights agreement for the Bercy Arena in Paris. This venue, one of the world’s más...
‘(Trans)gender Divisions’: Hotels face bathroom quandary
Take a look at your Facebook feed and you’re likely to see the U.S. culture wars raging with intensity—on abortion, gay marriage, gun control más...
What’s Hot: Mauritius resort unveils pool villas, presidential suite
Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita recently unveiled its latest addition to its all-pool villa accommodations with the introduction of the luxurious más...
News in brief: Crestline, Carlson Rezidor, luxury hotels forecast
Crestline adds nine hotels: Crestline Hotels & Resorts added nine full, select and extended stay Marriott and Hilton hotels in four states to its más...
Gostelow Report: Park Hyatt GM nourishes his team
Every morning when he wakes up, Park Hyatt Chicago General Manager Peter Roth thinks about how can he make an impact on the day at hand. “How can más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best property integrated digital campaign
Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver, won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Integrated Digital Campaign, Property. For the fourth straight year más...
IHG reports growth worldwide, excluding China
IHG reported that global Q3 comparable RevPAR was up 4.8%, led by rate up 3.6%. RevPAR in Europe increased 7.8%, 4.8% in the Americas, and 7.1% in Asia más...
Hispania finalize Barceló deal, acquires more assets
Spanish real estate developer Hispania has finalized the first phase of a deal with Grupo Barceló by acquiring an 80.5% stake in Bay Hotels & Leisure más...
REITs drive big jump in Spanish investment
Hotel investment grew significantly between January and September 2015, reaching an estimated investment volume of €1,237 million (US$1.4 billion) más...
What’s Hot: Fun and games in Portland
Hotel Modera in Portland, Oregon, recently unveiled The Colosseum, a new vibrant and creative meeting space at the eclectic property. Designed by Dawson más...
News in brief: Art’otel, Lux, US contruction pipeline
Art’otel signs in London: Art’otel signed a management agreement with Battersea Power Station Development Co. to develop a 160-plus room hotel más...
HICAP: More being demanded of GMs
Hong Kong-based Marco Polo Hotels wants its GMs to be “Chief Business Managers” and will judge their performance not just on the traditional más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand integrated digital campaign
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Integrated Digital Campaign, Brand. For the fourth straight year, HOTELS más...
TripAdvisor launches free dashboard for hoteliers
TripAdvisor on Monday announced the launch of the Review Performance report – an enhanced online analytics dashboard available for free to all registered más...
Sheraton teams up for promotions with MLB
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) on Monday announced a new partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), designating Sheraton más...
What’s Hot: Historic Irish castle unveils new spa
The recently restored Ashford Castle in Ireland has unveiled a new spa and gym, marking the completion of its two-year restoration and enhancement program más...
News in brief: Best Western, Carlson Rezidor, Tunisian hotels
Best Western signs first Vib in Southeast Asia: Best Western signed an agreemet for a new-build Vib hotel in Vientiane, Laos. The 70-room hotel is scheduled más...
Mixed messages in the air at HICAP in Hong Kong
Despite slower economic growth in the region, and previous bright lights of the industry such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand now deemed as “in más...
AccorHotels acquires 43 properties from local partner
AccorHotels on Friday announced the purchase of a portfolio of 43 hotels (4,237 rooms) from Foncière des Régions for €281 million (US$321 million) más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best property Facebook promotion
The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort Spa in Hawaii won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Facebook Promotion, Property. For the fourth straight year más...
Cybersecurity liability: The critical questions
A recent court decision and a rash of cyber breaches at major hotel chains underscore the importance of data security and privacy protection – and más...
Westin launches Out of Office Generator
Westin Hotels & Resorts has partnered with satirical blog McSweeney’s to create a digital Out of Office Generator. After travelers answer several más...
What Hot: San Diego hotel unveils surf-inspired collection
Earlier this year, Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar San Diego rolled out its 50-room surf inspired Skyline Collection. Located on floors 16 through 20 of más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Boston Park Plaza appointed David Berkoski national accounts director. The Westin Dallas Park Central más...
News in brief: Dusit, Marriott, Aimbridge
Dusit Gold re-launches: Dusit International re-launched its Dusit Gold guest loyalty program. Dusit Gold includes Instant Rewards, a feature where members más...
M&C hums, "Let It Be"
Millennium & Copthorne (M&C), which has completed its acquisition of the Beatles-inspired Hard Days Night Hotel in Liverpool, England, intends más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand Facebook promotion
AccorHotels' Mercure won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Facebook Promotion, Brand. For the fourth straight year, HOTELS is honoring the más...
Clearview sells Westin O’Hare
Clearview Capital Partners is selling the Westin O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois, for approximately US$82 million to Clarion Partners, reports Crain’s más...
Carlson Rezidor expands presence in Indonesia
Carlson Rezidor Group signed a multiple-property deal with Saphir Group for Radisson Red Jakarta CBD, Radisson Red Bali Legian Camakila, Radisson Bali más...
Study brings attention to diversity, security, CSR, succession plans
New trends in the hotel company boardrooms are emerging, including lack of diversity and challenges surrounding cyber security, CSR and succession planning más...
Hilton unveils global spa membership program
Hilton Worldwide today launched the Spa Club, a global spa treatment membership program targeting customers who live near Hilton spas. The Spa Club was más...
Hot Openings: InterContinental debuts on Portuguese Riviera
Situated on the Estoril coast in Portugal, IHG opened the first InterContinental brand hotel on the Portuguese Riviera in September. InterContinental más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Starwood, Historic Hotels of America
Hyatt removes on-demand port: Hyatt Hotels Corp. is the latest hotel company to pull on-demand pornography from its guestrooms. Marriott International más...
Gostelow Report: Frankfurter Hof GM wants to start a new line
Now that he is back in Europe, Moritz Klein, general manager of the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof, Frankfurt, Germany, has to remember not to contact más...
Big OTA joins TripAdvisor Instant Booking
TripAdvisor and The Priceline Group on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership whereby some of The Priceline Group’s online travel brands will más...
Marriott, Ritz-Carlton Rewards announce new benefits
Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards programs are rolling out all-new “Fab Four” benefits: Points Sharing: Launching immediately más...
2016 group, meeting forecast from Amex
Positive economic trends combined with the global expansion of companies will drive continued growth for the meetings industry in 2016, according to the más...
What Hot: Beachfront spa renovation in Fort Lauderdale
Perched seven floors above the Atlantic Ocean, The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, recently unveiled a rejuvenated design and new menu of más...
News in brief: Amazon, Breckenridge, Wyndham
Amazon closes Destinations: Amazon.com closed its Amazon Destinations travel site less than six months after launching. The service sold close-to-home más...
Sage advice from an outgoing IHG development chief
InterContinental Hotels Group’s (IHG) chief development officer AMEA, Paul Logan, is retiring effective January 1, 2016, after 40 years in the industry más...
Branded residence in Southeast Asia tops $16 billion
Southeast Asia’s hotel residences real estate market has topped the US$16 billion level and is growing. Spurring the trend is an emerging synergy más...
Dalata acquires Clarion Hotel Cork
Dalata Hotel Group has entered into an agreement to buy the freehold interest in the Clarion Hotel Cork in Ireland for €35.1 million (US$39.95 million) más...
NYC hotel unveils light sculpture for cancer awareness
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Peninsula New York is presenting Pink Lotus, a large-scale light installation sculpture by Peruvian artist más...
Hot Openings: Pullman grows brand in China
AccorHotels has expanded its portfolio of hotels in China with the opening of Pullman Kaifeng Jianye in the heart of the ancient capital of the Northern más...
News in brief: Hilton, Onyx, Rosewood
Hilton expands in the UK: Hilton Worldwide has partnered with Shiva Hotels to introduce the first Curio – A Collection by Hilton hotel in the UK más...
Lodging Conference notebook: Bulls still running
The bulls were still running strong at the 21st annual Lodging Conference last week in Phoenix with economists, number crunchers and brand leaders predicting más...
Jupiter Hotels deal gets done in the UK
The Royal Bank of Scotland and private equity group Patron Capital have sold a portfolio of 32 UK hotels for £160 million (US$245 million) to a más...
What’s Hot: Multi-phase renovation in Tokyo
Located 45 floors up in Midtown Tower, Tokyo’s tallest building, The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, unveiled its multi-phase transformative renovation in más...
AccorHotels pledges gender parity, equal pay
AccorHotels was selected as one of the organizations for the United Nations’ (UN) HeForShe Impact 10x10x10 pilot initiative. HeForShe is an international más...
Outrigger commemorates 68 years
September 29 marked 68 years since Outrigger Hotels and Resorts founders, Roy and Estelle Kelley, opened their first hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii, in 1947 más...
News in brief: Marriott, Starwood, Wyndham
Marriott grows Autograph Collection: Autograph Collection, Marriott International’s portfolio of independent hotels, has added three US properties: más...
Lotte CEO expands on expansion plans, new brands
On September 16, Lotte Hotels & Resorts CEO Yong-Dok Song unveiled the Lotte logo at its newly acquired New York City icon, the Lotte New York Palace más...
Carlson Rezidor signs first Radisson Reds in Americas
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group signed the first four Radisson Red hotels in the Americas: Radisson RED Bogota, Colombia; Radisson Red Cali, Colombia; Radisson más...
Queensgate buys top-five London hotel
Queensgate Investment purchased the Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum for approximately £400 million (US$612.7 million) from Apollo Global Management más...
Hot Openings: NYC hotel celebrates literary, art icons
Housed in a quaint brick building with rich history, The Renwick officially opened its doors in New York City this week. Originally build in 1928 as a más...
Wyndham surpasses carbon emissions goal early
Wyndham Worldwide announced that it reached its carbon emissions goal six years ahead of schedule. The company achieved a 20% reduction in carbon emissions más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Pedro Abascal was appointed executive chef at Thompson Playa del Carmen in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Previously más...
News in brief: Virgin Hotels, AccorHotels
Virgin Hotels buys Nashville site: Landowner NV Music Row LLC is reportedly selling the area site in Nashville, Tennessee, to Virgin Hotels más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best property Facebook page
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Facebook Page, Property. For the fourth straight year, HOTELS is honoring más...
Luxury UK hotels launch new branding
A group of luxury hotels privately owned by Robert and Gina Parker recently launched a new overarching brand for their portfolio. The Robert Parker más...
Technology innovations set to drive business
Hotel technology presents seemingly endless possibilities, but hoteliers shouldn’t invest in technology for technology’s sake. As 2015 starts más...
Element Hotels kicks off Walk the World
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s Element Hotels brand has launched Walk the World, Powered by Fitbit, a virtual program that encourages más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons debuts in Bogotá
Opening to guests this month, Four Seasons Hotel Casa Media Bogotá marks the luxury brand’s entry into the Colombian capital. Originally más...
News in brief: Hilton, Starwood, Airbnb
Hilton announces EV charging program: Hilton Worldwide will roll out an electronic vehicle (EV) charging program, which will be available at 50 US hotels más...
HOTELS Interview: Jin Jiang's strategy following massive merger
Jin Jiang International's merger with Plateno Group resulted in it becoming China’s largest hotel group. The highly discussed deal was made official más...
Airbnb to collaborate with BridgeStreet
BridgeStreet Global Hospitality, a solution for international serviced apartment experiences, announced a collaboration with Airbnb. The partnership will más...
Nazarian sells SLS Las Vegas stake
Sam Nazarian is selling his 10% stake in the SLS Las Vegas, reports The Wall Street Journal. The deal makes Stockbridge Capital Group the 100% owner of más...
Hilton launches global coffee promotion for meetings
More than two-thirds of professionals, ranging from Millennials to over 65 years of age, prefer meeting in-person over any other collaboration, according más...
Hot Openings: Art-driven hotel debuts in Richmond
Inspired by Quirk Gallery, Quirk Hotel, a Destination Hotel, showcases the art and culture of Richmond, Virginia. Originally constructed as the J.B. Mosby más...
News in brief: Marriott, Starwood, Carlson Rezidor
Marriott unveils expansion plans: Marriott International announced an expected 75% increase in its Caribbean and Latin American distribution between 2015 más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand Facebook page
Toronto-based Fairmont Hotels & Resorts won HOTELS’ 2015 Social Hotel Award for Best Facebook Page, Brand. For the fourth straight year, HOTELS más...
Canopy adds eight hotels to portfolio
Hilton Worldwide announced eight new hotels will join its Canopy by Hilton portfolio. Launched in October 2014, Canopy by Hilton encompasses more than más...
Hotel Equities rolls out new division, names VP
Atlanta-based Hotel Equities announced the formation of the Full Service & Resorts Division. Currently the new division covers about 10% of Hotel más...
Hyatt launches massive ad campaign
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has launched a multi-million dollar integrated global marketing campaign for its Hyatt Regency brand. “It’s Good Not to más...
Expedia reveals most aggravating hotel guests
Inattentive parents are the most aggravating hotel guests, according to the Expedia 2015 Hotel Etiquette Study, which asked 1,022 Americans to rank the más...
Hot Opening: Upplandsgatan welcomes digitally inspired hotel
In 2014, HTL hotels introduced a “digital travel experience” in Stockholm, focused on high quality and personalized service. This month, HTL más...
News in brief: IHG, Destination, Hong Kong tourism
IHG develops another dual-branded hotel: Noble Investment Group and IHG announced a joint venture to develop a dual-branded Even Hotels and Staybridge más...
Gostelow Report: Friendly competitors in Mexico
Hotels of different brands working as a team all benefit, according to Dennis Clark, general manager of the 401-room Fairmont Mayakoba on the Riviera más...
HOTELS Interview: Best Western execs discuss new brand, development
A new brand, GLo, was among last week’s announcements at Best Western’s annual convention. Described as a midscale brand for urban-suburban más...
Crowdfunding in play at Yotel development
Synapse Development Group, a real estate investment and development firm headquartered in New York City, and its joint venture partner AQARAT (Kuwait más...
What’s Hot: Disney hotel unveils room redesign
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, Florida, has completed the redesign of every guestroom in the 758-room Swan Hotel. The redesign más...
News in brief: Red Lion, AccorHotels, Trump
Red Lion opens in NYC: Red Lion Hotels Corp. opened the Red Lion Inn & Suites Brooklyn, its first location in Greater New York City. The hotel will más...
IHG launches 3 new initiatives at conference
At its 2015 Americas Owners Conference in San Francisco this week, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), introduced new guestroom and F&B experiences más...
Scandic creates signature brand, renames HTL
Scandic Hotels is launching a group of signature hotels, which will be marketed under their own names with the extension “by Scandic.” más...
Naples resort opens ‘Grow House’
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, in Florida has opened the resort’s new onsite Grow House. As the first of its kind in a resort setting, the Grow House más...
Hot Openings: Cutting-edge design in New Zealand
Opening this month, The Lodge at Kinloch in New Zealand aims to offer “irresistible new heights of golfing escape” to guests with its cutting-edge más...
People on the move
Here is the latest roundup of people changing hotel jobs: Marcel Van Aelst has stepped down as president and statutory director of Hotel Okura Amsterdam más...
News in brief: Meliá, Hilton, Gatehouse Capital
Meliá grows portfolio in Malaysia: Meliá Hotels International will add two hotels in Malaysia. The addition of theMeliá Iskandar más...
Perception not necessarily reality in Puerto Rico
As Puerto Rico struggles to restructure its outstanding debt, which economists suggest could take a year or more, except for some instability with group más...
Big brands make news at Africa conference
Several of the major global brands have made pipeline news during the Africa Hotel Investment Forum currently going on in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Starwood más...
Liberty Group makes four Florida acquisitions
Liberty Group, Tampa, Florida, has acquired for US$24 million from the Carlyle Group and Blackstone a portfolio of four branded hotels with a total of más...
Moody's likes prospects in US, but leery of supply growth
Outperformance in the cruise sector will mitigate the slowing growth in lodging earnings,resulting in a slower but still healthy growth rate for the US más...
Magnuson reveals new brand identity
Magnuson Hotels on Thursday unveiled its first rebrand in the company’s 12-year history as it sets to expand consumer awareness of its three brands: más...
Hot Openings: Hotel and apartments collide in Phuket
This month, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts will debut its new serviced apartment brand, Cassia, in Phuket, Thailand. Cassia Phuket operates as a hotel más...
News in brief: Trump, The Hotel Group, Makar
More hacks. Several Trump Collection hotels were the target of a yearlong data breach, hotel officials said Wednesday. The hack could affect customers más...
septiembre 2015
Best Western unveils new look, brand at convention
Best Western on Tuesday at its annual convention unveiled a comprehensive brand refresh, a new midscale brand and plans for a new website, mobile site más...
Artyzen launches new brand, updates on citizenM
Artyzen Hospitality Group, Singapore, on Tuesday announced the entry of the citizenM into Asia and the global debut of its Artyzen Habitat brand más...
U.S. capex reaching another record in 2015: NYU
The amount spent on capital expenditures (“cap ex”) for the U.S. lodging industry is forecast to exceed the prior record level spent in 2014 más...
Hot Openings: Authentic Key West experience
Earlier in 2015, Highgate Hotels opened The Gates Hotel Key West in Florida, combining refined luxury, modern design and a regionally inspired food and más...
Choice CEO Joyce rapels hands-free for a cause
Steve Joyce, president and CEO, Choice Hotels International, rappelled down 15 stories at the 2 Bethesda Metro Center on Tuesday to raise awareness for más...
News in brief: IHG, Airbnb, Four Points, Hilton
Icon changes hands. InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the completion of the sale of InterContinental Hong Kong to Supreme Key Ltd., a consortium más...
Gostelow Report: GM's tale of wanderlust
“It is a hotelier's dream to work off the beaten track,” said Monty Brown, currently general manager at Amanrüya, Bodrum, Turkey. Just más...
Red Lion furthers pitch to become "coffeehouse" brand
RLHC (Red Lion Hotels Corp.) on Tuesday announced Red Lion Hotels and Red Lion Inn & Suites will offer a lobby coffeehouse experience systemwide by más...
Brand guy rants about broad, vague hotel labels
Hotel-land is awash with labels: ‘boutique’, ‘design’ and ‘lifestyle’ are still floating around on top of the pond más...
What's Hot: Exclusive villa comes to Ninh Van Bay
Set among the greenery and granite stone of the Ninh Van peninsula in Vietnam, the Six Senses Ninh Van Bay’s new three-bedroom Hilltop Reserve villa más...
Hudson NYC makes a statement
To draw attention to its “Poverty is Sexist” campaign, One Campaign last week partnered with Morgans Hotel Group’s Hudson New York City más...
News in brief: Dalata, two Chesapeakes, Meliá
Second to Spain. Meliá Hotels International on Tuesday announced that its 30th hotel in Germany will open in Frankfurt in early 2019. The 291-room más...
HOTELS Interview: Belmond's first LGBT sales director
It’s simple, says, Tom Alderink. His new title as director of LGBT sales says it all. t is Belmond’s first such designation, but not más...
Marriott launches Hot Shoppe series to showcase values
Marriott International on Monday launched a new five-episode animated web series, Hot Shoppe, on YouTube. The series highlights Marriott’s history más...
Is Meerkat and Periscope right for your hotel?
In March, Meerkat and Periscope—livestreaming video apps for Twitter—launched within days of each other, and immediately caught the attention más...
U.S., China agree to expand travel, tourism exports
Leaders from the United States and China on Friday announced the U.S.-China Tourism Year for 2016, a new initiative that celebrates the recent reciprocal más...
Seychelles leads HVS's new Africa valuation table
Growth in the African hotel sector has reached a new level of maturity with less reliance on foreign visitors and increased demand from local businesses más...
Hot Openings: Boutique celebrates Brooklyn’s style
Situated between Brooklyn’s bustling Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhoods, the 34-room Brooklyn A Hotel’s design is inspired más...
News in brief: Starwood, KSL, Hilton, Centara, RLJ
Fresh capital. KSL Capital Partners, Denver, on Monday announced it has completed the final closing of its latest travel and leisure focused private equity más...
Modus’ “being yourself” method fits the times
Modus Hotels chose its name as a truncated version of modus operandi, a Latin phrase translated as "method of operation." For Aaron Katz, president and más...
Virgin Hotels breaks ground in NYC
Virgin Hotels and Lam Group today broke ground on a new property, Virgin Hotels New York City. The property is slated to open in 2018 with 463 chambers más...
Mixed bag of results for the UK in 2016: PwC
While London remains rather buoyant, PwC is forecasting muted growth for the UK in 2016 – at a slower pace in London with marginal occupancy growth más...
Mexican hotel invites guests to paint
Rosewood San Miguel de Allende in Mexico has introduced a new “Inspirational Art Amenity” for guests staying in select suites or private residences más...
Hot Openings: Le Méridien debuts resort in India
Nestled in the scenic Western Ghats in India, the new Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa is a few hours’ drive from the city centers más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Matthew Blackmore was named general manager of Fairmont Tremblant in Québec, Canada. Most recently más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Houston hotels
Wyndham celebrates 1,000 hotels in China: Wyndham Hotel Group has become the first global hospitality company to reach the 1,000-hotel mark in Greater más...
New realities test small, family-run Swiss hotels
Small and medium-sized hotels in Switzerland are having to adapt to new market realities. The euro has fallen so much against the Swiss franc, making más...
Luxury Collection getting brand refresh
Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ The Luxury Collection has unveiled “Hotels that Define the Destination,” a year-long, US$4 million global más...
Canopy invites guests to ‘Meet the Neighbors’
Canopy by Hilton announced a new social media campaign that spotlights locals’ point of view through interviews with the brand. “Meet the más...
Hot Openings: Legendary Boston hotel unveils redesign
The iconic Boston Park Plaza has completed the first two phases of a US$100 million renovation. Since taking over ownership, Sunstone Hotel Investors más...
News in brief: Expedia, Starwood, Anantara
Expedia unveils mobile app for hoteliers: Expedia has launched Expedia PartnerCentral App for iPhone and Android. The new app is designed to provide hoteliers más...
Gostelow Report: Reflections from retiring Peninsula GM
This will have been the longest run any actor can get, and the pay has been good, too, says retiring GM of The Peninsula Tokyo, Malcolm Thompson. “When más...
Geller, Wanxiang continue acquisition roll in D.C.
Chicago-area private investors Geller Investment Co. (L-2) and Wanxiang America Real Estate Group (WAREG) have acquired the 470-room Washington Marriott más...
Hot Openings: Austin hotel celebrates music
Located just steps from three popular entertainment districts in Austin, Texas, the new Westin Austin Downtown, opening this week, draws design inspiration más...
Four Seasons launches Entertain U(niversity)
This October, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts will launch Entertain U(niversity), a series of educational consumer classes, workshops and experiences más...
News in brief: Mövenpick, Pacifica, Detroit, Google
Chatham buys in SoCal. Pacifica Hotels has sold the Hilton Garden Inn Marina del Rey, California, to Chatham Lodging Trust for US$44.5 million. The Irvine más...
Is IHG's acquisition of Fairmont-Raffles imminent?
Rumors are swirling that IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is about to buy Fairmont Raffles from Qatar-based Katara Hospitality and Saudi Arabia-based más...
Sheraton unveils massive marketing campaign
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has launched a US$100 million multi-channel marketing campaign, which includes its first comprehensive advertising effort más...
Kimpton takes craft beer craze to another level
With San Diego consistently ranked as a top microbrew city (with more than 100 microbreweries), Kimpton Hotels and Restaurant’s downtown properties más...
Hot Openings: Ho Chi Minh hotel tells story of Saigon
Situated in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the Hotel des Arts Saigon was designed to reflect its storied geographic location. Although the hotel's más...
News in brief: Starwood, Shangri-La, PRTC
Starwood expands presence in Brazil: Starwood Hotels & Resorts signed Sheraton Santos Hotel owned by Grupo Mendes, marking the company’s 10th más...
China: State-run Jinjiang acquires Plateno hotels
The hotel industry has an even bigger giant emerging from China as Shanghai Jinjiang International Hotels Development Co. has acquired an 81% stake in más...
Belmond replaces CEO Scott with industry veteran Vos
Reiterating that it has a sound strategy in place, Belmond Ltd. on Monday named board member and former Starwood executive Roeland Vos as its new president más...
Leelaventure sells The Leela Goa
Hotel Leelaventure has sold its marquee property, The Leela Goa in India, to MetTube for Rs 725 crore (US$110.4 million). Ceres Hotels Private Ltd, a más...
Extended Stay selling Crossland brand to Westmont
Extended Stay America has announced the sale the Crossland Economy Studios brand, including 47 hotels, as well as six Extended Stay America hotels to más...
Miami hotel celebrates Sinatra’s centennial
Fontainebleau Miami Beach is commemorating the legacy of Frank Sinatra and his upcoming December 12 centennial birthday with “Brunch with Frankie más...
What’s Hot: Suite fit for a royal
Rosewood Hotel Georgia in Vancouver, unveiled its new Rosewood Royal Suite earlier in September. Located on the 45th floor of the property’s private más...
News in brief: Plateno, JetBlue, Carlson Rezidor
Plateno wins Colombo Fort management: Fairway Holdings entered into an agreement with Plateno Hotels Group of China to manage its 200-bed, soon-to-be-completed más...
Ashford to acquire manager Remington
To build operating scale and increase earnings power, Ashford Inc. on Friday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for a business más...
Goldberg steps down at La Quinta
La Quinta Holdings Inc. said Friday that its president and CEO Wayne Goldberg after 15 years with the company has stepped down by mutual agreement with más...
Marriott creates ‘epic’ Super Bowl experiences
Marriott International has unveiled two “epic” Super Bowl 50 fan experiences: • Marriott’s Courtyard brand is hosting the world’s más...
Ladurée creates signature macaroon for Hong Kong hotel
The House of Ladurée has created the Ginger Flower macaroon exclusively for The Langham, Hong Kong. Available through December, the macaroons were más...
Hot Openings: ‘Urban farm’ comes to Iowa
Aiming to reflect the emerging mindset of today’s business and leisure travelers, Heart of America Group opened its first Hotel Renovo in Des Moines más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Hyatt Place and Hyatt House Denver/Downtown appointed Annebeth Black opening director of sales and Chad más...
News in brief: The Standard, Red Lion, Hilton
The Standard debuts new website: The Standard integrated StandardCulture.com with StandardHotels.com to give users a more seamless online and mobile experience más...
Lotte Group details plans to float hotel company
Lotte Group announced Thursday that it will float a 30% to 40% stake in Hotel Lotte Co. by the second quarter of 2016. Chairman Shin Dong-bin said the más...
Expedia completes Orbitz acquisition; AH&LA ‘disappointed’
Expedia has completed its acquisition of Orbitz Worldwide, including all of its brands and assets, for US$12 per share in cash, representing an enterprise más...
Meeting planner demands higher than ever: STR
Demands of meeting planners in North America are higher than ever, according to STR’s DestinationMAP (Meeting Assessment Program), a study of meeting más...
Spafinder survey finds agents more bullish than ever
Spafinder Wellness 365 has released part one of its annual State of Wellness Travel Report, revealing that the highest percentage of travel agents in más...
Hot Openings: St. Louis revitalization inspires facelift
Previously the Renaissance St. Louis Grand, the newly renovated Marriott St. Louis Grand strives to layer the old and new of the Gateway to the West. más...
News in brief: Leonardo, Dusit, AMResorts
Leonardo expands to Italy: Leonardo Hotels is taking over the former Hotel Hermitage in Milan. The Leonardo Hotel Milan City Center will be the group’s más...
Starwood hits milestone with Excelsior sale
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Wednesday announced that it has agreed to sell The Westin Excelsior Rome to Katara Hospitality for €222 más...
Jin Jang outlines growth plans for its Louvre group
Jin Jang Holdings International has announced strong expansion plans in South East Asia for its recently acquired Louvre Hotels Group (LHG). The Shanghai-based más...
CEO turnover slowed last year, but uptick expected
Hotel company boardrooms were more settled places in 2014 than the previous few years with only two changes in CEO occurring among the world's 50 largest más...
Judge dismisses Baha Mar Chapter 11 plan in U.S.
A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Tuesday dismissed the current chapter 11 case of Baha Mar Ltd., the stalled US$3.5 billion resort in the Bahamas. The Wall más...
Red Planet upgrades app, guest reward options
Red Planet Hotels has launched an upgrade to its app and guest reward options. Members can now participate in “Referred,” which offers cash más...
Hot openings: Germany welcomes Capri by Fraser
Designed for “plugged-in, globetrotting professionals,” Capri by Fraser opened its first property in Germany earlier in September. The serviced más...
News in brief: Steigenberger, Graduate, Hyatt
Kimpton growth. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants on Wednesday announced it has been selected to manage a new, luxury boutique hotel in Tempe, Arizona más...
HOTELS culture roundtable: Working toward the same goals
Bill DeForrest, president and CEO of Spire Hospitality, understands how challenging hotel jobs can be, which is part of the reason he cites mutual respect más...
Tech titan Ellison buys prominent Palo Alto hotel
Oracle Co-Founder Larry Ellison’s PA Hotel Holdings LLC has acquired the 86-room Epiphany Hotel in downtown Palo Alto from private equity firm Angelo más...
Castlewood partners with Début for Asian expansion
Singapore-based Castlewood Group has entered into a strategic partnership with Hampshire Hotels Management’s Début Hotel Group to expand más...
Further opposition to Expedia-Orbitz merger
The global hotel owners’ alliance, HOFTEL, has condemned plans to create an effective duopoly among online travel agents (OTAs) in the United States más...
Hot Openings: Lilla Roberts debuts in Helsinki
After two years of refurbishment, a former power plant and former police station in Helsinki, Finland, re-opened as a Lilla Roberts hotel in August. The más...
News in brief: AccorHotels, IHG, Marriott
AccorHotels to sign in Iran: AccorHotels will open an ibis hotel and a Novotel near Tehran’s international airport in Iran on October 15. AccorHotels más...
Gostelow Report: The Mansion's discreet GM
“I always longed to be in charge of a small property, and then my wish came true,” said Ana Marie Mormando, general manager of the 30-villa más...
Morgans saga continues with new buy offer
New York-based Rambleside Holdings said it would pay US$507 million in cash to acquire the Hudson Hotel in New York and the Delano Hotel in Miami Beach más...
Hot Openings: Meliá grows in Italy
Located on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy, Meliá Campione was built with contemporary boutique design and includes más...
Shangri-La Paris' cocktails pay tribute to harvest
The Shangri-La Hotel, Paris, housed in Prince Roland Bonaparte’s private demeure since 2010, pays tribute to its founder through its new “Autumn más...
News in brief: Leelaventure, Nakheel, Nordic Choice
Nakheel-Premier Inn tie up. Dubai-based master developer Nakheel said on Thursday it has signed a second management agreement with UK-based Premier Inn más...
Australian hotel group launches Reverse Reviews
Move aside TripAdvisor – how about GuestAdvisor for a change? Australia’s funky Art Series Hotel Group made reviews a two-way street when más...
Hot Openings: Urban lux sanctuary in Tangshan
Long known as the “treasured land to the east of Beijing,” Tangshan, China is home to lush parks and historic arts and culture. Shangri-La más...
The bees are back at the Shangri-La, Toronto
The Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto, has installed a Bee Wall in partnership with Birks, a Canadian jeweller, and Alvéole, a Montreal-based organization más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Frank Ashmore was appointed general manager at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia in Arizona más...
News in brief: LRG Acquisition, Hyatt, Trump Hotels
LRG Acquisition’s impressive list: The £1 billion (US$1.5 billion), 22-hotel portfolio put up for sale in June by the UK’s LRG Acquisition más...
Gostelow Report: Malta all-rounder always on his game
“Never take your eye off the ball,” cautions all-rounder Michael Camilleri Kamsky, general manager of the Westin Dragonara Resort, Malta. más...
Dalata makes share offering after strong first half
Ireland’s largest hotel company, Dublin-based Dalata Hotel Group with 41 hotels and more than 7,000 rooms, has announced its intention to undertake más...
Generator updates leadership ahead of growth push
Industry veteran Fredrik Korallus has been appointed CEO of the London-based, design-led hostel group, Generator. At the same time, one of the brand’s más...
Ritz-Carlton launches new logo, brand voice
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. unveiled a newly designed logo and brand voice that will be implemented across all guest touch points over the next year. The más...
Marriott tests in-room virtual reality experience
Marriott Hotels launched Vroom Service, allowing guests to order virtual reality experiences to their rooms. Created in collaboration with Samsung Electronics más...
Hot Openings: Contemporary chic comes to Punta Cana
AlSol Hotels & Resorts has added a contemporary marina oasis to its portfolio with the opening of AlSol Tiara Cap Cana in Punta Cana. The new-build más...
News in brief: Kimpton, Starwood, Choice
Kimpton announces new D.C. hotel: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will open Mason & Rook Hotel in Washington, D.C., replacing the brand's curent más...
Starwood launches big Sheraton ad campaign
As part of its ongoing effort and current priority to reinvigorate its flagship brand Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Wednesday launched a más...
Topland unites UK portfolio to create Hallmark brand
Topland Group, London, on Wednesday unveiled the new Hallmark Hotel brand, the next step in its objective of building a £1b hotel business. Uniting más...
Lagerfeld to join big name designers in hotel business
Karl Lagerfeld and Macau casino operator Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM) have announced plans for the Chanel designer to create his first hotel. The más...
Room Mate expands its apartment rental service
BeMate.com, the apartment rental company from Spanish hospitality group Room Mate, is launching a new on-demand concierge service, City Mate, and más...
AJ Capital adds to Graduate Hotel collection
AJ Capital Partners acquired the Hotel Durant in Berkeley, California, for US$47 million. The historic hotel will become part of the Graduate Hotel collection más...
Industry leaders launch new concierge credential
The International School of Hospitality, Les Clefs d’Or USA and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute launched the newly created más...
Kempinski joins Associated Luxury portfolio
Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) has announced the expansion of its worldwide portfolio with 76 4- and 5-star hotels and resorts located más...
Hot Openings: Majestic luxury in Bali
As the third resort of The Ritz-Carlton Reserve portfolio, Mandapa is set along the Ayung River in Ubad, the cultural and spiritual heart of Bali. Named más...
News in brief: Red Lion, Carlson Rezidor, Discovery
Red Lion acquires in Atlanta: A subsidiary of Red Lion Hotels Corp. has formed a joint venture with an affiliate of Shelbourne Falcon Investors to acquire más...
Blackstone buying Strategic for $6 billion
Strategic Hotels & Resorts on Monday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with affiliates of Blackstone Real Estate Partners más...
Marriott starts rolling out Alipay in Asia Pacific
Marriott International and Ant Financial Services Group, an independent financial group and an ecosystem partner of Alibaba Group, have announced an agreement más...
Caribbean hotels see continued NOI growth
Caribbean hotels are enjoying another run of double-digit net operating income (NOI) growth, according to PKF Consulting (PKFC). According to PKFC’s más...
Hot Openings: From scrap to treasure in San Francisco
Hotel Zephyr Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco was designed by Dawson Design Associates with unconventional materials. Recycled corrugated metal más...
News in brief: Marriott, Minor, Travelodge
Edition to open in Dubai: Marriott International announced plans for the second Edition hotel in the United Arab Emirates in Dubai. Scheduled to open más...
HOTELS culture roundtable: Commune's evolution
For Niki Leondakis, CEO of Commune Hotels & Resorts, fostering a strong company culture is a particular passion. She has used a number of tools in más...
Qatari investors bringing another W to Times Square
Al Rayyan Tourism and Investment Co. (ARTIC), the international hospitality subsidiary of Al Faisal Holding Co., has announced that The Manhattan at Times más...
Jumeirah to operate in another iconic Dubai tower
Jumeirah Group, Dubai, has been appointed by deveoper RP Global to operate a mixed-use development within RP Global’s US$1 billion iconic tower más...
Update on performance in Africa from STR, Bench
A survey of prices of international grade hotels in selected major African cities, produced by hospitality research firm STR Global ahead of the Africa más...
Hot Openings: Nikki Beach enters Greece
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa has debuted in Greece with its latest property in Porto Heli. Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Porto Heli includes 66 guestrooms más...
St. Regis Mexico City launches Tacotier
The St. Regis Mexico City is celebrating Mexican Independence Day (September 16) with the introduction of a new flagship service: Tacotier. Recognizing más...
Africa growth update and a new player to watch, Azalaï
While international hotel giants and regional players agree Africa is coming into its own, how and where they plan to capitalize couldn’t be more más...
Marriott adopting .marriott domain for security
In an industry first to help consumers feel secure that they are indeed booking their stays with Marriott International and to battle scam booking sites más...
New joint venture acquires 26 Mercures in the UK
Thai Industrial & Engineering Service (Tiesco) and the UK’s Fico Holding have established a joint venture company called Newco and acquired más...
La Quinta selling 24 hotels that will leave the system
La Quinta Holdings Inc. announced Friday that it has signed a definitive purchase and sale agreement to sell 24 owned hotels. This portfolio is geographically más...
Hilton improves parental leave benefits
Hilton Worldwide on Friday announced new parental leave policies effective January 1, 2016, at owned and managed hotels and corporate offices for employees más...
Hot Openings: Beijing hotel unveils spa oasis
Located at Rosewood’s inaugural property in Asia, Sense Spa is striving to be the first of its kind in Beijing. The palatial 32,000-square-foot más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, Florida, appointed Austin Bagwell group sales más...
News in brief: Hoshino, Rio hotel fees
Hoshino may expand: Hoshino Resort Co. may expand its new chain of hotels in Japan to as many as 20 properties. Hoshino already purchased hotels in Kanazawa más...
Gostelow Report: A nice suit goes a long way
“It was Michael Littler who told me I would never be a GM unless I invested in a designer suit,” recalled Phil Barnes, general manager of más...
Disruptors: Preparing hoteliers for tomorrow, today
We are bombarded every day with new data and statistics about how the hotel industry landscape is changing around the world. So, when you develop your más...
Holiday Inn Express has pancakes, will travel
IHG has launched the “Pancake Selfie Express” from the Holiday Inn Express brand’s Creative Director and Breakfast Excellence Honcho más...
Hot Openings: Cabo resort transforms after hurricane
After recovering as one of the hardest-hit resorts by Hurricane Odile, Esperanza, An Auberge Resort, in Cabo San Lucas recently unveiled its extensive más...
News in brief: Rosewood, UAE spa tourism, NY smoking ban
Rosewood grows in Europe: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts was appointed by Duddingston House Properties and Urbanist Hotels to manage Rosewood Edinburgh más...
HOTELS culture roundtable: Virgin's Knowles on authenticity
Clio Knowles, vice president of people for Virgin Hotels, sums up the culture at her rather nascent company quite simply, focusing on the words “authentic” más...
How to mitigate the growing threat of terrorism
Since 2002 there have been over 20 major attacks on international hotels all over the globe. The most recent, in El Kantaoui Port, Tunisia, was terrifying más...
InterContinental in LA launches creative bourbon program
To celebrate National Bourbon Heritage Month, InterContinental Los Angeles has partnered with Angel’s Envy, created by master distiller más...
What’s Hot: Atlanta hotel renovates suites for wellness
The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead in Atlanta recently renovated two of its guestroom suites on its designated wellness level. The Jasmine Suite and White Lotus más...
News in brief: Marriott, Wyndham, Starwood
Marriott Hamburg sold: Union Investment sold the Marriott Hamburg in Germany for approximately €65 million (US$73 million). UK & European Investments más...
HOTELS honors 2015 Great Hotel Restaurants
When it comes to defining HOTELS’ 2015 Great Hotel Restaurants, what stands out most is a lack of definition. Of course, this year’s honorees más...
Hospitality’s dark (Web) secret exposed
On August 24, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s ruling that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has data protection authority. Specifically más...
Hilton partners with Uber to expand digital services
Hilton Worldwide is partnering with Uber, the sharing economy taxi service, to offer expanded digital features to Hilton guests. Hilton guests can set más...
Hot Openings: Mövenpick debuts in Riyadh
Another luxury hotel has opened in Saudi Arabia’s capital city. Mövenpick Hotel Riyadh marks another step towards Mövenpick Hotels & más...
News in brief: Marriott, Destination, Starwood
JW Marriott proposed near Disneyland: Prospera Hotels and O'Connell Hotels & Hospitality have proposed a 466-room JW Marriott at the Anaheim GardenWalk más...
agosto 2015
HOTELS Interview: Easing into the top role at Marco Polo
Jennifer Cronin’s rise to president of Marco Polo Hotels effective February 1 – within just over a year of joining the Hong Kong-based group más...
Customer Touchpoints: Lessons from innovative hotels
To differentiate themselves, hoteliers must excel at important customer touchpoints that their competitors might miss. Some hotels are leading the way más...
Six Senses launches social media aggregator
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas unveiled The Edit by Six Senses, a user-generated social media feed aggregator housed on the brand’s website. The más...
Hot Openings: Art hotel comes to Denver’s cultural district
With a world-class art collection woven into the entire guest experience, The Art aims to complement Denver’s arts and cultural district. The 165-key más...
News in brief: Lotte, Marriott, Loews
Lotte rebrands iconic hotel: Lotte Hotels & Resorts has relaunched The New York Palace as Lotte New York Palace. Lotte assumed ownership of the historic más...
Mövenpick markets heritage, value proposition
The merger and acquisition rumor mill is as hot as a firecracker these days with the likes of Starwood, IHG, FHRI and others being poked, prodded and más...
WaterWalk signs $100 million deal with UK developer
Hotel industry legend Jack DeBoer is joining forces with UK-based private equity real estate firm Henley to construct and open five WaterWalk Hotel Apartments más...
Ashford Prime latest to undergo strategic review
Ashford Hospitality Prime, Inc. on Friday announced that the Independent Directors of the Board have decided to explore a full range of strategic alternatives más...
'Scandic To Go' coming to New York City
This September in New York City’s West Village, Stockholm-based Scandic Hotels will operate a Scandic To Go mobile room during a weeklong event más...
Ruling could lead to more unions in US hotels
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) has issued a strong statement condemning Thursday’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) más...
What’s Hot: Santorini hotel unveils new ‘supersuites’
The Iconic Santorini, a boutique hotel in Santorini, has debuted two new “supersuites” that offer spacious luxury. Known as Cycladic Suites más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Anabel Ramos Acevedo was appointed spa director at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. Most recently más...
News in brief: Baha Mar, Choice, White Lodging
Baha Mar faces criticism: On the heels of Baha Mar filing a Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization on Thursday, China Construction America (CCA) Bahamas is más...
HOTELS culture roundtable identifies team motivators
Creating a hotel company culture that engenders loyalty and leads to a better guest experience is a constant challenge. This summer, HOTELS, in partnership más...
Hostmark remains a family affair
Jerry Cataldo has been in his family’s hotel business for 32 years, and as much as business changes Hostmark Hospitality Group has stayed a family más...
Charlotte hotel invites meeting Millennials to ‘live like a local'
The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte in North Carolina introduced Meetings on the Grid, allowing business travelers, especially Millennials, to experience Charlotte más...
Hot Opening: Luxury extended stay comes to LA
On the heels of the opening of Level Furnished Living’s flagship property in Vancouver, Los Angeles recently welcomed the luxury extended stay brand más...
News in brief: Red Lion, AccorHotels, Baha Mar
Red Lion enters Washington, D.C.: Red Lion Hotels Corp. will enter into a joint venture with an affiliate of Shelbourne Capital to acquire The Quincy más...
Gostelow Report: Mauritius owner forever on a mission
Hotel owner Sanjiv Ramdanee believes best marketing is being a man about town. “I want to tell the world's cognoscenti about Mauritius, and bring más...
IT is essential to hotel companies
The increasing reliance on large software systems to perform crucial revenue-generating activities, emergence of mega-suite vendors, more use of the cloud más...
Hong Kong hotel offers taste of Silk Road
The Langham, Hong Kong, has partnered with the Shanghai Tang Silk Road fragrance collection to create a unique cocktail and mocktail experience at its más...
Hot Openings: Peaceful oasis in Singapore
Located in Singapore’s urban district is the newly opened Park Hotel Alexandra. The hotel’s design features earth-tone shades and prints, más...
News in brief: Vail Resorts, IHG, Langham
Vail Resorts invests in improvements: Vail Resorts in Colorado will invest approximately US$110 million to US$115 million in resort improvements for the más...
HOTELS Interview: Indonesia’s ‘coolest’ restaurateur, hotelier
One of Indonesia's "coolest" businessmen just got a bit cooler. As the co-founder of the PTT Family, Ronald Akili started an empire of restaurants and más...
Mastering the art of conversions, rebranding
There is something magical about creating something new from something that once was. Building off a historic foundation offers endless inspiration, but más...
Renaissance announces ‘Bizarre Foods’ partnership
Renaissance Hotels has partnered with “Bizarre Foods” host Andrew Zimmern and Food and Wine to create “The Navigators Table,” más...
Hot Openings: Santa Fe's integrative wellness resort
Located among 70 acres (28.3 hectares) of cottonwoods and ponds, Sunrise Springs in Santa Fe, New Mexico, offers an integrative spa and resort with therapeutically-designed más...
News in brief: Marriott, Carlson Rezidor, Steigenberger
Marriott debuts in Breckenridge: Urgo Hotels & Resorts and Triumph Development will build a Residence Inn by Marriott in Breckenridge, Colorado. The más...
Metamorphosis before Morphosis’ iPhone-slim tower
Even before its eyebrow-lifting, ultra-slim hotel tower extension conceptualized by American architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis has taken root, 7132 Hotel más...
ZMC Hotels sold after 50 years
Hall Equities Group has purchased ZMC Hotels’ portfolio of 29, predominantly limited-service hotels. The purchase price was not disclosed and included más...
IHG to develop worldwide water stewardship program
InterContinental Hotels Group has appointed Water Footprint Network to develop a worldwide water stewardship program. As part of the partnership, IHG más...
Best Western jump-starts Vib
Best Western International announced Monday that it has five additional Vib deals signed, which are anticipated to open by the end of 2016. Since announcing más...
Hot Openings: Swire Hotels unveils third ‘House’
Following the openings of The Opposite House in Beijing and The Upper House in Hong Kong, Swire Hotels recently opened its third “House,” más...
News in brief: Langham, Hilton, Kohler
Langham to debut in UAE: Langham Hotels & Resorts will introduce its first hotel in the United Arab Emirates in partnership with Dubai-based Omniyat más...
Seeing red? Horwath weighs in on activity in China
Is the bloom off the rose that is hotel development in China? The stock market was going through a serious correction the past few months, investors have más...
Thailand’s Compass Hospitality acquires 3 UK properties
Thailand’s Compass Hospitality Group has acquired The Big Sleep Hotels’ portfolio comprising three hotels in Cardiff, Cheltenham and Eastbourne más...
Currency devaluation lifts Brazilian performance
Brazilian urban hotels and condo hotels in 2014 enjoyed their 10th consecutive year of growth in RevPAR, according to a new JLL study in partnership with más...
Hot Openings: Anantara celebrates natural luxury in Qatar
Location, location, location — the old adage is especially true for the 141-room Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara. The property’s exotic más...
Hong Kong hotel offers live art performance
InterContinental Hong Kong welcomed Jeannine Platz as part of her “Suite View” worldwide art project. Platz recently performed a live art más...
News in brief: Rosewood, SFO, Marriott
New hotel at SFO. Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts are being considered to manage an onsite 350-room hotel that San Francisco International más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Gary Au was appointed general manager of Dorsett Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. Previously, Au was general manager más...
Gostelow Report: Hotelier with an open heart
Donald Bowman, general manager of the then-Mandarin Oriental Hotel San Francisco, was celebrating the hotel's Forbes five star award in Naples, Florida más...
How to prepare for the fitness-minded traveler
Fitness and wellness have become an increasingly integral part of hotels. The health-oriented demand segment is growing globally and research has shown más...
Hotel Okura Co. to consolidate, restructure
Hotel Okura Co. will reorganize its group companies and establish a new corporate entity, Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd. Effective October 1, más...
Boston hotel celebrates ‘The Art of Chocolate’
As part of its 27th anniversary celebration, The Langham, Boston, will offer “The Art of Chocolate,” an all-you-can-enjoy chocolate buffet más...
Hot Openings: Upgrade reinvigorates Minneapolis hotel
After undergoing a US$15 million renovation, the Sheraton Bloomington in Minneapolis has become a shining example of Sheraton 2020, a strategic plan designed más...
News in brief: Trump Hotels, Starwood, Lotte Group
Trump Hotels enters Asia: Trump Hotel Collection signed an agreement with MNC Group to manage a six-star luxury resort and residential development in más...
Starwood introduces Sheraton Grand; wants 100 by 2017
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has introduced Sheraton Grand, a new “premier tier” that recognizes select Sheraton properties for their enticing más...
Did hotel CEOs get paid what they deserved?
AETHOS Consulting Group recently released its 2015 report evaluating the performance of top CEOs from 2014 in the hospitality, travel and entertainment más...
Rockbridge's Rock The Road event another big success
Rockbridge, a Columbus, Ohio, private equity firm that invests extensively in hotels, recently completed its fifth annual Rock the Road event, raising más...
Hot Openings: Luxury lodge rebuild in Mozambique
Located alongside a permanent deep-water channel in the middle of the Indian Ocean, andBeyond Benguerra Island adds to the exclusive luxury and appeal más...
News in brief: Fibra, Park Resorts
Fibra to expand in Guadalajara: Fibra Inn acquired Staybridge Suites Guadalajara Expo and Arriva Express Guadalajara Plaza del Sol Expo hotels for Ps más...
Home-like feel inspires Bali hotel’s kitchen
The key element of the design of the kitchen at Urchin, the restaurant at the 20-key Colony Hotel in Seminyak, Bali, is that it does not feel like a hotel más...
First person: Dusk till dawn in Bangkok
Long-time, Phuket-based hotel industry consultant Bill Barnett on Monday was in Bangkok, blocks away from the terrorist bombing at the Erawan Shrine. más...
Idaho resort competes by investing in staff quarters
Recognizing a demand for affordable housing in McCall, Idaho, Whitetail Club and its nearby 77-room sister property Shore Lodge have recently completed más...
What's Hot: Taipei hotel commemorates 20 years
Deemed Taipei’s tallest hotel, Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel recently celebrated its 20th anniversary by completing a NT$1.5 billion más...
Sofitel brings ‘Revealed’ to China
Starting in September, Sofitel Luxury Hotels will launch “Revealed” in China, a photography exhibition curated by Pablo Picasso’s grandson más...
News in brief: Langham, Chatham, California hotel sales
Langham to debut in Texas: Developer Stan Thomas will construct the first Langham Hotels & Resorts property in Texas. The hotel will make up 25 floors más...
Kitchens highlight unique specialty equipment
The Ivy Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, which opened just this summer, is housed in a structure that dates back to the 1800s, when it was first constructed más...
Diamond Resorts expands East Coast portfolio in US
Diamond Resorts International will acquire Gold Key Resorts for US$167.5 million. The vacation ownership business manages six properties on the East Coast más...
5 mistakes made by revenue managers and how to avoid them
From responsibility and strategy to the prioritizing of revenue streams, here are five common mistakes made by even the top revenue managers and, more más...
Hot Openings: California inn celebrates nature, custom craftsmanship
The newly constructed Inn at Newport Ranch in Fort Bragg, California, is part of a 2,000-acre (809.4-hectare) coastal cattle ranch. The property embraces más...
News in brief: Strategic, IHG, Starwood
Strategic hires J.P. Morgan: Strategic Hotels & Resorts hired J.P. Morgan to explore strategic alternatives, including a sale. The company has a market más...
Exclusive: Geolo, Wanxiang plan $1 billion in investments
Geolo Capital on Friday told HOTELS it has formed a partnership with Wanxiang America, the U.S. subsidiary of Wanxiang Group Corp., China’s largest más...
Doronin comments on new Aman ownership structure
In a follow-up to Thursday’s news that Pontwelly Holding Co., which was previously the largest lender to Aman, has taken full ownership of the Aman hotel más...
Hot Openings: Back to school in Charlottesville
Since AJ Capital Partners’ launch of the Graduate Hotels brand about one year ago, students and their families have had the opportunity to stay más...
Amsterdam hotel offers exclusive 'Van Gogh Experience'
The Conservatorium in Amsterdam’s Museum District has unveiled an exclusive partnership and “Van Gogh Experience” package with the Van más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Marriott, ABVI
Wyndham declares cash dividend: Wyndham Worldwide Corp.’s board of directors declared a cash dividend of US$0.42 per share on its common stock, más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Mark Aldridge was appointed director of sales and marketing for Montage Beverly Hills in California más...
Gostelow Report: A Singapore GM's tireless creativity
It was a "tiger mom" who helped Tina Sim ultimately land her position as general manager at Parkroyal on Pickering in Singapore. "As the only daughter más...
New holding company takes control of Aman
Pontwelly Holding Co. Ltd. has become the owner of Aman hotel business (Silverlink Resorts Ltd.) in full satisfaction of the debt finance provided más...
UK company completes buyout of Danubius Hotels
CP Holdings Ltd. has acquired an additional 1.1 million shares of Budapest-based Danubius Hotels, giving it 98.2% of the stock and control of the 23-hotel más...
Hot Openings: Park Hyatt debuts in Africa
Situated along Tanzania's beachfront, Park Hyatt Zanzibar offers elegance and luxury combined with rich culture, heritage and history. The property encompasses más...
Taipei hotel offers 'big flavors, little hangover’
“The Liquid Lab” mixologists at W Taipei have launched a new cocktail series to offer guests “big flavors, little hangover.” The más...
News in brief: Starwood, Marriott, FibraHotel
Starwood grows in China: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will open three Element hotels in China within the next four years. Element Chongli will más...
HOTELS Interview: The grand old lady’s a dish
A grande dame who refuses to be old, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, which celebrates its 140th anniversary next year, is revitalizing its famous outlets más...
Welcome Airbnb. Seriously.
I am a hotelier. Let’s get that bias right out there. Everything I know and everything I do is focused on creating transcendent experiences for más...
How to get more ROI from loyalty programs
For many hospitality professionals, the challenge isn’t to get people to sign up for a hotel loyalty program – the difficulty lies in getting más...
Hot Openings: Pullman grows quickly in Asia
AccorHotels recently added two Pullman-branded hotels, a total of 927 rooms, in Asia: Pullman Kuala Lempur City Centre and Pullman Bangkok Grand Sukhumvit más...
Hollywood hotel opens all-day brunch restaurant
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in California has launched a new restaurant featuring an all-day brunch menu. Tropicana Café offers a variety of más...
News in brief: Graduate Hotels, Jumeirah, Rotana
Graduate Hotels launches website: One year after the launch of its hotel collection, Graduate Hotels has unveiled its website. Currently, Graduate Hotels más...
Trump Hotel Collection names Danziger CEO
The Trump Organization on Tuesday appointed Eric Danziger CEO of Trump Hotel Collection. As the luxury hotel company's first CEO, Danziger will oversee más...
Cascade hints potential Strategic takeover
Bill Gates’ Cascade Investment has increased its stake in Strategic Hotels & Resorts and signaled that it may be involved in a takeover of the más...
Hard Days Night Hotel sells at high price
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels acquired the Hard Days Night Hotel in Liverpool, England, for £13.8 million (US$21.51 million) in cash. The Beatles-themed más...
Hilton introduces its digital key in US
Hilton Worldwide on Tuesday introduced Digital Key for its Hilton HHonors app, providing the loyalty program's members the option to bypass the hotel más...
Hot Openings: Classic Brooklyn with modern edge
The glamour of Manhattan and the industrial feel of Brooklyn collide at Dazzler Brooklyn. Located in downtown Brooklyn, the newly opened hotel is just más...
News in brief: Starwood, Marriott, Strategic
Starwood to expand in Dubai: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed a deal with Dubai Properties to open four new hotels in Dubai. Scheduled to más...
HOTELS Interview: Chef enjoys first time cooking in the open
Ryuki Kawasaki, recently named chef de cuisine at Mezzaluna, the fine-dining restaurant on the 65th floor of Bangkok’s Tower Club at Lebua, brought más...
Kew Green acquired by Chinese company
China-based HK CTS Metropark Hotels Co. purchased UK hotel company Kew Green Hotels. The purchase price was not disclosed. The deal follows Kew Green más...
Hot Openings: New hotel celebrates historic Charleston
Now open in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina’s French Quarter and Market Street Districts, The Spectator Hotel draws inspiration from the más...
PolyU: Smartphone use influences travel experience
The everyday use of smartphones “spills over” to the tourist experience, according to a recent study from the School of Hotel and Tourism más...
Courtyard brings back digital content series
Courtyard by Marriott is bringing back its digital content series (“Courtyard Camera”) for a second season with actor Ben Schwartz (“Parks más...
News in brief: Meliá, Starwood, Mövenpick
Meliá reports first-half results: Meliá Hotels International earned US$22.3 million in the first half 2015, a 224% increase compared to más...
SBE, Morgans reportedly in serious merger talks
Two troubled companies might merge into one new entity as the Wall Street Journal reported Friday that SBE Founder and CEO Sam Nazarian is in serious más...
Jin Jiang to acquire big stake in Vienna Hotels
China's Jin Jiang Hotels Group has invested RMB1.8 billion (US$289.8 million) for an 80% stake in the mid-market Vienna Hotel Group, according to a report más...
Great Wolf enters new phase with CEO hire
Great Wolf Resorts on Friday named Ruben Rodriguez its next chief executive officer, effective September 22. Current CEO Kimberly Schaefer will become más...
What’s Hot: San Francisco hotel celebrates travel’s golden age
San Francisco’s The Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel owned by Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts is debuting an extensive renovation inspired by más...
News in brief: Wanda, Sotherly, Regent
Wanda plans to launch new hotel brand: A spokesman for Wanda Hotels and Resorts confirmed the group is planning to launch a mid-high-end hotel brand, más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Alison Abbott was named director of spa at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in California. AccorHotels más...
Proposed Jin Jiang-Plateno merger would create global powerhouse
A merger of two Chinese hotel giants — Shanghai Jin Jiang Hotels Group and Plateno Group — is expected to close in November, a source close más...
Hilton, Hyatt to open dual-branded hotel
Hoffman-Madison Waterfront announced Thursday that Hilton Worldwide and Hyatt Hotels Corp. will open a dual-branded hotel at The Wharf in Washington, más...
Marriott encourages booking direct with celebrity partnership
Marriott International launched a new campaign with Grace Helbig to highlight the benefits of booking hotel stays directly on Marriott.com. With #itpaystobookdirect más...
Hot Openings: Grace Bay unveils ‘micro resort’
Grace Bay Resorts has completed its new collection of freestanding private beachfront villas, The Residences, which it is calling a luxury “micro más...
Hong Kong hotel to offer ‘strawberry chocolate fantasy’
Starting September 1, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, will offer a limited-time “strawberry chocolate fantasy” afternoon tea. The exclusive program más...
News in brief: AH&LA, Cuba, Starwood Hotels
AH&LA opposes Expedia-Orbitz merger: The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) stated that it opposes Expedia’s proposed acquisition más...
Gostelow Report: One GM’s whirlwind job change
Thomas Fischer, the newly arrived GM at Corinthia Hotel London, knows flexibility is a prerequisite for hotelkeeping, but that didn’t make his recent más...
Hot Openings: Hotel RL brand debuts in Baltimore
RLHC (Red Lion Hotels Corp.) on Tuesday announced the debut of its new upscale brand, Hotel RL, with the opening of the 130-room Hotel RL Baltimore Inner más...
Getting sustainability facts right worth the effort
Solar energy is a wonder, there’s no doubt about that. It takes a free, limitless source of energy — the sun — and supplies clean energy más...
Ohio hotel showcases commitment to local art
Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph in Columbus, Ohio, is demonstrating its strong commitment to local art throughout the hotel and even has más...
News in brief: Summit, Ace, Starwood
Leadership changes at Summit: Summit Hotel Properties announced that Founder and Executive Chairman Kerry Boekelheide has stepped down from his role as más...
Legacy systems often fall short of mobile apps they drive
Mobile booking apps have come a long way, but in many cases, the legacy systems driving them still have some catching up to do. One of the prime hurdles más...
STR: Airbnb effect is real in New York City
Airbnb’s presence and rates in New York City make it a “formidable competitor” to the market’s hotel industry, according to a más...
Designer highlights greater move toward Modernism
SB Architects, which recently held a quarterly round table which focused on “Moving Toward Modern,” noted that the one trend it is recognizing más...
What hotels need to know about Facebook’s video push
Video has become a key part of Facebook’s platform over the past several years. The social media giant has given video algorithmic preference in más...
Hot Openings: Over-the-top Reverie in Saigon
Unapologetic splendor is the way the 286-room Reverie Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City is described as it prepares to anchor the 39-story Times Square building más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Wyndham, Goldman Sachs
Hyatt reports second-quarter results: Hyatt Hotels Corp. reported its second-quarter 2015 EBITDA was US$210 million compared to US$231 million in the más...
Italian hotel’s kitchen blends old and new
To say Tuscany’s Toscana Resort Castelfalfi has a rich history is an understatement. Its fine-dining restaurant, La Rocca di Castelfalfi, has a más...
IHG rumors continue to swirl
IHG may make a bid for FRHI Hotels & Resorts or Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, according to published reports. FRHI, which some estimate could más...
What's Hot: Brooklyn hotel steps up its game
As Brooklyn, New York, has evolved into a dynamic international business and social hub, the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge knew it had to keep más...
Marriott partners with YouTube fitness star
Marriott Caribbean & Latin America Resorts has launched Fit in Paradise, a new initiative with YouTube fitness personality and blogger Sarah Dussault más...
News in brief: Belmond, Carlson Rezidor, Starwood
Belmond names COO: Belmond appointed Philippe Cassis executive vice president, chief operating officer. Most recently, Cassis was CEO at Sun Resorts Ltd más...
julio 2015
Thailand’s Kata Group aims to prove skeptics wrong
Thailand’s Kata Group Resorts appears to be addressing the very issues that make skeptics dismiss its intent to list in 2017 as a PR ploy and a más...
Disruptors: Group business ripe for innovation
What came to the forefront at a recent Thayer Ventures conference was that two of the startups on stage were targeting the group sector. Until recently más...
Hot Openings: Luxe transformation for historic Milan buildings
Situated on the central Via Andegari, the new Mandarin Oriental, Milan, provides access to the city’s most fashionable streets, including Via Manzoni más...
News in brief: Starwood, Host, Noble House
Starwood reports second-quarter results: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide reported its second-quarter 2015 EBITDA was US$311 million. Worldwide más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Amangiri in Canyon Point, Utah, appointed Jacob Anaya executive chef. Most recently, Anaya was executive más...
How mobile technology is changing the staff-guest relationship
Thanks in part to mobile technology, the interactions between hotel staff and guests are rapidly changing, placing less emphasis on staid hotel processes más...
IHG denies rumored merger talks with Starwood Hotels
IHG has denied that it held early deal talks to merge with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide to create the world’s largest hotel group. "Following más...
Hilton to expand in Germany and Austria
Hilton Worldwide announced plans to introduce 10 new hotels throughout Germany and Austria following a strategic development agreement with Primestar más...
Marriott reports strong quarter, dismisses shared economy worries
Marriott International reported that its net income for second quarter 2015 totaled US$240 million, a 25% increase over Q2 2014 net income. RevPAR más...
What’s Hot: Milan hotel unveils suite atop the city
Palazzo Parigi, which sits on the site of the former Palazzo Cramer in Via Brera in the heart of Milan, Italy, has unveiled its Presidential Suite. Architect más...
The lender choice: Finding the best financing partnership
There is no denying the significant momentum and optimism currently surrounding the hotel industry. The June 2015 report from PKF Hospitality Research más...
News in brief: AccorHotels, IHG, Strategic
AccorHotels reports first-half results: AccorHotels reported its first-half 2015 revenue was up 5.1% to €2.726 million (US$2.98 million) compared más...
Gostelow Report: No corporate office for this GM
Opening a hotel is like giving birth, and the subsequent joy is seeing it mature, according to Michel Jauslin, general manager of the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme más...
Interstate reportedly being shopped for sale
The owners of Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Thayer Lodging Group and Shanghai Jin Jiang, have reportedly hired an investment bank to consider selling más...
Hot Openings: Steigenberger to grow in Dubai
Steigenberger Hotel Group expects to open Steigenberger Hotel Dubai Business Bay in October, its first of a number of planned openings in the city. Located más...
Las Vegas hotels use wine to support charity
“Socially conscious” wines now are available at The Venetian, The Palazzo and Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas in an effort to support más...
News in brief: Hilton, TFE, Choice
Hilton Worldwide reports Q2 results: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. reported its second-quarter 2015 results and raised its outlook for full year 2015 más...
HOTELS Interview: Independent Collection aims for steady growth
Over the past two years, Independent Collection (IC) has doubled in size. As part of HHM, an operator of select-service hotel brands in the United States más...
Steigenberger to enter London market
Galliard Homes and Lulu Group International appointed Steigenberger Hotel Group to operate The Great Scotland Yard Hotel in London scheduled to open in más...
What’s Hot: Historic LA hotel gets makeover
The Garland — the North Hollywood, California, hotel built in 1972 by Fillmore Crank for his wife, actress Beverly Garland — has completed más...
New Sheraton menu pairs small plates with wines, local beers
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts announced the debut of food-and-beverage program Paired. Paired combines small plates and bar snacks with an unexpected más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Sonesta, AccorHotels
Wyndham announces earnings: Wyndham Worldwide reported revenues for Q2 2015 of US$334 million for Wyndham Hotel Group, an 18% increase over Q2 2014. Total más...
Kitchen design takes a page from the theater
The Epicurean Hotel in Tampa, Florida, has no shortage of F&B-focused attractions, but the central showpiece is the 1,500-square-foot (139-square-meter) más...
Hot Openings: Six Senses debuts in Europe
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas recently unveiled its first resort in Europe, in Portugal’s Douro Valley. The resort covers 20 acres (8 hectares) más...
Carlson to grow Radisson Blu in Latin America
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced the expansion of its Radisson Blu brand in Latin America with three hotels: Radisson Blu Santiago, La Dehesa in más...
Dusit signs deal to expand in Africa
Bangkok-based Dusit International has entered into an exclusive agreement with South Africa-based eLan Property Group to manage several hotels and resorts más...
Thai resort unveils plant-based culinary academy
In partnership with Matthew Kenney Cuisine, Evason Hua Hin in Pranburi, Thailand, has opened Asia’s first classically structured plant-based culinary más...
News in brief: Summit, Scotland Yard, Airbnb
Summit acquires Residence Inn hotels: Summit Hotel Properties completed the acquisition of two Residence Inn by Marriott hotels in Branchburg, New Jersey más...
Mobile technology adapts to the device and the user
Hotel companies are growing and enhancing their mobile websites and apps at a rapidly increasing pace, tweaking designs to mirror not just specific types más...
Plateno, Jin Jiang may acquire Starwood Hotels: report
Plateno Group and Jin Jiang Hotels have agreed on a merger, creating the largest hotel group in China, according to China Travel News. A source close más...
Strategic Hotels explores sale
Strategic Hotels & Resorts is exploring a sale and has hired an undisclosed bank to help it find a buyer, according to Bloomberg. The company has más...
LFPI acquires Alliance Hotel Group
LFPI has purchased Alliance Hotel Group from Lone Star for an undisclosed amount. Following the acquisition, LFPI owns and operates a portfolio of 74 más...
What’s Hot: Saint Tropez hotel unveils new suites
Hotel Byblos Saint Tropez in France has debuted five new Luxury Junior Suites in “The Hameau,” which also includes a garden with a fountain más...
News in brief: AccorHotels, TripAdvisor, Hyatt
AccorHotels expands loyalty program: AccorHotel’s loyalty program, Le Club AccorHotels, has announced a new partnership with Velocity Frequent Flyer más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Clement Palo Alto in California named Pierre Arce executive chef and Sebastian Stacey más...
Kitchen design: Form meets function
Whether they are on display for guests or not, today’s hotel kitchens employ design strategies focused on more than just utility. Although Park más...
Rosewood to debut in South America
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will open Rosewood São Paulo in Brazil. Scheduled to open in 2018, the historic building, formerly a maternity hospital más...
Google confirms Hotel Finder
Google has confirmed it is rolling out a new user interface for Google Hotel Finder, according to Search Engine Land. For the past month, Google was caught más...
New lifestyle brand to launch in the Philippines
Manila, Philippines-based Chroma Hospitality — formerly FilArchipelago Hospitality — announced the creation of its first lifestyle brand, más...
Moxy to debut YouTube series with comedian
Marriott International’s lifestyle brand, Moxy Hotels, is collaborating with the company’s Content Studio to produce “Do Not Disturb más...
Hot Openings: New hotel towers above the rest
At 82 meters (269 feet) tall, the new Best Western Premier Solo Baru is now the tallest hotel in Solo, Central Java. Due to its size, it is on its way más...
News in brief: IHG, Hilton, Starwood
IHG grows in France: IHG signed the InterContinental Bordeaux – Le Grand Hotel in France. The 130-room hotel will operate under a management agreement más...
Gostelow Report: Kempinski’s mayor of Yanqi Lake
Brice Pean, general manager of Kempinski's complex at Yanqi Lake, China, feels he is more like the mayor of a small town. “This is what they call más...
Blackstone sells El San Juan in ailing Puerto Rico
Asset manager Fundamental Advisors LP, along with León, Mayer & Co., and Aimbridge Hospitality on Wednesday announced the acquisition of the más...
New leader named for Extended Stay America
Gerardo (Gerry) Lopez has been named the next president and CEO of Extended Stay America and its paired-share REIT, ESH Hospitality, replacing Jim Donald más...
Hot Openings: Commune debuts The Cape in Cabo
A retro, 1960s Southern California-meets-Baja vibe defines luxury lifestyle brand Thompson Hotels’ first property in Mexico, The Cape, in Cabo San más...
HI Express sponsors TV show, late-night pancakes
IHG’s Holiday Inn Express brand is the official hotel sponsor of a new TV show on Fox and is set to launch a limited-time program offering guests más...
Le Méridien teams with Lego
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced a global partnership between Le Méridien Hotels and the Lego Group. Children up to más...
News in brief: Chatham, Aman, Mozambique
Chatham acquires two hotels: Chatham Lodging Trust announced it has acquired the 81-room Residence Inn Boston (Dedham), Massachusetts, and is under contract más...
HOTELS Exclusive: The world's biggest hotel companies
For the first time in several years, there is a new number one atop the annual HOTELS ranking of the world’s biggest hotel companies. Hilton más...
Red Planet launches as tech-inspired brand
Red Planet Hotels has end its relationship with Tune Hotels, rebranding 21 of its existing hotels to launch the Red Planet value brand across its portfolio más...
How to embrace the cloud and keep data breaches at bay
The hospitality industry is adopting the cloud at an astonishing pace, and it’s no wonder: With its ability to connect seamlessly with guests, online más...
Hot openings: Urban beachside resort opens in Tel Aviv
Built on the site of a cultural stomping ground of officers during the British Mandate, the Brown Beach House is Tel Aviv’s newest beachside hotel más...
London hotel offers perfume-inspired cocktails
As part of its exclusive partnership with Parfums Givenchy, Hotel Café Royal in London has launched a signature cocktail resembling the perfume más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Le Méridien, Pricing Outlook
Airbnb expands business program: Airbnb launched a new product suite aimed at making it easier to use for companies. Businesses now have access to a range más...
Tearing down silos between sales, data management
Hong Kong’s 262-room luxury lifestyle Hotel Icon, owned by Hong Kong Polytechnic University, is a unique training hotel that experiments with ideas más...
Hot Openings: Curio debuts in Europe at Reichshof Hamburg
JOI-Design’s extensive renovation of the Reichshof Hamburg’s architectural structure and interiors not only reinstates the grandeur of the más...
Travelodge could be for sale
The owners of Travelodge have appointed Deutsche Bank to advise them on a stock market float or a sale of the company, which could yield £1 billion más...
Carlyle considers sale of European hotel group
Caryle has asked Morgan Stanley to look into the sale or stock market listing of B&B Hotel Group, according to French newspaper Les Echos. Since 2010 más...
Ferrari inspires tea at Hong Kong hotel
Tosca at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong is planning to offer the Red Afternoon Tea, which is inspired by the Ferrari Junior Collection — a line created más...
News in brief: Interstate, Kata Group, Leeu Collection
Interstate adds UK hotels: The U.K. division of Interstate Europe has added three hotels with the opening of Holiday Inn Express London ExCel, Hilton más...
Pacifica primed for growth
Since its launch in 1993, Pacifica Hotels has grown to be one of the biggest hotel management companies on the U.S. West Coast. In the past year, it reinvested más...
What’s Hot: Hotel’s redesign celebrates California
Mosaic Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, which is part of Gemstone Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio, reopening August 1 following a full redesign más...
Global concierge credential unveiled
The International School of Hospitality (TISOH), Les Clefs d’Or USA and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute announced the creation más...
San Francisco hotel’s new uniforms play up maritime vibe
San Francisco’s new Hotel Zephyr has partnered with California-based fashion designer Melissa Fleis to create distinctive hotel uniforms inspired más...
News in brief: Dubai hotels, Synergy, Samhi
Dubai shifts away from luxury hotels: A recent study from JLL reports that 44% of the 3,600 new hotel rooms to enter the Dubai market in the final months más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Zafer Agacan was appointed general manager of Amari Havodda Maldives. Previously, Agacan was general más...
HOTELS Interview: A green tour among many shades of sustainability
For about a year and a half now, The Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta has offered a “green tour” — a behind-the-scenes look at various más...
RLJ Lodging to expand in Washington, D.C., and Seattle
RLJ Lodging Trust acquired the 164-room Hyatt Place DC/Downtown/K Street in Washington, D.C., and the 170-room Homewood Suites Seattle/Lynnwood in Lynnwood más...
New boutique collection planned for South Africa
The new Leeu Collection is set to open two boutique luxury properties later this year in South Africa. Indian investor Analjit Singh plans to open Leeu más...
Hot Openings: Iconic design meets classic comfort
“Style ... redefined” was the mantra behind the unique design of G Hotel Kelawai in Penang, Malaysia. To provide its guests with exclusive más...
Ace teams with WeTransfer
Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is partnering with file-sharing service WeTransfer on a billboard on the hotel’s exterior. The billboard will más...
News in brief: Langham, Wyndham, mobile check-in
Langham starts Optimum Programme: Langham Hospitality launched the Optimum Programme designed specifically for small and medium-sized companies. The Optimum más...
Gostelow Report: Making macaroons at the Mandarin
The famed Mandarin Oriental Bangkok produces 18,000 macaroons a week, according to General Manager Amanda Hyndman. “The hotel already has four Mandarin más...
DiamondRock acquires Sheraton Suites Key West
DiamondRock Hospitality Co. purchased the 184-suite Sheraton Suites Key West for US$94 million. A US$5 million renovation is planned for the hotel’s más...
JD Power: Record high guest satisfaction
Hotel guest satisfaction has risen to a record high, while the number of guests experiencing problems during their stay has dropped significantly, according más...
Supertel acquisitions signal new direction
Supertel Hospitality has announced three acquisitions that signal a new direction for the company that has changed its name to Condor Hospitality Trust más...
Hot Openings: Le Méridien debuts in North Carolina
Situated in Charlotte, North Carolina's Uptown neighborhood, the new Le Méridien hotel provides guests with a mix of old school culture and modern más...
News in brief: Starwood, Pacific Hotel Cairns, FelCor
W enters Costa Rica: Starwood Hotels & Resorts signed an agreement with Desarrollos Hoteleros Guanacaste S.A. to debut the W brand in Costa Rica. más...
CampbellGray adds partner, developing new brand
CampbellGray Hotels, London, has joined forces with Cyprus-based, family-owned Audeh Group to develop hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. más...
Hilton recruits work-from-home reservationists
Hilton Worldwide announced plans to recruit 500 full- and part-time work-from-home positions to provide inbound reservation support for guests through más...
What's Hot: Amara Cay channels charm of the Keys
Amara Cay Resort has reopened in Islamorada, Florida, after a multimillion-dollar renovation. Now managed by Miami-based Trust Hospitality, the 110-room más...
Iconic hotel provides luxury accommodations — for insects
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, has long been known for its luxury guest offerings, but now the Oetker Collection property is catering to some más...
News in brief: Mövenpick, ARC, Exclusive Resorts
Mövenpick to expand in Jeddah: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts announced it is opening a fourth property in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah más...
BHN survey tells a tale of two Americas
Recent input from industry experts confirms the Americas outlook suggested in the biannual Burba Hotel Network Hotel Investment Survey completed in January más...
Wanda talks future of Vista at brand launch in China
Wanda Hotels & Resorts on Sunday unveiled its 5-star Wanda Vista brand and future development plans at an event jointly organized with the China Tourist más...
What’s Hot: An Egyptian icon reopens
After undergoing a complete renovation, the iconic Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo, has made a triumphant return. The hotel’s palatial setting allows guests más...
Takeaways from Hipmunk’s content-marketing strategy
Near the beginning of the year, prominent hospitality thought leaders pointed to content marketing as a major initiative hoteliers should undertake in más...
Hotel transforms parking lot into mini golf course
Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Oregon, has transformed its surface parking lot into a temporary nine-hole miniature golf course and warm-weather eating and más...
News in brief: Ascott, Aimbridge, Booking.com
Ascott enters joint partnership: The Ascott Limited has entered into a joint venture with Qatar Investment Authority to set up a US$600 million serviced más...
IHG sells iconic Hong Kong hotel
IHG announced Friday it has sold the iconic InterContinental Hong Kong to a group of investors led by private equity fund manager Gaw Capital Partners más...
What’s Hot: Ludlow Penthouse showcases inside and out
The Ludlow Hotel in New York City has unveiled the Ludlow Penthouse on the 17th floor. The Penthouse aims to captures the gritty, urban charm of Manhattan’s más...
Virgin, Gap deliver different kind of room service
Apparel brand Gap and Virgin Hotels has announced a partnership that will provide guests the option to buy Gap styles and have them delivered straight más...
News in brief: Minimum wage, IHG, Hostmark
UK raises minimum wage: In April 2016, the United Kingdom will introduce a National Living Wage starting at £7.20 (US$11.09) and rising to £9 más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Sally Ableitner was appointed director of sales and marketing at The Marquette, A Hilton Hotel, in Minneapolis más...
HOTELS Interview: Bringing luxury to life
Olivier Bottois long held dreams of working in the Caribbean, so when the opportunity came to reposition Ladera Resort in St. Lucia, he jumped at the más...
HOTELS Exclusive, part 3: Action plan for Millennial staff
In conjunction with the World Tourism Forum, Lucerne 2015, consultancies Korn Ferry and Bridge.Over Group conducted two surveys exploring the theme of más...
Hot Openings: Grand Hyatt debuts in Mexico
Alongside the sparkling turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea and just steps from the white sand of Mamitas Beach, Grand Hyatt has made its entrance into más...
New Holiday Inn Express campaign features comedian Riggle
Playfully calling it “a massive leap in the field of breakfast superiority,” IHG announced the hiring of actor/comedian Rob Riggle as the Holiday más...
Choice hires 'ultimate people person'
Andrea Fasano was named the first "ultimate people person" for Choice Hotels International. The role was created to celebrate the relaunch of the Choice más...
News in brief: Google, OTAs, Auberge
Google adds instant booking: Users can now book a hotel room without leaving the Google desktop interface. Although the feature hasn’t been officially más...
Gostelow Report: Around the clock in Beverly Hills
Leading a top luxury hotel is never easy, but The Peninsula Beverly Hills Managing Director Offer Nissenbaum sets the bar particularly high. “I más...
Sheraton promotion advances new brand strategy
As part of the broad Sheraton 2020 brand overhaul, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has launched what it calls “the richest branded Starwood Preferred más...
Peninsula to develop next project in Istanbul
Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, owner of the Peninsula hotels, will spend €150 million (US$165 million) to develop a hotel in Istanbul with two Turkish más...
SLS New York secures financing, big-name chef
SBE announced Wednesday it has completed a US$109 million financing with Fortress Investment Group for SLS New York, which is slated to open next summer más...
HOTELS Exclusive, part 2: Attracting, retaining Millennials
In part 2 of a three-part series about how the hospitality sector can ensure it attracts and retains Millennials, HOTELS presents the findings of Bridge más...
Hot Openings: Milan hotel created from, includes perfume factory
A love of perfumes, art and hospitality has brought the Martone family to transform a former perfume factory into the 5-star Hotel Magna Pars Suites Milano: más...
News in brief: Summit, HRI, RLHC
Summit acquires two hotels: Summit Hotel Properties announced it recently completed the acquisition of the 139-room Hampton Inn in Norwood, Massachusetts más...
Wooing independents in a market full of suitors
U.S.-based hotel chains believe they have an attractive proposition with their new soft brands for Asian independent hotels, but consortium who have long más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Attracting and retaining Millennials
In conjunction with the World Tourism Forum, Lucerne 2015, consultancies Korn Ferry and Bridge.Over Group, conducted over conducted two surveys exploring más...
How to engage Millennials on social media
Look around you the next time you're out in public and I can guarantee that you'll see lots of people staring at the ubiquitous blue borders of Facebook más...
What’s Hot: Calling all Champagne lovers to Milan
It doesn't get much better than sipping a glass of some of the world's finest champagne in Milan. Dom Pérignon and the Bulgari Hotel Milan have más...
Disruptors: Google’s European antitrust issue
The European Union’s announcement earlier this year of its intent to file antitrust charges against Google has large implications for the hotel más...
Bangkok hotel unveils Inspiration Room for employees
Centara Grand at CentralWorld in Bangkok, Thailand, recently revealed its newly renovated Inspiration Room for its employees. The goal of the unique space más...
News in brief: Swissôtel, Crestline, Starwood
Swissôtel to enter Indonesia: Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has entered into an agreement with PT. Bali Ragawisata to manage Swissôtel más...
Lone Star creates UK giant in Amaris Hospitality
Dallas-based private equity firm Lone Star has created a new £1 billion (US$1.56 billion) hotel company called Amaris Hospitality, which will comprise más...
AccorHotels plans major expansion in Angola
AccorHotels announced it has signed an exclusive partnership with AAA Activos LDA to open 50 hotels representing more than 6,200 rooms ranging from luxury más...
Hot Openings: Mama comes home to Hollywood
As part of its aggressive global expansion plans, Mama Shelter — the eclectic boutique brand in which AccorHotels acquired a 35% stake last October más...
Louvre Hotels Group gets credit for investment and strategy
Louvre Hotels Group signed a strategic agreement with Chinese bank ICBC for a €2.5 billion (US$2.77 billion) line of credit over a three-year term más...
Paris hotel to offer ‘green dinners’
Shangri-La Hotel, Paris will offer a series of “100% green dinners” at its La Bauhinia restaurant. On Thursday, July 9, and the first Thursday más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Marriott, New York tourism
Wyndham Hotel Group expands in China: Wyndham Hotel Group signed three new properties in China: Wyndham Sanya Bay (opening later in 2015), Wyndham Hainan más...
HOTELS Interview: First-time GM for first Patina
It's her first general manager role, and it's at the first property of Patina Hotels & Resorts, the brand created by Singapore's Pontiac Land, which más...
Hot Openings: Historic Chicago building comes back to life
One of Chicago’s finest Art Deco buildings, the Chicago Motor Club (originally constructed in 1928), is back in use as a hotel. Hampton Inn Chicago más...
Hong Kong hotel celebrates fruit
W Hong Kong is celebrating summer with an array of fruity offerings at its various F&B outlets. The hotel’s Sing Yin Cantonese Dining restaurant más...
Beaches Resorts launches ‘volunteenism’ program
Beaches Resorts, the family-focused brand of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), is expanding its “voluntourism” work with Island Impact más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Philippe Arnaud was appointed general manager of Sanctum Inle Resort in Myanmar. Most recently, Arnaud más...
Gostelow Report: Cliveden's keeper of the house
Sue Williams is the self-styled keeper of the house at historic Cliveden in England. “Although my business card says general manager, I have become más...
China giant Wanda names president
Wanda Hotels & Resorts, Beijing, has appointed Qian Jin as president. In his new role, Jin will lead and oversee Wanda’s global growth plan más...
Ascott REIT enters the United States
Ascott Residence Trust acquired the 411-key Element New York Times Square West for US$163.4 million. This is Ascott REIT’s first U.S. acquisition más...
What's Hot: Oetker has Fregate Island shining anew
After taking over Seychelles’ Fregate Island Private in 2013 and embarking on a 24-month renovation, Oetker Collection has unveiled a total restoration más...
Fairmont markets ‘F-scapes’ travel experiences
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has introduced “F-scapes,” 42 unique travel experiences offered exclusively through the brand’s properties más...
News in brief: Trump Hotels, Scandic, Berkshire Eagle
Trump Hotel Collection suffers breach: Sources at U.S. banks traced a pattern of fraudulent debit- and credit-card charges to accounts that had all been más...
HOTELS Interview: Taking sustainability to the next level
Conservation is nothing new for the 39-room Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, but its F&B program in particular is taking that commitment to más...
Ennismore buys iconic Gleneagles Hotel
Diageo has sold Scotland’s Gleneagles Hotel to Ennismore. Although the price was not disclosed, analysts say it was likely to have been between más...
Expedia changing European deals relating to rate parity
Expedia stated on Wednesday that starting August 1 it is suspending for five years certain clauses in its agreements with European hoteliers that govern más...
Six tips for choosing a hotel brand
Choosing a hotel brand to work with can be a daunting decision, but if made correctly, this union will benefit both the brand and the hotel. There are más...
What's Hot: Swiss hotel shows off new look
It seems like every week brings a new addition to the fleet of masterfully done redos of landmark properties across the globe. And, each one has to offer más...
News in brief: Carey Watermark, Colony Palms, Red Lion
Carey Watermark grows Florida portfolio: Carey Watermark Investors acquired a majority interest in The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, in a joint venture más...
junio 2015
New York market proves complex for investors
For hotel investors, New York City is never going to be purely a numbers game. Sure, it has enjoyed occupancies in the 80% range when 60% looked good más...
Baha Mar files for bankruptcy protection
Blaming delays by the general contractor, the owners of Baha Mar — the multibillion-dollar Caribbean resort expected to include four hotels, among más...
What's Hot: London hotel to unveil renovation
There’s no shortage of exquisitely redone historic hotels. From opulent restoration projects to radical rethinking, the rich detailing and great más...
Swire introduces The House Collective
Swire Hotels launched The House Collective in China, bringing its “House” hotels under a single brand. The brand includes The Upper House más...
TripAdvisor: Mobile usage on the rise
Mobile usage is on the rise throughout the entire traveler's journey, according to TripAdvisor's TripBarometer Connected Traveler report. Additionaly más...
News in brief: ARTIC, Aman, Vail Resorts
ARTIC expands US portfolio: Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Co. acquired The St. Regis Washington, D.C. The 182-room hotel will continue to fly the St. Regis más...
HOTELS Interview: The power of putting people first
When Alex Kim took the managing director position at California’s Ojai Valley Inn & Spa at the start of this year, he did so in large part for más...
Hot Openings: Lagos hotel shows off elegant styling
Forget about trendy — today’s projects are just as much about being cool five years out as making a splash on opening day. Rich textures and más...
Survey shows shifts in US travel habits
MMGY Global released its 2015 "Portrait of American Travelers" survey revealing several shifts in the travel habits of Americans. According to the más...
Loews to debut new ad campaign
Loews Hotels and Resorts will unveil a new advertising campaign in July featuring authentic guest experiences. Titled #TravelForReal, the program features más...
News in brief: Mandarin Oriental, St. Regis, Kimpton
Mandarin Oriental expands in Beijing: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced it will manage the 74-room Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing, scheduled más...
Gostelow Report: Managing through Ramadan
Jean-Claude Messant, general manager of Royal Mansour Marrakech, currently is faced with a somewhat unusual challenge. “Every single one of más...
Ashford Trust plans to sell select-service hotels
Ashford Hospitality Trust announced it intends to sell its portfolio of 23 select-service hotels, totaling 4,308 rooms. The portfolio is encumbered by más...
Live Aqua to enter US
Mexico’s Grupo Posadas announced Friday it is partnering with private equity firm Bighorn Capital to introduce Live Aqua, its luxury boutique hotel más...
Dalata rolling out Clayton Hotels across Ireland
Dalata Hotel Group announced Friday that by the end of this year 10 of its newly acquired hotels across the United Kingdom and Ireland will be rebranded más...
What's Hot: Six Senses Samui to debut refresh
Sometimes, the little changes make the biggest difference. Subtle redos are an art form — the hotel needs to keep its DNA intact but stay up to más...
News in brief: Tunisia attack, Airbnb, Waldorf Astoria
Attack in Tunisia claims lives: At least 27 people were killed in an attack on a beach near the Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba in Sousse, Tunisia. At least más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Louise Daley was named executive vice president and chief financial officer of AccorHotels Asia Pacific más...
HOTELS Interview: Weprin and Co. write AJ Capital's script
When Ben Weprin founded Chicago-based AJ Capital Partners in 2008, he had no idea where the development company might go, so it is only fitting that “AJ” más...
Middle East owners may sell FRHI Hotels
The owners of FRHI Hotels & Resorts are looking to sell the luxury hotel operator, according to the Wall Street Journal. Undisclosed sources say FRHI más...
What's Hot: Mandarin Oriental debuts new spaces
Not every project has to be a multimillion-dollar renovation or overhaul to make a “wow” statement. Just one beautifully reimagined or new más...
Hilton leads hotel development in Africa
Hilton Worldwide is leading the race to develop new hotels in Africa, according to the Hotel Chain Development Pipeline Survey from W Hospitality más...
News in brief: Ashford Trust, Début, Hotels.com
Ashford Trust acquires in Minneapolis: Ashford Hospitality Trust signed a definitive agreement to acquire the 229-room W Minneapolis Hotel – The más...
HOTELS Interview: Master sommelier partners with Omni
Fred Dexheimer’s mission is simple: “Make the world a better place to drink and to rock your wine world.” As one of only 210 official más...
Wanda shares more details about Beverly Hills project
China’s Wanda Group has announced additional details about its project in Beverly Hills, California, on the site of the former Robinsons-May property más...
Hot Openings: Hilton unveils Black Sea resort
The look of now can’t be summed up in one Twitter-size bite. There’s a local accent on everything. However, there are some trends that crop más...
Marriott launches new toolkit for meeting planners
Marriott International has launched Meetings Imagined, a new set of tools to help meeting planners design and manage fresh meeting experiences. “Today’s más...
Saudi women can now become hotel chefs
Departing from long-standing policy, the Ministry of Labor in Jeddah has decided to allow Saudi women to become chefs at hotels in the Kingdom, according más...
News in brief: Enchantment, The Pig, Sahara
Enchantment Group adds Arizona resort: Enchantment Group announced it has added the 32-room CopperWynd Resort and Club in Fountain Hills, Arizona, to más...
HOTELS Hot Issue: Technology
As travel gets smarter, devices are dominating hotel technology. Below are just a few examples of what’s hot in tech this year. Each June, HOTELS más...
Hot Openings: AC Hotels makes Chicago debut
It might be known for its unique brand of contemporary European chic, but Marriott’s lifestyle offer is taking the United States by storm. The latest más...
Marriott launches F&B contest in Shanghai
Marriott International has announced its "BANG!" competition for entrepreneurs focused on food and beverage in Shanghai. Participants will submit new más...
London hotel offers hula-hooping classes
The Berkeley Health Club & Spa in London has launched hula-hooping master classes in partnership with hula-hoop fitness experts HulaFit. Until October más...
News in brief: LVMH, Virgin, Meliá
LVMH to replace iconic Paris department store: LVMH will transform the iconic La Samaritaine department store in Paris into a 5-star hotel, offices más...
HOTELS Interview: Grasping the NUO-ances
The first NUO Hotel opened in Beijing on June 5, proudly flagging ‘Made in China’ and showcasing the brand’s ideal of sharing the richness más...
What to know about Google's new hotel ads
Digital advertisers know that trying to keep up with Google’s platform and algorithm changes can be harder than keeping up with Hollywood starlets’ más...
Disruptors: Hotel advertising gets complicated
TripAdvisor is a traveler-magnet. With over 315 million unique visitors dropping by its branded network of websites every month to peruse its more than más...
Hot Openings: Vietnam hotel celebrates art
Whether it’s paintings, photos or even the occasional multimedia piece, art in hotels has never enjoyed more of a starring role. It’s become más...
Los Angeles hotel unveils rotating pop-up
Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles has launched a new pop-up restaurant concept that will undergo an interior and culinary transformation every más...
News in brief: Starwood, Sotherly, Hyatt
Starwood invests in The Luxury Collection: In coordination with its owner partners, Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced a US$300 million effort más...
Gostelow Report: Italy meets Mumbai
Having an expat chef really titillates the Indian taste buds, according to Varun Chhibber. A year ago, Chhibber, general manager of The Oberoi, Mumbai más...
HITEC 2015: Customization, mobile keys, bandwidth
Although Tropical Storm Bill brought gray skies and heavy rainfall to a usually sunny Austin, Texas, during this week’s Hospitality Industry Technology más...
Hot Openings: Six Senses property offers up drama
If there’s one buzzword for design that should be on everyone’s 2015 radar, it’s escapism. That could be theming, an immersive design más...
Cybersecurity: A hospitality industry reality
There is quite a bit of news about cyber concerns and breach of security from both the business community as well as individuals. We continue to hear más...
News in brief: Vail Resorts, Motel 6, TWC
Vail Resorts bumps up minimum wage: Starting September 26, Vail Resorts is increasing its minimum wage for entry-level positions to US$10 an hour in the más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Dream Hotels appointed Ayo Akinsete general manager of the forthcoming Dream Hollywood in California más...
Singapore group buys Malmaison and Hotel du Vin chains
Singaporean serviced-apartments group Frasers Hospitality UK Holdings Limited purchased the Malmaison Hotel du Vin group for £363 million (US$576 más...
Airbnb's projected valuation would top Marriott
Airbnb, which reportedly is telling potential investors it projects revenues of US$10 billion by 2020, could be valued at US$24 billion after it closes más...
IHG testing, rolling out mobile and digital initiatives
IHG announced Thursday it is testing and selectively rolling out several initiatives in the mobile and digital space. The offerings include the following: más...
Hot Openings: Wyoming hotel shows off local flair
It might be the first luxury boutique hotel to open in Jackson, Wyoming, in 15 years, but Hotel Jackson is very much a child of the 21st century. Beyond más...
U.S. moves United Nations General Assembly base
The U.S. State Department will break its longstanding tradition of setting up operations at New York’s Waldorf Astoria for this year’s United más...
News in brief: AccorHotels, IHG, Best Western
AccorHotels makes key appointments: AccorHotels appointed Christophe Alaux CEO of HotelServices North and Central America, Patrick Mendes CEO of HotelServices más...
HOTELS Hot Issue: F&B
Artisanal spirits, multi-faceted dining “experiences” and new takes on grab-and-go all are among the hottest trends in F&B. Below are más...
China's HNA takes sizable stake in Red Lion
China’s HNA Group Co. has acquired a 15% stake in Red Lion Hotels Corp. from Columbia Pacific Opportunity Fund, which continues to own 12.6% of más...
Gencom buys stake, partners with manager Gemstone
A member of the Gencom family of companies has acquired an ownership interest in Gemstone Hotels & Resorts, a Park City, Utah-based management company más...
Marriott buys into TripAdvisor booking tool
Marriott International announced Wednesday it is adding its global hotel portfolio to the TripAdvisor Instant Booking platform. Starting later this summer más...
Hot Openings: Bali hotel celebrates vibrant chic
Resort design in Bali tends to offer a more colorful take than that in many other getaways. From vibrant hues and exotic plants to local art, it’s más...
QT appoints forager to work with local producers
Australia’s QT Hotels & Resorts has appointed Georgie Neal to the newly created role of QT forager. As QT forager, Neal is charged with establishing más...
News in brief: Dual-branded W-Element, Fairmont, Hersha
Construction begins at dual-branded W-Element in Philadelphia: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced the commencement of construction for más...
HOTELS Hot Issue: Design
Whether it’s an update on old-school formality or a hotel that’s just as cool before dawn as after dark, design’s hottest trends are más...
Starwood files to rename vacation ownership business
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's planned spin-off of its vacation ownership business will be named Vistana Signature Experiences Inc. Starwood más...
ARC Hospitality buys 13 hotels
American Realty Capital Hospitality Trust announced Tuesday it has agreed to acquire a portfolio of 13 hotels for US$300 million from affiliates of private más...
Hot Openings: West Nassau hotel shows off effortless chic
Breezy style is a must for warm-weather getaways. So for the 30-key The Island House in West Nassau, Bahamas, the design team at Champalimaud and architect más...
Hong Kong hotel launches healthy in-room dining
W Hong Kong has launched an in-room-dining menu curated by yoga instructor Tara Stiles. The menu was specifically created for the “jet-setting” más...
News in brief: DoubleTree, Barceló, Interval
DoubleTree to expand in Malaysia: Hilton Worldwide announced the signing of a management agreement with Pinnacle Nexus Sdn. Bhd. (a member of Cornerstone más...
HOTELS Hot Issue: People
Each June, HOTELS highlights the hottest of the hot trends in design, F&B and technology, not to mention some of the industry’s most noteworthy más...
Disruptors: Revenue management takes center stage
Consumer protection in online marketing is a hot topic these days. Consumer awareness is a big win in the hospitality industry, where deceptive practices más...
Hot Openings: Portland hotel uncorks edgy vibe
From local vintages to ultra-chic drinking spots, wine and local culture make a natural pairing. Dawson Design Associates developed a story about Oregon's más...
Hilton brands cater to family reunions
Embassy Suites Hotels and Homewood Suites by Hilton are teaming up to offer “Count On It,” a marketing program designed to help make family más...
News in brief: Holiday Inn, St. Regis, Marcus
Holiday Inn to expand in Montreal: IHG announced a new Holiday Inn will open in downtown Montreal, Canada, in the spring of 2017. The Holiday Inn Hotel más...
HOTELS Interview: Raising the bar
Mike Ryan began his career firmly on the culinary path, attending cooking school in Chicago and working as a line cook and sous chef at Chicago restaurant más...
Ashford Prime makes big buy in Napa Valley
Ashford Hospitality Prime on Thursday said it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the leasehold interest in the high-profile, 62-room Bardessono más...
OTAs win big tax battle in Florida
Giving OTAs even more of an advantage against hotel companies, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that OTAs only have to pay taxes on what is paid más...
Hot Openings: M by Montcalm debuts in Shoreditch
As a self-described younger sibling of the luxe Montcalm tribe, M by Montcalm is something of a design free spirit. Sure, all the glitz and glam of London más...
News in brief: Jin Jiang, IHG, Ashford Trust
Jin Jiang signs MOU with Prince Hotels: Jin Jiang International Hotels and Prince Hotels signed a memorandum of understanding to commit to collaborating más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Carlson Rezidor Hotel group appointed Elias Assaly vice president of operations for managed hotels and más...
Gostelow Report: Putting common-sense creativity to work
For Peter Clarke, general manager of the 981-room Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai, creativity just comes naturally. The hotel's signature 72-seat French más...
AccorHotels and Marriott announce major appointments
AccorHotels and Marriott International both have announced major appointments. Gaurav Bhushan was appointed chief development officer at Accor, and Craig más...
What's Hot: Las Vegas hotel debuts renovated suites
Good enough is never good enough. That’s a given. And when it comes to design, that means even the smallest tweaks can be make-or-break. Not every más...
Surrey hotel celebrates classic novel with tea
The Radisson Blu Edwardian, Guildford Hotel in Surrey, England, is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s novel “Alice’s más...
News in brief: Aloft, Park Inn, Homeinns
Aloft to debut in South Australia: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will debut in South Australia with the signing of Aloft Adelaide. The 200-room más...
Asia airport hotels: Not just for layovers anymore
Asia’s new airport hotels are now rivaling their counterparts in the city, attracting meetings, banquets, weddings, families and other leisure travelers más...
SBE and CIM find buyer for its South Beach property
Sam Nazarian’s SBE company and real estate fund manager CIM Group have sold the 140-room SLS South Beach hotel to GoldenPeaks Capital Real Estate más...
Prominent Chicago hotel reportedly for sale again
Two years after it was last put up for sale, the 1,639-room Palmer House Hilton is on the block again and could sell for up to US$575 million, according más...
Marriott partners with Netflix
Marriott International’s Marriott Hotels brand has partnered with Netflix to allow guests staying at select Marriott Hotels to subscribe to Netflix más...
Hot Openings: California hotel celebrates Danish style
The clean lines of Scandinavian furniture have inspired designs the world over for decades, from ultra-faithful renditions to looser interpretations. más...
Renaissance to use Periscope for new evening events
As Renaissance Hotels hosts its fourth annual Global Day of Discovery June 11, the brand also is launching Evenings at Renaissance. The program features más...
News in brief: AH&LA
AH&LA discusses sharing economy: The American Hotel & Lodging Association participated in a panel discussion about the role of regulation in the más...
Four Seasons unveils mobile app
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has launched a multi-functional mobile app designed to give guests access to an array of services. While the app is now más...
Starwood sells The Phoenician
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Monday announced that it sold The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort, in Scottsdale, Arizona, to Host Hotels & Resorts más...
London hotel launches recruitment campaign
The Arora Group, owner and operator of the forthcoming InterContinental London – The O2, partnered with The Royal Borough of Greenwich to launch más...
New Outrigger conservation program focuses on coral
Outrigger Resorts announced the launch of OZONE (Outrigger’s ZONE), a global conservation initiative centered on coral health and resiliency in más...
Hot Openings: Centric makes Miami debut
First, lifestyle was just another hot trend for Millennial travelers. Now, it’s become the buzzword for guests around the world, regardless of generation más...
News in brief: Fujita Kanko, Hilton, Gordan Ramsay Group
Fujita Kanko expands Hotel Gracery Group: Fujita Kanko will open two properties in Kyoto, Japan, in its Hotel Gracery Group. Kyoto Teramachi is scheduled más...
Subrata Roy finds knights to save Grosvenor House
U.K.-based investment firm Reuben Brothers has agreed to refinance the US$900 million hotel loan taken by Indian conglomerate Sahara Group from Bank of más...
Summit to sell 26 hotels
Summit Hotel Properties announced it has entered into multiple agreements with affiliates of American Realty Capital Hospitality Trust for the sale of más...
Last week to vote for Hotelier of the World
This marks the last week to vote for the 35th annual Hotelier of the World awards. Balloting will conclude Friday, June 12. The corporate and independent más...
Hot Openings: Indigo tunes in to Bangkok
It’s not just nerdy rock bands who are obsessed with the spirit of radio. The 1940s-era first radio station in Bangkok provided one major jumping-off más...
St. Regis to debut bridal collection
The Marchesa Bridal Capsule Collection for St. Regis Hotels and Resorts will soon be available to brides worldwide. Created by Marchesa designers Georgina más...
News in brief: Meliá, IHG, Ultima Hospitality
Meliá finalizes multi-hotel transfer: Meliá Hotels International transferred seven hotels located in the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands más...
HOTELS Interview: Lifelong passion for luxury
As managing director of Sri Panwa in Phuket, Thailand, Vorasit “Wan” Issara oversees day-to-day operations, marketing, development and sales más...
Hot Openings: Marriott debuts two Macau hotels
There’s a lot to be said for design where the whole is exactly equal to the sum of its parts. Having every detail perfect really does count toward más...
Residence Inn launches lobby social program
Residence Inn by Marriott on Friday announced a new evening social program, the Residence Inn Mix, which is being rolled out más...
Bogus booking sites: Avoiding scams
Arriving at a hotel only to discover a reservation is a “fake” can be one of the worst traveler nightmares. With the level of versatility más...
News in brief: Radisson Blu, Silverwest, Absolute
Radisson Blu to expand in Mauritius: The 100-room Radisson Blu Azuri Resort & Spa, Mauritius, the 57-room Radisson Blu Azuri Residence & Suites más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Quirk Hotel, a Destination Hotel, named Sherry Abedi general manager and Kate McDonald Brown area director más...
Gostelow Report: Sweating the small stuff poolside
Anticipating sun-lounger management is crucial, even for a business hotel, according to Stuart Deeson, opening GM of Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & más...
ARC Hospitality acquires 5 hotels
American Realty Capital Hospitality Trust (ARC Hospitality) announced it plans to acquire a portfolio of five hotels totaling 565 rooms for US$92.5 million más...
Hot Openings: New Orleans hotel melds rustic and urban chic
Designers often are faced with the choice of whether to retool everything about the property or leave a few strategic original touches exposed. For projects más...
JW Marriott videos highlight chefs
JW Marriott properties in the Caribbean and Latin America have launched a Chef’s Table video series on YouTube spotlighting signature and local más...
Chicago hotel offers exclusive fitness program
Hyatt Regency Chicago has partnered with The Barre Code to offer an exclusive workout video in the hotel’s guestrooms. In order to enable guests más...
News in brief: Marriott, Hilton, African development
JW Marriott coming to Vancouver: Marriott International and Parq Holdings Limited Partnership announced it will open Vancouver’s first JW Marriott más...
Accor rebrands, opens website to independents
Accor on Wednesday said that it is changing its name to AccorHotels and will spend US$25 million to allow select independent hotels to offer their rooms más...
Hot Openings: Mövenpick unveils first Bangkok hotel
Cosmopolitan, effortless design has become a hallmark of properties the world over. So has a “best-of-both-worlds” approach that melds influences más...
Westin caters to runners
In honor of National Running Day, Westin Hotels & Resorts launched Run with a View, a new program aiming to motivate guests to run outdoors. "Run más...
NYC hotel to offer pop-up cheese shop
In celebration of National Cheese Day June 4, Sofitel New York has partnered with Murray’s Cheese, New York City’s oldest cheese shop, to más...
News in brief: Rocco Forte, Meliá, St. Regis
Rocco Forte Hotels to debut in Shanghai: A Rocco Forte hotel will open in Shanghai in 2018, constituting the group’s first move into the Asia Pacific más...
Commune adds Alila to portfolio
Commune Hotels & Resorts has added Singapore-based Alila Hotels and Resorts to its portfolio of boutique hotel brands. Alila will be Commune’s más...
Hilton expands Curio
Hilton Worldwide signed five properties to the development pipeline of Curio – A Collection by Hilton. The properties will join the existing eight más...
New prototypes unveiled for Days Inn, Super 8
Wyndham Hotel Group debuted LEED-certifiable, new-construction prototypes for its Days Inn and Super 8 brands. Prototypical offerings now are available más...
What's Hot: Paris hotel shows off elegant renovation
When it comes to renovations in historic properties, retaining the elegant aura of the original building is key, whether that revamp is restoration or más...
Scandic invites bloggers to 48-hour Nordic adventure
Scandic has invited two travel bloggers from the United Kingdom and Germany to experience the Nordic countries in just 48 hours through the #Nordics48h más...
News in brief: Starwood, Outrigger, Europe and MENA forecasts
Starwood to offer mobile event apps: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced its referral partnership with Cvent and PSAV will offer CrowdCompass más...
New York's Palace Hotel sold
Lotte Group signed an agreement to purchase the Palace Hotel in New York for US$805 million. Northwood Investors is the seller. Hotel Lotte, an unlisted más...
Starwood unveils new vision for Sheraton
Calling the plan “bold” and “a top priority,” Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide unveiled Sheraton 2020, a five-year, 10-point más...
New deal to expand Wingate by Wyndham brand
Wyndham Hotel Group announced it has entered into an agreement with Corinthian Development Co. to develop more than 15 new-construction Wingate by Wyndham más...
Night Hotels to be franchised
Début Hotel Group announced that it will begin franchising the Night Hotels brand. The hotel group is also providing several incentives to franchisees más...
What's Hot: California hotel debuts new suites
Just like a great hat, any hotel design gets a boost from a great topper. Whether it’s a sexy lounge or the perfect rooftop terrace, sky high style más...
News in brief: IHG, Hilton, Dubai
World’s largest Holiday Inn to open: IHG signed a management agreement with Al Majd Al Arabiah Co. for what will be the world’s largest Holiday más...
mayo 2015
Development in China presents new challenges
China’s transition from the golden child of hotel development to a promising adolescent with some growing pains can be summed up in a tweet-able más...
What's Hot: Milan landmark unveils renovation
Melding historical architecture and modern cool is a must for any designer working on one of today's many high-profile renovation projects. It's time más...
Miami hotel offers lessons from ‘iPhoneographers’
Miami’s Mandarin Oriental recently introduced #MiamiMyWay, a program offering one-on-one photography instruction for travelers. In collaboration más...
News in brief: Marriott, Omni, Expedia
Marriott grows in the Caribbean: Marriott International will open its seventh hotel in the Caribbean. The Courtyard by Marriott Kingston in Jamaica is más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Belmond appointed Tom Alderink as its first director of LGBT sales. Trine Ackelman was named director más...
Gostelow Report: Aman exec still gets personal
Ferdinand Wortelboer, Aman's global managing director of operations, believes many hotels today are losing focus on that priceless human touch. "Think más...
What's Hot: Phuket resort unveils new villas
Designers are striving to outdo each other when it comes to indulgent, escapist spaces. Whether it’s an ultra-glam lounge or a Zen retreat, going más...
Phoenix hotel connects guests directly with GM
In an effort to take communication with guests to the next level, The Westin Phoenix Downtown has launched the GM Voicemail program, which allows visiting más...
Turkish resort to hire 'chief Instagram officers'
Hillside Beach Club in Fethiye, Turkey, has kicked off a global search to recruit six “chief Instagram officers.” Winners will receive a seven-day más...
News in brief: Sheraton, Commune, Pandox
Sheraton to enter Myanmar: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced its market debut in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar with the signing más...
HOTELS Interview: GM shows passion for local
Last month, W Taipei launched its third Farmers Market – Formosa Foodland at its kitchen table outdoor sky garden featuring locally sourced vegetables más...
Landmark Sydney hotel sold
A joint venture between Singapore’s Far East Land and Housing Development Co. and the Hong Kong-based Sino Land Co. announced plans to purchase más...
London’s Grosvenor House attracts list of bidders
London’s Grosvenor House hotel, the 420-room property managed by Marriott International that has been put up for sale by the Bank of China, reportedly más...
Hot Openings: Baku hotel showcases color
Playing with color and texture might not be a new design concept, but designers are finding fresh ways to explore both of them. From punchy brights and más...
Social Hotel Awards deadline extended to June 2
HOTELS is extending its deadline for the 2015 Social Hotel Awards. Entries to recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and más...
News in brief: Bank of America, IHG, TripAdvisor
Bank of America may buy hotel loans: Bank of America is reportedly in final talks to buy hotel loans of about €400 million (US$436 million) from más...
HOTELS Interview: GM's reaffirming return to Muscat
Morton Johnston has returned to the 158-room Chedi Muscat, a hotel he left in 2007, because the opportunity was too difficult to refuse. “I have más...
Sankaty reportedly acquires big Ulster Bank portfolio
Ulster Bank has agreed to sell its Project Coney portfolio to Bain Capital affiliate Sankaty Advisers, according to a Tuesday report in the Irish Times más...
Hilton Cleveland to debut crowd-sourced art
Hilton Cleveland Downtown is asking community residents in Cuyahoga County to snap a photo that is “authentically Cleveland” and submit it más...
What's Hot: New York hotel debuts new suites
Everybody wants a room with a view. So, for spaces like the new suites at the Mandarin Oriental, New York, it’s a given that design has to measure más...
News in brief: Hilton, IHG, Shangri-La
Hilton plans Dubai World Center hotel: Hilton Worldwide signed a management agreement with the hospitality division of the Mohammad Omar Bin Haider Holding más...
HOTELS Interview: Hotelier of many talents
Kelly Roberts is tough to describe. Not only is she chief operating officer of The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside, California — a 238-room más...
Merger creates 'national leader' in Italy
UnipolSai SpA, Italy’s second-largest insurer, on Monday agreed to buy the hotel businesses of Una SpA for €287 million (US$315 million), Bloomberg más...
What's Hot: Paris hotel celebrates glamour
What’s old is new again — or maybe it’s just that what’s old — at least if it’s ultra-chic Parisian Directoire flair más...
Chengdu hotel to offer tea sommelier
Niccolo Chengdu in Chengdu, China, has named Lily Zhou tea sommelier to help ensure guests understand the value of traditional, locally sourced teas. más...
New uniforms at London hotel’s nightclub react to music
W London – Leicester Square has partnered with British fashion star Claire Barrow and Glofaster to design new uniforms for the hotel’s nightclub más...
Shangri-La unveils new business travel program
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts launched a new business travel program designed to reward small- to medium-sized enterprises for business stays. Program más...
HOTELS Interview: In-room breakfast made simple
Chicago’s Acme Hotel is offering a unique take on traditional room service with its Knock & Drop program. Guests order, and food is delivered más...
Mandarin Oriental, Saudi partner buy Ritz Madrid
Singapore-listed Mandarin Oriental International on Friday said it had teamed up with Saudi Arabia’s Olayan Group to acquire the 167-room Hotel más...
Pebblebrook buys Naples, Florida, luxury resort
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired for US$185 million the 189-room luxury LaPlaya Beach Resort as well as LaPlaya Beach Club, a private members club más...
What's Hot: L.A. hotel celebrates fantasy
Los Angeles is no stranger to escapist, opulent styling — after all, the film business does more than its fair share of transforming sound stages más...
Lungarno Collection art uses larger-than-life spoons
The new art installation at Lungarno Collection’s Gallery Hotel Art in Florence might be cutting-edge, but its focus actually is on a less incisive más...
News in brief: Accor, Hilton, Carlson Rezidor
Accor grows in Australia and Canada: The Wilpena Pound Resort in South Australia and Mercure Warragul in Victoria, Canada, will join Accor’s distribution más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Marriott Port-au-Prince Hotel in Haiti appointed Peter Antinoph general manager and Elsa Sammartano más...
HOTELS Interview: Broad perspectives on spa and wellness
Rosewood Hotel Group recently appointed its first regional spa director — Maxime Cormier, who is charged with guiding the overall vision for Rosewood’s más...
Affluent Americans prioritize family and experiences
Affluent U.S. consumers prioritize family and experiences ahead of luxury items and short-term satisfaction, according to a report from the Collinson más...
Hot Openings: Goa resort channels Hollywood
Goa, India, might be half a world away from Hollywood, but that doesn’t mean it’s not the latest locale to host a hotel inspired by the silver más...
China resort offers drone experience
Shangri-La’s Sanya Resort & Spa, Hainan recently launched a Drone Experience room package, which the property said is the first of its kind más...
News in brief: Four Seasons, Red Lion, Fujita Kanko
Four Seasons achieves record sales at road show: Country Group Development announced it exceeded records and achieved 700 million Thai baht (US$21.2 million) más...
Goldman Sachs selling 149 hotels to non-traded REIT
Goldman Sachs’ Whitehall Street real estate unit is going to sell 149 U.S. limited-service hotels to non-traded Moody National REIT for US$1.73 más...
Starwood Capital buy boosts InTown portfolio
Starwood Capital Group on Tuesday reported it has acquired a portfolio of 50 U.S. economy extended-stay hotels with 6,106 rooms predominantly in the Southeast más...
Ashford acquires 9-hotel portfolio
Ashford Hospitality Trust, Dallas, announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a nine-hotel portfolio comprising 1,251 rooms for US$224 más...
Morgans announces new leadership
Morgans Hotel Group Co., New York City, announced Jason Kalisman has resigned as interim chief executive officer to spend more time on personal matters más...
What's Hot: Anaheim hotel channels boutique vibe
When it comes to hotel design, scale isn’t the only way to pack a punch, as countless modestly-sized properties have gone to show. In fact, it’s más...
HTNG aims to ease acceptance of virtual credit cards
Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) announced the release of the Virtual Payment Cards Specification, which aims to provide a standard mechanism for más...
News in brief: Hotel Indigo, Sunway, Six Senses
Hotel Indigo coming to downtown L.A.: IHG and Greenland USA announced the signing of the first Hotel Indigo in Los Angeles. The 350-room, 18-story Hotel más...
Gostelow Report: Italian magic at Principe di Savoia
What is the magic of Italy, and how has Milan's current World Expo attracted so much attention? Ezio Indiani, managing director of The Dorchester Collection's más...
Real, clean and authentic among 2015 menu trends
With disruption dominating in areas such as the economy and technology, consumers increasingly are attracted to restaurant offerings that take a “back más...
What's Hot: Los Cabos hotel shows off new look
The line between design and architecture is finer than ever. The bones of the space are key to the overall impression and have often become focal points más...
Wyndham signs master license for Tryp in Philippines
Wyndham Hotel Group on Tuesday announced it has entered into a franchise agreement to introduce its select-service lifestyle hotel brand, Tryp by Wyndham más...
News in brief: Onyx, Carey Watermark, Wyndham
Onyx to expand in China: Onyx Hospitality Group announced two new management contracts in China. Shama Caojiadu Shanghai will mark the first cooperation más...
Cambodia’s accidental hotelier
When Rory Hunter and his wife, Melita, explored the Koh Rong Archipelago in Cambodia nine years ago, they weren’t looking to build Song Saa, the más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Inspiration behind St. Regis Istanbul
Starwood Hotels & Resorts last month debuted the St. Regis Istanbul, a modern interpretation of Istanbul’s glamorous Art Deco era with a variety más...
Disruptors: A hard look at group sales
Some hotels report getting 60% of their group leads through traditional intermediaries or e-channels. As customers continue changing the way they buy más...
Embassy Suites and Hampton Hotels add 'by Hilton'
Hilton Worldwide Monday announced a re-branding of Embassy Suites and Hampton Hotels, adding the “by Hilton” endorsement to their monikers más...
Anantara matches donations with new CSR program
Anantara Hotels, Resort & Spas in Thailand is launching the Dollars for Deeds program, where each resort throughout the kingdom will match guests' más...
What's Hot: LA hotel unveils renovated guestrooms
Elegance and opulence are the twin buzzwords for design in many projects, especially in Los Anegeles. Designers are constantly finding new ways to say más...
News in brief: Fairmont, Mövenpick, Meliá
Fairmont Orchid sold: The Fairmont Orchid in Hawaii was sold to Mirae Asset for US$200.3 million. Oaktree Capital Management and an affiliate of Woodbridge más...
HOTELS Interview: Family matters at Outrigger
Holding on to a family business past three generations is such a dicey prospect that virtually every language has a saying how the first generation saves más...
Choice says growing upscale segment now top priority
With the overhaul of its largest brand — the midscale Comfort Inn — almost complete, Choice Hotels International wants to raise its upscale más...
NYC passes ban on converting hotels to condos
Aiming to prevent job losses when hotels are closed, the New York City Council on Thursday passed a two-year ban on conversions of hotels to condominiums más...
What's Hot: Hawaii resort unveils renovated tower
Making a statement with the materials palette and the silhouette is a fresh twist on giving spaces a distinctly local identity. From local woods to pieces más...
News in brief: Loews, Wyndham, ITDC hotels
Loews announces first OE hotel: Ink Entertainment announced a strategic partnership with Loews Hotels & Resorts to launch the first hotel of OE Collection más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Loews Regency San Francisco appointed Amol Agarwal executive chef and director of food and beverage más...
Gostelow Report: Burj GM details challenges, opportunities
Heading what is arguably the world's most iconic hotel is a tremendous responsibility, but Tony McHale, general manager of Burj Al Arab in Dubai, is not más...
Disruptors: Maximizing email marketing campaigns
Big data is hot right now, and a lot of tools can get your property in front of a qualified group of digital prospects. It’s easy to overlook an más...
Judge rules against AH&LA in minimum-wage dispute
On Wednesday, Judge Andrew Birotte denied the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s preliminary injunction application against the City of más...
Hot Openings: Peruvian hotel celebrates local culture
Look at any cool hotel today, and chances are you will see the words "sustainable" and "local" somewhere in its mission statement. So, for any property más...
Autograph Collection launches video series
As a growing number of hotel brands introduce various content-focused marketing initiatives, Marriott International’s Autograph Collection announced más...
News in brief: Marriott, Carlson Rezidor, Expedia
Marriott unveils Mobile Request: Marriott Hotels launched its new Mobile Request option on the Marriott Mobile app. The feature enables guests to request más...
Choice unveils shift in marketing, ad strategies
With the economy back on track and hotels posting record performance numbers, Choice Hotels on Tuesday unveiled its comprehensive new marketing and advertising más...
Starwood furthers asset-light strategy
As part of its asset-light strategy, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced it has closed on the sale of The Gritti Palace in Venice to Nozul más...
What's Hot: Costa Rica resort unveils renovation
Doing a “take two” for any design can be challenging, but resort design refreshes have a certain difficulty level all their own. Keeping the más...
Tips for better negotiating with suppliers
Whether running a 10-bedroom guesthouse or a 1,000-room resort, hotel managers will inevitably face the challenge of procuring goods. Keen to maintain más...
News in brief: Langham, Tao Group, Eastin
Langham to open in Hefei, China: Langham Hospitality Group announced an agreement with Anhui Land Investment Co. to develop and manage The Langham, Hefei más...
Latest spa treatments often promise local flair
In the push for authenticity in spa treatments and other wellness-focused experiences, hotels increasingly are finding inspiration in their own backyards más...
Airbnb study shows huge impact it has on NYC economy
Airbnb is definitely making inroads in New York City’s accommodation business announcing Tuesday it generated US$1.15 billion in economic activity más...
Cape Cod resort to introduce farm share program
This summer and fall, Chatham Bars Inn in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, will introduce a farm share program and farm workshops. The farm share program will más...
Hot Openings: Chengdu hotel inspired by Art Deco design
Art Deco is one period designers return to again and again for inspiration. From literal renditions of the era to elaborate riffs on that theme, the lines más...
News in brief: Starwood, Accor, Hotels.com
Aloft to debut in Sydney: Starwood Hotels & Resorts signed a long-term management agreement with 302 Pitt Operations Pty Ltd., an affiliate of Four más...
HOTELS People Issue: Crazy for F&B
It doesn’t exactly come as a shock that Ivan Suardi chose hotel food and beverage as his dream job. Maybe other kids were busy dreaming about growing más...
IHG's Eisemann talks about Q1, Kimpton integration
IHG last week reported Q1 results, which showed comparable global RevPAR up 5.9% driven by a 3.4% increase in rate. At the same time, IHG’s system más...
Pinnacle founder found dead at home
Richard Louis Vilardo, 65, who served as founder and chief financial officer of Pinnacle Hotel Management, was found dead at his home near Rockville, más...
Hot Openings: IHG unveils Berlin Crowne Plaza
Truly timeless design isn’t an easy look to achieve. Finding the perfect balance of old and new pieces and traditional, transitional and contemporary más...
Priorities to facilitate growth in Africa
Following a Bench Events meeting to discuss hotel development in Africa, industry leaders produced a list of 10 priorities to facilitate the growth of más...
News in brief: Starwood, Hilton, Hyatt
Starwood signs new-builds in Canada: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed two new-build properties: The Westin Calgary Airport, owned by PAL más...
HOTELS People Issue: Man with many plans
Don’t even bother asking Tim Ananiadis what a typical day looks like. Not that he’s complaining. “The ever-changing environment and más...
Hot Openings: Sneak peek at Commune's new brand
For the latest crop of lifestyle flags, cool is — as always — paramount. The look and vibe of each space needs to be a perfect match for the más...
Big Chinese developer spreads its wings to Canada
Chinese developer Greenland Holding Group is making its first foray into Canada, announcing plans Friday for a Primus-branded boutique hotel and a theater más...
Contest highlights suitcases and selfies
Speculation about what suitcases would say if they could talk is at the heart of a new promotion from TownePlace Suites by Marriott and The Container más...
News in brief: Best Western, Carlson Rezidor, Waramaug
Best Western debuts in Dubai: Best Western International has announced its first hotel in Dubai. The Best Western Premier Deira Hotel will include 250 más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Bill Antone was named director of food and beverage at The Chattanoogan Hotel in Tennessee. Previously más...
HOTELS People Issue: She's got the look
One day a floor manager focused on routine operations at Soho House London, and the next a design director for the entire Soho House empire: It’s más...
Enter HOTELS 2015 Social Hotel Awards
Entries are open for HOTELS' 2015 Social Hotel Awards, which will recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation más...
Disruptors: Trends in travel tech
The recent large investments into the travel technology space are an incredible trend to watch happening and one that will have a significant impact on más...
South Africa legend Stehlik joins son to expand concept
South African hotel industry icon Otto Stehlik, founder and former chairman of Protea Hotels, has joined his son Guy Stehlik at Bon Hotels, a Cape Town-based más...
Starwood shakes up global brand leadership
Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced Thursday several leadership changes across its global brand organization. Starwood appointed John Peyton to the más...
What's Hot: London hotel debuts guestroom redux
Any renovation poses a few challenges for the design team — maintaining the hotel’s DNA, working within existing architectural framework and más...
News in brief: Langham, Hilton, Wyndham
Langham signs in Bali: Langham Hospitality Group signed a deal with PJM Group & Partners to manage a new resort in Bali, Indonesia. The 173-room Langham más...
Gostelow Report: Namibia's leading homegrown GM
Rudie Putter calls himself an accountant with personality. The general manager of the 173-room Kalahari Sands Hotel and Casino in the Namibian capital más...
Hot Openings: First look at Sternlicht's brand with a purpose
Few nascent brands have generated buzz quite like Starwood Capital Group’s 1 Hotels brand. The lifestyle offer ticks most of the industry’s más...
Morgan Stanley sells Marriott East Side in New York
Deka Immobilien GmbH, Frankfurt, Germany, has acquired in a joint venture with New York's Ashkenazy Acquisitions Corp. (AAC) the Marriott East Side Hotel más...
Hilton to address LGBT etiquette
Hilton Worldwide announced it has partnered with journalist, author and LGBT expert Steven Petrow to spotlight the ins and outs of modern manners. Hilton más...
Per Aquum revamps brand identity
Per Aquum has unveiled a new logo and tagline as well as a revamped visual identity. The changes are being heralded as a foundation for the expansion más...
Vote for HOTELS 2015 Hotelier of the World awards
This is another reminder to vote for the 35th annual Hotelier of the World awards. The corporate and independent awards recognize individuals and más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Scandic, Shaza
Ritz-Carlton to debut in Budapest: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has signed a deal with Al Habtoor Group to open the first Ritz-Carlton property in the Hungarian más...
HOTELS People issue: Numbers guy with charisma
Despite never working in a hotel, 33-year-old Sloan Dean has been in the hospitality industry for the majority of his career. Dallas-based Ashford Hospitality más...
Four Seasons Austin acquired
Four Seasons Austin, which features 291 guestrooms and sits on 2.3 acres (0.93 hectares) overlooking Lady Bird Lake in the central business district in más...
SLS Beverly Hills sold
The 297-room SLS Beverly Hills in California, opened in 2008 by Sam Nazarian’s SBE, has been sold for US$195 million to Torrance, California-based más...
New hotel company targets sub-Saharan Africa
Duet Group announced it is partnering with Bouygues Batiment International, a subsidiary of the Bouygues Construction Group, to develop hotels in sub-Saharan más...
Hot Openings: UAE resort celebrates sophisticated chic
No matter how much trendy, edgy spaces get buzz, great design for today still very much has a place for sophisticated chic. Polished textures and timeless más...
Canopy seeks local experiences
Canopy by Hilton announced Canopy by You, a three-month digitally based program that encourages fans and followers to suggest local food and drink, art más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Mövenpick, Four Seasons
Hyatt announces earnings: Hyatt Hotels Corp. reported net income for Q1 2015 was US$22 million compared to US$56 million for Q1 2014. Comparable systemwide más...
HOTELS People Issue: Beating the corporate world
If it hadn’t been for Barry Sternlicht, Alexander Mirza probably wouldn’t be helming one of the sexiest hotel startups in Asia. In all likelihood más...
Choice unveils new logo and marketing campaign
Choice Hotels International introduced its new logo and integrated advertising campaign Monday aiming to enhance brand awareness and reach potential guests más...
What's Hot: New Orleans hotel celebrates local culture
Local artists, materials and culture inform the look of properties across the globe, but a new generation of hotels is taking that to the next level and más...
AC in Miami Beach looks to capture local flavor
The local and authentic mantra lives on with Marriott International’s launch of the AC Hotel Miami Beach’s “Miami CULTure Project,” más...
News in brief: Red Lion, Trump, Dusit
Red Lion to franchise in Bakersfield: Red Lion Hotels Corp. signed a franchise agreement for a new location in Bakersfield, California. The 198-room hotel más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Barry Sternlicht is back
With the recent launch of Baccarat Hotels & Resorts in New York and 1 Hotels in Miami Beach and New York, Barry Sternlicht has returned to the forefront más...
Chesapeake Lodging buys L.A. Ace Hotel
Chesapeake Lodging Trust has acquired the Ace Hotel Downtown and The Theater at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles for US$103 million. The seller was Greenfield más...
Chicago hotel uses stairwell for art
Thompson Chicago has unveiled the first installment of its Secret Stairwell exhibit featuring four local artists. The hotel commissioned Chicago artists más...
Hot Openings: Belgrade hotel celebrates adaptive reuse
Guests at the Old Mill Hotel Belgrade won’t just be milling around. The vision for the adaptive-reuse project brings a tightly focused melding of más...
News in brief: Hilton, Carlson Rezidor
Dual-branded Hilton in Atlanta sold: Carey Watermark Investors acquired the Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites dual-branded hotel in Atlanta for an más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Gregory Breeback was named chef de cuisine at The Resort at Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas. Previously, más...
abril 2015
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority buys share of Hong Kong hotels
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) will buy a 50% share of three Hong Kong hotels from New World Development Co. for HK$18.5 billion (US$2.4 billion) más...
Virtuoso study examines generations’ traveling behavior
Luxury travel network Virtuoso has released findings from its first generational traveler study, which taps into transactional data from its U.S. and más...
St. Regis series celebrates jazz
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has kicked off the Jazz Legends at St. Regis series, jazz performances scheduled to take place at St. Regis properties más...
Hot Openings: Crete resort to showcase sophisticated chic
Yes, designers need to find the light. Especially when it comes to resort design, keeping the mood bright is key to taking advantage of the surroundings más...
News in brief: Marriott, Host, Disney
Marriott reports earnings: Marriott International reported a net income totaling US$207 million for Q1 2015, a 20% increase over Q1 2014. North American más...
Gostelow Report: A jack of all trades
As chief operating officer of Constance Hotels & Resorts, it is a good thing Andrew Milton appreciates fine wines "I am a jack of all trades, more más...
Starwood hires investment bank to explore all options
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide said on Wednesday that it is exploring its options to increase shareholder value and hired investment bank Lazard más...
Minor grows safari resort portfolio in Africa
Following the acquisition in Africa of Cheli & Peacock Group of Companies by its Elewana Collection, Minor Hotel Group (MHG), Bangkok, has added six más...
Accor to sell 29 hotels
Accor said Wednesday that it is selling 29 hotels in Germany and the Netherlands to Event Hotels for €234 million (US$257 million) as part of a sale más...
IHG partners to develop next-gen reservation system
InterContinental Hotels Group on Wednesday announced that it will develop with Amadeus a next-generation Guest Reservation System (GRS) using a new cloud-based más...
Provenance Hotels partner with Pacific Northwest distilleries
Provenance Hotels has partnered with independent distilleries of whiskey, gin, vodka and rum in the Pacific Northwest to replace mass-produced mini-bar más...
What's Hot: Chicago's hot new hotel unveils rooftop
Sky high design aspirations are a byword for today’s rooftop spaces. High altitude destinations beg for dramatic style that complements the setting más...
News in brief: Starwood Hotels, Hyatt, Hilton
McKibbon joins Starwood Hotels’ Tribute Portfolio: McKibbon Hotel Group will partner with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to develop a hotel in Asheville más...
HOTELS People Issue: Channeling the practical
Talk about fresh eyes. When the former banker turned hotelier and investor José María Trénor looked at the hotel market in Barcelona más...
Constellation acquires remaining shares of Maybourne
Qatar-based Constellation Hotels Group has acquired developer Paddy McKillen’s 36% stake in the Maybourne Group, which owns and operates three London más...
Relevant retargeting recaptures interest
You are visiting a hotel website via your PC and leave it without completing a transaction. Soon you open Facebook via your smartphone and see an ad from más...
Curio launches ‘Be Intrigued’ marketing campaign
Curio – A Collection by Hilton unveiled a new website design and online marketing campaign Tuesday designed to capture the individuality and authenticity más...
Hyatt Regency debuts interactive restaurant app
The Hyatt Regency New Orleans launched an interactive smartphone app for its restaurant Vitascope Hall. The app allows diners to act as “virtual más...
What’s Hot: Indianapolis hotel unveils arty suites
Art hotels are having (more) than a moment in the spotlight. What’s news is that the art is moving away from the gallery format and into more unique más...
News in brief: Four Seasons, Dusit, Starwood Hotels
Four Seasons returns to Bangkok: Country Group and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts announced a new hotel and residential project at Chao Phraya Estate más...
HOTELS People Issue: From 'junkie' to 'juror'
While the battle over legal control of Aman Resorts continues to play out in the courts between lead investors Vladislav Doronin and Omar Amanat, publicly más...
GLH puts new face on old Thistle brand
GLH, London, has launched the next-generation Thistle value brand called Thistle Express. The first hotel is due to open in London next year, and the más...
IHG unveils new external employer brand
IHG announced Monday the relaunch of its external-facing employer brand. “All of you at IHG” is the result of in-depth market research that más...
2015 Social Hotel Awards entries are open
Entries are open for HOTELS' 2015 Social Hotel Awards, which will recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation más...
What's Hot: San Francisco hotel debuts overhaul
Renovation is the name of the game for many of today’s hottest projects. Cool design doesn’t have to be the sole province of ground-up developments más...
New Tokyo hotel showcases Godzilla
Fujita Kanko’s new Hotel Gracery Shinjuku in Tokyo pays tribute to Godzilla with a couple types of Godzilla-themed guestrooms. The 970-room hotel más...
News in brief: Marriott, FRHI, Mandarin Oriental
Chicago’s Ritz-Carlton to become part of portfolio: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. announced that the Ritz-Carlton Chicago (A Four Seasons Hotel) will más...
Red Lion acquisition more than doubles portfolio
Red Lion Hotels Corp. (RLHC) late Thursday announced it has acquired the intellectual property assets and all hotel franchise license agreements of GuestHouse más...
Best Western signs first Vib hotels
Best Western International has signed its first two Vib hotels in Miami and Chicago, as well as its first international Vib hotel in Seoul, South Korea más...
W Taipei to offer farmers market
W Taipei announced it will host Farmers Market – Formosa Foodland at its kitchen table outdoor sky garden Saturday and Sunday afternoons from April más...
What's Hot: Irish castle unveils renovation
Renovating iconic, grandiose spaces isn’t an easy job. Designers are inevitably tasked with walking a fine line between fidelity to the original más...
News in brief: Expedia, Rosewood, IHG
Expedia app available on Apple Watch: Expedia released its app for Apple Watch. The app will provide users with access to notifications and itineraries más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Langham Hospitality Group appointed Nathan Bacher vice president of revenue management. Bacher joins más...
Qataris buy Barclay brothers' shares in London icons
Qatar’s Constellation Hotels Group on Thursday agreed to buy a 64% stake in Coroin, the company that owns London’s Maybourne Hotel Group, más...
Waldorf Astoria partners with prominent fashion magazine
As a growing number of hotel brands explore new forms of content marketing, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts announced a year-long partnership with más...
Hot Openings: Amsterdam hotel writes its story
A strong design narrative is a must for any cool hotel. For Ink Hotel Amsterdam, that narrative has a distinctly literary bent. Everything about the 149-key más...
Loews celebrates ‘local’ with burgers and beers
May is National Burger Month, and various Loews Hotels & Resorts properties are celebrating with locally inspired burgers paired with craft beers más...
News in brief: Moxy, Holiday Inn, Lux
Moxy grows in Europe: Marriott International will open the Moxy Tbilisi Hotel in Georgia in 2017. The property will be the first Moxy Hotel in Eastern más...
Gostelow Report: Cape Town hotelier with a dab hand
Xavier Lablaude is a dab hand at looking after tourists. As GM of Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel Cape Town, the Normandy-born Frenchman knows exactly what más...
Equinox, Related plan health-focused hotel brand
New York-based Equinox Holdings, which runs Equinox fitness clubs, is launching a high-end hotel brand focused on health-conscious travelers in conjunction más...
Four Seasons wins contract for second French hotel
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is about to take management of its second hotel in France as Access Industries, a privately held industrial group, will más...
Début opens first Unscripted Hotel
Hampshire Hotels Management’s lifestyle collection, Début Hotel Group, has opened the first location for its new brand Unscripted Hotels más...
Hilton to stream live concert on Periscope
Taking advantage of the growing prominence of live video-streaming apps, Hilton Worldwide will stream a special live concert by Nick Jonas exclusively más...
What's Hot: California hotel unveils redux
The days of rustic-chic meaning humble-but-comfortable surroundings and worn-in finishes are over. Today’s version has moved upscale. Even the most más...
News in brief: Revel, mobile usage, Hilton
Court document outlines Revel’s mistakes: A costly energy contract, construction-cost overruns and excessive debt are among the mistakes listed más...
HOTELS People Issue: Virgin's goddess of HR
Clio Knowles is more affectionately known around Virgin Hotels as The People Goddess. “I actually own the Twitter account, but I haven’t done más...
Booking.com reaches agreement in Europe
Booking.com announced Tuesday its supports of recent decisions by the National Competition Authorities in France, Italy and Sweden to accept parity commitments más...
Indian Hotels Co. wants to sell Belmond stake
Indian Hotels Co., operators of the Taj hotel brand, wants to sell its 6.85% stake in Belmond Ltd. (formerly Orient-Express Hotels) if the price is right más...
MGM Resorts considers REIT conversion
MGM Resorts International has added Evercore Group as an independent advisor to assist its board of directors in evaluating strategic initiatives for más...
Is Amazon inching closer to disrupting room sales?
Is another disruptor getting into the hotel booking business? On Tuesday, Amazon has introduced a new tab to its Amazon Local brand called Amazon Destinations más...
North Point says three better than two in Nashville
North Point Hospitality Group, Atlanta, is expected to break ground later this year in Nashville, Tennessee, to develop the first ground-up, tri-branded más...
Hot Openings: Nairobi hotel showcases vibrant chic
Even the most polished projects don’t have to sacrifice high-octane punch to make their point. From vivid colors to iconoclastic focal points, modern más...
News in brief: IHG, Hilton, Accor
IHG launches sharable rewards: In partnership with the Coca-Cola Co., IHG has introduced the Share Forever promotion. From May 1 through September 7, más...
HOTELS calls for entries to the 2015 Social Hotel Awards
HOTELS announces the launch of the 2015 Social Hotel Awards to recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in más...
Accor acquires another digital service company
In a move to try to keep OTAs at bay and drive more bookings through its own channels, Accor has acquired Fastbooking, a French company founded in 2000 más...
Art, food and social media come together at Milwaukee hotel
The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has combined food styling, gourmet dining and social media to create the #foodart Experience, which it offers más...
Hot Openings: Cambria Suites makes NYC debut
Call it flower power. For the 135 suite Cambria Suites in New York, Gene Kaufman Architect turned to the city’s Flower District for inspiration más...
News in brief: Minor, Red Lion, Standard Hotels
Minor grows in Africa: Minor Hotel Group announced a partnership with Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company to develop two new Anantara resorts in más...
HOTELS People Issue: Face of the brand
Until recently, industry watchers looking for the hotelier with the drive and creativity to take on Airbnb-style distruptors could have been forgiven más...
What's Hot: Trump hotel unveils new suites
The idea of extending each guest a personalized, unique stay is a must-have from both a design and service perspective for any of today’s más...
Peninsula Paris celebrates grand opening
Following a relatively quiet opening last August, on Thursday night The Peninsula Paris, owned by Katara Hospitality and The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels más...
News in brief: Starwood Hotels, Accor, Apa Group
Starwood Hotels’ shareholders push for merger or buyout: Bloomberg reported Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide may need to accommodate activist más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Scandic Hotels named Lena Bjurner senior vice president of human resources. Bjurner joins Scandic from más...
Starwood Hotels introduces Tribute Portfolio
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Thursday introduced the Tribute Portfolio, a collection of 4-star, upper-upscale independent hotels. Tribute más...
Minor partners with Qatari company for African expansion
Minor Hotel Group, Bangkok, announced a partnership with Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Co. to develop two new Anantara resorts in North Africa, both más...
What's Hot: Las Vegas hotel unveils new restaurant
You wouldn’t expect anything in Las Vegas to steer toward minimalism. However, the style of the glamorous city has evolved from straightforward más...
New Red Roof campaign celebrates lifestyle travel
Red Roof Inn has launched “Go More. Go Better,” a campaign encompassing a microsite, contests, social media, videos and promotions aimed at más...
News in brief: Kimpton, Chinese Millennials, Accor
Kimpton adds two Washington, D.C., hotels: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants acquired Washington, D.C.’s Carlyle at Dupont Circle and Savoy Suites más...
Gostelow Report: GM's graceful exit in Milan
Vincenzo Finizzola, opening GM of Four Seasons Milano, bowed out on April 10 after 22 years. “It was time to move on,” he said. “With más...
Loews launches Regency luxury brand
In conjunction with finalizing the acquisition of the Mandarin Oriental in San Francisco, Loews Hotels & Resorts on Wednesday launched Loews Regency más...
Hot Openings: Paris hotel's style sets sail
The heart of Paris’ La Défense district might not be the first place you’d look for a sail-shaped hotel, but Vasconi Architects is más...
Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong to highlight French desserts
The Lounge & Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong will offer an authentic, traditional French dessert buffet overseen by “Monsieur Mille-feuille” más...
News in brief: Radisson Red, Steigenberger, JetBlue
Radisson Red planned for South Africa: Carlson Rezidor announced the 235-key Radisson Red Hotel V&A Waterfront will open in late 2016 in Cape Town más...
HOTELS People Issue: Google hotel philosopher
Ask most hotel CEOs to describe their concept in five words and you probably won’t hear “no bull” as two of them. Then again, most hotel más...
Sapir-led team wins control of former Mondrian Soho
The New York Supreme Court on Monday ruled that ASRR Capital, an Israeli company led by Alex Sapir and Rotem Rosen, along with partner Gerard Guez, can más...
Trump Experiences offers location-specific activities
Trump Hotel Collection has launched its new Trump Experiences program, offering guests a curated collection of unique, location-specific activities. The más...
Hot Openings: Paris hotel celebrates modern culture
Paris will always have a place in the public mind as the home of Belle Epoque grandeur. All well and good, but ask the Experimental Group and designer más...
News in brief: Mövenpick, Tsogo Sun, IHG
Mövenpick to debut in Dubai Media City: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts will open its first property in Dubai Media City in 2017. The 251-key más...
HOTELS Legends: Bill Marriott's priorities for the ages and now
In this third and final video feature with HOTELS Legend Bill Marriott, the executive chairman talks about growth as well as the strategy for Marriott más...
Travelodge owners to consider sale
The owners of Travelodge are preparing to appoint advisers to consider a sale that may value the company at more than £1 billion (US$1.46 billion) más...
Delano to enter Middle East
Morgans Hotel Group Co. announced a partnership with IFA Hotels & Resorts to bring the Delano brand to the Middle East with the 110-key Delano Dubai más...
Starwood partners with Coke to launch eco-friendly amenities
W Hotels Worldwide on Monday announced a partnership with Coca-Cola Co. and musician will.i.am to use new, branded bed sheets made with recycled plastic más...
Hot Openings: Chicago hotel celebrates local style
For many people, it’s the architecture that defines the Windy City. From skyscrapers to the early- and mid-20th-century structures that grace the más...
News in brief: Ascott, Destination, Iberostar
Ascott secures global management contracts: The Ascott Limited has signed contracts to manage its first Citadines Apart’hotels in Vietnam, Malaysia más...
HOTELS People Issue: Family legacy carries on
Mama Shelter’s story reads like a feel-good hipster fable. A vegan, ex-philosophy professor turned entrepreneur named Cyril Aouizerate taps an ambitious más...
J.D. Power survey assesses hotel-loyalty programs
Hotel-loyalty and reward program features and benefits are key to member satisfaction regardless of the number of hotel brand locations, according to más...
Hot Openings: Istanbul hotel reinvents Art Deco
Two of the top design buzzwords today might just be “glamorous” and “Art Deco.” The 118-key St. Regis Istanbul (the flag's first más...
California hotel puts a ‘wicked’ spin on tea
Livello at L'Ermitage Beverly Hills is offering a “naughtier” version of afternoon tea — the Wicked Tea service in which every food más...
News in brief: MGM, Hilton, Investment Corp. of Dubai
MGM Resorts unveils special dividend: MGM Resorts International unveiled a special dividend of US$400 million from its CityCenter joint venture that will más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: IHG appointed Jorge Apaez chief operating officer of Mexico, Latin America and The Carribbean. Most más...
HOTELS People Issue: Everywoman hotelier
Shan Kanagasingham, New York City area general manager for 1 Hotels, is the first to admit she adores the face-to-face part of her job. “The ability más...
Marriott debuts meeting-planning tools for Asia Pacific
Marriott International Asia Pacific has launched Meetings Imagined and its Meeting Services app to the region’s event planners. The tools are designed más...
Atlanta hotel introduces ‘green tour’
In an effort to take green meetings to the next level, The Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta has debuted a “green tour,” an on-site specialty más...
What's Hot: San Diego hotel unveils redux
California cool never goes out of style. From the beachy take of countless resorts to the urban look of L.A.-inspired spaces, the Left Coast gets plenty más...
News in brief: IHG, Waramaug, Hong Kong tourism
Hotel Indigo expands in U.K.: IHG will bring its Hotel Indigo brand to Bath, United Kingdom. The hotel will open in 2016 and operate under a franchise más...
Gostelow Report: Hyatt Hakone's pampered pooches
Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort and Spa, an onsen (hot springs) resort in the central region of Honshu, Japan, makes dogs feel more than pampered. “I más...
Dusit strengthens presence in Middle East
Dusit International and Dyar Hotels and Resorts have entered into an agreement to establish a joint venture hospitality management company. The new company más...
Preferred web interface allows travelers to curate choices
Preferred Hotels & Resorts on Wednesday introduced a new web interface that allows travelers to choose their own adventure. This new search option más...
Novotel offers rewards to well-connected guests
The Novotel Vines Resort in Swan Valley, Australia, has rolled out discounts and free nights to socially connected travelers on Instagram and Facebook más...
Hot Openings: Paris hotel brings back the Gilded Age
No city is more associated with the grit and the glam of the turn of the 20th century than Paris. From the sparkling high society to the Bohemian artistes más...
News in brief: Hilton, Okura, AMResorts
Mission Valley Doubletree sold: The Doubletree San Diego-Hotel Circle in Mission Valley was sold to Oak Coast Properties for US$49 million. Read more más...
HOTELS presents webinar on best social media practices
Developing a winning social media strategy has become essential in today's ultra-competitive marketplace. Plugged-in consumers expect their favorite brands más...
New IHG tool focuses on developing Holiday Inn in AMEA
IHG announced the launch of Build for Success, an online platform created to facilitate development of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels across más...
Coppola resorts names new managing director
The Family Coppola Resorts, Napa Valley, California, has named Myriam Kournaf as the new managing director of its luxury hotel group. Kournaf will oversee más...
What's Hot: Hilton Head resort shows off renovated suites
Renovations have to impress just as much as new-build projects. Just upgrading furniture or finishes won't cut it for today's guests. Any redux has to más...
Bite-size desserts, tea cocktails among hot conference foods
The International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) released its top 10 conference food trends for 2015, which include bite-size desserts, more más...
News in brief: Russia, The William Vale, Premier Inn receptionist
Russia proposes cutting number of hotels built for 2018 World Cup: The sports ministry in Moscow has proposed dropping plans for some 25 hotels nationwide más...
HOTELS Legends: Arne Sorenson reflects on 'Mr. Marriott'
In Part Two of the HOTELS Legends video interview with Bill Marriott, the words and reflection come easy for current President and CEO Arne Sorenson when más...
Vote for HOTELS 2015 Hotelier of the World awards
A reminder to our readers to vote for the 35th annual Hotelier of the World awards. The corporate and independent awards recognize individuals and más...
CEOs' perspective: The younger generation
For the 2015 Luxury Global Hospitality CEO Perception & Analysis Report, in association with the World Tourism Forum Lucerne, Bridge.Over Group interviewed más...
Barbados hotel company planning IPO on AIM
Barbados-based hotel owner Elegant Hotels is preparing to float on London’s alternative investment market (AIM) within the next few months at a más...
Hilton to eliminate cage eggs, gestation crate pork
Hilton Worldwide will begin to eliminate the use of cages for egg-laying chickens and gestation crates for breeding pigs in its global food supply chain más...
What's Hot: Detroit lounge reinvents Motown cool
Nightlife spaces are designers’ playgrounds. From high-impact lighting schemes to sharp shapes and dramatic colors, it’s one place where more más...
News in brief: Revel, Accor, Centara
Revel finally sold: Glenn Straub received court approval to buy Revel for US$82 million. Straub said the never-finished second tower will rise more than más...
HOTELS Interview: Wyndham’s Ballotti on global strategy
With almost one year serving as CEO and president of Wyndham Hotel Group under his belt, Geoff Ballotti is responsible for the strategic direction, operation más...
Nazarian returns to helm at reorganized SBE
Sam Nazarian has returned to SBE Entertainment Group as chairman, president and CEO after a 10-week leave of absence as result of admitting illegal drug más...
Hot Openings: Mallorca hotel marries old and new
The concept of a family-owned hotel being merely a charming old-fashioned retreat is long over. But, the latest crop of family-owned offerings is más...
NFL quarterback among newest Rosewood Curators
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has added New York style icon Iris Apfel, fashion designers Heidi Gosman and Penny Klein of heidi klein and National Football más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The InterContinental Hotels of San Francisco appointed Nicole Arce director of outlets for InterContinental más...
News in brief: Booking.com, Ritz-Carlton, Wyndham
Germany rejects Booking.com proposal: Skift reports German antitrust regulators said they are likely to ban the online reservation site’s best-price más...
Gostelow Report: Making the transition to GM
How difficult is it to step up from deputy to the top job? Jonathan Lowrey had joined Royal Garden Hotel, London, at its reopening in 1996 as F&B más...
Airbnb adds lodging in Cuba
Starting this week, Cuba will list more than 1,000 of its homes on Airbnb. This will mark the first time in decades that licensed American travelers will más...
Shangri-La debuts sustainable dining program globally
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts this month is marking the global rollout of its culinary sustainability initiative, Rooted in Nature, by hosting a celebration más...
What's Hot: San Diego hotel unveils redux
Great lines are part of the backbone of any exciting design. Sometimes, it’s the dramatic curve of a chair or the sharp angle of an ultra-modern más...
News in brief: Marriott, IHG, Hostmark
Marriott completes New York Edition sale: Marriott International has completed the previously contracted sale of the New York Edition hotel for net cash más...
Wyndham unveils group-wide initiatives at annual conference
Wyndham Hotel Group’s CEO and President Geoff Ballotti kicked off the company's annual conference Tuesday at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in más...
Interstate expands U.K. portfolio
Interstate Hotels & Resorts announced the signing of 18 management agreements for a portfolio of U.K. hotels owned by an affiliate of Cerberus Capital más...
Hot Openings: Pretoria hotel offers chic take on urban style
From the streamlined lounge furnishings to a lobby accent table that resembles a gilded tree trunk, it’s clear the team behind Pretoria’s más...
Mandarin Oriental debuts new social platform
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has launched of Fans of MO, a new social platform where guests can share personal photos and notes about their favorite más...
Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, Maison Pierre Hermé love vanilla
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong later this month at its Café 103 will introduce a vanilla-themed afternoon tea in partnership with luxury French brand más...
News in brief: Hotel Indigo, HEI, Gulf Hotels
Hotel Indigo to enter Colorado: IHG’s Hotel Indigo brand announced the signing of its first hotel in the state of Colorado, the 180-room Hotel Indigo más...
marzo 2015
Blackstone reportedly acquiring 3 big assets
Blackstone Group is going to acquire three large hotels from a consortium led by Paulson & Co. for US$1.2 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal más...
Huge Australian ski resort sold
Broomfield, Colorado-based Vail Resorts said it will buy its first ski area outside the United States — the massive Perisher in New South Wales más...
What's Hot: Paris hotel celebrates fashion focus
No place is as intimately associated with the world of high fashion as Paris. From couture houses to its notoriously chic denizens, style is part of the más...
NYC hotel offers Masters-inspired pop-up mini golf
Morgans Hotel Group’s Hudson Hotel in New York is launching Putt Putt Park, a pop-up mini golf course located within the courtyard of the chic lifestyle más...
News in brief: Starwood Capital, Wanda, New World
Starwood Capital Group sells Ace Hotel London Shoreditch: The 258-room Ace Hotel London Shoreditch has been sold for £150 million (US$222.7 million) más...
HOTELS Legends: J.W. 'Bill' Marriott Jr. kicks off new series
The hotel industry has produced so many hospitality icons — Cesar Ritz, Lord Forte, Conrad Hilton, Jim Nassikas, Bob Burns, Isadore Sharp and, of más...
The real icon of Singapore tourism: Op-Ed
The real icon of Singapore tourism is not the Skypark pillared by three towers, the water-spouting Merlion before it or the Vanda "Miss Joaquim" much más...
What's Hot: Luxury Collection debuts first Florida property
After focusing more heavily on Europe in the last few years, The Luxury Collection is targeting North America. Sunset Key Cottages off Key West is the más...
Review of U.S. extended-stay market from Horwath
The United States extended-stay market has been performing well in recent yearsand is gaining popularity among developers and investors. We see extended-stay más...
News in brief: Cachet, Whitbread, Apple Leisure Group
Cachet, Drai’s form JV nightlife management company: Cachet Hotel Group and Drai’s Enterprises announced the formation of a joint venture más...
Vote for HOTELS 2015 Hotelier of the World awards
Now in its 35th year, the nominees for HOTELS 2015 Hotelier of the World awards are set and it is time for our readers to vote! The corporate and independent más...
Leela, Qatari group launch upscale brand
Amruda Nair, the grand daughter of the late founder of Leela Group of Hotels Captain C P Krishnan Nair, and Qatar-based Al Sawari Holding (part of Al más...
Fairmont to manage newly acquired Grand Del Mar
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has announced that it will take over management of the 249-room Grand Del Mar in San Diego after private equity firm Blum más...
Notable wedding specialist shares summer trends
Alice Fay, wedding specialist at the Fairmont Chicago, will celebrate her 500th event on May 16. With more than 15 years of experience under her belt más...
What's Hot: Azerbaijan restaurant brings the heat
Dramatic design is key for today’s restaurants and bars. So is a good design narrative. But, not all designers would look at a brief and decide más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Valerie Barrios was appointed director of loyalty and communications for Accor Thailand, Vietnam más...
News in brief: QHotels, Korea Investment Corp., Hyatt
QHotels to be sold: The Times of London reported that QHotels is being put up for sale by its private equity owners, Sankaty Advisors and Canyon Capital más...
Gostelow Report: A passion for concierge
In India, having a strong woman concierge, as at Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, sends a comforting signal to female guests. "Business travelers are busier más...
Sternlicht’s 1 Hotels debuts
Billing itself as a “mission-driven luxury lifestyle brand,” 1 Hotels — managed by SH Group, whose parent company is Starwood Capital más...
Hotel Wi-Fi routers may put guests at risk
Wired reports guests at hundreds of hotels around the world are susceptible to “serious hacks” due to vulnerable routers that many properties más...
How to market hotel deals online
With Expedia’s recent acquisition of Orbitz and Travelocity — not to mention Amazon, Google, Groupon and other Internet giants stepping into más...
Hot Openings: Art hotel celebrates dramatic style
It’s a given for today’s artsy hospitality locales that “art” needs to take center stage. Spaces need to be designed so that lighting más...
News in brief: Accor, Alila, Steigenberger
Accor shares to be sold: Colony Capital and Eurazeo will sell 22.5 million Accor SA shares, or 9.65% stake of total Accor shares. Placing of the shares más...
PE player reportedly acquiring Great Wolf Resorts
Private equity firm Centerbridge Partners has acquired from Apollo Global Management via auction indoor water park operator Great Wolf Resorts for US$1 más...
Rumors heat up in Malmaison, Hotel du Vin auction
Rumors continue to swirl this week around the potential sale of the Malmaison and Hotel du Vin brands by KSL Capital Partners. The UK’s Sky más...
Disruptors: Measuring social media ROI
How can hotels measure the ROI of their social media efforts? This is a common question and the answer is three parts:If making money directly from social más...
What's Hot: Renovated Salzburg hotel hits high note
Walking into a guestroom to find a life-size photo of two opera singers on the wall certainly makes for an unusual focal point. But, that’s más...
London hotel to give tea a ‘manly’ twist
Often seen as a dainty affair of raised pinkies and delicate china, afternoon tea is about to take a more masculine turn at The Stafford London. Beginning más...
News in brief: Provenance, Red Lion, Hilton
Provenance acquires the Sentinel: Provenance Hotels has acquired Woodbine Development Corp.’s 50% interest in the Sentinel hotel in Portland, Oregon más...
HOTELS Interview: Simplifying the fine-dining tabletop
Even as hotel F&B concepts push beyond the traditional, particularly in the realm of “fine dining,” the objective for their tabletops más...
Karisma, Viacom to launch new hotel brand
Karisma Hotels & Resorts and Viacom International Media Networks have signed an agreement to develop Nickelodeon Hotels. The new brand will feature más...
Le Bristol Paris features video exhibit
Le Bristol Paris has renewed its contemporary art program in collaboration with the Galerie Perrotin. Through April 25, Le Bar du Bristol’s mirror más...
Hot Openings: Durham hotel celebrates art
A quick look at the brief Deborah Berke Partners got for the 21c Museum Hotel Durham in North Carolina resembles a summary of almost every hot design más...
WTTC names top travel and tourism economy
The United States will retain its status as the world’s largest travel and tourism economy in 2015 ahead of China and Germany, according to research más...
News in brief: Starwood, Dusit, Baha Mar
W Hotels coming to Bellevue: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced an agreement with Kemper Development Company and Associates to open W Bellevue más...
Fujita Kanko spreading wings beyond Japan
With relatively limited geographical range, Tokyo-based Fujita Kanko wants to gain international clout and has partnered with Korean construction company más...
Carey Watermark buys California hotel
Carey Watermark Investors (CWI) acquired the Westin Pasadena in California for $US142.5 million. HEI Hotels & Resorts was the seller of the 350-room más...
Marriott launches digital magazine
In a move to provide consumers with more meaningful travel-destination content and information that is unexpected and informative, Marriott International más...
What's Hot: Hong Kong hotel unveils new suites
Today’s coolest kids are looking for suite spaces that marry aesthetic indulgence with homey touches. Exquisite details sit side by side with inviting más...
Connectivity, wellness among top 2015 meeting trends: Benchmark
The need for connectivity, the growing influence of wellness initiatives and the increasing pervasiveness of smartphones are just a few top meeting trends más...
News in brief: U Hotels, Hilton, environmental sustainability
U Hotel coming to Chiang Mai: The U Hotels & Resorts property will open in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2016. The 140-room hotel will include a restaurant más...
Europe on 'wobbly' course to surpass 2014 investment
The new biannual BHN Hotel Investment Survey completed in January, coupled with input from industry experts, suggest European hotel investment activity más...
Embassy Suites focuses on families
In an effort to improve the brand’s family-travel experience, Embassy Suites Hotels has launched its new #PrettyGreat Family Travel Hacks community más...
Hot Openings: Local artist inspires Jakarta hotel
Thinking local and thinking art might be two of the most top-of-mind concepts out there for today’s designers, so it’s only natural that many más...
Sofitel New York celebrates bread
Believe it or not, March 21 marks National French Bread Day, and Sofitel New York is celebrating the occasion in a number of ways. The private dining más...
News in brief: Hilton, Starwood, New York investment
Hilton strengthens presence in Japan: Hilton Worldwide signed a management agreement with Tokyo Humana Enterprise to rebrand Hotel Nikko Tokyo and manage más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Katie Allen was named complex director of sales at Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center and The más...
Mantra to acquire Outrigger Australia
Beating out rivals reported to include Accor and Wyndham, Mantra Group announced it has entered an agreement to acquire Outrigger Hotels & Resorts más...
Medallia: Responding to social media boosts occupancy
Hotels that actively engage with social media reviews grow occupancy faster than properties that do not respond, according to a new study from Medallia más...
Hot Openings: Bahrain hotel celebrates marine style
Given its location on a man-made private island, it might not come as a surprise that the interior design for the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay came más...
Cape Cod resort connects guests with sharks
The coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts is a popular gathering area for great white sharks, so Chatham Bars Inn is offering guests several ways to take más...
News in brief: Viceroy, Marriott, Starwood
Viceroy joins Global Hotel Alliance: Global Hotel Alliance has announced Viceroy as its latest member brand. Several Viceroy properties will also become más...
Gostelow Report: Ahead of the bloom in Tokyo
For three years now, cherry blossoms at The Peninsula Tokyo have surprised and totally delighted guests. “It's a long-term investment in a hotel más...
Billionaire Malone buys another asset in Ireland
U.S. billionaire John Malone, alongside his JMP partners Paul Higgins and Lalco, has agreed to purchase the InterContinental Hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin más...
Sneak peek: Commune's Chicago Athletic Association
This spring, Commune Hotels & Resorts will open the restoration of the iconic Chicago Athletic Association, which is being converted to a 241-room más...
Hot Openings: Fairmont to debut Mexican residence club
Home away from home is the vibe a lot of design projects seem to be after these days. So what happens when the project is actually a fractional ownership más...
Resort chef gives traditional Hawaiian dish a luxe spin
The classic Hawaiian “loco moco” dish — which traditionally consists of plain white rice topped with a hamburger patty or Spam, a fried más...
News in brief: FelCor, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton
FelCor sells Texas hotel: FelCor Lodging Trust announced it sold the 261-room Embassy Suites Hotel – San Antonio Airport for US$29.5 million. Read más...
Loyalty programs: From points to perks
Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from "Special report: Loyalty, next" published in the March issue of HOTELS. When Virgin Hotels opened más...
PKF: Group demand remains high
According to a recent PKF Hospitality Research report, group demand grewin 2014 and will continue to grow in 2015. For the fourth consecutive year, PKF más...
Hilton expands Chinese amenities program
With a new Bank of America Merrill Lynch study suggesting 174 million Chinese tourists will spend US$264 billion by 2019 compared with the 109 million más...
Hot Openings: Picasso studio becomes hotel
Art hotels are hot, no question. But, for Barcelona’s 30-key The Serras, the art is more than just a painting hung a wall. The 19th century building más...
St. Regis developing first polo resort
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of the first-ever St. Regis polo resort, The St. Regis Dubai Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club más...
News in brief: Marriott, Accor, China’s high-speed rail
Marriott to help unemployed youth: Marriott International announced its goal to crate 20,000 career opportunities for young people aged 16-25 by 2020 más...
Disruptors: Challenging fixed marketing costs
Establishing expectations for monthly room revenue can be akin to throwing a dart at a revenue dartboard. However, once a property forecasts that más...
What's Hot: Doha hotel debuts renovated lounge
It might be time to update the old phrase “lights, camera, action,” at least when it comes to hotels. Lighting is pushing other elements off más...
2015 could be turning point for France: Horwath
The economy of France has been at a standstill for a few years, but the French government expects 2015 to be turning point. French gross-domestic-product más...
Barcelona hotel combines fitness and culture
Hotel Arts Barcelona has introduced the Cultural Fitness Experience, a new offering for guests who want to combine wellness with some of Barcelona’s más...
News in brief: Yotel, Marriott, St. Andrews
Yotel to debut in the Middle East: Yotel has signed a long-term agreement with Dubai Investment Properties to operate a new hotel. This will be the brand’s más...
First & Foremost developing specialty niche
New venture First & Foremost Family Hotels, Dubai and London, aims to further the movement for autism-friendly hotels, with its Managing Director más...
Accor and Mantra bid for Outrigger portfolio
The Australian reports Accor and Mantra are among the companies hoping to buy Outrigger Resorts’ Queensland portfolio in a deal worth about US$25 más...
Trump’s Taj Mahal to survive with reorganization plan
After a judge on Thursday approved the Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan of Trump Entertainment Resorts, the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City más...
Hot Openings: Adelaide boutique celebrates elegance
No matter how many high-drama spaces make headlines, hospitality design still has a place for style that’s well thought out, well executed and timelessly más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Apple Leisure Group appointed Dominique Berthelot director of development, Cancun. Yann Chupin was named más...
News in brief: Hyatt, IHG, Fuji Media
Hyatt builds marketing team: Hyatt Hotels Corp. appointed Debra Goetz senior vice president of corporate marketing and global communications and Sandra más...
Holiday Inn Express unveils new look in Europe
Holiday Inn Express has unveiled a “next-generation” guest experience for the brand in Europe that includes a guestroom redesign, a new F&B más...
Hot Openings: Thai hotel shows off local flavor
It goes without saying that drawing influences and inspiration from the surrounding culture and geography is a no-brainer for hotel design. What can be más...
When to use open-source project management
In the hospitality industry, project management (PM) has a broad range of applications. It can cover anything from new construction and renovation to más...
California hotels debut online fitness community
Several hotels in the San Francisco Bay area have launched a “Travel Well” campaign that includes the debut of an online community, #MarriottTravelWell más...
News in brief: Steigenberger, La Posada, IHG
Steigenberger adds second Jaz in the City: The Steigenberger Hotel Group will open its second Jaz in the City-branded hotel in Stuttgart, Germany. The más...
Gostelow Report: Making the most of ITB business
What is it like running Berlin's iconic Hotel Adlon Kempinski during the annual ITB travel fair? “Actually it is business as usual, as the hotel más...
New Proper Hospitality launches second brand
Proper Hospitality, Los Angeles, on Wednesday launched its second brand, Avalon Hotels, as it assumes management of the Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills and más...
Hot Openings: London hotel shows off cinematic style
Yes, the Art Deco love continues. The era is taking on a new life as the inspiration behind some of the coolest projects of the year, so it takes some más...
North Carolina hotel aims to boost dog adoption
It’s a “ruff” life for orphaned dogs, and the Aloft Asheville Downtown in Asheville, North Carolina, has found a unique way to help más...
News in brief: CBRE, Elephant Hotel, IHG
CBRE examines Asia Pacific investor intentions: Risk appetite from prime core assets in the Asia Pacific region has risen, according to CBRE’s Asia más...
HOTELS Interview: Uniqueness over cost on today’s tabletops
With all the focus on new and inventive restaurant cuisine, it’s easy to forget the tabletop also plays a critical role in a guest’s experience más...
Disruptors: Step up your loyalty game
Hoteliers want more control of distribution, lower costs and the ability to provide a more satisfying experience for their customers. In other words, más...
Marriott launching Apple Pay this summer
Marriott International announced on Monday that it will become the first global hospitality company to offer Apple Pay. The phased introduction this summer más...
St. Regis teams with Hollywood star on original film
In celebration of the debut of The St. Regis Istanbul, which opened March 1 and marked the brand’s entry into Turkey, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts más...
Hot Openings: Indigo unveils first Scandinavian hotel
Streamlined chic is one of the most truly global styles around. From Tokyo to New York, clean lines and neutral colors form a recipe for a modern vibe más...
News in brief: Ascott, Red Lion, Expedia
Ascott grows in Malaysia: The Ascott Limited secured a contract to manage its third property in Nusajaya, Malaysia. The 214-unit Citadines Medini Nusajaya más...
HOTELS Interview: Fiskers leads class of the Nordics
Scandic stands alone in the Nordic countries as the unmatched hotel industry leader – perhaps because the big differentiator in the region is that más...
MCR acquires 18 hotels
MCR Development, a hotel owner-operator headquartered in New York City and Dallas, announced Monday it has acquired a portfolio of 18 hotels encompassing más...
Accor announces Apple Watch app
On the heels of today’s Apple Watch announcement, Accor unveiled its Accorhotels app for Apple Watch. The app is available in 10 language and works más...
Hotels recognize International Women’s Day
Each year on March 8, thousands of events around the world take place to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women. With yesterday’s más...
Recycled water bottles get design spin at W Taipei
W Taipei has debuted an eco-designed jewelry holder made from some surprising material — recycled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene from empty water más...
Hot Openings: New York hotel blends influences
You might not expect to see Carnegie Hall and a residential pied-a-terre on the same vision board, but synthesizing those two approaches can work. Blending más...
News in brief: Ashford, Hotel investment, Qatar Airways
Ashford completes Highland acquisition: Ashford Hospitality Trust successfully completed the acquisition of the remaining 28.26% ownership interest of más...
Gostelow Report: The importance of ambience
Stunning artwork doesn't have to be expensive, as Cary Gray, general manager of W Taipei in Taiwan, knows well. The 405-room hotel opened February 2011 más...
Sale of Hilton Sydney reportedly imminent
Chinese investment group Bright Ruby has won preferred buyer status and, according to multiple sources, is set to purchase the Hilton Hotel Sydney for más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Sneak peak at Marriott’s ‘Two Bellmen’
Set to debut March 10, Marriott International’s first original short film "Two Bellmen" is a 15-minute action comedy that features two hotel employees más...
Hot Openings: Hyatt unveils all-inclusive Mexican property
Resort design today requires a certain amount of drama to go with the relaxing vibe getaways are known for. White palettes are getting punched up with más...
People on the move…
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Debra Saccavino was appointed general manager at Sawgrass Grand Hotel & Suites in Sunrise, Florida más...
News in brief: Carlson Rezidor, Revel, Nashville
Radisson Blu grows in UK: Carlson Rezidor will open the Radisson Blu Hotel, Birmingham airport in 2017. This will be Carlson Rezidor’s 15th hotel más...
New CEO coming to Carlson in May
Carlson announced on Thursday that President and CEO Trudy Rautio will retire on May 1 and that current COO David Berg will be promoted to CEO. Berg will más...
$500 million extension to Marriott's LA Live announced
AEG on Thursday announced it plans to develop a US$500 million, 755-room expansion of the JW Marriott L.A. Live in Los Angeles, which will upon its conclusion más...
Marriott backs same-sex marriage
Marriott International has joined with a coalition of American businesses and employers to file a corporate amicus brief that makes the “business más...
Driftwood launches new EB-5 program
Driftwood Hospitality Management has unveiled its new EB-5 program that allows foreign investors to participate in new-build hotel developments across más...
Disruptors: Last-minute booking
One of the hottest topics in hotel distribution right now is the prevalence of last-minute booking services. This includes both newer products, such as más...
Hot Openings: Aman unveils third Chinese property
Call it local chic or locally-driven design. Hands down, a sense of place is a must-have for almost any designer working today. The challenge is putting más...
News in brief: Mandarin Oriental, Viceroy, Accor
Mandarin Oriental credit card breach: Mandarin Oriental reports a credit card breach at a number of hotels in the U.S. and Europe. The attack could date más...
Preferred announces rebrand and collections
Preferred Hotel Group has transitioned from a multi-branded business model to one master brand, Preferred Hotels & Resorts. The rebrand reflects the más...
Sahara India defaults on Bank of China loan
Sahara India Pariwar defaulted on loan agreements with Bank of China that were secured for three hotels in the U.S. and UK, resulting in London’s más...
Miami’s Setai announces new ownership
The Setai Miami Beach has announced new ownership by Nakash Holdings and the von Furstenberg family. According to Jonathan Bennett, managing director más...
Investing in UK hotels: Have you done your research?
Despite continued economic and political headwinds, Europe has been witnessing resurgence in the hospitality market over the past several years. The appetite más...
Guests invited to discover and share selfies
The JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in California has launched “Your Spring Selfie” package, which includes overnight accommodations más...
Hot Openings: London hotel pays tribute to the '20s
From fashion to movies, the Jazz Age never seems to go out of style. And, that’s starting to be true for hotels, as well. The era of fringe and más...
News in brief: Marriott, IHG, Wynn
Moxy to expand in Europe: Marriott International announced plans to open 2,700 Moxy hotel rooms throughout Europe by the end of 2016. By 2020, the company’s más...
IHIF Report: Sweet spot in Europe
When investment conference panelists agree it is a good time to be both buyers and sellers of hotel real estate, you know the business cycle is in one más...
Hotel values rise across Europe, HVS
According to the HVS 2015 European Hotel Valuation Index, Europe’s hotels experienced their fifth consecutive year of value growth last year, with más...
Hot Openings: Park Hyatt debuts in Sanya
If there’s one buzzword for projects like Hainan Island’s Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort, it’s elegant. Everything about the styling más...
Westin launches wellness retreats series
Westin Hotels & Resorts has announced Westin Wellness Escapes, an ongoing well-being series led by experts in areas including meditation, nutrition más...
Taste of Waldorf Astoria crowns winner
A panel of culinary experts selected the winner of the Taste of Waldorf Astoria from five dishes created in the kitchens of Waldorf Astoria Berlin, Rome más...
News in brief: IHG, Crestline, U.S. construction
IHG report shows Chinese opportunity: IHG partnered with Oxford Economics to publish a comprehensive study of the Chinese travel market. The report shows más...
Disruptors: Watching out for wearables
There is still some debate about when and how wearable technology will move into the mainstream and what the implications for the hospitality and travel más...
Abu Dhabi may buy Mayfair hotels
The Guardian reports that the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has written to the board of Coroin indicating that it wants to buy the Mayfair’s Claridge’s más...
Oaktree and SACO launch hospitality company
Oaktree Capital Management and The Serviced Apartment Company (SACO) have merged their serviced apartment platforms to create a hospitality company in más...
Onyx to expand in Indian market
Oynx Hospitality Group plans to operate at least 10 properties in India by 2022. Three main developments will form the strategy for the expansion: 1. más...
Veteran hotelier to launch hotel venture fund
Sir David Michels has announced a new £200 million (US$307.2 million) investment fund targeting the European hotel sector with an emphasis on the más...
RevPAR growth to drive deals in Europe, PwC
According to PwC’s latest hotel forecast, the improving economic and business travel backdrop will drive growth for the hotel sector in 2015 and más...
BLP forecasts hotel investment peak in 2015
International law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) predicts investment into the hotel sector will reach a peak in 2015. The forecast is based on its más...
What's Hot: Zambian lodge unveils rebuilt cottages
Local elements in design aren’t going anywhere. That probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who follows the hospitality design más...
News in brief: Hilton, Jumeirah, Starwood Capital
Hilton to debut in Congo: Hilton Worldwide signed a franchise agreement with Africa Hospitality to open its first hotel in the Democratic Republic of más...
febrero 2015
HOTELS Interview: Marketers viewpoint on kids' programs
Tom Santora, chief marketing officer at Omni Hotels, spearheads several programs to attract families with children to its hotels and this year oversaw más...
Carey Watermark to raise $1.2b to acquire hotels
Carey Watermark Investors 2 Inc. (CWI 2) on Friday announced that it has commenced a capital raise of up to US$1.4 billion to acquire a diversified portfolio más...
Starwood Capital, Melia establish JV
Starwood Capital Group and Melia Hotels International on Friday announced that they have established an 80-20 joint venture, respectively, to acquire más...
Boston University unveils RevPASH calculator
Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration (SHA) has launched the RevPASH calculator, the industry’s first web-based app that más...
Le Méridien debuts global art program
Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts has introduced Follow Me, a global art collaboration with photographer Gray Malin. The video project features más...
What's Hot: San Juan resort debuts new suite
Effortless chic might be one of the hardest looks to pull off. Straddling the line between trying too hard and design that’s simply dull takes a más...
People on the move…
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Andrew Litherland was appointed executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro más...
News in brief: Clarion, 21c, Shaner
Clarion LaGuardia Airport sold: 9400 Realty, LLC et al purchased Clarion LaGuardia Airport for US$18 million. JLL Hotels & Hospitality closed the más...
HOTELS Interview: Environment where good ideas count
Since the Ace Hotel brand debuted in Seattle in 1999, it has promised a quirky yet comfortable experience for guests ranging from 20-somethings to Baby más...
Starwood piloting on-site meeting planner app
Meeting planners can now manage events on-site at Starwood hotels with a new app called ProMeetings. Planners who are SPG or SPG Pro members can submit más...
Asian investors continue European buying spree
Asian investment in European hotels will reach US$22.7 billion in 2015, fuelled by the liberalization of domestic controls governing outbound investment más...
Accor signs commitment to gender equality
In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, Accor signed the United Nations’ Women’s Empowerment Principles. The program is an más...
What's Hot: Maldives resort opens second island
A sense of discovery has never had more of a place in hospitality design. And, if there was any doubt left about that fact, just the name of the new island más...
News in brief: Steigenberger, Centara, HFF
Steigenberger to restore founding hotel: Steigenberger Hotel Group will restore its founding property, the Europäischer Hof Hotel in Baden-Baden más...
Hispania, Barceló deal creates Spanish REIT
A subsidiary of Madrid-based Hispania Activos Inmobiliarios has signed an agreement with Grupo Barceló to create Spain’s first hotel REIT más...
Starwood partners with Uber for rewards
Members of the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) loyalty program can now link their hotel accounts with their Uber accounts to earn Starwood credits (Starpoints) más...
PwC: ADR levels to recover in 2015
PwC’s updated lodging outlook predicts U.S. hotels to gain substantial pricing power in 2015, with more than 80% of the expected 7.4% increase in más...
What's Hot: Miami resort unveils new villa
There are plenty of answers to what luxury means in today’s hospitality world. From sleek to opulent, almost any style can work. But, there’s más...
News in brief: Red Lion, Minor, Hawaii revenue
RL expands in California: Red Lion Hotels Corporation signed a franchise license agreement for a hotel in Redding, California. Following an extensive más...
Social butterfly: The value of social media marketing
Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from "The Digital Marketer" published in the January/February issue of HOTELS. On Black Friday last November más...
RLJ Lodging sells 24 hotels
RLJ Lodging Trust sold 24 hotels for approximately US$240 million through a combination of individual and portfolio sales. RLJ selected the hotels based más...
Research: The Grand Wanderluster checks in
Technology company Collinson Latitude has launched a report that unveils a new breed of traveller – The Grand Wanderlusters - defined not by their más...
Worldhotels guarantees affiliate hotel sales
Worldhotels has launched the Check 5 program designed to help affiliate hotels build their sales intelligence. The program guarantees that if Worldhotels más...
Hot Openings: Malaysian hotel unveils streamlined chic
“Slick” might be making a name for itself as one of the design buzzwords for 2015. You could call it the new minimalism. Eliminating excess más...
News in brief: Starwood, Kimpton, Interstate
Starwood strengthens Dubai portfolio: Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced an agreemend with wasl hosptiality and leisure to debut the Aloft and Element más...
Gostelow Report: Crafty hotelkeeping in St Petersburg
With all the political sanctions facing Russia today, operating a hotel in a city like St Petersburg takes an extra dash of cunning and guile. Take, for más...
Financing set for big Four Seasons in Boston
HFF has secured US$680 million in construction financing and joint venture equity to develop a 61-story, 211-room Four Seasons hotel and private residences más...
HomeAway unveils family marketing campaign
In partnership with Saatchi & Saatchi and Landor, HomeAway has introduced a new integrated marketing campaign targeted for families seeking to book más...
Meliá offers travel agent training
Meliá Hotels International has introduced MeliáPro-Training, a software program designed to help travel agents learn about the Meliá más...
Hot Openings: Money inspires New York hotel
Money talks. It also, apparently, has a look all its own. At least, that’s true if you ask Stonehill & Taylor. For the 243-room Residence Inn más...
News in brief: Fairmont, NH, Hyatt
Fairmont meets sustainability goals: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts today announced that it has achieved World Wildlife Fund Climate Savers Program targets más...
Making big data meaningful, monetizable
Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from "The Digital Marketer" published in the January/February issue of HOTELS. Big data may be one of más...
Anbang reportedly to add condos to Waldorf in New York
China's Anbang Insurance Group, which paid US$1.95 billion for New York’s Waldorf Astoria in a deal that closed last week, will convert the top más...
Chesapeake's Miami deal could launch Starwood collection
Chesapeake Lodging Trust on Thursday announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with KSL Capital Partners to acquire for US$278 million más...
Kennedy Wilson buys Park Inn loans
Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate has purchased loans secured against eight Park Inn hotels in the UK for £61.5 million (US$94.5 million). All of más...
Hot Openings: Fairmont debuts Jakarta property
There’s a lot to be said for understated chic. A lot of discreet cool can quickly add up to a punchy visual result. Not every hotel has to use primary más...
People on the move…
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: André Jacques was appointed director of sales and marketing at The Langham, Melbourne. IHG appointed más...
News in brief: Choice, Lightstone, First Hospitality
Choice earnings: Choice Hotels International released its Q4 2014 earnings, reporting US$81.4 million in franchising revenue for the quarter, a 12% increase más...
The pursuit of kindness at Cheval Blanc
To create a following for Cheval Blanc Randheli Maldives, General Manager Renato Chizzola relies on a word seldom heard in the industry parlance: Kindness más...
Marriott sells Miami Beach Edition
Marriott International sold the Miami Beach Edition hotel for cash proceeds of US$230 million. The sale is the second of a series of three anticipated más...
AWH, Spire team up again; this time in Dallas
New York-based developer AWH Partners has acquired the Westin Dallas Park Central and assigned management to Spire Hospitality, Northbrook, Illinois. más...
GS Retail to acquire Parnas Hotels
The Korea Economic Daily reports that Parnas Hotels will be sold to GS Retail, a retail arm of GS Group, for 750 billion won (US$673.9 million). Parnas más...
Hot Openings: Australian hotel showcases event center
Forget about conference spaces being design afterthoughts. These days, every space is part of the style narrative. That’s not made any easier by más...
News in brief: Host, Accor
Host earnings: Host Hotels & Resorts released its Q4 2014 earnings, reporting net income improved US$132 million to US$258 million for the más...
HOTELS Interview: Bazin talks culture, technology, Mama
In Los Angeles during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit, HOTELS sat down with Accor Chairman and CEO Sébastien Bazin to find out how más...
InterContinental launches ‘Insider Experiences’
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has partnered with food, culture, art and fashion artisans and experts to create “Insider Experiences,” más...
Hampton launches integrated marketing campaign
Hampton Hotels has debuted "We Go Together," an integrated marketing campaign that uses music from a range of artists including indie group Wild Club más...
Hot Openings: W Bogota show offs dramatic style
When Studio Gaia’s Ilan Waisbrod got the brief for the 168-key W Bogota, he had metal on his mind. The legend of the Golden King provided the jumping-off más...
News in brief: Hilton, Hyatt, Accor
Hilton earnings: Hilton released its Q4 2014 earnings, reporting a 6.6% increase in system-wide RevPAR for the fourth quarter and 7.1% for the full year más...
Van Paasschen exits Starwood amid call for change
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Tuesday announced the resignation of Frits van Paasschen as president and CEO after seven years on the job más...
Loews acquisition takes it to San Francisco
Loews Hotels & Resorts has entered into an agreement to purchase and rebrand the 158-room Mandarin Oriental San Francisco Hotel. The acquisition is más...
Jumeirah launches restaurant management company
Jumeirah Group, Dubai, has launched Jumeirah Restaurant Group Dubai (JRG Dubai), a global restaurant management company that creates, operates and franchises más...
Kerzner, PE fund to develop two Mexico resorts
Kerzner International Holdings Ltd. and private equity fund BK Partners have announced plans to develop and operate two new One&Only resorts on the más...
Hot Openings: Key West hotel with sophisticated vibe
Florida’s reputation as hotbed for laid-back, beachy cool isn’t going to be challenged any day soon. From bright white bedding to tropical más...
News in brief: IHG, Hyatt, Hotel Zephyr
IHG raises dividend: IHG has raised its dividend by 10%. The company reports revenues have been driven in part by direct and indirect channels, including más...
Gostelow Report: Immersing staff in wellness at Beverly Wilshire
“We have turned part of our basement engineering storage into an associates' gym,” said Ben Trodd, GM of Beverly Wilshire Beverly Hills, A más...
Opposition to shared economy players moves to France
Hoteliers in France are asking the government to take measures against websites offering vacation rentals for cheaper prices, arguing más...
Starwood Capital to sell 19 hotels
The Caterer reports that Starwood Capital Group is selling 19 of its UK hotels for £180 million (US$276.46 million). Christie + Co was appointed más...
What's Hot: Aman unveils refresh, will debut new cruiser
When it comes to resort design, the bar continues to get higher. Especially for ultra-luxury resorts, all the classic luxe touches still have to be there-beautiful más...
Yotel exhibits lost and found
Yotel New York debuted an original public art installation featuring items left behind by the hotel's guests. Artist Zack Hyman collected over one thousand más...
News in brief: Crowne Plaza
Vornado increases Crowne Plaza ownership: Vornado Realty Trust has invested an additional US$39 million to increase its ownership interest in the Crowne más...
HOTELS Interview: Schrager’s latest Edition
As “lifestyle” becomes part of the hotel industry's vernacular, longtime entrepreneur Ian Schrager has something to say about it as he launched más...
Starhotels partners with F&B star Eataly
Italy’s Starhotels has established a three-year partnership with Italian food and wine brand Eataly to create dedicated menus, events and collaborations más...
Conrad can drive bookings via Instagram
Consumers can now book Conrad Hotels and Resorts via the Instagram photo-sharing social network simply by clicking on one of the pictures the brand posts más...
Carey Watermark acquires Westin in Minneapolis
Carey Watermark Investors announced on Friday that it has acquired from HEI Hotels & Resorts the 214-room Westin Minneapolis for US$66.4 million, más...
Disruptors: The next wave
In late October, Alibaba, China’s largest ecommerce company, launched Alitrip, which will become the first fully electronic OTA for the Chinese más...
Hot Openings: Paris hotel debuts high impact design
There are times when less is definitely not more. In hospitality design, those time might just be getting more frequent. Gilding, rich textures and boldface más...
Loews launches Valentine’s Day promo
Loews Hotels & Resorts has kicked off its Shots of Love promotion to celebrate the Valentine’s Day season. Available through March, chefs and más...
People on the move…
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Christian Hansen was appointed general manager at Loews Chicago Hotel. The hotel's grand opening is más...
News in brief: LondonHouse, Marriott, Hyatt
LondonHouse comes to Chicago: Oxford Capital Group will open LondonHouse in Chicago. The 454-room lifestyle hotel is scheduled to open in 2016. Read more más...
Steigenberger launching off-beat brand in Amsterdam
The Steigenberger Hotel Group has launched its third hotel brand, Jaz, which will launch this September in Amsterdam. Steigenberger CEO Puneet Chhatwal más...
Historic Hotel Jerome sold
The Aspen Times reports that Dan Friedkin purchased Hotel Jerome, an Auberge Resort, through his investment company Iconic Properties for US$69.15 million más...
What's Hot: Club Med to channel its zen in Punta Cana
When it comes to hot concepts, wellness travel ranks at or near the top of the list for almost any hotelier. From yoga mats and in-room bicycles to soothing más...
Disruptors: Airbnb more than just pretty (cheap) rooms
Airbnb continues to capture headlines, yet many hoteliers have rationalized its entry into the lodging space as non-competitive to their traditional hotel más...
Lessons from a backpacking consultant: Back to Berlin
Among Berlin's many rapidly changing neighborhoods is Neukoelln, a historically blue-collar neighborhood with a mix of residential buildings, small industrial más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Orbitz, Marriott
Hyatt Centric openings: Hyatt Hotels Corporation will open Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago and Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami in April. These properties más...
Gostelow Report: Walking Covent Garden with Sophie
"When I became GM of One Aldwych [London], I realized I did not know anything about the surrounding area, Covent Garden, and its fascinating history," más...
Lessons from a backpacking consultant: LGBT in Barcelona
Some men prefer the company of men, but at Axel Hotels, most do. Axel Hotel’s target demographic is the LGBT community, though it markets itself más...
Disruptors: Marketing trends to watch
The discipline of hotel sales and marketing has seen many changes in recent years, and the pace isn’t slowing down in 2015. As consumer behavior más...
Hilton to acquire five landmark hotels
Hilton Worldwide announced Tuesday that it closed its sale of the Waldorf Astoria New York to Anbang Insurance Group Co. for US$1.95 billion. At the same más...
Forbes Travel Guide awards 2015 stars
Forbes Travel Guide on Tuesday awarded its 57th list of worldwide star rating recipients. The list included 18 new 5-star hotels, 46 new 4-star hotels más...
Transaction volume to jump 15% in 2015: JLL
Global hotel transaction volumes are expected to reach between US$65 to US$68 billion in 2015, according to JLL’s 2015 Hotel Investment Outlook más...
What's Hot: Vermont inn debuts renovation
Mixing old and new is a favorite tool for designers looking to shake up a room or lobby. Having an antique table sitting next to an ultramodern bed adds más...
News in brief: Starwood, Hotel Okura, HotelsByDay
Starwood expands in Indonesia: Starwood Hotels & Resorts has signed Four Points by Sheraton Bali, Kuta, with PT Umah Benesari. The new-build hotel más...
Starwood to spin-off vacation ownership
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Tuesday that it will spin-off its vacation ownership business into a separate publicly traded company más...
Revel says its sale is off
Owners of Atlantic City’s Revel casino told developer Glenn Straub Tuesday that they had canceled a deal to sell him the troubled property for US$95 más...
The Disruptors: Marketing is not a commodity
The hotel industry is under threat of commoditization. The industry is going through an interesting, and, I would say, dangerous, phase. Today’s más...
Lessons from a backpacking consultant: Budapest
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Budapest has experienced a revival led in part by the city's rich traditions in the arts. The Brody House, located más...
Hot Openings: Paris hostel celebrates streamlined style
The concept of budget chic may not be new, but that’s no reason why value-for-money stays should be cookie cutter. Just ask DesignAgency’s más...
Accor launches ‘food-fies’ contest
Accor has announced the Savour, Snap, Share social media campaign in Asia to bring together social media, food and selfies. Hotel guests are being asked más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Minor, Preferred
Wyndham earnings: Wyndham Worldwide Corp.’s fourth-quarter revenues were US$1.2 billion, an increase of 3% from Q4 2013. Wyndham’s adjusted más...
Baccarat hotel reportedly sold to Chinese for record price
Starwood Capital and its leader Barry Sternlicht are taking advantage of foreign investor’s keen desire to put their money into safe U.S. real estate más...
Part 3: Repositioning Le Méridien Chicago [management]
Editor’s note: Expanding upon the Design feature in the January-February issue of HOTELS Magazine, this is the third of a three-part multimedia más...
Lessons from a backpacking consultant: Vienna
"We're all mad here," reads a florescent orange sign above the entrance to 25 Hours Hotel Vienna, in stark contrast to the dull/pretty-but-boring/not-at-all-mad más...
Hot Openings: Kimpton hotel shows off California flair
Think of California and you’ll probably be hard-pressed not to think of beaches and tanned beautiful people surfing the waves. So was the design más...
News in brief: Virgin, Marriott, Belmond
Virgin to offer flying perks: Virgin Hotels has partnered with its sister company Virgin Atlantic to provide benefits to Flying Club loyalty program members más...
Lessons from a backpacking consultant: Berlin
The last several years have brought about a renewed sense of vigor to the lodging industry. Coming of age Millennials, social media distribution networks más...
The Disruptors: Humanize to monetize
It’s 2015, which means it’s no longer enough to simply respond to guests who are trying to reach out to your brand via social media channels más...
Le Calvez: French tourism is safe
Following the deadly attacks at Charlie Hebdo and at a kosher supermarket in Paris, some have speculated that French tourism could take a hit. However más...
What's Hot: Sydney hotel unveils chic redux
Modernist cool isn’t going anywhere. Sharp edges, vivid tones and techie cool will likely remain on designers’ radar for the foreseeable future más...
The James New York debuts public art
The James New York unveiled a new public art installation created in partnership with Grey Area. Paul Wackers was commissioned to create the original más...
People on the move...
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Michiel Lugt was appointed executive assistant manager of Indigo Pearl in Phuket, Thailand. The Resort más...
News in brief: Six Senses, Travelodge, IHG
Six Senses goes mobile: In partnership with JohnHenry, Six Senses has launched a mobile website providing guests the ability to search, book and interact más...
The Disruptors: Amazon enters the fray
Note: A new series of articles contributed by industry experts called “The Disruptors” was launched in the January-February issue of HOTELS más...
Jumeirah Group signs first Venu Hotel
Jumeirah Group announced the first deal for its new lifestyle brand Venu following the signing of a management agreement with Meraas Holding. The group más...
Apollo may sell Great Wolf Resorts
Reuters reports that Apollo Global Management is considering the sale or IPO of Great Wolf Resorts. Apollo is working with Goldman Sachs Group and Deutsche más...
What's Hot: Baden-Baden icon debuts new spa
Adding anything to an iconic property — whether it’s a new service or a new structure — can be a challenging design proposition. Guests’ más...
Larry Johnson heads fitness at The Knickerbocker
The Knickerbocker in New York has announced a partnership with Larry Johnson, former basketball player for the New York Knicks. Johnson will serve as más...
News in brief: Rockbridge, Hilton, Caesars
Rockbridge builds in Savannah: Rockbridge announced plans to develop a boutique hotel in Savannah, Georgia. The 173-room hotel is scheduled to open in más...
Gostelow Report: Artistic difference on South Beach
“We want to be community energizers,” said philanthropic entrepreneur Jonathan Plutzik – or was it his wife, Lesley Goldwasser, speaking? más...
NH Hotels to acquire Colombian hotel company
NH Hotel Group said on Monday it has agreed to buy Colombian chain Hoteles Royal for €65.6 million (US$74.9 million), after deducting €21.5 más...
Preferred debuts global residence collection
Preferred Hotel Group has introduced Preferred Residences, a worldwide collection of villas, bungalows and condominiums at its hotels and resorts. Preferred más...
Rome's luxury hotels to see investment growth
According to a new report from HVS, Rome is set to be one of the next "hotspots" for hotel investors. The report attributes the boost to improvements más...
Hot Openings: Budapest hotel to hit high notes
Music-inspired hotels have been a staple of themed design for quite a while. Letting guests party like rock stars — or at least stay in a room where más...
Hôtel Fouquet's Barrière creates edible chaise lounge
Gaëtan Fiard, pastry sous chef at Hôtel Fouquet's Barrière Le Diane restaurant in Paris and winner of the 2014 International Confectionery más...
News in brief: Beverly Hills Hotel, Xenia, Pharos Hospitality
Beverly Hills Hotel boycott: John Legend has backed out of a planned appearance at the first major entertainment industry party at the Beverly Hills Hotel más...
HOTELS Interview: Rahinsky anticipates another strong year
With a rich 25-year tenure in the hospitality business, Hotel Equities' President and Chief Operating Officer Brad Rahinsky will quickly tell anyone that más...
Carlson Rezidor reclaims Latin American Radisson development
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has entered into a definitive agreement to resume direct Radisson brand development from Royal Hotels International. As part más...
Hot Openings: Maldives resort showcases eco-chic
Sustainable style is one of the hottest concepts in hospitality design today. From recycled materials to reuse projects, few ideas generate more buzz más...
Rural Society to open at Loews Hotel Chicago
Garces Group and Loews Hotels & Resorts will partner for their second Rural Society restaurant in Chicago. The Argentine steakhouse will open at Loews más...
News in brief: Red Lion, Four Seasons, Hilton
Red Lion Hotel Wenatchee sold: Red Lion Hotels Corporation has sold the Red Lion Hotel Wenatchee in Washington for US$4.1 million. The new owners are más...
Wyndham acquires Dolce Hotels and Resorts
Wyndham Hotel Group, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide, has acquired Dolce Hotels and Resorts for US$57 million in cash. Dolce’s portfolio consists más...
Part 2: Repositioning Le Méridien Chicago [owner]
Editor’s note: Expanding upon the Design feature in the January-February issue of HOTELS Magazine, this is the second of a three-part multimedia más...
CHM and Warnick + Company form CHMWarnick
CHM and Warnick + Company have merged to form CHMWarnick, the world’s largest hotel asset management company. The new company will provide hotel más...
Gleneagles Hotel to be put up for sale
Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland is lined up for sale after its owner Diageo announced that it has received numerous expressions of interest since the 2014 más...
What's Hot: Miami hotel; to showcase modern chic guestrooms
There’s a lot to be said for the art of restraint. And, it no longer has to mean a minimalist sentiment. For today’s hotels, striking that más...
News in brief: Waldorf Astoria, Starwood, Marriott
Anbang approved to buy Waldorf Astoria: China's Anbang Insurance Group Co. has been approved from U.S. regulators for its US$1.95 billion purchase of más...
enero 2015
Gostelow Report: Wanchoo sets the stage at The Imperial
Kashmir-born Vijay Wanchoo, vice president and general manager of The Imperial in Delhi, preaches happiness at his 234-room independent hotel, which he más...
Strategic acquires Montage Laguna Beach
Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Chicago, has acquired the 250-room Montage Laguna Beach in California from an affiliate of Ohana Real Estate Investors más...
REITs bigger spenders during rebound: CapEx study
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) and the Hotel Asset Managers Association (HAMA) have introduce the ISHC CapEx 2014: A Study más...
Hot Openings: Columbus hotel to showcase art
Art hotels are some of the trendiest properties around the world, from London to Melbourne. They’re even cropping up in secondary and even tertiary más...
Acme Hotel offers free mobile WiFi
Acme Hotel Company has launched Hotspots To-Go at Acme Hotel in Chicago, providing guests with free mobile WiFi hotspot check-out. With Hotspots To-Go más...
People on the move…
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Josh DeBottis was named general manager of Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade. Hyatt Regency Aruba más...
News in brief: Ascott, Steigenberger, Ashford Hospitality
Ascott signs in Turkey: The Ascott Limited secured a contract to manage the 159-unit Somerset Maslak Istanbul slated to open in 2016. This will be Ascott’s más...
Langham group launching upscale brand with a heart
Langham Hospitality Group, Hong Kong, has introduced a new upscale global hotel brand: Cordis Hotels and Resorts. Cordis aptly derives its name from the más...
Ashford Hospitality Trust to launch ownership company
Ashford Hospitality Trust will form Ashford Hospitality Select, Inc., a new privately held company that will invest primarily in existing premium-branded más...
Asset quality surpasses cash flow as top lender criteria
The qualitative aspects of a financing request, such as location and quality of real estate, has surpassed the pure cash flow driven metrics as the single más...
LaSalle acquires Westin in SF for $350 million
LaSalle Hotel Properties on Tuesday announced that it acquired the 681-room Westin Market Street in San Francisco for US$350 million with cash on hand más...
Hot Openings: Venetian hotel to showcase elegant style
From masked balls to grand mansions to canals, Venice has one of the strongest visual identities on the planet. And, hotels from Italy to Las Vegas have más...
London West Hollywood unveils huge screening room
The London West Hollywood hotel has debuted its new 110-seat screening room. Designed by Gonzalez Architects and Richmond Design, the project will mark más...
News in brief: IHG, Marriott, Starwood
First Hualuxe locations: IHG announced the first Hualuxe Hotels and Resorts properties in China: Hualuxe Nanchang High Tech Zone and Hualuxe Yangjiang más...
Minor enters Europe, South America with 6-hotel deal
Minor Hotel Group, Bangkok, has moved into two new continents through the strategic acquisition of six hotels and over 1,600 keys in Portugal and Brazil más...
Former Kimpton executives form KHP Capital Partners
KHP Capital Partners has announced its formation as the successor company to Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ fund management business. KHP is más...
Grand Hotel Tremezzo updates tabletop design
La Terrazza at Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como, Italy has added Murano glasses handcrafted by acclaimed glass house Carlo Moretti. Each glass más...
Hilton introduces Meet with Purpose
Hilton Worldwide has announced Meet with Purpose, a new concept aimed to promote a waste reduction and incorporate health and wellness into meetings and más...
Hot Openings: Balinese hotel to showcase local style
It’s a given that any resort design has to channel a sense of place. So, it’s no surprise that when it came to the aesthetic for The Chedi más...
Lodging demand more stable in university towns
Demand for college and university lodging is more stable than typical lodging demand, according to the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and más...
InterCityHotel teams up with SportScheck
Steigenberger subsidiary InterCityHotel GmbH has entered into a new partnership with SportScheck GmbH. As part of the deal, InterCityHotel will be the más...
Hyatt launches another global lifestyle brand
Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Monday evening introduced Hyatt Centric, a full-service lifestyle brand with 15 hotels slated to debut this summer in markets that más...
Hampshire launches Début Hotel Group
Hampshire Hotels Management has launched a new hotel company called Début Hotel Group. Début will oversee the development and más...
Marriott acquires Delta Hotels and Resorts
Marriott International has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Delta Hotels and Resorts brand and management and franchise business from Delta más...
At least 8 dead after attack at Corinthia in Tripoli
At least eight people, including five foreigners, were killed during an attack by gunmen against the luxury Corinthia hotel in the Libyan capital of Tripoli más...
Hot Openings: Madrid hotel celebrates contemporary style
The old catchphrase about less being more has been proven, disproven and debated across all sectors of the hospitality industry. When it comes to design más...
Benchmark’s dining trends for 2015
Benchmark Hospitality International has released annual Top Dining Trends for 2015. The trends were observed by Benchmark’s executive chefs and más...
News in brief: Hyatt, global hotel sales
Hyatt Regency Indianapolis acquired: Davidson Hotels & Resorts and Silverpeak Real Estate Partners have announced that its joint venture has acquired más...
Part 1: Repositioning Le Méridien Chicago [brand]
Editor’s note: Expanding upon the Design feature in the January-February issue of HOTELS Magazine, this first of a three-part multimedia web series más...
What's Hot: St Barths icon completes redux
Vibrant tones, warm air, a relaxing vibe—that’s pretty much a staple of resort design for many projects. But, beyond that general vision, más...
Dalian Wanda to invest in Sydney property
Dalian Wanda will invest US$1 billion in a development in Sydney. This will be the Chinese property company’s second investment in Australia. The más...
Travel companies yet to fully capitalize on social media
Travel companies are not fully capitalizing on the business opportunities presented by social media platforms, according to the Digital Channels in Travel más...
Food predictions for 2015 from Four Seasons
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has released predictions for 2015’s food trends. Compiled by Four Seasons chefs, trends cover a variety of areas más...
Hilton seeks mom and dad bloggers
Now through February 6, Hilton Worldwide is seeking 15 parents to blog for Hilton Mom Voyage, a new family travel site that features travel stories from más...
News in brief: Hilton, IHG, Sixty Hotels
Hilton leads industry: Smith Travel Research named Hilton Worldwide number one in the following categories: rooms in supply, rooms under construction más...
Russia’s RHC pushes ahead despite economy
Regional Hotel Chain (RHC), a portfolio company of VIY Management, plans to invest up to US$150 in its further hotel development in 2015. As part of the más...
Hot Openings: Paris hotel shows off opulent style
No matter how modern or slick hotels can get, there’s always a place for hospitality design that celebrates the best of the past and reinterprets más...
Duo launches Salt Hotels, a new take on B&Bs
David Bowd and Kevin O’Shea have launched Salt Hotels, Provincetown, Massachusetts, which they said redefines the concept of a traditional bed and más...
People on the move…
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Dorsett Singapore appointed Sue-ann Ong to director of sales. Most recently, she was director, Southeast más...
News in brief: Expedia, InterContinental, South Korea
Expedia buys Travelocity: Expedia Inc. has agreed to buy Travelocity from Sabre Corp. for US$280 million. Expedia and Travelocity have been working together más...
Gostelow Report: Update on The Lanesborough
What happens when a hotel closes for refurbishment? Geoffrey Gelardi, managing director of London's iconic 93-room The Lanesborough, is finding out. Prior más...
Hot Openings: Indonesian property showcases details
Call it reading the fine print. Some hospitality projects require designers to have more than just a good eye for detail—it’s a question of más...
Inland American approves hotels spin-off
Inland American Real Estate Trust Inc. has announced its board of directors formally authorized spinning off its lodging subsidiary into a public REIT más...
Marriott tests Netflix access
Marriott International is providing access to Netflix for guests at eight of its properties as part of an update to its in-room entertainment service más...
Solar installation to save energy at The Phoenician
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has partnered with NRG Energy’s subsidiary NRG Renew to install solar panels at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona más...
News in brief: Patina, Hyatt, Hilton
Patina secures Maldives resort: Patina Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Telos Investments to operate The Patina, Thanburudhoo Maldives. Read más...
Proper Hospitality launches lifestyle brand
Correction: Proper Hotels was launched by Viceroy Hotels founder and former CEO Brad Korzen, Brian De Lowe and Alex Samek. Proper Hospitality launches más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Joie de Vivre heads east
Commune Hotels & Resorts has announced the development of three Joie de Vivre hotels, two in New York City and one in Miami Beach, giving the playful más...
Ace Hotels management responds to lawsuit from founder's estate
In response to Tuesday's news that the estate of Ace Hotels founder Alex Calderwood has filed a lawsuit seeking to take control and manage Ace Group más...
Red Lion JV refinances debt, accelerates growth plan
Red Lion Hotels Corp. (RLHC) on Tuesday completed a comprehensive transaction with Shelbourne Falcon RLHC Hotel Investors to accelerate the execution más...
Hotel Indigo launches local F&B philosophy and contest
IHG’s Hotel Indigo has launched a new food and beverage philosophy to bring locally inspired dishes and drinks into its properties. The program más...
Hot Openings: Watch-inspired hotel debuts in Venice
Watch making might seem like an unlikely starting point for hotel design, but that’s what inspired Sandro Fratini, the founder of Wtb Hotels Group más...
Roy mortgages Grosvenor, Plaza, Dream
Sahara Group Chairman Subrata Roy struck a deal to mortgage the Plaza Hotel in New York and the Grosvenor House in London to raise bail to leave jail más...
Proper Hospitality launches lifestyle brand
Skift reports that newly formed Proper Hospitality has launched lifestyle hospitality brand Proper Hotels. The first hotels will open at the end of 2015 más...
News in brief: Accor, Salamander, Scandic
Accor reports revenue growth: Accor released its Q4 2014 earnings, reporting 3.8% growth with revenue of €5.454 million (US$6.34 million). Read more más...
Calderwood estate going to court to control Ace brand
The estate of the late Alex Calderwood, founder of Ace Hotels who died in 2013, is going to court asking to take control and manage Ace Group International más...
Marriott launches new social platform
Marriott International, Inc. has launched Heart of the House, a custom-built social platform that features real stories submitted by guests about customer más...
Mirach Capital confident it will get Sahara assets
An investment vehicle lining up a US$2 billion package to help bail out Sahara’s Subrata Roy has told Reuters it expects to ultimately take control más...
Sunstone appoints John Arabia CEO
Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc.’s board of directors has named its president, John Arabia, to the additional role of CEO. Effective immediately, más...
IHG challenges brands to build 'trust capital'
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) on Tuesday launched its 2015 Trends Report, Building Trust Capital: The new business imperative in the Kinship Economy más...
Hot Openings: Florence hotel celebrates dual personalities
It’s no secret that dual-branded concepts are one of the buzziest ideas out there. But, The Garibaldi Blu Hotel Florence provides a fresh take. más...
News in brief: Marriott, Radisson Blu, Hard Rock
Memphis Marriott East to be acquired: Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the 232-room Memphis Marriott East más...
HOTELS Interview: Enhancing guest experiences through mobile
When Hilton Worldwide launched mobile room check-in in 2014, Vice President of Digital Innovation Joshua Sloser was quickly pleased by its widespread más...
Hot Openings: Vietnam hotel to show off Italian chic
Whether it’s a hotel or a garden, transplants add variety but take some extra care to thrive. That’s especially true when it comes to adding más...
Gostelow Report: Life of a cruising hotel manager
Marius Octavius Sima must be flexible – as hotel manager for Silversea’s Silver Cloud luxury cruise ship he works seven days a week, four más...
Aria debuts Parisian beverage program
Bardot Brasserie at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas has launched a new beverage program inspired by Parisian spirits, wine and beer. Examples más...
News in brief: Meliá, Park Inn, Hotel de Paris
Meliá Bahamas strike: Members of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Working Union have voted in favor of a strike against the Meliá Nassau más...
How are big lifestyle brands playing in Asia?
A slew of new sub-brands by both global and Asian hotel chains are jostling for acceptance in Asia, but while chains see huge potential, there is some más...
Corinthia to buy neighboring Malta hotel company
Malta-based International Hotel Investments (IHI), the investment arm of the Corinthia Group, has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire Island más...
What's Hot: Baku hotel debuts rug-inspired new bar
A strong design narrative is a staple of any successful project. Crafting a compelling story is the first step in making that story come alive. Just ask más...
The Landings St. Lucia launches pop-up
The Landings St. Lucia has opened Callaloo, a pop-up menu restaurant featuring authentic St. Lucian fare. All dishes on the menu feature local, farm-to-table más...
News in brief: IHG, Hyatt, Radisson
IHG completes acquisition: IHG has completed the acquisition of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. The purchase price was US$430 million. Kimpton also más...
People on the move…
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: New Castle Hotels and Resorts has promoted Michael Marques to general manager of the Hampton Inn más...
No surprise as Caesars file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
With its intentions first announced in December, on Thursday Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., a subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment Corp., announced más...
Jin Jiang finalizes deal for Louvre Hotels Group
First announced in November, Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels has finalized its agreement to acquire Starwood Capital Group’s Louvre Hotels más...
Emaar Properties plans IPO for hotel unit
Dubai’s largest publicly traded real estate developer Emaar Properties will sell shares in its hotels unit in the second half of 2015, according más...
Starwood Capital buys extended-stays from NAMA
Starwood Capital Group has acquired an off-market portfolio of four extended-stay hotels and one residential complex in London for £206 million más...
AC Hotel to debut in North Carolina
Concord Hospitality Enterprises and Kane Realty Corporation will develop and operate North Carolina’s first AC Hotel in Raleigh. The 133-room AC más...
Marriott jumps on GoPro video trend
Marriott Hotels has launched an exclusive offer inviting guests at 17 Caribbean and Latin American resorts and hotels to test a Go Pro Hero4 while documenting más...
What’s Hot: Classic South Beach hotel rebrands
There’s no question that most major cities have developed a signature style when it comes to hotels. From slick New York properties to the offbeat más...
News in brief: Cuba, IHG, Apple Leisure Group
U.S. eases Cuba travel: The U.S. government will ease decades-old restrictions on Cuba travel on January 16. Under the new regulations, Americans will más...
Emaar launches mid-market lifestyle brand
Emaar Hospitality Group is launching a mid-market lifestyle brand called Rove Hotels, with plans to develop 10 hotels across central locations in Dubai más...
Virgin Hotels introduces Lucy
Virgin Hotels is rolling our Lucy, its mobile app that allows guests to integrate their devices to their hotel experience. With Lucy, users will can make más...
Marriott will not block Wi-Fi devices
After considerable customer backlash, Marriott International has decided not to block guests from using their personal Wi-Fi devices at its hotels. According más...
What's Hot: Mexico resort celebrates bohemian chic
"By the book" might sound like a dated design approach, but the team behind Playa Del Carmen’s 122-key (rooms are located in individual thatched más...
Radisson Blu creates walking and running paths
Radisson Blu Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, has launched BluRoutes, scenic walking and running routes that start and end at the hotel. BluRoutes más...
News in brief: Swissôtel, Macau, Interval
Swissôtel to open in Bulgaria: Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has entered into an agreement with Garanti Koza to manage Swissôtel Sofia más...
Topland continues aggressive ways with new deal
Topland, one of Europe’s largest privately head investment groups, continued its aggressive acquisition program on Tuesday with news of a deal to más...
Is KSL preparing to sell Malmaison, Hotel du Vin?
After rumors circulated in November, it appears KSL Capital Partners has started the sale process of its boutique Hotel du Vin and Malmaison assets, which más...
Red Lion sells Bellevue property
Red Lion Hotels Corp. (RLHC) has entered an agreement to sell its Bellevue, Washington, hotel for US$35.4 million to an affiliate of Wig Properties. Additionally más...
Macau prostitution sting includes prominent hotel exec
Macau police have arrested over 100 people – including SJM Holdings gaming tycoon Stanley Ho's nephew Alan Ho and 96 alleged prostitutes - in a más...
What’s Hot: Malaysia hotel debuts renovated lounge
Modern design needs to do more than just look pretty. Guests want to be surprised and delighted every step they take into a space. For the más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Expedia, Starwood
Hyatt sells three properties: BPR Properties has purchased three Hyatt Place hotels in South Carolina and North Carolina from Hyatt Corp. for US$30 million más...
Gostelow Report: Benefits of a beautiful garden
When Richard Launay, area manager Sofitel Colombia and GM Hotel Santa Clara Cartagena, arrived in Cartagena in 2011, the 5,800 square feet (539 square más...
Rosewood to manage famed Tuscan resort
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has been appointed to manage Castiglion del Bosco, the bucolic Italian resort located in Montalcino, Tuscany. Founded más...
UK hotels round-up and 2015 forecast: PwC
London hotels have already seen 0.3% growth in 2015, with occupancy averaging 83.3%, according to new data from PwC. At the same time, ADR has seen 2 más...
Amex survey points to London, Santiago, customization
Highlights of “what’s trending” in 2015 according to American Express customer booking data and a travel agent survey reveal London más...
Hot Openings: Kansas City hotel showcases European vibe
Sense of place is a hot item on designers’ priority lists, no question. But, that might not have to be so literal. Dawson Design Associates’ más...
Rosewood Mayakoba debuts Mayan cooking lessons
Rosewood Mayakoba in Mexico is now offering Mayan cooking classes in conjunction with the grand opening of La Ceiba Garden & Kitchen. Classes will más...
News in brief: Ashford, Revel, Hilton
Ashford acquires Lakeway: Ashford Hospitality Trust acquired Lakeway Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas for US$33.5 million. The acquisition is expected más...
HOTELS Interview: Karisma caters to kids
Karisma Hotels & Resorts’ gourmet-inclusive Generations Riviera Maya in Mexico debuted its Little Eko Chefs cooking classes in 2014 to provide más...
What's Hot: New York boutique debuts bar
Bar and restaurant design is a tricky part of any hospitality project. Not only do hotel spaces have to be eye-catching for guests, they also must accommodate más...
Asian brand builder's book on hotel branding, Part 5
Asian hospitality brand management consultancy, The Brand Company, has launched a hospitality brand management book: a compilation of 24 ‘Living más...
News in brief: Caesars, Macdonald
Caesars moves closer to fundraising goal: BlackRock has sold US$500 million of first-lien bonds to investors that support Caesars Entertainment Operating más...
People on the move...
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Harper Kuta Bali Hotel has appointed David Priambowo general manager and Chossy Muhar food and beverage más...
Mondrian Soho sold in foreclosure auction
The Mondrian Soho in New York was sold on Wednesday in a foreclosure auction for a winning bid of US$200 million to real estate moguls Rotem Rosen and más...
Marcos' Manila mansion to become boutique hotel
The Yao Group of Companies has announced that it plans to reconstruct the mansion previously owned by the Marcos family in Manila. The mansion will be más...
What's Hot: Shanghai "eco-boutique" redux
There are few terms in the design world right now hotter than “eco-friendly.” From water conservation to recycled woods, caring for the planet más...
AWH acquires Marriott at Burbank airport
Real estate investor AWH Partners and insurance and investment firm Starr Companies on Thursday announced it has acquired the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank más...
News in brief: Worldhotels, Anaheim development, Lodge of Four Seasons
Worldhotels adds joint partnerships: Worldhotels has executed several joint strategic partnerships to expand its services to member hotels. Agreements más...
HOTELS Interview: Concord proceeds with caution
Like many hotel developers, Concord Hospitality is chasing the booming demand for new select-service hotels in the United States. But President and CEO más...
Omni to debut in Kentucky
A deal to build the first Omni Hotel in Kentucky has been finalized. The Louisville hotel is expected to be 30 stories tall, making it the third-tallest más...
Dubai weakens while Sharm El Sheikh improves
Hotels in Dubai have reported weakening performance trends, as RevPAR declined in November by 6.6% to US$340.06 compared to the same period last year más...
Hot Openings: Qatar resort shows off vibrant style
Resort design for today’s guest means constantly reinventing and tweaking the wheel. Maybe breaking the mold won’t always work, but rounding más...
Grace Bay opens pop-up restaurant and bar
Grace Bay Club in Turks and Caicos opened Biere et Boules, a new pop-up restaurant and bar featuring locally inspired food and beverages. The menu concept más...
News in brief: RLJ, Value Place, Hard Rock
RLJ completes loan facility: RLJ Lodging Trust has successfully executed a US$150 million unsecured seven-year term loan facility to be deployed by the más...
Gostelow Report: Ferragamo's Lungarno more than a label
Ferragamo is the only fashion brand that owns and manages hotels. Armani sold a worldwide licence to Emaar out of Dubai; Versace has sold licences in más...
National Geographic launches Unique Lodges collection
National Geographic on Tuesday expanded its global brand presence by launching Unique Lodges of the World with 24 hotels selected as founding members más...
What's Hot: London Hilton shows off Art Deco-inspired rooms
Lovers of ultra-modern design beware: the trend for updated classics that’s taken off in the last few years isn’t going anywhere in 2015. más...
Asian brand builder's book on hotel branding, Part 4
Asian hospitality brand management consultancy, The Brand Company, has launched a hospitality brand management book: a compilation of 24 ‘Living más...
News in brief: Wynn, Bahamas tax, Cornell
Wynn completes Everett purchase: Wynn Resorts finalized its acquisition of 33 acres of waterfront land in Everett, Massachusetts. Wynn plans to build más...
Debate over Wi-Fi jamming continues
Marriott International continues to fight for its right to block Wi-Fi networks other than its own at its hotels. Late last week, it issued a clarifying más...
Global hotel social media performance
As technology becomes more readily available, social networks are experiencing increasing number of users. In this era of omnipresent Internet, consumer más...
Hot Openings: Marriott unveils first AC Hotel in the US
AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon/French Quarter Area marks the brand’s entry to the U.S. market. Housed in the 1871-vintage cotton exchange building más...
Asian brand builder's book on hotel branding, Part 3
Asian hospitality brand management consultancy, The Brand Company, has launched a hospitality brand management book: a compilation of 24 ‘Living más...
News in brief: Four Seasons, Marriott, Buccini
Four Seasons builds Bangkok: Country Group Development and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have announced plans for a luxury hotel and resident project más...
HOTELS Year in Review 2014: Design baker's dozen
Here is a roundup of some of the hottest openings and remakes for 2014, which included the debut of new brands as well as long-anticipated projects such más...
China’s outbound travel market expect to rise
Research conducted by Attract China, Inc. predicts that 140 million Chinese tourists will go abroad in 2015 and spend more than US$188 billion. As many más...
What's Hot: St. Lucia resort debuts renovated suite
When it comes to resort design, now is the time to think outside the box. Over the past several years, there has been a diversion from the minimalism más...
Asian brand builder's book on hotel branding, Part 2
Asian hospitality brand management consultancy, The Brand Company, has launched a hospitality brand management book: a compilation of 24 ‘Living más...
diciembre 2014
HOTELS Year in Review: Top 25 noteworthy stories
The year about to end was filled with exciting hotel news, ranging from the sale of the Waldorf Astoria New York to the ongoing sage over the plight of más...
Hot Openings: Warwick makes Qatar debut
The 164-key Warwick Doha Hotel is the brand’s first in Qatar. “The opening of the Warwick Doha Hotel represents a milestone for our development más...
Strategic Hotels secures loan by JW Marriott Essex House
Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. and its joint venture partner closed a five-year, US$225 million loan by the JW Essex House in New York. The new más...
Asian brand builder's book on hotel branding, Part 1
Asian hospitality brand management consultancy, The Brand Company, has launched a hospitality brand management book: a compilation of 24 ‘Living más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Champagne is a must
According to a recent global survey by Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, champagne is the “must-have” beverage for the holiday season and the más...
HOTELS Year in Review 2014: Most clicked stories
This year, HOTELS reported on a variety of companies and topics each day for its daily news coverage. From acquisitions to technological advances, 2014 más...
What’s Hot: New York hotel shows off renovated guestrooms
As part of the hotel’s US$30 million redux, New York’s The Evelyn (formerly The Gershwin) has unveiled a redesign of its 160 rooms and suites más...
Hotel industry trends for 2015
Results from the 2015 Las Vegas Trend Report show greater influence from millennials, an increase in popularity of wellness-themed travel, and substantial más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Productivity tips for 2015
Hyatt Place has teamed up with career expert and New York Times-bestselling author Lindsay Pollak to launch the Hyatt Place Seamless Travel Series to más...
Marriott’s content studio grows collaboration
Marriott International, Inc.’s content studio has announced another round of content development, production and distribution deals. The latest más...
HOTELS Year In Review 2014: Noteworthy interviews
Almost every Friday — and whenever news demands it — HOTELS publishes an online interview with an industry thought leader, from CEOs to GMs más...
While we were out: Roundup of last week's big stories
While the HOTELS team took the week off, several noteworthy stories broke. Here is a roundup of the top stories: Caesars reorg Las Vegas-based Caesars más...
RL launches Hello Rewards
Red Lion Hotels Corporation (RLHC) has launched Hello Rewards, a new guest recognition and membership program. Hello Rewards members will receive a free más...
Apeejay Surrendra to launch Zone
Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. will launch Zone by Park brand in 2015. The first property under the Zone brand will be a 56-room hotel in Coimbatore más...
What’s Hot: Zurich hotel debuts redesigned lobby lounge
The iconic Baur au Lac in Zurich makes a perfect case study in how to renovate and restore a space in a grand hotel without losing the ease that 21st más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: World’s highest New Year’s ball drop
Lebua Hotels and Resorts in Bangkok will host guests for the Bangkok Ball Drop, the world's highest New Year's Eve ball drop. On New Year’s Eve más...
News in brief: Louvre, Marshall, Wyndham
Louvre expands in India: Louvre Hotels Groups plans to open four new hotels in India by April 2015. Louvre currently has 16 hotels in India. Read more más...
2015 investment forecast: Value add
As the economy moves farther from recession, 2015 won’t be the year of the easy bargain. Instead, savvy investors need to find the niches and micro-markets más...
Opinion: Opportunities and challenges in Cuba
The recent announcement by U.S. President Obama and Cuba’s leadership regarding the lifting of the U.S. embargo into Cuba should be good news for más...
Marriott launches F&B lab Canvas
Marriott International has announced the launch of Canvas, a global concept incubator for food and beverage entrepreneurs. Marriott is inviting chefs más...
Ashford buys out partner in Highland portfolio
Ashford Hospitality Trust and Prudential Real Estate Investors on Friday announced they have signed a definitive agreement in which Ashford Trust will más...
More analysts chime in on future of IHG
InterContinental Hotels Group is again in the headlines as a takeover target with The Guardian in London reporting that analyst Berenberg suggests a £7 más...
Pebblebrook acquire historic Revere Hotel in Boston
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust acquired the Revere Hotel Boston Common for US$260.4 million. In addition to the acquisition of the hotel, Pebblebrook purchased más...
What's Hot: New York boutique unveils new look
The former 60 Thompson has completed a multi-million dollar renovation and has been reflagged as the Sixty Soho by owner Jason Pomeranc, who is now más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Recycled plastic bottle Christmas tree
The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte, North Carolina unveiled a 17-foot (5.2-meter) green holiday tree constructed entirely of 789 recycled plastic bottles. más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Marriott, Hard Rock
Hyatt expands in Brazil: Hyatt Hotels Corporation will open the Hyatt Place Sorocaba and Hyatt Place Macaé in Brazil in 2017. Read more at Hyatt’s más...
People on the move...
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Kimpton’s Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa, Palm Beach has named Abe Liao general manager and Kate más...
2015 investment forecast: Money matters
The big picture for 2015 won’t look much different than 2014. Regulations will continue to stay looser than in recession and immediately post-recession más...
Ireland's Dalata makes another big deal
Ireland’s growing hotel giant Dalata just became bigger by acquiring the nine-hotel, 2,506-room Moran Bewley’s Hotel Group based in the UK más...
Chatwal spared jail for illegal campaign contributions
Hotel owner and convicted felon Sant Singh Chatwal will not serve jail time, the New York Daily News reported. Instead, he was sentenced Thursday to probation más...
Leelaventure shakes up portfolio
Hotel Leelaventure is in talks with Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to sell its Chennai, Goa and Delhi properties in India. The hotel chain is negotiating más...
Red Roof signs master franchisee in Brazil
Red Roof Franchising has made a deal with Brazil-based Nobile Hoteis to develop 35 to 40 Red Roof Inns – new builds and conversions – across más...
What's Hot: New York hotel shows off modern look
If a design team was ever out looking for an easy brief, the one Selldorf Architects got for the revamp of the Martha Washington in New York’s NoMad más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Traditions and new surprises
The Rittenhouse in Philadelphia is celebrating the holiday season with a unique spin on popular traditions. Through December, guests can enjoy guests más...
News in brief: Wyndham, TripAdvisor, Interstate
Wyndham expands in Peru: Wyndham Hotel Group signed a franchise agreement with Costa del Sol to open 1,000 rooms across seven Wyndham Hotels and Resorts más...
2015 investment forecast: GPS for buyers and sellers
The outlook for mergers and acquisitions changes dramatically with the investor’s focus. For Josh Wyatt, Patron Capital’s investment director más...
Morgans fetches $36 million for The Light Group
Morgans Hotel Group Co. has entered into a definitive agreement to sell 90% controlling interest in The Light Group to Hakkasan Group for a total enterprise más...
What's Hot: London Marriott to unveil redux
Handsome design is having a moment right now. The vibe of the elegant English gentleman’s study has become one of the hot looks for hotels. Rich más...
Starwood leads coral reef effort in Malaysia
Starwood’s luxury collection resort The Andaman in Langkawi, Malaysia partnered with Lafarge Malaysia Berhad to release 52 Artificial Reef Module más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Moments for military families
Homewood Suites by Hilton launched Make a Moment with the United Service Organizations (USO) in November to help men and women of the U.S. military recreate más...
News in brief: Auberge, Marriott, Riu
Auberge to manage second VieVage: Auberge Resorts Cllection will manage the new VieVage Los Cabos in Mexico. Read more at PR Newswire Marriott más...
IHG's early Christmas present: Kimpton
IHG has bought its way into the boutique segment with Monday’s announcement that it will acquire Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants for US$430 million más...
Associations file suit over LA wage hike
The American Hotel & Lodging Association and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in response to a Los Angeles ordinance más...
Virgin introduces The Know loyalty program
Virgin Hotels has launched The Know, a unique loyalty program designed to offer guests with personalized service. Members of the program will be eligible más...
W Taipei presents the Food Re-design Project
W Taipei and the Taiwan Design Center (TDC) presented the 2014 Re-design TDC x W Taipei on December 15. The presentation included a theatrical performance más...
What's Hot: Seychelles resort rejuvenated
Any hotel that undergoes a makeover—especially if it’s a restoration—runs the risk of being either too different or not different enough más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Celebrate the season with Fendi
Rocco Forte’s Hotel de Russie in Rome has partnered with Fendi for its holiday decorations. Through December, the hotel will display a Christmas más...
News in brief: W, Hyatt, Mission Point
W subsidiary sold: City Developments sold cashflow of W Singapore – Sentosa Cove subsidiary for US$800 million. Read more at The Straits Times más...
Accor alliance in China creates new giant
Accor on Monday announced it has taken a 10% share in Huazhu Hotels Group (also known as China Lodging Group) with plans to create a company in China más...
Barclays sues over Von Essen audit
Barclays is suing Grant Thornton after it declared that Von Essen Hotels was in “good health.” The claim for damages states that the accountancy más...
What’s Hot: Victorian resort unveils renovation
The iconic Hotel del Coronado off the coast of San Diego, California, has debuted a US$13 million renovation. Possibly best known for its appearance in más...
Belmond launches microsite for LGBT guests
Belmond has launched belmond.com/lgbt-travel, a microsite dedicated to serving the LGBT travel community. The new microsite compliments the company’s más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Gingerbread house replica of iconic hotel
The Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky has unveiled its first GingerBrown, a large-scale gingerbread house replica of the 91-year-old hotel. The GingerBrown más...
News in brief: Four Seasons, Marriott, Starwood
Four Seasons Philadelphia to convert: Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. has selected Sage Hospitality to manage the Four Seasons Philadelphia starting in más...
2015 investment forecast: Tracking the hot spots
Sorry, but there are virtually no markets truly “under the radar.” The mere scale of competition for good deals has investors shopping everywhere más...
Katara buys 50% stake along side Saudi prince in London icon
Katara Hospitality, owned by Qatar’s sovereign-wealth fund, has taken a 50% stake along side Saudi Prince Alwaleed in London’s famed luxury más...
Hot Openings: Holiday Inn soars in New York
Manhattan might just be one of the world’s most notable cityscapes when it comes to skyscrapers. Going big or going home is practically a mantra más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Project Runway-inspired display
The Radisson Blu Warwick in Philadelphia partnered with Project Runway Season 12 winner Dom Streater to create a holiday display in the hotel’s más...
News in brief: Argyle, Crown, Marriott
China news: Australia’s Argyle Hotel Group has signed an agreement to manage its 60th hotel in China – the 200-room Argyle Hotel Dali in the más...
People on the move...
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Michael Beardsley has been promoted to senior vice president of sales and marketing at Aimbridge Hospitality más...
2015 investment forecast: The hot markets
If you ask Josh Wyatt, Patron Capital’s investment director, for his 2015 forecast, he’ll tell you hostels and lifestyle brands are hot and más...
Big DC asset acquired by MetLife
MetLife on Thursday announced that it has acquired from Ivanhoé Cambridge the 415-room Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C., for US$180 million. más...
Record price paid for asset in hot Nashville
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired from Florida-based Turnberry Associates and locally based Corner Partnership the 125-room Union Station Hotel in más...
What’s Hot: Curaçao resort shows off laid-back style
Whether in fashion or hospitality, resort style is an animal all its own. Resort spaces need to be serene and relaxing. And, it has to reflect the property’s más...
InterContinental to enhance childcare services
IHG has partnered with Norland College to train staff at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts on babysitting services. The two-year agreement is the más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Pen's charitable social campaign
During the month of December, The Peninsula Hotels is again donating to the Make-A-Wish Foundation with every mention on social media. To donate, participants más...
In brief: Hilton, Yoo, First Hospitality, Premier Inn
Hilton rumor: Hilton Worldwide is reportedly in talks to buy four properties from Blackstone Group and other owners to defer tax payments from its más...
HOTELS 2015 Forecast: Talking tech
While Facebook posts and Twitter feeds aren’t going to stop showing up on hoteliers’ marketing to-do lists, experts contend the operational más...
G6 launches two brands for Latin America
G6 Hospitality, Dallas, on Wednesday launched two new brands for Latin America expansion: Hotel 6 and Estudio 6. It also announced the signing of an area más...
Hot Openings: AC Hotels by Marriott comes to Istanbul
Design’s fine print has never been more important. From the perfect accent lamp to a just-so pillow, every detail counts. When it comes to working más...
Singapore's Grace aspires to grow Scarlet brand
Grace International, Singapore, recently expanded its luxury boutique footprint with the opening of The Scarlet Huntington in San Francisco following más...
Preferred Hotels research on multigen travel 2.0
Fueled by grandparents’ wallets and grandchildren’s sense of wanderlust (with an unexpected assist from Facebook), multigenerational travel más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Seasonal Spa Treatments
The Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Pennsylvania is offering holiday-themed manicure and pedicure services in its Springs Eternal Spa. The seasonal treatments más...
News in brief: Hilton, Red Lion, Pierre Hotel
Hilton comes to i-City: I-R&D Sdn Bhd signed a deal with Hilton Worldwide to develop a DoubleTree Hotel in i-City in Malaysia. Construction is scheduled más...
HOTELS 2015 Forecast: The GM's perspective
As always, making it happen will be the motto for general managers in 2015. Whether it’s refining a corporative directive to create a more sophisticated más...
Home2 Suites launches video campaign
Home2 Suites by Hilton has launched its “Fresh, New Way” video campaign in conjunction with the brand’s opening of its 50th hotel. The más...
Hot Openings: Meliá opens hotel in Bali
Locally inspired design is so popular that it runs the risk of becoming a cliché. And, that’s especially true for destinations as distinctive más...
Observations from ILTM, Cannes
The International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Global Forum last week in Cannes featured multiple speakers trying to set the scene for the future of luxury más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Historic Nutcracker light display
The Hotel d’Angleterre in Copenhagen has unveiled its Nutcracker-themed Christmas light display. The annual tradition illuminates Kongens Nytorv más...
News in brief: Starwood, Accor, Vail Resorts
Starwood signs luxury collection: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has signed Suiran, a luxury collection hotel in Kyoto, Japan. Scheduled más...
HOTELS 2015 Forecast: What's on the table?
The givens of the F&B sector don’t look set to change in 2015. Healthy options are in to stay, room service needs rethinking and grab-and-go más...
Breastfeeding policy causes uproar at Claridge's
A request by hotel staff on Friday for a breast-feeding woman to cover up with an over-sized napkin and be more discreet while in a restaurant at Claridge’s más...
Hot Openings: Kimpton unveils Palm Beach property
The 134-key Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa has opened. For the renovation of the former The Omphoy Ocean Resort, the design mandate was to retain the más...
Mercure to kick off The Six Friends Theory
Aiming to highlight the local features near its more than 700 hotels, Accor’s Mercure will launch The Six Friends Theory in 2015. The program will más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Christmas charity train and lights
The Hilton Shanghai transformed into a winter wonderland with a Christmas train village and tree lighting ceremony on November 28. Proceeds were donated más...
News in brief: Marriott, Accor, Noble
Marriott inks Saudi deal: Dur Hospitality and Marriott International will operate two properties in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The properties are scheduled más...
HOTELS Interview: Starwood's McAveety explains Starlab
For Phil McAveety, executive vice president and chief brand officer for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, the 200 people who brainstorm in más...
Meininger Hotels to expand across Europe
Foncière des Régions and Meininger Hotels have agreed to a strategic partnership to support Meininger's brand expansion across major cities más...
Hot Openings: Art focus, timeless design in Tel Aviv
Redefining the bones of a space poses a challenge for any designer. That’s especially true when the structure is as iconic as the two 1920s buildings más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Country Inns gets social
Country Inns & Suites by Carlson has launched the Happier Holidays & Nights Sweepstakes to connect and increase engagement with guests on social más...
News in brief: China Lodging, Watergate, Four Seasons
China Lodging Group reports Q3 earnings: China Lodging Group said net income was US$226.1 million for the third quarter of 2014, a 21% year-over-year más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Portland Harbor Hotel in Portland, Maine, has appointed Aaron Black general manager. Black also más...
HOTELS 2015 forecast: People must come first
People — especially employees — must come first in 2015 on the operational front. This is just one of the predictions revealed in a wide-ranging más...
Hot Openings: AC Hotels by Marriott opens Valencia property
Sometimes, telling a compelling design story starts with speaking softly. The design for the new AC Hotel Colón Valencia relies on a palette of más...
U.S. attorney nominee wants Chatwal to serve time
The U.S. attorney nominated by President Barack Obama to be his next attorney general this week asked a federal judge to reject leniency and impose a más...
Bali hotels report increased demand
According to a report released by Horwath HTL and C9 Hotelworks, Bali’s hotels are experiencing growing demand. Figures from the Bali Hotel and más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Display takes chocolate to extremes
The Greenbriar in West Virginia has unveiled a Christmas-themed chocolate display made of more than 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) of chocolate donated más...
News in brief: Ascott, Virgin, IHG
Ascott continues to grow: The Ascott Limited reopened Ascott Kuningan Jakarta for US$90 million under a conditional agreement with PT Ciputra. Ascott más...
SBE takes on capital partner led by Henry Silverman
Los Angeles-based hospitality firm SBE has taken on an investment partner, Cain Hoy Enterprises, led by former Cendant boss Henry Silverman, recapitalizing más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons opens in Johannesburg
Not every 5-star hotel that makes a splash needs to be an ultra-modern new-build. For the Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff Johannesburg, the brief for más...
Fairmont launches artisanal coffee partnership
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, announced an exclusive partnership with H.C. Valentine Coffee Co., a micro-roasting company based in Birmingham más...
Design in Asia about specialization, segmentation
Specialization and segmentation are key future trends for Asia's luxury hospitality design industry, according to the regular roundtable series hosted más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Huge gingerbread house competition
The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, held its 22nd-annual National Gingerbread House Competition November 17. Entries were evaluated más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Alt Hotels, Al Habtoor Group
Hyatt Place San Jose sold: Ultima Hospitality purchased the 234-room Hyatt Place San Jose. Read more at PR Newswire Alt Hotels expands: Group Germain más...
Loews brings in big brand exec as new CEO
Loews Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday named Kirk Kinsell president and CEO effective March 2, 2015, with current CEO Paul Whetsell becoming vice chairman más...
The Plaza saga takes new twist
The saga over the future of the Sahara Group’s iconic hotel assets and its imprisoned chairman took yet another turn Tuesday with reports that Mirach más...
RLHC acquires first Hotel RL property
RLHC, Spokane, Washington, announced it has acquired an adaptive-reuse property in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in Maryland that is expected to open más...
Hot Openings: Aloft makes Liverpool debut
The 116-key Aloft Liverpool has opened, marking the brand’s second U.K. property. “Aloft Liverpool perfectly illustrates how we can transform más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: A month of Christmas feasts
The Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel is offering its guests weekly Sunday Christmas brunch buffets in December featuring turkey, lamb and ham carved on más...
News in brief: Hard Rock, Strategic Hotels, Charlestowne
Hard Rock to debut in India: Hard Rock International will open its first hotel in India, the Hard Rock Hotel Goa. The brand will transform the current más...
HOTELS Interview: Forte elaborates on new Italian partner
With Rocco Forte Hotels new strategic partner in Fondo Strategico Italiano (FSI), Sir Rocco Forte has been newly emboldened to state he wants to at least más...
Hot Openings: Schrager, Marriott take Miami Beach
Monday signaled the launch of the Miami Beach Edition, an urban resort by Ian Schrager in partnership with Marriott International. Located in the Mid-Beach más...
Ramada grows in the UK
The Wyndham Hotel Group has signed a development agreement to open 20 Ramada hotels across the UK in the next 10 years. All of the properties will be más...
Meliá announces new digital strategy
Meliá Hotels International, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, has announced the launch of Meliá Digital, a new strategy in which it expects to invest más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Hungarian Christmas market debut
The Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest has opened its first Christmas market featuring Hungarian culinary specialties, arts and crafts, festive más...
News in brief: Club Med, Starwood, Avani
Club Med offer increases: Fosun International increased its bid for Club Mediterranee to 23.5 euros (US$29.35) per share and has valued and the company más...
noviembre 2014
HOTELS Interview: Minor’s strategy in Africa
Minor Hotel Group (MHG) has had a presence in Africa since 2008, but the Bangkok-based company — whose portfolio currently includes 119 properties más...
CitizenM, Accor announce major developments
Two industry movers announced important developments this week with CitizenM finding real estate to develop in Paris and Accor winning a contract to operate más...
Accor offers insight into Asian social media habits
The 2014 Accorhotels Social Media Monitor found that 4 out of 5 respondents follow brands on social media, with the Chinese and Vietnamese the most keen más...
What's Hot: Indonesian resort debuts new villas
Balancing local flavor, global standards and the authenticity of the experience are key for any resort destination’s design. For the nine más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Sami Aawar has been appointed director of operations at Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach in Dubai más...
HOTELS Interview: Keys to choosing the best cocktail glass
During more than 16 years working in F&B, Christopher Hopkins has honed his mixology skills at properties ranging from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas más...
Cornell introduces new metric for distress
A study from The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) at Cornell University proposes a new metric that could provide an early warning of distress in más...
What's Hot: California landmark unveils renovation
The La Quinta Resort & Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, has unveiled a multi-million dollar redux. Designers Smith& Firestone looked más...
Montage names winners of young philanthropists contest
Montage Hotels & Resorts, Laguna Beach, California, recently announced the winners of its second annual Montage Memory Makers contest, which rewards más...
IHG Owners Association offers tips for success in 2015
IHG Owners Association leaders and members met to discuss present and future initiatives, share priorities and prepare for 2015 at the IHG European Conference más...
HOTELS Interview: IHG aims to bring China to the Americas
IHG’s COO of the Americas Jolyon Bulley may have arrived at the company’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia just five months ago, but his plan más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons' locally-accented Dubai resort
Locally-inspired design is one of mainstays of the modern hospitality perspective, so it’s no surprise that was part of the mandate for the 237-key más...
Kempinski hotel touts numbers behind APEC meeting
When the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) held the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) earlier this month at the new Sunrise Kempinski Hotel más...
KSL buys De Vere’s Village chain
KSL Capital Partners officially purchased De Vere Group’s Village Urban Resorts chain for £485 million (US$607 million). Villiage was the más...
News in brief: Marriott
Two Marriott hotels sold: The Fort Lauderdale Marriott North sold for US$18.05 million to TPG FT Lauderdale LLC and the Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel sold más...
HOTELS Interview: Lessons from installing keyless locks
General Manager Alex Attia at The Charles in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is in the process of implementing a keyless guestroom lock system for guest to más...
News, notes from Deloitte conference in London
There was a bullish atmosphere at the 26th Deloitte European Hotel Investment conference held earlier this month in London, where STR Global predicted más...
Update, opinion on Russian fund's investment strategy
Glorax Capital, one of Russia’s leading direct investment funds owned by Russian businessman Andrew Birzhin, has officially confirmed its recently más...
What's Hot: London hotel debuts nail bar
One of the biggest challenges of making any hotel design stand out today is keeping a consistent deisgn character throughout every space, concept and más...
Loews to expand social media reservations
Loews Hotels & Resorts, New York City, will launch Social Reservations 2.0 December 1 to create a direct chat function for booking hotel más...
News in brief: Marriott, KSL, Wynn
JW Marriott debut: JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa will open in 2015. This will be JW Marriott’s first Italian hotel in Venice and first resort más...
HOTELS Interview: Atlantica’s evolving (yet steady) strategy
Atlantica Hotels International, São Paulo, established itself as the largest privately held company in Brazil under the guidance of President and más...
American Express forecasts 2015 hotel rates
American Express Global Business Travel has released its 11th annual Business Travel Forecast revealing air, hotel and ground transportation prices are más...
What's Hot: Oslo hotel showcases modernized look
Renovating a historic building is never an easy brief for a designer. The bones of the building have to be retained — that means working around más...
Azul Hotels will offer Nickelodeon entertainment for kids
Karisma Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Viacom International Media Networks to offer Nickelodeon-brand experiences at Azul Hotels. This will be más...
News in brief: Accor, Disney, Hyatt
Accor expands in Scotland: Accor will open two hotels in Edinburgh and one hotel in Glasgow, bringing the group’s Scotland portfolio up to 21. Read más...
Starwood sells Sydney asset for US$399 milllion
Starwood Hotels & Resorts continued down its asset-light path on Friday by announcing the sale of the 557-room Sheraton on the Park in Sydney to a más...
Hot Openings: Thompson makes Miami debut
Mid-century chic has never been hotter than it is right now, so it’s not surprising that was the jumping off point for Martin Brudnizki’s más...
Amazon to launch travel site
Amazon.com will launch a travel service that will allow users to book independent hotels and resorts near New York, Los Angeles and Seattle, according más...
QHotels picks up hotels from De Vere portfolio
QHotels in the United Kingdom has added six former De Vere Hotels and De Vere Luxury Lodges to its portfolio for an estimated £160 million (US$251 más...
New InterContinental kids menu promotes ‘food exploration’
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts properties in North and South America have debuted a new InterContinental Planet Trekkers Menu for kids designed más...
News in brief: Hyatt, IHG, Marriott
Hyatt wins Auckland bid: Hyatt was named as the new operator of a US$200 million hotel in Auckland, New Zealand. The 190-room hotel is set to open in más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Melrose Georgetown Hotel in Washington, D.C., has named Rodolfo Campos director of food and beverage más...
Revel casino buyer backing out of deal
A Toronto-based investment company has abandoned its plan to buy the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, dealing yet another serious blow to the más...
DiamondRock to acquire Florida hotel
DiamondRock Hospitality Co. has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale in Florida for más...
What's Hot: Azerbaijan hotel's art-driven dining venue
Art and the beach might seem like a slightly unusual pairing, but those two inspirations melded perfectly for Henry Chebaane and the team at Blue Sky más...
Shanghai hotel sets breakfast-in-bed record
After rounding up 388 people to eat breakfast in 202 beds in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom November 12, Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai set the Guinness más...
News in brief: Ascott, Sotherly, Caesars
Ascott expands to South Korea: Ascott Limited has secured a contract to manage its first Citadines Apart’hotel in Busan, South Korea. Set to open más...
HOTELS Interview: How Starwood manages social media
With traditional hotel-call-center booking volume decreasing, Starwood Hotels & Resorts has partially repurposed its teams in locations around the más...
Who is becoming IHG's largest European manager?
Redefine|BDL Hotels, London, has been appointed to manage 19 Holiday Inn and three Crowne Plaza hotels on behalf of LRG Acquisition starting in January más...
How to grow loyalty programs with social engagement
While the impact of loyalty programs has long been assumed beneficial, a study published by Cornell University confirms it: In studying Stash Hotel Rewards más...
Hot Openings: Ibis Budget debuts in Seoul
The 195-key Ibis Budget Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun marks the brand’s first opening in South Korea. The design of the hotel relies on geometric más...
Hotel’s huge LED screen spans NYC block
Eight stories high and spanning an entire block in New York City, from West 45th Street to West 46th Street, a new digital LED screen on the east façade más...
News in brief: Cachet, Marriott, Fu Wah
Cachet coming to Chengdu: Cachet Hotel Group has signed a deal to open a hotel in Chengdu, China. The 191-room hotel is set to open in 2016 and will be más...
HOTELS Interview: How glassware makes a cocktail program
Napa Valley, California, is best known for producing world-renowned wines, but earlier this year Scott Beattie joined Meadowood Napa Valley in St. Helena más...
Strategic acquires luxury asset in Scottsdale
Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Chicago, announced on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement to acquire the 210-room Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at más...
What's Hot: Arizona icon unveils revamp
Landmark status doesn’t guarantee any property’s style is evergreen. So, for the multi-million dollar update to the Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf más...
FibraHotel and Starwood expand Mexican hotel portfolio
FibraHotel and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced they will increase the number of hotels that they work on together in Mexico. FibraHotel más...
Latest data shows more record-breaking U.S. results
The U.S. hotel industry is expected to exceed forecasts and end 2014 with a 4.5% increase in demand, the largest increase since 2011, according to STR más...
News in brief: Marriott, Chatham, Hilton
Copenhagen Marriott Hotel sold: Solstra has acquired the Copenhagen Marriott Hotel for a price estimated by industry insiders to be around 700 million más...
Kaddouri guides Rotana’s emergence from Gulf
Successes in Persian Gulf hotel markets such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are spawning a wave of operators who now have enough experience más...
DiamondRock to sell Los Angeles Airport Marriott
DiamondRock Hospitality Co. entered into a purchase and sale agreement to sell the Los Angeles Airport Marriott. DiamondRock will receive total gross más...
What's Hot: NYC hotel unveils new rooftop space
Blue-sky thinking takes on a literal meaning when it comes to rooftop spaces in hotels. They have become a creative outlet for some of the most inventive más...
Stars ‘leave behind’ hot travel items at NYC W hotel
W New York – Union Square in New York City has launched “Just Missed You,” a series of suite packages that include travel items chosen más...
News in brief: Sheraton, Radisson, R Hotels
Sheraton to be renovated: The Sheraton Downtown Los Angeles will undergo a US$45 million renovation from the Ratkovich Company in partnership with National más...
HOTELS Interview: Hard Rock eyes worldwide expansion
With a resume that includes executive roles at Starwood, Wyndham and Hilton, Marco Roca came to his role of executive vice president and chief development más...
Orbis takes Accor's operations in Central Europe
Poland’s leading hotel group, Orbis, has accepted an offer from Accor to sign a new master license agreement until 2035 and take over the current más...
Hot Openings: Gansevoort to debut in Dominican Republic
The Gansevoort Playa Imbert will open on the Dominican Republic’s north coast December 15. The 48-key property offers one- and two-bedroom lofts más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Marriott, Google
Hyatt lined up to replace Ballsbridge Four Seasons: Hyatt Hotel Corp. is lined up to replace the Four Seasons hotel in Ballsbridge, Ireland. According más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Atlanta-based Hotel Equities has named Garfield Campbell regional director of business development. más...
Invesco takes 23% stake in Patron's cool hostel brand
Patron Capital, owner of Generator Hostels, has completed a minority sale of Generator to Invesco Ltd. of up to 23% in exchange for €60 million (US$75 más...
Perseus Capital Partners acquires Paris hotel
Perseus Capital Partners (PCP) announced the acquisition of the Hôtel Atlanta-Frochot. The 47-room boutique hotel is located in the Pigalle borough más...
What's Hot: Hong Kong hotel debuts room makeover
Many hotels today seem to need a split design personality. With increasing demand for each guest to have an individualized experience, designers are under más...
Technology, pay-for-tables, oysters among 2015 F&B trends
The impact of technology is the biggest F&B trend for the coming year and beyond, according to an annual forecast from New York-based consultancy más...
News in brief: Centara, Auberge, Pebblebrook
Centara expands portfolio: Centara Hotels & Resorts will open a value-brand hotel in the Thai resort town of Ao Nang. The Centra Phu Pano Resort will más...
Chinese hotel leader to acquire Louvre Hotels Group
Starwood Capital Group on Wednesday announced it sold Louvre Hotels Group, which it acquired in 2005 for US$3.2 billion, to Jin Jiang International Holdings más...
Australia's Argyle adds a brand for China
Argyle Hotel Group (AHG) on Wednesday unveiled its new brand, Ausotel Smart, which will target China’s emerging middle class, young adults and business más...
Oetker taking management of Lanesborough
Oetker Collection, Baden-Baden, Germany, will take over management one of London’s Lanesborough with Managing Director Geoffrey Gelardi continuing más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons to unveil Bahrain hotel
Going big or going home has become the mandate for a lot of hotel projects. Even outside the race to develop a new level of hyperbole in the star-rating más...
Hampton to add new lobby F&B concept
Hilton Worldwide brand Hampton Hotels announced a new F&B concept, Treats, which will encompass a walk-up or walk-in shop offering snacks, toiletries más...
Deloitte reports European investment preferences
Ahead of its 26th European hotel investment conference, Deloitte released research showing North American, Chinese and Middle Eastern investors are expected más...
News in brief: Club Med, Shaner, Mandarin Oriental
Club Med bid increased: Global Resorts SAS raised its bid for Club Mediterranee SA to surpass a competing offer from Fosun International Ltd. Global Resorts más...
HOTELS honors 2014 Hoteliers of the World
Christopher Nassetta, president and chief executive officer of Hilton Worldwide, and Elisabeth Gürtler, managing director of Sacher Hotels in Vienna más...
IHG shareholder letter urges merger
Marcato Capital Management, a San Francisco-based investment manager that owns approximately 4% of the outstanding shares of IHG, on Tuesday released más...
Oro Verde continues to expand in Ecuador
Ecuador’s Oro Verde Hotels Group continues to grow its national portfolio, next in Guayaquil where, in an alliance with the State of Ecuador, a más...
Hot Openings: Chinese hotel highlights European style
At first glance, you'd never place The Castle Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Dalian in mainland China. HBA Interior Design's styling for the 292-key más...
Le Méridien debuts coffee campaign
Le Méridien has introduced a year-long coffee-focused campaign, Inspiration Brewed Here, and appointed Dutch Latte Art Champion Esther Maasdam más...
News in brief: Omni, Fibra, Hilton
Omni adds New Orleans hotel: Riverfront Lodging contracted with Omni Hotels & Resorts to manage the former Wyndham Riverfront New Orleans as the Omni más...
New partnership to spur Rocco Forte expansion
Rocco Forte Hotels announced a strategic partnership with Fondo Strategico Italiano (FSI), an Italian state-backed sovereign fund 80% controlled by Cassa más...
Hyatt acquires Texas resort
Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Monday announced a Hyatt affiliate has acquired its partners' 92% interest in the 491-room Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa más...
Hot Openings: JW Marriott reveals first Indian hotel
For the design of the 115-room JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa, nestled in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains, the team más...
Court sides with Capella in Cabo resort management dispute
Following a statement last week from owner Hoteles del Cabo that it terminated Capella Hotel Group from management of Capella Pedregal due to alleged más...
Opryland Hotel icon dies
Jack Vaughn, whose career at Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — now Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center — spanned almost más...
News in brief: Dalata, Tryp by Wyndham, U.S./China visas
Potential acquisition suspends Dalata shares: Shares in hotel group Dalata were temporarily suspended from the junior markets of both the London and Irish más...
HOTELS Interview: Solomons on IHG brands, bookings, more
On the heels of IHG’s Americas conference last week, HOTELS spoke to Chief Executive Richard Solomons about the state of affairs for the top hotel más...
Capella being sued by Cabo resort owner
Hoteles del Cabo, S.de R.L.de C.V., owner of The Resort At Pedregal, released a statement on Friday stating its recent termination of Capella Hotel Group más...
Hot Openings: Aman to open first urban hotel
Aman will unveil its first city property, the 84-key Aman Tokyo, December 22. Giving Aman’s signature vibe, a city spin started with the DNA más...
Centara hotel bottles water in house
Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi in Thailand, which is set directly on the beach in a small bay that can only be reached by boat or along más...
News in brief: Marriott, Rockbridge, Aman
Marriott cash dividend: Marriott International’s board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $US0.20 per share of common stock. The más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Ahmed Abdouneuer has been named general manager of Steigenberger Hotel Cecil in Alexandria, Egypt. Abdouneuer más...
HOTELS Interview: Montage honors fledgling philanthropists
The Montage Memory Makers contest began last year as a way to mark Montage Hotels & Resorts’ 10th anniversary, but even in just its second year más...
Village Urban Resorts acquired
KSL Capital Partners, which also owns the Hotel du Vin and Malmaison brands, is believed to have exchanged contracts to take over Village Urban Resorts más...
Kerzner subsidiary to manage another Australian icon
About a year after Kerzner International Holdings announced an agreement to assume management of Hayman off the coast of Queensland, Emirates has appointed más...
Taj markets $500k monthly top floor rental at Pierre
To create some new buzz in a competitive marketplace, The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York, has launched The Pierre Hotel Residences portfolio of 10 Grand más...
Hot Openings: DoubleTree by Hilton makes Qinghai debut
The 112-key DoubleTree by Hilton Qinghai-Golmud marks the brand’s debut in the Chinese province. "By bringing an upscale, full-service hotel más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Pacifica, Regent
Wyndham completes securitization: Wyndham Worldwide Corp. has completed a US$325 million securitization. Sierra Timeshare 2014-3 Receivables Funding LLC más...
HOTELS Interview: Marriott looks to connect through content
Marriott International recently made a bold move into the realm of media companies with the launch of the Marriott Global Content Studio, which is dedicated más...
Loews takes ownership of Arizona resort
While Loews Hotels & Resorts has operated the 398-room Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tuscon, Arizona, since its opening in 1984, now it can boast más...
What's Hot: NYC hotel debuts revamped rooftop
Talk about design that’s on top of the world. Rooftop space has never been as much of a hot commodity as it is right now. From ultra-slick lounges más...
Hospitality CEOs are strong generalists: study
Hospitality CEOs tend to be strong generalists in their skill set, according to an analysis of standardized skills and competency-assessment data collected más...
News in brief: Accor, Priceline, Hyatt
Accor signs The Park Lane Hong Kong: Accor has signed The Park Lane Hong Kong to its Pullman brand. This marks Accor’s 600th hotel in the Asia Pacific más...
HOTELS Interview: IHG’s Kinsell on minimum wage, Airbnb, more
Staying relevant in an increasingly crowded and evolving market place was the promise made to 4,600 owners and operators by Americas President Kirk Kinsell más...
New brand reportedly emerging from Russia
Glorax Capital Fund, one of Russia’s leading private equity firms, reportedly plans to create a global hotel brand called Glorax and will invest más...
Hot Openings: Ritz-Carlton's first U.S. property in four years
Sometimes, great projects take a while to bring to fruition. Take the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage in California. After opening under that flag in 1998 más...
Oxford Capital buys again in Chicago, plans lifestyle
Essex Hotel Owner, an Oxford Capital Group-led venture with Quadrum Global, has acquired Chicago’s historic Essex Inn-Michigan Avenue. In the coming más...
Boutique collection launches in Thailand
Monathai Hotels & Resorts announced a boutique hotel collection with locations in Thailand's coastal destinations. Manathai will manage four resorts más...
Morgans debuts roaming communal dining experience
Morgans Hotel Group, New York City, has partnered with Munchies, Vice Media’s food channel to create Dinner Party, a communal dining experience más...
News in brief: Trump, Best Western, Trivago
Trump to open hotel in Azerbaijan: Trump Hotel Collection announced that Trump International Hotel & Tower Baku will open in 2015. The 33-floor tower más...
Starwood, Hilton advance mobile room keys
Both Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Hilton Worldwide on Monday announced advancements in their offerings of mobile, keyless room access. más...
Kuwaiti company buys into Manhattan
KFH Capital Investment Co., the investment management arm of Kuwait Finance House K.S.C.P., has purchased for US$141.5 million the 148-room Hampton Inn más...
What's Hot: Rosewood Mayakoba's dining concept
Design can’t stop at the interior wall. That’s a mandate for many hotels now. From landscaping to outdoor dining, great style has to include más...
Westin introduces unique sleep program
In honor of the 15th anniversary of its Heavenly Bed, Westin Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Lark Technologies to launch a sleep-sensor-wearable-lending más...
News in brief: Hilton, IHG, Onyx
New Hilton offering: Shareholders associated with the Blackstone Group will launch a massive secondary offering of at least 90 million shares of Hilton más...
octubre 2014
HOTELS Interview: Accor’s Bazin talks digital, Mama Shelter, more
It has been a busy week for Accor — introducing a comprehensive new digital strategy in addition to acquiring a stake in an up-and-coming boutique más...
Hampton to open more than 400 hotels in China
Hilton Worldwide announced an exclusive license agreement with Plateno Hotels Group to launch and develop more than 400 Hampton hotels in China. The first más...
Edition hotel and residences to open in West Hollywood
In a key marketing signing for Marriott International's fledgling luxury lifestyle brand, the group and affiliates of The Witkoff Group and New Valley más...
Marriott announces content deals in digital entertainment
Marriott International on Friday announced new production and development details surrounding its recently launched Marriott Global Content Studio. A más...
What's Hot: Hyatt Times Square showcases urban style
All the ingredients for a New York City hotel are fairly well known — it has to be cool, it has to have a vibe that captures the city’s culture más...
News in brief: Hilton, Park Hotels, Cachet Hotels
Hilton Worldwide Q3 2014 earnings: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. reported net income was US$183 million, or US$0.19 per share, during the third quarter más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Matthew Baker has been named director of sales and marketing at Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel más...
Accor makes big investment in new digital strategy
Accor on Thursday unveiled a new multi-faceted digital strategy in which it plans to invest €225 million (US$284 million) over the next five years más...
Industry icon Wittwer retires at Kempinski
Kempinski Hotels, Geneva, announced on Thursday that after 19 years as its president and CEO, iconic hotelier Reto Wittwer retired on Wednesday, handing más...
Marriott extends free basic Wi-Fi service
Marriott International on Thursday announced plans to provide free basic Wi-Fi to all 47 million members of its Marriott Rewards loyalty program when más...
Holiday Inn launches Burger Theory
Holiday Inn announced this week it will roll out its Burger Theory restaurant concept in the Americas. Burger Theory will feature a bar-centric rustic más...
Wyndham names new president of managed hotels
Wyndham Hotel Group on Thursday announced the appointment of Mark Kukulski as president of its management division, Wyndham Hotel Group Management. In más...
Hot Openings: Madison hotel debuts contemporary look
Just because a hotel has a storied past doesn’t mean it needs to be stuck in it. That was the driving force behind owner and developer Robert Dunn’s más...
News in brief: Host, Omni, Rotana
Host reports 3Q earnings: Host Hotels & Resorts said net income improved US$127 million to US$145 million for the third quarter 2014. Revenue for más...
IHG focuses on winning across brands at annual conference
“Winning” was the buzzword of the 2014 IHG Americas Investors and Leadership Conference at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas this week. With más...
DeBoer launches hybrid hotel-apartment concept
Industry legend Jack DeBoer, founder of Residence Inn, Summerfield Suites, Candlewood Hotel Group and Value Place, has launched his fifth national brand: más...
Hot Openings: Sanya resort showcases family offerings
Multi-generational travel is one of the hottest buzzwords in today’s hospitality industry. Whether it’s parents traveling with kids and grandparents más...
Mandalay Bay boasts new solar energy alternative
MGM Resorts International and NRG Energy have completed the installation of what they call the world's largest rooftop solar array on a convention center más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Marriott, Generator
Hyatt reports 3Q earnings: Hyatt Hotels Corp. said net income was US$32 million, or US$0.21 per share, during the third quarter of 2014 compared to net más...
Accor acquires growing boutique brand
Accor has acquired approximately a 35% stake in the eclectic boutique brand Mama Shelter, which currently includes properties in France in Paris, Marseille más...
Prominent Canadian hotel sold
InnVest Real Estate Investment Trust and KingSett Real Estate Growth LP No. 5 announced Tuesday a definitive agreement with Ivanhoé Cambridge to más...
Hot Openings: Hilton makes Myanmar debut
The Hilton Nay Pyi Taw marks Hilton Worldwide’s first property in Myanmar, one of six in the pipeline. The 202-room property houses three dining más...
San Francisco law further legitimizes likes of Airbnb
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee signed a law on Monday that starting in February will legalize short-term rentals of 30 days or less with a 14.5% sales tax más...
Controlling acquisition costs focus of RSS
Marriott Senior Vice President Shafiq Khan described the biggest challenge facing the hotel industry as “our profitability and the impact of mediation más...
Holiday Inn collaborates on new TV series
IHG’s Holiday Inn brand and HLN, a Turner Broadcasting network, announced the production of the six-episode original series, “Growing America: más...
News in brief: Morgans, Starwood, TripAdvisor
Morgans goes to court: Morgans Hotel Group has filed a lawsuit to retain management of the Mondrian Soho after the hotel recently was foreclosed upon más...
Crowne Plaza unveils new guestroom focused on productivity
IHG brand Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, which has spent the past several years working on a multifaceted refresh, on Monday unveiled its next-generation más...
Atlantica sale: Sistare reflects on 18-year journey
Eighteen years ago when Paul Sistare left the comfortable confines of Colorado to start a hotel company in Brazil, he said friends and family were questioning más...
Hot Openings: Beijing hotel shows off local art, culture
For the 283-key Rosewood Beijing (the first Rosewood Hotels & Resorts property in China), the buzzword for the design was “narrative.” más...
New Fairfield campaign targets multitasking travelers
Fairfield Inn & Suites has launched the “Stay Amazing” campaign for momentum-seeking travellers who are juggling the demands of work and más...
News in brief: Ashford, Hard Rock, IHG
Ashford Prime announces share-repurchase program, asset-sale strategy: Ashford Hospitality Prime announced its board of directors has approved a share-repurchase más...
Two U.S. funds acquire Brazilian hotel giant
Funds managed by U.S. investment groups Soros Fund Management and Tao Capital Partners have acquired Atlantica Hotels International, the largest privately más...
Two Venice Lido landmarks to be renovated
U.S. investor Hines Real Estate Investment Trust plans to lead a US$380 renovation project of two historic hotels in Venice, the Hotel Excelsior and Grand más...
What's Hot: London Marriott updates meeting spaces
These days, every space in a hotel is a vital part of the design statement, and meeting and function spaces are no exception. However, they have to do más...
Club Med to offer circus activities for guests
Club Med and Cirque du Soleil have partnered to launch Club Med Creactive by Cirque du Soleil, which will debut at Club Med Punta Cana in the Dominican más...
News in brief: Starwood Capital, Hilton Worldwide, Shangri-La
Starwood Capital acquires Spanish loan portfolio: In partnership with Sankaty AdvisorsLLC, Starwood Capital Group acquired an €800 million (US$1 más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Wyndham Hotel Group has appointed Rui Barros president and managing director of North America franchise más...
More details on Red Lion's plans for Hotel RL
With a board that has charged RLHC (Red Lion Hotels Corp.) with doubling its portfolio, it should come as no surprise that it was one of three U.S. companies más...
Waldorf Astoria partners with James Beard
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts announced the launch a global gastronomy-focused program in partnership with the James Beard Foundation (JBF). Taste más...
Marriott offers job seekers inside look at workplaces
Following commissioned research in 15 countries to better understand user behavior during the job-search process, Marriott International debuted its #PictureYourselfHere más...
Hot Openings: Mozambique hotel melds cultural influences
Pulling together multiple cultures, influences or aesthetics has become par for the course in hospitality design. From East-meets-West style narratives más...
Howard Johnson searches for former ad stars
As it celebrates its 60th anniversary, Wyndham Hotel Group brand Howard Johnson has launched a U.S. search for former employees who were once featured más...
News in brief: IHG, HRI, Ascott
IHG to open two hotels in Dubai: IHG has signed a franchise agreement with Abjar Hotels International for a new 450-room Holiday Inn and 250-room Staybridge más...
RLHC launches new full-service lifestyle brand
RLHC, Spokane, Washington, announced the launch of a new upscale hotel conversion brand targeted for the top 80 U.S. urban markets. The company described más...
Montage announces Pendry Hotels
Montage Hotels & Resorts, Laguna Beach, California, has announced the launch of Pendry Hotels, a brand that will combine service with a “fashion-forward más...
Hot Openings: New brand debuts in Brisbane
Every brand launches its flagship looking to establish a design DNA that’s instantly recognizable, compelling and memorable. Next Hotel’s más...
New W initiative supports LGBT rights
W Hotels Worldwide has joined with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and singer and actress Jennifer Hudson to fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender más...
Mandarin Oriental campaign features Lucy Liu
Award-winning actress, producer and director Lucy Liu has joined Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group as a celebrity fan for a multimillion-dollar global advertising más...
News in brief: Meliá, Yelp, Sotherly
Meliá to open hotels in Qatar and Indonesia: Meliá Hotels International announced it will open hotels in Doha in 2015 and Bintan in 2017 más...
Prominent Rome hotel sold
As part of its ongoing asset-light strategy, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced it has sold The St. Regis, Rome to subsidiaries of Constellation más...
Hot Openings: Hoxton unveils second hotel
The high-low mix has been a staple of the fashion world for years. Then London’s hotel scene got a taste of that with The Hoxton, a midscale collaboration más...
Hard Rock targets kids
Citing an aim to allow the brand “to connect with future and veteran rockers alike,” Hard Rock International has launched the Hard Rock Roxtars más...
Four Seasons addresses ‘personal energy crisis’
In an effort to address guests’ need for increased personal energy and revitalization, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, has launched Energy más...
News in brief: IHG, Rezidor, Whitbread
IHG earnings: IHG reported Monday strong third-quarter growth, announcing the best quarterly RevPAR performance in more than two years with a global growth más...
Schroeder guides big growth plans for PPHG
With an initial brief to guide the almost 40-hotel company through its next stage of growth, strengthen internal management processes and extend the Pan más...
Chinese company unveils new hotel brands
Shanghai-based Shimao Group has unveiled two new hotel brands, midscale MiniMax Hotel and MiniMax Premier Hotel, which it calls “high-end.” más...
Hot Openings: Kentish boutique showcases British chic
There’s no question there is a British “look.” From the quirky chic established in properties like London’s Ham Yard Hotel to más...
London hotel’s new cocktail menu comes in pop-up form
Long seen as child’s play, the pop-up book is getting a decidedly adult twist at The Beaufort Bar at The Savoy in London. The bar’s new cocktail más...
New data on device dependency
With 94% of people bringing at least one mobile device when they take personal vacations and 97% bringing at least one device on business trips, according más...
News in brief: Tune, Warwick, hypertargeting
Tune plans aggressive U.K. expansion: Select-service Tune Hotels said it is aiming to open up to 25 new properties in the United Kingdom, where it is más...
Making post-stay online surveys more relevant to guests
Are post-stay online surveys today smart enough to reflect that the staff knew all about a guest’s stay? The interest of a guest can wane in a minute más...
NH sells Sotogrande assets to private equity pair
NH Hotel Group, Madrid, on Friday announced it has reached an agreement with private equity funds Cerberus and Orion Capital for the sale of 96.997% of más...
What's Hot: Vail condo-hotel debuts renovated suites
For the Antlers at Vail Hotel’s revamp, the key mandate was keeping the look welcoming and homey — and not stepping on owners’ toes más...
New York hotel debuts ‘Service Stylists’
Langham Place, Fifth Avenue in New York City has introduced “Service Stylists,” guest liaisons who will be dressed in custom-made shirt-dresses más...
News in brief: Jumeirah, Hilton, Aloft, HICAP, Accor
Jumeirah in China: Jumeirah Group, Dubai, on Thursday announced three new management agreements to operate luxury hotels and resorts across China, opening más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Playa Resorts Management has appointed Pilar Arizmendi director of sales and marketing for Mexico. Arizmendi más...
Loews will launch managed lifestyle collection
Loews Hotels & Resorts in January plans to launch the OE Collection, which will be different from many of the other recently announced “collections” más...
72% of New York City Airbnb rentals illegal: Report
Nearly three-quarters of all Airbnb rentals in New York City are illegal, violating zoning laws, among others, according to a report released Thursday más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best property use of visual social networks
Fontainebleau Miami Beach won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Use of Visual/Photographic Networks, Property. For the third straight year más...
Hot Openings: NH Collection debuts Madrid flagship
There’s no question that technology in all its forms has become a primary focus for hospitality design and the guest experience. The team behind más...
Milwaukee hotel to offer augmented reality art tour
Marcus Hotels & Resorts announced that its flagship property, The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, will offer an augmented reality (AR) tour starting October más...
Marriott menus showcase local Latin flavors
Marriott International has unveiled Taste of the Caribbean and Latin America menus at five pilot hotels in the region — St. Kitts Marriott Resort más...
News in brief: Ebola, Jumeirah, Radisson
Ebola not yet affecting business travel: Business travel has not been significantly impacted by the current Ebola outbreak, according to a poll of travel más...
At last, Hilton launches lifestyle brand
Hilton Worldwide on Wednesday announced the launch of its long-awaited, "accessible" lifestyle brand, Canopy by Hilton. Upper-upscale Canopy, the company's más...
Aggressive Shiva acquires London landmark hotel
Cola Holdings Ltd. has sold to Shiva Hotels the landmark, 170-room Kingsway Hall Hotel in London’s Covent Garden for £96m (US$154 million) más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand use of visual social networks
Hilton Worldwide’s DoubleTree by Hilton brand and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, tied for HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best más...
Hot Openings: Mauritius resort shows off escapist chic
For the new Lux* Belle Mare in Mauritius, designer Kelly Hoppen wanted to find a way to reinvent resort cool. She knew she wanted to make a more vivid más...
U.S. franchise fees 11.8% of rooms' revenue: HVS
The median franchise cost was 11.8% of rooms’ revenue, according to results from global hospitality consulting firm HVS’s 2014 U.S. Hotel más...
News in brief: Hard Rock, Radisson Red, Dalata
Hard Rock announces Texas hotel: Hard Rock International announced plans for Hard Rock Hotel Dallas-Fort Worth in The Grand Alps Village development in más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Bloggers' bold predictions
HOTELS’ network of global bloggers regularly make bold predictions about the future of the industry, but for the October issue of our magazine, más...
Is US government reviewing Waldorf sale to Chinese?
In what could amount to making a mountain out of a molehill, multiple media outlets are reporting that the "U.S. government is looking into" the October más...
African JV creates Sovereign eLan Hotels
Sovereign Hotels, Johannesburg, has announced the completion of a successful merger with the eLan Property Group, as well as African Insignia Hotels más...
Hot Openings: Mondrian makes European debut
Modern design has moved beyond the angular shapes that used to define the contemporary urban design lexicon. Case in point: the Mondrian London. The 359-key más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best property reputation management
Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Reputation Management: Social Media, Property. For the third straight year más...
Hotel Max showcases Pop art
Hotel Max in Seattle has transformed its lobby into a Pop art gallery displaying original works including one of the most iconic images in Pop, “Campbell’s más...
News in brief: Accor, Red Lion, TripAdvisor
Accor in Jeddah: Accor Hotel Services Middle East has signed management agreements with Alesayi Group for three more hotels in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia by más...
Best Western roundup: Vib, Collection, OTAs
Best Western’s new lifestyle brand Vib (pronounced Vibe) is a bit of late-comer to the hip, lifestyle trend. But not because it was más...
Rumors surface about Starwood Capital selling Louvre
Accor is among potential buyers of budget operator Louvre Hotels, Paris, which owner U.S. investment group Starwood Capital is seeking to sell, a source más...
$1 billion hotel refinancing could spring Subrata Roy
Sahara group is believed to be working on an over US$1 billion debt refinancing deal with two American hedge funds backed by an undisclosed Wall Street más...
Unique Mercantile makes big HoJo bet in India
Unique Mercantile, the Indian rights holder of Wyndham Hotel Group's Howard Johnson brand, reportedly plans to invest Rs 1,715 crore to open 34 properties más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand reputation management
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Reputation Management: Social Media, Brand. For the third straight más...
What’s Hot: D.C. hotel unveils revamped rooftop bar
In a city where history is around every corner, almost any design concept is bound to be tied to that heritage. So for the renovation of POV at the W más...
Hard Rock launches characters for kids
Hard Rock International has unveiled the Hard Rock Roxtars, a band of characters serving as brand ambassadors for Hard Rock’s programs catering más...
News in brief: Marriott on Ebola, Topland, Disneyland Paris
Ebola response: In response to the Ebola outbreak, Marriott International has made a statement reinforcing its existing global protocols for addressing más...
Best Western outlines more Vib details
The new lifestyle brand from Best Western International (BWI), Vib (pronounced Vibe), is a bit of a late-comer to the hip, lifestyle trend. But not because más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best property digital video campaign
Burj Al Arab in Dubai won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Digital Video Campaign, Property. For the third straight year, HOTELS is honoring más...
What's Hot: Sky-high stay debuts in Colorado Springs
The Broadmoor’s Cloud Camp takes design to new heights — literally. Located on the site of the original 1924 lodge high above The Broadmoor más...
News in brief: Dusit, Wyndham, Marriott
Dusit plans Australian golf and spa resort: Dusit International announced it will build a A$550 million (US$480 million) resort, backed by Hong Kong fund más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Davide Bertilaccio has been appointed area general manager for the Fairmont Kenya collection of hotels más...
Best Western launches boutique brand, collection
Best Western International (BWI) launched a boutique concept called Vib (pronounced Vibe) and a soft brand called BW Premier Collection at its North American más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand digital video campaign
Hilton Worldwide’s DoubleTree by Hilton brand won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Digital Video Campaign, Brand. For the third straight más...
Hot Openings: Conrad makes London debut
Hilton Worldwide has brought its Conrad Hotels & Resorts brand to London with the opening of the Conrad London St. James. The hotel’s más...
Sheraton wine spotlight turns to New Zealand
After a summer of showcasing Rieslings in its Sheraton Selects wine program, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has kicked off the Sheraton Selects Spotlight más...
News in brief: Marriott, HTL, Wyndham
Marriott Hotels debuts wireless charging: Marriott International brand Marriott Hotels is introducing portable charging stations featuring wireless charging más...
Details on rebellious Virgin Chicago emerge
Virgin Hotels has gone live with its responsive design website to finally announce the opening of its first hotel in Chicago, now scheduled to open más...
Highgate aims for expansion via new partnership
Highgate Hotels, the New York City-based company that manages approximately 60 hotels in markets including New York, Miami and San Francisco, sold a minor más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best property use of Twitter
W Doha in Qatar won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Use of Twitter, Property. For the third straight year, HOTELS is honoring the best más...
Hot Openings: New York hotel hits the right notes
Madonna might be one of the most iconic names and faces out there, so it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that the queen of pop was one of más...
New IHG program focuses on F&B training
IHG has launched a bespoke training program for the F&B teams in its hotels across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Greater China. The online program más...
News in brief: Disney, Steigenberger, Red Lion
Disney throws lifeline to Disneyland Paris: A rescue package will give Disneyland Paris and its sister park Walt Disney Studios at least €1 billion más...
Club Med board supports latest buyout offer
Club Méditerranée on Monday said its board has unanimously recommended supporting a friendly €22 (US$28.38) per share buyout bid más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand use of Twitter
Trump Hotel Collection, New York City, won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Use of Twitter, Brand. Trump Hotel Collection uses Twitter to más...
Hot Openings: Accor returns to Myanmar
With the opening of the 165-room The Lake Garden, Nay Pyi Taw, Accor marks its comeback in Myanmar. “This opening comes at a time when the capital más...
New Courtyard campaign promotes having fun
Courtyard by Marriott’s new brand campaign, Make Room for a Little Fun, focuses on the success-driven traveler who is also looking to have some más...
Hotel website best place for marketing videos
Citing data that shows 51% of leisure travelers, 69% of business travelers and 55% of affluent travelers watch online travel videos, Software Advice (SA) más...
News in brief: Ardent, Holiday Inn Express, Delta
Ardent adds two Manhattan properties: Ardent Hotel Management Co. announced the company will manage the 148-room Hampton Inn United Nations and the 135-room más...
Hilton sells landmark Waldorf to Chinese insurer
Hilton Worldwide on Monday said it will sell the iconic Waldorf Astoria New York to Beijing-based Anbang Insurance Group Co. Ltd. for about US$1.95 billion más...
Social Hotel Awards: Best property digital campaign
Boca Raton Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Florida won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Facebook Promotion, Property. For más...
Hot Openings: Berlin hotel shows off colorful locale
Many designers use a building's past as inspiration, but not many properties used to be circus. Consequently, Andreas Neudahm had an especially rich background más...
St. Regis celebrates iconic cocktail
In honor of the cocktail’s 80th anniversary this month, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts announced it will bottle and retail the iconic Bloody Mary más...
Dynamic pricing grows in popularity: GBTA
Dynamic pricing in hotels for corporate traveler managers continues to be a well-received cost-saving measure, according to a new study by the Global más...
News in brief: Host, CWI, TripAdvisor
Host announces transactions in Miami, Berlin: Host Hotels & Resorts announced it acquired the 242-room b2 Miami Downtown for US$57.5 million and will más...
HOTELS Interview: Leading grassroots effort for a cause
The color pink abounds during October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but a few years ago, InterContinental Milwaukee General Manager Tim Smith and más...
Marriott fined $600k for blocking personal Wi-Fi
Marriott International will pay the government a US$600,000 civil penalty fine for jamming conference attendees’ own Wi-Fi networks at one of its más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand integrated campaign
Hilton Worldwide’s Hampton Hotels brand won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Facebook Promotion, Brand. For the third straight year más...
G6 outlines latest growth plans
G6 Hospitality at its annual brand convention this week outlined three areas of focus for 2015 and beyond for its Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands, including: más...
What’s Hot: London hotel debuts urban-inspired bar
London tends to have a very strong aesthetic when it comes to hospitality design. Whether it’s the coolly quirky Britishness of projects that make más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Carol Akatcherian has joined the Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel as director of finance. Previously más...
News in brief: Tampa Marriott, Rebel in Chicago
Tampa Marriott sold: Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik’s Strategic Property Partners has for US$150 million acquired the Tampa Marriott Waterside más...
HOTELS Interview: Updating Jinjiang's plans for MetroPolo
With the addition of the Bestay, Goldmet and MetroPolo brands to Jinjiang Group’s freestanding Jinjiang Inns group, in February Shanghai Jinjiang más...
Park Hyatt Washington sold
Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Westmont Hospitality Group announced that a Hyatt affiliate has sold the 216-room Park Hyatt Washington to a venture comprised más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best property Facebook promotion
Travaasa Hana in Hawaii won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Facebook Promotion, Property. For the third straight year, HOTELS is honoring más...
What's Hot: Daniel Boulud debuts first Boston venue
Superstar chef Daniel Boulud has debuted his first offering in Boston at the Mandarin Oriental, Boston. The 148-room hotel is home to Bar Boulud. The venue más...
Demand drives opportunity in West Africa: Horwath HTL
As opposed to the rest of Africa, which has experienced important tourist growth in recent decades, tourism in West Africa remains marginal. The levels más...
News in brief: Fairmont, Steigenberger, World Cup impact
Fairmont to manage Barcelona hotel: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced it will manage the 432-room Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I in Barcelona, Spain. Fairmont más...
Outrigger launches dedicated resort brand
Outrigger Enterprises Group, Honolulu, announced the launch of a dedicated beachfront resort brand, Outrigger Resorts, which includes its existing properties más...
Brookfield reportedly wins Revel auction
Brookfield Asset Management on Wednesday reportedly won the auction for Atlantic City's bankrupt Revel Casino Hotel with a US$110 million bid, Reuters más...
L.A. officially raises minimum wage, AH&LA vows fight
After the Los Angeles City Council approved on Wednesday a measure that increases the minimum wage to US$15.37 only for hotels, the American Hotel and más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand Facebook promotion
Marriott International brand Fairfield Inn & Suites won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Facebook Promotion, Brand. For the third straight más...
Hot Openings: NYC boutique focuses on craftsmanship
In New York City, the flavor of the day for most boutique hotels has a few things in common — local accents, an uptown-chic-meets-downtown-grit más...
News in brief: Westin, Crestline, Temple
Westin to expand in Colorado: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced plans to open The Westin Greenwood Village in 2016. Owned by Greenwood más...
septiembre 2014
New Marriott studio focuses on original content marketing
As part of “a mission to own original content marketing as both a travel company and a worldwide community,” Marriott International announced más...
Hilton Garden Inn unveils modular design for African projects
Hilton Worldwide unveiled a new modular Hilton Garden Inn hotel-build solution for coming African projects. Constructed in China by CIMC Modular Building más...
Mangalis outlines details of Yaas economy brand
Mangalis Hotel Group outlined details of its economy brand Yaas Hotels, which joins Noom Hotels and Seen Hotels in the upscale and midscale segments, más...
Starwood plans another HQ relocation
Following the company’s relocations to China in 2011 and Dubai in 2013, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced it will relocate its global más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best property Facebook page
Hotel Bloom! in Brussels won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Facebook Page, Property. For the third straight year, HOTELS is honoring the más...
Hot Openings: NYC boutique shows off local flavor
It’s true in everything from food to design — local is in. And the more specific those accents are, the better. Referencing neighborhood icons más...
News in brief: Best Western, Marcus, Wyndham
Best Western to expand in Malaysia: Best Western International announced the signing of a management contract with Sabanilam Enterprise Sdn Bhd for a más...
Correlating pricing strategy with social media perception
Revenue managers acknowledge the significance of optimizing value-perception-based scientific pricing in conjunction with demand analysis. Between price más...
Dubai developer plans hotel IPO
On the heels of its malls unit becoming Dubai’s biggest public offering since 2007, Emaar Properties said it plans to sell shares in its hotel business más...
Hot Openings: Iconic restaurateurs debut London hotel
The duo behind bold-faced eateries The Ivy, Le Caprice and J Sheekey, Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, have turned their focus to hotels. The 73-key The más...
2014 Social Hotel Awards: Best brand Facebook page
Bangkok-based Minor Hotel Group’s Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas won HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Award for Best Facebook Page, Brand. For más...
News in brief: W, Hyatt, Transcorp
W to enter Morocco: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced it will launch the W brand in Marrakech in 2017 with the opening of the 148-room más...
HOTELS Interview: Chef shares strategies for brand-building
At just 27 years old, Brandon Frohne — executive chef at Mason’s at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — has already spent más...
Hot Openings: Edgy cool comes to Playa Del Carmen
Resort design never used to be synonymous with the more dramatic elements of style. But now, there’s a new love for visually provocative styles más...
Holiday Inn launches Instagram contest
As part of the brand’s Journey to Extraordinary campaign, Holiday Inn is asking consumers to share photographs of their own extraordinary journeys más...
News in brief: Outrigger, CWT
Outrigger buys Maldives property: Honolulu-based Outrigger Enterprises Group purchased the Konotta Island Resort in the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll of the Maldives más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people on the move: Hospitality Ventures Management Group, Atlanta, has named Amanda Chivers corporate director of acquisition and más...
NH-HNA create management company for China
NH Hotel Group, Madrid, has signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s HNA Group Co. for the joint management of a significant portfolio más...
Hot Openings: Boutique brand makes Paris debut
It’s not a secret that right now is the time for hotel companies to make the most of soft branding. Even for giant chains, the idea of rigid brand más...
Another record for U.S. capex: NYU
The amount spent on capital expenditures (“capex”) in the U.S. lodging industry is forecast to reach a record US$6 billion, an increase of más...
HAMA paints positive U.S. picture for 2015
Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA) on Thursday released the results of a survey of 114 asset managers, of which 52% believe U.S. RevPAR growth más...
Anantara launches wellness program focused on flexibility
Aiming to offer guests flexibility to focus on both health and well being as well as relaxation and indulgence, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, Bangkok más...
News in brief: L.A. wage hike, Mövenpick, Wyndham
L.A. City Council approves wage increase for hotel workers: Large hotels in Los Angeles will soon be required to pay at least US$15.37 an hour to their más...
Largest InterContinental in Americas to debut in 2017
IHG announced late Tuesday the signing of a new 900-room InterContinental Hotels & Resorts property in downtown Los Angeles that will be the largest más...
Capitalize on guest excitement: TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor has released its latest research report on the Psychology of Travel, examining the motivations behind travelers’ vacation choices más...
What's Hot: Hawaiian club reopens as resort
Even if you never heard the popular saying about “chilling where the beach is at,” you know great resort design when you see it. It’s más...
New Hyatt House campaign highlights local neighborhoods
A new marketing campaign and other offerings from extended-stay brand Hyatt House aim to help guests feel more like local residents. The new marketing más...
News in brief: Park Inn, Home2 Suites
Park Inn to expand in Dubai: The Park Inn by Radisson Residence Dubai Jumeirah Village Triangle will feature 261 studios and apartments and is scheduled más...
HOTELS Interview: Danziger's dreams for Hampshire
Hampshire Hotel Management (HHM), the New York-based company that currently operates 11 boutique and lifestyle properties under the Dream, Night, Time más...
Marriott asks Millennials to vote on next-gen guestrooms
Marriott Hotels in the United Kingdom is calling for public votes through October 20 on ideas for guestrooms of the future submitted by five thought leaders más...
What's Hot: Bangkok hotel debuts new lounge
The lounge has become one of the most important pieces of any hotel's design. Melding the social interaction of a lobby space with food and beverage más...
Cocktail classes use Broadway shows for inspiration
Andaz 5th Avenue in New York City is partnering with four Broadway shows this fall on a series of mixology classes to be held in The Bar Downstairs at más...
News in brief: Fairmont, Marshall, HMC
Fairmont to rebrand Bali hotel: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced it has been appointed to manage an all-suite beachfront resort in Bali, Indonesia más...
HOTELS Inteview: Hotel Jen COO talks potential
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in late August announced the launch of Hotel Jen, a new hotel brand inspired by the virtual persona Jen, “a professional más...
IHG signs two Portugal hotels
IHG announced the signing of InterContinental Lisbon and Crowne Plaza Porto. Both properties will operate under management agreements between Hotelgal más...
What’s Hot: New York hotel unveils French-inspired bar
Handsome. European. Polished. No, that’s not a description of Hollywood’s latest darling, but it does sum up the design mandate for Stonehill más...
Urbanization, loneliness set to impact wellness
Architecture and design’s influence on sustainability, the seismic generational and gender shift and Africa’s role in wellness were among más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Minor, Far East
Ritz-Carlton adds to Florida portfolio: The Ritz-Carlton will assume management of One Bal Harbour Resort & Spa October 2. The 124-room resort will más...
Deal pace accelerates with big Hyatt sale
Hotel-transaction volume continues to accelerate with Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Friday announcing Hyatt affiliates have agreed to sell 38 hotels to a company más...
Four Seasons to operate London's Ten Trinity Square
Chinese multinational investor and developer Reignwood Group has named Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts as the operator at its recently acquired Ten Trinity más...
What's Hot: Riviera Maya hotel debuts food-centric tower
Restaurant design is a hotbed of creativity, so what better way to put it front and center than to launch a whole tower of dining venues? That’s más...
Chicago hotel to serve adult-oriented sundaes
The Langham, Chicago is set to launch a new adult-oriented ice-cream concept, Parlour at the Pavilion, September 24. Parlour at the Pavilion emulates más...
News in brief: Chatham, spa data
Chatham launches public offering of common shares: Chatham Lodging Trust announced that it is offering 5 million common shares of beneficial interest más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The US Grant Hotel in San Diego has named Robert Brandenberg director of operations. Previously, Brandenberg más...
NorthStar, Chatham buy $1.1b portfolio
Chatham Lodging Trust and NorthStar Realty Finance on Thursday said they have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a US$1.1 billion hotel portfolio más...
Room Mate launches apartment rental-hotel hybrid
Room Mate Hotels announced the launch of BeMate.com, a new travel service that promises to combine the amenities of a hotel with the privacy and convenience más...
Marriott creates more buzz with Teleporter
Marriott Hotels is partnering with video effects and creative content studio Framestore to create Marriott Hotels' virtual travel experience, giving más...
What's Hot: Atlanta hotel unveils renovation
Making a design splash doesn’t always mean boldly going where no hotel has gone before. There’s still very much a place in the design world más...
News in brief: Airbnb, Expedia, Westin
Airbnb to collect 14% hotel tax in San Francisco: The peer-to-peer apartment-rental service will begin collecting taxes in San Francisco October 1, and más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Clover set to sprout across Asia
After starting as a single boutique hotel in late 2012 and growing to four owned and managed properties this year, Hotel Clover is set to expand to countries más...
Lender foreclosing on Trump Soho
The Trump Soho hotel-condominium in New York City is facing foreclosure with lender CIM Group planning to take control of the building in advance of an más...
Hot Openings: Westin makes Mauritius debut
The design for the 190-key Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa — the first Westin property on the island (Starwood Hotels & Resorts has más...
Consumers worry about loyalty-program-data safety
Most consumers do not have confidence in hotels and airlines when it comes to protecting their personal data, according to a report by Deloitte’s más...
Macau hotel makes history with Rolls-Royce order
Stephen Hung — chairman of Macau’s Louis XIII hotel, which is slated to open on the Cotai Strip in 2016 — placed an order for 30 Bespoke más...
News in brief: Wynn, Le Meridien, Hotel Equities
Wynn project snags casino license for Boston area: Massachusetts’ state gambling commission voted in favor of developer Steve Wynn’s vision más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Promotions that satisfy, deliver
Promotions and packages are an integral part of any hotel organization’s plan to drive incremental revenue, but these need to be executed without más...
Preferred snags 20 NH Collection hotels
Madrid-based NH Hotel Group has selected Preferred Hotel Group as its exclusive partner for the launch of NH Collection, its premium hotel brand that más...
Carlyle Group expands Florida Keys portfolio
The Carlyle Group is adding to its hotel portfolio in Islamorada, Florida, with the acquisition of the 151-room Postcard Inn Beach Resort at Holiday Isle más...
Hot Openings: Montenegro resort inspired by history
Finding something new to say in the design for a resort can be a challenge, but the 86-key Regent Montenegro’s design team of architects ReardonSmith más...
Four Seasons Food Truck hitting the road again
This week Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, is launching its second Food Truck tour on the heels of last year’s run down the U.S. West Coast más...
News in brief: Aloft, Marriott, Radisson
Aloft to debut in Texas city: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s Aloft brand is scheduled to debut in El Paso in July 2016 with the 100-room más...
Royal Atlantis green-lighted for Dubai
Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) and Kerzner International on Monday unveiled plans for a dramatic, 46-story, US$1.4 billion resort and residence más...
Marriott initiative encourages tipping room attendants
Marriott International announced it will be the first partner in an initiative from A Woman’s Nation — a non-profit group founded by Maria más...
NYU forecasts big bump in 2015 corporate rates
The emerging outlook for 2015 corporate contract room rates in the United States is expected to increase the most since NYU started preparing this forecast más...
Hot Openings: Madrid hotel embraces local talent
The words “local” and “artisanal” might be among the buzziest catchphrases in hospitality design, but that doesn’t mean más...
Tokyo hotel offers kimono fittings
Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo now offers traditional kimono rentals and fittings for guests. The hotel is partnering with Hakubi Kyoto Kimono Institute, which más...
News in brief: Hurricane Odile, RLJ, Airbnb
Hurricane Odile hits Mexico: Hurricane Odile was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane Monday morning after making landfall at the southernmost tip of más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Leo leads fledgling Reignwood
Reignwood Group, a name well known in the hospitality and real-estate industries in China, is about to make its mark in London. A launch announcement más...
Hot Openings: Cape Town boutique promises glamour
It might be a long way from L.A., but Cape Town’s 11-key The Marly has a high-impact cool that would be just as much at home in California as in más...
Morgans to marry hotels and theater
Morgans Hotel Group has announced a partnership between New York City’s Hudson and PopNation on a show that will take place in the multi-level Good más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Summit, Intrawest
Wyndham to enter Costa Rica: Wyndham Hotel Group announced the signing of a franchise agreement for the first resort in Costa Rica to fly the Wyndham más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Ayman Ashor has been appointed general manager of Centro Capital Centre Abu Dhabi by Rotana. Ashor previously más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Focusing on Millennials
From new in-room design elements to refashioning bars and restaurants to high-tech marketing and service initiatives, hotel managers are paying close más...
Revel to be bought for fraction of development cost
Glenn Straub, a real estate developer from Palm Beach, Florida, has agreed to purchase the 1,898-room Revel casino-resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey más...
What's Hot: Maldives resort unveils new residence
Hitting the right note with a resort space can be tricky — after all, there’s a fine line between a style that looks relaxing and the “blank” más...
Rosewood debuts journeys highlighting ‘sense of place’
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has introduced A Sense of Place Journeys, two-day itineraries designed to immerse guests in various destinations by exploring más...
Another Karisma brand launches TV ad, social media contest
On the heels of a new television campaign for El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels by Karisma, Azul Hotels by Karisma also is launching a new television más...
News in brief: Aimbridge, Scandic, Gordon Ramsay
Aimbridge adds 11 hotels in Ohio: Aimbridge Hospitality signed an agreement to manage a portfolio of 11 Marriott International brand hotels in Ohio más...
Starwood featured in Apple Watch launch
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s loyalty program iOS app was featured in Tuesday’s product launch of the Apple Watch. The multimedia más...
What’s Hot: Denver hotel's renovated ground floor
Cool design nowadays requires designers to be mix masters, blending a sophisticated aesthetic with spaces that are livable and inviting. For the redux más...
Global hotel CEO turnover down
Global hotel CEO turnover was down in 2013, following an above average number of changes in 2012 and hotel CEO turnover continues to be less endemic than más...
Toronto hotel unveils ‘Champagne Wall’
Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto has debuted its new Champagne Wall — or “C” Wall — in its Lobby Lounge adjacent to its signature restaurant más...
News in brief: Taj, Mandarin Oriental, Crowne Plaza
Indian Hotels Co. exiting Morocco hotel: The Indian Hotels Co. is exiting its management contract with JK Hotels with the 161-room Taj Palace Marrakech más...
Jumeirah re-launches lifestyle brand
As reported in the September issue of HOTELS’ Investment Outlook, Jumeirah Group is re-launching Venu, its lifestyle brand, which originally launched más...
Hot Openings: Delano debuts Las Vegas hotel
Design statements in Las Vegas usually steer toward ultra-flashy casinos or edgy statement pieces, but for the Delano Las Vegas, the design team of Joyen más...
Marriott debuts healthy vending machine
Marriott Hotels has debuted a vending machine offering healthy fare such as salads and sandwiches using local ingredients in the lobby of Chicago Marriott más...
Ritz-Carlton launches ‘social film series’
This week Ritz-Carlton is debuting what it dubs its first social film series, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve Adventure, on the brand’s social media channels más...
News in brief: Trump, Dalata, Four Points
Trump Entertainment Resorts to file for bankruptcy: Trump Entertainment Resorts, which was founded by Donald Trump but no longer actively managed más...
Russian private equity buys Prague luxe hotel
GledenInvest, a Russian private investment firm, on Monday announced that it has completed the acquisition of the luxury Augustine Hotel in Prague from más...
What’s Hot: Guestroom redesign showcases Boston
Making a local statement is key to design that resonates with today’s guest, but how do designers find that authentic accent without coming up with más...
Omni launches meeting-planner tool
Omni Hotels & Resorts, Dallas, has unveiled Omni Meetings University (OMU), an online meeting-planner educational portal that promises to provide más...
Accor moves luxury and upscale marketing to Singapore
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, has moved its “luxury and upscale” marketing operations from Paris to Singapore, in a move that it said signals más...
MMGY: Affluent Americans to travel more, spend more
A new report from MMGY Global shows that 20% of Americans with household incomes above US$125,000 plan to travel more in the coming year and 50% are willing más...
News in brief: Hand Picked, Hyatt Place, W
Hand Picked buys Channel Islands hotel: Hand Picked Hotels bought the 123-room Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa, located in St. Helier, Jersey, from más...
HOTELS Interview: Revenue management’s future
At this year’s HSMAI Revenue Optimization Conference, held in June in Los Angeles in conjunction with HITEC, revenue managers discussed how hotel más...
What’s Hot: Spanish resort debuts modern new look
For Hotel Riu Palace Meloneras, a renovation provided more than an excuse for a facelift. The Gran Canaria landmark also moved from upscale to luxury más...
New Marriott brand gives artists a blank canvas
In conjunction with its recent debut in Milan, Italy, Moxy Hotels — Marriott International’s new lifestyle, design-led economy hotel brand más...
New York's Knickerbocker teams with tobacconist
The Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City and tobacconist Nat Sherman will operate this fall a signature cigar lounge on the hotel’s rooftop overlooking más...
LA's Line creating Hello Kitty room packages for convention
The 383-room The Line, located in Los Angeles’ Koreatown neighborhood, has been named the official hotel of the Hello Kitty Con 2014 convention más...
News in brief: Lowry, Hotel Carter, Expedia
Westmont, Mount Kellett buy hotel in England: Westmont Hospitality Group and Mount Kellett Capital Management jointly purchased the 158-room The más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Stefano Alborghetti has been named director of Villa Principe Leopoldo, in Lugano, Switzerland. Alborghetti más...
Morgans seeking 'potential transactions'
Morgans Hotel Group moved closer to a potential sale on Wednesday. Morgans Hotel Group, New York City, announced that its board of directors’ special más...
Big names on De Vere's Village brand shortlist
Noted U.S.-based hotel investors Blackstone Group, Starwood Capital and KSL Capital Partners are understood to be on a 12-long shortlist to acquire De más...
Opinion: How managers might view their equity play
Our friends at HVS recently published an article entitled, “Hotel Management Companies and Equity Contributions: Benefits and Risks” that más...
What's Hot: Guam hotel debuts guestroom refresh
Sometimes, it’s the subtle renovations that are the biggest test of what a design firm can do. Without the ability to create high drama, every detail más...
W Taipei debuts ’10-Second Project’
W Taipei has debuted a new social media campaign, “The 10-Second Project,” on Instagram. Through September 30, the hotel is inviting fans más...
News in brief: Fibra, Garrison, Park Hyatt
Fibra Inn buys 5 hotels in Mexico: Fibra Inn bought six hotels in Mexico, totaling 667 guestrooms and branded under Casa Grande and Wyndham Worldwide’s más...
HOTELS honors Great Hotel Restaurants
Delivering great hotel dining has never been an easy task, but in some ways it now depends on simpler elements. HOTELS’ annual list of Great Hotel más...
Holiday Inn Express launches digital-only campaign
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) on Wednesday announced the next evolution of its Holiday Inn Express brand’s Stay Smart campaign más...
Starwood launches loyalty for meeting, travel pros
Starwood Hotels & Resort on Wednesday launched SPG Pro, a US$30 million loyalty program for meeting and travel professionals, as part of its más...
What engages consumers on TripAdvisor?
TripAdvisor on Wednesday announced the results of a new study that reveals the key factors that drive engagement from travelers researching places más...
Hot Openings: Soho House makes Chicago debut
Exclusivity is a bigger buzzword in design now than ever. Every guest wants to feel like the experience they’re having is unique to them and not más...
Omni launches healthy-traveler videos
Omni Hotels & Resorts, Dallas, has created a seven-part video series that aims to provide advice to travelers about making better wellness and lifestyle más...
News in brief: One&Only, Curio, DiamondRock
Bahrain bound: One&Only will open a 150-rooom hotel in Bahrain in 2016. Developers Kerzner International and Seven Holding will develop and operate más...
Florida hotel purchased in $535 million transaction
In what is being described as one of the most expensive real estate deals in the history of South Florida, Thayer Lodging Group bought the 998-room Westin más...
Hot lifestyle brand makes mark in Asia
Artyzen Hospitality Group, through Artyzen CitizenM Asia Ltd., announced Tuesday that it will manage the first CitizenM in Asia Pacific in Q4 2016 after más...
Kew Green buys 19 UK Holiday Inns
Kew Green Hotels announced on Tuesday that it completed the acquisition of 19 Holiday Inn-branded hotels, located throughout England, for an undisclosed más...
Hot Openings: Texas hotel melds nature, industry
Put away those cowboy boots. The latest design offerings from Texas prove just why stereotypes aren’t always accurate. Boka Powell’s vision más...
News in brief: Holiday Inn, Ibis, Starwood
Holiday Inn to expand in Mexico: IHG signed agreements with Hospitality Travel Services to open the 100-room Holiday Inn Villahermosa by the end más...
HOTELS Interview: Taking ‘local’ to another level
Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, the 182-key property that opened this past January in the city’s famed United Artists building, is like all of Ace más...
What’s Hot: Hong Kong hotel debuts green floor
Eco-friendly travel ranks at the top of guests’ wish lists for 2014. From sustainable design to saving water, hoteliers are under pressure to prove más...
Avoiding the pitfalls of hotel residences
The market for hotel residences has rebounded relatively well over the past couple of years. Demand has increased, and sale prices have gradually climbed más...
DC hotel adds pollinator to bee initiatives
In anticipation of adding a pollinator bee hotel to its collection of rooftop honeybee hives next spring, Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is displaying más...
Guests can help sea turtles at Mexican resort
Las Alamandas in Costalegre, Mexico, which has sponsored a sea turtle protection program for years, now offers guests a chance to participate in the two más...
agosto 2014
HOTELS Interview: IHG's Kinsell on mobile, CP and more
On the occasion of IHG’s second quarter earnings report in early August, HOTELS Magazine had the opportunity to chat with IHG’s President más...
Hony Capital buys 12% stake in Jin Jiang
Chinese private equity firm Hony Capital has agreed to a buy 12.43% stake in Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotel Group Co., Shanghai, for 15 billion más...
Oaktree buys majority stake in Timbers
Oaktree Capital Management has become the majority shareholder in Timbers Resorts via an equity investment of an undisclosed amount. Additionally, John más...
Hot Openings: Las Vegas resort makes bold statement
Sin City might be the new Texas, at least if you ask Philippe Starck (who consulted through Gensler on design for SLS Las Vegas). Nothing about the design más...
News in brief: DoubleTree, Holiday Inn, Charter One
DoubleTree to expand in Florida: Sotherly Hotels entered into a 10-year franchise agreement with Hilton Worldwide to rebrand its 292-room Crowne más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown, Massachusetts, has named Andrew Bartlett general manager. Bartlett previously más...
HOTELS Interview: Marriott’s evolving luxury, lifestyle brands
As Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, pivots away from its perceived very traditional roots, Tina Edmundson has been charted with elevating the más...
Shui On Land selling hotel assets in Shanghai
Shui On Land, the Shanghai-based property development company of Shui On Group, Hong Kong, has agreed to sell its stakes in two hotel properties in Shanghai más...
Hot Openings: St. Louis hotel debuts in storied building
Unveiling a new hotel in a building that’s a well-known local site always means treading a fine line between respecting its former incarnation and más...
Marriott partners on hospitality education program in China
Marriott International has announced a Marriott Apprentice Program (MAP program) in collaboration with Nankai University and the American Hotel & más...
Swire takes part in Elephant Parade
Swire Hotels is participating in the Elephant Parade, which features more than 100 elephant displays in an effort to raise awareness of the endangered más...
News in brief: TA Global, Ascott, Orbitz
TA Global unit buying Toronto hotel: TA Global unit Maxfine International is purchasing the 261-room Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver más...
HOTELS Interview: Perrin waxes on social consumers
Long-time Conde Nast Traveler columnist Wendy Perrin in April jumped over to TripAdvisor with her consumer-focused style of reporting as the travel site’s más...
Hot Openings: Dolomites resort delivers sense of place
Realtors’ favorite old adage has a reason to be. Location, location, location works for more than just houses. For design, creating a más...
Starwood appoints Mangas as CFO
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, announced on Tuesday that Thomas Mangas has been named executive vice president, chief más...
Marriott expands #LoveTravels campaign
Marriott International has expanded its #LoveTravels campaign to include an original content series that chronicles personal journeys by notable travelers más...
News in brief: LV Sands, Meliá, Trigild
LV Sands casino-resort in Macau permit approved: Las Vegas Sands Corp. and its majority-owned subsidiary, Sands China, announced on Tuesday that más...
Accor lands management deal for Sydney new-build
Schwartz Family Co. announced on Tuesday that it signed an agreement with developer Lend Lease to purchase a hotel development in Sydney’s Darling más...
Accor's HotelInvest buys 13 hotels in England
Accor's swerve away from asset-light continues as the hotel company announced on Tuesday that its hotel ownership business HotelInvest purchased más...
What's Hot: DC hotel debuts renovated suites
Local inspiration. Residential feel. Those two phrases sum up some of today’s hottest hospitality design trends. Guests want to feel like their más...
Phone screens: The latest, greatest way to personalize guest stays
A business traveler’s hotel stay is nothing like a vacationer’s stay, so why is new technology always aimed at one and not the other? This más...
News in brief: Accor, New World, B&BHG
Accor’s profits up in H1: Accor reported a net profit of €60 million (US$79 million) for the first half of 2014, up from €34 million más...
Shangri-La announces major rebranding effort
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts announced on Monday the launch of a new hotel brand inspired by the virtual persona Jen, “a professional hotelier más...
Interval International appoints new president
Interval Leisure Group (ILG), Miami, appointed David Gilbert president of Interval International effective September 1. Gilbert previously was Interval más...
What’s Hot: Dublin Icon unveils penthouse renovation
A penthouse is the opportunity for a designer to paint his or her masterwork. The sheer scale of these spaces lend themselves to grand statement, whether más...
Apollo, Northview purchase Colorado ski hotel
Affiliates of Northview Hotel Group and a fund managed by an affiliate of Apollo Global Management purchased the 110-room Hotel Madeline Telluride for más...
NYU: US hotel fees to hit record amount this year
Following the 2013 record of US$2.1 billion, total fees and surcharges collected by U.S. hotels will increase to another record level of US$2.25 billion más...
News in brief: Highgate, Sheraton, Red Lion
Highgate exploring minority sale: Highgate Hotels has reportedly hired Moelis & Co. to sell a minority stake in the company to raise US$300 más...
HOTELS Interview: Building emotional connections
In starting the Sponsor of Love initiative more than a year ago, GM Thierry Guillot and his team at Grand Hyatt São Paulo had lofty goals — más...
What's Hot: Shangri-La debuts London's highest pool
Designers have taken style to new heights in many ways, and for the new Skypool in the Gðng bar at Shangri-La Hotel At the Shard, London, those new más...
HSMAI CSO Roundtable highlights increasing distribution costs
The third annual Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Chief Sales Officer Executive Roundtable produced a list of trends más...
Atlanta hotel serves Coca-Cola cocktails
The InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta is offering globally inspired cocktails all using Coca-Cola through the end of September. The 11 cocktails — más...
News in brief: Skyline, Great National
Skyline International buys California ski resort: Skyline International Development bought Bear Valley Mountain Resort, including the 53-room Bear más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Elza Artiaga has been appointed general manager of Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu in Baa Atoll, Maldives. Most más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Technology vs. the human touch
It is imperative for hotels to have the right technology to enhance the overall operations flow and guest experience. But it isn’t is being seen más...
What’s Hot: Montreal icon debuts expansion and refresh
There’s no question landmark hotels have earned their boldfaced place in the design world. Nor is it much in doubt that for many historical buildings más...
Wyndham offers new online courses for franchisees
Wyndham Hotel Group has launched a new online learning management system aimed at enhancing and expanding training opportunities for franchisees. Available más...
Dorchester Collection to debut new in-room-dining menu
Starting September 1, Dorchester Collection is debuting a new in-room-dining menu across its portfolio comprised of classic dishes that celebrate the más...
News in brief: Thompson, Kimpton, Fairmont
Thompson to expand in Tennessee: Commune Hotels & Resorts signed an agreement with MarketStreet Enterprises, AJ Capital Partners and The Berger más...
Consortium buys 144 UK Travelodge hotels
New York City-based hedge funds Avenue Capital Group and GoldenTree Asset Management and investment bank Goldman Sachs Group have agreed to buy 144 hotels más...
Former broker Koger sentenced to 11 years
Robert Koger, the former owner of real estate brokerage firm Molinaro-Koger, Tysons Corner, Virginia, was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a Virginia más...
Revenue acquisition costs outpacing hotel revenue growth
At a time when hotel owners are placing increased emphasis on understanding the drivers of acquisition cost growth and are calling for increased scrutiny más...
What’s Hot: New Radisson Blu shows off Scandinavian styling
Minneapolis might seem like a long way from Stockholm, but that didn’t stop Stonehill & Taylor Design Director Michael Suomi from realizing más...
Hyatt teams with Uber
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has launched a new feature on Hyatt¹s revamped iOS and Android app that integrates the mobile app with Uber, a technology platform más...
News in brief: IHG, Studio M, Ayala Land
IHG appoints Bulley as Americas COO: IHG appointed Jolyon Bulley as COO, Americas. Bulley previously served as IHG’s chief operating officer más...
New partnership expands Minor's reach in Africa
Minor Hotel Group (MHG) on Tuesday announced the formation of a new strategic partnership with Sun International to own and operate a collection of eight más...
Chinese investors plan huge Caribbean resort
Chinese investors will spend approximately US$1 billion on a huge resort in Antigua and Barbuda that will include several luxury hotels, hundreds of private más...
Hyatt Place marks milestone with digital promotion
To celebrate the fact that there are more than 200 Hyatt Place locations open across nine countries, the Hyatt Hotels Corp. brand is offering giveaways más...
What’s Hot: DoubleTree refresh aims for authenticity
Stylish, cool and California-chic are buzzwords that have been bandied about for almost every new opening in the state. From the laid-back vibe of resorts más...
London hotel offers unique tipple with tea
Responding to demand for tea-infused alcohol, vintage-inspired drinking and afternoon tea, Dukes London has launched G & Tea, a new afternoon tea más...
News in brief: Choice, Kimpton, Driftwood
Choice to expand in China: Choice Hotels Australasia announced plans for 30 new-build hotels in Greater China over the next five years. Choice Hotels más...
Rumors swirl about Sultan of Brunei bid for Sahara icons
The Sultan of Brunei was said to be the lead bidder for the Plaza Hotel and the Dream Hotel in New York City as well as London’s Grosvenor House más...
What's Hot: Sonoma County boutique debuts renovation
While urban edginess is enjoying a moment in the spotlight, design that gives guests an evocative, relaxing experience is also a buzzing trend right now más...
Hilton video series showcases meeting-industry experts
As a way to provide meeting-industry professionals and customers with key insights and best practices, Hilton Worldwide has launched a video series, Hilton más...
Hong Kong hotel uses Jimmy Choo for cocktail inspiration
Lewis Tsang, mixologist at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong’s The Lounge & Bar, has created “his and hers” cocktails inspired by Jimmy más...
News in brief: Sofitel, Accor, U.S. construction
Sofitel sale: Keck Seng Investments, the Hong Kong-listed real estate owner and operator, announced it has acquired the 398-key Sofitel Hotel in New York más...
HOTELS Interview: Kirschke’s outlook on Asia Pacific
During the next decade how will the Western brands fare in Asia Pacific versus the rising local players, particularly from China? In 2003 there were no más...
What’s Hot: Napa Valley resort debuts refresh
Creating a new look for a property is always a challenge when that property already has a strong aesthetic and reputation. Finding a way to keep the signature más...
How ‘Instagram-mable’ experiences, Facebook influence luxury travelers
International Luxury Travel Market is releasing The Luxury Traveller & Social Media: The Americas, a special report commissioned to analyze the online más...
Waldorf Astoria partners with pro racecar driver
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts has launched Waldorf Astoria Driving Experiences, a new program that offers hotel guests the opportunity to get behind más...
News in brief: Civitas, Subrata Roy, StepStone
Civitas developing 4 hotels in Texas: Civitas Alternative Investments is developing four Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott hotels in the Eagle más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Kimpton’s Surfcomber Miami, South Beach has named Alex Batista director of sales and marketing más...
Bonomi’s rival for Club Med drops bid
Club Méditerranée, Paris, may be set for a hostile takeover after a buyout offer from two of its top shareholders, Fosun International and más...
UOL development to bring Pan Pacific to Europe
UOL Group, Singapore, signed an agreement to purchase land in London’s financial district from Heron International for £97 million (US$161 más...
Hot Openings: Luxury hotel debuts in Tianjin
Fusion is one of the hottest buzzwords in culture right now — from food that melds Asian and European cooking to design that adds Zen elements to más...
Four Seasons launches food-and-wine festival program
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has debuted a new program, Four Seasons Hotels Food & Wine Festivals, encompassing events around the world that promise más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Subrata Roy, Concord
Ritz-Carlton to expand in China: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. signed a management agreement with Mission Hills Golf Club to open the 201-room The más...
Wanda's development blitz hits Australia
Dalian Wanda Group’s division Wanda Commercial Properties is purchasing a stake in a mixed-use project under development in Surfers Paradise, Australia más...
Atlantic City’s Revel to close
After opening just two years ago, the 1,898-room Revel casino-resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, plans to close no later than September 10. The US$2 más...
What’s Hot: Swiss resort debuts Presidential Suite
The new face of wellness resort design has moved a long way from the ultra-bare minimalism that defined the Zen-like hotels in the first wave of health-conscious más...
Virtuoso identifies hottest travel destinations
A surge in demand for locations Down Under and some surprises in Central Europe are among travel trends highlighted by luxury travel network Virtuoso más...
News in brief: Imperial Pacific, ClubCorp, Home Inns
Imperial Pacific to develop Northern Mariana Islands casino-resort: Imperial Pacific International Holdings plans to build a US$3 billion casino-resort más...
Hotel Equities, Worldhotels launch strategic partnership
Hotel Equities and Worldhotels announced on Tuesday the execution of a joint strategic partnership. Under the agreement, Hotel Equities, Atlanta, will más...
GP Investments proposes BHG buyout
GP Investments, Hamilton, Bermuda, announced last week that Latin America Hotels, controlled by GP’s equity fund GP Capital Partners IV, is launching más...
Hot Openings: Luxury flag debuts in Vienna
As the European economy improves, more and more major flags are looking beyond the beaten path of London, Paris and Munich. Park Hyatt is the latest brand más...
NYC boutique hotel offers free breakfast
The Marlton, the recently opened 107-room boutique hotel in New York City has introduced a complimentary breakfast menu. The hotel’s restaurant más...
News in brief: SkyTouch, Aloft, China Lodging
Choice may shutter SkyTouch: Choice Hotels International revealed in its second quarter conference call that it may shut down its SkyTouch Technology más...
HOTELS Interview: Role of the Phuket DOSM
It is always fascinating to know how hotel executives understand the cross-cultural sensibilities of a place and establish a brand in a viable manner más...
Inland American spins off hotel business
Inland American Real Estate Trust, Oak Brook, Illinois, has announced it is spinning off its lodging group into a separate and publicly traded company más...
China's Wanda makes further inroads into US
Wanda Group on Monday announced that it beat out 10 bidders to acquire a plot of land located at 9900 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California más...
Hot Opening: Hyatt Place makes South American debut
While South America has been a hot region for the last few years, it’s only now that we are starting to see the ribbons being cut on some of the más...
Jimmy Choo cocktails for Hong Kong's well heeled
The Lounge & Bar, located on Level 102 of the highest hotel in the world, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, is where mixologist, Lewis Tsang has unveiled más...
News in brief: Novotel sale, Dusit Fudu, Bespoke
Liverpool sale: International real estate advisor Savills has advised David Oprey, Richard Toone and Kevin Murphy of Chantrey Vellacott DKF, as administrators más...
HOTELS Interview: Taking a boutique approach in Vegas
Melissa Fielding, director of luxury hotel operations at The Cromwell, which opened this past May in Las Vegas following a US$185 million renovation, más...
11 former QMH assets trade in the UK
Eleven former Queens Moat Houses hotels are going to be acquired for reportedly more than £130 million (US$219 million) by American investment firm más...
What’s Hot: Historic Italian rooms renovation
Not every project has to be ultra-modern to be hot. From the 1960’s and 1970’s styles that are cropping up everywhere to detail-driven renovation más...
Mexican resort to debut private wine collection
Capella Pedregal resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, this fall plans to introduce its own private cachet of Capella-labeled wines. Harvested from some of más...
Fouquet’s scooping up business in Paris
Luxury Parisian Hôtel Fouquet's Barrière has successfully launched an ice cream cart at its legendary Café Fouquet. Customers can más...
News in brief: Chandler Hotel Group, Tokyo Disney, Kempinski
Tokyo trade: CBRE Hotels is reporting that the 703-room Tokyo Bay Maihama Hotel Club Resort, one of Tokyo Disney Resort’s official hotels, has been más...
People on the move
Olivier Thomas has been named the general manager at Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca, opening in the first quarter of 2015. Previously, Thomas was the hotel más...
IHG, Constellation in another big tie-up
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) on Thursday announced that it has received a binding offer from Constellation Hotels Holding to acquire the 470-room más...
Bickson stepping down at Indian Hotels Co.
Raymond Bickson, managing director and chief executive of Indian Hotels Co. (IHCL), will step down by the end of this month and pursue professional interests más...
Hyatt launches global F&B initiative with WWF
Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Thursday announced a global initiative to increase procurement of responsibly sourced seafood, starting with an initial goal of más...
What’s Hot: New vintage on Sunset in Los Angeles
It might have all started with Mad Men fever, but the love of all things 1960’s-inflected has become a design buzzword. So, it’s not surprising más...
Iconic hotel inspires board game
Putting a spin on the classic real-estate board game Monopoly, The Plaza in New York City has introduced Plaza-opoly, a new board game exclusive to the más...
News in brief: Accor, ARDA, Sunwing
More than a hotel operator: Accor has been selected as the preferred operator for the master planning and development stage of the Christchurch Convention más...
HOTELS Interview: Bold approach to sustainable growth
Led by Executive Chairman KP Ho, Banyan Tree Holdings, Singapore, has an eye toward aggressive growth, with plans to double the size of its portfolio más...
Hot Openings: Luxury flag debuts at Disney resort
It’s been a long time since anything near Disney World was tarred with the Mickey and Minnie Mouse brush. Nobody expects the cartoons at the theme más...
Wyndham enhances photo distribution system
Wyndham Hotel Group on Wednesday announced that it will streamline distribution of property photos for its global portfolio of hotels to more than 6,000 más...
Mexican resort takes healthy approach to in-room snacking
In-room snacks have built an unhealthy reputation thanks to choices such as chips and candy, but Casa Velas in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is taking a different más...
News in brief: Accor, Centara, Puma, Baha Mar, Hyatt
Big Apple buy: Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Wednesday announced a wholly owned Hyatt subsidiary increased its stake in the 210-room Park Hyatt New York to 100% más...
HOTELS Interview: How IHG ‘gamified’ sales
In 2013 IHG, Denham, England, saw an opportunity to revamp its sales approach. Previously the company had been sending a 150-page binder to each hotel más...
Hot Openings: Marriott-AC mashup debuts in Paris
The joint venture between Marriott International and Antonio Catalán's AC Hoteles has opened its first property in Paris. The 149-key AC Hotel más...
Hilton, Radisson Blu launch social contests
Both Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Radisson Blu from Carlson on Tuesday launched contests related to social media intiatives. Hilton's flagship brand más...
Study links LEED certification with revenue gains
A new study from Cornell University found hotels gain a revenue benefit when they are certified under the LEED sustainable building program developed más...
Palladium program caters to guests with food allergies
Palladium Hotels & Resorts has expanded its service catering to guests with food allergies to all of its resorts in Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican más...
News in brief: IHG, St. Regis, Atlific, Interval
IHG's 2Q report: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) on Tuesday reported a pretax profit of US$377 million through June of 2014, down from GBP462 million más...
HOTELS Interview: Starwood’s Turner on China, consolidation
Over the past 10 years, HOTELS Magazine’s HOTELS 325 rankings of the world’s biggest hotel companies have seen consolidation and new players más...
Aussie Packer taking another run at Las Vegas
Australian gaming mogul James Packer is taking another gamble on Las Vegas with a new plan to build a casino-resort after a group of new investors paid más...
Is Zecha out yet again as Aman CEO?
In the latest round of court action regarding the ultra-luxury Aman Group of hotels, a High Court justice in London on Friday upheld a decision made by más...
What's Hot: Algarve hotel renovates
The Me Decade has just gotten a modern update. A 1970’s property in the Eastern Algarve, the 77-key Ozadi Tavira Hotel, has completed a redux inspired más...
W Taipei project merges food and design
W Taipei and Taiwan Design Center (TDC) have launched the Food Re-design TDC X W Taipei project, which aims to combine culinary art and aesthetical design más...
News in brief: IHG, Vienna Int'l, Capella
Marcato Capital Management has hired an investment bank to advise it on strategy at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) three months after the firm with más...
Thompson announces first Pacific Northwest deal
Commune Hotels & Resorts, along with Geolo Capital and the Seattle-based real estate firm Touchstone, on Friday announced plans for a US$104 million más...
Iconic Honolulu hotel selling for record price
The famed 338-room Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu has been sold for US$300 million (US$887,000 per room) to Nagoya, Japan-based Resorttrust Inc más...
Starwood approves $1.1 billion sales repurchase
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Friday that its board of directors has approved a new US$1.1 billion share repurchase authorization más...
Hot Openings: Accor looks stylish in Adelaide
The lower end of the star-rating spectrum has been heating up lately in design terms. Just because room prices aren’t sky-high doesn’t mean más...
News in brief: Hilton, Far East-Toga, DoubleTree
Hilton’s profits up in Q2: Hilton Worldwide reported net income of US$209 million for the second quarter of 2014, compared to US$155 million más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Gorav Arora has been appointed director of sales and marketing at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre más...
julio 2014
HOTELS Interview: Mantra's next steps in Asia-Pac
After a false start in March due to what appeared to be a jittery public market, in late June Sydney-based pure hotel play Mantra Group launched an IPO más...
Malaysian firm acquires Manhattan hotel
On behalf of Hidrock Realty and Robert Finvarb Companies, JLL’s Hotel & Hospitality Group on Thursday announced the closing of the sale of the más...
Study examines why Millennials choose loyalty programs
Two-thirds (66%) of Millennial high-frequency travelers rate “unique rewards” as an important factor when choosing a hotel loyalty program más...
What’s Hot: Cannes hotel debuts new beach
Outdoor design might just be the final frontier of hotel style for 2014 and beyond. There has been intense creativity poured into every square foot of más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Host, TripAdvisor
Hyatt posts 2Q results: Adjusted EBITDA was US$231 million in the second quarter of 2014 compared to US$212 million in the second quarter of 2013, an más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Making the most of meta-search
When interacting with seasoned hotel executives about their online distribution mix, the talk invariably leads to dealing with sustained pressure exerted más...
What’s Hot: New York landmark unveils wine-inspired suite
Few special occasions are complete without champagne. The finishing touch for the 909-key New York Palace’s US$140 million renovation is a suite más...
Denver hotel pairs brews and bikes
Denver boasts that it has one of the highest numbers of breweries per capita of any city in the United States, and Hotel Teatro is looking to capitalize más...
News in brief: Marriott, Element, Pearlshire
Marriott’s profits up in Q2: Marriott International reported that its second quarter 2014 net income totaled US$192 million, a 7% increase más...
Madison Capital reportedly bids for 2 NYC hotels
Less than a week after reportedly receiving a US$937 million bid for London’s 494-room Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel, Sahara India Pariwar más...
What’s Hot: Bali boutique opens new villas
The 20-key Chedi Club Tanah Gajah Ubud has debuted three new villas, each with its own private pool. The design of the villas focuses on creating a relaxing más...
Migrating hotel systems to cloud new focus for HTNG
Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) announced a new effort that will generate resources to guide hoteliers and vendors who are moving technology systems más...
Phulay Bay brings culinary experience to guests’ homes
Phulay Bay, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi, Thailand, wants guests to be able to bring their culinary experiences from the resort home. Guests who participate más...
News in brief: Laurus, Marshall, Radisson Blu
Laurus buys hotel in California: Laurus Corp. bought the 474-room Marriott Warner Center, located in Woodland Hills, for an undisclosed sum from más...
Hilton rolling out room selection, customization options
Hilton Worldwide on Monday announced by the end of this year its Hilton HHonors guests at more than 4,000 properties will be able to use their electronic más...
What’s Hot: A modern take on the Music City look
As part of its multimillion-dollar refresh, the Hilton Nashville Downtown in Nashville, Tennessee, has completed the first phase of its renovation. The más...
FelCor unwinds JVs for 10 hotels
FelCor Lodging Trust, Irving, Texas, announced on Monday that it unwound joint ventures that owned 10 non-strategic hotels. Through an exchange of interests más...
Starwood Capital buys hotel in Scotland
Starwood Capital bought the 199-room Crowne Plaza Edinburgh – The Roxburghe, located in Edinburgh, Scotland, for an undisclosed sum. The property más...
Ritz-Carlton encourages guests to share memories
The Ritz-Carlton brand is helping guests share their memories and most inspiring journeys on RitzCarlton.com and via social media. “Your Memories” más...
News in brief: Aloft, Heritage, Choice
Aloft to expand in California: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed an agreement with Shashi Corp. to open the 85-room Aloft Sunnyvale más...
HOTELS Interview: Hakkasan CEO details MGM JV plans
MGM Resorts International has teamed up with London-based hospitality lifestyle developer Hakkasan Group to kick start its non-gaming hotel business. más...
What’s Hot: Moscow property opens new suite
The Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy has unveiled its largest suite. The Penthouse suite, designed by Studioaria, is located on the 19th floor of the 234-key más...
Karisma resorts launch new TV campaign
Karisma Hotels & Resorts earlier this week announced a new television commercial campaign for El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels by Karisma, the collection’s más...
News in brief: Noble, Radisson, Scout
Noble buys hotel in Miami: Noble Investment Group bought the 150-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott Miami Airport South for an undisclosed sum from más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Simon Bell has been named general manager of Singapore Marriott Hotel. Previously, Bell was general más...
HOTELS Exclusive: What's next for mobile apps
Booking a room via a last-minute hotel booking app has its share of thrills, but for consumers who don’t like to rush, there is some respite. Apps más...
Conrad to take over former InterContinental in London
Following a franchise agreement with Supreme Hotels LLP, Conrad Hotels & Resorts is due to arrive in Westminster, London in September with the opening más...
Vaccine tycoon bids on London hotel
Indian billionaire Cyrus Poonawalla, whose Serum Institute of India sells vaccines worldwide, has put in a US$937 million bid for London’s Grosvenor más...
What’s Hot: Zambia hotel reopens chalet
Tongabezi, a resort just north of Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, has rebuilt its Nut House Chalet. The property, which also includes six houses más...
SpringHill Suites showcases art — everywhere
SpringHill Suites by Marriott is encouraging guests to find art in unexpected places via a new multi-platform campaign called Art is Everywhere. The campaign más...
News in brief: Starwood, Wyndham, ClubCorp
Starwood reports 2Q earnings: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. posted second-quarter earnings of US$153 million, or US$0.80 per share, up más...
Holiday Inn launches its 1st digital-led marketing campaign
IHG announced on Wednesday the launch of Journey to Extraordinary, a new campaign for its Holiday Inn brand. As part of the campaign the Holiday Inn brand más...
What's Hot: Singapore hotel's locally accented redux
After almost a year of renovation, the Fairmont Singapore has debuted its new look. Hirsch Bedner Associates and EDG were tapped to give the hotel’s más...
Marriott launches spa concept for luxury brand
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday unveiled Spa by JW. The first spa will debut in September at the new JW Marriott Houston Downtown más...
Ritz-Carlton creates performance art video in China
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. released on Wednesday a performance video entitled “Miao” that tells the story of a stay for two guests at a Ritz-Carlton más...
News in brief: Steigenberger, Meliá, Stonebridge
Steigenberger to expand in China: Steigenberger Hotel Group signed an agreement to open a 200-room Steigenberger-branded hotel in Taizhou in the más...
YTL launches new luxury collection
Malaysia’s YTL Hotels on Tuesday announced the launch of a new luxury hotel collection, Kasara, which promises “an experience of luxury, authenticity más...
Hyatt announces organizational changes
With an aim toward supporting the company’s strategy of driving preference by providing distinctive brand experiences, Hyatt Hotels Corp. President más...
Westin ramps up guest well-being initiatives
As part of its year-long Westin Well-Being Movement, Westin Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday announced two new nutrition-focused partnerships — with más...
Hot Openings: Moscow icon to reopen
The landmark former Hotel Moskva will be relaunched as the Four Seasons Hotel Moscow and is accepting reservations beginning October 30. The design team más...
Staffer scales new heights for cancer research
Ferda Durak, director of Six Sigma at Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, made more than 200 parachute jumps during his time in the Turkish military, but más...
News in brief: Hilton, Delta
Hilton Worldwide announces dual-branded hotel: Hilton Worldwide announced the signing of a dual-branded Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites by Hilton in más...
HOTELS Interview: Luxury brands on a growth fast track
Almost a year ago Jennifer Fox was promoted to president, international, for FRHI Hotels & Resorts — the Toronto-based parent company of Fairmont más...
Doronin alleges fraud by Aman JV partner
Aman Group co-owner Vladislav Doronin on Friday filed a lawsuit against joint venture partner Omar Amanat and Peak Venture Partners claiming fraudulent más...
NH unveils its Collection in Venice
NH Hotel Group on Monday unveiled its upper-upscale NH Collection brand with the launch of the Palazzo Barocci, a 59-room boutique hotel located opposite más...
More noteworthy Irish assets change hands
Denver-based telecom billionaire John Malone has reportedly acquired the 163-room Westin hotel in Dublin for €65 million (US$88 million). After the más...
What’s Hot: Artist-decorated rooms at London boutique
Street art has gone upmarket lately, especially in hotels — think French graffiti artist Tilt’s hotel room. Now, the Andaz London Liverpool más...
Get inspired by HOTELS social media ebook
Hotel social media marketers can gain insights for their own campaigns by reading HOTELS’ Best Social Media Practices Guide, which features más...
News in brief: IHG, Fischer, Israel, Club Med
IHG grows in UK: IHG on Monday announced the signing of three Holiday Inn Express franchises in the UK: Holiday Inn Express London – Vauxhall Nine más...
HOTELS Interview: Kimpton's DeFrino on unique positioning
With the departure of former Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants COO Niki Leondakis comes the accession of new COO Mike DeFrino, who has been with the organization más...
Interstate acquisition adds management of nearly 70 hotels
In a move to increase its presence on the U.S. West Coast as well as the depth of its independent boutique and branded hotels, Interstate Hotels & más...
Pebblebrook buys Oregon hotel
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust announced on Thursday that it acquired a fee simple condominium interest in a luxury lifestyle property located in Portland más...
What’s Hot: South Beach Hotel debuts renovated suite
The Hilton Bentley on South Beach has unveiled a complete renovation of its penthouse suite. The 3,000-sq-ft (914-sq-m) space was redesigned by Arquitectonica más...
News in brief: Hard Rock, Wanda
Hard Rock to expand in Nevada: Hard Rock International will expand in Nevada with the opening of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe in más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: John Allanson has been appointed general manager of Six Senses Con Dao, Vietnam. Allanson most recently más...
Bargain sale reportedly close for N. Ireland luxury resort
The Ireland and Northern Ireland hotel acquisition market continues to heat up as international investors are attracted by bargain prices, particularly más...
What’s Hot: Viceroy flagship debuts refresh
The Viceroy Santa Monica has completed a redux. The design team from Dawson Design Associates wanted to stay true to Kelly Wearstler’s original más...
Kimpton promoting new loyalty program with satyr
San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants released this week an online video campaign to promote its recently launched loyalty program Kimpton más...
Study highlights differences in companies’ travel spending
Higher-travel-spend companies tend to be more team-oriented than lower-spend groups, according to a new report from the GBTA Foundation, the education más...
News in brief: Westin, White Lodging, Wyndham
Westin to expand in Texas: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed an agreement with The Howard Hughes Corp. to open the 302-room The Westin más...
Kimpton launches programs to compete with big brands
San Francisco-based lifestyle hotel operator Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants on Wednesday launched a new loyalty program called Kimpton Karma Rewards más...
Topland buys 8 hotels in England
In a transaction that is says reflects the improving British economy’s effect on hotel performance outside of London, Topland Group bought the Hallmark más...
Hotel guest satisfaction highest since 2006: J.D. Power
Hotel guest satisfaction has reached its highest level since J.D. Power revised its methodology in 2006, according to the J.D. Power 2014 North America más...
Vantage buys America’s Best Franchising brands
Vantage Hospitality Group announced on Wednesday that it has entered into an agreement to acquire America’s Best Franchising's brands for an undisclosed más...
What’s Hot: Iconic New York club brought back to life
After being shuttered for more than six decades, the Diamond Horseshoe Club at The Paramount Hotel in New York City has been resurrected. A collaborative más...
News in brief: CBRE, HHM, Sage
CBRE buys PKF Consulting USA: CBRE Hotels has purchased PKF Consulting USA from FirstService Corp., parent company of Colliers International, for más...
Another surprising twist in Amanresorts story
The ongoing drama over the control of ultraluxury Amanresorts has taken yet another turn. The High Court in London on Monday preliminarily ruled that más...
GLH launches 4-star brand in London
GLH, the London-based hotel group and subsidiary of Singapore-listed GuocoLeisure Group, on Tuesday announced the launch of Every Hotels, a limited-feature más...
Frasers IPO oversubscribed, raises nearly $300 million
Frasers Hospitality Trust’s initial public offering on Friday raised S$368 million (US$295 million) and was oversubscribed 19 times. Frasers Hospitality más...
Rosewood debuts new culinary program
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has debuted a new culinary program, A Sense of Taste, which aims to offer unique culinary experiences tailored to each property más...
Hot Openings: Resort pairs Florida glamour, laid-back feel
The former Boca Bridge Hotel has undergone a US$10 million renovation. Reopened as the Waterstone Resort & Marina — A DoubleTree by Hilton, más...
News in brief: Holiday Inn, RLJ, Ashford
Holiday Inn to expand in UK: IHG signed a franchise agreement with Kew Green Hotels to open in a few weeks the 95-room Holiday Inn Cardiff – más...
Leadership change at Macdonald Hotels
After 13 years with the company and six years in the role, David Guile is stepping down as CEO of Macdonald Hotels. Macdonald Hotels, Bathgate, Scotland más...
Hot Openings: New resort debuts in Bodrum
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has opened its first hotel in Turkey. The 109-room Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum is located on the waterfront. The design uses más...
Chicago hotel debuts revamped room service
Aiming to offer guests delicious, sustainable food that is also convenient, the Silversmith Hotel in Chicago has introduced Sensory Direct, a new in-room-dining más...
TravelClick data on hotels' online marketing
Hoteliers are seeing the benefits of online advertising as they increasingly drive bookings through property websites. As a result, they are ramping up más...
News in brief: Trump Plaza, Accor
Atlantic City casino-resort may close: Trump Entertainment Resorts said that while a final decision has not been made, it expects the 1,404-room más...
HOTELS Interview: Think’s fresh take on lifestyle hotels
Lifestyle hospitality owner-operator Think Hotel Group, run by three lifelong friends from New York City, is making big waves in the Miami Beach and NYC más...
What’s Hot: Nature inspires African lodge refresh
Singita Boulders Lodge has completed a redesign of its 12 suites and added a new outdoor dining pavilion. Interior designers Cécile & Boyd más...
Marriott escalates rewards war
Marriott International’s loyalty program, Marriott Rewards, announced on Thursday FlashPerks and LocalPerks, which provide members options for more más...
London hotel promises to feed guests’ shoe addiction
Dukes London General Manager Debrah Dhugga is inviting guests to experience exclusive shopping expeditions in the city personally curated by Dhugga herself más...
News in brief: Fico, Crestline, Groupon
Fico buys 9 hotels in Germany, Belgium: Fico Corp. bought nine hotels in Germany and Belgium for €80 million (US$108 million). The properties más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Steven Andrews has been promoted to general manager of Castaway Island in Mamanuca Island, Fiji. Andrews más...
Ovolo's buying streak in Australia rolls on
Chinese money continues to pour into Australian hotel properties. On Thursday the Hong Kong-based Ovolo Group announced that it bought a 5-star lifestyle más...
What’s Hot: Noir-inspired restaurant in San Francisco
The Hotel Palomar has debuted a new restaurant in the space formerly occupied by the Fifth Floor restaurant. Dirty Habit, which seats 90 and can accommodate más...
New CEO for Austrian hotel chain
Rupert Simoner has been appointed CEO of Vienna International Hotels & Resorts, effective September 1. Simoner most recently was senior vice president más...
Minor makes training priority in Maldives
Minor Hotel Group has launched in the Maldives an accredited training program called Explorer, which addresses the employment needs of the Millennial más...
News in brief: Walton Street Capital, Courtyard, Radisson Blu
Walton Street Capital buys Tennessee hotel: Walton Street Capital bought the 337-room DoubleTree by Hilton Nashville for about US$70 million from más...
Wanda to enter US with $900 million hotel development
The Chinese brands are establishing footholds in international gateway cities with Dalian Wanda Group leading the way. Dalian Wanda Group announced on más...
A Capital buys 10 hotels in Germany
A consortium led by A Capital and Louvre Hotels Group acquired 10 hotels in Germany, currently owned by the DHM and operated under the Balladins brand más...
What’s Hot: Colorado resort debuts guestroom redux
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels' Millenium Hotels and Resorts brand has unveiled a renovation of 100 guestrooms and suites, as well as some of más...
Choice contest to reward disastrous trips
Vacations gone awry just might be worth something thanks to a new promotion from Choice Hotels International. #VacayGoneCrayCray is a summer contest that más...
News in brief: Riu, Union Investment, van Paasschen
Riu to convert Florida hotel: Riu Hotels & Resorts is introducing its Riu Plaza brand to the U.S. by investing US$15 million to convert the más...
Belmond to manage historic London hotel
Reflecting its plans to expand via third-party management deals after its recent brand name change, Belmond announced on Tuesday that it signed a deal más...
Hot Openings: Dual-branded hotel at LA Live
Two Marriott brands have come together in a US$170 million project. The Courtyard and Residence Inn L.A. Live is the first branded select-service property más...
New menu concept puts guests in charge
The St. Regis Mexico City has launched Tasting Traditions, a customized five-course dinner in The Decanter Room at the hotel that promises Executive Chef más...
Virgin Galactic names preferred resort
To meet the needs of Virgin Galactic executives, Spaceport America Astronauts and their families, Virgin Galactic has selected Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces más...
Spa treatments cater to ‘the modern man’
Trumpeting the motto “rugged is hot, ragged is not,” the Spa at Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, New York, has launched a selection of spa más...
News in brief: CPI, Ascott, Sandman
CPI acquires Mamaison: CPI Hotels bought operator Mamaison Hotels & Residences, adding seven hotels located in Moscow, Warsaw, Poland, Budapest más...
Marco Polo launches new luxury brand
Marco Polo Hotels announced on Monday a new luxury brand, its first new brand since its 1986 inception, that will appeal to "experiential travelers más...
Sale to change makeup of S. African stalwart
Britain-based brewer SABMiller said Monday that it will sell its US$1 billion stake in South African gaming and hotel group Tsogo Sun to give it the cash más...
What’s Hot: Napa Valley landmark's redesigned rooms
Auberge du Soleil has debuted four renovated guestrooms. The four rooms, labeled Maison Biarritz, are a more modern take the on the resort’s look más...
Hawaii resort invites guests to help with forestation project
The St. Regis Princeville Resort in Kaua’I, Hawaii, is collaborating with Limahuli Garden and Preserve, a National Tropical Botanical Garden, to más...
News in brief: Mahindra, Coast, Expedia
Mahindra buys stake in Holiday Club Resorts: Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India is buying an 18% stake in Holiday Club Resorts Oy, which Mahindra más...
HOTELS Interview: The many sides of sustainability
Carmen Ng has more than 15 years of professional experience in environmental sustainability in a number of different industries, so when she joined Langham más...
What’s Hot: Hawaiian hotel to show off renovated rooms
Boasting a focus on the area’s Polynesian cultural influences, the Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay will complete another phase of its renovation más...
How to protect against false online reviews
A recent TripAdvisor’s survey showed 89% of 50,000-plus travelers polled – and 95% of U.S. respondents – indicated reviews are influential más...
Sheraton puts Riesling in the spotlight
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is highlighting Riesling wine starting this month through September 20. As part of the growing popularity and seasonality más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Wyndham Grand Jupiter at Harbourside Place in Jupiter, Florida, has appointed Matthew Boris general más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Revenue optimization roundtable
The art of hotel revenue management is seeing the first waves of a sea change away from top-line revenue toward profitable revenue. At this year’s más...
What’s Hot: Caribbean resort shows off new guestrooms
A Caribbean icon has debuted a new look for its guestrooms and suites. The 365-key Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman has completed a multimillion-dollar overhaul más...
Predicting Brazil's hotel performance after the World Cup
As the kickoff of the World Cup has begun, all eyes are on Brazil. With an expected 600,000 tourists converging on the 12 host cities of São más...
Timeshare business rebounded in 2013
The State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry: United States Study 2014 Edition by Ernst & Young revealed sales volume in 2013 increased nearly más...
News in brief: Sheraton Great Valley
Lone Star sells Pennsylvania hotel: Lone Star Funds sold the 198-room Sheraton Great Valley, located in Frazer, to an undisclosed buyer for an undisclosed más...
HOTELS Interview: Hilton exec talks Millennials, music
Jim Holthouser once aspired to be a concert pianist, but today his focus is on striking just the right note with Hilton Worldwide’s broad range más...
Hot Openings: Malaysian hotel shows off modern style
Dorsett Hospitality International has debuted a 319-key property in suburban Kuala Lumpur. Silka Cheras, designed by Dorsett Senior Vice President of más...
Caesars to rebrand hotel to match Linq
Caesars Entertainment said Tuesday that it will overhaul The Quad hotel and rename it the Linq Hotel & Casino effective October 30. The aging Las más...
Omni highlights nutrition for kids with new backpack
As part of its Sensational Kids program, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Dallas, has redesigned its Kitchen Kids backpack. The new backpack’s design más...
News in brief: IHG, Sage, Aparium
IHG adding 2 hotels in United Arab Emirates: IHG signed a management agreement with National Corporation of Tourism and Hotels to open the 184-room más...
Club Med receives hostile takeover bid
Club Méditerranée’s buyout offer from two of its top shareholders, Fosun International and AXA Private Equity, is in jeopardy after más...
Three hotels change hands in Mauritius
Riu Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday announced it will invest €80 million (US$109 million) to acquire and renovate three resorts on the Le Morne más...
SBE launches big ad campaign for Vegas
SLS Las Vegas, the lifestyle-driven resort and casino from SBE, on Tuesday unveiled its fully-integrated “Be Legendary” brand campaign in más...
What’s Hot: One&Only refreshes Australian icon
An iconic private island resort is debuting a multimillion-dollar renovation. The One&Only Hayman Island, located in the middle of the Great Barrier más...
Las Vegas casino-resort switches hands
For the second time in three years Las Vegas’ historic LVH property is being rebranded. In 2011, the former Las Vegas Hilton saw its franchise with más...
Ritz-Carlton launches LinkedIn series
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has introduced a series on LinkedIn that aims to lead the conversation about the luxury sector. Ritz-Carlton said the más...
News in brief: Laurus, Pullman, Dusit Fudu
Laurus buys hotel in Texas: Laurus Corp. bought the 296-room Marriott San Antonio Northwest Hotel for an undisclosed sum from an undisclosed seller más...
junio 2014
TUI, TUI Travel revive massive deal
After a proposed deal last year fell through, the creation of the world’s largest tourism business is back underway after TUI and TUI Travel announced más...
Canadian icon changes hands
Vancouver developer Nat Bosa and his wife, Flora, have acquired the iconic, 106-year-old Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, Canada, from Ivanhoe Cambridge más...
What’s Hot: Hotel, magazine recreate bungalow
A hotel and a magazine have joined forces to launch a redesign of a three-bedroom bungalow. Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows has collaborated with más...
Cocktail series aims to transform classics
For its new cocktail series, Café Mozu at Tower Club at Lebua and Lebua at State Tower is putting a twist on classic drinks in some unexpected más...
News in brief: The Saint, Hotel Grand Chancellor
The Saint to expand in Florida: David Mark Wyant Sr. purchased the 37-room Southern Cross Hotel, located in Key West, which will be renovated and más...
HOTELS Interview: How Terranea tracks, entices guests
At the 2014 HSMAI Revenue Optimization Conference held this week in Los Angeles, hotel revenue managers discussed various strategies to improve total más...
What’s Hot: Huntington Beach hotel unveils dining venue
The Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa has debuted a new restaurant. Watertable occupies the space that used to house the hotel’s The más...
IHG program addresses California drought
IHG’s Green Engage program is addressing the severe drought conditions in California by providing Water Conservation Kits to 230 hotels across más...
News in brief: MGM, Caesars, American Hotel Income Properties
MGM secures first Massachusetts casino license: MGM Resorts International received a unanimous vote from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission approving más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Shane Arnold has been appointed executive chef for the Sheraton Hartford Hotel at Bradley Airport in más...
HOTELS at HITEC: Seamless mobile now
Vendors of guestroom televisions, telephones, alarm clocks and door locks hit a new level of mobile integration seamlessness at this year’s HITEC más...
Dual-branded Hiltons trade in Denver
Carey Watermark Investors (CWI) on Thursday announced it has acquired from Englewood, Colorado-based Stonebridge Cos. a 302-room, dual-branded Hampton más...
What’s Hot: Art, bold colors star in SF renovation
A San Francisco hotel has unveiled a US$20 million redux of one of its buildings. The Westin St. Francis has given a modern spin to the 569 rooms in its más...
Premium margarita boasts steep price tag
Chicago’s Palmer House Hilton has introduced what it calls a margarita fit for a king, and the drink has a price tag to match. The Gold Standard más...
News in brief: Salamander, HotelTonight
Salamander plans new equestrian resort: Salamander Hotels & Resorts is partnering with Tryon Equestrian Partners to manage hospitality and golf operations más...
HOTELS Interview: Asian brand eyes US expansion
When Hotel G opened its 153-room property in San Francisco’s Union Square in early May, it marked the first step into the U.S. market for management más...
Hot Openings: Long-anticipated Pen previews in Paris
The 200-room Peninsula Paris is getting ready for its August debut and is previewing with images and videos. The hotel, housed in a century-old building más...
Loews making no small plans in Chicago
Loews Hotels & Resorts has acquired for approximately US$120 million the 556-room InterContinental Chicago O'Hare, according to a report in Crain’s más...
Brand blogs expand as content marketing strategy
After developing a new content marketing concept for the past year, Benchmark Hospitality International's Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels and Benchmark más...
The ability to be iconic, recognized and memorable
In the design of hotels, as with other building types, a primary client desire is for the building to be “iconic” — a word that is often más...
News in brief: Hilton Worldwide, EasyHotel, Holiday Inn Express
Hilton Worldwide prices secondary offering: The company announced the pricing of a secondary offering of 90 million shares of Hilton Worldwide common más...
Hampton continues Latin American expansion
Calling it the biggest development for the brand in the region in recent years, Hilton Worldwide on Tuesday announced the signing of an agreement to open más...
New duo buys Seattle hotel for $62 million
Provenance Hotels and Thayer Lodging Group have partnered to acquire the 120-room Hotel 1000 in downtown Seattle for US$62 million. Portland, Oregon-based más...
What’s Hot: Stylish refresh surfaces in Milan
The Bulgari Hotel Milan has unveiled a subtle renovation of the entire 58-key hotel. The redux focuses on adding more elements that reference the storied más...
Who is spending the most on US leisure travel?
Millennials are expected to spend incrementally more on travel services than any other age cohort during the next 12 months, according to the 2014 Portrait más...
Novotel to debut multimedia amenity
In partnership with Microsoft, Humelab and After-Mouse, Novotel later this month plans to introduce Play, a multimedia table offering a range of entertainment más...
News in brief: Mövenpick, AMResorts, Delta
Mövenpick adds Morocco property: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts announced the management takeover of the 184-room Husa Casablanca Plaza, which más...
Analysis of Marriott Champs-Elysées deal
Kai Yuan Holdings, a Hong Kong Exchange-listed real estate investor, last week paid a stunning US$2.45 million per key for the Marriott Champs-Elysées más...
Mondrian Soho sold
The 270-room Mondrian Soho in New York City, which had been part of Morgans Hotel Group, was purchased for US$205 million, according to the New York Post más...
Investors plan to grow Miraval spa-resort concept
Investment firm Revolution Places and private equity company KSL Capital Partners on Monday announced they have entered into an agreement to jointly own más...
Micros acquired
Global IT solutions provider Micros Systems, Columbia, Maryland, announced Monday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Oracle más...
IHG suitor revealed, analyzed
Wyndham Worldwide was the company that made an unsuccessful £6 billion (US$10.2 billion) takeover bid for IHG earlier this year, according más...
Hot Openings: Mexican beach resort debuts
A new resort offering 40 villa-style accomodations has opened just north of Puerto Vallarta. Matlali Hotel’s vision board started with a local más...
News in brief: Carlson, Ascott, Hard Rock
Carlson to take full ownership of Carlson Wagonlit Travel: Carlson has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the 45% equity interest JPMorgan más...
Hotel management company with 188 hotels bought
The high return potential for U.S. select-service hotels is driving deals this week. After reports earlier this week that The Blackstone Group is close más...
Sunstone buys resort in Hawaii
Sunstone Hotel Investors announced on Thursday that it entered into a definitive agreement to buy the 544-room Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa más...
Hot Openings: New lifestyle brand debuts
IHG has opened the first property under its Even Hotels flag. Conceptualized as a lifestyle brand for the health-conscious traveler, the four-story, 129-key más...
Melia’s Sol brand announces four new concepts
Aiming to reinvent the traditional "sun and beach" experience, enhance the customer value proposition and adapt to an increasingly segmented customer más...
News in brief: Revel, Liberty, RLJ
Revel declares 2nd bankruptcy, may close: The 1,500-room Revel Casino Hotel, located in Atlantic City, New Jersey, filed for its second bankruptcy más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Michael Castro has been promoted to regional vice president of lodging development at Red Lion Hotels más...
Deal reportedly in works for 47-hotel portfolio
A purchase deal for 47 extended-stay hotels in the U.S. is reportedly close to agreement. Bloomberg reported that according to a person with knowledge más...
What’s Hot: German castle unveils public space redux
A modern-day castle has gotten a new look. The Hotel Landhaus Wachtelhof in Rotenberg, Germany, is modeled after ancient palaces but was originally constructed más...
Palace buys resort in Jamaica
The Caribbean saw another hotel transaction this week with Palace Resorts announcing that it is purchasing the 730-room Sunset Jamaica Grande, located más...
New Loews promotion focuses on timeliness
In an effort to stop wasting meeting planners’ time, Loews Hotels & Resorts has launched It’s About Time, a promotion that promises to más...
News in brief: Shangri-La, Ritz-Carlton, Tsogo Sun
Shangri-La to expand in Mauritius: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts signed a management contract with Sun Resorts for the 200-room Le Touessrok. Shangri-La más...
Scandic takes the hotel experience on the road
Aiming to capitalize on tourist interest in places such as the archipelago islands outside Stockholm and the Norwegian fjords — locations far from más...
Real estate investor buys Caribbean resort
After a long drought due to the financial crisis, hotel investment is starting to trickle back into the Caribbean. The privately held Time Equities, New más...
What’s Hot: Iconic inn opens new building
The Parsonage, part of the Inn at Little Washington, has opened. The six-room structure, originally built in the 1850s as a private house, gets its name más...
Riu introduces new menus
Riu Hotels & Resorts has launched new menus at its Riu Palace hotels in Mexico and plans to roll out the offerings more broadly in the coming months más...
Interval, Palace sign affiliation agreement
Vacation services provider Interval International and Palace Resorts signed a multi-year, multi-site affiliation agreement for three all-inclusive, shared más...
News in brief: Hyatt
Hyatt to expand in Minnesota: An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. entered into a franchise agreement with an affiliate of McGough Development to más...
Chinese company buys Paris hotel
The trend of Asian capital investing in European trophy assets continues. Chinese industrial investment holding company Kai Yuan Holdings, Hong Kong, más...
Hot Openings: London boutique property debuts
The latest Firmdale property is now open in London. Ham Yard Hotel in Soho, designed by Firmdale founder Kit Kemp, was conceived as an urban retreat. más...
French real estate company buys 26 hotels
Real estate investors Swiss Life REIM, which has offices in Paris and Marseille, France, has bought 26 hotels located in France from LFPI Group, Paris más...
Brand promises unique opera experiences worldwide
From behind-the-scenes tours to private performances to unique meals completing the experience, opera is in the spotlight this summer at a number of Four más...
News in brief: AXA REIM, LVMH, Trump
AXA REIM buys London hotel: AXA REIM bought the 895-room Park Inn Hotel & Conference Center, London Heathrow from Dania Properties Heathrow más...
HOTELS Interview: Individuality in focus at Oetker
Oetker Collection CEO Frank Marrenbach says it is the decade for mastering individuality and a golden window of opportunity for companies that understand más...
Hot Openings: Brand makes Japan debut
Hyatt’s Andaz brand has opened the Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills. The 164-key property is the brand’s first in Japan. The hotel occupies floors más...
French pastry takes center stage in brand promotion
In partnership with acclaimed pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini, a new member of its LM100 group of cultural innovators and artists, Le Méridien Hotels más...
News in brief: Franshion, Frasers Centrepoint, Scandic
Franshion to list hotels arm: Franshion Properties plans to raise HK$3.39 billion (US$440 million) from listing its affiliate Jinmao Investments más...
HOTELS Interview: How Thayer plans to invest
Last month Thayer Lodging Group announced that Brookfield Asset Management had purchased it for an undisclosed sum. Thayer Lodging Group, Annapolis, Maryland más...
What's Hot: Historic property boasts refresh
A Rhode Island landmark has debuted its new face. Watch Hill Inn in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, an 18-room building originally built in 1845 and listed más...
GHM wins arbitration over Setai South Beach ouster
After two years of arbitration, Singapore-based management company General Hotel Management (GHM) announced that the ICC International Court of Arbitration más...
Tennis star, lifestyle expert among new Rosewood Curators
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has added professional tennis player Maria Sharapova, lifestyle expert India Hicks and retail entrepreneur Brian Bolke to más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Rome Cavalieri has named Alessandro Maurizio Cabella general manager. Cabella most recently was general más...
News in brief: Yoo, Starwood Capital, Priceline
Yoo partners with InterCity for brand: Yoo is launching design-led hotel brand Yoo2 in partnership with InterCity Hotel Group, which operates 24 más...
Auberge launching new lifestyle brand
Auberge Resorts announced on Thursday a new lifestyle brand that will launch with a Napa Valley, California, hotel that will feature an on-site winery más...
What’s Hot: Australian enchantment
Mantra Group’s two newest additions to its 130-hotel portfolio, both under its Mantra brand, bring the design cool. Mantra St Kilda Road Melbourne más...
NH Hoteles sells, leases Amsterdam hotel
NH Hoteles announced on Thursday that it reached an agreement with Foncière Des Murs, the hotel and services subsidiary of Foncière des más...
Standard to get 1st hotel outside US
André Balazs Properties is reportedly partnering with Crosstree Real Estate Partners to convert a 150,000 sq ft (13,935 sq m) building in London más...
Food Network star partners with brand on recipe contest
A trip to the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine, a US$5,000 prize and placement in a cookbook are on the más...
News in brief: Four Points, Le Méridien, Puma
Starwood to expand in Malaysia: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed a management agreement with IOI Properties Group to open the 249-room más...
Hilton lands major deal in hot market
Hilton Worldwide announced on Wednesday that it signed management agreements with Eden Group Co. for five Hilton Hotels & Resorts-branded properties más...
What’s Hot: New suite promises Venetian holiday
Stunning details, beautiful craftsmanship, a gorgeous palette — that could be a recipe for a Titian masterwork. It’s also the inspiration más...
Priceline buys hotel digital marketing platform
Nineteen months after its purchase of travel metasearch heavyweight Kayak Software Corp., online travel agency The Priceline Group is expanding in the más...
New poolside menus reflect local flavor
Offering flavors and dishes that represent each hotel’s specific style and destination is the primary goal of the new Art of Water poolside menus más...
News in brief: Four Points, Holiday Inn, FelCor
Four Points to expand in Australia: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed an agreement with a trustee of Meteorite Land (Pearl River) Unit más...
Free webinar showcases best social media practices
Developing a winning social media strategy is essential in today’s ultra-competitive marketplace. In a free webinar being held Wednesday at 1 p más...
What's Hot: Spa's redesign goes back in time
The Abano Grand Hotel, Padua, Italy, has unveiled a US$2 million addition to its extensive spa offerings. The hotel already boasts some 72 treatment rooms’ más...
Peninsula promises insider experiences from fashion to caviar
The Peninsula Hotels is offering a new series of Peninsula Academy guest experiences this summer designed to offer destination-specific inspiration in más...
Annual PKF investment survey predicts good times ahead
PKF Consulting USA released its annual Hospitality Investment Survey, which showed hospitality investment indices continue to operate at optimal performance más...
News in brief: Dorchester Collection, Rosewood, Yotel
Boycott reportedly hurting Beverly Hills Hotel's performance: The boycott of The Dorchester Collection hotels over a new law in Brunei that advocates más...
IHG brand to debut wellness-focused F&B platform
The concept of “wellness” is becoming increasingly prominent throughout the hotel landscape, so it is not surprising that IHG’s wellness-focused más...
What’s Hot: Greek resort gets contemporary revamp
The former Mar Bella Beach Hotel in Corfu, Greece, has reopened as Marbella Corfu. Liakos and Associates Architects oversaw the three-year renovation más...
London hotel to feature rooms inspired by street art
With art serving as a more prominent design staple in all hotels, one London hotel is following the trend by launching a series of rooms — dubbed más...
JN+A, HVS Design release hotel cost estimating guide
Jonathan Nehmer + Associates (JN+A) and HVS Design recently released the 2014 Hotel Cost Estimating Guide, a listing of capital expenditure construction más...
News in brief: W, Hilton, GreatStay
W to expand in China: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed an agreement with Shenyang Huaqiang Jinlang City Square Properties Co. to open más...
HOTELS Interview: Starwood’s evolving Element
Biophilia. Biomimicry. Fractal designs. Natural shapes and forms. These are some of the words and phrases pinned to a posting board at Starwood Hotels más...
New owner for Bahamas resort
Access Industries has acquired the One&Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island in the Bahamas from Brookfield Asset Management and its institutional partners más...
Hot Openings: 'So' trendy in Singapore
The Sofitel So Singapore has opened with a touch of flash from fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Miaja Design Group was inspired by 19th century France más...
Bees buzzin’ about 'The Pollinator'
Research indicates solitary bee populations continue to show signs of decline, and loss and fragmentation of habitat is cited as a leading factor. Enter más...
News in brief: Six Senses, Ascott, Luxury Hotel Group
Six Senses to expand in Portugal: Six Senses Hotels Reports Spas signed a management deal with Explorer Instruments to open the 71-room Six Senses más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: FRHI Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, has appointed Andrew Farrow director of marketing, Europe. Farrow más...
Editor's NYU investment conference notebook
During an upbeat 36th annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference earlier this week, HOTELS Magazine met with numerous industry más...
Banyan Tree launches new concept
Banyan Tree Group on Thursday launched a new brand, Cassia, a one- and two-bedroom unit serviced apartment concept with flexible living and dining options más...
Accor launches Web 2.0 internal communication platform
Accor launched a Web 2.0 internal communication platform that combines an intranet site AccorLive with a corporate social network AccorLounge. Accor said más...
Hot Openings: Restaurant salutes art and fashion
The InterContinental Davos has opened the art- and fashion-inspired Studio Grigio. Designed by Blue Sky Hospitality’s Henry Chebaane, the venue más...
Hard Rock launches music-focused spa treatments
Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos has introduced Rhythm and Motion, which it is billing as the world’s first fully immersive music-centric spa menu más...
News in brief: Starwood, Mandarin Oriental, Ritz-Carlton
Starwood to expand in London: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed an agreement with Fawzia Mubarak Al-Hassawi Group to open the 251-room más...
Blackstone's Gray talks opportunities at NYU
The Blackstone Group’s Global Head of Real Estate Jonathan Gray sounded an encouraging tone during his onstage interview at this week’s NYU más...
What’s Hot: London hotel opens new salon
The Rosebery, a tea and cocktail venue inside Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, has opened. G&A Designs sought to retain the building’s Victorian más...
SLS to join Baha Mar development
SLS Hotels announced it has signed a 20-year management agreement for a 300-room hotel — including 107 residences — at the multibillion-dollar más...
Single-asset transactions in US up 40% to US$5.7 billion
Midway through 2014, the U.S. lodging sector is delivering plenty of news to keep investors and lenders bullish. JLL's Hotels & Hospitality announced más...
New Four Seasons program highlights local flavors
Building on two consecutive years of its successful 100-Mile Cocktail Program, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is expanding that initiative’s scope más...
News in brief: Dalata, Baccarat, Warwick
Dalata buys 2 Dublin hotels: Dalata Hotel Group bought freehold interests in the 126-room Maldron Hotel for €15.3 million (US$20.8 million) más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Element expanding, refreshing prototype
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is set to double the portfolio of its select-service Element brand by 2017, including the brand’s first más...
Hot Openings: Kimpton wines up in Seattle
The Washington winery-inspired Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants property Hotel Vintage Park has reopened as the Hotel Vintage, a Kimpton Hotel after a más...
How to grow your hotel business on a shoestring
Magazine advertisements, gaudy flyers, hotel directories, lavish press conferences and branded apps are only a few of the traditional tools hotel marketers más...
Grand Hotel Tremezzo offers exclusive customized Champagne
This summer, T Beach at Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como, Italy, will serve personalized Champagne Pommery Pop Gold bottles created exclusively for the más...
News in brief: IHG, Hyatt, AH&LA
IHG CEO says company can grow without merger: IHG CEO Richard Solomons told Bloomberg that his company can grow on its own without a merger or takeover más...
Hilton launches new soft brand Curio
Hilton Worldwide announced on Monday the launch of Curio – A Collection by Hilton, a global soft brand that will feature 4-star and 5-star más...
ARC buying Equity Inns portfolio for $1.9 billion
American Realty Capital Hospitality Trust (ARC Hospitality) announced on Monday that it has entered into an agreement to buy the Equity Inns lodging portfolio más...
Hot Openings: Las Vegas boutique hotel debuts
Sin City’s first freestanding luxury boutique hotel and casino, The Cromwell, has opened. The 188-key property on the Strip features a Parisian más...
La Quinta unveils new design prototype
La Quinta Holdings, Irving, Texas, has unveiled a new design prototype — Del Sol — for its La Quinta Inn & Suites and La Quinta Inn hotels más...
IHG event series to address changing traveler needs
IHG announced plans for its “3D Connected Traveler Series,” three events designed to address how hotels can build successful brand relationships más...
New Marriott campaign targets LGBT travelers
Marriott International has launched #LoveTravels, a multicultural campaign that aims to convey the company’s commitment to make everyone feel comfortable más...
News in brief: SilverNeedle, LaSalle, Mantra
SilverNeedle launches new brand: SilverNeedle Hospitality is launching a new upscale brand Sage Hotel, which will debut in 2015 with the opening más...
mayo 2014
Geolo takes slice of Alila, creates alliance
San Francisco-based Commune Hotels & Resorts has capped a busy week by announcing a partnership with Singapore-based Alila Hotels & Resorts to más...
What’s Hot: Chicago hotel shows off revamped suite
The InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile has debuted a thorough update to its Presidential Suite. Inspired by the Moorish Revival stylings of the más...
NYC hotel partners with gourmet popcorn brand
The Lexington New York City has partnered with The Hampton Popcorn Co., a gourmet popcorn brand started in Westhampton, New York, to unveil a new Popcorn más...
News in brief: Carey Watermark, Loews, Interval
Carey Watermark Investors acquires Texas hotel: The company bought the 365-room Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol in Austin, Texas, from Austin Capitol más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Gino Caliendo has been appointed general manager of Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront in Florida más...
King, Corbin ready London’s Beaumont
Suave and dapper, Jeremy King looks the ultimate hotelier, but in fact, his first hotel opens in September 2014. He and his partner, Chris Corbin, are más...
Shareholder urges IHG to pursue merger
San Francisco-based hedge fund Marcato Capital Management, which owns 3.8% of IHG, has encouraged the company to consider a merger following reports earlier más...
Even announces wellness-inspired leadership
Even Hotels, IHG’s new wellness-focused brand, has named Scott Blakeslee and Dieter Schmitz chief wellness officers for Even’s properties más...
Mantra Group IPO expected to proceed once again
The A$500 million (US$461 million) initial public offering of Mantra Group, which manages 130 hotels under the Peppers, BreakFree and Mantra chains in más...
Hot Openings: Hard Rock debuts in Ibiza
Redeveloped from two former Palladium Hotel Group properties — including one that once counted Bob Marley as a guest — the 493-room Hard Rock más...
Four Seasons unveils locally inspired, hands-on experiences
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, has introduced a new collection of hands-on, locally inspired Extraordinary Experiences conceived by individual más...
News in brief: Hotel Equities, Iberostar, Noble
Hotel Equities announces promotions, Costa Rica project: Atlanta-based Hotel Equities has promoted Brad Rahinsky to president and chief operating officer más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Thompson goes local in Miami Beach
If Miami Beach wasn’t already one of the hottest hotel markets in the world, it just got a little hotter with Commune Hotels & Resorts announcing más...
Strategic buys Blackstone’s stake in Hotel del Coronado
Strategic Hotels & Resorts agreed to buy The Blackstone Group’s 63.6% stake in the historic 757-room Hotel del Coronado, located in Coronado más...
Carey Watermark buys NYC hotel
Carey Watermark Investors announced Wednesday that it bought the 224-room Courtyard Times Square West, located in Manhattan at 307 West 37th Street más...
What’s Hot: Nu Hotel Brooklyn shows off New York style
Drawing inspiration from the idea of wearing a plain white t-shirt with luxury jeans, design firm Datumzero completed a US$1.5 million revamp of the guestrooms más...
W partners with yoga star to launch first fitness program
W Hotels Worldwide has launched its first fitness program, Fit with Tara Stiles, at all 45 of its properties worldwide. Stiles, founder and owner of Strala más...
News in brief: Woolworths, Bulgari, FibraHotel
Woolworths may spin off hotel division: Woolworths is currently investigating options to divest a further part of its property portfolio, including más...
Accor’s HotelInvest buys 97 hotels in Europe
Accor announced on Tuesday that its HotelInvest business is purchasing 97 hotels, totaling 12,838 guestrooms, in Western Europe for approximately €900 más...
Tsogo Sun buys 25% stake in Redefine BDL
Redefine International revealed in a regulatory filing that Tsogo Sun Holdings purchased a 25% stake in Redefine BDL Hotel Group for £8.1 million más...
Hot Openings: Luxury hotel opens in Nanjing
Han Yue Lou Hotel Nanjing has opened. Part of a mixed-use development that also includes dining, entertainment, retail and serviced apartments, the más...
Milestone in London to offer 'Gentleman's Tea'
In honor of Father's Day, the Milestone Hotel in London is offering "Gentleman's Afternoon Tea" for the month of June with an array of savory más...
News in brief: Club Med, Grand Hyatt, Prism
Investindustrial may make Club Med counteroffer: Italian investor Andrea Bonomi’s Investindustrial Development may make a counteroffer to más...
HOTELS Interview: How Preferred boosts direct bookings
Online hotel booking is a lengthy process in which consumers check multiple websites for the best deals, and online travel agencies are using their large más...
Is IHG a takeover target?
IHG has reportedly rejected a US$10 billion takeover bid, according to several news sources in the UK. Among the rumored bidders are Starwood Hotels & más...
What’s Hot: Fairmont Le Château Frontenac renovates
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has unveiled a top-to-bottom revamp. Rockwell Group and Wilson Associates spearheaded the US$75 million effort, which más...
Update on Africa's pipeline
New research by W Hospitality Group, a founding member of Hotel Partners Africa, places Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group at the head of the race to open new más...
Culinary camp for kids at Westin in Phoenix
The Westin Phoenix Downtown is hosting its first-ever culinary camp for kids June 9-12 to emphasize healthy ways to eat smart and support the Westin brand’s más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Langham's new CEO on reaching 500
Langham Hospitality, which recently announced plans to pump up its portfolio from 22 hotels to a whopping 500 hotels in the next 10 years, isn’t más...
sbe to launch SLS Lux brand
sbe announced it will debut SLS Lux, which it bills as “an elevated SLS Hotels and Residences brand.” SLS Lux will launch at SLS Las Vegas más...
Martial law in Thailand, but reports indicate business as usual
Thailand’s military has taken control of the nation’s government, but despite that and other restrictions such as a 10 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew más...
What’s Hot: Cabanas for a cause
The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is giving back to the community with three new poolside cabanas benefiting más...
News in brief: RLJ, Hyatt, EasyHotel
RLJ acquires 2 hotels on U.S. West Coast: RLJ Lodging Trust, Bethesda, Maryland, has acquired the 256-room Courtyard Portland City Center in Portland más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Shalabh Arora has been appointed director of sales and marketing at The Ritz-Carlton Bangalore, India más...
KSL buys St. Regis Monarch Beach
KSL Capital Partners announced on Wednesday that it closed its purchase of the 400-room St. Regis Monarch Beach, located in Dana Point, California, from más...
Sheetz rebrands King & Grove portfolio
The New York City-based King & Grove hotel company is being rebranded by its CEO Ed Scheetz as Chelsea Hotels, according to the New York Daily News más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Hugo blends industrial, modern
Fortuna Realty Group, in partnership with real estate developer Matthew Moinian, has debuted Hotel Hugo in Manhattan’s Hudson Square neighborhood más...
CSM updates guests on renovations via website
CSM Lodging, Minneapolis, is keeping guests informed about the latest renovation news at its properties via a new website, Raising-Expectations.com. The más...
News in brief: Mövenpick, Jumeirah, Hilton Garden Inn
Mövenpick to expand in India: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts signed a management agreement with ITMA Hotels India Private Ltd, an associate más...
Brookfield buys Thayer for undisclosed sum
Thayer Lodging Group announced on Wednesday that Brookfield Asset Management has purchased it for an undisclosed sum. The former Thayer Lodging Group más...
What’s Hot: X Bar features new décor, burgers
X Bar at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles’ Century City has reopened with renovated décor and a new burger-centric menu. The outlet más...
Richfield names president to lead growth
Richfield Hospitality on Wednesday announced that Will Loughran, the company's senior vice president of sales and revenue strategy, has been named president más...
Saint Lucia resort offers hands-on chocolate experiences
Guests at Jade Mountain and its adjoining sister property Anse Chastanet in Saint Lucia can now make their own chocolate in the property’s new chocolate más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Mövenpick, Novotel
Hyatt to expand in Hawaii: An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. signed a management agreement with Coco Palms Hui LLC to reopen the 363-room The Coco más...
Katara buys stake in 5 InterContinentals in Europe
Katara Hospitality is purchasing a stake in five InterContinental Hotels & Resorts-branded properties in Europe from IHG. Katara Hospitality, Doha más...
Sahara tells court willing to sell Plaza, Grosvenor
Sahara India Pariwar has offered to sell its overseas hotel properties, which include New York City’s The Plaza and London’s The Grosvenor más...
What’s Hot: Kinzie showcases Chicago-centric design
Kinzie Hotel, a boutique property in Chicago’s River North neighborhood previously known as the Amalfi Hotel, has been rebranded following a three-month más...
PolyU, Lausanne, Houston launch tripartite master’s program
The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) and Conrad N más...
News in brief: Marriott, HTL, 21c Museum
Marriott offers to buy Madrid hotel: Marriott International has offered to purchase the 165-room Hotel Ritz by Belmond for €130 million (US$178 más...
Leela founder Captain Nair dead at 92
An Indian hotel industry legend, Hotel Leelaventure Founder C P Krishnan Nair, passed away at age 92 on Saturday after a brief illness. Nair, who started más...
What’s Hot: New World Beijing's rooftop bar
Yin on 12, which bills itself as an elegant and modern Oriental-style lounge, has opened at New World Beijing Hotel. The space offers a large open-air más...
Mövenpick expands “Go Healthy” to Africa, Europe
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Glattbrugg, Switzerland, is expanding its “Go Healthy” food and beverage concept to Africa and Europe más...
Navigating hotel security concerns and identifying solutions
Business and recreational travelers demand safe and secure hotel accommodations and responsive and friendly customer service. How can hoteliers ensure más...
News in brief: Country Inn, Noble House, Luxury Collection
Country Inn to expand in India: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group signed a deal with DAH Hotels Pvt Ltd to open the 70-room Country Inn & Suites By más...
Choice launches Cambria Suites brand refresh
Choice Hotels International announced a brand refresh for its Cambria Suites brand, which will have a new visual identity and be renamed Cambria Hotels más...
What’s Hot: Beaux Arts-inspired lobby redesign
La Quinta Manhattan on West 32nd Street in New York City has debuted a redesign and repositioning of its lobby and breakfast room. Jessica Shaw of Moment más...
Bar business: Gratification at Mandarin in NYC
The Mandarin Oriental, New York, is generating some buzz with its new US$100 Gratification signature cocktail. Gratification, which is supposed to represents más...
News in brief: TUI, Scandic, FibraHotel
TUI to launch new brand: TUI revealed in a recent earnings report that it plans to launch in the second half of this year a hotel brand that may más...
People on the move
El San Juan Resort & Casino, A Hilton Hotel in Puerto Rico has named Frances Archilla director of food and beverage. Most recently, Archilla was resort más...
Deutsche Bank sells Cosmo to Blackstone
Deutsche Bank on Thursday agreed to sell the 2,995-room Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to Blackstone Group for US$1.73 billion in cash. Deutsche Bank foreclosed más...
Marriott Rewards gives points for social media interaction
Marriott International’s loyalty program Marriott Rewards has launched Plus Points, which allows members to boost their points by interacting with más...
Standard fires staffer over leaked celebrity security tape
The Standard in New York City on Wednesday reportedly fired and will pursue civil and criminal remedies against the person who recorded and leaked to más...
Hot Openings: All-villa tropical retreat on Koh Samui
Panacea, a new all-villa tropical retreat, has opened on the Thai island of Koh Samui. Named after the Greek goddess of healing and a cure for all life's más...
Delta launches first broadcast campaign in years
Delta Hotels and Resorts on Thursday launched its first broadcast and online media marketing campaign in over a decade with “Expect Even More.” más...
Full House cancels Fitz Tunica purchase
Full House Resorts has cancelled its agreement, announced in March, to purchase 507-room Fitz Tunica Casino & Hotel from The Majestic Star Casino más...
News in brief: CTF, Classic, Aloft
CTF buys hotel in France: CTF Development International has acquired Invesco Real Estate’s interest in the former 180-room Park Inn by Radisson más...
New York realtors revive Hamptons legend
How do you manage to acquire an irreplaceable, 10-acre beachfront timeshare coop in New York’s famed summer playground, The Hamptons, that still más...
Nobu to enter Europe with London hotel
Nobu Hospitality announced that it signed a management deal with hotel owner Willow Corp. Sarl for the 156-room Nobu Hotel Shoreditch London. The hotel más...
Kimpton wins hotel near Santa Barbara
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, San Francisco, on Wednesday announced a new partnership with Makar Properties to open its newest boutique hotel in Goleta más...
What’s Hot: Mansion at Casa Madrona debuts
Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa in Sausalito, California, has finished renovations to its 11room Mansion and meeting space. Built in 1885 and listed más...
Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo to host world’s top restaurant
Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo is partnering with Chef Rene Redzepi and Noma, the Copenhagen, Denmark, restaurant ranked for the fourth time as the top restaurant más...
News in brief: Morgans, Dalata, Hyatt
Morgans stockholders vote in 7 of 9 of management’s board nominees: Morgans Hotel Group revealed that based on the estimates of proxy solicitor más...
Starwood sells London Park Lane leasehold
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Tuesday announced it has sold its leasehold interest in The Park Lane Hotel, London, for an undisclosed price más...
Ritz-Carlton channels Hemingway
In a new digital campaign that will appear across multiple social media channels and allows the consumer to be a part of the brand’s message, The más...
Will Hampshire expand The Time brand?
Hampshire Hotels Management executive Vikram Chatwal announced plans on Tuesday for design firm Rockwell Group to spearhead the renovation of the group’s más...
Kimpton partners with LGBTQ organization
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, San Francisco, has a new partnership with The Trevor Project, a U.S. organization that provides crisis intervention más...
What’s Hot: Loews Boston completes renovation
Loews Boston Hotel, located in the historic former Boston Police Headquarters building, has completed a US$12 million renovation. Loews Boston Hotel pays más...
News in brief: Ramada, Virgin, Snowbird
Ramada brand to debut in Kenya: Wyndham Hotel Group has signed a franchise agreement for Ramada Nairobi. The 89-room hotel will be owned and managed by más...
New consortium launched for Latin American independents
Panama City-based asset manager and consulting firm Amvar Hospitality is launching a sales and marketing platform for independent hotels in Latin America más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Zamora to bring Spanish feel to Florida
The Hotel Zamora, the first new hotel in St. Pete Beach, Florida, in more than 20 years, is slated to debut next month. Influenced by the architecture más...
Continuity guiding Hôtel Plaza Athénée renovation
Continuity, both in staffing and styling, has been the guiding principle behind the 10-month, €100 million-plus refurbishment of the famed Hôtel más...
Wyndham launches umbrella advertising campaign
Wyndham Hotel Group announced on Monday its first national U.S. umbrella advertising campaign aimed at building consumer awareness of its brands and loyalty más...
Wynn Las Vegas debuts new ‘ocean-to-table’ fish program
Wynn Las Vegas and Chef David Walzog are debuting a new “ocean-to-table” fish program at the property’s Lakeside restaurant. Walzog más...
News in brief: Holiday Inn, Luxury Collection, Sixty
Holiday Inn to expand in Germany: IHG signed a franchise agreement with Tristar Hotel und Management GmbH to open the 265-room Holdiay Inn Hamburg más...
HOTELS Interview: Taking a family company to the next level
When David Carey joined Outrigger Enterprises Group in 1986, the Honolulu-based company was truly a mom-and-pop business. Carey recalls he didn’t más...
NorthStar-Chatham JV buys former Innkeepers portfolio
Cerberus Capital Management and Chatham Lodging Trust have sold the former Innkeepers USA Trust portfolio for a gross purchase price of US$1.3 billion más...
EI, Terranum acquire Colombia's Decameron
Equity International (EI) on Thursday announced a new investment in Bogotá-based Terranum Hotels, concurrent with the acquisition of Decameron más...
What’s Hot: DC hotel completes ‘Federalist chic’ guestrooms
The 153-room Capitol Hill Hotel in Washington, D.C., managed by HHM, has completed a full guestroom renovation, marking the final stage of a three-part más...
SBE puts SLS Beverly Hills on market
Sam Nazarian, SBE Entertainment Group founder, chairman and CEO, revealed plans to sell the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek más...
News in brief: Hilton, Marriott, Sun International
Hilton net income up in Q1: Hilton Worldwide reported that its net income attributable for the first quarter was US$123 million, an increase of más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Sumantri Endang has been promoted to general manager of Turi Beach Resort in Nongsa, Batam, Indonesia más...
Interval buying Hyatt Residential Group for $190 million
Interval Leisure Group signed a definitive agreement with Hyatt Hotels Corp. to purchase Hyatt Residential Group for approximately US$190 million. In más...
Enter HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Awards by Friday
HOTELS is holding the 2014 Social Hotel Awards to recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in connecting with más...
1 Hotels partners with big name chefs
Starwood Capital’s soon-to-launch 1 Hotels in New York City, Miami Beach and Brooklyn, New York, will feature "farm-to-table" restaurants from critically más...
What’s Hot: Providence Biltmore renovates guestrooms
The Providence Biltmore in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, has completed a full property guest room renovation designed to bring back the authentic más...
La Quinta launches guest notification alerts
La Quinta Inns & Suites announced on Thursday the launch of Ready For You alerts, designed to immediately notify guests when their guestroom is ready más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Westin
Ritz-Carlton to expand in India: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. signed an agreement with a consortium led by Oberoi Realty and Sahana Group to open más...
HOTELS Interview: How Hampton will stay forever young
Last fall Hilton Worldwide’s Hampton Hotels brand launched the Forever Young Initiative, focused on updating the hotel’s design for the emerging más...
What’s Hot: Historic Cincinnati hotel renovated
The Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hotel has completed a multimillion-dollar renovation. The Netherland Plaza, a U.S. National Historic Landmark más...
Ultratravel Collection adds Grace, Alila hotels
Ahead of its formal launch scheduled for July 2014, Ultratravel Collection, a joint venture between Travel Leaders Group, Global Hotel Alliance and más...
Design roundtable focus: Original thinking, practicality
At the second in its series of hospitality roundtables at the recent HICAP Update event in Singapore, Blink Design Group, Bangkok, gathered senior industry más...
Ancient grain inspires energy bars at Mexico resort
Viceroy Zihuatanejo in Mexico has introduced Aztec Energy Bars. Although the bars include ingredients such as oats, coconut, almonds and various dried más...
News in brief: Tryp, Element, Forsythe
Tryp to expand in New York: Wyndham Hotel Group signed a franchise agreement with 559 Development LLC to open the new-build, 104-room Tryp by Wyndham más...
Hilton Worldwide hosts global career event
Hilton Worldwide has launched Careers@Hilton Live: Youth in Hospitality Month, its largest global career event. Throughout May, Hilton Worldwide properties más...
Enter HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Awards by Friday
The deadline has been extended to this Friday and you can still enter the 2014 Social Hotel Awards. HOTELS is holding the 2014 Social Hotel Awards to más...
Growth-minded Auberge adds CDO, CFO
As part of Auberge Resorts plans to expand its global footprint through projects in the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe and Africa, the luxury más...
What’s Hot: Epicurean’s unique F&B offerings
The 137-room Epicurean Hotel, located in Tampa, Florida, has a unique focus on food and beverage and even includes a culinary classroom, Epicurean Theatre más...
News in brief: Holiday Inn Express, Park Inn, Fibra
Holiday Inn Express adds 3 hotels in England, Ireland: IHG signed a franchise agreement with Brayford Hotels to open the 80-room Holiday Inn Express más...
Gruppo Statuto ‘planning’ IPO for hotel division
Gruppo Statuto, Rome, is planning an initial public offering for its hotels division, Financial Times reported on Monday citing people close to the más...
What's Hot: New Four Seasons in Johannesburg
Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff Johannesburg is now accepting reservations starting December 1, 2014, after the completion of a renovation and reflagging más...
Branson: Virgin joining Dorchester boycott
Richard Branson, founder and chairman of Virgin Group, London, announced via Twitter that Virgin will boycott the hotels of Dorchester Collection, London más...
Hyatt Place launches social photo contest
Attempting to build on last fall’s “You’ll Know It’s Right When You See It” advertising campaign, Hyatt Place is kicking más...
New tequila collection celebrates Cinco de Mayo
With Cinco de Mayo celebrations hitting high gear, The Commissary Kitchen by Richard Sandoval at the Downtown Grand Las Vegas Hotel & Casino has debuted más...
News in brief: Wyndham Garden, AMResorts, Avani
Wyndham Garden to enter Middle East: Wyndham Hotel Group signed a deal with Al Siddiqi Holding to open the 153-room Wyndham Garden Doha in 2017 más...
Zecha out as head of Aman, new leaders emerge
It is the end of an era at Singapore-based Amanresorts as visionary Founder Adrian Zecha is stepping down as chairman and CEO, and new leadership is emerging más...
Social Hotel Awards deadline extended 1 week
Due to a late technical issue with entry submissions system, HOTELS is extending its deadline for the 2014 Social Hotel Awards by one week. Entries to más...
Hot Openings: IHG opens two Holiday Inns in Brazil
InterContinental Hotels Group has opened two new Holiday Inn-branded properties in Brazil, as the country prepares to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Holiday más...
Hersha to buy Key West resort
Hersha Hospitality Trust, Philadelphia, announced a definitive agreement to buy the 148-key Parrot Key Hotel & Resort in Key West, Florida, for US$100 más...
IHG declares $750 million dividend in earnings report
IHG, Denham, England, declared a US$750 million special dividend in its quarterly earnings report released on Friday. “We are announcing today a más...
News in brief: Kokua, Starwood, Pet Shop Boys
Kokua to expand in San Francisco: Kokua Hospitality signed a deal with Host Hotels & Resorts to manage the 151-room The Powell Hotel. Read more más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Atlific Hotels, Toronto, has named Galit Ben-Ary national director of marketing. Ben-Ary previously más...
Apollo Global Management fund buys 18 European hotels
Apollo European Principal Finance Fund II, a fund affiliated with Apollo Global Management, New York City, announced on Thursday the successful completion más...
Starwood's vice chairman, CFO resigns
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Wednesday announced Vasant Prabhu has resigned as vice chairman and chief financial officer to join NBCUniversal más...
What's Hot: Sneak a peek at the Delano Las Vegas
Delano Las Vegas will open at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas this fall. The property is a partnership between MGM Resorts International and más...
Social media ebook from HOTELS showcases best practices
Find inspiration for your hotel's next social media campaign by reading HOTELS’ Best Social Media Practices Guide, which features case studies from más...
Enter HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Awards by Friday
HOTELS is holding the 2014 Social Hotel Awards to recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in connecting with más...
Properly investing the design budget
Delivering a hotel under budget is not a worthy goal. The focus should be on delivering the richest guest experience within the budget. That begins with más...
News in brief: Morgans, Hersha Hospitality Trust, US Hotel & Resort Management
Morgans shareholders advised on director nominees: Morgans Hotel Group announced that Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) has issued a report más...
abril 2014
IPO reportedly planned for Scandic
EQT, the majority owner of Scandic Hotels, is reportedly planning an initial public offering valued at €1 billion (US$1.38 billion) for the Stockholm-based más...
Trump buys Turnberry golf resort
Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he bought the Turnberry golf resort, located in South Ayrshire, Scotland, which includes the 149-room Turnberry más...
Oakwood, Mapletree in big serviced apartment JV
Oakwood Worldwide and Mapletree Group on Wednesday announced the signing of a corporate and serviced apartment joint venture that aims to open más...
What's Hot: InterContinental Mark Hopkins restaurant, lounge
The InterContinental Mark Hopkins in San Francisco's Nob Hill neighborhood has opened a new multi-use food and beverage outlet called the Nob Hill Club más...
W Taipei to reward amateur food photographers
Acknowledging the ongoing phenomenon of restaurant diners photographing their food and sharing the pictures via social media, W Taipei is inviting amateur más...
News in brief: Marriott, Hyatt, Plaza
Marriott profit up in Q1: Marriott International's first quarter 2014 net income totaled US$172 million, a 26% increase compared to first quarter más...
Accor launches digital guest-welcome procedure
Accor announced on Tuesday a new guest-welcoming procedure to be rolled out across all its brands that will be offered to all loyalty-program members más...
Hot Openings: Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem debuts
Hilton Worldwide's Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts opened Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem earlier this month on the site of what was, until 1935, the Palace más...
Le Méridien unveils new cocktails, soundtrack for lobby
Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts announced a global partnership with French Bossa Nova band Nouvelle Vague to curate a 24-hour soundtrack for every más...
Coworth Park caters to horses
Dorchester Collection’s Coworth Park, set on 240 acres (97 hectares) outside London, has enhanced its riding offerings with The Ultimate Horse Check-In más...
News in brief: Pan Pacific, Viceroy, Novotel
Pan Pacific launches new websites: Pan Pacific Hotels Group launched new websites for its Parkroyal Hotels & Resorts and namesake brands, a S$2 más...
Enter HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Awards by Friday
HOTELS is holding the 2014 Social Hotel Awards to recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in connecting with más...
NH rumored to sell Sotogrande assets
As Madrid’s NH Hoteles continues its effort to cut costs and debt, Bloomberg reported on Monday that Oaktree Capital Group and Cerberus Capital más...
M&C launches Monogram Collection
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels on Monday officially launched its Monogram Collection with the Chelsea Harbour Hotel in London becoming the más...
What's Hot: Traders Hotel reopens as Shangri-La in Yangon
After two and a half years of renovations, the former Traders Hotel, Yangon in Myanmar has reopened as Sule Shangri-La, Yangon. The 484-key hotel has más...
Hyatt Place to expand in Central America
Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced Monday that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a master development agreement with Latam Hotel Corp. to develop 10 Hyatt más...
Dorchester Collection responds to attempted boycott
The Dorchester Collection, London, has released a statement in response to the fashion and entertainment community’s planned protest and boycott más...
Westin Times Square tells guests when to go to sleep
The Westin New York at Times Square wants to tell you when it’s time for bed with its new program, Rest Well Calls, to help guests get a good night’s más...
News in brief: Le Méridien Etoile, Turnberry, Macdonald
Mount Kellet 'to buy' Le Méridien Etoile: Mount Kellett Capital Management is reportedly set to buy the 1,025-room Le Méridien más...
HOTELS Interview: Rockbridge CEO talks US hotel investment
Private equity hotel investment firm Rockbridge, Columbus, Ohio, is on the prowl for hotel investment opportunities, particularly among distressed assets más...
Enter HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Awards now
HOTELS is holding the 2014 Social Hotel Awards to recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in connecting with más...
What's Hot: Le Méridien San Francisco updates public spaces
Le Méridien San Francisco is showing off new public areas after completing a US$3.5 million renovation. The hotel now has the brand's Le Méridien más...
Four Seasons showcases custom craft beers
A number of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts’ U.S. properties have started partnerships with local breweries to create exclusive beers that meet más...
News in brief: Hyatt Place, Hyatt House
Hyatt Place to enter Brazil: An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. signed a management deal with FSA group to open the 150-room Hyatt Place São más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Billy Alberigi has been promoted to director of operations for Bardessono in Yountville, California más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Regent wants Hong Kong return
Regent Hotels and Resorts – acquired by Taipei-based Formosa International Hotels Corp. from Carlson in 2010 – may have been slow to kick más...
What's Hot: 17th-century hotel expands, renovates
The Hotel Ritter Durbach, founded in 1656 in Southern Germany's Black Forest, has completed an expansion and renovation. The Ritter family acquired the más...
Burj Al Arab offers sky-high weddings
Burj Al Arab in Dubai is promising to take romance to new heights with the launch of “weddings in the sky” — on the hotel’s helipad más...
Bangkok weathers yet another political storm
With a backdrop of hotel occupancy in Bangkok down more than one-third for Q1 2014, more than 400 travel and tourism industry executives attended the más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Starwood, Savio
Wyndham profit up in Q1: Wyndham Worldwide reported net income of US$90 million for the first quarter of 2014, compared to US$27 million for the más...
HOTELS Interview: Action Hotels CEO talks Middle East plans
While some argue markets such as Dubai are becoming overbuilt, the Middle East continues to offer opportunities for developers and brand managers. Opportunities más...
What's Hot: Belmond unveils new restaurant in Venice
Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice has opened a new restaurant called Oro. Interior designer Adam Tihany created the space; the main dining room has a domed más...
Four Seasons-branded jet plane takes off
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, announced on Wednesday the introduction of the Four Seasons Jet. With Four Seasons on the fuselage and the iconic más...
TripAdvisor survey shows US travelers’ budget increasing
TripAdvisor’s latest TripBarometer survey shows that U.S. travelers plan to spend more on travel in 2014 but that price remains an important influence más...
W Taipei debuts exclusive beer
W Taipei has launched 5Beer, which is crafted by North Taiwan Brewery and served exclusively at the hotel’s Woobar. The pronunciation of “five” más...
News in brief: Absolute, Kew Green, Angola
Absolute to expand in Thailand: Absolute Hotel Services will open the 42-room U Pattaya in early 2015. The property will be located between Jomtien más...
Enter HOTELS’ 2014 Social Hotel Awards now
HOTELS is holding the 2014 Social Hotel Awards to recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in connecting with más...
Cachet launches new brand, forms development JV
Hong Kong-based Cachet Hotel Group is launching a new lifestyle brand, Nano Hotels & Resorts, and has formed a joint venture with Invest Hospitality más...
Hot Openings: Third Anantara resort debuts in China
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has opened Anantara Emei Resort & Spa, its third resort in China. The 150-key resort is at the foot of Emei Mountain más...
Ritz-Carlton Destination Club joins 3rd Home network
The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club has announced an affiliation with a reciprocal travel club for luxury second homeowners called 3rd Home. The agreement más...
Toronto hotel celebrates centennial with cocktails
One King West Hotel & Residence in Toronto will celebrate its 100th anniversary July 1, and it has created some signature cocktails to celebrate. más...
News in brief: Azimut, Trammell Crow, Trigild
Azimut buys Moscow hotel: Azimut Hotels reportedly purchased the 235-room Hotel Belgrad, and Azimut plans to renovate the Soviet-era budget hotel más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Hilfiger details Raleigh brand
Tommy Hilfiger said the acquisition of The Raleigh in Miami Beach and creation of The Raleigh Group will act as the launching pad for a Raleigh-branded más...
Concord sells 13 US hotels for $240 million
Concord Hospitality Enterprises announced on Monday the sale of 13 select-service U.S. hotels to an undisclosed “global investment fund” for más...
What's Hot: Oregon hotel opens reinvented lobby bar
Sentinel, Provenance Hotels' property in the former Governor Hotel in Portland, Oregon, has opened its interpretation of the classic hotel lobby bar. más...
JW Marriott Chicago offers ‘beercation’ package
To celebrate the opening of Lagunitas Brewing Co.’s new brewery in Chicago’s Pilsen/Douglas Park neighborhood, JW Marriott Chicago is offering más...
News in brief: Accor, Fairmont, Airbnb
Accor revenue down in Q1: Accor reported that its pro forma revenue declined 5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2014, although it gained 2 más...
HOTELS Exclusive: New Orient Express hotel brand likely
SNCF, the French transportation company that owns the Orient Express trademark and recently agreed with Orient-Express Hotels to terminate their long-standing más...
HOTELS Interview: One chef's kitchen wish list
Toni Robertson, who recently took over as executive chef at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, always knew she would become a chef. After serving in the U más...
Hot Openings: Shangri-La comes to Lhasa
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts opened a property in Lhasa, the administrative center of Tibet, on Thursday, April 17. The 289-key Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa más...
News in brief: Hotel Indigo, Dusit Thani
Hotel Indigo to expand in Atlanta: IHG signed a franchise agreement with Portman 230 LLC to open the 200-room Hotel Indigo Downtown Atlanta in the más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Calvin Belknap has been appointed director of food and beverage at The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville más...
Hilfiger finalizes Raleigh deal, creates hotel group
Fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger has finalized his deal to acquire the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach from David Edelstein and Sam Nazarian, and has launched más...
Virgin announces deal in Nashville
Virgin Hotels has announced its third hotel deal in the United States with plans to open and operate in 2016 a property in Nashville, Tennessee, más...
Chatwal pleads guilty to donation missteps
Hampshire Hotels & Resorts Chairman Sant Singh Chatwal pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday to witness tampering and más...
What's Hot: First glimpse of Sean MacPherson's latest
Richard Born and Ira Druckier of BD Hotels in New York City have teamed up with hotelier Sean MacPherson to open in June The Ludlow in New York City. más...
3-star Michelin restaurant coming to NH in Madrid
Reinforcing its commitment to haute cuisine, NH Hotel Group's 440-room NH Collection Eurobuilding hotel in July will become the home of Madrid’s más...
Using social media for customer self service
While social mediums are becoming important tools for hospitality providers who want to listen to and engage their customers more closely, as more people más...
News in brief: Aloft
Aloft to expand in India: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will open the 200-room Aloft New Delhi Aerocity in the first quarter of 2015. Read more más...
Rafter named president of Aston Hotels & Resorts
Ben Rafter, Aqua Hospitality and Aqua Hotels and Resorts CEO and president, has been named president of Aston Hotels & Resorts. The move comes four más...
Fastighets AB Balder buys 14 hotels from Pandox
Pandox, Stockholm, has sold 14 hotel properties in Sweden totaling 2,400 guestrooms to Fastighets AB Balder, Stockholm, for 2.2 billion kronor (US$333 más...
What's Hot: Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona adds rooms, suites
Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona has added 17 suites and five more guestrooms, bringing the total to 120 guest accommodations. The new rooms are located in más...
JW Marriott launches app to create "digital souvenirs"
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts has entered the mobile space with the launch of CUR8, an experience-oriented app that allows guests to share travel moments más...
Hard Rock Palm Springs launches crowdfunding
The Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs, California, has become the first hotel to be crowdfunded by an online property marketplace. Beginning Wednesday and más...
News in brief: Radisson Blu, DiamondRock, Aloft
Radisson Blu to expand in Tunisia: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group signed agreements to add two properties via conversion in Sousse. The 217-room Radisson más...
Denihan splits into management, investment units
Denihan Hospitality Group, New York City, announced on Monday that it has restructured the organization of the company into two independently operated más...
What's Hot: J Plus to unveil new look in Hong Kong
The former J Plus Boutique Hotel in Hong Kong will have a new look and a new identity when it reopens May 22. Yoo Studio, founded by Philippe Starck and más...
Consortium offers to buy out Hotel Properties
Hotel Properties, Singapore, has received a buyout offer of S$1.8 billion (US$1.4 billion) from a consortium of its long-term shareholders. The consortium más...
MGM, Hakkasan JV to develop non-gaming projects
MGM Resorts International and Hakkasan Group on Tuesday announced the formation of a joint venture hotel management company named MGM Hakkasan Hospitality más...
Google report analyzes online purchasing funnel
Google released an infographic report that utilized data from Google Analytics to examine the online purchasing funnel. The report features data on online más...
Ashford Prime launches hospitality REIT app
Ashford Hospitality Prime, Dallas, has launched the Ashford App, a mobile app created for the hospitality REIT investor community. The free app is currently más...
News in brief: Langham, Rockbridge, Holiday Inn
Langham enters Middle East: Langham Hospitality Group signed a management agreement with DAS Real Estate for the 323-room The Langham, Palm Jumeirah más...
AC by Marriott throws B&F party for owners
Marriott International has been working hard to ramp up the development of its AC Hotels by Marriott brand in the Americas and around the world since más...
Haase named new Value Place CEO
Value Place, the Wichita, Kansas-based extended-stay hotel brand with nearly 190 hotels in 32 U.S. states, has named Bruce Haase CEO. Haase joins Value más...
What's Hot: Pestana adds an art district in Portugal
Group Pestana says its Pousada of Cascais in Portugal will be the first hotel in Europe to have its own art district. To reflect that, the property has más...
Gemini buys hotels in NYC, Miami Beach
Gemini Hotel Estate Advisors announced on Monday that it bought two hotels, one located in New York City and the other located in Miami Beach, Florida más...
Ritz-Carlton showcasing Reserve on Tumblr
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. announced last week the launch of a Tumblr account that highlights its Ritz-Carlton Reserve resorts. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel más...
News in brief: Meliá, Virgin, Element
Meliá to enter Mongolia: Meliá Hotels International signed an agreement with Baz International to open the 150-room Gran Meliá más...
HOTELS Interview: Polishing a Chicago jewel
Chicago’s Silversmith Hotel, located in downtown’s Jewelers Row district a block west of Michigan Avenue and a block east of State Street más...
Waldorf Astoria new-build for Beverly Hills
At a time when luxury hotel developments in the U.S. remain scarce, Hilton Worldwide announced on Friday that it signed an agreement with Alagem Capital más...
What's Hot: DoubleTree by Hilton renovates in Boston
The DoubleTree by Hilton Boston Downtown and hotel owner Corcoran Jennison Hospitality LLC have completed a US$8.6-million renovation of public areas más...
Hilton to enter Haiti
Hilton Worldwide announced on Thursday that the company is entering Haiti after signing a management agreement with CAB S.A. to open in 2016 the más...
News in brief: Red Lion
Red Lion sells, franchises Washington hotel: Red Lion Hotels Corp. sold the 156-room Red Lion Hotel Yakima and at closing entered into an agreement más...
People on the move
Sarai Braziel has been appointed general manager of Residence Inn Round Rock in Round Rock, Texas. Most recently, Braziel was general manager of the Fairfield más...
HOTELS Interview: Mangalis talks African expansion
It is time to rethink what makes a player on the African hotel scene. Until recently, there were the home-grown hotel companies such as Sun International más...
What's Hot: Preview Adler's fourth resort
After more than 10 years of planning, Adler Resorts is preparing to open its fourth property this July. Mountain Lodge, located in the heart of the Dolomites más...
4 SEO strategies to increase traffic, visibility
Sixty-eight percent of travelers turned to the Internet in 2013 for inspiration before deciding where to go, what to do or where to stay. According to más...
Texas hotel debuts food truck
Austin, Texas, is known for its thriving food truck culture, and now a hotel has joined that scene. Lone Star Court, the 123-room motor court concept más...
News in brief: Gaylord, Waramaug, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Lawsuit against Colorado Gaylord project thrown out: A judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of Denver area hotels seeking to block the development más...
La Quinta initial public offering raises $650 million
La Quinta Holdings Inc., Irving, Texas, raised US$650 million in its initial public offering on Tuesday, with shares closing a penny above the IPO price más...
HOTELS Interview: Best Western focuses on Premier expansion
Last month Best Western International, Phoenix, Arizona, appointed Michael Muir as vice president of North American development. Muir replaces Mark Williams más...
Can Cerberus derail Japanese hotelier's IPO?
Japanese hotel and railway operator Seibu Holdings announced on Wednesday a price range for its initial public offering that is well below previous guidance más...
What's Hot: The Royal Crescent's refurbishment
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa in Bath, England, expects to complete a refurbishment program by the end of the month. The restoration project adds más...
News in brief: Crowne Plaza, McKibbon, Lightstone
Crowne Plaza to expand in New York City: Raber Enterprises has filed permits to develop the 250-room Crowne Plaza Times Square South, to be located más...
HOTELS Interview: Navigating the new Facebook
Changes in December 2013 to Facebook’s News Feed algorithm has resulted in an approximately 40% decrease for fan pages status updates’ organic más...
Walton Street acquires Waikiki hotel
Walton Street Capital has acquired the 298-key budget Ambassador Hotel Waikiki in downtown Honolulu from Ambassador Hotel Inc., according to multiple más...
What's Hot: Banyan Tree opens spa in the sky
Banyan Tree Spa at Banyan Tree Macau has opened an additional floor, some 230 ft (70 m) above ground. The new City Spa has a grotto-themed design with más...
Portland hotel’s cocktails showcase unique local ingredients
Starting later this week and continuing through summer the Driftwood Room at Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Oregon, is offering a “Mixed in PDX” más...
News in brief: Hampshire, Wyndham, Google
Hampshire to expand in New York City: Hampshire Hotels Management signed a deal with Soho Properties and MHP Real Estate Services to open a Dream-branded más...
HOTELS Interview: 30 years of Embassy Suites
This year Hilton Worldwide’s Embassy Suites Hotels brand is celebrating its 30th year in operation after the first Embassy Suites property opened más...
Vote for 2014 Hotelier of the World awards
HOTELS Magazine invites you to vote for the 2014 Hotelier of the World awards at www.hotelsmag.com/how2014. Now in its 34th year, the Hotelier of the más...
Santo Domingo subsidiary in talks to buy Decameron
Terranum Hotels is reportedly in discussions with all-inclusive hotel owner and operator Decameron Hotels & Resorts to buy Decameron for about US$500 más...
What's Hot: Morgans updates London guestrooms
Morgans Hotel Group has unveiled a new design for guestrooms at its Sanderson and St Martins Lane hotels in London, with what the company says is a renewed más...
Design: Thinking beyond the skyline
When hospitality architects dream of defining a city with an iconic hotel, they often look skyward. But their vision need not always be aimed vertically más...
News in brief: Radisson Blu, Fibra Inn, Aimbridge
Radisson Blu expands in India: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has partnered with Rockwood Hotels & Resorts to open the 240-room Radisson Blu Udaipur más...
HOTELS Interview: Hilton's new extended-stay initiatives
Hilton Worldwide’s extended-stay brand Homewood Suites by Hilton showcased its recently launched Gen 9.2 prototype at the Hunter Hotel Conference más...
LaSalle acquires San Francisco hotel
LaSalle Hotel Properties, Bethesda, Maryland, has acquired Hotel Vitale in San Francisco — the REIT’s sixth hotel in the city — for más...
Hot Openings: The Pestana Group climbs mountain in Portugal
The mountaintop historic clinic building of Penhas da Saude has reopened as a new Pousada of Portugal, starting April 1. The Pousada of Serra da Estrela más...
News in brief: Centara, Grand Pacific, Michael Mina
Centara to expand in Oman: Centara Hotels & Resorts signed a management agreement with Irfan International Hotel to open the 154-room Centara más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Ed Brea has been appointed general manager of Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. Previously, Brea was general más...
Sol Kerzner steps down as Dubai sovereign wealth fund buys stake
The sovereign wealth fund Investment Corp. of Dubai announced on Thursday that it completed the purchase of a significant equity interest in Kerzner International más...
What's Hot: Times Square hotel building reborn
Highgate Hotels and Rockpoint Group have opened Row NYC, in a Times Square building that previously housed the Lincoln, the Manhattan and the Milford más...
Ip joins Artyzen as vice-chairman, to launch brand
Artyzen Hospitality Group, a subsidiary of Shun Tak Holdings, Hong Kong, announced on Thursday that Edmond Ip has been appointed vice-chairman of the más...
Minor adds 3 in Mozambique
Minor Hotel Group (MHG), Bangkok, announced the addition of three properties in Mozambique to its portfolio and a 25% equity investment in the properties más...
News in brief: Aloft, Fibra Inn, GHA
Aloft to expand in South Carolina: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed a deal with McKibbon Hotel Group to open the 144-room Aloft Greenville más...
Strategic exits Europe, buys in Arizona
Strategic Hotels & Resorts announced on Tuesday that it has exited Europe by closing on the sale of the 237-room Marriott London Grosvenor Square más...
Carey Watermark acquires Austin hotel
Carey Watermark Investors (CWI), New York City, has acquired the 296-room Hyatt Place Austin Downtown in Austin, Texas, for US$87 million. White Lodging más...
Choice offers incentives for Comfort brands
Choice Hotels International on Tuesday publicly announced development incentives for approved new construction Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites hotel projects más...
What's Hot: The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong launches elevated bar
The Lounge & Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong has opened a new “Exclusive 12” bar concept high above the city. The Lounge & Bar más...
News in brief: Peninsula, Minor, FelCor
Peninsula launches new website: Peninsula launched a new version of its brand.com website peninsula.com that features social media integration. más...
Danziger appointed Hampshire Hotels Management's CEO
Just a month after leaving his position as Wyndham Hotel Group CEO, Eric Danziger will begin working next week as CEO of Hampshire Hotels Management, más...
Sotherly Hotels buys Atlanta hotel for $61 million
Sotherly Hotels is entering Atlanta via its purchase announced on Tuesday of the 326-room Georgian Terrace Hotel from Fremont Realty Capital for US$61 más...
IHG signs 15-hotel deal with Maplewood
IHG, Denham, England, signed a deal with Maplewood Hotels & Resorts to develop 15 new-build Candlewood Suites throughout Canada over the next few más...
Lenders leaves Hyatt to lead Starwood F&B
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Tuesday announced that Achim Lenders, an industry veteran with 30 years of experience, has joined the company más...
Another Four Seasons exec migrates to Auberge
Yet another Four Seasons executive has joined Auberge Resorts with Tuesday's announcement that Randolph Weisz is joining the operator and owner más...
Hot Openings: Value resort checks in at Universal Orlando
Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort opened March 31 in the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. The new property offers moderately-priced accommodations más...
News in brief: Coral, Carlson Rezidor, Starwood
HMH set to refresh Coral brand: Hospitality Management Holdings revealed that it plans to refresh its Coral Hotels & Resorts brand ahead of más...
marzo 2014
HOTELS launches 2014 Social Hotel Awards
For the third year, HOTELS Magazine announces the launch of the 2014 Social Hotel Awards to recognize both brands and individual properties for their más...
Nassetta: Industry at "Goldilocks" point of cycle
The consensus among most speakers at this year’s Hunter Hotel Conference was that the U.S. hotel industry’s current business cycle appears más...
Hot Openings: Steakhouse opens at NYC Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Worldwide opened the Hilton Garden Inn New York/Central Park South — Midtown West in midtown Manhattan earlier this year along with the hotel’s más...
Celebrity chef to relocate restaurant to Australian hotel
Chef Heston Blumenthal will close The Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, England, for six months so it can undergo renovations and during that time plans to más...
News in brief: Dusit Fudu, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo
Dusit Fudu Hotels and Resorts signs management agreements in China: The company announced an agreement with Everfashion Group to manage the 450-room Dusit más...
HOTELS Interview: New Wyndham CEO Ballotti’s outlook
Earlier this month Wyndham Hotel Group announced Geoff Ballotti would take over as the company’s president and CEO. Ballotti has served as más...
Hot Openings: Waldorf Astoria debuts in Beijing
Hilton Worldwide and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts opened the Waldorf Astoria Beijing late last month. The property is the second Waldorf Astoria más...
Shangri-La names wine ambassador
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Hong Kong, has appointed Gerard Basset as the group’s first wine ambassador. Basset won the 2010 Best Sommelier in más...
HHM lights it up blue for autism awareness
Hotel management company HHM, Philadelphia, is partnering with Autism Speaks and will illuminate the facades of its 115 U.S. hotels with special más...
News in brief: Aloft, FibraHotel, eco-certified hotels
Aloft to debut in Australia: Owned by BAAC Pty Ltd, an affiliate of BGC (Australia) Pty Ltd (BGC), the 224-room Aloft Perth Rivervale will open in late más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Davidson Hotels & Resorts, Atlanta, has appointed Edie Bates vice president, brand performance. más...
HOTELS Interview: Aspiring to be eco-chic in London
The 35-room Draycott Hotel is a relatively small luxury property with a big goal: to become the most eco-friendly boutique hotel in London. “I think más...
La Quinta IPO could generate $781 million
La Quinta Holdings Inc. has stated in its latest regulatory filing that it will sell 37.2 million shares at US$18 to US$21 each, generating net proceeds más...
Hot Openings: Restored hotel opens in L.A.’s Koreatown
The Hotel Normandie is open in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles after a restoration. Architects Walker and Eisen originally constructed the 94-key más...
Wingate by Wyndham launches new prototype
The Wingate by Wyndham hotel brand, part of Wyndham Hotel Group, on Thursday unveiled a refreshed new-construction prototype concept that evolves the más...
RLJ continues to recycle capital with sale
RLJ Lodging Trust on Thursday announced it sold the 182-room Hilton Mystic in Connecticut for approximately US$14.1 million, or $77,200 per key, to Distinctive más...
News in brief: Hilton, TFE, Value Place
Hilton to expand in South Korea: Hilton Worldwide is introducing its flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand in Busan, South Korea, following the signing más...
IHG unveils new Holiday Inn Express brand prototype
IHG revealed on Wednesday a new brand prototype for its Holiday Inn Express brand for the U.S. and Canadian markets. Construction documents for the rollout más...
A-HTrust acquires Osaka hotel
Singapore-based Ascendas Hospitality Trust (AH-Trust) has entered a conditional sale and purchase agreement with Ainodake Godo Kaisha to acquire Namba más...
What's Hot: Swedish property showcases maritime history
Stora Hotellet, in the city of Umeå in northern Sweden, has reimagined itself to show off the city's maritime history. Stylt Trampoli created the más...
Loews package focuses on minibar value
Loews Regency Hotel in New York City the “Milk the Minibar” package in an effort to offer guests better minibar value. For an additional US$30 más...
News in brief: Mandarin Oriental, Centara, Ritz-Carlton
Mandarin Oriental to expand Munich property: Mandarin Oriental International Ltd. announced it plans to expand and enhance its wholly owned hotel in Munich más...
Malone partners to buy Dublin hotel for €30 million
The Irish Times reported that John Malone, billionaire chairman of Liberty Global, has partnered with Lalco Hotel Group to purchase the 193-room Hilton más...
Robert Cook reportedly leaving De Vere
The board of De Vere Group, Warrington, England, announced on Tuesday that Robert Cook, CEO of De Vere Hotels and Village Urban Resorts, will be leaving más...
What's Hot: Steigenberger gets a new look in Davos
Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvédère, in Davos, Switzerland, has recently updated its public areas. JOI-Design led the project at the más...
W South Beach package focuses on high-end in-room dining
W South Beach Hotel & Residences in Miami Beach, Florida, has introduced the “Mega Flavors, Mega Suites” package, which promises a new más...
News in brief: FelCor, DePalma, Virgin
FelCor sells Minnesota hotel: FelCor Lodging Trust sold the 218-room Embassy Suites Bloomington to an undisclosed buyer for US$24 million. Read más...
Full House buys Mississippi casino-resort for $62 million
Full House Resorts entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding membership interests of the entity operating the 507-room Fitz más...
What’s Hot: Original Generator reboots
Generator London, the first location of the reimagined hostel chain, has reopened after a refurbishment project. The property, which first debuted in más...
New Four Seasons executive role focuses on operations, design
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts recently appointed Christopher Norton to a newly created executive role in the Toronto-based company that focuses on worldwide más...
Samuelsson to open pop-up restaurant at Fairmont in Bermuda
Chef Marcus Samuelsson — the Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised chef/owner of Red Rooster Harlem in New York City whose accolades include multiple James más...
Chicago hotel to celebrate bacon
In conjunction with Baconfest Chicago April 25-26, Chicago’s Acme Hotel Company is offering a range of bacon-centric events and promotions. The más...
News in brief: Element, Edificio España, Orient-Express
Element to expand in Florida: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed an agreement with a joint venture between UP Development, StaySharpe más...
HOTELS Interview: Marriott's new take on advertorial
In 2013 Marriott Hotels entered into a unique “content marketing” partnership with the magazines Fast Company, Wired and news website Mashable más...
FRHI partners to acquire iconic Claremont
FRHI Hotels & Resorts (FRHI), together with California financier Richard Blum and his family, on Friday announced the purchase of the historic, 279-room más...
Hot Openings: Villa Nº 174 opens in Rio
Villa Nº 174, a boutique property located on Santa Teresa hill in Rio de Janeiro, made its debut earlier this month. The hotel occupies an old mansion más...
New law, SEC regulations solve problems of US condo hotels’ legal structure
Condominium hotels are not a new concept, but for years there have been problems with the legal structure and marketing process. For the first time, there más...
News in brief: Kabul Serena
Kabul Serena attacked by terrorists, 9 dead: The Taliban attacked the 177-room Kabul Serena hotel on Thursday. The attack, carried out with guns más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Audra Arul has been named director of sales and marketing for the Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon in más...
Westin launches $15 million well-being campaign
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Thursday announced the global launch of the Westin Well-being Movement for its Westin Hotels & Resorts más...
Meliá announces 1st hotel in NYC
Meliá Hotels International on Thursday announced a deal to develop its first hotel in New York City – the Innside by Meliá in the más...
What’s Hot: Fenway Park getting restored vintage motel
The Verb, a reimagined mid-century motor hotel, will open in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood this summer, right across the street from the home of más...
Africa-focused Mangalis names new CEO
Mangalis Management Group on Thursday announced the appointment of Olivier Jacquin as the company's new CEO. Jacquin, who replaces Denis Sorin, was most más...
IHG appoints O’Brien as senior vice president of global brands
IHG announced on Thursday the recent appointment of Jayne O’Brien to the position of senior vice president of global brands, effective March 24 más...
Airbnb may be valued more than Wyndham, Hyatt
The Wall Street Journal reported that hospitality exchange network Airbnb is in advanced talks to raise more than US$10 billion in funds, according to más...
DoubleTree launches ‘Cookie Care,’ plans to sell dough online
In celebration of the more than 300 million signature chocolate chip cookies that have welcomed guests to its hotels, DoubleTree by Hilton is launching más...
News in brief: Hotel Indigo, LVS, SBE
Hotel Indigo to expand in New York City: An affiliate of IHG signed a franchise agreement with 10-12 MLane LLC to open the 190-room Hotel Indigo más...
Red Roof announces new development team
Red Roof Inn, Columbus, Ohio, announced this week Team Grow, a new franchise development team. The new development team comes on the heels of the October más...
What’s Hot: New lobby sprouts at Hilton Garden Inn in New York
The Hilton Garden Inn Poughkeepsie/Fishkill in Fishkill, New York, has unveiled a new lobby and updated public areas. The new lobby reflects the brand’s más...
Morgans rejects Kerrisdale board nominees, sale proposals
Morgans Hotel Group, New York City, issued a statement on Wednesday chastising Kerrisdale Capital Management’s plans to nominate seven individuals más...
La Quinta breaks 3 Guinness World Records
La Quinta Inns & Suites announced it set three Guinness World Records — for creating the longest human towel chain with 1,113 participants, más...
News in brief: Nobu, Waldorf Astoria, Aloft
Nobu to expand in Chicago: Nobu Hospitality will open the 155-room Nobu Hotel Chicago in the city’s West Loop area in early 2016. Rockwell más...
Dalata raises €265 million in IPO, plans to buy hotels
Ireland’s largest hotel operator Dalata Hotel Group, Dublin, raised €265 million (US$369 million) in an initial public offering of its shares más...
What's Hot: Suite celebrates Marilyn Monroe
As part of the centennial celebration for the city of Beverly Hills, California, the Beverly Hills Hotel has unveiled a special suite inspired by Marilyn más...
Caesars receives initial approval for South Korea casino
Caesars Entertainment Corp. has received preliminary approval from the South Korean government for an integrated resort complex in Incheon, South Korea más...
Dominvs buys Tower Bridge site for hotel development
Dominvs Group, London, bought the former Tower Bridge Magistrates’ Court and Police station 0.62 acre (0.25 hectare) site in London for an undisclosed más...
Steigenberger, Lebua enter F&B partnership
The Steigenberger Hotel Group, Frankfurt, and Lebua Hotels and Resorts, Bangkok, have announced the start of a strategic association that will have Lebua más...
News in brief: LWH, Waramaug, TravelClick
LWH Hotels rebrands as L.E. Hotels: Independent lifestyle hotel consortium LWH Hotels is rebranding as L.E. Hotels. The company will continue to más...
Langham names new CEO to spearhead growth
Langham Hospitality Group announced on Monday the appointment of Robert Warman as chief executive officer, succeeding Brett Butcher, who is retiring from más...
Hot Openings: Modus enters Baltimore market
Modus Hotels entered the U.S. city of Baltimore earlier this year as the Washington, D.C.-based owner and operator of lifestyle hotels reopened Brookshire más...
IHG, Carlson make senior personnel moves
Bob Morse will step down as COO of the Americas for InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) effective April 4. Lew Fader, currently senior vice president más...
Chatham avoids proxy battle with HG Vora
Chatham Lodging Trust resolved a potential proxy contest with HG Vora Capital relating to this year's shareholder meeting. Under the agreement, HG Vora más...
Maldives resorts showcase underwater art
Art in hotels is becoming increasingly commonplace, but Huvafen Fushi and Niyama in the Maldives are taking art to a new frontier: the depths of the sea más...
News in brief: Meliá, Dusit Thani, Crestline
Meliá to expand in Milan: Meliá Hotels International will open the 132-room ME Milan Il Duca in 2015 near the Piazza della Repubblica más...
HOTELS Interview: Four Seasons on social media’s future
After initially lagging behind other sectors, the hotel industry now has many successful social media campaigns under its belt. However, the marketing más...
Inland American takes big step to self-manage
Inland American Real Estate Trust on Thursday announced that functions previously performed by its business manager have been terminated and are now being más...
Toga rebrands to TFE
Toga Hotels announced it is rebranding to TFE Hotels (Toga Far East Hotels) as an acknowledgment of its recent joint venture with Far East Hospitality más...
Kempinski GMs gather to create signature dishes
In July 2013, Kempinski Hotels President and CEO Reto Wittwer issued a challenge to the group’s general managers: Create a signature dish with the más...
News in brief: Dusit Fudu, Aimbridge
Dusit Fudu to expand in China: Dusit Fudu Hotels and Resorts signed a management agreement with Huaning Grant Tourism Development Co. to open in más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: John Allan has been appointed general manager of Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale más...
Thomas Smit turns focus to Dubai, service excellence
Thomas Smit believes old hotel traditions need to live on in a world where he says corporate machines are driving hospitality. “Tradition never más...
Hot Openings: Hilton brings suites to Makkah
Hilton Worldwide opened the first tower of Hilton Suites Makkah earlier this month in Saudi Arabia. The contemporary 480-key hotel will have two towers más...
Kempinski holds career day in Munich
On March 1 Kempinski Hotels, Geneva, Switzerland, held its fourth annual Kempinski Career Day at the Kempinski Hotel Airport Munich. Kempinski reported más...
Peninsula Beverly Hills managers walk in line staff's shoes
The 193-room The Peninsula Beverly Hills is holding a unique executive staff training program called “Walk in My Shoes,” in which all eight más...
News in brief: Time Equities, Home Inns, Subrata Roy
Time Equities affiliate buys Anguilla resort: TEI Anguilla Villa Equities LLC, an affiliate of Time Equities bought the Altamer Resort, which includes más...
St. James’s buys 14 UK hotels out of administration
The 14-hotel portfolio of Forestdale Hotels, a subsidiary of Akkeron Hotels Group, Surrey, England, has been bought out of administration for an undisclosed más...
What's Hot: Marriott in Miami unveils renovation, new name
South Beach Marriott has undergone a six-month, US$10 million renovation and changed its name to Marriott Stanton South Beach. The new name comes from más...
Sahara reportedly considering sale of NYC Plaza
Despite official denials a few months ago, Sahara India Pariwar, Lucknow, India, is reportedly entertaining offers to buy its 75% controlling stake of más...
Sheraton appoints hundreds of dedicated Club Managers
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts announced it has appointed 350 full-time Club Managers to its Sheraton Club lounges worldwide. Club Managers will offer más...
Omni culinary series highlights Washington State
Omni Hotels & Resorts’ culinary series “Flavors of the World” is back this spring with a spotlight on the wines of Washington State más...
Pod-style hotels emerge; Savills cites UK developments
A new hotel segment is emerging with the expansion of “pod” hotels and the likes of limited-service hotels with smaller guestroom footprints más...
News in brief: Internos, Waldorf Astoria, RIU
Internos buys 2 hotels in Germany: Internos Global Investors bought the 166-room InterCityHotel Leipzig and the 328-room Maritim Hotel Dresden for más...
Starwood Capital buys De Vere Venues
Starwood Capital Group announced on Tuesday that it bought through a controlled affiliate De Vere Venues from De Vere Group for approximately US$385 million más...
Paulson continues to bet on Puerto Rico
Despite a US$72 billion debt load and an economy that has shrunk 14% since 2006, billionaire investor John Paulson’s New York City investment firm más...
Worldhotels names new CEO
Global consortium Worldhotels announced Tuesday that Kristin Intress joined the company as its new chief executive officer on March 3. Robert más...
Home Inns to acquire Yunshang Siji
Chinese economy hotel chain Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. announced it has signed a legally binding memorandum of understanding to acquire 100% más...
Hot Openings: The Godfrey launches in Chicago
The Godfrey Hotel opened last month in Chicago. The property marks the debut of The Godfrey brand, which plans to open its second hotel in Boston next más...
Morgans eliminates third of corporate staff
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Morgans Hotel Group, New York City, has eliminated a third of its corporate staff as a cost-saving measure más...
News in brief: Kimpton, Element, Park Inn
Kimpton to expand in Denver: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants signed a management agreement with Continuum Partners LLC for a 200-room hotel set más...
Hilfiger could launch hotel business with Raleigh
Negotiations are reportedly ongoing for fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger’s Hilfiger Hospitality to acquire the Raleigh Hotel, located in Miami Beach's más...
Summit buying 2 US hotels
Summit Hotel Properties entered into definitive agreements to purchase the 210-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Francisco Airport, located in Burlingame más...
Hot Openings: Pik Palace enters Azerbaijani resort market
Pik Palace Shahdag has opened in a resort area of the Caucasus mountain range in Azerbaijan, which offers snow sports in the winter and golf in the summer más...
Renaissance announces entertainment partnerships
Renaissance Hotels has announced it will expand its line-up of entertainment offerings this year with a variety of partnerships and initiatives designed más...
News in brief: Strategic, IFA, Hersha
Strategic, Orange Capital agree to board appointment: Strategic Hotels & Resorts reached an agreement with Orange Capital to appoint David Johnson más...
HOTELS Interview: Genting reinvents Bimini
Although only 53 miles (81 km) east of Miami, the Bimini islands, part of the Bahamas, have until recently been known largely as a sleepy destination más...
What's Hot: Lungarno prepares to launch Florence hotel
Lungarno Collection, the hospitality group owned by the family of Salvatore Ferragamo, is planning to open Portrait Firenze in May. The property is located más...
Omni train rolls into Louisville
As part of a US$261 million downtown Louisville, Kentucky, public-private development, Omni Hotels & Resorts will invest US$105 million to build a más...
The Rittenhouse celebrates flowers with cocktails
The Rittenhouse this week is honoring the “ARTiculture” theme of the Philadelphia Flower Show, taking place through March 9, with floral-art-themed más...
News in brief: Lagerfeld, Cairns resort, Dusit Fudu
Karl Lagerfeld plans Macau hotel: The designer expects the 270-room Karl Lagerfeld Hotel to open in 2017. Read more at Yahoo News Cairns mega-resort más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Tom Calame has been appointed general manager of Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. Calame más...
Hotel Equities invests to greatly expand reach
Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (HE), a management, ownership and development company with some 55 hotels and 7,000 rooms in its portfolio, has an aggressive más...
Crow Holdings acquires Brown Palace
Trammell Crow affiliate Crow Holdings Capital Partners, Dallas, has acquired for an undisclosed amount the grand dame hotel of Denver, the Brown Palace más...
The James heads to U.S. West Coast
CIM Group and Denihan Hospitality Group have announced an agreement to bring The James hotel brand to the Los Angeles area. The 10-story, 286-room James más...
Worldhotels launches virtual loyalty program
Worldhotels has announced that on April 24 it will launch an all-virtual loyalty program called Worldhotels Peakpoints. Members of the free program available más...
What's Hot: The Standard, East Village unveils new look
The Standard, East Village has completed renovations to give the New York City property a more intimate, residential atmosphere. Guests enter through más...
Ritz-Carlton debuts signature cake
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has introduced a signature cake to celebrate the brand’s heritage. In creating the cake, Corporate Chef Rainer Zinngrebe más...
News in brief: Interstate, Aloft, Holiday Inn Express
Interstate expands U.K. portfolio: Interstate Hotels & Resorts has announced two new U.K. management contracts, for the 81-room Ibis Budget Hotel más...
Takeaways from HSMAI digital marketing event
Capturing the attention - and business - of digital consumers increasingly requires hoteliers to make tough decisions about everything from website design más...
CEOs take center stage Tuesday at IHIF
A center stage panel entitled, ‘The World According to the Global CEOs’ was among the highlights Tuesday of the second day of the International más...
What's Hot: Embassy Suites' next-gen lobby in California
Embassy Suites Hotels has opened Embassy Suites Anaheim-Orange in a former Hilton Suites in California. The property features a new lobby with a contemporary más...
Inland American buys Honolulu hotel
Inland American Lodging Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust, Oak Brook, Illinois, has purchased the 645-room Aston Waikiki más...
Warwick buys Allerton in Chicago
Warwick International Hotels (WIH), Paris, has acquired for an undisclosed price the 443-room Allerton Hotel, Chicago, situated in the heart of the Magnificent más...
McKillen refinances debt for Coroin stake
With financial support from Colony Capital, Santa Monica, California, Paddy McKillen refinanced his debt to the Irish Bank Resolution Corp. The debt refinancing más...
News in brief: Noble, Holiday Inn, Ukraine
Noble buys 4 hotels in Ohio: Noble Investment Group bought four hotels operating under Marriott International’s Residence Inn by Marriott más...
HOTELS report from New York: 2014 Adrians showcase humor
What do a talking yoga mat, two sweater-wearing ponies and a man whose last name is Vegasdotcom have in common? They’re all part of the humorous más...
BridgeStreet acquired by investment firm
Serviced apartment developer and operator BridgeStreet Global Hospitality announced on Tuesday that it has been acquired by affiliate of Versa Capital más...
Hot Openings: Yoo Hotels debuts new brand
Yoo Hotels has opened the first property of its Yoo2 line, positioned as a more playful and accessible brand, in Istanbul. Yoo2 Taksim Square is más...
Chicago hotel offers Google Glass as free amenity
Boutique lifestyle hotel Acme Hotel Company in Chicago is introducing a new complimentary amenity for guests, Google Glass. Starting March 10, guests más...
Staffing for success at The Breakers
“It’s all about the hiring,” says Paul Leone, president of The Breakers Palm Beach and Flagler System, Palm Beach, Florida. For me, más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Sheraton, InterContinental
Wyndham to expand in Turkey: Wyndham Hotel Group signed an agreement with Öz Insaat Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S. to open the 138-room Wyndham Ankara más...
Ballotti replacing Danziger as Wyndham Hotel Group CEO
Wyndham Hotel Group President and CEO Eric Danziger is leaving Wyndham Worldwide, Parsippany, New Jersey, to pursue personal interests effective más...
Colony Capital reportedly backing McKillen against Barclays
The Financial Times reported on Saturday that according to several people familiar with the matter, Colony Capital, Santa Monica, California, has pledged más...
Steigenberger sells four assets to Invesco
Invesco Real Estate, London, has acquired from Steigenberger Hotels a portfolio of four mid-market InterCityHotels across Germany for €80 million más...
Four Seasons launches new bed program
Four Season Hotels and Resorts on Monday introduced The Four Seasons Bed – a customizable hotel bed offering guests the opportunity to effectively más...
2014-15 RevPAR to grow in much of Europe: PwC
A new survey of 18 European cities by PwC projects RevPAR growth for 2014 and 2015 in all but one of them. The top RevPAR growth stories, in local currency más...
Nissen again calls for new management deals at IHIF
Pandox CEO Anders Nissen is again this year using the stage at the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin to debate the usefulness of traditional más...
Wyndham adds New Yorker to portfolio
Wyndham Hotel Group on Monday said the iconic, 1,083-room New Yorker Hotel has joined the company's upper-upscale Wyndham Hotels and Resorts brand, becoming más...
What's Hot: Sun Siyam launches in the Maldives
The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi relaunched late last month in the Maldives. The resort is the first and flagship branded property from Sun Siyam Resorts. The más...
News in brief: Homewood Suites, Aloft, Aimbridge
Homewood Suites to expand in DC: Hilton Worldwide signed an agreement with KCG 50 M LLC to open the 195-room Homewood Suites Washington DC – más...
febrero 2014
HOTELS Interview: Paying it forward
Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality has won multiple awards for its sustainable practices, and now the San Jose, Costa Rica-based company, led by President más...
Hot Openings: New suites, restaurant at Versace Mansion
The Villa By Barton G. has opened at the Versace Mansion in Miami Beach. The project consists of a restaurant, which debuted this month, and a boutique más...
Hilton considering Waldorf Astoria New York sale
Hilton Worldwide CEO Chris Nassetta told Bloomberg Businessweek on Thursday that as part of a potential repositioning plan, it might sell its stake in más...
Ashford spinning off management business
Ashford Hospitality Trust, Dallas, announced on Thursday that it is spinning off its asset management business into a separate publicly traded company más...
Sahara India Pariwar's Subrata Roy arrested
Subrata Roy, chairman of Sahara India Pariwar, Lucknow, India, was arrested after surrendering to police in Lucknow on Friday. The arrest stems from an más...
Orient-Express selling The Inn at Perry Cabin
In its Q4 earnings report Orient-Express Hotels, Hamilton, Bermuda, revealed that it is selling the 78-room The Inn at Perry Cabin, located in St. Michaels más...
Benchmark ties hotels together with 2 brands
To better link its mix of properties together, Benchmark Hospitality International has formally introduced its new hospitality brands: Personal Luxury más...
News in brief: Pestana, Hilton, America’s Best Franchising
Pestana to expand in Amsterdam: Group Pestana will open the 157-room Pestana Amsterdam in early 2016. The hotel has seen an investment of €35 más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Geoff Andrew has been appointed chief operating officer at Worldhotels in Frankfurt, Germany. Andrew más...
Hawaii sale, strong guidance leads Hilton's 1st earnings report
In its first earnings report since its December 2013 IPO, Hilton Worldwide revealed that it has sold land and entitlements at the 2,900-room Hilton Hawaiian más...
Hot Openings: Santorini cave hotel preps for an April debut
Iconic Santorini is preparing to open in April of this year. The 22-key cave hotel is located on the rim of a volcanic caldera, occupying former homes más...
Outlook positive for European hotel values: HVS
Hotel values for most key European cities grew during 2013, according to HVS London’s 2014 European Hotel Valuation Index (HVI), and hotel values más...
Resort residential communities back with new look
Today’s favorable pricing, interest rates and declining supply are making resort communities attractive to affluent buyers of second or vacation más...
News in brief: Aloft, Starwood Vacation Network
Aloft to expand in Kentucky: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed a franchise agreement with REI Real Estate Services and Poe Cos. to más...
2 Hyatt hotels reportedly planned for Chicago
Crain’s Chicago Business reported on Wednesday that Albert Friedman and White Lodging Services Corp. plan to develop two hotels in Chicago más...
Hot Openings: New-build hotel moves into NYC
Hotel Boutique, a new-build property that's part of the Downtown Collection, opened late last year across from New York City's Grand Central Terminal más...
Choice to debut verified online reviews
Choice Hotels International, Rockville, Maryland, has launched a system for ChoiceHotels.com to verify online reviews. Guests posting reviews on ChoiceHotels más...
Four Seasons program caters to triathletes
Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village near Los Angeles is taking the wellness vacation trend further by launching in mid-April a US$3,800 four-night, all-inclusive más...
News in brief: Holiday Inn, Rydges, Hotels.com
Holiday Inn to expand in Turkey: IHG signed franchise agreements with Aska Otomotiv ve Petrol Urunleri Tic A.S to open the 140-room Holiday Inn más...
HOTELS Interview: Nassetta on innovation, resorts, Waldorf
In the wake of Hilton’s record-setting IPO in December, HOTELS Magazine had a chance in late January to sit down one-on-one with CEO Chris Nassetta más...
What's Hot: Viceroy Riviera Maya adds new villa class
The Viceroy Riviera Maya added five Signature Villas late last year. The new guest accommodations have 1,400 sq ft (130 sq m) of indoor and outdoor living más...
IHG to re-enter Rio with Holiday Inn brands
IHG announced on Monday that it is re-entering Rio de Janeiro with a two-hotel deal for its Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands. IHG, Denham, England más...
Colorado hotel seeks text feedback on redesign
Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa in Colorado is looking to receive feedback on its recent renovations the way most people communicate now — más...
Marriott urges veto of discriminatory bill
Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, sent a letter to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer asking her to veto a bill that passed the Arizona State Legislature más...
News in brief: DoubleTree, Librizzi, Six Senses
DoubleTree to expand in India, Mexico: Hilton Worldwide announced that it signed separate agreements to open the 375-room DoubleTree by Hilton Agra más...
Orient-Express rebranding as Belmond
Orient-Express Hotels has announced plans to operate all of its hotels and travel experiences under a new brand name, Belmond, effective March 10. Behind más...
M&C buys its way into Rome
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels on Monday announced a deal to acquire the Boscolo Palace Roma for €65.5 million (US$89 million), marking its first más...
Blackstone sells Waldorf Astoria in Versailles
Financière Immobilière Bordelaise CEO Michel Ohayon announced on Friday that his company bought the 199-room Trianon Palace de Versailles más...
Hersha to sell Manhattan hotel
Hersha Hospitality Trust, Philadelphia, has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Hotel 373 in midtown Manhattan. The 70-room hotel is being más...
Alpitour rebrands hotel division as VOI Hotels
Tour operator Alpitour, Turin, Italy, announced on Monday the rebranding of its Alpitour Worldhotels & Resorts hotel division as VOI Hotels. VOI is más...
Hot Openings: New York's WestHouse checks in
WestHouse opened near New York City's Central Park and Carnegie Hall late last year. Guests are referred to as “hotel residents,” while a más...
Accor allies for 10 hotels in Saudi Arabia
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, and developer Omar Kassem Alesayi Group, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, formed a strategic alliance to open 10 hotel properties in más...
News in brief: Accor, Hotel Indigo, LOF
Accor sells Reef Casino Trusts stakes: Accor sold its 29% state in Reef Casino Trust as well as its 50% stake its related businesses Casinos Austria más...
HOTELS Interview: Nassetta on asset sales, acquisition, Europe
With every hotel IPO comes immediate and additional scrutiny. In the case of Hilton Worldwide, analysts started asking when it would start selling owned más...
Rezidor, Missoni pull plug on Hotel Missoni brand
The Rezidor Hotel Group, Brussels, and the Italian fashion house Missoni, Sumirago, Italy, revealed that they mutually agreed to terminate the worldwide más...
Sage buys 11 US hotels from RLJ Lodging for $85 million
RLJ Lodging Trust announced on Friday that it closed the sale of 11 U.S. hotels to Sage Hospitality, Denver, for approximately US$85 million. RLJ said más...
What's Hot: New photos of Bagan Lodge in Myanmar
Take a closer look at Bagan Lodge, the tented luxury lodge Apple Tree Asia opened in Myanmar last year. Bagan, which is located about 700 kilometers north más...
Starwood announces $500 million for dividends
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, announced that it plans to return the approximately US$500 million in net cash after capital más...
News in brief: Hilton, Westin, ChaneyBrooks
Hilton banning shark fin at Asia Pacific properties: Hilton Worldwide announced on Friday that will cease serving shark fin and stop accepting new más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Ian Alexandre has been named general manager of Conrad Beijing. Alexandre most recently was vice president más...
HOTELS Interview: Nassetta reflects on Hilton's IPO
Fresh off Hilton Worldwide’s history-making 117.6 million-share, US$2.5 billion IPO, Chris Nassetta was in very good spirits in late January while más...
Standard High Line in NYC sells for record price
Lifestyle hotelier Andre Balazs and his investment partners Dune Capital Management and private equity firm Greenfield Partners have sold the 330-room más...
Hot Openings: InterContinental debuts in Davos
The InterContinental Davos has opened its doors in Switzerland. InterContinental Davos occupies an oval-shaped building with a futuristic facade of gold-colored más...
Kimpton launches tech tools for meetings and events
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, San Francisco, has debuted a new proprietary sales app as well as a one-stop-shop online booking tool designed to make más...
New pop-up concept at Grace Bay centered on jars
Grace Bay Club in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, has launched a new pop-up culinary concept where the entire menu is served in jars of various shapes más...
News in brief: Marriott, Accor, Andaz
Marriott profit falls in Q4: Marriott International said profit dropped 17% during the period from October 1 through December 31, 2013, while revenue más...
Carlson Rezidor launches two new brands
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group (CRHG) announced Tuesday that it will launch two new global hotel brands: Radisson Red, a ”lifestyle select” brand más...
What's Hot: South African resort shows off new look
Tsogo Sun's Drakensberg Sun Resort in South Africa has completed an 11-month refurbishment project at a cost of approximately US$2.2 million (some 25 más...
Host buys San Francisco hotel for $75 million
Along with its 2013 and Q4 earnings report, Host Hotels & Resorts, Bethesda, Maryland, announced that it purchased the 151-room The Powell Hotel, más...
Tuscan resort recruiting via social media contest
The Toscana Resort Castelfalfi, a 800 year-old Tuscan village located in Montaione, Italy, that has been restored as a golf resort has launched a social más...
News in brief: Accor, Peppers, SilverNeedle
Accor to expand in Australia: The owners of the 110-room Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn and the 48-room Gagudju Lodge Cooinda in Australia’s más...
IHG profits hit by taxes, sells Mark Hopkins
Along with its 2013 and Q4 earnings report, IHG announced the sale of the 383-room InterContinental San Francisco Mark Hopkins to a joint venture between más...
What's Hot: Jerusalem property undergoes renovation
The 30-year-old Inbal Jerusalem Hotel has unveiled upgrades and renovations. Architect Michael Schwartz has planned the renovation and modernization while más...
Premier Inn to expand in Middle East
Whitbread, Dunstable, England, signed an agreement with Action Hotels, Dubai, United Arab Emirates to manage four hotels under its Premier Inn brand. más...
AHIP buys 4 hotels in Virginia
American Hotel Income Properties, Vancouver, British Columbia, through its subsidiaries bought four hotels located in Virginia for an aggregate purchase más...
UK Holiday Inn hosts theatre in its guestrooms
The Holiday Inn Winchester in the UK was recently turned into an impromptu theatre location for a theatrical performance with the Theatre Royal Winchester más...
News in brief: Choice, Andaz, Hong Kong Disneyland
Choice earnings down in 2013 but up in Q4: Choice Hotels International reported a net income of US$112 million for 2013, down 7% year-on-year and más...
HOTELS Interview: Hot coffee and tea trends
From the rise of local coffee producers to guests educating themselves about the intricacies of tea, there is no shortage of trends impacting coffee and más...
AMResorts, Playa reportedly interested in Occidental
AMResorts and Playa Hotels & Resorts are among companies reportedly interested in acquiring Spain’s Occidental Hotels & Resorts, according más...
LA hotel site sets Guiness World Record
The Wilshire Grand project in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday set a new Guiness World Record for the largest continuous concrete pour after about 2,000 más...
Marriott declares dividend, ups stock repurchase ability
Marriott International on Friday announced it has increased its authorization to repurchase an additional 25 million Class A common stock shares to 34 más...
What's Hot: New tower, renovations in Miami Beach
The Courtyard Cadillac Miami Beach Oceanfront hotel completed a US$25 million restoration, opening its new LEED-certified tower earlier this month. The más...
The Knickerbocker partners with well-known chef
The Knickerbocker Hotel, set to open in New York City’s Times Square this summer, announced it has partnered with renowned chef Charlie Palmer for más...
HOTELS Interview: Choice’s upscale outlook
Choice Hotels International, Rockville, Maryland, made a choice two and a half years ago to target primary markets with its upscale offerings Cambria más...
Choice Hotels founder dies
Stewart Bainum, who founded Choice Hotels International and served as its chairman and CEO from 1968 to 1987, died February 12 following complications más...
What's Hot: Andaz Liverpool St. pops cork on interactive art
Diving into a glass of Champagne serves as the inspiration for an art installation that will debut Feb. 10 at Andaz Liverpool Street in London. The hotel más...
Yotel’s Lego Wall lets guests get creative
Yotel New York unveiled last month the Yotel Lego Wall, on which guests can build original creations with Lego’s interlocking bricks. Guests may más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Grace, Sofitel
Hyatt’s net income up in Q4: Hyatt Hotels Corp. reported net income of US$32 million during the fourth quarter of 2013, up from US$16 million más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Anna Anderson has been named general manager of Virgin Hotel Chicago, slated to open this fall. Anderson más...
With Q4 profit down, Starwood details asset sale, capex plans
In a conference call with analysts on Thursday after releasing its fourth quarter earnings statement, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford más...
Waldeck sells Augustine, updates plans
Waldeck Capital, the developer and – since May 2013 – the operator of The Augustine in Prague after failing to find a replacement for struggling más...
What's Hot: Santa Barbara resort shows off renovations
The Fess Parker, a DoubleTree by Hilton Resort, in Santa Barbara, California, is starting the year with a new look. The 24-acre (9.7-hectare) beachfront más...
IHG streamlines green certification for new-build hotels
IHG announced that its online sustainability program, IHG Green Engage, is now recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council under its LEED Volume program más...
News in brief: Roedel, Marriott, HRI
Roedel buys New Hampshire hotel: Roedel Cos. bought the 200-room Courtyard by Marriott Nashua and plans multimillion dollar renovations that will más...
Lindsey Ueberroth named Preferred CEO
Preferred Hotel Group on Wednesday announced the promotion of Lindsey Ueberroth to chief executive officer. She will continue to serve in her role as más...
Hot Openings: Aman opens on the Vietnamese coast
Amanresorts made its debut in Vietnam late last year with the opening of Amanoi. The resort is located on the coastline within Nui Chua National Park más...
NYC's Standard High Line may see record sale price
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that according to people familiar with the matter, the final bidders to buy the 338-room The Standard, High más...
Gen X, ‘total wellness’ among key factors for spa travel
Generation X is overtaking Baby Boomers as the age group most likely to book spa travel, and “women traveling with other women” is the top más...
News in brief: LVS, Urbana Varro, Lodging Opportunity
Las Vegas Sands’ websites hacked: The websites for several of Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s casino-resorts, including The Venetian Resort más...
Scandic buys Rica, will rebrand portfolio
Scandic Hotels, Stockholm, bought its Scandinavian competitor Rica Hotels, Billingstad, Norway, for an undisclosed sum. The purchase adds 72 hotels in más...
Blackstone seeking $100 million for La Quinta IPO
In a filing with the SEC on Monday Blackstone revealed that it plans to raise up to US$100 million in the initial public offering of La Quinta Holdings más...
Trump acquires famed Doonbeg club in Ireland
The Trump Organization on Tuesday announced the purchase of the Doonbeg Golf Club in County Clare, Ireland, from U.S. hedge fund King Street in a deal más...
Affinia Manhattan goes to the dogs
The newly renovated Affinia Manhattan in New York City is once again an official hotel of the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show taking place February más...
Hot Openings: Outrigger opens resort in Mauritius
Outrigger Enterprises Group debuted the Outrigger Mauritius Resort and Spa late last month. The 181-key resort is the company's first in the Indian Ocean más...
News in brief: Aloft, Hawkeye, Osano
Aloft to expand in United Arab Emirates: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed an agreement with Al Ain Club Investment Co. to open the más...
Zecha, Peak JV closes Amanresorts purchase
A private investor group led by Peak Hotels & Resorts Group has completed the acquisition of Amanresorts from Indian real estate giant DLF. Under más...
M&C buys Novotel New York Times Square
A subsidiary of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels has agreed to acquire the freehold interest of the 480-room Novotel New York Times Square building from más...
Hot Openings: Ritz-Carlton opens “urban resort” in Kyoto
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. and Sekisui House, Ltd. have officially opened The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto, which they are billing as Japan's first más...
Coworth Park launches Ascot hat competition
Dorchester Collection's luxury country house hotel in Ascot, Coworth Park, is launching a Royal Ascot Hat Competition giving race-goers the chance más...
News in brief: Staybridge Suites, Lodging Dynamics, Liberty Group
Staybridge Suites expands in Saudi Arabia: IHG signed a 20-year management agreement with Al Khorayef & Sons Co. to open the 189-room Staybridge más...
HOTELS Interview: Making hotel retail space profitable
For Omni Hotels & Resorts, “retail” means much more than the standard, generally outdated traditional hotel gift shop. Vice President más...
RLJ buys 10 hotels from Hyatt for $313 million
RLJ Lodging Trust, Bethesda, Maryland, announced on Thursday the purchase of 10 hotels located in California, Texas, North Carolina and Wisconsin from más...
Hot Openings: JW Marriott enters Seoul
JW Marriott has opened what it says is Seoul's first LEED Gold-certified hotel. The 170-key JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul is the brand's second más...
Chinese will boost global acquisitions to 10%: Savills
Real estate advisor Savills predicts Chinese investors will increase their share of global cross border hotel acquisitions from the current level of 4% más...
News in brief: Kokusai Kogyo, Wyndham, Rezidor
Kokusai Kogyo buys Cerberus’ Kyo-ya stake: Kokusai Kogyo Co. is reportedly paying US$1.37 billion for Cerberus Capital Management’s más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Hyatt Hotels Corp. has promoted Roberto Amodei to area director of finance for United Kingdom and Ireland más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Marriott’s SEO strategies for NYC
In the competitive New York City hotel market, Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, is focusing its search engine optimization efforts on organic más...
What's Hot: New York hotel gets Mexican flair via London
La Bodega Negra, the London-based upscale Mexican restaurant, has crossed the pond to open a location inside Dream Downtown in New York City. The restaurant más...
Hilton again offers grant to teachers for travel
Hilton Worldwide is accepting applications for its second annual Teacher Treks Grant Competition. The program, developed last year in partnership with más...
2013 first leg of new US lodging real estate cycle: LE
The U.S. lodging industry received an estimated total investment of US$21.8 billion in 2013, the highest level since 2009, according to new data from más...
News in brief: Accor, Club Med, InterCityHotel
Accor, Club Med join French tourism alliance: Accor and Club Méditerranée joined 17 other companies to form Alliance 46.2, which will más...
HOTELS Exclusive: 4th generation expands Byblos brand
Byblos has been an icon in Saint Tropez for decades. Now fourth generation family leader Antoine Chevanne, CEO and owner of Groupe Floriat, is looking más...
What's Hot: Renovations at The Beverly Hills Hotel
The Beverly Hills Hotel in California has unveiled its first renovated guestrooms and suites. With the last phase of renovation underway, the hotel expects más...
More details on White Lodging data breach
White Lodging Services Corp., Merrillville, Indiana, has revealed more details about its suspected data breach. White Lodging said that the suspected más...
Sochi hotels getting bad press from visiting journalists
Correspondents of CNN, The Guardian, the Chicago Tribune, the BBC, The Wall Street Journal and other publications that are covering the 2014 Winter Olympics más...
Dukes cocktails celebrate London Fashion Week
In honor of London Fashion Week February 14-18 Dukes St. James London has debuted a selection of limited-edition cocktails available throughout this month más...
News in brief: FelCor, Echo Entertainment
FelCor selling 2 US hotels: FelCor Lodging Trust sold the 232-room Embassy Suites Atlanta – Airport for US$17.2 million and agreed to sell más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Hotel company emerging from Puglia
Luxury resort Borgo Egnazia on the Adriatic Coast in Puglia, Italy, has launched a fitness program called FU'RE, meaning "outside" in local Apulian dialect más...
Hot Openings: Nhow debuts in Rotterdam
Nhow Rotterdam opens this month, with an official opening due in March. The property is Nhow's third, joining existing hotels in Milan and Berlin. NH más...
Outrigger buys two hotels in Fiji
Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, Honolulu, bought the 254-room Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji and the 63-room Castaway Island Fiji from its partner Geoffrey más...
5 mistakes the hotel industry makes with online reputation
Consumers rely on what they read online when making a hotel reservation, especially when traveling somewhere for the first time. Here now are five mistakes más...
News in brief: Conrad, Hilton Garden Inn, W
Conrad to enter India: Hilton Worldwide signed a management agreement with Palm Grove Beach Hotels to open the 310-room Conrad Pune, the first hotel más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Crestline has new lease on life
Now that Crestline Hotels & Resort’s acquisition by a number of principals of AR Capital (ARC) is complete, the third-party management company más...
White Lodging suffers data breach
White Lodging Services Corp., Merrillville, Indiana, suffered a data breach that exposed the credit and debit card information of thousands of guests más...
What's Hot: Sheraton wrangles new show décor in Denver
The Sheraton Denver Downtown sported a new — but very old — look for part of January, as the 108th National Western Stock Show came to town más...
Acron buys Rio’s Hotel Gloria for $82 million
Acron AG bought Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Hotel Glória, currently closed for renovations, from Eike Batista for 200 million reais (US$82 million) más...
Omni cocktail menu emphasizes classics with regional twists
Omni Hotels & Resorts, Dallas, has debuted a cocktail menu focused on classic cocktails with twists such as regional variations. Curated by mixologist más...
News in brief: Meliá, Falor, Hyatt
Meliá to expand in Morocco: Meliá Hotels International announced that it signed a deal with SDS, a partnership between the major Moroccan más...
enero 2014
HOTELS Interview: ALIS notebook, part 2
The general tone at this week’s Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) was outwardly upbeat with positive – but not euphoric – sentiments más...
Nobu reportedly taking over Eden Roc Miami Beach
The Miami Herald reported on Thursday that according to “a very reliable source” Nobu Hospitality will rebrand and take over management of más...
Hot Openings: IHG brand enters Serbia
InterContinental Hotels Group has opened its first Crowne Plaza in Serbia. The company says Crowne Plaza Belgrade has the country's largest hotel ballroom más...
HotelTonight gets Sternlicht investment, new partnerships
Mobile booking application HotelTonight announced that Barry Sternlicht, the founder, chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, has made a personal más...
News in brief: Centara, Intrawest, Summit
Centara to expand in Sri Lanka: Centara Hotels & Resorts announced that it signed a management agreement with Softlogic Leisure to open the más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Roger Aberth has been named general manager of The Liaison Capitol Hill, an Affinia hotel in Washington más...
ALIS notebook, part 1: Are we going up?
According to the organizers and the grand opening production for this week’s Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles, happy days más...
Hot Openings: Room Mate checks into Amsterdam
Room Mate Hotels opened Room Mate Aitana, its first property in the Netherlands, in October. The hotel is located in Amsterdam, on the IJ Dock, más...
Hilton launching tiered Wi-Fi for select service, extended-stay brands
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, is rolling out an in-room tiered Wi-Fi option for its select-service and extended-stay brands. The company has begun más...
Marriott sells interests in Renaissance Barcelona
Marriott International has sold its leasehold interests in the Renaissance Barcelona Hotel to an affiliate of the Qatar Armed Forces Investment Portfolio más...
News in brief: AC Hotels, Radisson Blu, Westin
AC Hotels to expand in Chicago: The Marcus Corp. announced that it will convert its 226-room Four Points by Sheraton Chicago Downtown/Magnificent más...
Fairmont reportedly set to buy Claremont
FRHI Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, is reportedly set to purchase the 279-room Claremont Hotel Club & Spa, located in Berkeley, California, from GIC más...
Hot Openings: Restored mansion becomes Hotel Ella
The boutique Hotel Ella opened recently in a mansion dating to the turn of the 20th century in Austin, Texas. Austin-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture más...
Luxe Rodeo Drive to collaborate on giant cake
The Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, is partnering with Guittard Chocolate Co. Corporate Executive Pastry Chef Donald Wressell to más...
AH&LA shares 2014 priorities
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) has unveiled its Pro-Growth Policy Agenda for 2014, highlighting the key areas on which the U más...
News in brief: Four Seasons, SilverNeedle, Swiss-Belhotel
Four Seasons to expand in Florida: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts signed an agreement with Fort Capital to manage the 80-room Four Seasons Hotel más...
Accor appoints Badrinath as deputy CEO
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, appointed Vivek Badrinath as deputy CEO this week. This appointment will be effective as of March 1 and Badrinath will be más...
Inland American, Kessler to develop 2 hotels
Inland American Lodging Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust, Oak Brook, Illinois, has formed two new joint ventures más...
Hot Openings: Ritz-Carlton opens resort in Aruba
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. opened its sixth property in the Caribbean & Mexico region late last year. The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba is an oceanfront hotel más...
Marriott jobs sites go mobile
Marriott International has enabled job seekers to search and apply for Marriott career opportunities via their mobile devices. Candidates can visit m más...
News in brief: Mandarin Oriental, Trump, Fibra Inn
Mandarin Oriental to expand in Indonesia: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced that it signed an agreement with PT Bali Ragawisata to open the más...
HOTELS Interview: Auberge sets global goals
It has been a busy past few months for Auberge Resorts. Last November the Mill Valley, California-based developer and operator acquired Calistoga Ranch más...
What's Hot: The Saint debuts new suites
The Saint Hotel in New Orleans' French Quarter has completed five luxury suites that occupy the entire second floor of the hotel. The property's owner más...
Fairmont launches wine club
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, has launched a gourmet wine club membership through its partnership with Dean & DeLuca. Fairmont Vintages más...
The Beverly Hills Hotel inspires new jewelry line
Jewelry and accessories brand Anndra Neen, recipient of the 2011 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize, has introduced a new jewelry line available exclusively más...
News in brief: Commune, Rosewood, HMH
Thompson to expand in Mexico: Commune Hotel & Resorts announced it will open the 125-room Thompson Playa del Carmen in 2015 as part of más...
HOTELS Interview: Lefebvre's plans for LVMH
Call Olivier Lefebvre, head of hotel activities for LVMH Hotel Management in Paris, keeper of the brand. He is emphatic when he says the ultra-luxury más...
What's Hot: Scandic's HTL prepping for Stockholm debut
HTL Hotels is preparing to make its world debut with a property in Stockholm opening in May. The new brand is a wholly owned subsidiary of Scandic Hotels más...
Chatham-Cerberus JV putting Innkeepers portfolio up for sale
Cerberus Capital Management and Chatham Lodging Trust are putting the former Innkeepers USA Trust portfolio up for sale. The Ceberus-Chatham JV bought más...
Topland appoints Benjamin director of hotels
Fresh off its £85 million (US$139 million) purchase of Menzies Hotels last month, Topland Group, London, has appointed Lionel Benjamin as director más...
News in brief: Edwardian, Bangkok
Edwardian to expand in London: Edwardian Group plans to build a 360-room hotel in Leicester Square as part of a mixed-use development that will más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Hotel Teatro in Denver has appointed Afsi Bird general manager. Bird previously was general manager más...
Fu Wah buys Park Hyatt Melbourne for $118 million
Reflecting the recent influx of Asian investment in Australian hotels, Fu Wah International bought this week the 240-room Park Hyatt Melbourne. The Sydney más...
Choice partners to expand Cambria Suites in Canada
Choice Hotels International, Rockville, Maryland, announced on Thursday a partnership with Maplewood Hotels & Resorts to develop new Cambria Suites más...
What's Hot: Irish castle completes 1st renovation phase
Red Carnation Hotels has completed the first of three phases in a restoration and enhancement program at Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland. Eight más...
Kimpton launches fresh juice menu
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has launched a fresh juice menu currently available at 10 Kimpton properties that will be rolled out across the United más...
Starwood begins advertising on Instagram
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, has begun advertising its loyalty program Starwood Preferred Guest on image-sharing social más...
News in brief: Crown, Crestline, Loews
Crown development gets partial approval from Sri Lanka: The Sri Lankan government approved the resort portion of Crown Resorts’ planned A$400 más...
Starwood sells St. Regis Bal Harbour for $213 million
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Wednesday that it sold the 207-room The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort to Al Faisal Holding Co. subsidiary más...
Ashford Prime buying Chicago Sofitel for $153 million
Ashford Hospitality Prime revealed on Tuesday that it plans to buy the 415-room Sofitel Chicago Water Tower for US$153 million from The Blackstone Group más...
Marriott moves ahead with Protea purchase
Marriott International signed a definitive agreement for its previously announced acquisition of Protea Hospitality Holdings, buying Protea’s three más...
What's Hot: Hong Kong property shakes up the coffee break
The Mira Hong Kong has added some playful coffee break options to its MICE services. The seven new coffee breaks include: • Yum Cha Bites, featuring más...
New CEO takes over for El Zyr at Rotana
Abu Dhabi-based Rotana Hotel Management Corp. has promoted Omer Kaddouri to president and CEO, succeeding Co-Founder Selim El Zyr, who will continue to más...
Hilton makes youth commitment
Hilton Worldwide at the 2014 World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting announced a global commitment that aims to impact at least one million young más...
Scandic partners with Oliver to expand Jamie’s Italian concept
Scandic Hotels has partnered with British chef Jamie Oliver to expand Oliver’s Jamie’s Italian F&B concept in the Nordic region. Scandic más...
News in brief: Chesapeake, Travelodge, CSM
Chesapeake adds 3 hotels in US: Chesapeake Hospitality took over management of the 167-room InnPlace Hotel Bensalem, located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania más...
Kleindienst breaks ground on 6-hotel Dubai development
Kleindienst Group, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has broken ground on its six-hotel The Heart of Europe mixed-use development located on Dubai’s más...
Patron buys Clarion Hotel Dublin City for €33 million
Patron Capital bought the 147-room Clarion Hotel Dublin City for €33 million (US$44 million) from receivers appointed by Ireland’s National más...
Hotel Equities to co-develop Florida hotel
Hotel Equities, Atlanta, in conjunction with Hotel Development Partners, a joint venture with Atlanta-based IRE Capital will develop the 175-room Residence más...
Hot Openings: Velaa Private Island debuts in the Maldives
Velaa Private Island, named after the sea turtles that nest in the area, opened late last year in the Maldives. The resort is located in Noonu Atoll, más...
IHG report says hotel brands must be ‘3D’
A new report from IHG surveying more than 7,000 international travelers said to win guest loyalty in the future, hotels must become “3D,” más...
Ibis brings bed to Venezuelan mountaintop
In an inventive marketing move, Accor had mountain climbers sleep on a Sweet Bed Ibis that was brought to the top of Venezuela’s Mount Roraima as más...
News in brief: Mantra, Westin, Twenty Four Seven
Mantra expands in Australia: Mantra Group will manage the 185-room Mantra Townsville, set to open in 2016 and the Breakfree Fortitude Valley Brisbane más...
Premier Inn launches £15 million ad campaign
Whitbread, Dunstable, England, launched this week a £15 million (US$24 million) advertising campaign for its budget Premier Inn brand. The campaign más...
Hot Openings: Take a look at Valencia's new concept
Late last year, Valencia Group debuted Lone Star Court, which it describes as an “upscale, retro-inspired, motor court concept,” in Austin más...
Fibra buys 2 hotels in Mexico
Fibra Inn announced on Friday that it bought two hotels in Mexico, the 150-room Hotel México Plaza Celaya, located in Celaya, for 139 million pesos más...
Fairmont GM to swap jobs with school principal
Rick Corcoran, general manager of The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn in California, will soon spend a day at the helm of a different kind of property. On más...
News in brief: IHG, Z Resorts, Cachet
Crowne Plaza to expand in Spain: IHG signed a franchise agreement with Hotel Fira to open the 276-room Crowne Plaza Barcelona Fira Center in the más...
HOTELS Interview: Room service — the need for speed and beyond
When Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, launched a room service offering about two years ago focused on fast delivery — 15 minutes in most más...
Hot Openings: Waldorf Astoria opens its second UAE property
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts has opened Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah. The property is the brand's second in the United Arab Emirates.The más...
Langham Huntington offers a $100,000 proposal
The Langham Huntington, Pasadena, unveiled this week a special offer for a couple ready for betrothal, the US$100,000 “Proposal of the Century.” más...
News in brief: Walker, Pillar, ALIS
Island CEO Walker steps down: Tim Walker, Island Hospitality Management CEO and president stepped down from his position with the company to pursue más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Andrea Carneiro has joined The St. Regis Mexico City as director of sales and marketing. Carneiro más...
Tune announces major expansion in Japan
Tune Hotels announced on Thursday that Red Planet Japan, Tokyo, a new subsidiary of Red Planet Hotels, Bangkok, will make a 10 billion yen (US$95.8 million) más...
Starwood Capital buys Pillar Hotels
A fund affiliated with Starwood Capital Group announced on Thursday that it acquired hotel owner and operator Four Pillars Hotels, Witney, England más...
Hot Openings: Andaz enters Latin America
Andaz Peninsula Papagayo is now open in Costa Rica, marking the brand's first foray into Latin America. Costa Rican architect Ronald Zurcher created a más...
Riu creates wildlife refuge in Costa Rica
Riu Hotels & Resorts, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, has established a 200-hectare (494-acre) Private National Wildlife Refuge on land it owns in the coastal más...
News in brief: Accor, Soma, Ramada
Accor Q4, 2013 revenue down: Accor reported a 2.4% year-on-year decrease to €1.4 billion (US$1.9 billion) in revenue for the fourth quarter más...
Kennedy Wilson buys Dublin’s Shelbourne
Kennedy Wilson, Beverly Hills, California, is paying €111 million (US$151 million) for debt secured on the 265-room The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel más...
2nd Edition hotel announced for NYC
Marriott International confirmed on Wednesday plans to open an Edition-branded 452-room hotel in New York City as part of a mixed-use development at 701 más...
Hot Openings: Anantara opens fifth Abu Dhabi property
Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas opened Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort, its fifth property in Abu Dhabi and its third on the island más...
Active, adventure travel dominant trend: Virtuoso
Luxury travel agent network Virtuoso has released its annual trend report suggesting that while multigenerational family travel remains the top trend más...
‘Wired wellness,’ hot springs among top 2014 spa trends
Spafinder Wellness 365 has released its annual report of the top 10 spa and wellness trends worldwide. The report is based on ongoing surveys of the 20 más...
News in brief: Fairmont, Aimbridge, Le Méridien
Fairmont to enter Malaysia: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced an agreement with Cititower, a JV between Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment más...
Red Lion appoints Mount as next CEO
Red Lion Hotels Corp. announced that Greg Mount is being appointed president and CEO of the company, effective January 27. Mount will succeed Jon Eliassen más...
Study reveals Airbnb’s revenue impact on hotels
A research paper from Boston University’s School of Management found that a 1% increase in Airbnb listings results in a 0.05% decrease in that market's más...
Hot Openings: sbe brings The Redbury to Miami
sbe opened its second location of The Redbury in Miami's South Beach late last year. Photographer and director Matthew Rolston, who served as the originating más...
Hilton launches cloud-based meeting-planning platform
Hilton Worldwide has introduced getplanning, an interactive meeting-planning platform that will be available at its Connect+ properties globally. Connect+ más...
Rose Rock partners for $2.5 billion Vietnam resort development
Rose Rock Group and Vung Ro Petroleum are partnering to develop a US$2.5 billion resort community on Vietnam’s Vung Ro Bay, located in the Phu Yen más...
News in brief: Rockbridge Capital, Fairmont, Related Cos.
Rockbridge Capital set to buy Hawaii hotel: Rockbridge Capital is reportedly set to acquire the 247-room Aqua Wave Waikiki from Ramsfield Hospitality más...
Host sells 89% interest in Philadelphia hotel
Host Hotels & Resorts announced that it sold an 89% interest in the entity that owns the 1,408-room Philadelphia Marriott Downtown based on a gross más...
Hot Openings: Chedi Andermatt hits the slopes
The Chedi Andermatt, the first General Hotel Management Ltd. property in Switzerland, opened late last year in the Alps. Jean-Michel Gathy, chief más...
AAHOA unveils new logo and brand identity
The Asian American Hotel Owners Association has introduced a new logo, the first change in AAHOA’s logo since the group’s founding in 1989 más...
Tips for facing patent infringement lawsuits
“Patent trolls” (to use the intellectual property world’s pejorative term) are entities that exist solely to acquire U.S. patents and más...
Luxury travelers not so social when planning trips
In a survey of more than 1,600 global, discerning travelers conducted by luxury travel website Luxury Link, social media does not appear to be nearly más...
News in brief: Starwood, Centara, Dusit
Starwood to expand in Australia: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed an agreement with Hiap Hoe for two hotels under its Four Points más...
HOTELS Interview: Managing North America’s tallest hotel
Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, made headlines this week with the Tuesday grand opening of the dual-branded 378-room Courtyard New York Manhattan/Central más...
Hot Openings: Valencia Group debuts new concept
Houston-based Valencia Group opened two hotels late last year, marking an expansion from three properties and two brands to five hotels and three brands más...
Capella D.C. to showcase ‘snout-to-tail’ dishes
Capella Washington, D.C., Georgetown is hosting a “Pork Week” celebration in February designed to showcase a “snout-to-tail” philosophy más...
News in brief: Meliá, IHG, Oetker
Meliá to expand in China: Meliá Hotels International signed an agreement with Henan Jinniu Group and Greenland Group Zhengzhou to más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Aston Hotels & Resorts, Honolulu, has named Matt Bailey chief operating officer. Bailey most recently más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Tricoci leads new developer Aparium
After Mario Tricoci sold a majority of his stake in the highly acclaimed Elysian hotel in Chicago to Sam Zell in late 2011, he put his head together with más...
What's Hot: Hilton Bentley unveils penthouse in Miami
Hilton Bentley South Beach in Miami has renovated its 3,000-sq-ft (279-sq-m) penthouse. The suite is a duplex, with two master bedrooms and three full más...
Political turmoil hurting Bangkok hotels' performance
With plans next week by anti-government protestors to block major roads in Bangkok as part of a political demonstration, hotels in the city are reporting más...
Arizona Biltmore to offer beer dinners
The Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Phoenix is pairing Arizona microbrews with original menus by Executive Chef Gordon Maybury for special más...
News in brief: Motel One, Trigild, Al Khozama
Motel One to enter Spain: Motel One is investing €14 million (US$19 million) to own and operate a 300-room hotel in Barcelona. Read more at más...
Marriott launches new meetings concept
Marriott Hotels is launching Meetings Imagined, a concept that aims to reinvent how meetings are planned, making them more visual, social and purposeful más...
HHM grows Independent Collection, names brand VP
HHM’s Independent Collection (iC) has announced three upcoming additions to the portfolio — two Autograph Collection hotels in South Miami más...
Hôtel de Crillon partners with Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld has been commissioned to design two suites for Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, which dates back to 1758 and is currently closed until más...
What's Hot: Joie de Vivre's upcoming Silicon Valley hotel
Joie de Vivre Hotels will open The Epiphany Hotel in downtown Palo Alto, California, early this year. The eight-story boutique property says it's one más...
Using digital channels to increase brand awareness
Hospitality marketing has always revolved around communicating the core offering of a hotel — the tangible products of accommodation and nourishment más...
News in brief: Conrad, Holiday Inn, Magnuson Worldwide
Conrad Fort Lauderdale to open in 2015: Hilton Worldwide has signed definitive agreements with CFLB Partnership LLC to open and operate a 290-room Conrad más...
Marriott sells London Edition, signs agreements for Miami, NYC
Marriott International has sold the London Edition and signed binding agreements for the sale of two other company-owned Edition hotels currently under más...
Omni buys another resort, the Montelucia in Scottsdale
Omni Hotels and Resorts continues to grow its resort portfolio with Tuesday’s purchase of the Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona más...
Noble House adds Bernardus Lodge
Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Seattle, has assumed management of the 57-room Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley, California, which marks the 19th addition más...
Hot Openings: Hilton opens large property in Istanbul
Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center, which bills itself as the city's largest hotel, opened January 6. The 829-key hotel occupies a más...
Four Seasons food truck touts 2013 success, 2014 plans
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts’ FS Taste Truck, which toured the western United States last year, has been parked for the season, but the company más...
News in brief: Meliá, Kinseth
Meliá adds São Paulo hotel: Meliá will manage the 400-unit Meliá Paulista Business & Convention Hotel, which is expected más...
BridgeStreet debuts brand family for serviced apartments
BridgeStreet Residences, Serviced Apartments and Suites is launching a new brand concept and name, BridgeStreet Global Hospitality. The debut includes más...
Reports resurface that Zecha to acquire Aman
Reports are surfacing again on Monday that India-based developer DLF Ltd. has agreed to sell Amanresorts International to the company’s founder más...
Hot Openings: Mövenpick opens its sixth Dubai property
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts opened its sixth property in Dubai, the Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Lakes Towers, late last year. The hotel is located más...
Mandarin in SF leads heart-healthy campaign
Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco is launching a series of special offers in January and February 2014 to benefit the American Heart Association. During más...
Le Meridien, Tate release third art film
Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts and British art gallery collection Tate have announced the third film in their “Unlock Art” partnership. más...
News in brief: Destination, Marshall, Westmont
Destination expands in New Orleans: Destination Hotels & Resorts is taking over the management of the 13-room Royal St. Charles after the property más...
HOTELS Interview: Dissecting the latest room service trends
The announcement last summer that New York Hilton Midtown would end room service sparked plenty of industry debate about the direction of this oft-maligned más...
$200 million convention center, hotel planned for NYC
Fleet Financial Group, Flushing, New York, announced that in June it will break ground on a US$200 million convention center and a 292-room hotel in the más...
Hot Openings: Ritz-Carlton opens in Tianjin, China
The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin opened in October in a former British concession. The architecture is inspired by the early 20th-century neo-classical style más...
News in brief: Accor, Waramaug, Sutera Harbour
Accor to expand in South Korea: Accor signed a deal to open a four-hotel complex in Seoul. The hotels will operate under the Novotel, Suite Novotel más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: PeggyLea Baker has been named director of sales and marketing at the Embassy Suites Denver Southeast más...
Montage announces 1st Eastern U.S. property
Montage Hotels & Resorts, Laguna Beach, California, announced last month that it will open its first property in the Eastern U.S. in February. Montage más...
What's Hot: The Gainsborough Bath Spa plans a spring opening
YTK Hotels will debut The Gainsborough Bath Spa in Bath, England, this spring. In designing the property, Champalimaud Design and EPR Architects London más...
Hawaii resort connects guests with reservations team online
Gone are the days of automated voice messaging systems: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea recently unveiled new webpages that allow guests to directly más...
January menu at Raffles Dubai aims to aid New Year resolutions
Throughout January Fire & Ice at Raffles Dubai will offer healthy and sustainable seafood from around the world paired with seasonal organic vegetables más...
News in brief: Choice, Four Points, Crestline
Choice appoints Pacious to COO: Choice Hotels International announced the promotion of Patrick Pacious to COO. Pacious took más...
diciembre 2013
HOTELS Year in Review: Most-read stories
2013’s most-read HOTELSMag.com news stories included CEO changes, brand revamps, deaths, Hilton's IPO and hotel company M&A activity. Here were más...
Hot Openings: Kempinski opens 19th mainland China hotel
Kempinski has opened Kempinski Hotel Taiyuan, the group's 19th property in mainland China, in the capital of Shanxi province. The 363-key property has más...
An update, perspective on Yangon's pipeline
As Myanmar's gateway Yangon moves rapidly toward the one million annual visitor milestone, investment into the country's hospitality sector has fallen más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Polar bears part of Vegas wonderland
The Bellagio resort in Las Vegas is showcasing a festive winter wonderland in its Conservatory & Botanical Gardens through January 5. The display más...
HOTELSMag.com holiday schedule
In observance of the New Year's holiday, HOTELSMag.com will not publish blogs or news December 31-January 1. Regular newsletters resume Thursday más...
HOTELS Year In Review: Noteworthy interviews
Each Friday — and whenever news demands it — HOTELS publishes an online interview with an industry thought leader, from CEOs to GMs to executive más...
What’s Hot: South Beach hotel undergoes extensive renovation
South Beach Marriott began a six-month, US$9-million redesign in May 2013. Jeffrey Beers International design firm is leading the project, which is slated más...
Pfister celebrates 120th anniversary with book
The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is commemorating its 120th anniversary with a hardcover book, “The History, Art & Imagery of The más...
London hotel introduces new dessert pops
Guests at London’s Andaz Liverpool Street can enjoy an updated version of a classic dessert: Sticky Toffee Pudding Pops. The pops include small más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Dubai hotels want to break fireworks record
On December 31, hotels including The Palm Jumeirah and Jumeirah Beach Hotel will take part in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest más...
HOTELS Year in Review: Notable openings and hot happenings
2013 was a year of big openings and remarkable additions to existing properties. In considering hot announcements since January, 10 openings looking toward más...
Blackstone prepares to take La Quinta public
Blackstone Group LLP must believe three is a charm as it has filed for an IPO of its La Quinta Holdings Inc. as opposed to selling the company. While más...
Hot Openings: First Hospitality opens Residence Inn in Nebraska
First Hospitality Group opened the Residence Inn Omaha Downtown in October. The 152-room hotel occupies a building that dates to the early 1930s, built más...
Mandarin Oriental, Munich offers Jimmy Choo-inspired tea
Mandarin Oriental, Munich is offering an afternoon tea inspired by Jimmy Choo fashions through February 28. The Jimmy Choo Fashion Afternoon Tea is inspired más...
41% of consumers find deals top differentiator: Accenture
Accenture Hospitality recently surveyed 12,867 customers in 32 different countries about how they choose which hotel to stay at and found that price played más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Alabama hotel creates gingerbread landmarks
The Hotel at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, unveiled its annual gingerbread village earlier this month. Hotel chefs, Auburn University professor más...
HOTELS Year in Review: Most important stories
Perhaps the Hilton IPO was the most noteworthy story of 2013, while some might point to changes made at the top of industry giants Accor and Four Seasons más...
What's Hot: Marco Island Marriott inaugurates Presidential Suite
Marco Island Marriott in Florida opened its new Presidential Suite in late September, following a US$1.5 million renovation led by the Miami-based EoA más...
Wynn Las Vegas floral sculptures showcase balloon, carousel
The atrium at Wynn Las Vegas is now home to two floral installations by event designer Preston Bailey, a hot air balloon and an animated carousel. Constructed más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Stylish, sustainable Christmas tree
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, California, is featuring a fashion-forward, eco-friendly Christmas tree this holiday season. The más...
HOTELSMag.com holiday schedule
In observance of the Christmas holiday, HOTELSMag.com will not publish blogs or news December 24-25. Regular newsletters resume Thursday, December 26. más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Airbnb's Chip Conley, Part 3
Airbnb might very well be an outlier to the hotel industry, but Chip Conley's point of view about what the energy and success of this hospitality exchange más...
Hilton makes key management deal in Paris
The historic Concorde Opéra in Paris will become the 266-room Hilton Paris Opéra in late 2014 after a significant renovation is completed más...
Hot Openings: Sofitel opens a new resort in Bali
Sofitel Luxury Hotels opens Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort on Dec. 20. The resort, designed by Wilson Associates and with WATG as the architect of más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: London hotel offers Christmas gift hamper
Dukes St. James London is promising the perfect gift for last-minute shoppers this holiday season. The hotel is offering Duke Christmas Hampers with a más...
News in brief: Aqua, Orascom, Hotel Equities
Aqua to expand in Hawaii: Aqua Hospitality will assume management of the 225-room Outrigger Luana Waikiki Hotel beginning January 1, and will rebrand más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Adnan Bizri has been named the opening general manager of Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Airbnb's Chip Conley, Part 2
In Part 2 of HOTELS' exclusive interview with hotelier ‘gone to the dark side’ Chip Conley, Airbnb's head of hospitality talks about loyalty más...
IHG finally sells the Barclay in NYC
IHG on Thursday said it was selling an 80% stake in the 685-room InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel for US$240 million to Constellation Barclay Holding más...
Hot Openings: New World Beijing Hotel debuts
New World Beijing Hotel opened earlier this month in Beijing's Chongwenmen area, near the Temple of Heaven and adjacent to a residential neighborhood más...
Only 10% of guest reviews are negative: ReviewPro
The majority of travelers are happy with their hotel stays, according to a new analysis by ReviewPro of 15,399,132 online guest reviews written in más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Ritz-Carlton teams with Make-A-Wish
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. this holiday season is partnering with Make-A-Wish Foundation to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses más...
News in brief: Marriott Marquis, Hilton Garden Inn, Wheelock
Marriott Marquis to expand in Houston: RIDA Development Corp. in conjunction with Houston First Corp. will develop a 1,000-room Marriott Marquis-branded más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Airbnb's Chip Conley
Airbnb, the hospitality exchange network making a big splash in the shared economy world, has become more and more of an irritant to the hotel industry más...
Regent announces new CEO
Regent Hotels and Resorts, Taipei, has appointed Mark Lettenbichler chief executive officer. Lettenbichler has more than 30 years of hotel management más...
Hot Openings: Ritz-Carlton opens in Israel
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. officially opened The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya, its first property in Israel, on Dec. 17. The resort is located above a marina más...
US hotel profits to grow through 2015: PKF
After a slight deceleration in growth during the last half of 2013, PKF Hospitality Research is forecasting very strong gains in revenues and profits más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Legoland sports giant tree
Actress Elizabeth Banks helped usher in the holiday season at Legoland California Resort’s annual Lego Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The 30-foot más...
News in brief: Hyatt Regency, Holiday Inn Express, Stanford
Hyatt Regency to enter Beijing: An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. signed an agreement with Beijing Lixing Property Development Corp. to open the más...
Auberge snags Four Seasons exec as new CEO
Boutique luxury hotel company Auberge Resorts has named Craig Reid as its new president and CEO, reporting to current CEO and Founder Mark Harmon, who más...
sbe makes big condo-hotel deal in Philadelphia
Lifestyle hospitality developer and operator sbe and real estate developer Dranoff Properties on Tuesday announced its plan to construct the SLS International más...
Hersha buys 2 Miami Beach hotels
Hersha Hospitality Trust bought the 75-room Blue Moon Hotel and the 70-room Winter Haven Hotel, both located in Miami Beach, Florida, for US$50.95 million más...
Hot Openings: W debuts in Switzerland
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened W Verbier, the brand's first ski and alpine resort. W Verbier and The Residences at W Verbier are owned más...
De Vere launches golf resort upsell offering
De Vere Group, London, has launched The Country Club upsell membership offering for six of its golf resort properties. The Country Club will be available más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: A Christmas tuba performance
The Palmer House Hilton in Chicago will host its 25th Annual TubaChristmas spectacular December 21 in its Grand and State Ballroom. The event features más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Twin River, FibraHotel
Wyndham appoints China managing director: Wyndham Hotel Group appointed Leo Liu as its managing director for China. Liu will be responsible for más...
HOTELS Interview: Bernold Schroeder’s outlook on China
Although its GDP growth has slowed to 7.6% projected for this year, down from 10.4% in 2010, China’s enormous hotel pipeline remains the largest más...
Original Scotland Yard to become 5-star hotel
The original Scotland Yard police station at London’s Whitehall is going to become a luxury hotel in 2016 after local property developer Galliard más...
What’s Hot: Naumi Hotels unveils refurbished property in Singapore
Naumi Hotels Group reopened Naumi Hotel Singapore in November following a multi-million dollar renovation. White Jacket design studio is responsible for más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Le Méridien’s thousand-dollar cocktail
Le Méridien Philadelphia is partnering with Swarovski to offer The Getaway, a high-end cocktail made with citrus vodka, crème de violette más...
News in brief: Standard High Line, Hoshino, Vienna International
S2K Partners reportedly exploring purchase of NYC hotel: S2K Partners, which includes television producer Simon Fuller, is reportedly exploring más...
Aqua Hospitality acquired by Interval subsidiary
Interval Leisure Group bought the Honolulu-based Aqua Hospitality and Aqua Hotels and Resorts on Thursday. Interval subsidiary Vacation más...
Hilton expects to launch lifestyle brand in 2014
Hilton Worldwide is reportedly developing a lifestyle hotel brand that it expects to launch in 2014. The Wall Street Journal on Thursday interviewed Hilton más...
Host buys New York Marriott Marquis for $20 million
Host Hotels & Resorts, Bethesda, Maryland, bought the 1,949-room New York Marriott Marquis for US$19.9 million from the state entity Empire State más...
HOTELS Interview: Bickson on Taj’s growth plans in India
India’s GDP growth is declining and hotels in its primary markets are seeing performance dragged down by new supply. Meanwhile its hotel pipeline más...
Las Vegas Sands drops $30 billion proposal for Spain
After months of on-going discussions with various levels of the Spanish government and continued internal due diligence, Las Vegas Sands Corp. said today más...
Ganesvoort founder makes first deal in Europe
Michael Achenbaum of New York-based Gansevoort Hotel Group is partnering with Douglaston Development, SUSD and Hondo Enterprises to develop an urban resort más...
Cascade buys Four Seasons in Mexico from Strategic
Cascade Investment, the private investment arm for Bill Gates, signed an agreement with Strategic Hotels & Resorts to buy the 173-room Four Seasons más...
What's Hot: Colorful extended-stay property opening in NYC
The William, a New York City extended-stay hotel, intends to open early next year. The property, developed by The Kash Group and managed by Warner Hospitality más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Copenhagen hotel showcases The Nutcracker
Hotel d’Angleterre in Copenhagen ushered in the holiday season with the lighting of its Christmas display. The hotel’s façade features más...
News in brief: Meininger, Oakwood, Sofitel
Meininger to expand in Amsterdam: Meininger Hotels signed a long-term lease agreement with Provast for the 165-room Amsteltower hotel in Amstel más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: René Bajeux has been named executive chef at the JW Marriott New Orleans. Bajeux was most recently más...
Hilton shares hit market, IPO raises $2.35 billion
Hilton Worldwide stock began trading Thursday above its initial public offering share price at US$21.30 and largely remained above that amount during más...
Hot Openings: Sofitel opens new resort in Dubai
Accor opened Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa in the groves of the Palm Jumeirah in July. The Polynesian-themed resort has organic architecture más...
Doha runs the risk of overbuilding: Colliers
Colliers International Hospitality has published a report on the state of the hotel business in the busy growth market of Qatar. Not unlike the trends más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Peninsula programs include ‘SnowPage’
The Peninsula Hotels recently launched SnowPage, which features a behind-the-scenes video of holiday preparations at The Peninsula New York and worldwide más...
News in brief: Noble, Radisson Blu, Chatham
Noble acquires Q Hotel: Noble Investment Group plans to renovate the 123-room hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, and convert it to an AC Hotels by Marriott más...
HOTELS Interview: New Azimut CEO's outlook on Russia
Despite Russia’s slowing economic growth and difficult development hurdles, Moscow and Sochi, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, are seeing más...
AWH Partners, Spire Hospitality take 8 Embassy Suites
AWH Partners, LLC – a privately held, New York-based, real estate investment, development and management firm – on Wednesday announced that más...
Hilton IPO could net Blackstone $8 billion
In what is projected to be the largest hotel company initial public offering ever, Hilton Worldwide plans to price its shares Wednesday evening after más...
Starwood features Instagram on all property websites
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced all its property websites are now integrated with Instagram. Via Guest Galleries from Instagram, visitors más...
The Peninsula Hong Kong celebrates 85 years
The Peninsula Hong Kong on Wednesday celebrated its 85th anniversary with a gala event. The day began with a spirited lion dance in the morning, and The más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Indigo enters Düsseldorf
IHG announced the opening of Hotel Indigo Düsseldorf – Victoriaplatz, the third Hotel Indigo property in Germany. The hotel will operate under más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Macarons star in giant holiday tree
This holiday season, guests at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte can enjoy an edible, 8-ft (2.4-m) holiday tree made of macarons. Located in the hotel lobby más...
News in brief: Choice, Riu, Roedel
Comfort Inn, Clarion expand in England: Choice Hotels International announced that it added the 42-room Comfort Inn Manchester North and the 68-room más...
Friedkin Capital Partners invests in Auberge
Auberge Resorts, Mill Valley, California, announced Tuesday that private equity firm Friedkin Capital Partners, owned and operated by Houston businessman más...
Pebblebrook buys, will reposition Radisson Fisherman's Wharf
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust on Tuesday announced that it has acquired the 355-room Radisson Hotel Fisherman's Wharf and Retail in San Francisco for US$132 más...
La Quinta founder Barshop dies
Sam Barshop, who with his brother launched La Quinta Inns & Suites, has died. He was 84. The native of Waco, Texas, opened the first two La Quintas más...
What's Hot: Luxury resort reopens in British Virgin Islands
Biras Creek re-opened in the British Virgin Islands last month following a US$500,000 renovation. The 140-acre property features 31 updated guest rooms más...
What’s next for Bali: creativity and resilience required
The Bali Hotel and Branded Residences Update, released by leading consulting groups C9 Hotelworks and Horwath HTL, highlights that Indonesia’s domestic más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Andaz Liverpool goes bananas for Christmas
Andaz Liverpool Street London has launched its monkey-themed Christmas festival, “Andaz Goes Ape.” The hotel collaborated with Old Spitalfields más...
News in brief: Accor, CHM, Host
Accor to expand in Myanmar: Accor signed a deal with Myat Min Co. to manage the Pullman Yangon Myat Min, the Sebel Yangon Myat Min and Novotel más...
HOTELS Interview: Atlantica CEO Sistare’s outlook on Brazil
Brazil’s latest GDP forecasts for 2013 reduce projected growth to below 2.5%. This is down from 7.5% GDP growth in 2010. At the same time, opinion más...
What’s Hot: South Beach hotel updates penthouse
The Raleigh Hotel in Miami updated its 6,000-sq-ft (557-sq-m) Penthouse in November. The sbe development team added new curtains, furniture and décor más...
Portland hotel lobby features interactive photo wall
Hotel Lucia in Portland, Oregon, has installed a 9-ft-by-5-ft (2.7-m-by-1.5-m) interactive wall in its lobby that allows guests to interact with photography más...
Serviced apartments foster high returns in UAE, KSA, Qatar
A new report from Colliers International Hotels suggests one of the key strengths of the serviced apartment business model in the UAE, the Kingdom of más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Chicago hotel unveils holiday elevator
Guests at Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago can take a ride on the Gingerbread Express this holiday season. The elevator debuted in 2012 and más...
News in brief: Jumeirah, Shangri-La, Hilton Garden Inn
Jumeirah to enter Oman: Jumeirah Group signed an agreement with Saraya Bandar Jissah to operate two 206-room and 106-room hotel properties as part más...
HOTELS Interview: Necker Island’s Great House reopens
Virgin Limited Edition reopened the Great House on Necker Island in October after it was damaged by a dramatic early morning fire in 2011 caused by lightning más...
Lexington launches new inn prototype
Lexington by Vantage has introduced a 100-room inn prototype that is specifically designed to offer the flexibility to build more or less rooms depending más...
What's Hot: Preview two Solís hotels coming to Sochi
Just in time for the February kickoff of the Winter Olympics, Solís Hotels & Resorts plans to open Solís Sochi Hotel and Solís más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: New York hotel hosts Dickens dinner
Mirbeau Inn & Spa in Skaneateles, New York, is hosting its annual Dinner with Dickens & Friends festival this holiday season. Costumed characters más...
News in brief: Hotel Equities, Hilton, Chatham
Hotel Equities to manage La Quinta properties in Florida: Hotel Equities signed a management agreement for four La Quinta Inn & Suites-branded más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Steve Contes has been appointed general manager of Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina in Fort Myers más...
HOTELS Interview: Michels & Taylor’s new Irish consortium
Asset managers Michels & Taylor, Elstree, England, and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group’s Ulster Bank Group subsidiary recently launched a consortium más...
Istithmar sells Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai
In a deal anticipated for several months, Atlantis, The Palm has been sold by Istithmar World, a subsidiary of the state-owned developer Dubai World, más...
What's Hot: Pop-up gastropub checks in at NYC's Pod 51
Pop @ Pub, a pop-up collaboration between The Pod 51 Hotel and Pop Burger, is now open in the New York hotel. The craft beer gastropub features an upscale más...
Preferred launches 'China Ready' initiative
Preferred Hotel Group on Thursday launched China Ready, a marketing program that includes a simplified Chinese website, dynamic marketing and social más...
Viceroy New York debuts ‘Cartender’
In honor of the 80th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition in the United States, the Gerber Group is rolling out a “Cartender” at Viceroy más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Daredevil Santa stops in Oman
Every Christmas, Santa makes a detour from his world tour and visits the Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman. A man dressed in a Santa costume flies over the más...
News in brief: Thayer, Grace, Autograph
Thayer sells Florida hotel: Thayer Lodging Group sold the 115-room Hilton Garden Inn Sarasota – Brandenton Airport to Excel Sarasota 1 LLC más...
Zhang to replace Schroeder as Jin Jiang’s new CEO
Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Co., Shanghai, announced that its outgoing CEO Bernold Schroeder will be replaced by Simon Zhang, the former más...
Karisma launches new lifestyle brand Allure
Karisma Hotels & Resorts announced on Wednesday the launch of Allure Hotels, a lifestyle hotel brand with the rebranding of two hotels in Cartagena más...
Carey Watermark acquiring Renaissance in Chicago
Carey Watermark Investors, New York City, is acquiring the 553-room Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel for about US$140 million, according to a report más...
CDL acquires second Maldives resort
CDL Hospitality Trusts has acquired its second hotel in the Maldives, the Jumeirah Dhevanafushi, from Dubai-based Xanadu Holdings for a reported US$59 más...
What's Hot: St. Regis New York reveals new look, expanded bar
The St. Regis New York is finishing a renovation project that includes redesigned guestrooms, suites, hallways and public spaces, as well as the King más...
New Ritz-Carlton kids program focuses on environment
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has launched new Ritz Kids children’s programming through an expanded partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Giant gingerbread house in Chicago
The InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile is showcasing a 10-ft (3-m)-tall gingerbread house in its lobby this holiday season. Executive Chef Randy más...
News in brief: Chedi, Holiday Inn, Ultima
Chedi to expand in Indonesia: GHM will open the 34-villa The Chedi Club Jimbaran, located in Bali, in the third quarter of 2014. Holiday más...
Six Senses announces 6 new resorts over next 3 years
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Bangkok, announced on Tuesday that it will open six resorts in Europe, South America, Asia Pacific and Africa over the más...
Rosewood confirms it will manage Crillon
Reports from the International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes confirm that Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will indeed take over management of the Hotel más...
Sunstone closes $262 million purchase of SF hotel
Sunstone Hotel Investors on Monday completed the previously announced acquisition of the 802-room Hyatt Regency San Francisco for US$262.5 million. Sunstone más...
IHG buys Brooklyn site for fifth Even hotel
InterContinental Hotels Group on Tuesday announced that it has acquired a new asset in Brooklyn, New York, to develop its fifth Even hotel, the company’s más...
Hot Openings: Residential building becomes Hotel 72
Hotel 72 opened in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, last month, occupying a former residential building on the edge of the Albuhayra corniche. The 5-star más...
Conrad sends five ‘digital tastemakers’ on world tour
Conrad Hotels & Resorts has launched the Conrad 5/5/5 Tour, for which the brand will send five “digital tastemakers” to five Conrad properties más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Trump expands holiday giving campaign
The Trump Hotel Collection has expanded its annual Thanks and Giving campaign to raise additional funds for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. New giving más...
News in brief: Starwood, FibraHotel, Robinsons Land
Sheraton to enter Samoa: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed management agreements for the 198-room Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s más...
Hilton says IPO will raise more than $2.3 billion
Hilton Worldwide revealed in a regulatory filing that it plans to raise up to US$2.37 billion with its initial public offering, the largest-ever IPO for más...
Schroeder leaving Jin Jiang for Pan Pacific
Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Singapore, announced on Monday that it is appointing Bernold Schroeder as its next CEO, effective January 2, 2014. Schroeder más...
Topland buys 12 Menzies hotels for £85 million
Topland Group, London, announced on Monday that it bought the parent company of Menzies Hotels out of administration for about £85 million (US$139 más...
Shiva Hotels buys, will redevelop on Thames in London
The Carlyle Group late last week sold the Millennium Bridge House in London to UK hospitality group Shiva Hotels Ltd. for £87.6 million (US$142 más...
What’s Hot: Minor renovates Anantara property in Thailand
Minor Hotel Group, Bangkok, has reopened the Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort & Spa after a seven-month renovation. The 106-room resort features Bill más...
Louvre launches new self-service F&B concept
Louvre Hotels Group is launching Grab & Go, a new self-service F&B area offering a range of food and other products 24 hours a day. Louvre said más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Corinthia's giant edible Christmas tree
This holiday season, guests can enjoy a 10-ft (3-m) edible Christmas tree in the lobby of the Corinthia Hotel London. The tree comprises 5,000 gingerbread más...
News in brief: Jurys, Minor, Drury
Jurys signs 3-hotel franchise deal with Hilton: Jurys Inn Group signed a franchise deal with Hilton Worldwide for three hotels located in England más...
noviembre 2013
HOTELS Interview: IHG’s Latin American plans
IHG’s history in Latin America dates back to 1946, when the first InterContinental Hotel opened in Brazil. Today, the company has more than 200 más...
Hong Kong's Dorsett starts building again in London
Dorsett Hospitality International, Hong Kong, on Friday announced it has received re-development planning permission from The City of London Corp. to más...
Manila’s gaming push aims to induce demand to the country
Manila's tourism market is taking a decided turn away from a vanilla offering to boost visitor numbers. This South East Asian casino dreamscape is más...
Hot Openings: Centara brings value brand to Bangkok
Centara Hotels & Resorts’ Centra value brand opened the Centra Central Station Hotel Bangkok in October. The 150-room hotel is located near más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Simon Amos has been appointed director of food and beverage at Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hawaii. Amos más...
HOTELS Interview: A face behind the food
Hotel F&B is about more than creative dishes and hot new restaurant concepts — in the end, the people make the business special. Life in the más...
Louvre deals to add 100 Tulip Inns in China
Louvre Hotels Group, Paris, on Thursday announced the official signing of a partnership agreement with Chengdu Mareka Hotel Property Management – más...
Marriott sponsors digital channel targeting African Americans
Marriott International has partnered with Uptown Magazine, which targets affluent African American consumers, to launch a digital channel featuring original más...
Hot Openings: Kessler adds to Autograph Collection
The Kessler Collection opened the Castle Hotel, an Autograph Collection property, in Orlando, Florida in October. The 214-room property is modeled after más...
Big transaction year expected for Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is hitting a peak in investor interest with projections of more than US$450 million in hotel transactions expected to close más...
Accor reorganization focuses on two separate businesses
Accor has announced a reorganization that will split the company into two businesses, one focused on hotel operation and another centered on hotel ownership más...
Four Seasons coming to downtown New York City
Silverstein Properties on Monday announced that its Metro Fund Joint Venture has successfully financed almost US$1 billion to build a Four Seasons hotel más...
Related, sbe launch Hyde Hotels brand
The Related Group and sbe have announced the launch of the Hyde Hotels, Resorts & Residences brand with two locations in South Florida scheduled to más...
What’s Hot: DoubleTree renovates Pittsburgh hotel
Hilton Worldwide’s DoubleTree brand revealed the recently renovated DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh-Green Tree on Nov. 21, to mark the property's más...
Asia: Soft revenue growth should rebound in 2014
The Asia Pacific region is on track for another record year of international tourist arrivals in 2013, according to a new report released by Cushman & más...
News in brief: Hilton Garden Inn, Dorsett, Moxy
Hilton Garden Inn to expand in Jaipur: Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Goverdhandham Estate Private Limited for the 125-room Hilton más...
HOTELS Interview: Moinian takes Fortuna to new heights
Fortuna Realty Group in New York City is a privately held real estate investment and hotel development company led by Morris Moinian, an Iranian más...
Hotels honored for tech solutions
Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) has recognized two hotel companies — Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Lugano Dante Center — más...
Hot Openings: Kempinski debuts Moscow hotel
Kempinski Hotels opened Hotel Nikol’skaya Kempinski Moscow this month after six years of restoration. The 211-room property was formerly the residence más...
Russian travel market on the rise
Russia is now the world's second-fastest growing outbound travel market in terms of spending, up 32% in 2012 and more than doubling since 2005, according más...
News in brief: Pentahotels, Staybridge Suites, Hotel Equities
Pentahotels to expand in China’s Henan Province: Pentahotels has been chosen by Henan Guozhiji Real Estate Development Co. to manage Pentahotel más...
Rowntree on InterContinental's F&B evolution
Tom Rowntree, vice president of luxury and upscale brands in Europe for IHG, is leading a food and beverage revolution for his hotels. He understand there más...
Blackstone leaning toward La Quinta IPO: Report
Blackstone Group plans to file for an IPO for its La Quinta Inns & Suites chain rather than sell the company on the private market, according to a más...
What’s Hot: Nuñez i Navarro reopens hotel in Spain
Nuñez i Navarro Hotels reopened Hotel Granvía in Barcelona after six months of renovations. Located in a former palace that dates to the más...
Conrad Macao offers tea-pairing menu
Dynasty 8 at Conrad Macao is offering a menu of Chinese delicacies paired with specially selected Chinese teas until December 22. The menu, created by más...
Brazil hotel landscape set to transform: JLL
The exposure from the FIFA 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, coupled with hundreds of large scale investment projects across the country, are expected más...
News in brief: Hyatt Place, Scandic, Meliá
New Hyatt Place for Asheville, North Carolina: A Hyatt affiliate has entered into a franchise agreement with Parks Hospitality Group for Hyatt Place Asheville/Downtown más...
HOTELS Interview: Tisch remodels Loews Hotels
Since relinquishing his CEO role at Loews Hotels & Resorts about two years ago, Jonathan Tisch has never been busier as chairman of the business started más...
Hilton IPO reportedly increasing to $2.25 billion
The size of the initial public offering for Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, is reportedly set to increase to US$2.25 billion. Bloomberg reported that más...
Hot Openings: Omni heads to Nashville
Omni Hotels & Resorts opened the Omni Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee in September, a little more than two years after breaking ground. The más...
News in brief: Relais & Châteaux, LVS, DiamondRock
New president elected for Relais & Châteaux: Philippe Gombert was named international president of Relais & Châteaux at the más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Jody Blackinton, general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown, has been promoted más...
Alwaleed hints at IPO or merger for Four Seasons, Fairmont
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Wednesday that he is considering strategic options for Four Seasons Hotels and más...
Sahara: NYC’s Plaza, Dream Downtown, London’s Grosvenor not for sale
Sahara India Pariwar, Lucknow, India, issued a statement that the company has no plans to sell New York City’s The Plaza and Dream Downtown hotels más...
Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta sold
Host Hotels & Resorts, Bethesda, Maryland, has sold the 244-room Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta and the associated office space for US$62 million. The más...
Hot Openings: Starwood reopens luxury property in Athens
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has unveiled the redesigned King George, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens, which underwent a three-month renovation. Lampsa más...
Wyndham unveils new Hawthorn Suites prototype
Wyndham Hotel Group, Parsippany, New Jersey, announced on Thursday a new hotel prototype for its extended-stay brand Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham. Wyndham más...
Pinterest unveils trip-planning tool
Pinterest has introduced Place Pins, a trip-planning tool designed to combine striking imagery with the utility of an online map that can be accessed más...
News in brief: Kimpton, Lausanne, Cape
Kimpton expands in Miami: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants took over management of the 48-room The Angler’s Boutique Resort. The hotel is más...
Inland American buys Hyatt Key West for $76 million
Inland American Lodging Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust, Oak Brook, Illinois, bought the 118-room Hyatt Key West más...
New Expedia data on device usage, platform trends, content
A new study from Expedia Media Solutions, the advertising sales division of Expedia, Inc., tracks content consumption and sharing patterns before, during más...
UK Travelodge names new CEO
Travelodge Hotels Ltd., Thame, England, has appointed Peter Gowers chief executive officer, succeeding Grant Hearn, who will remain in the post for más...
Hot Openings: Anantara unveils property in Cambodia
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas opens Anantara Angkor Resort & Spa in Siem Reap this month. The 39-room resort is located near the Angkor Wat más...
Accor launches meeting booking tool
Accor on Wednesday launched the Accor Meeting Hotel Finder, an online meeting booking tool. The tool allows users to search for a meeting location by más...
News in brief: Auberge, Destination, M&R
Auberge to renovate, rebrand Oregon resort: Auberge Resorts announced a US$20 million investment that includes a new 105-room lodge, spa and the más...
HOTELS Interview: Hostettler's genteel approach at Ocean House
Daniel Hostettler, president and managing director of Ocean House Management (OHM) in Westerly, Rhode Island, is in the enviable position of having an más...
Hot Openings: Andaz preps for Latin American debut
Andaz Papagayo is expected to open on Costa Rica's northwestern coast in mid-December. The opening will mark the brand's entrance into Latin America. más...
Hyatt launches crowdsourcing initiative
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, announced on Tuesday a crowdsourcing initiative for its Hyatt Place brand that will connect travelers with a panel of experts más...
Meliá to open Baha Mar hotel
Meliá Hotels International signed an agreement with Baha Mar to take over management of the 694-room Meliá Nassau Beach Resort, which it más...
The Benjamin revamps sleep amenities
The Benjamin in Midtown Manhattan has revamped and renamed its numerous sleep-related amenities and partnered with sleep expert Rebecca Robbins, who is más...
News in brief: Radisson Blu, Cambria Suites, Singh lawsuit
Radisson Blu to expand in Netherlands: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group signed a management agreement for the 120-room Radisson Blu Palace Hotel Noordwijk más...
Ace Hotel’s Alex Calderwood passes away
Alex Calderwood, co-founder of the Ace Hotel Group whose business card famously read “cultural engineer,” died Thursday at age 47. Calderwood’s más...
What's Hot: La Valencia shows off new rooms
La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, California, outside San Diego, has finished a program of room renovations. Guestrooms in the Mediterranean-style más...
Auberge, AJ Capital buy Calistoga Ranch
Auberge Resorts and AJ Capital Partners have acquired Calistoga Ranch in Mill Valley, California, from Olympus Real Estate. The purchase price was reported más...
Hilton launches new small meetings offering
Hilton Worldwide launched on Monday Meetings Simplified, which offers groups of 25 people or less a streamlined booking process for meeting space at 1 más...
News in brief: Rosewood, Accor, Centara
Rosewood to enter Cambodia: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts signed an agreement with Vattanac Properties to manage the 148-room Rosewood Phnom Penh más...
HOTELS fetes 2013 Hotelier of the World winners
HOTELS Magazine this week honored Peter Borer of The Peninsula Hotels, Hong Kong, and Paul Leone of The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, as the 2013 HOTELS’ más...
Loews launches booking platform on Twitter
Loews Hotels & Resorts on Friday launched Loews Hotels Social Reservations, a first-of-its-kind booking tool that allows guests to book hotel stays más...
Marriott deals with Fibra for 20 Mexico hotels
Marriott International on Thursday announced plans to develop, open and operate 20 new hotels in partnership with FibraHotel, the largest and first publicly más...
OEH states Bali hotel wrongfully repossessed
Orient-Express Hotels on Friday announced that following an unannounced, November 11 repossession by the third-party owner of Ubud Hanging Gardens in más...
Accor studies online habits of Asia Pacific travelers
Thai and Chinese travelers are the most active social media users in the Asia Pacific region, and Australians and New Zealanders are the least active más...
What's Hot: Preview Oetker's Courchevel ski resort
The Oetker Collection will open the doors to its newest project, L'Apogée Courchevel, on December 11. The ski resort is located in the French Alpine más...
News in brief: Rim, Langham, Cornell study
Rim Hospitality announces rebrand: Rim Hospitality will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a complete rebrand. Changes include a redesigned logo más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Alan Clark has been named chief financial officer at The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Hong Kong. Clark más...
Pullman launches new meeting room concept
Accor is premiering this month the new “Business Playground” meeting room concept for its Pullman Hotels and Resorts brand at the 312-room más...
What's Hot: Beverly Hills hotels plan suite centennial
Beverly Hills, California, turns 100 next year, and five of the city's hotels are banding together to celebrate the occasion with redecorated suites that más...
Fit food trends for 2014
What culinary adventures lie ahead in 2014? Here are the top projected trends for 2014 as reported by “The Fit Foodie," celebrity chef Mareya Ibrahim más...
Cox & Kings predicts shorter, more experiential travel
Luxury travel company Cox & Kings’ The Americas office in Los Angeles is predicting that 2014 will see shorter trips to more exotic destinations más...
News in brief: Best Western, GHL, Winegardner & Hammons
Best Western to enter Bangladesh: Best Western International signed an agreement with Maple Leaf Hotel & Resorts to open a new-build Best Western más...
Crown's casino-resort gets approval for Sydney
The New South Wales government in Australia has approved the development of James Packer's A$1.5 billion (US$1.4 billion) Crown Casino luxury resort at más...
Host reportedly selling big Philadelphia Marriott
Oaktree Capital and Clearview Hotel Capital are acquiring the 1,408-room Philadelphia Marriott Downtown from Host Hotels & Resorts for a price reportedly más...
Extended Stay IPO raises $565 million
Extended Stay America raised US$565 million in its initial public offering this week, selling about 14% of the company. Extended Stay America, Charlotte más...
Chatham rejects BlueMountain takeover bid
Chatham Lodging Trust has rejected an unsolicited proposal from BlueMountain Capital Management to acquire Chatham for US$21.50 per share. The REIT’s más...
Hot Openings: JW Marriott checks into Peru
Marriott International opened the 5-star JW Marriott Cusco in October. Located at the site of a 16th-century colonial convent, the 153-room property features más...
'Popcalm' pops at InterContinental meeting breaks
The InterContinental Mark Hopkins in San Francisco has launched a healthy alternative to snacking during meeting breaks with its new “Popcalm Break” más...
InterContinentals in Europe boost meetings packages
In Europe, 29 InterContinental hotels have launched new meetings options, giving meeting planners the chance to tailor packages with three value-add más...
News in brief: Residence Inn, Sheraton, Hilton
Marriott to enter Bosnia: Marriott International announced that it will enter Bosnia with the 75-room Residence Inn Sarajevo, set to open in late más...
Borer, Leone receive Hotelier of the World awards
HOTELS Magazine on Monday night honored Peter Borer, chief operating officer of The Peninsula Hotels and executive director of The Hongkong and Shanghai más...
U.S. RevPAR forecast for '13, '14 goes higher: PwC
An updated U.S. lodging forecast released on Tuesday by PwC US shows favorable gains in hotel performance are continuing in the second half of 2013. Assuming más...
Hot Openings: InterCityHotel debuts new flagship in Berlin
Steigenberger Hotels AG opened the InterCityHotel Berlin Hauptbahnhof in October; the hotel is the brand's third in the city. The 412-room property is más...
Luxury Collection unveils curated pieces for retail
The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, has unveiled "House of Waris Rare," a collection of handcrafted más...
Winning wellness strategies in hotel design
The first thing I do when I walk into a hotel room is open the curtains. I want to know what’s outside my room and where I am in relation to the más...
Eventi to serve ‘Thanksgivukkah’ menu
For the first time since 1888, the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday and the first night of Hanukkah both take place November 28, so Eventi, A Kimpton Hotel in más...
HOTELS Interview: Tune Hotels CEO Lankester talks pipeline
Despite slowing economic growth in the region, Southeast Asia’s hotel pipeline remains robust in hot markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand más...
Bee stars in NYC hotel’s sustainability-focused comic strip
InterContinental New York Barclay and The Center for Sustainable Design Strategies at Pratt Institute have launched the Barclay the Bee comic series, más...
Hampton celebrates college football
Hampton Hotels has launched the Hamptonality Moments College Football program to celebrate college football towns and their unique traditions. Hampton más...
Maximizing charitable gifts through in-kind donations
With hotel markets across the nation experiencing a return to normal levels of volume and the holidays fast approaching, hospitality owners and operators más...
Marriott makes big move in Africa by acquiring Protea
Marriott International on Thursday announced it has signed a letter of intent to acquire the brands and management business of Protea Hospitality Holdings más...
HOTELS Interview: Freeman details Cisneros' Dominican plans
In October, Patrick Freeman, the former developer for Auberge Resorts, was appointed president of Cisneros Real Estate in Miami to, in part, develop the más...
Hot Openings: MacPherson's latest debuts in New York City
Following a multi-million dollar renovation, Sean MacPherson opened The Marlton in New York City in September. Once known as the Marlton House, the 107-room más...
News in brief: St. Regis, Asia Pacific, Anantara
St. Regis to enter Indonesia: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Rajawali Group announced a joint venture for the 124-room St. Regis Jakarta más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Samir Arora has been appointed general manager of Ramada Downtown Dubai. Arora previously was the resident más...
Pomerancs launch new brand Sixty Hotels
Taking its inspiration from the 2001 debut property, 60 Thompson in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, Jason Pomeranc on Wednesday announced the más...
Louvre sells 40 hotels in France
Louvre Hotels Group revealed that it recently sold 40 hotels in France to a small group of investors. Louvre Hotels Group, La Défense, France, más...
What's Hot: Sheraton debuts new villas in Thailand
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. opened the Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas in Thailand last month. The beachfront property is owned by más...
Hersha to acquire Hotel Oceana in California
Hersha Hospitality Trust, Philadelphia, has signed a definitive purchase agreement for the 122-room Hotel Oceana in Santa Barbara, California, for US$42 más...
Le Méridien, Tate launch art-focused film series
Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Tate on the Unlock Art series of eight short films created to make visual art more accessible más...
Should hotel companies legislate staff facial hair?
A study entitled "The Frontline Provider's Appearance: A Driver of Guest Perceptions" calls into the question guests' level of assurance when interacting más...
News in brief: Echo, GHM, Bud Light Hotel
Echo plans new hotel at Australian casino-resort: Echo Entertainment is planning to develop a 75-room luxury hotel at the Jupiters Hotel and Casino más...
HOTELS Interview: Hyatt details new all-inclusive brands
Authentic food and beverage offerings and on-property experiences are how Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, plans to differentiate its new upscale all-inclusive más...
InterContinental to debut new kids’ menu
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts will launch a new children’s menu in 2014 designed to take kids on an educational voyage around the world más...
What's Hot: Sofitel renovates flagship in Paris
Sofitel Luxury Hotels opened the newly renovated Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe in October. Studio Putman and IGLOO, an architectural agency, designed más...
RCI signs two MOUs to promote business in China
Vacation exchange company RCI, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands, has announced the signing of two memorandums of understanding (MOU) that más...
New York voters approve gaming expansion
The approval by referendum of expanding gambling in the state of New York could lead to the development of as many as seven casino-resorts in the state más...
Hotel Max to host free craft beer hour daily
To celebrate the strong beer culture of its local area, Hotel Max in Seattle is hosting a daily complimentary craft beer hour in its lobby. Hotel Max más...
News in brief: Ramada, Anantara, Crestline
Ramada to enter Fiji: Wyndham Hotel Group announced the signing of a new franchise agreement with Smugglers Cove Beach Resort Ltd. for the 40-room más...
Inland American buys 3 Kimpton hotels
Inland American Lodging Group, Oak Brook, Illinois, bought three hotels from Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants' Hotel Monaco Collection for US$189 million más...
BlueMountain makes unsolicited offer for Chatham
Chatham Lodging Trust on Tuesday confirmed that it has received an unsolicited conditional proposal from BlueMountain Capital Management to acquire the más...
Hottest F&B trends for 2014
Consultants Baum+Whiteman, New York City, say that concepts of luxury thread through top dining trends: tasting menus running US$1,000 for two; haute más...
Hot Openings: Hard Rock hits Palm Springs, California
Kittridge Hotels & Resorts opened the Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs in Palm Springs, California last month. The 163-room resort offers a variety of más...
Waldorf Astoria ad campaign teams top actress, photographer, writer
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts today has unveiled a new global advertising campaign, "The Stories Begin Here," featuring international actress Olga más...
SoHo awards: Hamilton Island wins best use of visual/photographic social networks
Hamilton Island, Australia, won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best use of visual/photographic social networks, property. To see all the Social más...
News in brief: IHG, Noble, Toga
IHG experiences growth in Q3: IHG reported global third quarter RevPAR growth of 3.3% and 3.6% RevPAR growth during the first nine months of 2013 más...
Yucaipa makes unsolicited bid for Morgans
Citing concern about the company’s strategic direction, major shareholder Yucaipa Cos. on Friday made an unsolicited offer to buy Morgans Hotel más...
What’s Hot: Bangkok hotel launches new dining menu
In Bangkok, Lebua Hotel’s Breeze restaurant unveiled an interactive dining menu entitled “China 2020” last month. The menu features más...
IHG, Brigade deal to grow Holiday Inn Express in India
IHG has signed a deal with Brigade Group under which 10 Holiday Inn Express hotels will be built in southern India, owned by Brigade Group and managed más...
Steigenberger announces 3 more hotels in China
Steigenberger Hotel Group, Frankfurt, Germany, announced on Monday that in addition to opening its first hotel in China this December, it will also open más...
News in brief: Hyatt, StayWell, Schulte
Hyatt to enter Iraq: An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. entered into a management agreement with Claremont Group LLC, for the 220-room Hyatt Regency más...
HOTELS Interview: Hotel Indigo’s ongoing evolution
Hotel Indigo is about to turn 10 years old, and no one is more ready to celebrate than Mary Winslow. Winslow, director, brand management, for Hotel Indigo más...
Hilton IPO could launch week of December 2
Hilton Worldwide aims to launch its initial public offering the week of December 2, according to a Reuters report sourcing two people familiar with the más...
NH Hoteles announces new debt structure
NH Hoteles, Madrid, said Friday that it has restructured its debt with three major moves that allow it to cover its financial commitments with a más...
What's Hot: First look at Como coming to Miami Beach
Como Hotels and Resorts plans to open Metropolitan by Como, Miami Beach in December. The 74-key hotel is located in a building that dates to the 1930s más...
Shanghai hotel creates world’s largest ball pit
Ball pits usually are child’s play, but Kerry Hotel Pudong in Shanghai has created the world largest ball pit for a worthy cause. Earlier this week más...
News in brief: Chatham, Hilton, Kimpton
Chatham Lodging buys Seattle hotel: Chatham Lodging Trust bought the 231-room Residence Inn by Marriott Seattle Bellevue/Downtown for US$71.8 million más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Tracy Blair has been appointed director of sales and marketing at Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. Blair más...
octubre 2013
HOTELS Interview: Starwood’s outlook on India
India’s slowing economy and the onset of new supply is dragging down hotel performance. During the first seven months of the year RevPAR decreased más...
Hot Openings: Jannah unveils suites in the UAE
Jannah Hotels & Resorts opened the Eastern Mangrove Suites by Jannah in Abu Dhabi last month. The property comprises 88 suites that are available más...
Ultima takes buys 2 Starwood hotels at SF airport
Ultima Hospitality, a Chicago-based hotel investment and management company, on Wednesday acquired the 397-room Westin San Francisco Airport and the 252- más...
Extended Stay America launches IPO
Extended Stay America and REIT ESH Hospitality have moved forward with their plans to go public with the launch of an initial public offering of 28,250 más...
Hyatt Place launches kitschy ad campaign
Hyatt Place has launched a new marketing campaign “You’ll Know It’s Right When You See It,” designed to showcase the brand’s más...
News in brief: Marriott, Jumeirah, Grace
Marriott's net income up in Q3: Marriott International announced that its third quarter 2013 net income totaled US$160 million, a 12% increase compared más...
Holiday Inn promises stronger focus on marketing, quality
On the heels of the debut of its “Change Your View” ad campaign a couple months ago and several years after its broader brand relaunch, Holiday más...
What’s Hot: Vegas hotels show sustainability with fall displays
The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas are featuring the resorts’ sustainability efforts at a fall-themed display. The display is divided into themes más...
Candlewood Suites rolls out 'Lending Locker'
IHG's Candlewood Suites brand is rolling out the Lending Locker, a place within the hotel where guests can borrow common household items to use during más...
SoHo awards: Four Seasons wins best use of visual/photographic social networks
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best use of visual/photographic social networks, brand. To see all the Social más...
New Holiday Inn Express initiatives to include healthier breakfast
As it works to better serve its self-sufficient, “smart traveler” target guest, Holiday Inn Express is planning to roll out several new initiatives más...
Marriott partners with Akilah for job training
Twenty-four young African women between the ages of 18 and 30 have been selected to participate in the job training partnership in Dubai, United Arab más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Sarovar, Evolution
Hyatt’s earnings improve in Q3: Hyatt Hotels Corp. reported a net income of US$55 million in the third quarter of 2013, up from US$23 million más...
Crowne Plaza tests new guest services
As part of its ongoing refresh, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has tested a series of new, market-specific services and features in selected hotels más...
Hot Openings: Famed cyclist debuts hotel in South Carolina
Hotel Domestique opened near Traveler’s Rest, South Carolina in August. Formerly named La Bastide, the renovated 13-room property combines modern más...
Sunstone reportedly set to acquire Hyatt in SF
Sunstone Hotel Investors has announced it is issuing 20 million shares to fund an acquisition, which R.W. Baird analyst David Loeb believes is the 802-room más...
Tantleff's financing themes for 2014
Alan Tantleff, senior managing director in the New York City office of FTI’s Corporate Finance/Restructuring practice and leader of its Hospitality más...
SoHo awards: Renaissance Blackstone Chicago wins best use of Twitter
Renaissance Blackstone Chicago Hotel won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best use of Twitter, property. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click más...
IHG, Goodwill partnering for work placement program
IHG and the Goodwill Industries International have announced the establishment of the Goodwill IHG Academy program in the U.S. and Canada that will offer más...
News in brief: Inland American, Pan Pacific, Egypt
Inland American buys Virginia hotel: Inland American Lodging Group bought the 107-room Lorien Hotel & Spa, located in Alexandria, for US$45 más...
HOTELS Exclusive: New Four Seasons CEO Allen Smith
HOTELS Magazine recently conducted the first interview with Allen Smith since he started his new job on September 23 as president and CEO of Four Seasons más...
Hot Openings: Apple Tree Asia opens hotel in Myanmar
Apple Tree Asia opened Bagan Lodge in Myanmar in August. The 85-room resort is located near Bagan Archaeological Zone and features interiors from French más...
Study shows volume of online hotel reviews decreasing
Fewer reviews, marginally higher scores and increased difficulty scoring five stars are the latest findings of a study by TrustYou and Donna Quadri-Felitti más...
SoHo awards: Fairmont wins best use of Twitter
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best use of Twitter, brand. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click más...
New Hyatt in NYC comes with 'accessories butler'
Hyatt Union Square New York has launched ‘The Accessories Butler’ in its lobby for guests to borrow fashion items to complete their outfits más...
News in brief: Oberoi, MGM
Oberoi to expand in UAE: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts signed a management agreement with Al Zorah Development Co. for the 113-room Al Zorah Resort más...
HOTELS Interview: Best Western in the digital arena
At the 2013 Best Western North American Convention, held over the past weekend in San Antonio, Best Western International, Phoenix, announced new marketing más...
Hot Openings: Mövenpick debuts in Enshi, China
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts opened Mövenpick Hotel Enshi last month in China's Hubei province. The company says the property is the first más...
Four Seasons celebrates beer
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has launched its first annual Beer Fest, a global campaign featuring local beers and programming at Four Seasons properties más...
SoHo awards: Royal Wing wins best reputation management
Royal Wing Suites & Spa, Pattaya, Thailand, won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best reputation management: social media, property. To see all the más...
News in brief: Choice, Value Place, Extended Stay
Choice reports net income decline in Q3: Choice Hotels International reported a 6% year-on-year decline in net income during the third quarter of más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Erin Bertollini has been named general manager of the Radisson Star Plaza in Merrillville, Indiana. más...
Carey Watermark acquires Florida Keys resort
Carey Watermark Investors, New York City, has acquired the Hawks Cay Resort in the Florida Keys. Carey Watermark's total investment in the property más...
De Niro partners to develop multi-use project in Shanghai
Famous actor Robert De Niro, Ira Drukier and Richard Born of BD Hotels, Sam Natapoff of Empire Global Ventures, Wilson Lu of Amerasia S&T Corp, Raphael más...
Hot Openings: Viceroy moves into Manhattan
Viceroy Hotel Group opened Viceroy New York earlier this month. The 240-key hotel is the company’s first branded property in Manhattan. The New más...
SoHo awards: ITC wins best reputation management: social media
ITC Hotels, Gurgaon, India, won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best reputation management: social media, brand. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners más...
South Africa's 5-star segment on the mend
South Africa’s 5-star hotel sector, after experiencing substantial decline between 2009 and 2011, recorded a national average RevPAR annual increase más...
News in brief: Starwood, Rida, TripAdvisor
Starwood earnings decline in Q3: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide reported a net income of US$157 million for the third quarter of 2013, más...
GLH launching 4-star Amba brand
After launching its luxury Clermont brand earlier this month, GLH announced on Wednesday another new brand, the 4-star Amba Hotels, which will debut with más...
Hot Openings: PPHE gets artistic in Amsterdam
PPHE Hotel Group opened Art’otel Amsterdam earlier this month. Located in the former headquarters of a Dutch shipping line, the 107-room property más...
Marriott contest winner crafts healthy vending machine
Marriott Hotels has announced the grand prize winner of its Travel Brilliantly Co-Creation Program, which invited consumers to submit bold travel ideas más...
SoHo awards: NYC, Australian hotels tie to win best integrated campaign
InterContinental New York Barclay and The Terrace Hotel, Perth, Australia both won by tie the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best integrated digital campaign más...
News in brief: Wyndham, DoubleTree, Moscow
Wyndham’s earnings up in Q3: Wyndham Worldwide’s reported net income for the third quarter of 2013 was US$187 million compared with más...
Caesars Entertainment subsidiary under investigation
Caesars Entertainment Corp., Las Vegas, revealed in an SEC filing on Monday that its subsidiary Desert Palace Inc. is under investigation by the U.S. más...
Hot Openings: Fairmont unveils luxury residences in Mecca
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts opened the Emaar Residences at the Fairmont Makkah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in August. The 316 residences are located on Haram más...
Le Méridien debuts new digital photo campaign
Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, in collaboration with Travel + Leisure, has launched Filters of Discovery, a new digital photography campaign más...
SoHo awards: DoubleTree wins best integrated digital campaign
Hilton Worldwide’s brand DoubleTree by Hilton won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best integrated digital campaign, brand. To see all the Social más...
News in brief: Swissotel, Rezidor, Cornell
Swissotel expands in China: Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts announced that it entered into a management agreement with Hengli Management Co más...
Best Western’s Google plans, extended-stay revamp
Best Western International announced a revamp of its extended-stay prototype and a partnership with Google at its 2013 Best Western North American Convention más...
Hot Openings: Mama Shelter says 'bonjour' to Bordeaux
Mama Shelter, the playful, Philippe Starck-designed brand, opened its newest property late last week in Bordeaux. The hotel, located on Place Saint Christoly más...
SoHo awards: Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole win best Facebook promo
Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole, Wyoming, won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best Facebook promotion, property. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners más...
Revenue, costs up in US spas: PKF
Spa department revenue at U.S. hotels in 2012 increased by 5%, according to research from PKF Consulting USA, comparing favorably to the 2.3% increase más...
News in brief: Holiday Inn, Amari, Sandals
Holiday Inn adds franchise in New York City: An affiliate of IHG signed a franchise agreement for the 246-room Holiday Inn Brooklyn Nevins Station más...
HOTELS Interview: Living the dream at the Fontainebleau
Philip Goldfarb, president and COO of the hotel that made Miami Beach in the 1950s, the Fontainebleau, is planning for the resort’s 60th anniversary más...
MCR Development acquires 26 hotels for $430 million
MCR Development, New York City, on Friday announced it has acquired 26 Marriott and Hilton hotels from Western International for US$430 million. MCR will más...
SoHo awards: Four Seasons wins best Facebook promo
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best Facebook promotion, brand. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners más...
What’s Hot: Anantara Vacation Club's Thai resort
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas opened Anantara Vacation Club in Phuket, Thailand, in June. The shared-ownership resort comprises 70 apartment suites más...
The Plaza pays homage to Eloise
In collaboration with artist Hilary Knight, The Plaza in New York City is bringing its fictitious 6-year-old hotel guest Eloise back to life with a series más...
News in brief: Raffles, BHG, Rim
Raffles to expand in China: Raffles Shenzhen, scheduled to open in 2018, will feature 200 guestrooms and serviced residences. Read more at PRLog más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Christopher Allen has been named general manager of the Sheraton Hartford Hotel at Bradley Airport in más...
Invesco buys Park Hotel Amsterdam
Invesco announced on Thursday that it bought the 189-room Park Hotel Amsterdam for an undisclosed sum from Grand City Hotels & Resorts. Invesco, Atlanta más...
Azimut appoints Neumann as CEO
The board of directors of Azimut Hotels appointed Walter Neumann as the company’s new CEO, beginning work on Thursday. Sebastian Kraemer, COO más...
Hot Openings: Rosewood London opened Wednesday
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts opened Rosewood London Wednesday. The hotel occupies a 1914 Edwardian Belle Epoque building on High Holborn that was más...
Hyatt House teams with Martha Stewart
Hyatt House, Hyatt Hotels Corp.’s U.S. extended-stay brand, is partnering with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) to help travelers and local más...
SoHo awards: W Taipei win best Facebook page
W Taipei, Taiwan won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best Facebook page, property. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click here to go to the más...
News in brief: Accor, Westin, TripAdvisor
Accor reports revenue down 3.1% in Q3: Accor reported revenue of €1.4 billion (US$1.9 billion) for the third quarter, down 3.1% year-on-year más...
HOTELS Interview: Making CSR more responsible
For the past 10 years, John Roberts has been director of elephants at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort in Thailand, helping ensure más...
Fiskers back as Scandic Hotels CEO
The board of Scandic Hotels, Stockholm, has appointed Frank Fiskers as the company's next CEO. The outgoing CEO Anders Ehrling is leaving to become más...
Hot Openings: Ayana Resort and Spa opens Rimba Jimbaran Bali
Ayana Resort and Spa opened Rimba Jimbaran Bali in September. The resort is located on 19 acres (8 hectares) of Ayana’s 190-acre (77-hectare) más...
First-hand account of earthquake at Radisson in Cebu
HM Magazine Editor James Wilkinson was covering Carlson’s Asia Pacific General Manager’s Conference in Cebu, the Philippines, on Tuesday when más...
SoHo awards: Four Seasons wins best Facebook page
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best Facebook page, brand. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click más...
News in brief: Swissotel, Rosewood, MAve
Swissotel expands in China: Swissotel Hotels & Resorts entered into a management agreement with Hengli Management Co. for the 400-room Swissotel más...
HOTELS Interview: Courtyard turns 30
On Tuesday Marriott International’s Courtyard by Marriott brand celebrates its 30th anniversary with five celebrations across the globe, including más...
Inland American acquires Loews New Orleans
Inland American Lodging Group, a subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust, has acquired the 21-story, 285-room Loews New Orleans for US$74.5 million más...
Hot Openings: Best Western opens 5th hotel in Russia
Best Western International opened its fifth hotel in Russia, the Best Western Art Hotel Nikolaevsky Posad, in Suzdal in June. The hotel is located in más...
SoHo awards: 2 Cancun Marriotts win best digital video
JW Marriott Cancun Resort and CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort, Mexico, both won the 2013 Social Hotel Award for best digital video, property. To see más...
US business travel to jump 7.2% in 2014: GBTA
Business travel spending in the United States is expected to see a robust year in 2014, according to the latest Global Business Travel Association report más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Pestana, Iberostar
Hyatt, White Lodging to open dual-brand Denver hotel: Hyatt Hotels Corp. and White Lodging Services signed a franchise agreement to open a dual-brand más...
SoHo awards: Hampton Hotels wins best digital video
HOTELS Magazine has announced the winners of the 2013 HOTELS Social Hotel Awards. In addition to print coverage, winning entries will be featured in daily más...
What’s Hot: Hotel NEO Candi Semarang opens in Indonesia
Archipelago International announced the soft opening of the Hotel NEO Candi Semarang in Indonesia on Sept. 4, 2013. The hotel features contemporary interiors más...
W New York creates sensory-focused package
In mid-November the W New York is collaborating with Desi Santiago, a renowned visual artist, to create a multi-sensory casino and cocktail experience más...
Loyalty, mobile among top millennial differences: Expedia
The ways millennial travelers — those ages 18 to 30 — value loyalty programs and utilize mobile devices are among the most significant differences más...
News in brief: Laurus, Amari, Aimbridge
Laurus acquires Pennsylvania hotel: Laurus Corp. bought the 146-room Hilton Garden Inn Philadelphia/Ft. Washington, located in Fort Washington, más...
HOTELS Interview: Nakash's plans for Victor, Versace
The Nakash family, who amassed a billion dollar empire in the 1970s by creating those now iconic, tight-fitting Jordache jeans, has also quietly developed más...
Hot Openings: Novotel reopens renovated Times Square hotel
Novotel New York Times Square debuted its recently renovated hotel in September. Stonehill & Taylor design firm led the US$85 million revamp, which más...
AH&LA petitions US to end shutdown, damage felt
The American Hotel & Lodging Association sent on Thursday a petition letter to U.S. President Barack Obama and the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives más...
InterContinental hosts photographer in residence in Europe
Craig Easton, Travel Photographer of the Year 2012, will become Photographer in Residence at select InterContinental Hotels & Resorts across Europe más...
News in brief: Holiday Inn Express, Hilton, Meliá
Holiday Inn Express to expand in Brazil: IHG will open the 156-room Holiday Inn Express Belem-Ananindeua hotel, the 174-room Holiday Inn Express más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Lisa Ares has been appointed director of operations at The Fairmont San Jose, California. Ares most más...
Kerzner’s Atlantis to enter China via management deal
Kerzner International Holdings announced on Thursday that it signed an agreement with Fosun International to manage the 1,300-room Atlantis, Sanya Hainan más...
Red Roof Inn launches Plus+ tier
Red Roof Inn announced this week the launch of a new brand extension — Red Roof Plus+. Red Roof Inn, Columbus, Ohio, said Plus+ will be rolled out más...
AHIP buys 4 Pennsylvania hotels for $57 million
American Hotel Income Properties (AHIP) announced on Thursday that it bought four hotel properties located in and around Pittsburgh for US$57.3 million más...
Hot Openings: 8Hotels opens 1888 Hotel in Sydney
8Hotels Boutique Hotel Company opened 1888 Hotel in Sydney, Australia in August, following 12 months of renovation. The property's 90 guest accommodations más...
Chicago’s former Tokyo Hotel to be converted to Freehand
Sydell Group bought the former Tokyo Hotel, located in downtown Chicago, earlier this month for US$13.5 million, according to public records. Crain’s más...
Omni teaching its buyers about revenue management
Revenue management is the theme this year for Omni Hotels & Resorts “Be Collaborative” series, a professional development program offered más...
Andaz 5th Avenue uses Instagram to showcase autumn
Andaz 5th Avenue in New York City has partnered with four local artists in an effort to capture the best of fall in the city with some help from social más...
News in brief: RLJ, Hyatt, Value Place
RLJ buys Oregon hotel: RLJ Lodging Trust bought the 106-room SpringHill Suites Portland Hillsboro for US$24 million. RLJ said the purchase price más...
HOTELS Interview: Greene offers update on Yotel
The Yotel brand has a new feather in its cap – a 600-room development set for 2016 on Singapore’s Orchard Road – which CEO Gerard Greene más...
Hot Openings: Kempinski Hotel Yixing opens in China
Kempinski Hotel Yixing opened in Yixing, China last month. The hotel’s 446 guestrooms and suites include lake views and range in size from 131 to más...
Extended Stay increases IPO to $500 million
The amount to be raised in the initial public offering for Extended Stay Hotels has been increased to as much as US$500 million, up from US$100 million más...
Dorchester Collection launches new website
Dorchester Collection, London, launched on Tuesday a newly redesigned website, bringing all ten individual hotels together under its brand domain. Created más...
Brand conversations on social media up in US
Americans are increasing their use of social media for discussions about favorite brands, while slowing down on face-to-face and phone conversations about más...
News in brief: LA Sky Harbor, Northview, Hyatt
LA Sky Harbor buys 3 US Marriotts: LA Sky Harbor LLC bought the 222-room Atlanta Marriott Norcross, located in Norcross, Georgia, the 224-room Fullerton más...
HOTELS Interview: Dart’s bet on the Caribbean
While financing remains difficult, some developers are venturing back into the Caribbean and Dart Realty, Camana Bay, Cayman Islands, is leading the charge más...
Hot Openings: Oberoi opens Trident in Hyderabad
The Oberoi Group opened Trident, Hyderabad in September. The hotel includes 323 guest rooms and suites, as well as conference and banquet facilities. más...
Tsogo Sun launches Sun1 brand
After buying Accor’s 52.6% stake in the Hotel Formula 1 portfolio in South Africa for €28 million (US$37.5 million) in 2011, Tsogo Sun announced más...
Lanesborough to close for 9-month refresh
One of London’s iconic luxury hotels, The Lanesborough, will close at the end of 2013 for a nine-month renovation. The major refurbishment of the más...
Wanted: The well-rounded CEO
Running a global hospitality company, particularly one that is publicly traded, takes a broader skill set today than that gained along the typical career más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Delta, Hotel Equities
Ritz-Carlton Reserve to expand in Panama: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. announced that it will open an 80-room Ritz-Carlton Reserve on Pearl Island más...
Northwood deals for Waldorf in Florida
An affiliate of Northwood Investors, New York City, has purchased from an affiliate of the Blackstone Group the 474-room Waldorf Astoria Naples and the más...
What's Hot: Orlando shows off new look in LA
The Orlando Hotel in Los Angeles has completed a US$5 million renovation project. The property's 95 suites and guestrooms have been redone. In some rooms más...
IHG signs multi-development franchise agreement in Germany
IHG has concluded a multi-development franchise agreement (MDA) with Bierwirth & Kluth Hotelmanagement GmbH to develop five hotels across Germany más...
Mandarin Oriental marks 50th anniversary with Blake collage
Sir Peter Blake, famous for producing The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band record cover, has been commissioned by Mandarin Oriental más...
News in brief: Driftwood, ME by Meliá, Aloft
Driftwood buys Hilton in Florida: Driftwood Hospitality Management bought the 295-room Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Resort for an undisclosed sum más...
HOTELS Interview: Taking social media on the road
Social media has the power to connect people across great distances, but this summer Piper Stevens got up close and personal on a social media journey más...
Hot Openings: Starwood brings Le Méridien to Bali
Starwood Hotels opened Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran in Bali, Indonesia in May. The hotel’s 118 guestrooms and suites include modern batik motifs más...
Marriott CEO tells Congress to get back to work
Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, shared his personal thoughts about the impasse in the U.S. Congress and más...
Airbnb CEO proposes law changes for NYC
Airbnb’s CEO Brian Chesky announced via a blog post proposals to change laws and assuage continued lawmaker opposition to the hospitality exchange más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Aloft, Radisson
Hyatt to expand in Florida: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that an affiliate signed a franchise agreement with Robert Finvarb Cos. to open the 105-room más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Scott Allen has been appointed general manager of Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in North San Diego. Most más...
The art of butler service from St. Regis' best
The white gloves may be gone and the iconic uniforms transformed with a more contemporary look, but butler service in hotels is alive and well. In fact más...
What’s Hot: Mirage opens steak restaurant in Vegas
The Mirage opened Tom Colicchio’s Heritage Steak in August. Named for its James Beard Award-winning chef, the 230-seat restaurant uses open flame más...
IHG teams with Chinese bank on credit card
IHG and China CITIC Bank have launched the IHG Rewards Club CITIC Co-branded Credit Card. The card will allow travelers to earn free hotel stays as well más...
News in brief: Onyx, Legacy, Peninsula
Amari to enter Malaysia: Onyx Hospitality Group signed an agreement with United Malayan Land to open the 207-room Amari Johor Bahru in 2015, the más...
Correction: Three suitors lineup for La Quinta
In Wednesday's story about suitors potentially interested in acquiring the La Quinta brand from the Blackstone Group, in fact Blackstone paid US$3.4 billion más...
GLH launches luxury Clermont brand
GLH, the London-based subsidiary of GuocoLeisure Group, announced on Wednesday the launch of Clermont, a new luxury hotel and private residences brand más...
HOTELS presents live webinar on investment strategies
On October 30 at 1 p.m. central time, HOTELS will be present a live webinar entitled, “Moving Targets: Hotel Finance & Investment Strategies más...
Three suitors reportedly line up for La Quinta
Choice Hotels International, Hospitality Properties Trust and Apollo Global Management are rumored to be interested in acquiring Blackstone Group’s más...
What's Hot: The Peninsula serves up a new restaurant in New York
The Peninsula New York opened a new restaurant Oct. 1. Clement is named after Clement King Man Kwok, who joined the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited más...
Hôtel Fouquet's Barrière welcomes world’s top chefs
Le Diane, the Michelin-starred restaurant at Hôtel Fouquet's Barrière in Paris, is launching The Dinner Collection, a series that will welcome más...
News in brief: Hawthorn Suites, Boston East India, TIME
Hawthorn Suites expands in UAE: Wyndham Hotel Group announced that it signed an agreement with R Hotels to open the 188-room Hawthorn Suites by más...
Mangalis launches 4 brands for African expansion
Mangalis Management Group is launching four new hotel brands and plans on investing €315 million (US$425 million) on hotel development in Africa más...
Wyndham, Grand City sign for 17 hotels in Europe
Wyndham Hotel Group announced the signing of 17 hotels representing over 2,300 guestrooms across Germany and Austria in association with Grand City Hotels más...
What’s Hot: Fisher Island Club's $60 million renovation
Fisher Island Club recently debuted US$60 million in renovations to its facilities. Located off the tip of Miami Beach in Florida, the 216-acre (87-hectare) más...
New Marriott UK partnership focuses on local, sustainable food
Marriott Hotels in the United Kingdom has partnered with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage in an effort to celebrate and support local más...
Pop-up office aims to drive revenue at Seattle hotel
To convert unused event space into an ancillary revenue opportunity, Seattle’s Hotel 1000, part of Benchmark Hospitality International’s Personal más...
News in brief: IHG, Turnberry, WB Hotel Partners
Holiday Inn to expand in the UK: IHG will open three new Holiday Inn hotels in the U.K. as part of a franchise agreement with Chardon Trading, Dominvs más...
septiembre 2013
HOTELS Exclusive: First-time hotelier in charge in St. Barth's
Le Sereno Group in St. Barth’s has decided to break the GM mold by bringing in a new leader who has extensive experience in luxury travel sales más...
Value Place buys 22 hotels in US
Value Place announced on Monday the purchase of 22 hotels located across the U.S. for US$115 million from a partnership of Angelo, Gordon & Co. and más...
Hot Openings: Hilton unveils new project in the UAE
Hilton Worldwide opened Conrad Dubai in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month. The 555-room hotel is located near the city’s business and más...
Airbnb host wins NYC appeal
Airbnb won a legal victory in New York City with the successful appeal of US$2,400 fine for the landlord of Nigel Warren for Warren’s hosting of más...
Holiday Inn Express campaign targets UK, Germany
IHG brand Holiday Inn Express has launched a new integrated campaign in the United Kingdom and Germany. The brand campaign will run across TV, radio, más...
News in brief: Wanda, Autograph, Ace Hotel
Wanda to expand in Beijing: Dalian Wanda Group announced that it will open a hotel under its Wanda Realm brand in Beijing on January 1, 2014. Read más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Pomerancs press the restart button
For the Pomeranc brothers and operations leader Stephen Brandman, it is like having a blank sheet of paper again as they create a new upscale lifestyle más...
Hot Openings: The Boathouse Waterfront Hotel opens in Maine
Kennebunkport Resort Collection opened The Boathouse Waterfront Hotel in Kennebunkport, Maine in May. The hotel’s 12 guest rooms are located on más...
Art and charity meet in fire hydrants at Chicago hotel
Hyatt Regency Chicago is displaying artistically inspired fire hydrants throughout the hotel as part of its participation in The Great Chicago Fire Hydrants más...
News in brief: Travellers International, Temple
Travellers International IPO reportedly planned: An initial public offering to raise up to US$500 million is planned for Travellers International más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: John Annicchiarico has been named director of sales and marketing for the Villas of Grand Cypress in más...
REIT buys Viceroy New York for $148 million
American Realty Capital New York Recovery REIT bought a leasehold interest in the newly-constructed 240-room Viceroy New York, located on West 57th Street más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Baltazár opens in Budapest
The Zsidai family opened Hotel Baltazár in Budapest, Hungary earlier this month. The hotel is located within Buda Castle in Budapest’s historical más...
Australia’s Crown rebranding as Crown Resorts
Crown Ltd revealed in its annual report and in a letter to shareholders that it is rebranding as Crown Resorts Ltd. Crown Ltd, Melbourne, Australia, will más...
Hyatt hosts social media discussions to gain consumer insights
On Thursday Hyatt Hotels Corp. hosted The World’s Largest Focus Group, a series of online activities centered on the question, “How do YOU más...
Risky business for hospitality
Due to the global nature of the hospitalty industry today, it has become necessary for businesses to transfer personal data across national más...
News in brief: Crowne Plaza, Crestline, Fairmont
Crowne Plaza to expand in London: IHG signed a franchise agreement with Cannon Corporate UK Ltd to open the 130-room Crowne Plaza London – más...
Interstate buys UK’s Chardon Management
Interstate Hotels & Resorts announced on Wednesday that it purchased for an undisclosed sum Chardon Management, which manages 32 hotels in the U.K más...
Cascade buys Four Seasons Houston
Cascade Investment has bought Four Seasons Hotel Houston from Maritz, Wolff & Co., which has owned the 404-room hotel since 2000. The transaction más...
Summit buying 4 hotels in US
Summit Hotel Properties announced on Tuesday that it has contracts to acquire four hotels, including three in California and one in Texas. Summit Hotel más...
What's Hot: Hotel Victor South Beach reopens after renovation
Hotel Victor South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida, has reopened after a five-month, US$8 million refurbishment project. Designers Yabu Pushelberg upgraded más...
Steigenberger HR campaign highlights unique guest requests
In an effort to attract employees to Steigenberger and InterCityHotels, Steigenberger Hotel Group is launching a new employer branding campaign centered más...
News in brief: Marcus, Hakkasan, Aloft
Rose resigns from Marcus: Kirk Rose, president of Marcus Hotels & Resorts resigned after less than a year in the position. Thomas Kissinger más...
Blackstone buys 16 Hersha hotels for $217 million
Hersha Hospitality Trust entered into a definitive agreement to sell 16 hotels in the U.S. East Coast region to an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate más...
Rosewood launches brand refresh
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts launched on Monday a brand refresh that includes a new logo and US$8 million in marketing efforts including a print and más...
What's Hot: Hilton launches self-service F&B at NYC hotel
Hilton Hotels & Resorts launched on Tuesday a new dining concept called Herb N' Kitchen at New York Hilton Midtown, which also offers in-room más...
Meliá wins contract to manage Real Madrid residence
Meliá Hotels International has won the contract to manage the Real Madrid Residence in Madrid, which includes a hotel facility where the first más...
Marriott shares marketing strategy
Brian King, Marriott International’s global brand officer for Marriott Endorsed Brands, revealed key findings on Tuesday from a brand new ethnographic más...
InterContinental restaurants earn green certification
All InterContinental Hotels & Resorts’ corporate-managed restaurants in the U.S. and Canada have become Certified Green Restaurants after meeting más...
News in brief: Morgans, Best Western, Hyatt
Morgans launches new website: Morgans Hotel Group unveiled its new website which includes digital booking services and interactive features. Read more más...
Inland American buys 2 Andaz hotels
Inland American Lodging Group bought two Andaz-branded hotels located in the U.S. from Hyatt Hotels Corp. for US$115 million. The hotels include the 141-room más...
What's Hot: Preview Lungarno Collection's Portrait Firenze
The Ferragamo-family owned Lungarno Collection will debut Portrait Firenze in April 2014. The 36-suite property overlooks the Ponte Vecchio and the River más...
Thayer, Metlife buy Hilton Los Cabos
Thayer Lodging Group and Metlife announced the joint acquisition of the 365-room Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort, located in Cabo San Lucas, más...
Dalian Wanda film industry development includes 8 hotels
Dalian Wanda Group announced on Sunday that it will develop the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis, a US$8.1 billion film and television industry más...
New Destination culinary series examines braising
The latest installment of Destination Hotels & Resorts’ culinary series “The Study Of…” focuses on braising. The quarterly más...
2 hotels aim to break moon cake world record
To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, the culinary teams at the Parkside Plaza at Changfeng and Shanghai Marriott Hotel Changfeng Park prepared a giant más...
News in brief: Mandarin Oriental, Hyatt, IHG
Mandarin Oriental to expand in China: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group signed an agreement with Chongqing Fortune Hill Real Estate Co. to manage más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Lodging Conference interviews
A record 1,500 people attended the 19th Lodging Conference in Phoenix this week with most everyone optimistic about near-term prospects for performance más...
HOTELS Interview: The data behind the dishes
Stacy Elefante grew up in the restaurant business thanks to her family’s Italian restaurant in Tucson, Arizona, and later honed her experience at más...
What's Hot: Park Hyatt unveils renovations in San Diego
Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in California has completed a renovation project that gave its 329 guestrooms and casual restaurant a new look that complements más...
Driftwood GM survey shows Millennials prioritize price
A survey by Driftwood Hospitality Management, North Palm Beach, Florida, of its general managers shows 43% of believe price is the top concern of Millennial más...
News in brief: Park Inn, Hilton
Park Inn to expand in Bahrain: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 207-room Park Inn by Radisson Hotel Bahrain in 2015. más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Mohamed Abdelrehim has been named general manager of the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Ithaca, New York más...
Pan Pacific CEO Imbardelli resigns
Patrick Imbardelli has resigned as CEO and president of Pan Pacific Hotels Group. Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Singapore, announced Imbardelli’s resignation más...
HOTELS report from Phoenix: Optimism abounds
Optimism about the U.S. hotel business was flowing like Kool-Aid at the opening session of The Lodging Conference on Wednesday at The Arizona Biltmore más...
Hot Openings: Salamander opens in Virginia
Salamander Resort & Spa opened late last month in Virginia. The equestrian-inspired resort occupies 340 acres (1389 hectares) in Middleburg, an hour más...
Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center sold for $60 million
An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. has sold the 451-room Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center to an affiliate of JMI Realty for approximately US$60 million más...
FelCor selling 2 hotels
FelCor Lodging Trust announced the sale of two U.S. hotels on Thursday. FelCor Lodging Trust, Irving, Texas, sold the 244-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel más...
Marriott asks employees to consider innovation
Marriott International has organized an Innovation Days series this week in an effort to encourage its associates to explore innovative ideas about the más...
News in brief: Warner, Hyatt, BridgeStreet
Warner to manage new NYC hotel: Warner Hospitality will manage the 33-room The William, an extended stay hotel located at 24 East 39th Street in más...
Dorchester Collection buys Rome’s Hotel Eden
Dorchester Collection confirmed on Wednesday that it acquired the 121-room Hotel Eden from Starman U.K. Services Co. Dorchester Collection, London, will más...
Hot Openings: Element debuted internationally with bike event
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide celebrated the grand opening of Element Vaughan Southwest this month in the Toronto area. The property is the más...
Cambria Suites revamps banquet and events menus
Choice Hotels International brand Cambria Suites is revamping its banquet and events culinary program under the leadership of Chef Michael DeMaria. Working más...
Blue cocktails celebrate Radisson Blu in Asia Pacific
Following a competition that saw nearly 40 bartenders submit creations that might be added to the Blu Signature Drinks menu, Radisson Blu has chosen two más...
News in brief: Shangri-La, Glory, Holiday Inn Resort
Shangri-La to expand in China: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has signed a management agreement with Zhejiang Yinan Group Co. Ltd. to operate the más...
AR Capital buys controlling stake of Crestline
AR Capital, New York City, on Tuesday completed its purchase of a controlling interest in Crestline Hotels and Resorts from Grupo Barcelo, Majorca más...
Airbnb hires former Joie de Vivre CEO, founder
Airbnb has hired Chip Conley, founder and former CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, as its head of global hospitality. The hospitality exchange network más...
Michels details plans for new Irish brand
The new Irish hotel brand being launched as a 50/50 JV by former Hilton Group Chief Executive Sir David Michels and the Royal Bank of Scotland’s más...
What's Hot: Rosewood unveils large suite in Riviera Maya
Rosewood Mayakoba in Mexico's Riviera Maya will introduce its Casa Laguna suite this month. The resort says the suite is the largest in the region, at más...
Gold Key Awards finalists announced
Following a record number of entries — more than 260 international projects — finalists for the 33rd annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence más...
Industry leaders offer advice on Africa development
Top hospitality executives with a history of successful development in Africa recently offered advice via Twitter about how to balance the risks and rewards más...
News in brief: IHG, M&C, Lightstone
Holiday Inn Express to expand in Bangkok: IHG signed a management agreement with TCC Hotels for the 184-room Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Sathornhotel más...
Michels, RBS create "Collection" in Ireland
Former Hilton Group Chief Executive Sir David Michels and the Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) Ulster subsidiary on Monday launched a 25-unit hotel más...
Hot Openings: Schrager returns to London with Edition
The London Edition opened last Thursday marking Ian Schrager's first return to London in 15 years. Edition springs from a partnership that aims más...
HOTELS Interview: New prototype for Microtel
Wyndham Hotel Group, Parsippany, New Jersey, announced a new hotel prototype for its Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham brand at the 2013 Wyndham Hotel más...
Loews launches flavor-focused kids menu
Loews Hotels & Resorts is targeting adventurous young foodies with its new Precocious Plates menu. The new program at Maritana Grille (Loews Don CeSar) más...
W Taipei makes trash trendy
W Taipei for the past several months has been participating in a “trash redesign” project in an effort to transform items such as used plastic más...
News in brief: Marriott, Autograph, Hyatt
Marriott to expand in Chicago: The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority announced that Marriott International will operate the 1,200-room más...
HOTELS Interview: Wyndham’s Valletta on HoJo refresh
Earlier this week Wyndham Hotel Group, Parsippany, New Jersey, unveiled a comprehensive refresh for its Howard Johnson brand including a new logo, exterior más...
What's Hot: Historic suites check in at London's Café Royal
Café Royal, which made its hotel debut in London late last year, has introduced six suites, each with unique features highlighting historical periods más...
Four Seasons food truck to hit the road
The first official Four Seasons Food Truck, an initiative by Toronto-based Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, embarks on its inaugural journey next week más...
Benchmark's dining trends from grandma's table
The culinary team at Benchmark Hospitality International, The Woodlands, Texas, have identified what it considers some of the top dining trends of 2013 más...
News in brief: Disney, General Hotels, Solaire Manila
Disney to buy billions worth of own stock: Walt Disney Co. announced plans to buy US$6 billion to US$8 billion of its own stock starting in 2014 más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Seema Bandukda has been named regional director of sales for OTO Development in Spartanburg, South Carolina más...
Hilton files for initial public offering
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, filed on Thursday for an initial public offering of up to US$1.25 billion. The Blackstone Group, New York más...
Hot Openings: Generator powers up in Venice
Generator opened its eighth property, Generator Venice, this week. The group says the property is the first hostel within the Venetian archipelago. The más...
Super 8, Ramada brands set for Brazil growth
Wyndham Hotel Group brands Super 8 and Ramada are set for expansion in Brazil under separate deals being negotiated with HotelPar Holding and Vert Hotéis más...
Ritz-Carlton debuts Chinese site, Sina Weibo page
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has launched a new Chinese website as well as a page on Sina Weibo, the first Mandarin-language social media channel for the más...
Former broker Koger arrested for fraud in Virginia
Robert Koger, the former owner of Virginia real estate brokerage firm Molinaro-Koger, was arrested Monday for allegedly stealing US$2.5 million and attempting más...
Waldorf Astoria debuts documentary-style video series
On the heels of a similar campaign launched last week by Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts has debuted the “Unforgettable más...
News in brief: Minor, Hilton, Waramaug
Minor to enter Cambodia: Minor Hotel Group announced that it acquired majority ownership of the 39-suite Sothea Boutique Resort in Siem Reap, which más...
Australia's TAHL portfolio sells for US$742 million
Sovereign wealth fund giant Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has acquired 31 hotels for a reported A$800 million (US$742 million) from Australia's largest más...
What's Hot: Trump details plans for DC hotel
The Trump Hotel Collection has unveiled its plans for the redevelopment of Washington, D.C.'s Old Post Office. Trump International Hotel, The Old Post más...
HOTELS report from Wyndham conference: New designs, F&B initiatives
Wyndham Hotel Group announced a slew of new design, F&B and amenities initiatives at the 2013 Wyndham Hotel Group Global Conference, held this week más...
LA's 10th-largest hotel sold to New York investors
Rubicon Cos., a private Greenwich, Connecticut, real-estate investment firm, has acquired the 640-room Hacienda Hotel in Los Angeles near the airport más...
STR updates 2013, 2014 US forecasts
The U.S. hotel industry is expected to see modest gains for year-end 2013 and in 2014, according to the updated U.S. forecast from STR. In 2014, STR predicts más...
Brazil business to pass Korea, Italy, France: GBTA
Despite volatility in 2013, Brazilian business travel spending is expected to improve and regain double-digit growth in 2014 and surpass South Korea, más...
News in brief: GHM, Kimpton, Gemstone
GHM announces its first Maldives hotel: The Chedi Dhapparu will include 90 hotel-managed residential villas and 40 hotel suites, and is scheduled to open más...
Hilton files for initial public offering
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, filed on Thursday for an initial public offering of up to US$1.25 billion. The Blackstone Group, New York más...
Wyndham unveils Howard Johnson refresh
Wyndham Hotel Group unveiled new plans for its Howard Johnson brand on Tuesday, including a new logo and conceptual exterior and interior designs. Announced más...
Hotel Equities forms JV with Alliance Hospitality
Hotel Equities has formed a joint venture with Raleigh, North Carolina-based Alliance Hospitality to create a portfolio of 55 hotels with a room count más...
Hot Openings: Oberoi enters United Arab Emirates
Oberoi Hotels & Resorts opened its first property in the United Arab Emirates, The Oberoi, Dubai, in June. The hotel, located a few minutes' más...
Cornerstone reportedly buys Boston icon
Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers has acquired Boston’s 143-room Copley Square Hotel from CapStar Hotel Co. for US$59.3 million, according to a Registry más...
TripAdvisor survey shows economic optimism in emerging markets
One theme from the latest TripBarometer by TripAdvisor is that travelers vary considerably in their economic outlook, with those from emerging markets más...
News in brief: St. Regis, DusitD2, Dream Dubai
St. Regis Istanbul to open in first half of 2014: The Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide brand has signed an agreement with Nisantasi Konaklama ve más...
Louvre enters partnership to develop 26 hotels in Europe
Louvre Hotels Group, Paris, has partnered with Arcus Bauerrichtung GmbH, a German real estate construction group, and Redserve, an Austrian consulting más...
What's Hot: The Balmoral starts pouring at whisky bar
Rocco Forte's The Balmoral is opening Scotch, its new signature whisky bar with what it says is the largest collection of Scottish whiskies available más...
Record RevPAR in London for 2014: PwC
With further signs of stabilization in the United Kingdom, PwC is predicting the best ADR growth in 2014 since 2008. In fact, it has been a volatile más...
Hotel del Coronado team jumps for joy
The sales team at the Hotel del Coronado outside San Diego took the art of team bonding to a whole new level when the group jumped out of an airplane más...
News in brief: Holiday Inn, De Vere, Groupon
IHG signs Holiday Inn in Turkey: The 161-room Holiday Inn Diyarbakir – City Center, scheduled to open in 2015, will be converted from an existing más...
HOTELS Interview: Haggerty on Hyatt’s all-inclusive plans
Over the past two months Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, has announced the launch of two new all-inclusive brands, Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva coupled with más...
Hot Openings: Andaz says 'aloha' to Maui
Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort & Spa is officially open following a Hawaiian blessing ceremony. The property, the 10th hotel to join the Andaz brand más...
Renaissance shows off its views at Heathrow
This month at London’s Heathrow Airport renown Terminal 5, a large-scale photography exhibition entitled Room With A View is being sponsored by más...
News in brief: BHG, Bali
BHG to expand in Brazil: Brazil Hospitality Group signed an agreement with Ferplan Construtora e Incorporadora to develop in Itajai the 200-room más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Mark Adams has been named director of sales at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Adams más...
Balazs reportedly dealing Standard brand
High-profile hotel developer André Balazs has reportedly sold a majority interest in his Standard hotel brand, according to Reuters, which also más...
Interstate takes management of NYC’s Paramount
Interstate Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with RFR Holding LLC to take over management of the 597-room Paramount Hotel. The New York más...
What's Hot: Four Seasons opens indoor/outdoor bar in Vegas
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas opened Press, an indoor/outdoor bar, in May. The bar's name comes from the processes of pressing coffee, pressing panini más...
Conrad social media campaign showcases local inspiration
Conrad Hotels & Resorts has debuted Conrad Connections, a social media campaign centered on digital documentaries in which various individuals discuss más...
News in brief: Accor, Dolce, Hotel Tonight
Accor to expand in Moscow: Accor signed an agreement with Patero Development to open three properties totaling 700 guestrooms near the Kievsky Railway más...
One&Only to enter Australia via Hayman
Kerzner International Holdings has entered into an agreement with Mulpha Australia to assume management of Hayman, which will be relaunched as One&Only más...
Burkle bristles after Morgans changes CEO
Leading investors in Morgans Hotel Group Co. are demanding again that the underperforming company be sold. After the company announced Tuesday that CEO más...
FRHI announces management changes
FRHI, the Toronto-based parent company of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts and Swissotel Hotels & Resorts, has announced más...
Hot Openings: Steigenberger opens in Bremen
Steigenberger Hotel Bremen officially opened Sept. 1, 2013 in northern Germany, on the banks of the River Weser. The hotel has 137-key property offers más...
Caneel Bay Resort now managed by owner
Caneel Bay on St. John, U.S.V.I., will reopen this fall as an independent resort. Previously managed by Rosewood Hotels & Resorts since 1993, the más...
News in brief: Four Seasons, Aimbridge, IHG
Four Seasons to enter South Korea: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts signed an agreement with Mirae Asset Global Investments to open the 317-room más...
Gross resigns as Morgans CEO, Kalisman named interim
Morgans Hotels Group Co. CEO Michael Gross resigned on August 30, replaced on an interim basis by company Chairman Jason Kalisman, according to a Bloomberg más...
Dorchester Collection close to buying Eden in Rome
If all goes according to plans, on September 17 the Sultan of Brunei’s Dorchester Collection will finalize a deal to acquire the Eden Hotel in Rome más...
JV formed to develop Yotels in Saudi Arabia
Capitas Group International and IFA Hotel Investments, the largest investor in the Yotel brand, are forming a joint venture to develop Yotel-branded properties más...
Internos buys Vienna Hilton for €52 million
Internos Global Investors announced that it closed the acquisition of the 367-room Hotel Vienna Danube from Immofinanz Group for €52 million (US$68 más...
What's Hot: Sneak a peek at W's first Swiss property
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide plans to bring its W brand into the Swiss market this December, when it opens W Verbier and The Residences at más...
Hotel Properties subsidiary buys Maldives hotel
Olhuveli Laamu Holdings has sold the Six Senses Laamu resort in the Maldives to Leisure Frontiers Limited, a subsidiary of Singapore-based Hotel Properties más...
News in brief: Centara, Holiday Inn, Rosewood
Centara to enter Ethiopia: Centara Hotels & Resorts signed an agreement with Yencomad Construction Plc to manage the 300-room Centara Grand más...
HOTELS Interview: Apple Core's Vijay Dandapani
New York City continues to be the center of the hotel universe with ongoing strong development and performance. Supply is growing as is demand to fill más...
Soffers to take other half of Fontainebleau from Dubai World: Report
Dubai World is in the final stages of selling its 50% stake in Miami Beach's Fontainebleau hotel to South Florida developers led by the Soffer family más...
What's Hot: $30 million redo coming to Marriott in Detroit
Amid Detroit's financial woes, Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center announced it will invest US$30 million into a renovation project. Renovations más...
Art exhibits front and center at 21c Museum Hotels
An increasing number of hotels are using art to set themselves apart in the marketplace, and one brand leading the charge is 21c Museum Hotels, which más...
QT Sydney’s elevators change music based on occupants
QT Sydney has installed software on its elevators to match the number of occupants inside. Upon entering one of the hotel's five elevators, custom designed más...
agosto 2013
HOTELS Interview: Keys to managing F&B costs
As the newly named corporate director of restaurants and bars for Denihan Hospitality Group, New York City, Patrick Chiappetta must direct the culinary más...
What's Hot: Art installation doubles as guestroom at 21c
21c Museum Hotel Louisville in Kentucky has a new accommodation option for guests: an immersive art installation that doubles as a functional hotel room más...
News in brief: Fibra, Hand Picked, Avocet
Fibra buys hotel in Mexico: Fibra Inn announced on Thursday that it bought the 102-room Mexico Plaza Irapuato for 93 million pesos (US$6.9 million) más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Gareth Banner has been appointed general manager of St Pancras Renaissance in London. Banner was most más...
Inland American buys 2 Houston Westins
A wholly owned subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust bought two hotels in Houston for approximately US$220 million. Inland American Real Estate más...
What's Hot: University of Notre Dame reopens Morris Inn
Morris Inn at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana will reopen for overnight guests beginning Sept. 1, 2013. The property closed in October 2012 for más...
Pebblebrook buys Oregon hotel
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust announced on Thursday that it bought the 174-room Hotel Modera, located in Portland, Oregon, from Posh Ventures LLC for US$47 más...
'Dirtiest' hotel owner loses lawsuit against TripAdvisor
The owner of the Grand Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Pigeon Force, Tennessee, lost a US$10 million lawsuit filed in 2011 against TripAdvisor. más...
Viceroy Riviera Maya offers custom wedding cocktails
As cocktail programs become increasingly intricate, the Viceroy Riviera Maya is aiming to enhance the typical wedding bar offering with its new Customized más...
News in brief: Hotel Indigo, Shangri-La, Pramukhraj
Hotel Indigo to enter Finland: IHG's Hotel Indigo brand is set to enter Finland after signing a deal to open the 120-room Hotel Indigo Helsinki-Boulevard in más...
Hyatt buying Peabody Orlando for $717 million
Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced on Wednesday that a wholly owned Hyatt subsidiary plans to purchase the 1,641-room The Peabody Orlando hotel, located in más...
LaSalle acquires properties in Florida, San Francisco
LaSalle Hotel Properties, Bethesda, Maryland, has purchased properties in Key West, Florida, and San Francisco with borrowings from its Senior Unsecured más...
What's Hot: The Goring shows off silk suites
The Goring in Belgravia, London, has unveiled its new Belgravia suites. The seven suites have an English style, centered around rewoven historic silk más...
Only management change coming to Hayman Island
Reports on Tuesday from two Australian news sources suggesting that Kerzner International was negotiating to acquire the Hayman Island resort in Australia más...
News in brief: Accor, LVS, Shangri-La
Accor back in black in H1: Accor reported a net profit of €34 million (US$45 million) in the first half of 2013, up from a loss of €532 más...
Sébastien Bazin named Accor’s new CEO
On Tuesday Accor’s board of directors appointed Sébastien Bazin as the company's next chairman and CEO, ending a four-month search. Yann más...
Kerzner reportedly close to buying Hayman Island resort
Multiple reports on Tuesday stated Malaysian-owned investment vehicle Mulpha Australia Ltd. is selling the Hayman Island resort to 78-year-old hotel legend más...
What's Hot: Hotel Indigo to open brand's first resort hotel
InterContinental Hotels Group's Hotel Indigo brand will open its first resort hotel this fall, in China's Yunnan Province. Hotel Indigo Lijiang Ancient más...
InterContinental launches social media scavenger hunt
Nine U.S. InterContinental hotels have debuted the Digital Detective social media scavenger hunt, which encourages Facebook fans to play to win trips más...
News in brief: Sheraton, Mantra, PwC
Sheraton expands in Iraq: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will open the 202-room Sheraton Dohuk Hotel in early 2014. Read more at Starwood’s más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Details on Jin Jiang's new MetroPolo brand
In late July, Chinese hotel giant Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotel Group Co., Shanghai, announced plans to develop a new midscale brand called Jinjiang más...
Hyatt launching 2 all-inclusive brands
Hyatt Hotels Corp. is launching two new brands, Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva, for the all-inclusive segment. The Hyatt Zilara brand will exclusively focus más...
What's Hot: Generator outlines plans for Paris, Rome
Generator Hostels recently announced deals for two new properties in Paris and Rome, as the upscale hostel segment continues to grow. Both hostels will más...
World’s largest Holiday Inn announced for Saudi Arabia
IHG announced on Monday that it signed an agreement with Makkah Real Estate Co. to open the 1,238-room Holiday Inn Makkah, in 2016 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia más...
Holiday Inn Express launches humorous video series
Holiday Inn Express has teamed with comedy experts CollegeHumor to launch an original series of videos on StaySmart.com that reinvents everyday items más...
News in brief: Marriott, Sheraton, Ascott
Marriott to renovate Detroit location: The 1,329-room Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center will undergo US$30 million in renovations beginning más...
HOTELS Interview: Holiday Inn’s ongoing evolution
How can the Holiday Inn brand marry its rich history with guests’ ever-evolving needs? And how can it successfully co-exist with sister brand Holiday más...
What's Hot: Gleneagles renovates 36 guestrooms
The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, has unveiled its latest refurbishment project: a US$1.6 million renovation of 36 of the property's 232 guestrooms más...
Room attendant’s personal donation aids ‘smile’ campaign
Inspired by Affinia Hotels’ partnership with Operation Smile — a nonprofit organization that provides surgeries for children and young adults más...
News in brief: Expedia-Travelocity deal, AHIP, Value Place
Expedia, Travelocity sign strategic agreement: Expedia and Travelocity announced on Thursday a long-term strategic marketing agreement whereby Expedia más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Dusit Thani Dubai has named Julia Alvaro director of sales and marketing. Most recently, Alvaro was más...
Minor, Rani form JV for East Africa expansion
Minor Hotel Group announced on Thursday that it formed a joint venture with Rani Investment to buy the 44-villa Indigo Bay Resort & Spa, located on más...
Hot Openings: Anantara opens second Vietnam property
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas opened Anantara Hoi An Resort earlier this summer. The property is the group's second in Vietnam. The 93-key resort más...
Eco-conscious hotel car rental trend continues
The “greening” of hotel fleets and rental car options is becoming a hot trend worldwide. The Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel in Spain has made más...
Affinia caters to extended-stay guests with grocery amenity
In an effort to cater to extended-stay guests, Affinia Hotels, New York City, is partnering with grocery delivery service FreshDirect to offer ready-to-make-meals más...
News in brief: PM, Interra, Red Lion
PM Hospitality signs 4 hotels: PM Hospitality Strategies signed an agreement to operate two hotels in New York City and two hotels in Delaware, más...
Mirae buys Four Seasons Sydney for $340 million
Mirae Asset Global Investments bought the 531-room Four Seasons Hotel Sydney from Eureka Funds Management for A$340 million (US$306 million). Mirae Asset más...
Capex spending in US to reach record level in 2013
Capital expenditures for U.S. hotels are forecast to exceed the prior record level spent in 2008. The forecast for 2013 capital expenditures is approximately más...
Dolly Parton to develop 300-room resort at Dollywood
Entertainer and theme park developer Dolly Parton has announced plans to open Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort in the summer of 2015 in the Great Smoky más...
Almost 800 new hotels planned for Indonesia
Because of new air routes, more business trips and the development of additional markets for business and leisure, it is estimated that 700 to 800 new más...
Gansevoort Las Vegas to feature De Laurentiis restaurant
Chef, author and television personality Giada De Laurentiis plans to open her first restaurant — Giada — at Gansevoort Las Vegas when the más...
Hot Openings: ALT lands at Halifax airport
Groupe Germain Hospitalité opened ALT Hotel Halifax Stanfield earlier this summer. The hotel is the Quebec City-based group's fourth in Canada más...
News in brief: Albwardy, Aloft, Embratur
Albwardy buys 2-hotel development in Ethiopia: Albwardy Investments bought a two-hotel development in Addis Ababa from M.A. Kharafi & Sons for más...
Palazzo Versace to enter China via Macau
SJM Holdings announced on Tuesday that it signed an agreement with the Versace fashion house to open a Palazzo Versace-branded hotel at a new casino-resort más...
What's Hot: Corinthia rolls out fashion week cocktails
Corinthia Hotel London is getting into the spirit of fashion week with a collection of fashion-inspired cocktails at its Bassoon Bar. Head Barman Mario más...
Gansevoort offers unique amenity for smokers
Gansevoort Hotel Group has partnered with an electronic cigarette company in an effort to serve both smoking and non-smoking guests. New York City-based más...
Arizona hotel grows produce indoors and out
It looks like a refrigerator, but Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel is using the appliance to grow a variety of micro greens and herbs. The Phoenix, Arizona más...
News in brief: Atlantica, Onyx, Archer
Radisson to expand in Brazil: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and Atlantica Hotels International are set to open the 292-room Radisson Hotel Rio de más...
Northwood to acquire London West Hollywood
Sources have told HOTELS that a letter of intent has been signed for Northwood Investors, New York City, to acquire the 200-room The London West Hollywood más...
Pinnacle selling Lumière Place to Tropicana
Pinnacle Entertainment announced on Friday that it entered into an agreement to sell its Lumière Place Casino and Hotels complex in St. Louis to más...
Hot Openings: Waldorf Astoria opens outside Dubai
Hilton Worldwide has opened its first Waldorf Astoria-branded property in United Arab Emirates in the Ras al Khaimah emirate. The Waldorf Astoria Ras más...
New Holiday Inn ad campaign focuses on ‘change’
Holiday Inn has launched a new multimillion-dollar advertising campaign centered on the theme “Change Your View” and featuring a new television más...
News in brief: Kimpton, Mandarin Oriental, Westin
Kimpton to expand in Texas: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced on Monday that it signed an agreement with JMI Realty to open a 322-room más...
HOTELS Interview: Trivedi on La Quinta expansion
La Quinta Inns & Suites may be sold by owner Blackstone or launch an IPO in the near term, but for Executive Vice President and Chief Development más...
Marriott confirms sale agreement for 3 Editions
Marriott International on Friday confirmed rumors that it recently entered into a non-binding letter of intent for the sale of three Edition-branded hotels más...
Hot Openings: The Pearl opens in Florida
The Pearl opened Thursday in Rosemary Beach, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico. The 55-key property includes the Pearl Suite, located in a the clock tower más...
Ocean Properties buys 5 Florida hotels
Ocean Properties, Delray Beach, Florida, has bought five hotels located in Florida and totaling 516 guestrooms for an undisclosed price from Atlantia más...
Dorchester Collection creates fashion-inspired cocktails
The four designers who are finalists for the 2013 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize provided the inspiration for a new fashion season cocktail menu más...
News in brief: Gaylord, Brazil
Petition against Colorado Gaylord rejected: A petition by Denver-area hotels to renege tax incentives being offered by the state for developing más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Mary Carlson has been named general manager of the Residence Inn Schaumburg in Illinois. Previously más...
ADIA rumored to acquire 3 Editions from Marriott
Reports surfaced on Wednesday that the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is close to making a deal to acquire three Edition brand hotels from Marriott más...
What's Hot: The Benjamin unveils new look in NYC
The Benjamin in Manhattan is in the final phase of its US$10 million renovation. Lauren Rottet of Rottet Studio led the project, which will conclude when más...
Hilton launches initiative for US veterans
Hilton Worldwide announced on Thursday the launch of Operation: Opportunity, a hiring and discount initiative for U.S. military veterans. As part of the más...
Magna affiliate agrees to buy Pittsburgh hotel
An affiliate of Magna Hospitality Group has agreed to buy the 336-room Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh International Airport for US$44.5 million. Pittsburgh más...
Four Seasons uses Pinterest to help guests plan trips
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, has introduced Pin.Pack.Go, a trip-planning service that aims to leverage the popularity of Pinterest to connect más...
News in brief: Absolute, Champion Regal, Roedel
Absolute expands in Vietnam: Eastin Hotels & Residences, an Absolute Hotel Services Group brand, will manage and rebrand the 90-room Lakeside más...
Carey Watermark buys North Carolina Marriott
Carey Watermark Investors on Wednesday announced that it has acquired Raleigh Marriott City Center, located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, for US$83 más...
What's Hot: Banyan Tree in Shanghai uncorks new bar
Banyan Tree Shanghai on the Bund has unveiled its newest bar: Tops, located on the hotel's rooftop. Tops is an outdoor space with a 180º view of más...
MGM Resorts adds to natural gas fleet
MGM Resorts International announced on Tuesday that it converted six of its transportation vehicles to burning compressed natural gas (CNG). MGM Resorts más...
Renaissance Hotels debuts film-based digital game
Renaissance Hotels has launched an interactive film-based gaming experience, Discovery Doors, created by New York communications agency Anomaly and directed más...
Guide to 2014 digital marketing budget planning
Next year will prove to be an important year for hoteliers as travel demands are expected to grow by 3.3% in 2014, according to data from PKF. To take más...
News in brief: Chatham, Timbers, Hyatt
Chatham buys New Hampshire hotel: Chatham Lodging Trust bought the 111-room Hampton Inn & Suites Exeter for US$15.2 million. The property will más...
Generator announces hostels for Paris, Rome
Generator announced on Tuesday that it bought two properties in Paris and Rome that it will develop into hostels. Generator, London, which is owned by más...
Ace Hotel Group to enter Latin America
Ace Hotel Group announced its first foray into Latin America after signing an agreement with developer Conservatorio to open the 50-room American Trade más...
What's Hot: Exclusive look at InterContinental LA's new suite
InterContinental Los Angeles has redesigned its Royal Suite. The 3,300-sq-ft (307-sq-m) suite has two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. The master más...
Record US lodging fees forecast for 2013
Following the 2012 record of US$2 billion, total fees and surcharges collected by U.S. hotels will increase to a new record level of US$2.1 billion in más...
2013 investment volumes expected to exceed expectations
Hotel investment activity has continued to show strong growth with global investment volumes reaching US$21 billion in the first six months of the year más...
Marriott to sponsor 2014 Gay Games
Marriott International announced that it will be a platinum sponsor and exclusive hotel partner for the 2014 Gay Games, presented by the Cleveland Foundation más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Onyx, Ashford
Wyndham to expand in New Jersey: Wyndham Hotel Group announced that it has taken on the day-to-day management of the 219-room Hamilton Park Hotel más...
Blackstone reportedly selling Deutsche Interhotel
The Blackstone Group is reportedly set to sell the 10-hotel Deutsche Interhotel portfolio to its creditors Starwood Capital, Brookfield Financial Management más...
What's Hot: Renaissance Chicago refines restaurant
The Renaissance Downtown Chicago has completed a US$2 million renovation of its Great Street Restaurant. The renovated space has a contemporary look, más...
Caesars exiting Macau for $438 million
Caesars Entertainment Corp. revealed in its quarterly earnings report last week that it has agreed to sell its Macau golf course to Pearl Dynasty Investments más...
3 Apple REITs merging
Apple REIT Seven and Apple REIT Eight will combine with Apple REIT Nine in two merger transactions to become one of the largest hospitality REITs in the más...
News in brief: Indian Hotels Co., Roedel, Britannia
Indian Hotels Co. to decide on OEH bid by next quarter: The Indian Hotels Co. CFO Anil Goel said that the company will decide by next quarter whether más...
HOTELS Interview: Standing out through genuine service
When Shan Kanagasingham arrived to take over the general manager position at The Surrey two-and-a-half years ago, the 189-room hotel on New York City’s más...
IHG, OTAs agree to loosen rate parity requirements
In response to the U.K. Office of Fair Trade finding rate parity practices to violate competition law, IHG, Booking.com and Expedia have agreed to relax más...
Hot Openings: Shangri-La enters Istanbul
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts opened Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul in May, on the European side of the Bosphorus Strait. The hotel's site is a 1930s-era más...
Pebblebrook buys Redbury from sbe
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust on Friday announced that it has acquired the 57-room, upscale extended-stay Redbury Hotel in Hollywood, California, for US$34 más...
Marriott launches new meeting rooms in Europe
Marriott International announced this week new meeting spaces at two hotels it manages under its Marriott Hotels brand in Europe, the Munich Marriott más...
News in brief: Red Lion, Hilton, Marriott
Red Lion CEO to retire, interim appointed: The retirement of Jon Eliassen, Red Lion Hotels Corp. CEO and president was announced on Thursday. James más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: CSM Lodging, Minneapolis, has named Kate Burda vice president sales and marketing. Burda previously más...
Hilton reportedly restructuring debt for IPO
Hilton Worldwide reportedly hired four banks to restructure its US$13 billion debt ahead of an early 2014 initial public offering. Bloomberg reported más...
What's Hot: Melrose Georgetown Hotel gets a new look, name
The former Melrose Hotel in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood has completed a renovation project that includes a redesign, a new name, and a más...
Hilton debuts new careers website
Hilton Worldwide has launched a new mobile-optimized global careers website, hiltonworldwide.com/careers. New website features include: Language and location más...
Dotty’s parent company buys Nevada casino-resort
Nevada Restaurant Services bought the 370-room Hacienda Hotel and Casino, located outside Boulder City, Nevada, from Lakeview Co. for an undisclosed sum más...
News in brief: Capella, Marriott, Le Cirque
Capella to expand in Saint Lucia: Capella Hotels and Resorts announced that it has assumed management of the 124-room Discovery at Marigot Bay, más...
HOTELS Interview: Crowne Plaza Israel's Ron Yariv
Israel is a country full of tourism riches, yet development has never reached its potential for the obvious politically related issues. Nonetheless, since más...
Hot Openings: Park Hyatt debuts in Cambodia
Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced the official opening of Park Hyatt Siem Reap, its first property in Cambodia. The building, formerly known as Hotel De La más...
Choice launches mobile booking tool
Choice Hotels International announced on Wednesday the launch of RapidBook, which allows for easier mobile reservation booking. Choice Hotels International más...
Starwood announces new amenities for Indian travelers
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced this week new amenities for Indian travelers and a new Starwood Preferred Guest Android app in Chinese más...
News in brief: 21c Museum Hotels, Accor, Google
21c Museum Hotels seeks Missouri expansion: 21c Museum Hotels is negotiating with municipal authorities for tax incentives to renovate and reopen más...
La Quinta on the trading block: WSJ
The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday morning that The Blackstone Group is preparing to sell or launch an IPO for its La Quinta hotel chain before más...
IHG details H1, grows Even with its balance sheet
IHG announced solid first half results on Tuesday, as well as a US$350 million special dividend and plans to develop two Even brand hotels on the East más...
What's Hot: Lexington NYC refreshes for Autograph debut
The Lexington New York City is in the final stages of a renovation that will completely overhaul the guestrooms and the public spaces. The property joins más...
DeBartolo buys Hawaii hotel
DeBartolo Development announced last week that it bought the 132-room Aqua Waikiki Pearl, located one block from Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. DeBartolo más...
Global business travel to increase through 2018: GBTA
Global spending on business travel is forecast to reach US$1.12 trillion in 2013, a 5.4% increase from 2012, with travel spend stabilizing after a year más...
News in brief: Marriott, Grace, Trump
Marriott to expand in upstate New York: Marriott International will redevelop the DeWitt Clinton Hotel, located in downtown Albany. Marriott plans más...
Pritzker buys out Pomerancs, controls Commune
Geolo Capital, the private equity firm founded and led by John Pritzker, is now the sole owner of Commune Hotels & Resorts after it closed Monday más...
What's Hot: Starwood expands Luxury Collection in Peru
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has added the Palacio del Inka in Cusco, Peru to its Luxury Collection following an extensive renovation más...
Gansevoort launches social mapping app
Gansevoort Hotel Group, New York City, has partnered with Citymaps on a social mapping mobile application. With a focus on personalization, the new app más...
News in brief: Hotel Equities, Hilton, Worldhotels
Hotel Equities partnering to develop Georgia hotel: Hotel Equities is partnering with Hotel Development Partners to develop a 132-room Hampton Inn más...
HOTELS Interview: Building a strong portfolio in India
After leading a team that built Accor’s platform in India and acquiring more than 35 assets, Ashish Jakhanwala founded SAMHI Hotels Pvt. Ltd. in más...
Zakarian new culinary director at The Plaza
Chef Geoffrey Zakarian has been named culinary director of The Plaza in New York City. Under Zakarian’s guidance, The Palm Court, The Oak Room & más...
LaSalle buys 2 San Francisco hotels
LaSalle Hotel Properties announced on Friday that it acquired the 131-room Harbor Court Hotel and 140-room Hotel Triton, both located in San Francisco más...
Montage takes over property in Maui
Montage Hotels & Resorts on Thursday was named manager of The Residences at Kapalua Bay in Maui, Hawaii, by Lantern Asset Management, on behalf of más...
Hot Openings: Shangri-La opening two hotels in China
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts will open two properties in mainland China this month, for a total of 43 hotels in its greater China portfolio. Shangri-La más...
News in brief: Host, Apple REIT Ten, Starwood Capital
Host’s earnings up in Q2: Host Hotels & Resorts reported a net income of US$121 million in the second quarter of 2013, up from US$63 million más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Martin Alcala has been appointed executive chef at Hyatt Regency Santa Clara in Santa Clara, California más...
Smith named new Four Seasons CEO, president
Allen Smith, currently CEO of Prudential Real Estate Investors, will become the new president and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the company más...
What's Hot: Hotel ZaZa Dallas debuts new bungalows
The Hotel ZaZa Dallas officially opens The Bungalows this week. The new accommodations consist of 12 one- and two-bedroom guest suites located on a private más...
New Marriott programs aim to reduce energy use in Europe
Marriott International has launched a number of energy-saving initiatives in Europe to reduce carbon dioxide emissions versus annual targets by an additional más...
Dramatic change to makeup of Phuket market
Asia's surging China syndrome is reshaping the Phuket tourism market with one in four international visitors now coming from the Mainland. According to más...
News in brief: Marriott, Absolute, Hilton
Marriott earnings up in Q2: Marriott International reported a net income of US$179 million during the second quarter of 2013, a 25% increase compared más...
julio 2013
LVMH buys Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA (LVMH) announced on Wednesday that it has acquired Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France from majority owner Adventurous más...
Jin Jiang launching mid-market MetroPolo brand
Chinese hotel giant Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotel Group Co., Shanghai, is expanding into the midscale segment with the launch of a new brand más...
What's Hot: Le Bristol Paris debuts new rooms, suites
Le Bristol Paris has completed a four-year, US$196 million renovation by unveiling 29 updated guestrooms and suites. Maja Oetker decorated the new guest más...
New CEO for BHG
Brazil Hospitality Group announced on Tuesday that it has appointed Eduardo Bartolomeo as its new CEO. Prior to joining BHG, Bartolomeo worked at AmBev más...
Hard Rock to open first hotel in Europe
Hard Rock International has announced it will open Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza, the first Hard Rock Hotel to open in Europe, in May 2014. Palladium Hotel Group más...
Hyatt to add hotel in downtown Chicago
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a franchise agreement with Chicago-based Integrated Clark Monroe for Hyatt Chicago más...
Virginia Beach’s Cavalier sold for $35 million
Cavalier Associates LLC bought the The Cavalier Hotel complex, which is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and consists of a 110-room hotel and 282-room más...
News in brief: Hansar, DoubleTree, Omni
Hansar expands in Thailand: Hansar Hotels & Resorts announced that it will open the 24-room Hansar Pranburi in Q4 2013, the 39-room Hansar Khao más...
HOTELS Interview: Element broadens its view
When it comes to the evolution of Element Hotels, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s “eco-wise” extended stay brand that debuted más...
What's Hot: New suite checks in at Rome's Palazzo Manfredi
The Palazzo Manfredi in Rome has debuted the Ludus Magnus Suite, named after a gladiator training school built by Emperor Domitian. The 645-sq-ft (60-sq-m) más...
$150 million fund to develop 15 HIE hotels in Australia
IHG announced on Tuesday that Pro Invest Group has established a US$150 million fund to develop a portfolio of 15 Holiday Inn Express hotels across Australia más...
Best Western expands in Myanmar
Best Western International announced on Monday that it signed its second hotel in Myanmar. The 205-room Best Western Premier The Grand At Nay Pyi Taw más...
Marriott hosts interactive party for 'brilliant’ campaign
Marriott Hotels recently hosted an interactive cocktail party at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis as part of the brand’s “Travel Brilliantly” más...
Africa: Despite challenges, data shows promise
The latest analysis by STR Global reveals that despite high levels of inflation and political uncertainty, Africa is proving that it is a growing tourist más...
DLF seeking suitor for Amanresorts again
Indian real estate giant DLF has ended its contract of exclusivity to sell the Amanresorts chain back to Adrian Zecha after Zecha has failed to find financing más...
Oxford Capital, Angelo Gordon developing Chicago hotel
Oxford Capital and Angelo, Gordon & Co. announced on Monday the purchase of Chicago’s London Accident & Guarantee Building with plans to más...
What's Hot: The Rittenhouse debuts new suites in Philadelphia
The Rittenhouse hotel in Philadelphia has unveiled five new Park Suites designed by Alexandra Champalimaud. The suites are located on the hotel's más...
New Hilton online portal targets meeting planners
Citing the company’s belief in face-to-face communications, Hilton Worldwide has launched Connect at Hilton Worldwide, an online portal that gives más...
News in brief: Park Inn, Dusit Fudu, Carlton Cannes
Park Inn to enter Rwanda: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 161-room Park Inn by Radisson Kigali, which will open in the más...
HOTELS Interview: Denihan’s new e-commerce strategy
In December Denihan Hospitality Group, New York City, appointed Thomas Botts to the newly-created role of executive vice president, chief customer officer más...
What's Hot: The Umstead unveils rejuvenated spa
The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, North Carolina, has completed a three-month, top-to-bottom renovation of its spa. The spa now occupies some 16,000 más...
Wheelock acquires several hotels from Lingate
Affiliates of Wheelock Street Capital have acquired a total of six hotels in Texas, Tennessee and Ohio from affiliates of Lingate Hospitality Group. The más...
News in brief: Laurus, Four Seasons, Choice
Laurus buys Chicago hotel: Laurus Corp. announced that it bought the 362-room Renaissance O’Hare Hotel for an undisclosed sum and will invest más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Sebastien Carre has been appointed general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Westcliff in Johannesburg, más...
Prince to enter mainland China with ski resort
Prince Hotels and Resorts is set to enter mainland China after signing a ski resort management deal with developer China Vanke Co., Shenzhen, China. Under más...
What's Hot: Loews Vanderbilt updates public areas, guestrooms
Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, has completed a six-month, US$17 million renovation. Rule Joy Trammel + Rubio served as the architects más...
Landry’s buys casino-resort development from Pinnacle
Landry’s Inc. announced on Thursday the purchase of a casino-resort under development in Lake Charles, Louisiana, from Pinnacle Entertainment for más...
InterContinental menu promotes ‘diplomacy through gastronomy’
The InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand is working with chefs to world leaders to promote “diplomacy through gastronomy” and highlight más...
News in brief: Accor, Starwood, Arden
Accor reports revenue down in H1, Q2: Accor's reported revenue for Q2 decreased 0.5% to €1.4 billion (US$1.9 billion) while reported revenue más...
J.D. Power: North American hotel guest satisfaction at 7-year high
Following two years of declines, hotel guest satisfaction has increased significantly, reaching its highest levels in the past seven years, according más...
Hot Openings: Sheraton's ring-shaped high rise in Huzhou
Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort is open on the banks of Taihu Lake in Huzhou City in China's Zhejiang Province. Architect Ma Yansong is behind the building's más...
SpringHill Suites enhances breakfast program
SpringHill Suites by Marriott has updated its complimentary breakfast program with an array of customizable options. Starting this month, in addition más...
Oetker Collection takes management of Seychelles icon
The Oetker Collection, Baden-Baden, Germany, has taken over management of Fregate Island Private in the Seychelles. “Fregate Island Private is in más...
IHG to reopen Sydney’s Double Bay hotel
IHG announced on Tuesday that it signed a management agreement with Royal Hotels for the former Ritz Carlton Double Bay, which will reopen as the 140-room más...
Gencom, Invesco buy Florida Ritz-Carlton
Affiliates of Gencom and Invesco Ltd. announced on Wednesday that they completed the acquisition of the 166-room The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale for más...
News in brief: Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Hyatt Regency
Hotel Indigo to enter Paris: IHG announced this week that it signed a management agreement with Société Foncière Lyonnaise más...
Archipelago launches new brand Harper
Archipelago International announced on Tuesday the launch of a new brand, Harper Hotels & Resorts, which will open its first hotel in Indonesia this más...
What's Hot: InterContinental Amstel freshens up the bar
The A Bar in InterContinental Amstel, Amsterdam, has a fresh new look from RPW Design. The bar opened last month after the redesign, which is intended más...
InterContinental flag for London new-build
IHG, Denham, England, announced that London is set for a third InterContinental Hotels & Resorts-branded property. The new-build, 454-room The InterContinental más...
Hotel that led South Beach revival sold
The Art Deco hotel that launched the revival of South Miami Beach in the 1980s has been sold. Goldman Properties, the company founded 45 years ago by más...
News in brief: Friendwell, Summit, STR
Friendwell expands in New Jersey: Friendwell Group of Companies purchased both the 405-room Hilton East Brunswick and the 364-room DoubleTree Somerset más...
Extended Stay Hotels going public
Extended Stay Hotels filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday for an initial public offering to raise up to US$100 million. The más...
What's Hot: Castello di Casole expands wellness center
Castello di Casole, a Timbers resort in Tuscany, has expanded its wellness center into a 5,400-sq-ft (500-sq-m) facility called “Essere” (“to más...
Meliá creates "Twitter experience" hotel
Meliá Hotels International has launched a Twitter-focused program at its Sol Wave House Hotel in Mallorca, Spain, to facilitate interaction between más...
Edition partners to make 5 short films
Ahead of its September 12 opening, the 173-room The London Edition has partnered with LVHM’s online magazine NOWNESS to create a series of five más...
News in brief: Marshall, Carey Watermark, Genting
Marshall to manage three US hotels: Marshall Hotels & Resorts is set to manage the 187-room Holiday Inn Pittsburgh-Monroeville, the 197-room más...
HOTELS Interview: Depatie details Kimpton’s pipeline
Armed with a US$203 million fund, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has been steadily expanding its portfolio in North America this year with acquisitions más...
Hyatt to invest $325 million in Playa
Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced on Friday that a wholly owned Hyatt subsidiary is set to enter the all-inclusive segment with an investment of US$325 million más...
Hot Openings: The Refinery now open in NYC
The Refinery, located in New York City's fashion district, opened its doors earlier this summer. New York-based Stonehill & Taylor created the property's más...
Sheraton at Pittsburgh’s Station Square sold
Forest City Enterprises, Cleveland, Ohio, has completed the sale of the Sheraton Station Square in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to a joint venture led by más...
News in brief: Marriott, South Beach Ace, Diamond Resorts
Marriott to expand in Russia: Marriott International announced plans to open the 250-room Moscow Marriott Hotel Crocus City in 2016 under a management más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Scott Blalock has been appointed general manager of the JW Marriott Austin in Austin, Texas, slated más...
Staybridge, Candlewood launch digital video ad campaign
IHG announced on Thursday that it is launching its first digital video advertising campaign for its extended-stay brands Staybridge Suites and Candlewood más...
What's Hot: Prince de Galles completes restoration in Paris
Prince de Galles, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Paris, has reopened after two years of restoration work. The Art Deco property, originally designed by André más...
Halekulani’s spa focuses on ‘living as art’
SpaHalekulani at Halekulani in Honolulu has developed a new concept, “Well-Being, Living as an Art,” that focuses on treatments and services más...
JW Marriott debuts new turndown program
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts has introduced its Nightly Refresh Program, a nightly turndown service offering a rotation of complimentary amenities más...
News in brief: Hilton, Shaner, Promise
Hilton to enter Baltic states: Hilton Worldwide announced that it signed an agreement with Fortuna Travel OÜ, part of the Olympic Entertainment más...
Witkoff Group to buy Helmsley Park Lane
Witkoff Group has reportedly agreed to by the 596-room The Helmsley Park Lane Hotel, located across the street from New York City’s Central Park más...
What's Hot: Hotel Plaza Athénée auctioning FF&E
Never mind stealing silverware — the Hotel Plaza Athénée is going to auction off a variety of items from furniture to linens as it más...
Yotel to open in Singapore
Saying it will serve as a springboard into Asia for the Yotel brand, which currently has a 669-room hotel in New York City, Yotel announced the planned más...
Lobby as working art studio
The Fairmont San Francisco transformed its lobby into a working art studio last week as part of its first artist-in-residence program, which featured más...
News in brief: L’Hotel de Chine, Arden, Starwood
L’Hotel de Chine buys 2 hotels in Italy: L’Hotel de Chine Corp. announced that it bought the 25-room Villa di Monte Solare, located más...
HOTELS Interview: Thayer’s Pillsbury talks acquisitions
After announcing a deal in early July to acquire the 336-room The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, Thayer Lodging Group is looking to buy more hotels. HOTELS más...
What's Hot: Claridge's charts new course with The Map Room
Claridge's in London has unveiled The Map Room, a new space intended for business travelers. David Linley designed the art deco space, which is centered más...
Ducasse to manage Le Meurice’s kitchens
The 160-room Le Meurice, located in Paris, announced on Monday that chef Alain Ducasse will take over management of the hotel’s kitchens, including más...
Strategic shareholder says sale process not transparent
Orange Capital, which holds 3.7% of Strategic Hotels & Resorts, sent a letter to Strategic’s board of directors on Tuesday accusing Strategic más...
Kirimaya introduces new organic farming initiatives
Kirimaya Mountain Retreat in Khao Yai, Thailand, which includes the Kirimaya and Muthi Maya resorts, has introduced several new organic initiatives to más...
News in brief: HVMG, Ascend, Starboard
HVMG expands in New Mexico: Hospitality Ventures Management Group announced that it has assumed management of the 395-room Hyatt Regency Albuquerque más...
Omni to manage Toronto’s King Edward
Omni Hotels & Resorts announced on Monday that it signed an agreement with King Edward Realty to take over management of the 301-room The King Edward más...
Cachet to launch namesake brand in Bangkok
Cachet Hotel Group announced on Monday that it will launch its namesake brand in Bangkok with a hotel that’s part of new-build mixed-used development más...
What's Hot: New penthouse offers 360º views of Rome
The Regina Hotel Baglioni has unveiled its new Roman Penthouse suite, which offers 360º views of rome from the top of the hotel. The 6,000-sq-ft más...
Marriott developing photo-sharing app
Marriott International announced last week the development of a new online application, Tripographer powered by Marriott. The app, which utilizes Google más...
Capella offering James Bond-themed package
Capella Washington D.C. is offering guests a chance to become a spy while staying at the hotel with the “The Spy Who Loved D.C.” experience más...
News in brief: Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn to expand in Thailand: IHG announced that it signed an agreement with Felicity Asset Co. to build the 300-room Holiday Inn & Suites más...
HOTELS Interview: Langham trusts in Katie Benson
In Chicago on July 10 for the soft opening for the Langham Hospitality Group’s first purpose-built property, The Langham Hotel, Chicago, HOTELS más...
Hot Openings: Rosewood enters the UAE market
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts debuted Rosewood Abu Dhabi, the brand's first property in the United Arab Emirates, in May. The property is located on Al más...
A new way to motivate excellent customer service
Nearly every research report in recent memory comes back with the same bottom line: guests’ satisfaction — and therefore your bottom line más...
News in brief: Absolute, Marriott, Chatham
Absolute expands in Thailand: Absolute Hotel Services Group announced that it signed a contract with Dava Estate to manage the 50-room U Zenmaya más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Dianna Balabon has been appointed vice president of sales and marketing at Rosewood Hotels & Resorts más...
Carey Watermark buys stake in California hotel
Carey Watermark Investors announced on Thursday that it bought a 75% stake in the 226-room Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa. Carey Watermark Investors más...
What's Hot: Costa Smeralda Villa Collection in Sardinia
The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts has opened the Costa Smeralda Villa Collection at Hotel Pitrizza and Hotel Romazzino on Sardinia's Emerald más...
Melco, Summit Ascent investing in Russian casino-resorts
Melco International Development and Summit Ascent Holdings bought a combined 51% stake in a holding company that will develop two casino-resorts near más...
First Element completes Starwood lineup in China
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s Element brand will enter Asia Pacific after announcing on Thursday an agreement with Suzhou Science and más...
Six Senses Zighy Bay offers DJ retreat
Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman is offering guests a chance to book a four- or six-night retreat at the resort with world-renowned DJs Matty Wainwright, más...
News in brief: Shamin, Aqua, Ctrip
Shamin buys Virginia hotel: Shamin Hotels announced the acquisition of the 237-room Holiday Inn Koger Conference Center and its conversion to the más...
SLS partners to enter China with 4 hotels
sbe announced on Wednesday a licensing deal with developer Palace Hospitality to debut its SLS Hotels brand in China at four hotels set to open by 2015 más...
$298 million casino-resort proposed for South Africa
Sun International has revealed plans to invest 3 billion rand (US$298 million) to develop a new-build casino-resort in Pretoria, South Africa. The proposed más...
What's Hot: Affinia Manhattan shows off new look
Affinia Manhattan has completed a two-year, US$33 million renovation. The property now has 618 guest accommodations, including 84 one- and two-bedroom más...
Kimpton to enter Caribbean
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced on Wednesday that it signed an agreement with Dart Realty to manage a 263-room hotel on Seven Mile Beach in más...
Omni ad campaign uses augmented reality technology
Omni Hotels & Resorts, Irving, Texas, has revamped its advertising campaign for its meetings and events business using print ads with augmented reality más...
Phulay Bay debuts spice concierge
Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi, Thailand, has introduced a spice concierge service designed to give guests education and unique experiences más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Wheelock, Mantra
Hyatt to expand in Moscow: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Istra-Kurort LLC to más...
GHM signs deal for 3 hotels in Taiwan
General Hotel Management, Singapore, announced on Tuesday that it signed a deal with developer Elements Innovation Co. to manage three upscale hotels más...
Lam Group to build $300 million hotel in NYC
The Lam Group is buying a parking garage located at 110 West 25th Street in Manhattan and plans to raze it to construct a 270,000 sq ft (25,083 sq m) más...
Hot Openings: Shangri-La goes for triple in Shanghai
Late last month, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts opened its third Shanghai property, Jing An Shangri-La, West Shanghai. The 508-key hotel is located on más...
Wealthy Chinese picking hotels by location, brand
New data from Hurun Report shows that China’s wealthy primarily choose hotels by location, brand awareness and service. According to the Hurun Report más...
Rules for marketing to Millennials
Millennials, the 78 million Americans born between 1980 and 2000, are an emerging consumer force that are quickly shaping the first half of the 21st century más...
News in brief: Banyan Investment, AlSol, Kimpton
Banyan Investment buys Georgia hotel: Banyan Investment Group announced on Tuesday that it bought the 124-room Hotel Sierra, located in the Atlanta más...
Loews launches ad campaign in US
Loews Hotels & Resorts is launching “The Room You Need,” a new marketing campaign in the U.S. via print, online and social media targeting más...
What's Hot: Cape Grace unveils restyled Bascule Bar
Bascule Bar at Cape Grace in Cape Town has reopened with a new design. Design 360's consultant team gave the interior its contemporary look. The bar is más...
W reportedly coming back to Australia
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is reportedly set to reintroduce its W Hotels Worldwide brand to Australia via a new-build hotel in Melbourne más...
Swiss hotel urges guests to go fish
This summer, the early bird gets the fish at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland. On select dates through late August, the hotel is más...
QE2 to set sail for China in October
The ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, currently docked in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and planned to be converted into a 400-room floating hotel, will set más...
News in brief: Delta, Fabege, TravelClick
Delta hotel in Montreal to close: Delta Hotels and Resorts announced that InnVest REIT, owner of the 711-room Delta Centre-Ville, plans to close más...
HOTELS Interview: Dissecting the realities of farm-to-table dining
Peter Karpinski has made a career out of keeping his finger on the pulse of the hottest dining trends. Currently founder and COO of Denver-based restaurant más...
McKillen loses latest legal battle with Barclay brothers
Irish property developer Patrick McKillen has lost the latest round in his long-running legal battle with brothers David and Frederick Barclay over control más...
What's Hot: Rocco Forte's Hotel Astoria adds new suite for centennial
Rocco Forte's Hotel Astoria in St. Petersburg, Russia, has unveiled a Czar's Suite to celebrate the property's centennial this year. The suite includes más...
Improved hostels threaten budget brands in Europe: HVS
Hotel groups straddling both the hostel and hotel markets are likely to emerge as new investment opportunities and become viable alternatives to budget más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Park Hyatt Tokyo has appointed Thomas Angerer executive chef. Angerer most recently was executive chef más...
HOTELS Interview: An inside look at ‘food foraging’
Despite starting out in corporate sales, Janice McEachen’s passion is food. With a résumé that includes serving as a personal chef más...
What's Hot: AC Ambassadeur redesigns public spaces in Côte d'Azur
JOI-Design created the new look, which draws inspiration from the surrounding area's seascape, maritime culture and architecture. The décor includes más...
US leisure travel intentions rise
As the peak summer travel season begins, U.S. travelers plan to hit the road in record numbers, according to the latest Travelhorizons survey of 2,300 más...
HVS assesses sustainability risks
A valid business case exists for numerous types of sustainability investments, according to a recent report by Kevin Goldstein, vice president of HVS más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Preferred's hard currency loyalty program
On August 15, Preferred Hotel Group will launch an enhanced iPrefer loyalty program, which will allow its independent hotel members to access the benefits más...
What's Hot: Kempinski renovates Budapest property
Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest has unveiled newly transformed public areas in the property's first major refurbishment since its 1992 opening. MKV más...
US hotel values return to peak, boost M&A: HVS
The U.S. hotel industry is approaching a significant crossroads, according to HVS Valuation experts. In 2013, hotel valuation fundamentals signal a strong más...
Loews sponsors social media road trip
Loews Hotels & Resorts, New York City, is sending its Director of Social Media Piper Stevens on a cross-country road trip as part of a new social más...
Westin St. Maarten goes solar
The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort & Spa has installed phase one of solar panels to replace its energy consumption. According to the resort más...
Whitbread unveils compact, budget hotel brand
Whitbread PLC, Dunstable, United Kingdom, has launched a new hotel concept, Hub by Premier Inn, which it bills as “a new generation of compact, más...
Minor takes stake in Per Aquum, plans expansion
Minor Hotel Group (MHG), Bangkok, has made a US$4 million investment in the luxury boutique hotel brand Per Aquum Retreats • Resorts • Residences más...
Fibra Inn acquires Marriott in Puebla
Mexican REIT Fibra Inn has signed an agreement to purchase the 192-room Marriott Real Puebla Hotel in Puebla, Mexico, for US$27.8 million. This acquisition más...
What's Hot: Hard Rock Punta Cana adds Simon restaurant
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic has soft-opened Chef Kerry Simon's Simon Mansion and Supper Club, with a grand opening más...
W South Beach announces custom pajamas
W South Beach Hotel & Residences in Miami Beach, Florida, has collaborated with lingerie designer Arielle Shapiro of ARI DEIN on a set of custom pajamas más...
News in brief: Vienna International, Affinia, Hermosa Beach
Vienna International Hotelmanagement adds one hotel, drops another: Vienna International Hotelmanagement (VI) has acquired the Arcadia Hotel Coburg, Germany más...
Emaar launching budget brand
Emaar Properties, Dubai, is entering the budget hotel arena with a brand called Dubai Inn. In collaboration with Meraas Holding, plans call for developing más...
Thayer acquires Ritz-Carlton in SF from Host
Thayer Lodging Group, Annapolis, Maryland, on Monday announced it acquired the 336-room Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, from Host Hotels and Resorts. Host más...
Hyatt, union reach national deal in US
Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Unite Here, the union of hospitality workers in the United Statesand Canada, on Monday announced a national U.S. agreement that más...
Dow/Carlyle JV buys Chicago-area Hilton
The Dow Hotel Co. (DHC), Seattle, announced it has acquired in a joint venture with the Washington, D.C.-based Carlyle Group’s Carlyle Realty Partners más...
Hot Openings: Hyatt Regency enters Gurgaon
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has opened Hyatt Regency Gurgaon in New Delhi's National Capital Region. The company says this property has the largest meeting space más...
Marriott expands mobile check-in
Marriott Hotels, the signature brand of Marriott International, on Monday announced plans to expand this summer the rollout of mobile check-in at 325 más...
News in brief: NYC, Courtyard by Marriott, Prince Alwaleed, Omni
Hotel union backs Quinn in NYC mayoral race: The Associated Press has reported that the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council has announced its support más...
junio 2013
HOTELS Interview: More on Mercure refresh
Earlier this week Accor announced a brand refresh for its Mercure brand that includes the continued rollout of the Dedicaces renovation concept in Europe más...
Chesapeake acquires Hyatt Santa Barbara
Chesapeake Lodging Trust has acquired the fee simple interest in the recently renovated Hyatt Santa Barbara and two adjoining properties totaling 200 más...
Lightstone REITs buy 4 Arkansas hotels
Lightstone Value Plus Real Estate Investment Trust (LVPR) and Lightstone Value Plus Real Estate Investment Trust II (LVPR II) have acquired four Marriott más...
What's Hot: Shangri-La adds a garden wing in Paris
A new wing of guest accommodations has bloomed at Shangri-La Hotel, Paris. The new garden wing adds 11 guestrooms and nine suites over five floors, bringing más...
News in brief: Hilton, Cambria Suites, Ultima
Hilton announces 2 hotels in Mexico: Hilton Worldwide announced on Thursday that is signed an agreement with Solfine Investment, S de RL de CV to más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Samantha Collins has been named director of leisure sales for The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii. Collins previously más...
HOTELS report from HITEC: Maturation, integration
There was no wall of 64 iPads at this year’s HITEC, held this week in Minneapolis. Instead of guest-facing wows, new offerings at this iteration más...
What's Hot: The Algonquin goes literary with new suite
The Algonquin Hotel, an Autograph Collection hotel in New York City, has teamed up with publishing house Simon & Schuster on a new suite and author más...
Marriott captures another flag in Paris
Marriott International on Thursday announced that the 298-room Ambassador Hotel in Paris will become the Paris Marriott Opera Ambassador Hotel on July más...
Hotels to benefit from US marriage equality rulings
In the wake of this week’s rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court supporting marriage equality, hotels — particularly those in California, which más...
Carlson offers fee incentives for Country brand
Country Inns & Suites By Carlson on Thursday announced a 5% reduction in franchise fees for two years as an incentive for developers interested in más...
JLLH&H assesses volatility in debt capital markets
Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels & Hospitality released a report on Wednesday about how the U.S. Federal Reserve’s recent announcement to begin gradually más...
News in brief: Aimbridge, Waramaug, Bricton
Aimbridge expands in US Virgin Islands: Aimbridge Hospitality announced that it signed an agreement to manage the 294-room Sugar Bay Resort & más...
Accor launches new vision for Mercure
Accor on Wednesday unveiled a new vision for its midscale Mercure brand with more than 700 hotels worldwide. Mercure is re-positioning its focus with más...
Hotel Plaza Athénée to close for renovation
Hotel Plaza Athénée, a Dorchester Collection hotel in Paris, will close on October 1 for an extensive renovation, with its reopening planned más...
CapitaLand's Ascott brand premiers in India
CapitaLand’s wholly-owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited, has secured a contract to manage its first Ascott-branded serviced más...
European hotel real estate performs well in 2012
The European hotel sector showed a 5.8% return for 2012, according to the IPD Pan-European Hotel Performance Report released this week. This is a stronger más...
LodgeNet rebrands as Sonifi Solutions
LodgeNet Interactive Corp., which was acquired by private equity firm Colony Capital in March, announced on Tuesday that it has been rebranded as Sonifi más...
What's Hot: The Lodge at Tiburon completes renovation
The Lodge at Tiburon in Tiburon, California, has completed a nine-month renovation of its guestrooms, pool, lobby and the new Tiburon Tavern restaurant más...
News in brief: AWH Partners, Tryp by Wyndham, Sydney
AWH Partners, LLC – a privately held, New York-based, real estate investment, development and management firm – on Wednesday announced the más...
Holiday Inn Express debuts ‘Smart Thinking’ platform
IHG’s Holiday Inn Express brand has launched a new “Smart Thinking” platform that revolves around StaySmart.com, an online hub where más...
Kong extended as Best Western CEO
Best Western International on Monday announced President and CEO David Kong will continue to lead the brand through 2018. Kong was named president más...
What's Hot: Park Hyatt Maldives gets makeover
Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa renovated almost every facet of the resort in a project that was completed this spring. Hirsch Bedner Associates oversaw the más...
Wyndham outlines energy reduction achievements
Wyndham Worldwide said it achieved an 8% reduction in energy use in the first full year of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Better Buildings Challenge más...
W bands with LGBT civil rights organization
W Hotels Worldwide on Tuesday announced a strategic partnership with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest civil rights organization working to más...
Luxury Collection offers curated culture
The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, on Tuesday announced a partnership with One Kings Lane, an más...
News in brief: Como, Tulip Group, Holiday Inn
Christie + Co to sell Metropolitan by Como: Christie + Co. is selling the Metropolitan by Como hotel located in London. The hotel, adjacent to both más...
HOTELS Interview: How Kukral plans to invest
Although REITs are on a hotel buying spree in the U.S., John Kukral, Northwood Investors founder, president and CEO, is concerned about pricing and interest más...
Marriott marks passing of Bill's son
Stephen Garff Marriott, Executive Vice President for Culture at Marriott International, the global hotel company founded by his grandparents in 1927, más...
Starwood to add three hotels in Makkah
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Monday said it has signed an agreement with Jabal Omar Development Co. to open three new hotels in the Holy más...
HSMAI releases white paper on hotel upselling
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, in partnership with Nor1, released last week a new white paper entitled, “When More más...
JW Marriott introduces wine club
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, in collaboration with Treasury Wine Estates, has introduced the JWM Wine Club to provide members with curated wine experiences más...
What's Hot: JW Marriott shows off new look in Cannes
JOI-Design has given public areas at JW Marriott Cannes a new look inspired by classic film star glamour. The existing 1980s architecture provided a neutral más...
New York Hilton Midtown celebrates 50th anniversary
In June 26, 1963, Conrad Hilton oversaw the official opening of what was then called the New York Hilton at Rockefeller Center.Now known as the New York más...
La Mamounia cocktails celebrate history, celebrities
As part of the celebration of its 90th anniversary, La Mamounia in Marrakech, Morocco, has created nine new cocktails, each referring to a decade and más...
HOTELS Interview: Taking sustainability to the next level
For more than 20 years Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has stood at the forefront of the sustainability movement, but now the Toronto-based company has más...
Hot Openings: Nobu hotel launches in Vegas
Nobu Hotel has opened within Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. It is the first hotel project for the Nobu brand. The property offers 181 guestrooms and suites más...
Google launches "carousel" slider for hotel search results
Google launched this week an interactive “carousel” slider feature for its hotel, restaurant and bar local search results. The feature allows más...
News in brief: Kinseth
Kinseth to build hotel in Iowa: Kinseth Hospitality Companies announced that it will construct a 85-room Homewood Suites by Hilton-branded hotel más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Kumar Anne has been promoted to general manager of the Renaissance Ft. Lauderdale/Plantation, Florida más...
Peninsula to buy London hotel development site
The Hongkong & Shanghai Hotels announced on Wednesday that it plans to purchase a 50% stake from Derwent London in a central London hotel development más...
HOTELS to host webinar about what's next in investment
On July 17 at 11 a.m. central daylight time, HOTELS Magazine will host a new webinar targeting the hotel investment community entitled, “What’s más...
What's Hot: Auberge du Soleil channels the French Riviera
Auberge du Soleil in California's Napa Valley has unveiled Maison Saint-Tropez, a collection of eight redesigned rooms that draw inspiration from the más...
Eqypt's tourism minister resigns after controversial appointment
Egypt's current minister of tourism Hisham Zaazou is resigning because as a result of the appointment of Adel el-Khayat, a member of Gamaa Islamiya, as más...
Hong Kong hotel creates luxe club sandwich
The Hullett House Hotel in Hong Kong has created what it bills as the world’s most luxurious club sandwich. The hotel partnered with Hotels.com más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Langham, Swissôtel
Ritz-Carlton to expand in Indonesia: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. announced on Thursday that it signed an agreement with PT Oriental Indah Bali Hotel más...
Dalian Wanda Group plans hotels in London, NYC
China’s Dalian Wanda Group on Wednesday announced plans for a luxury hotel and commercial development in London with a total investment value of más...
What's Hot: Edition to open London property this fall
Edition Hotels, conceived in a partnership between Marriott International and Ian Schrager, will open its first European hotel in London this fall. The más...
Kimpton acquires Arizona resort
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants on Tuesday announced that it had purchased Amara Resort and Spa, located in Sedona, Arizona. The property was acquired más...
New investment vehicles in Mexico gain attention
New financial vehicles available to hotel investors in Mexico, called Fideicomiso de Inversión en Bienes Raíces (FIBRAs), are putting more más...
Grand Hyatt Atlanta harvests rainwater
The Grand Hyatt Atlanta, a local plumbing company and a local university have formed a unique partnership which has changed the footprint of how the hotel más...
JV to develop 9 Hyatt Place hotels in Brazil
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has announced an agreement to form a joint venture between a Hyatt affiliate and FSA Group S.A., a Libra Group company, to develop más...
Ashford spins off 8-hotel portfolio
Ashford Hospitality Trust on Tuesday announced an approved plan to spin-off an 80% ownership interest in an 8-hotel portfolio (3,146 rooms) to holders más...
What's Hot: Amanresorts debuts villas in Bali
Amanusa has launched 10 new Aman Villas adjacent to the property in Bali. The villas, which are available for rent, are each situated on approximately más...
Hampton targets Millennials with new video ad
Hampton Hotels debuted on Tuesday a new advertisement targeting Millennials that showcases the use of social media. Developed by creative agency Mistress más...
Hyatt program focuses on literacy, careers
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has launched Ready To Thrive, a new global philanthropy program focused on literacy and career development that will support the company’s más...
News in brief: Sage, AmericInn, Hotel Equities
Sage Hospitality expands in Texas: Sage Hospitality announced the addition of the 165-room Eilan Hotel Resort and Spa, located in San Antonio. Read más...
Marriott relaunching its namesake brand
Marriott International announced on Monday a new marketing campaign centered around innovation for its namesake brand that includes a new logo and name más...
Preliminary results show OTK to win Morgans proxy battle
Preliminary results show that on Friday the shareholders of Morgans Hotel Group Co. voted to elect OTK Associates’ nominees for Morgans’ board más...
Owners taking over Ritz-Carlton in Palm Beach
On July 1, Britannia Pacific Properties will convert the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach hotel in Florida to Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. The owners have más...
Enter the 2013 Gold Key awards
Entries are now being accepted for The Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design, the premier interior design competition for the hospitality más...
What's Hot: Grace Bay Club focuses on skewers with pop-up
Grace Bay Club in Turks & Caicos will run a beachfront pop-up through next month, serving a variety of food on sticks. The pop-up, called Stix on más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Holiday Inn, One&Only
Wyndham expands in India: Wyndham Hotel Group announced that it signed a franchise agreement with Sammy’s Dreamland Co. to open the 180-room más...
HOTELS Interview: Taking a historic past into the future
When Kirk Rose became president of Marcus Hotels & Resorts this past January, he was ready for a new challenge. Although Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based más...
Strategic reportedly exploring sale
Reuters reported on Thursday that Strategic Hotels & Resorts has hired Eastdil Secured to explore a possible sale, according to two sources familiar más...
Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach owner sues Marriott, Avendra
The owner of The Ritz-Carlton in Palm Beach, Florida, is suing The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., Marriott International, and supplier co-op Avendra Inc., alleging más...
What's Hot: Rittenhouse opens new bar, expands tea service
The Rittenhouse, a 116-room independent property in Philadelphia, has opened a new library bar and expanded the afternoon tea service in its Mary Cassatt más...
Diamond Resorts files for $200 million IPO
Diamond Resorts International is seeking to raise up to US$200 million in an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Diamond Resorts International más...
Hotel Max, Sub Pop Records create music-themed rooms
Downtown Seattle’s Hotel Max recently collaborated with local record label Sub Pop Records to create a music-focused floor. Each of the 19 guestrooms más...
News in brief: Easton’s, Eden Roc, UNWTO
Easton’s buys Canadian hotel: Colliers International Hotels announced that Markham Woodbine Hospitality sold the 299-room Holiday Inn Hotel más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Paul Boyle has been named general manager of the Westport Inn in Westport, Connecticut. Most recently más...
Trump launches trio of wellness programs
In its ongoing effort to provide personalization and to address the growing interest in health, wellness and organic food, the Trump Hotel Collection más...
What's Hot: Grand Geneva opens concierge lounge
The Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, has opened a concierge lounge called the Geneva Club. The lounge is located on the más...
Swissôtel highlights ‘modern Swissness’ in new lounge
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has debuted a new “DesignLab” at its Zurich headquarters that resembles a modern “Arvenstübli más...
Chatham buys Pennsylvania hotel for $40 million
Chatham Lodging Trust announced on Tuesday that it bought the 178-room Hyatt Place Pittsburgh – North Shore for US$40 million from its developer más...
Shaner forms new hotel financing vehicle
Shaner Hotel Group announced on Wednesday the formation of Shaner Hospitality Finance, a REIT that will provide equity and/or debt for hotel financing más...
News in brief: NewcrestImage, DoubleTree, Carlson Rezidor
NewcrestImage buys New Orleans hotel: NewcrestImage announced on Thursday that it bought the 223-room Cotton Exchange Hotel out of foreclosure through más...
Omni buys 5 resorts from KSL Capital Partners
Omni Hotels & Resorts, Irving, Texas, has agreed to purchase and operate five resort properties from entities affiliated with KSL Capital Partners más...
What's Hot: New suites debut in Moscow
Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow has opened its newly renovated Park Suites. Architect Tony Chi's design is meant to have the feel of a private home. The suites más...
Manhattan average price per key to eclipse US$600,000: CBRE
CBRE Group finds continued strength in New York City’s hotel investment sales, according to its spring 2013 Manhattan Hotel Real Estate Market Snapshot más...
Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte celebrates local honey
The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina, is hosting its first-ever Summer Honey Festival, three months of events, special F&B offerings más...
Four Seasons Hong Kong launches Instagram competition
The Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong is inviting both guests and locals to photograph the city’s most iconic spots using Instagram. The competition más...
5 challenges of running a remote resort
I was talking to a guest the other day who said something I've probably heard a thousand times since arriving at Bai Tram Hideaway Resort: "How amazing más...
Carey Watermark acquires NYC hotel
Carey Watermark Investors has acquired the Holiday Inn Manhattan 6th Avenue hotel in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood for approximately US$121 más...
Four Seasons Mexico City sold
RLD, BK Partners' real estate fund, and Vertex Real Estate Investors, Mexico City, through its fund Vertex Real Estate Fund I, have acquired the 240-room más...
New hotel company launched in London
Singapore-listed GuocoLeisure Ltd. on Tuesday launched glh., a London-based hotel company that owns and operates 37 hotels -- 22 under management contract más...
What's Hot: Hilton Short Hills restaurant update
Hilton Short Hills in New Jersey has reopened The Dining Room with a contemporary design and a new menu from Executive Chef Richard Kennedy to celebrate más...
Free nights, Wi-Fi top loyalty program wish list: survey
When it comes to joining a hotel loyalty program, the ease with which one can earn free nights is the main motivator, as indicated by 62% of respondents más...
Hospitality High School in DC debuts new facility
Hospitality High School, which bills itself as the first and only public charter school in the United States that prepares students for both college and más...
HOTELS Interview: John Scott on the hot seat
John Scott walked in as new CEO of Orient-Express Hotels last November with his hands full. Debt levels needed to be better managed, 46 assets had to más...
What's Hot: Royal Tulip Grand Hotel in Armenia
Louvre Hotels Group has rebranded the Golden Tulip Yerevan as the Royal Tulip Grand Hotel Yerevan in Armenia. This is Louvre's 12th Royal Tulip worldwide más...
Hampton launches new uniforms
Hilton Worldwide’s Hampton brand recently announced the launch of a new uniform collection. Hampton said the new look conveyed the casual, approachable más...
Chiang Mai hotel gets guests involved at local school
137 Pillars House, a 30-suite property of SilverNeedle Collection in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has introduced new ways for guests to get involved in its corporate más...
News in brief: Plaza penthouse, Ascott, Hoshino Resort Co.
Plaza penthouse on the market: A London-based developer is putting his penthouse in New York City’s Plaza Hotel on the market for US$59 million más...
HOTELS Interview: Milham on Courtyard’s new guestroom
Marriott International’s Courtyard by Marriott brand has a new guestroom prototype for North America. The tone-on-tone look is a break from Courtyard’s más...
What's Hot: Ladera opens Paradise Ridge in West Indies
Ladera has opened four suites and a villa at Paradise Ridge in Saint Lucia. Paradise Bridge is built on a previously undeveloped piece of private land más...
US room service revenue down since 2007: PKF
In light of the announcement earlier this week that the New York Hilton Midtown is discontinuing its traditional room service, new data from PKF Hospitality más...
News in brief: Macau Legend, Marriott, Britannia
Macau Legend seeks $788 million in IPO: Macau Legend Development is seeking up to US$788 million via an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Read más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Hotel Madeline Telluride in Telluride, Colorado, has promoted Noel Daniel to general manager. Daniel más...
Editor's notebook from the NYU conference
HOTELS Editor In Chief Jeff Weinstein held multiple interviews during the NYU investment conference earlier this week. Here is a roundup of what he learned más...
What's Hot: Hyatt Regency expands, renovates in Chicago
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago has completed a US$110 million expansion and renovation. The project added a new guestroom tower and renovated más...
Hotel on the Turkish coast debuts ‘Marina Butler’
Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay, which is located on its own private bay in Bodrum, Turkey, is introducing a complimentary “Marina Butler” to más...
Interwest buys historic Alabama hotel
Interwest Capital Corp. announced on Thursday that it bought the historic 149-room Hampton Inn & Suites Birmingham-Downtown-Tutwiler, located in Birmingham más...
TripAdvisor launches hotel price comparison upgrade
TripAdvisor announced on Wednesday an upgrade of its hotel price comparison website feature that matches hotels' pricing and availability with its reviews más...
News in brief: Diaoyutai, Jin Jiang, Four Seasons
1st Diaoyutai Boutique to open in China: Diaoyutai MGM Hospitality announced this week that it will open the 45-room Diaoyutai Boutique Chengdu más...
NYU conference: Bulls louder than the bear
With the exception of property mogul Mort Zuckerman, the tone at the 35th annual New York University International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference más...
Hot Openings: Mandarin Oriental opens in Shanghai
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has opened its first property in Shanghai. Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai is located on the east bank of the Huangpu más...
Virgin close to deals in San Francisco, Dallas
Virgin Hotels revealed that it is close to securing deals in San Francisco and Dallas and is also negotiating in other markets in the U.S. and Europe más...
Myanmar announces tourism infrastructure plan
Myanmar’s government announced that it is partnering with the government of Norway and the Asian Development Bank to implement a tourism infrastructure más...
GSA, Trump close deal on DC’s Old Post Office
The U.S. General Services Administration announced it has completed negotiations with the Trump Organization on a 60-year lease agreement to redevelop más...
New ad for Ibis stars bunnies
Accor released a new video advertisement for its Ibis brand titled “Ibis Snuggling Bunnies” starring young rabbits that highlights the brand’s más...
News in brief: Meliá, Hyatt, Gansevoort
Meliá expands in Saudi Arabia: Meliá Hotels International announced that it will open the 252-room Gran Meliá Riyadh in 2015 más...
Courtyard next-generation guestroom prototype unveiled
On Monday, Marriott International unveiled the North American next-generation prototype for its Courtyard by Marriott brand at the company's 2013 Select más...
NewcrestImage to buy 25 La Quintas in US
The privately held NewcrestImage announced on Tuesday that it signed an agreement to purchase 25 La Quinta Inns & Suites-branded hotels from LQ Management más...
Morgans announces that it is exploring a sale
Morgans Hotel Group Co. announced on Tuesday that it is exploring selling the company. The move comes after Morgans Hotel Group Co., New York City announced más...
What's Hot: Corks pop at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc's new lounge
The Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, a Masterpiece Hotel in the Oetker Collection, has launched a new Champagne lounge. The Eden-Roc Champagne Lounge has views más...
Swire’s East to enter Americas
Swire Hotels’ East brand is set to enter the Americas as the company has been appointed to manage a hotel at the Brickell CityCentre development más...
Westin sprints ahead with marathon promotions
Westin Hotels & Resorts has partnered with the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series of entertainment-themed road-running events to offer marathon packages más...
Fairfield program to assist female entrepreneurs
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott has launched Elevate fueled by Fairfield, a pilot empowerment program offering free space, connections and resources más...
News in brief: StepStone, Laurus, Kiawah Partners
StepStone expands in Louisiana: StepStone Hospitality announced on Monday that it has been awarded management of the 108-room Residence Inn by Marriott más...
Marriott plans to bring AC Hotels to Americas
Marriott International announced at the NYC International Hospitality Investment Conference on Monday that it plans to bring its AC Hotels by Marriott más...
Virgin Hotels announces NYC hotel
Virgin Group’s nascent brand Virgin Hotels announced on Monday its first property in New York City. Virgin signed a management agreement with The más...
BridgeStreet launches Aparthotels brand
BridgeStreet announced this week the launch of a new midscale extended-stay brand Aparthotels by BridgeStreet with its first hotel to open in Birmingham más...
Hot Openings: Geek goes chic at The Commons in Minneapolis
The Commons Hotel in Minneapolis opened late last year, with a “geek chic” industrial academic vibe. The 304-key property, which is part of más...
Chesapeake Lodging Trust buys SF hotel
Chesapeake Lodging Trust has purchased the fee simple interest in the 313-room Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco from an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels más...
Host acquires Honolulu hotel
Host Hotels & Resorts, Bethesda, Maryland, has acquired the fee-simple interest in the 426-room Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach in Honolulu for US$138.5 más...
Innside by Meliá to enter Americas
Meliá Hotels International announced on Monday that it signed a deal to manage five Innside by Meliá hotels in Chile, marking the brand’s más...
AWH Partners acquires 3-hotel portfolio
AWH Partners, New York City, has purchased three hotels from Lane Hotels for an undisclosed amount. The portfolio includes DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel más...
New York Hilton Midtown eliminates room service
Citing a decline in traditional room-service requests over the past several years, the New York Hilton Midtown has announced it will discontinue room más...
News in brief: Fibra, Driftwood, HHonors
Fibra buys 2 hotels in Mexico: Fibra Inn announced on Monday that it bought the 90-room Holiday Inn & Suites Guadalajara Centro Histórico más...
mayo 2013
HOTELS Interview: Accor's Caillère and Champetier
Over the past two weeks Accor has announced a brand refresh for Pullman Hotels and Resorts and laid out a strategic timeline for the company under the más...
Hot Openings: IHG unveils first heritage hotel in Asia
IHG has unveiled the InterContinental Shanghai Ruijin, its 200th property in greater China. The InterContinental Shanghai Ruijin is owned by Shanghai más...
Marriott debuts underground Innovation Lab
Marriott International has opened its new 10,000-sq-ft (929-sq-m) Innovation Lab two stories beneath its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. The lab is más...
News in brief: Dusit, Aston, Le Méridien
Dusit to expand in Qatar: Dusit International announced that it will open Dusit Residence and Suites Doha in last quarter of 2013. Read more at más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Lee Ann Benge has been named vice president of human resources for HRI Lodging, New Orleans. Benge most más...
Carey Watermark acquires Tennessee hotel
Carey Watermark Investors, New York City, has acquired the 247-room Hutton Hotel in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Carey Watermark said its total investment más...
Hot Openings: DoubleTree opens in Connecticut
DoubleTree by Hilton has opened its newest property, which it's billing as Bristol's only full-service hotel. DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol, Connecticut más...
Morgans to terminate shareholder rights plan
Morgans Hotel Group Co. announced on Wednesday that it will terminate its shareholder rights plan on or before October 3. Additionally, Morgans has established más...
New developer SKB Hotel Group taps Riley
Portland-based ScanlanKemperBard Companies announced that it has hired former Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group CEO Robert Riley to head SKB Hotel Group, más...
News in brief: Even, Super 8, Hersha
Even adds 2nd hotel in NYC: IHG announced that it signed an agreement with an ownership group led by Frank Chan and Lance Steinberg to manage an más...
Naturally, Commune brings on the 'crash pad'
Commune Hotels & Resorts on Wednesday jumped into the cheap chic arena by launching Tommie, what it calls “a value-conscious brand created to más...
Accor refreshing Pullman with ‘bleisure’
Accor announced on Tuesday a refresh for its Pullman Hotels and Resorts brand that includes lifestyle-inspired design features as well as a new brand más...
New World Hospitality becomes Rosewood Hotel Group
Hong Kong-based New World Hospitality announced it is changing its name to Rosewood Hotel Group to reflect the prominence of the Rosewood Hotels & más...
Miraval will open 1 hour from NYC
Miraval Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona, has announced plans to develop Miraval at Natirar on the Natirar estate in Somerset County, New Jersey. Formerly más...
What's Hot: Capri Tiberio Palace unveils summer makeover
Capri Tiberio Palace has redesigned its suites as well as some common areas for the 2013 season. Designer Giampiero Panepinto gave the interiors a contemporary más...
Menzies to enter administration again
The parent company of British hotel group Menzies Hotels has entered administration for the second time in two years. Citing the company’s unsustainable más...
News in brief: Swire, Hyatt, Guy Harvey
Swire to expand in China: Swire Hotels announced that it will open the 100-room The Temple House, located in Chengdu and being jointly developed más...
Legend John Q. Hammons dies at 94
Hotel development legend John Q. Hammons died Sunday in a Springfield, Missouri, nursing home. He was 94. Over a hotel career that started in 1958 when más...
Club Med’s top shareholders offer buyout
Club Méditerranée received a buyout offer from two of its top shareholders, Fosun International and AXA Private Equity. The companies currently más...
Hot Openings: Joie de Vivre opens 2nd Hawaiian property
Joie de Vivre Hotels introduced Shoreline Hotel Waikiki last month; the property is now officially open. The former Seaside Hotel Waikiki underwent major más...
Leading Hotels star in Italian film
The Leading Hotels of the World has worked with filmmakers to showcase seven of its member hotels in a new movie about the life of a hotel inspector, más...
Plan for $5.5 billion 5-hotel project in Qatar revealed
The conceptual plan for Oryx Island, a US$5.5 billion, 5-hotel project to be located off Doha, Qatar, was unveiled by a subsidiary of sovereign wealth más...
News in brief: Dalata, Hilton, Boulud
Dalata arranging financing for Ireland acquisitions: Dalata is reportedly seeking to raise millions of euros to purchase hotels in Ireland. Read más...
Auberge culinary series highlights ‘food of place’
Auberge Resorts, Mill Valley, California, has debuted a new “Food of Place” series of culinary events at its properties in North America in más...
What's Hot: Rome Cavalieri celebrates golden anniversary
Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel property, is celebrating its 50th anniversary the golden way, with special promotions that highlight gold. más...
Gleneagles restaurant showcases Scottish beef
The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, has created its own “breed book” aimed at giving restaurant diners the chance to choose beef más...
Report: The state of paid travel search
With Memorial Day and the traditional start of the summer travel season just a few days away, it’s a great time to look at the Travel industry and más...
US hotels 2012 profit just under 2007 peak: STR
Based on nearly 6,000 hotels reporting income and expense statements to STR, U.S. hotel industry profit came in just under the peak level recorded in más...
HOTELS Interview: Hilton Garden Inn's new sales programs
Hilton Worldwide’s Hilton Garden Inn brand is launching two new programs to boost sales, Bloom and Grassroots. Both are global initiatives first más...
What's Hot: Mandarin Oriental refurbishes floor in Geneva
Mandarin Oriental, Geneva has unveiled a new “Mandarin floor” with luxury accommodations. With the opening of the sixth-floor guestrooms and más...
Former LVS trio wins Baha Mar casino-resort management
Global Gaming Asset Management, headed by former Las Vegas Sands Corp. President Bill Weidner, will operate the Baha Mar Casino & Hotel scheduled más...
News in brief: Ireland, Great Eagle
Debt remains issue for Irish hotels: A new study from Allied Irish Banks and the Irish Hotels Federation shows that Ireland’s 850 hotels have más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Caesars Entertainment Corp., Las Vegas, has appointed Tom Arasi president of hospitality. Arasi previously más...
Chicago’s Palmer House Hilton reportedly for sale
Thor Equities has reportedly put the 1,639-room Palmer House Hilton, located in downtown Chicago, up for sale. Crain’s Chicago Business reported más...
What's Hot: Sheraton in Ontario updates PM suite
Vrancor Hospitality Corporation has renovated the Prime Minister Suite at the Sheraton Hamilton Hotel in Ontario, Canada. Renovations to the 1,200-sq-ft más...
Hotels G confirms further Asia expansion
GCP Hospitality, Hong Kong-based operators of lifestyle brand Hotels G, announced Thursday it is adding two more properties to its portfolio in 2013, más...
Burj Al Arab takes iPads to the next level of luxury
Although an increasing number of hotels have started providing iPads to guests, Burj Al Arab in Dubai has put a luxurious twist on this amenity. The hotel más...
News in brief: IHG, Temple, Great Wolf
IHG to add 4 hotels in UK: Cairn Hotel Group signed an agreement with IHG to rebrand the 75-room Royal British Hotel, located in Edinburgh as a más...
Red Carnation buys Ashford Castle for €20 million
The Red Carnation Hotel Collection announced on Tuesday that it purchased the 83-room Ashford Castle, located in Cong, Ireland, reportedly for €20 más...
Hot Openings: Banyan Tree opens in northern China
Banyan Tree Tianjin Riverside opened April 27. The property is Banyan Tree's first luxury hotel in northern China and its tenth hotel in the country overall más...
Real Hospitality to source, manage hotels for $250 million fund
Real Hospitality Group announced Wednesday that it has selected to manage hotels to be acquired as part of a nearly US$250 million hotel investment fund más...
Hotel lessons learned from the Boston Marathon bombings
The Boston Marathon is an annual world-class sporting event that draws nearly 30,000 participants and hundreds of thousands of spectators. Its route covers más...
News in brief: Swissôtel, Vista, Vail
Swissôtel to expand in China: Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts announced that it signed an agreement with Shaanxi Puyu Industrial Co. más...
Karisma adds TUI Travel to its Adriatic JV
Karisma Hotels Adriatic d.o.o. (KHA) on Monday announced it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with TUI Travel PLC to further its plans to create más...
Hot Openings: Hilton brings Waldorf Astoria to Panama
Hilton Worldwide introduced the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand to the Latin American market when it opened Waldorf Astoria Panama in March más...
Best Western to debut in Myanmar
Best Western International has agreed to take over management of the Green Hill Hotel in the heart of Yangon, Myanmar, which will now be operated under más...
One&Only to enter Saudi Arabia
Kerzner International announced on Monday that its One&Only brand is set to enter Saudi Arabia. Kerzner International Holdings Ltd, Paradise Island más...
CBRE buys California Marriott for $83 million
CBRE Global Investors, via its CBRE Strategic Partners U.S. Value 6 fund, bought the 506-room San Jose Marriott last week for a reported US$83 million más...
News in brief: sbe, Urban Commons, Lightstone Value
sbe to expand in Miami: sbe announced that it is partnering with Larry Levy and Bob Heyat to open the 69-room The Redbury South Beach in the early más...
Morgans rejected 2 takeover bids from hotel company
Morgans Hotel Group Co. revealed that it recently rejected two separate bids from “a large international hotel company” because the offer más...
Hot Openings: First b2 opens, in Miami
B Hotels and Resorts has opened b2 miami downtown, its first b2-branded hotel. B is positioning the b2 brand as more value-oriented but still boutique más...
Strategic to terminate shareholder protection plan
Strategic Hotels & Resorts may be a takeover target again as the company’s board of directors approved the acceleration of the shareholder rights más...
NRA panel offers tips for sustainable F&B
Acknowledging the broad, variable and often intimidating definition of “sustainability,” particularly in the realm of F&B, a panel of más...
Hyatt House rolls out new perks
Hyatt House has debuted two new benefits for all guests: a complimentary breakfast and a service that allows guests to borrow commonly needed items. The más...
Robinson launches hospitality program in Houston
Former NBA star David Robinson announced the launch of Admiral Hospitality Scholars, a program that will provide Houston high school students with a pathway más...
News in brief: Staybridge, Fibra, Ascott
Staybridge to enter Saudi Arabia: IHG announced that its Staybridge Suites brand will enter Saudi Arabia after it signed an agreement with Dyafah más...
HOTELS Interview: Perez on selling guestrooms in Haiti
Selling guestrooms at a new hotel can be challenging anywhere, but Haiti presents special difficulties. Armed guards are needed 24/7 to keep the perimeter más...
Hot Openings: Dorsett opens its doors in Singapore
Dorsett Singapore, owned and managed by Dorsett Hospitality International, had its soft opening in late March. The property is positioned as a midscale más...
1,800-room new-build hotel announced for Miami
Miami-based MDM Development Group announced on Thursday that it is developing a 1,800-room Marriott hotel in downtown Miami. The US$1 billion mixed-use más...
Anantara appoints worldwide conservation director
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, Bangkok, has appointed John Roberts worldwide conservation director. Roberts has been director of elephants at Anantara más...
News in brief: Kempinski, White Lodging, Boston
Kempinski expands in China: Kempinski Hotels signed an agreement with Shanghai Suncuba Co. Ltd to take over the management of the 678-room Gran más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Erkin Aytekin has been appointed general manager of Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, Australia. Aytekin most más...
Redefine, BDL merge to become Redefine BDL Hotels
Redefine Hotels and BDL Management announced on Thursday that the companies are merging to become Redefine BDL Hotels. Registered in the British Virgin más...
Choice ties up with institutional investor for Cambrias
From its annual convention, Choice Hotels International on Thursday announced it has entered into a joint venture with private investment firm Fillmore más...
Hot Openings: Generator powers up in Barcelona
Generator is branching out with a hotel and hostel combination—the brand's first—that is now open in Barcelona. The flagship property is Generator's más...
Protea launches revenue management game for iPad
Protea Hotels recently launched an iPad app “Protea Hotels Revenue Management,” a game designed to make learning about revenue management más...
Preparing for Google Penguin 2.0: How to protect your website
When Google rolled out its Panda algorithm update in February 2011, it upended search engine results pages (SERPs) in a major way, affecting 12 percent más...
News in brief: Occidental, IHG, Summit
Occidental refinances debt: Occidental Hotels & Resorts announced that it concluded its long-term debt refinancing process with 10 Spanish and más...
Viceroy wins $1 billion Palm Jumeirah development
Viceroy Hotel Group on Wednesday announced the planned 2017 opening of Viceroy Dubai, Palm Jumeirah. The US$1 billion mixed-use development marks the más...
Four Seasons NYC new-build back on track
Silverstein Properties announced on Wednesday that it has secured financing to construct a skyscraper in New York City that will include a Four Seasons más...
What's Hot: Andaz Maui prepares for summer opening
Andaz Maui at Wailea is under construction, with its opening currently slated for this summer. David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group have created a modern más...
Sheraton toasts wine program’s success
A year after the program’s debut, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is raising a glass to the success of its premium wine program, Sheraton Social Hour más...
News in brief: Salt Lake City, Steigenberger, Hyatt
2-hotel development in Utah announced: Alex. Brown Realty, PEG Development and Blue Diamond Capital announced a joint venture to develop two hotels más...
Choice unveils $40 million in incentives for Comfort refresh
Choice Hotels International on Monday announced its largest single brand property improvement program – a US$40 million incentive program to build más...
HOTELS report from Haiti: New Best Western signals brighter future
While the challenges of operating in Haiti have not abated, both the big brands' return to the country and the government's work to increase hotel development más...
Hot Openings: GuestHouse checks in to Haikou, China
Boomerang Hotels announced the opening of GuestHouse International's third property in China in late April. The six-story property, GuestHouse International más...
Coast Hotels launches new logo, website
Coast Hotels & Resorts announced the launch of a new brand identity as Coast Hotels with a new logo and website on Tuesday. The new brand identity más...
News in brief: Revel AC, Home Inns, Wyndham
Revel AC exits bankruptcy: Revel AC Inc., the owner of the 1,898-room Revel casino-resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, won court approval to exit más...
Qatar seeks to increase Fairmont Raffles stake
Katara Hospitality revealed that it is seeking to increase its stake in the privately held Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. “I don’t más...
Hot Openings: Resort takes root in Peru's Colca Valley
The Aranwa Pueblito Encantado del Colca, or Enchanted Village of Colca, opened last month on the banks of Peru's Colca River, near the town of Chivay más...
UOL plans to take Pan Pacific private
In a move to further consolidate its assets, Singapore property developer UOL Group plans to take its Pan Pacific Hotel Group private, according to a más...
Choice, Yelp partner on summer travel metasearch marketing
Choice Hotels International and Yelp Inc. have partnered on a summer online marketing campaign for U.S. automobile travelers on the review website Yelp más...
News in brief: Kimpton, Cheung Kong, Marriott
Kimpton to expand in California: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced on Monday that it signed an agreement with Wessman Development Co. to más...
HOTELS Interview: Spire Hospitality's Bill DeForrest
Lane Hospitality, now under the ownership of investment firm AWH Partners for about one year, on Tuesday announced it has rebranded as Spire Hospitality más...
Colorado Gaylord hotel to move forward
After being shelved last year following the 2011 announcement of the project, the Gaylord Aurora conference hotel project near Denver is moving forward más...
Paulson & Co. puts hotel unit into bankruptcy
Famed investor John Paulson has placed Paulson & Co.’s MSR Hotels & Resorts real estate unit into bankruptcy in an attempt to halt a lawsuit más...
STR predicts solid summer in U.S.
STR predicts occupancy for the summer in the United States will rise 1% over last summer to 70%, while average daily rate will increase 4.4% to US$112 más...
What's Hot: QT Sydney pampers tiny travelers
QT Sydney has launched a new package for babies and their parents, dubbed “BabyQ.” The package includes two nights in a QT King Deluxe room más...
News in brief: Marriott, Holiday Inn, Indian Hotels Co.
Marriott increases dividend: Marriott International’s board of directors raised the company’s quarterly dividend US$0.04 to US$0.17 per share más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Destination Hotels & Resorts, Englewood, Colorado, has appointed Kevin Barosso assistant vice president más...
HOTELS Interview: Making star chef partnerships shine
David McCaslin, president of Northwood Hospitality, understands the evolving nature of hotel F&B programs — and how high-profile players can más...
What's Hot: Gritti Palace reopens in Venice
After a 15-month, US$55 million renovation, the Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice is now open once again. The property was owned by the más...
Marriott introduces new meetings app
Marriott International brand Marriott Hotels has introduced Red Coat Direct, a new app that allows meeting organizers to adjust their meeting requests más...
$750 million could transact in Miami: JLLH&H
With more than US$600 million of investment in the Miami hotel market in 2012, investors are definitely taking notice of the state’s burgeoning más...
News in brief: Hyatt Place, Ultima, HTNG
Denver-area hotel to become a Hyatt Place: A Hyatt affiliate has entered into a franchise agreement with affiliates of DiNapoli Capital Partners and Rockwood más...
Peninsula in deal to develop in heart of Yangon
Pending a binding agreement and the fulfillment of conditions, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (Peninsula Hotels) has entered into an agreement with más...
Hot Openings: Meliá opens on Andalusian coast
The Meliá Atlántico — Isla Canela is now open, marking Meliá Hotels & Resorts' entry into the Andalusian province of Huelva más...
New Omni menu highlights authentic Mexican cuisine
Omni Hotels & Resorts, Irving, Texas, has debuted its Bocaditos menu, which highlights authentic regional Mexican dishes created during an intensive más...
Guidelines for the social side of sustainability
In recent years, sustainability has been widely perceived and practiced in forms of greenification. However, sustainable development should encompass más...
News in brief: IHG, JW Marriott, HotelTonight
IHG reports 1Q results: Global RevPAR increased 3.1% for the quarter ended March 31, driven by 2% growth in average daily rate. Read more at IHG’s más...
Lane rebrands as Spire Hospitality
Lane Hospitality, under the new ownership of investment firm AWH Partners for about one year, on Tuesday announced it has rebranded as Spire Hospitality más...
What's Hot: Soho House New York refreshes rooms, roof
Soho House New York has finished a refurbishment of both its guestrooms and its rooftop pool deck. The guestrooms have been redone to combine the industrial más...
Prince Alwaleed says he plans to sell 20-30 hotels
In a new interview with Reuters, hotel mogul Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said his Kingdom Holding investment vehicle plans to sell 20 to 30 of its más...
Sunstone buys Boston Park Plaza for $250 million
Sunstone Hotel Investors has agreed to buy the 1,053-room Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers from Rockpoint Group for US$250 million. Sunstone Hotel más...
TripAdvisor launches new service to collect reviews
TripAdvisor has debuted Review Express, a new, free service that encourages customer reviews by giving registered businesses the option to send customizable más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Anantara, Onyx
Ritz-Carlton announces another Morocco expansion: On the heels of announcing The Ritz-Carlton, Rabat, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. announced that más...
Emaar launches youthful Vida brand in Dubai
Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure subsidiary of Emaar Properties in Dubai, on Saturday launched Vida Hotels and Resorts más...
Galaxy buys Macau’s Grand Waldo for $419 million
Galaxy Entertainment Group announced that it is buying the Grand Waldo casino-resort, located on Macau’s Cotai Strip, for HK$3.25 billion (US$419 más...
James New York bought for $85 million
Brack Capital Real Estate announced last week that it sold the 114-room The James New York for US$85 million to an undisclosed buyer. The hotel will continue más...
What's Hot: Vienna's Bristol unveils new suites, rooms
Hotel Bristol, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Vienna has finished the first phase of a two-year restoration, debuting 10 new suites and guestrooms. Interior más...
DoubleTree launches interactive travel community on YouTube
DoubleTree by Hilton has launched DTour, which integrates all major social media networks in one place in an effort to make it easy for travelers to share más...
News in brief: Rosewood, Wyndham, Marriott
Rosewood to expand in Indonesia: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts announced on Monday that it has been appointed by Ciputra Group to manage the 120-room más...
HOTELS Interview: Many shades of green
“Green” initiatives are much more than add-ons at the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, California — they are an integral part of the property’s más...
Hot Openings: Indigo readies for Hong Kong debut
Hotel Indigo Hong Kong is set to open in the Wan Chai neighborhood this month after five years of planning. The 29-story building is wrapped in más...
New World will list 3 Hong Kong hotels
In the midst of a booming Hong Kong commercial property market, New World Development in a Thursday securities filing revealed more specifics about its más...
€1.5 billion new-build hotel development in Spain announced
Apogee Investors has signed an agreement with Mobilona Space hotels to manage the financing to develop Europe’s tallest hotel for €1.5 billion más...
Hilton launches UK internship drive
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, announced on Thursday the creation of up to 300 work placement opportunities a year at its hotels across the U.K. más...
News in brief: Mandarin Oriental, Holiday Inn, Hard Rock
Mandarin Oriental expands in Istanbul: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced on Thursday that it signed an agreement with Astas Real Estate Investments más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Bettina Bamert has joined Marriott International as director, conversions, international hotel development más...
Soho House gets financing for Chicago expansion
Mission Capital Advisors LLC announced on Thursday that it has arranged for a US$44.4 million construction loan for the development of Soho House Chicago más...
What's Hot: Hilton London Metropole transforming lobby
Hilton London Metropole has completed the first phase of a £6 million (US$9.3 million) lobby renovation. The refurbishment, designed by Aukett Fitzroy más...
Orient-Express posts loss in Q1
Orient-Express Hotels, Hamilton, Bermuda, reported a loss of US$47 million for the first quarter of 2013, deepening from a reported US$13.8 million loss más...
Resort plants coffee orchard to celebrate Kona anniversary
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Kona coffee in Hawaii, Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa has planted a Kona coffee orchard at the property más...
News in brief: Marriott, Hyatt, Grace
Marriott’s profit up 31% in Q1: Marriott International reported net income of US$136 million for the first quarter of 2013, up from US$104 más...
IHG extends commitment to US Army hotels
IHG on Wednesday announced plans to expand its portfolio of IHG Army Hotels. The exclusive hotel manager and operator of on-post lodging under the Department más...
Hot Openings: Best Western Premier enters Haiti
The Best Western Premier Hotel and Spa Pétion-Ville is now open. The seven-story property overlooks Port-Au-Prince Bay and offers 106 guestrooms más...
Hyatt redesigns website
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has launched a new website at Hyatt.com designed to enhance the guest experience. Based on a survey of more than 22,000 respondents más...
MGM's proposed Massachusetts development advances
The municipal government of Springfield, Massachusetts, on Wednesday selected MGM Resorts International as the city’s chosen candidate to develop más...
News in brief: Hilton, Aloft, Whitbread
Hilton rebrands London hotel: Hilton Worldwide is rebranding the 137-room London Syon Park, which opened as a Waldorf Astoria two years ago, as más...
abril 2013
Famed Lake Placid Lodge changes hands
Lake Placid Lodge in New York’s Adirondack Mountains was sold on Monday by Ramsfield Hospitality Finance to Ocean Properties for US$19 million más...
Enter the Social Hotel Awards contest by May 3
To recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in connecting with consumers online via social media, HOTELS Magazine más...
What's Hot: Gettysburg Hotel renovates for sesquicentennial
A renovation project has transformed the Gettysburg Hotel on Lincoln Square in downtown Gettysburg, Pa., into a more upscale property while maintaining más...
Ascott Ltd gets new CEO
CapitaLand Limited announced on Monday that it had appointed Lee Chee Koon as the new CEO of its wholly owned serviced residences unit The Ascott Limited más...
Four Points proposes cure for travel woes: free beer
There is little comfort for business travelers weary from long road trips or flight delays, but Four Points by Sheraton is proposing one attractive perk: más...
News in brief: Marriott, Rotana, Starwood
Marriott to expand in Russia: Marriott International signed a management agreement with CJSC Globus to open its first property in Novosibirsk, the más...
Think globally, not locally, when considering food trends
Food trend lists are as inevitable as death and taxes, but rarely as reliable. Chandra Ram, editor of HOTELS’ sister publication Plate, took a look más...
Hot Openings: Radisson Blu Riverside debuts in Sweden
Radisson Blu Riverside has opened in Gothenburg, Sweden. Doos Architects designed the interior, with Bronwynn Welsh and Nicholas Veitch serving as architects más...
Summer dress comes to New Orleans hotel
Each year, International House in New Orleans alters its furnishings, staff attire, foliage and overall ambiance to coincide with the summer season, and más...
News in brief: Pan Pacific, Choice, Arena
Parkroyal to enter Indonesia: Pan Pacific Hotels Group announced that its Parkroyal brand is set to enter Indonesia with the opening of the 225-room más...
HOTELS Interview: Taking CSR to the next level
Corporate social responsibility is no longer just nice to have — it is a requirement to attract not only increasingly aware guests, but also employees más...
Hot Openings: Raffles opens in Manila
Late last year, Raffles Makati opened in Metro Manila in the Philippines—a move it says marks the area's first luxury hotel opening in 18 years más...
Accor holds rocky annual shareholders’ meeting
After the ouster of CEO Denis Hennequin on Tuesday, Accor saw a tumultuous annual shareholders’ meeting on Thursday at the 764-room Novotel Paris más...
Chesapeake buys W New Orleans for $65 million
After closing its purchase of W New Orleans – French Quarter from Starwood earlier this month, Chesapeake Lodging Trust on Thursday completed the más...
Hilton HHonors to award teachers with educational trips
Hilton Worldwide’s loyalty program, Hilton HHonors, has announced 30 finalists for its Teacher Treks Travel Grant Competition, which will fund 15 más...
News in brief: Sonesta, Red Lion, Cornerstone
Sonesta expands in Georgia: Sonesta International Hotels Corp. announced that it will take over management of the 426-room Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Heather Ann Bennett has been named general manager of the Hampton Inn in Marshall, Michigan. Bennett más...
Tsogo Sun investing $100 million in Nigeria, Mozambique
Tsogo Sun Group announced on Wednesday that it will spend US$70 million buying a 75% stake in a Nigeria hotel and US$30 million expanding and renovating más...
RBS nixes $375 million NH Hoteles-HPT deal
A US$375 million deal between Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT) and NH Hoteles is not moving forward because NH Hoteles was unable to obtain necessary más...
What's Hot: Byblos Saint Tropez opens Ducasse restaurant
The Byblos hotel in Saint Tropez will open for the season on April 25 — and with it, a new restaurant concept from Alain Ducasse will make its debut más...
Kimpton uses video, Facebook, events to roll out yoga amenities
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, San Francisco, is stocking all of its guestrooms with custom-designed yoga mats and promoting the initiative with a más...
What drives meeting planner’s loyalty to independents?
In the final installment of a series about how hoteliers can better develop loyalty among meeting planners, Unifocus’s research focuses on independent más...
News in brief: Hotel Indigo, DoubleTree, Pullman
Hotel Indigo to expand in Chicago: IHG announced that it signed a franchise agreement with manager First Hospitality Group and owner Crown Series más...
Ahn Luh to expand with 2 hotels in China
Nascent hotel brand Ahn Luh announced on Wednesday the signing of a management agreement with Qinsen Group for two hotels in China. The hotels include más...
What's Hot: Hershey Hotel opens reinvented dining room
On Tuesday, the Hershey Hotel in Hershey, Pennsylvania, opened its flagship restaurant, The Circular, formerly known as the Circular Dining Room. The más...
Renaissance celebrates moms with global cocktails
Renaissance Hotels is celebrating Mother’s Day with 10 variations on the classic Bloody Mary cocktail inspired by cities around the world. Created más...
DC development gets $43 million in EB-5 investment
DCRC-CityMarket LLC, an affiliate of DC Regional Center, announced it will provide US$43 million in debt financing to the Washington, D.C. mixed-use development más...
How to sway luxury event meeting planners
In a four-part series about helping hoteliers understand which features and services offered at their properties most impact a meeting planner’s más...
News in brief: White Lodging, DoubleTree, MGallery
White Lodging developing Colorado hotel: White Lodging Services announced on Tuesday that it will develop a 346-room dual-branded Hyatt Place/Hyatt más...
Accor CEO Hennequin leaves position
Accor’s board of directors voted unanimously on Tuesday to terminate Denis Hennequin’s mandate as chairman and CEO “with immediate effect más...
$500 million investment set for Caesars growth venture
Caesars Entertainment Corp. announced on Tuesday that it is setting up a new venture, Caesars Growth Partners LLC, which has received US$500 million in más...
Hot Openings: Le Méridien moves into Atlanta market
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced the opening of Le Méridien Atlanta Perimeter in February. The property is the brand's first in más...
Fairmont introduces new CSR program
Building on its decades-old foundation of corporate social responsibility programming, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, has debuted the new Fairmont más...
Karisma launching new brand
Karisma Hotels & Resorts, Coral Gables, Florida, announced on Tuesday that it will launch the upscale resort brand Generations Resorts by Karisma más...
What drives meetings at upscale hotels?
HOTELS Magazine on Tuesday presents Part 2 in series on meetings business research conducted by UniFocus to help hoteliers understand which features and más...
News in brief: Trump Plaza, Viceroy, TripAdvisor
Atlantic City casino-resort sale delayed: The US$20 million sale of the 906-room Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino to The Meruelo Group is on hold because más...
Inland American buys Colorado hotel for $80 million
A wholly owned subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust bought the 228-room Residence Inn by Marriott Denver City Center for US$80 million. Sage más...
Hot Openings: Hilton's DoubleTree expands in Spain
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Center La Mola is now open in Spain, 17 miles from Barcelona. The property, which is named for a nearby mountain más...
Sherwood to lead former Conran restaurants
Simon Sherwood, the former head of Orient-Express Hotels, will become chairman of D&D London, the restaurant chain established by Sir Terence Conran más...
Rocco Forte reportedly considering Balmoral, Lowry sales
Rocco Forte Hotels is reportedly considering selling the 188-room The Balmoral, located in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the 165-room The Lowry Hotel, located más...
Study finds leadership style drives CSR perceptions
The leadership styles of hotel managers influence their perceptions of corporate social responsibility, according to new research from The Hong Kong Polytechnic más...
What drives meeting planners' intent to recommend?
In the first of a series of research reports from performance solutions provider UniFocus aimed at helping hoteliers understand which features and services más...
News in brief: Modus, Menzies, Aloft
Modus partners to buy DC hotel: Modus Hotels and Alex. Brown Realty announced that they acquired the 75-room The Normandy Hotel, located in Washington más...
HOTELS Interview: Sofitel’s ambitious plans in the Americas
Accor brand Sofitel has 120 properties in nearly 40 countries, but that total is currently severely under-represented in the Americas, particularly in más...
What's Hot: Broadmoor unveils new dining, late night spot
The Broadmoor has introduced Play, a new dining and late night spot. The resort, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has also reopened its signature más...
Art inspires menu at JW Marriott Chicago
Art may imitate life, and this week at the JW Marriott Chicago, food imitated art. In conjunction with the global partnership between JW Marriott Hotels más...
News in brief: Hotel Indigo, Hyatt, Blackstone
Hotel Indigo to enter Italy: IHG announced that it signed a franchise agreement with Hotel Invest Italiana SRL to open the 64-room Hotel Indigo más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: José Castro has been named director of revenue for Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale más...
Blackstone buys Hawaii hotel for $450 million
The Blackstone Group LP has agreed to buy the leasehold on the 1,230-room Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa for US$450 million. The hotel is más...
MGM announces $100 million Strip development
MGM Resorts International announced a US$100 million development at two of its Las Vegas Strip properties, including a Stripside plaza experience at New más...
Hot Openings: Centara opens 4th Bangkok hotel
Centara Watergate Pavilion Hotel Bangkok opened April 1 in the city's Pratunam fashion district. This is the fourth property Centara Hotels & más...
Restaurant Michael Schwartz set to open at The Raleigh
Restaurant Michael Schwartz is scheduled to open April 22 at The Raleigh in Miami, sbe Restaurant Group and The Genuine Hospitality Group announced. The más...
PPHE buys 2 Berlin hotels
PPHE Hotel Group announced on Thursday that it purchased via a subsidiary the freehold interests of the 109-room Art'otel Berlin Mitte and 133-room Art'otel más...
Highgate Hotels acquires Courtyard in Honolulu
A consortium of investors led by Highgate Hotels have acquired the 401-room Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach in Honolulu for US$127 million, according más...
Hyatt announces winners of wine-label contest
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, in conjunction with Folio Fine Wine Partners — a Napa Valley wine company owned by the Michael Mondavi family — más...
News in brief: Courtyard, Cornell, LIG
Courtyard to expand in Russia: Marriott International announced that it will open the 135-room Courtyard by Marriott Ulyanovsk in 2015. The hotel más...
HOTELS Interview: Scandic’s green hotelkeeping
To reduce a hotel’s energy costs, it’s vital to cut wasteful energy usage wherever possible, and sometimes that requires rethinking the ways más...
Hot Openings: Mama Shelter lands in Lyon
The latest Mama Shelter is open in Lyon, France. The 156-key property features a design by Philippe Starck around the central theme of “light.” más...
Marriott appoints Linnartz to new executive role
Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, announced on Wednesday that it appointed Stephanie Linnartz as its chief marketing and commercial officer más...
Competing for franchisees
Owners of hotel franchises or managed properties expect basic IT services to be delivered at competitive costs – they won’t pay a premium más...
New Viceroy website targets travel consultants
Viceroy Hotel Group, Los Angeles, has debuted a new website aimed at travel consultants. The site, travel.viceroyhotelgroup.com, includes a blog-like más...
Serving gluten-free requires staff training, education
While there can be a return on investment for food outlets serving gluten and other allergen-free items, training and educating staff is key to successfully más...
News in brief: MHI, Accor, Vantage
MHI changes name: MHI Hospitality Corp. changed its company name to Sotherly Hotels Inc., stylized as SoTHERLY Hotels Inc. to emphasize product más...
Boston Marathon bombing impacts nearby hotels
The Boston Marathon bombings on Monday caused one hotel near the explosions to be temporarily evacuated while another was on heightened security. The más...
Hot Openings: Boutique property opens in San Jose del Cabo
Grupo Questro, Los Cabos has opened Hotel El Ganzo in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. The 72-key hotel is positioned at the base of the Puerto Los Cabos marina más...
Far East acquires hotels, signs JV with Straits Trading
Far East Hospitality Trust on Tuesday entered into a sale and purchase agreement with The Straits Trading Co. Ltd. (STC) to acquire Rendezvous Grand Hotel más...
Restaurateur shares tips for controlling F&B costs
Hoteliers and restaurateurs often have a limited amount of control when it comes to food-cost fluctuations, especially with center-of-the-plate proteins más...
News in brief: Langham, Como, Starwood Capital
Langham rebranding Delta Chelsea: Langham Hospitality Group announced that it will rebrand the former Delta Chelsea, Canada's largest hotel, to más...
Jurys Inn Group undergoes debt restructuring
Dublin-based Jurys Inn Group has agreed to a debt restructuring deal that reduces about half of its remaining debt after receiving £120 million más...
Hot Openings: 'Sports hotel' opens in Phuket
Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club opened late last year in Phuket; the company says the property is the first sports hotel in Asia. The 77-key Sports más...
Union Investment launches new real estate fund
Germany’s Union Investment Real Estate launched UII Hotel Nr. 1, a new real estate fund for institutional investors focused on midscale and budget más...
Great Mackinac hotelier, Musser Jr., passes away
R.D. “Dan” Musser Jr., who owned and operated the 125-year-old Grand Hotel on Michigan's Mackinac Island, passed away on Saturday at age 80 más...
News in brief: Courtyard, Amanresorts, Crowne Plaza
Courtyard to enter Colombia: Marriott International announced that its Courtyard by Marriott brand will enter Colombia with a 146-room hotel located más...
HOTELS Interview: EllBee brand launches in India
EllBee Hospitality Worldwide, Rishikesh, India, is opening its first hotel this month, the 32-room EllBee Ganga View, also located in Rishikesh. The upscale más...
Hot Openings: Hilton Garden Inn enters southeast Asia
Hilton Worldwide has opened its first Hilton Garden Inn in southeast Asia: the Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi. The 11-story hotel has 86 guestrooms and is Hilton's más...
LA bartenders to square off in cocktail competition
The Mixing Room at JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live is hosting a five-week competition during May that challenges bartenders from around the city to más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Crillon
Rezidor expands in Turkey: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 144-room The Park Inn Istanbul Ataturk Airport in 2014. Read más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa in South Carolina has appointed Jim Barnett director más...
HOTELS Interview: How Kempinski recruits
Last month the Geneva-based Kempinski Hotels held its third Kempinski Career Day in Munich and second in Beijing. At the event-based recruiting program más...
Hot Openings: Ascott opens first Citadines Suites in Paris
The Ascott Ltd, CapitaLand's wholly owned serviced residence business unit, opened Citadines Suites Louvre Paris in late March. The property is the first más...
W names 2013 Designers of the Future
W Hotels Worldwide and Design Miami/Basel have announced the winners of the 2013 W Hotels Designers of the Future Award: Seung-Yong Song from Korea, Canadian más...
How to install an art-bar table in Hong Kong
A dramatic, two-ton art piece doubling as a communal bar table was recently installed at the InterContinental Hong Kong’s new Lobby Lounge. The más...
Enter the Social Hotel Awards contest
To recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in connecting with consumers online via social media, HOTELS Magazine más...
News in brief: IHG, Huntington, Vantage
IHG puts NYC hotel back on market: IHG announced that it is seeking a buyer for the 685-room InterContinental New York Barclay. Potential buyers más...
Pentahotels enters Belgium with 5-hotel deal
New World Hospitality signed a management contract for five Belgian hotels purchased earlier this week by CTF Development, Frankfurt, Germany, that will más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Zetta debuts in San Francisco
Viceroy Hotel Group has launched Hotel Zetta San Francisco. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust acquired the property as the Hotel Milano early last year; the neo-classical más...
Omni unveils Umami Sauce
As part of its ongoing efforts to offer flavorful all-natural, gluten-free products, Irving, Texas-based Omni Hotels & Resorts has debuted its own más...
10 Ritz staff members invited to Thatcher’s funeral
Ten staff members of the 133-room The Ritz London have been invited to the funeral of Baroness Margaret Thatcher. The late Thatcher, the U.K.’s más...
News in brief: Drury, Dorsett, Atlantic City
Ohio school district approves building sale to Drury: The Cleveland School District approved the sale of a former administration building to Drury más...
WTTC issues wake-up call at Global Summit
"The private and public sector must come together and focus on long term strategies, infrastructure and initiatives, not just short term goals, to ensure más...
Hot Openings: W enters mainland China
W Hotels Worldwide has opened W Guangzhou, its first W property in mainland China and its 44th globally. The hotel is located in Guangzhou's Pear River más...
Luxury Collection publishes 'Hotel Stories' book
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Assouline Publishing have partnered to publish “The Luxury Collection Hotel Stories,” a book about más...
Riu launches CSR website
Riu Hotels & Resorts, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, has launched a website — sustainability.riu.com — focused on the company’s commitments más...
Demos, interactive tastings to bring menu trends to life
A series of interactive breakout sessions will offer attendees of the 2013 Protein Innovation Summit in Chicago the opportunity to experience and discuss más...
News in brief: Z Hotels
Z Hotels to develop Scotland hotel: Z Hotels bought a site in Glasgow that it will redevelop into a hotel. Read more at The Financial más...
IHG brings back Stay Smart for Express brand
What's old is new again at IHG's Holiday Inn Express brand. Based on its successful 11-year run that started in 1998, IHG on Monday launched a US$20 million más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons enters sub-Saharan Africa
Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti opened in December in Tanzania. The Lodge has 77 guest rooms with open-air sundecks, including 12 suites with plunge más...
Starwood names new leader for EAME
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced that Roeland Vos, long-time president of the company’s Europe, Africa and Middle East (EAME) más...
A-HTRUST buys Singapore hotel for $239 million
Ascendas Hospitality Trust (A-HTRUST) bought the 336-room Park Hotel Clarke Quay, located in Singapore, for S$300 million (US$239 million) from an affiliate más...
Morgan Stanley, Paris Inn JV buys 4 Paris hotels
A real estate fund managed by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing and Paris Inn Group announced last week that they formed a joint venture to purchase más...
Amanresorts sale closure reportedly delayed
Ownership of ultra-luxury Amanresorts may be in limbo again as the closure of the sale announced in December is reportedly delayed. The management buyout más...
News in brief: GHM, Autograph, Morgans
GHM to expand in United Arab Emirates: General Hotel Management signed a management deal with the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority to más...
HOTELS Interview: Choice CEO Joyce discusses new HQ
On Monday, Choice Hotels International employees will begin working at the company's new headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. The new building, which más...
What's Hot: Quail Lodge re-opens after renovation
Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club has reopened in Carmel Valley, Calif. after a three-year renovation project that cost some US$28 million. Santa Monica-based más...
Leela unveils new identity, expansion plans
For the first time since its inception 25 years ago, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, Mumbai, has unveiled a new brand identity, including a new más...
News in brief: IMH, Hilton, Centara
IMH buys 2 Arizona hotels: IMH Financial Corp. entered into an agreement to buy the 87-room L’Auberge de Sedona and 42-room Orchards Inn, más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Kelly Commerford has been named director of sales and marketing at the Commons Hotel in Minneapolis más...
Choice moves to new Maryland headquarters
Choice Hotels International is completing its move to its new global headquarters at 1 Choice Hotels Circle in Rockville, Maryland at Rockville Town Square más...
What's Hot: Zoëtry upgrades public areas in Los Cabos
Zoëtry Casa del Mar Los Cabos has completed design upgrades to its public areas, reflecting more of a hacienda style. Zoëtry worked with local más...
OTK, Morgans dispute enters courtroom
OTK Associates LLC, the largest shareholder of Morgans Hotel Group Co. is taking its dispute with the company to court. Bloomberg reported that OTK Associates más...
Vikram Chatwal arrested for alleged drug trafficking, possession
Vikram Chatwal, the boutique hotelier whose Dream and Night brands are being franchised by Wyndham Hotel Group, was arrested on Tuesday at a Florida airport más...
Starwood recaps relocation to Dubai
Marking the conclusion of Starwood's month-long relocation to Dubai, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide President and CEO Frits van Paasschen más...
Preferred launches new website
Chicago-based Preferred Hotel Group announced on Wednesday the launch a new version of its main website www.PreferredHotelGroup.com, which includes a más...
News in brief: CTF, Amara, UNWTO
CTF Development buys stakes in 5 Belgian hotels: CTF Development, held by the Cheng family of Hong Kong, bought stakes in the freehold of the 201-room más...
Meritus to manage Indonesian eco theme park's lodging
Singapore-based Meritus Hotels & Resorts announced on Wednesday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Funtasy Island Development to manage más...
What's Hot: New restaurant at Setai in Miami
Trevi Luxury Hospitality Group has reconceptualized the steakhouse at The Setai, Miami Beach, after taking on the property's management a year ago. The más...
Marriott careers app targets young people in Europe
Marriott International has launched a careers app targeting young people in Europe using personal career stories. The app, developed in tandem with Evviva más...
Enter the Social Hotel Awards contest
To recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in connecting with consumers online via social media, HOTELS Magazine más...
News in brief: W, Joie de Vivre, Forbes Travel Guide
W to enter Israel: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide confirmed that its W Hotels brand is set to debut in Israel after signing an agreement más...
Largest Morgans shareholder decries debt reduction deal
OTK Associates LLC, the largest shareholder of Morgans Hotel Group Co., lashed out against the company’s deal to sell its stakes in the 195-room más...
India's Park Hotels launches new brand
India’s pioneering boutique hotel brand, The Park Hotels, on Tuesday officially announced the launch of their design driven upscale brand ‘Zone más...
HOTELS Interview: Virgile on Country Inns redesign
Last month Carlson, Minnetonka, Minnesota, launched the first major refresh of the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson brand. The Generation 4 prototype más...
What's Hot: New World renovates three properties
New World Hotels in Manila, Shanghai and Dalian have undergone a US$72 million renovation. The properties now have redesigned guestrooms, executive floors más...
News in brief: Centara, New Castle, VIP
Centara to expand in Thailand: Centara Hotels & Resorts announced that it signed a contract with Sweet Water Point Co. to open the 215-room más...
Morgans sells Delano South Beach, Light Group stakes
Morgans Hotel Group Co. announced on Monday that it is selling its stakes in the 195-room Delano South Beach and The Light Group and launching a US$100 más...
Hot Openings: Portuguese brand comes to the US
When Pestana South Beach Art Deco Hotel opens in Miami on April 8, it will mark Group Pestana's first entry into the U.S. market. “North America más...
Rocco Forte exits Abu Dhabi management contract
Rocco Forte Hotels revealed on Monday that it exited the 281-room Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi, its only hotel in the Middle East. The hotel will now operate más...
Chesapeake adds 4th Starwood hotel
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Monday announced that it has completed the sale of W New Orleans - French Quarter to Chesapeake Lodging Trust más...
Marriott launching new F&B initiatives for JW Marriott, Fairfield
Marriott International revealed new F&B initiatives for its JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Fairfield Inn & Suites brands on Monday. JW Marriott más...
Summit to cover socioeconomic trends, process innovation
Two keynote addresses at the 2013 Protein Innovation Summit will offer an insightful look at food industry trends — both from the foodservice and más...
News in brief: Ascend, DoubleTree, Preferred
Ascend Collection expands in Maryland: Choice Hotels International announced that the 38-room Inn at Henderson’s Wharf, 66-room Pier 5 and más...
marzo 2013
HOTELS Interview: IHG’s Kinsell on loyalty club, Crowne Plaza
The major hotel brands have been in the news lately for their loyalty program changes. While this has primarily been because of the tightening of how más...
What's Hot: Christchurch hotel prepares to reopen
More than two years after Christchurch, New Zealand, was struck with a devastating earthquake, Rendezvous Hotel Christchurch is preparing to open its más...
Kempinski’s North Korean hotel plans on hold
Kempinski Hotels said its plan to operate the Ryugyong hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea, is on hold amid rising political tensions. The Geneva-based Kempinski más...
Four Seasons relaunches magazine
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, has redesigned and relaunched Four Seasons Magazine in partnership with content agency and publisher Pace, at más...
News in brief: Best Western, IHG, Bluegreen
Best Western Premier in Haiti opens: Aimbridge Hospitality and Haiti-based corporation Carabimmo SA announced on Friday the opening of the 106-room más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts has promoted Tareq Bagaeen to area director of sales and marketing for más...
IHG sells London InterContinental for £301 million
IHG announced on Thursday that it has agreed to sell its leasehold interest in the 447-room InterContinental London Park Lane to an affiliate of Constellation más...
Hot Openings: Hilton opens second property in Alexandria
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has opened its second property in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. Hilton Alexandria Corniche has 158 guestrooms and suites más...
New Choice division to offer cloud-based operating systems
Choice Hotels International, Silver Spring, Maryland, has launched SkyTouch Technology, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based operating más...
W Hotels to raise money, awareness for clean water worldwide
W Hotels Worldwide has announced a new development in its partnership with charity: water, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing clean, safe más...
Four years and 1,073 guestrooms later
Usually, a renovation is born out of careful thought and planning, but sometimes it is spurred by a force of nature. At The Westin Peachtree Plaza, we más...
News in brief: Wynn, Omni, TripAdvisor
Wynn COO to retire: Wynn Resorts announced on Thursday that COO Marc Schorr will retire from the company and all affiliates effective June 1. Schorr más...
Eden Roc owner wins appeal against Marriott
Marriott International lost a New York appeals court ruling on Tuesday against the owner of the Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel, located in Miami Beach, Florida más...
Kerzner completes $145 million refinancing
Kerzner International announced this week that it has completed the successful refinancing of US$145 million of its debt. Deutsche Bank was appointed más...
What's Hot: Oceana Beach Club completes renovation
JRK Hotel Group has reopened Oceana Beach Club Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., after a renovation of the hotel's public areas. Designer Anthony Baratta más...
Wind farm approval threatens Trump resort in Scotland
The Scottish government has approved a wind farm project near Aberdeen, prompting Donald Trump to stop work on his £750 million (US$1.1 billion) más...
Akira Segawa appointed president of Fujita Kanko
Fujita Kanko announced on Wednesday that it appointed Akira Segawa as president, succeeding Kazumasa Suezawa. Prior to this appointment, Segawa was deputy más...
Starwood makes more news from Dubai with Le Méridien
On Tuesday it was Prince Harry playing polo for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and on Wednesday Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide continued to make más...
News in brief: IHG, Preferred, Laurus
Crowne Plaza to expand in Oman: IHG announced on Wednesday that it signed an agreement with the Oman Tourism Development Co. to open the 296-room más...
Chetrit buys Miami Beach Resort for $117 million
A company controlled by Jacob Chetrit closed the purchase of the 424-room Miami Beach Resort and Spa from Blackstone Group for US$117 million on más...
IHG renaming loyalty program, expanding free Internet
IHG announced on Tuesday that it is renaming it loyalty program and expanding the program’s free Internet to all members over the next year. Priority más...
What's Hot: GHM to open Alpine ski resort
Next winter, GHM will open its first ski resort: The Chedi Andermatt in Uri, Switzerland. The property will be part of the Andermatt Swiss Alps project más...
San Francisco Hilton, union reach important deal
The 1,900-room Hilton San Francisco Union Square and the Unite Here union representing the hotel’s 750 workers have agreed on a new contract after más...
Club Med launches new worldwide brand campaign
All-inclusive resort company Club Mediterranée has launched a new global brand campaign based on the concept of happiness. The campaign is centered más...
HOTELS discusses social media at HSMAI event
The Illinois Chapter of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) invited HOTELS Magazine Editor In Chief Jeff Weinstein along más...
News in brief: Marriott, Okura, Revel
England Marriott sold: The 129-room Manchester Marriott Victoria & Albert Hotel sold by Zolfo Cooper LLP to an undisclosed international buyer más...
Sage, Whitman Peterson partner to buy 7 US Courtyards
Sage Hospitality announced on Monday that it partnered with Whitman Peterson Capital Partners to purchase seven Courtyard by Marriott-branded hotels in más...
Jurys Inn reportedly set for £160 million injection
A consortium that includes the Royal Bank of Scotland is set to inject £160 million (US$243 million) in the Jurys Inn chain as part of a debt-for-equity más...
Hot Openings: M&C opens branded hotel in Taiwan
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels has opened Millennium Vee Hotel Taichung, the group's first M&C-branded hotel in Taiwan. The property boasts 237 más...
Innside by Meliá to debut in Asia
Meliá Hotels International announced its Innside by Meliá brand will make its Asia debut with the 2015 opening of the Innside Yogyakarta más...
Pudong Shangri-La sets record for Earth Hour
Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai said it broke a Guinness World Record this past Saturday in honor of Earth Hour as 508 staff members blew out candles más...
News in brief: Doyle Collection, IHG, Wyndham
JV buying DC Courtyard: A joint venture of Capstone Development and Quadrangle Development bought the 146-room Courtyard Washington, DC/Dupont Circle más...
HOTELS Interview: Woolley’s back with new brand
Robert Woolley, who in 1969 created the first all-suite hotel with his Granada Royale chain that eventually became Embassy Suites, announced the new brand más...
Hot Openings: Kempinski opens new property in old Vienna hotel
Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna is officially open in a building designed as a hotel for the 1873 World Exhibition. That hotel, originally designed by más...
Holiday Inn Express reportedly to enter Australia
IHG has reportedly signed a deal with Sunfire Asset to open its first Holiday Inn Express-branded hotel in Australia. The Australian reported that IHG más...
News in brief: IHG, Huntington, Realty Capital
Holiday Inn expands in Germany: IHG announced on Thursday the signing of Holiday Inn Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. The 249-room property is due to open más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has appointed Michael Andrew vice president and general counsel. Andrew más...
HOTELS launches 2013 Social Hotel Awards with webinar
HOTELS Magazine on Thursday launched its 2013 Social Hotel Awards program during a webinar entitled, “The ROI of Social Media.” To enter the más...
Hot Openings: Taj launches its 100th property in India
Vivanta by Taj — Gurgaon has opened, marking The Taj Group's 100th property in India. Singapore-based Warner Wong Design | WOW Architects designed más...
Gluten and allergen-free food demand offers opportunities
The incidence of consumers ordering food described on the menu as gluten-free or wheat-free is double what it was four years ago — accounting for más...
NYC’s Plaza celebrates its role in 'The Great Gatsby'
New York City’s 282-room The Plaza hotel is celebrating "The Great Gatsby" with period-inspired affairs that began Wednesday and continue throughout más...
Mexico promotes ‘Sun Triangle’
Mexico's state of Guerrero has formed strategic alliances with several international and domestic airlines to facilitate airlift to the “Sun Triangle” más...
News in brief: Hilton, Pacific Hospitality, Noble
Hilton to manage 3 Maryland hotels: Hilton Worldwide announced on Wednesday that Hilton Management Services has been chosen to manage the 248-room más...
RLJ buys 2 Houston hotels, to convert third
RLJ Lodging Trust announced on Wednesday that it bought the historic Humble Oil Building complex in downtown Houston for US$79.5 million. The three-tower más...
The Park Hotels refreshes its identity
India-based boutique operator, The Park Hotels, has revived its visual identity and promise, which will be launched at its 12 hotels on April 1. Two years más...
What's Hot: Revitalized Paramount in NYC revealed
RFR Holdings LLC is unveiling the new concept for Paramount, the iconic hotel in New York City's theater district. The property, originally designed by más...
Regent enhances butler program
Regent Hotels & Resorts, Taipei, has announced a butler service quality enhancement program that entails further training of existing staff as well más...
Value Place unveils design upgrades
Economy extended-stay brand Value Place has unveiled a refreshed property standard that incorporates more than 30 enhancements. The new “Value Place más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, SLS, MIG
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples to close for refurbishment: Marriott International announced on Tuesday that the 450-room The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, located más...
360 Vox has LOI for Enchantment Group resorts
360 Vox Corp., Montreal, has entered into a letter of intent to acquire the management contract rights for the 218-room Enchantment Resort and Mii amo más...
What's Hot: Rosewood to open new property in London
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will open Rosewood London in October 2013. The company is currently pursuing a US$130 million renovation of a building constructed más...
More details on Carlson’s Country Inns & Suites refresh
Carlson executives discussed the renovation cost and motivation behind its Country Inn & Suites brand refresh at a press conference held Tuesday morning más...
HOTELS Webinar: ROI of social media
Find out this week how social media can generate a ROI for hotels. The winners of HOTELS' inaugural Social Hotel Awards will present their case studies más...
Renovation: Doing more with less
As the hotel industry climbs out of survival mode, owners are faced with facilities overdue for a freshening. In addition, many of the new transactions más...
News in brief: Luxury Dream, Crestline, Wyndham
Luxury Dream Hotels portal launched: Luxury Dream Hotels, a video-based hotel booking portal featuring 400 properties globally, has launched. Click más...
KSL acquires 27-hotel Malmaison, Hotel du Vin portfolio
An affiliate of KSL Capital Partners has acquired the Malmaison and Hotel du Vin chains in the U.K. KSL, a Denver-based private equity firm, plans to más...
Carlson reinterprets Country Inns & Suites brand
Carlson on Monday launched a new identity for its Country Inns & Suites By Carlson brand to broaden its appeal to the next generation of travelers más...
Largest Morgans shareholder plans board shakeup
OTK Associates LLC, the largest shareholder of Morgans Hotel Group Co., announced on Monday that it intends to nominate seven candidates to the company’s más...
Gansevoort Las Vegas to open next year
Caesars Entertainment Corp. is collaborating with New York City-based Gansevoort Hotel Group to open Gansevoort Las Vegas on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard más...
Hot Openings: Holiday Inn moves into Charleston
IHG has opened the Holiday Inn Charleston Historic Downtown, which it says is the first new hotel development in the area in a decade. The new, five-story más...
Woolley returns with another all-suite brand
Robert Woolley, who in 1969 created the first all-suite hotel, is back with a new brand in 2013 — Woolley’s Classic Suites. Construction has más...
News in brief: Inland, Marriott, Leading
Inland Group buys California hotel: Inland Group bought the 159-room Andaz San Diego from Kelly Capital for US$53 million this weekend. Read more más...
HOTELS Interview: Starwood’s place in the big picture
Starwood Hotels & Resort Worldwide said the goal of its inaugural luxury General Managers Summit, part of its month-long executive relocation to Dubai más...
What's Hot: Cobblers Cove, Barbados, renovates
Cobblers Cove, Barbados, has completed a renovation of many of its suites as well as its main pool. The English country house-style hotel has updated más...
Abandoned Caicos luxury development back on track
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. confirmed to HOTELS on Friday that its Molasses Reef, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve development located in Turks and Caicos is back más...
News in brief: MGM Resorts, Home Inns, Las Brisas
Kerkorian to increase MGM stake: Kirk Kerkorian’s Tracinda Corp. said it plans to increase its stake in MGM Resorts International to as much más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Nizam Bou Antoun has been appointed general manager of Park Inn by Radisson Al Khobar in Khobar, Saudi más...
HOTELS Interview: Starwood’s goals for Dubai relocation
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced at the beginning of this month that it is temporarily relocating its corporate headquarters to Dubai más...
What's Hot: Swissôtel launches signature rooms in Geneva
Swissôtel Métropole, Geneva has a new class of rooms — the first of their kind systemwide. The 12 new “Signature Rooms” más...
Le Méridien commissions film about Chinese artists
Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts has commissioned a short film exploring three Chinese cities and the lives of local artists who live there through más...
Whole Foods planning to open resort in Texas
Whole Foods Market revealed that it plans to develop a wellness-oriented resort in Austin, Texas. John Mackey, Whole Foods Market co-CEO told USA Today más...
News in brief: Fairmont, Steigenberger, Revel
Fairmont to enter Istanbul: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced on Thursday that it will open a 210-room Fairmont Hotel and Fairmont Residences más...
SLS Hotel & Residences to launch in Miami
Development company The Related Group and sbe announced on Wednesday that SLS Brickell, the first SLS Hotel & Residences, will debut in Miami’s más...
What's Hot: W Barcelona spices things up with Salt
W Barcelona has added a new food and beverage outlet, debuting the Salt restaurant last summer. The space, designed by the Isabel López Vilalta+Asociados más...
Kerzner’s One&Only to enter Europe
Kerzner International is set to debut its One&Only brand in Europe with a new-build project in Montenegro. Kerzner International Holdings Ltd, Paradise más...
Marshall adds 3 hotels in NY and NJ
Marshall Hotels & Resorts, Salisbury, Maryland, has added three management contracts — two in Manhattan and one in New Jersey. The hotels include: más...
Spa travel trending up, survey shows
Bookings to hotel, resort and destination spas turned a meaningful corner in 2012, as more than two-thirds of travel agents surveyed by SpaFinder Wellness más...
News in brief: Carey Watermark, Autograph, Thomas Cook
Carey Watermark buys Pennsylvania hotel: Carey Watermark Investors Inc. announced on Wednesday that it bought the 132-room Courtyard Pittsburgh más...
Accor announces 3 hotels in Myanmar
Accor announced on Tuesday that it will open three hotels in Myanmar, all new-build developments. The hotels include an MGallery hotel in Naypyidaw, Novotel más...
What's Hot: A 2-ton table at InterContinental Hong Kong
Guests at InterContinental Hong Kong's newly renovated lobby lounge can pull up a seat at a piece of art that doubles as a communal bar table. The table más...
Westin launches new workspace concept Tangent
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Tuesday the global rollout of Tangent, a new workspace concept for its Westin Hotels & Resorts más...
Hilton's strategy behind 1 million Facebook likes
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has reported it is the first hotel brand to surpass one million fans on Facebook. The strategic campaign to achieve one million más...
Hyatt reaches agreement with UniteHere in some cities
Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced on Monday that Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing and Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center más...
Summit tackles social media and the supply chain
Social media has a profound effect on guests’ food preferences, and the 2013 Protein Innovation Summit — presented by HOTELS and sister publications más...
News in brief: Hilton, Marriott, Chelsea
Hilton to retain management of GIC-bought hotels: Hilton Worldwide announced on Monday that it had its management contracts for the 740-room Arizona más...
New World Development announces IPO plans
New World Development Co. announced on Friday that the company is considering an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange by spinning off más...
What's Hot: Copacabana Palace flaunts updated style
Orient-Express Hotels has completed a US$20 million renovation of the main building of the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro. The project updated all más...
Hyatt buys Texas hotel for $85 million
Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced on Friday that an affiliate closed the purchase of the 189-room The Driskill Hotel, located in Austin, Texas, for US$85 million más...
Starwood GMs gather to consider “Generation LuXurY”
As part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's month-long executive relocation to Dubai, some 100 of the company’s luxury hotel GMs have gathered más...
HOTELS Webinar: ROI of social media
Yes, social media can generate a ROI. The winners of HOTELS' inaugural Social Hotel Awards will present their case studies and take viewers' questions más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Luxury Collection, Bin Majid
Hyatt to expand in Spain: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced an affiliate entered into a management agreement with Cap Vermell Hotel Proyectos y Promociones más...
HOTELS Interview: Van Paasschen's interpretation of W
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is in the midst of refurbishing 10 W Hotels Worldwide properties in North America. Its ownership groups más...
Hot Openings: Mandarin Oriental's first city hotel in China
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has opened Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou—its first city hotel in China. The property, which sits above a mixed-use más...
“Green” marketing changes with new FTC guides
The marketing of a hotel as “green” or “sustainable” has emerged in recent years as an important component of the promotion arsenal más...
U.S. traveler sentiment above pre-recession high
Americans’ attitudes toward travel are now more positive than the benchmark score recorded just prior to the Great Recession, according to the latest más...
News in brief: Ascend, Cerberus, MGM
Ascend adds 4 hotels: Choice Hotels International announced on Thursday that its Ascend Hotel Collection added four U.S. hotels. The hotels include más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Chad Blunston has been named executive chef at The Fairmont San Francisco. Blunston previously was executive más...
HOTELS report from Berlin: Interviews roundup
At this week’s International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin, HOTELS Magazine conducted numerous one-on-one interviews with hotel company executives más...
What's Hot: Westin gets a makeover on Grand Cayman
Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa has completed a renewal project to update guestrooms, suites, public spaces, meeting spaces, the más...
Union Investment buys Barcelona hotel for €37 million
Union Investment Real Estate announced this week that it bought the 186-room Barceló Raval, located in Barcelona, Spain, for €37 million (US$48 más...
Hilton announces 3 DoubleTrees in UK
Hilton Worldwide announced on Thursday the signing of three franchise agreements for its DoubleTree by Hilton brand in three U.K. cities. The DoubleTree más...
News in brief: Renaissance, Conrad, Paramount
Renaissance to expand in LA: Marriott International will open a third hotel at the L.A. Live development, a 450-room Renaissance set to open in más...
Hilton to enter Myanmar with namesake brand
Hilton Worldwide announced on Wednesday that it is set to to enter Myanmar with its Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand. Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia más...
What's Hot: Bellagio completes tower renovation
MGM Resorts International has completed a US$40 million renovation of Bellagio's Spa Tower in Las Vegas. The update includes 928 rooms and suites and más...
TripAdvisor survey shows optimism on hotel profitability
A new global survey from TripAdvisor shows although a majority of hoteliers throughout the world expect a profitable 2013, outside of the U.S. most hotels más...
Supply chain experts to tackle food costs from farm to fork
The increasingly expensive world in which hoteliers, restaurateurs and food processors operate will be one area of focus for the 2013 Protein Innovation más...
Brand.com holds its own in 2012: TravelClick
Room nights booked through hotel websites (brand.com) grew consistently throughout 2012, rising to 26.3% of market share, according to TravelClick’s más...
News in brief: Autograph, Italy
Autograph Collection to enter Germany: Marriott International announced that its Autograph Collection will debut later this year with the opening más...
Marriott announces launch of Moxy Hotels in Berlin
Marriott International announced the launch of the Moxy Hotels brand, the result of a partnership with Nordic Hospitality and Inter Ikea Group's Inter más...
What's Hot: Mykonos Theoxenia relaunches as a Louis Group hotel
Mykonos Theoxenia is now a Louis Group hotel, a member of the Design Hotels of the World group. The property has received a retro-style makeover, with más...
IHG signs deal for 15 hotels in Russia
IHG announced on Tuesday a franchise multiple development agreement with Regional Hotel Chain, a portfolio company of VIY Management, to develop 15 new más...
Carlson Rezidor announces Indonesian JV
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Minneapolis and Brussels, has announced the signing of a joint venture agreement with Indonesia's Panorama Group. Under the más...
African hotel pipeline grows: W Hospitality
The number of planned new hotel rooms in the development pipeline in Africa has increased 16% compared with year-ago numbers, according to research by más...
News in brief: Sage, Migis, Trump
Sage expands in California: Sage Hospitality announced that it partnered with Inland American Lodging Advisor in a management contract for the 270-room más...
Genting buys Echelon site on Las Vegas Strip
Genting Group announced on Monday that it acquired the unfinished Echelon casino-resort, located on the Las Vegas Strip, from Boyd Gaming Corp. for US$350 más...
Hot Openings: JW Marriott reaches new heights in Dubai
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai opened in November, and it will hold the title of World's Tallest Hotel in the Guinness Book of World Records. The 1,164-ft-tall más...
Steigenberger establishes China JV
The Steigenberger Hotel Group, Frankfurt, Germany, has established a Beijing-based joint venture with Beijing Yun Bang Investment Trade Co. Ltd. The JV más...
Starwood relocates HQ to Dubai for a month
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has started a month-long relocation of its global headquarters from Stamford, Connecticut, to Dubai, United Arab más...
DLA Piper European hotel outlook somewhat optimistic
RevPAR will increase in 2013, and there will be increasing opportunities for firms to acquire assets for attractive values, according to the European más...
News in brief: Rosewood, Four Seasons, Hilton
Rosewood may take over management of Le Crillon: Rosewood Hotels and Resorts is reportedly in talks to take over management at the 147-room Le Crillon más...
Carlyle-led consortium acquires China's 7 Days
After reportedly raising its bid by 9%, a group led by the Carlyle Group agreed on Friday to buy the budget Chinese hotel chain 7 Days Group Holdings más...
Interstate deals to manage Sanguine hotels in UK
Interstate Hotels & Resorts on Friday announced its entrance into the United Kingdom by acquiring the management platform of Sanguine Hospitality más...
HOTELS Interview: Standing apart with art, sustainability, F&B
After a successful stint hosting the Super Bowl last year and thanks to an abundance of sporting venues, meeting spaces and hotels, downtown Indianapolis más...
Hot Openings: Mama Shelter unveils third property
Mama Shelter Istanbul opens March 1 in the city's Beyoglu district. The hotel offers 81 rooms with Smart LED televisions and individual climate control más...
PwC: London to outperform rest of UK in 2013
While hotel performance will decline across the U.K. this year, London hotels will decrease less than provincial hotels according to a revised 2013 outlook más...
Impact of US government sequester: AH&LA
As a result of the U.S. Congress missing Friday’s sequestration deadline, a series of large automatic spending cuts are set to take place for federal más...
News in brief: HVS, MGM, New York
HVS releases 2013 US franchise fee guide: HVS released its 2013 U.S. Hotel Franchise Fee Guide, a survey of the fees charged by major hotel franchisors más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Maurice Alfaro has been named general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn in Norwalk, Connecticut. Alfaro más...
febrero 2013
NH Hoteles announces stake and hotels sales, loan
NH Hoteles announced on Thursday HNA Group’s purchase of a 20% stake, the sale of five hotels to Hospitality Properties Trust along with a €170 más...
What's Hot: Hassler in Rome reveals new penthouse
The Hassler Roma has debuted a new penthouse suite on the property's eighth floor. The Hassler Penthouse suite includes two large bedrooms as well as más...
Canadian REIT buys Enterprise Lodging
Kansas-based Lodging Enterprises, LLC has been sold to American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP , led by Canadian hotel veteran Rob O’Neill of Vancouver más...
Social media spending to skyrocket: research
Social media spending as a percentage of marketing budgets will more than double over the next five years, according to a survey of 468 U.S. chief marketing más...
European hotel values steady: HVS
Investors in Europe’s hotel market are still being cautious, keeping the value of hotels across the sector virtually unchanged compared with 2011 más...
News in brief: Temple, Hilton, Lexington
Temple buys 3 hotels in Nova Scotia: Temple Hotels announced on Wednesday that it bought the 203-room Prince George Hotel, located in Halifax, the más...
Starwood Capital buys Principal Hayley
Starwood Capital Group announced on Wednesday that an investment fund affiliate bought the U.K.-based Principal Hayley Group for an undisclosed sum. The más...
Fattal buys 20 hotels in Germany from Goldman Sachs
Fattal Hotel Management, Tel-Aviv, will officially announce on Thursday it is purchasing for €300 million (US$392 million) from Goldman Sachs más...
Carlson Rezidor touts progress, especially for Radisson Blu
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which is based in Minneapolis and Brussels, reported “strong momentum” for its hotels during its annual business más...
Hot Openings: Sofitel comes to Casablanca
Sofitel Luxury Hotels has opened its first property in Casablanca: the Sofitel Casablanca Tour Blanche, located in the city's business district, near más...
Rosewood to convert London hotel
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts announced on Wednesday that it will open Rosewood London in October following a US$130 million renovation of Chancery Court más...
TripAdvisor to promote eco-friendly hotels
Travel website TripAdvisor on Wednesday announced that it is accepting applications from U.S. accommodations to be considered for its soon-to-be launched más...
HTNG launches less expensive PCI compliance option
Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) announced on Wednesday the availability of the HTNG Secure Payments Framework for Hospitality, a collaborative más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Kimpton, Oriental Land
Hyatt expands with 2 hotels in Panama: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that a Hyatt affiliate and affiliates of the Malca family have formed a joint más...
La Quinta announces 8-hotel deal in Central America
LQ Management announced on Monday that it signed a series of agreements with an affiliate of Grupo Santos to open eight hotels in Central America via más...
AH&LA names new president/CEO
Katherine Lugar, executive vice president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), on Tuesday was named the new president/CEO of the American más...
What's Hot: Hilton Chicago renovates duplex suite
The Hilton Chicago has completed a US$1.8 million renovation of its Conrad Suite, which it says is the largest suite in the American Midwest. The suite's más...
Pacific launches collection, buys Bacara
Pacific Hospitality Group announced on Tuesday the launch of a collection that includes four California hotels it operates and the purchase of Bacara más...
Westin partners with airline on bedding initiative
Westin Hotels & Resorts has teamed with Delta Air Lines to offer Westin Heavenly In-Flight bedding, which was designed and manufactured exclusively más...
Radisson contest will lead to simulated hotel game
Radisson is uniting with the rising talents in gaming development to create a new simulation game that will allow players to design and operate simulated más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Kimpton, Hyatt
Rezidor to expand in Moscow: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced on Tuesday that it signed an agreement with Wenaasgruppen to open the 379-room Radisson más...
Court approves Paulson & Co. resorts sale to Singapore
Despite opposition, a U.S. bankruptcy court approved on Friday MSR Resort Golf Course LLC's plan to sell its four resorts out of bankruptcy court to the más...
What's Hot: Morgans introduces new F&B concept
Morgans Hotel Group has opened Hudson Common in New York's Hudson Hotel. Hudson Common serves an array of local craft beers, creative American food más...
Thistle in headlines for alleged homophobic incident
Thistle Hotel Group’s response to a guest that alleged he was mistreated in a homophobic manner by a London hotel’s front desk made headlines más...
Protein Summit targets food costs, emerging markets, menu politics
Keynotes at the 2013 Protein Innovation Summit will focus on understanding and managing center-of-the-plate food costs; how social media and advocacy más...
News in brief: Russia, Meliá, Andy Murray
Russia passes hotel, restaurant smoking ban: Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning smoking in public places, including in hotels más...
HOTELS Interview: Steering IHG’s ‘most prestigious’ brand
Within IHG’s diverse portfolio of nine hotel brands representing virtually every market segment around the world, standing apart can be a challenge más...
Hot Openings: 21c Museum Hotels opens in Arkansas
21c Museum Hotels has opened its third property, this time in Bentonville, Arkansas. “Bentonville is a particularly interesting location for our más...
Caesars to start charging resort fees
Caesars Entertainment Corp. revealed this week that it plans to start charging resort fees at its hotels for bookings made after March 1. The move comes más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Lauren Carr has been named director of sales and marketing for Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood más...
News in brief: Britannia, Okada, SuperClubs
Britannia buys Scotland hotel: Britannia Hotels bought the 105-room Waterside Inn, located in Peterhead, for £2.25 million (US$3.4 million) más...
Hyatt debuts global enhancements aimed at women
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has rolled out female-focused guest enhancements based on an 18-month research effort that included more than 40 facilitated group más...
What's Hot: IHG property unveils redesign in Atlanta
Holiday Inn & Suites Atlanta Airport—North has reopened after a US$18 million renovation. The property's 330 guestrooms (including 140 suites) más...
Trump reportedly close to deal for Vancouver new-build
Trump International is reportedly close to a deal with Holborn Group to manage the developer’s resuscitated mixed-used tower in Vancouver, Canada más...
Lark Hotels announces 4 hotels for New England
Lark Hotels announced on Wednesday that it will open four properties in New England in 2013 and 2014. Two of the hotels will be opened via management más...
News in brief: IHG, Moody, Odebrecht
IHG expands in Brazil: IHG announced that it signed a franchise agreement with Hotelaria Agisol Ltda., a subsidiary of Grupo Bertim, to open the más...
Wyndham, Grand City to rebrand 43 hotels in Europe
Wyndham Hotel Group and Grand City Hotels announced on Wednesday a strategic agreement that will see 43 hotels in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands más...
Less than 1 year, Revel to declare bankruptcy
Less than a year after opening, the owner of the 1,898-room Revel casino-resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is preparing to file for bankruptcy. Revel más...
What's Hot: New hotel slated for 2014 in NYC
Owner and developer LodgeWorks, Partners LP plans to open The Archer Hotel in Manhattan's Garment District in spring 2014. The 21-story hotel will have más...
Further fallout from Koger-Host case
Former Molinaro Koger COO Jonathan Propp pled guilty in federal court on Tuesday to conspiring to commit wire fraud as part of a three-year, US$20 million más...
Iconic Anguilla resort changes hands
Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners (AJ Capital Partners), Chicago, has acquired the Malliouhana Hotel & Spa in Anguilla and has retained Auberge más...
News in brief: Marriott, Accor, MGM Resorts
Marriott’s net income doubles in 2012: Marriott International reported US$571 million in revenue in 2012, up from US$181 million in 2011. más...
Accor sells Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg for €113 million
Accor announced on Monday that it sold the 147-room Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg to Mount Kellett Capital Management LP as part of a €113 million (US$150 más...
Carey Watermark Investors acquires 5 Hiltons
Carey Watermark Investors Inc. has acquired five hotels within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands from entities managed by Fairwood Capital LLC más...
Strategic rebuffs shareholder’s request for company sale
Strategic Hotels & Resorts announced on Tuesday that it disagreed with the public push by one of its shareholders to sell the company. The board of más...
Armani rumored for Admiralty Arch in London
While an Armani spokesperson denied it and developer Prime Investors Capital said it has not yet chosen an operator, The Daily Mail in London reported más...
Abu Dhabi fund ‘close to buying’ 42 UK Marriotts
British newspaper The Times reported on Saturday that according to anonymous sources, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is close to buying 42 U.K. Marriott-branded más...
Hot Openings: Caribbean resort to debut in March
Houston-based Pan Caribbean Capital Partners I, Ltd. plans to open the first phase of Las Verandas Hotel and Villas on the island of Roatán March más...
Is Phuket demand moving away from beach?
A dynamic shift in Phuket, Thailand's tourism market shows demand moving away from the beach, according to a new report issued by Phuket-based consulting más...
News in brief: McPier, SilverNeedle, IHG
McPier to develop 2nd McCormick Place hotel: McPier announced that it will build a second hotel with 1,200 guestrooms near the McCormick Place convention más...
HOTELS Interview: Drumond’s plans for Vert Hotéis
The daughter of a Brazilian hotelier, Érica Drumond is aiming to turn her company Vert Hotéis, founded in 2010, into a major player in Brazil más...
What's Hot: Dukes completes refresh in London
Dukes St. James London has unveiled the final phase of its renovation project. All guestrooms and suites have been redesigned. Interior designer Sandy más...
$2 million in jewelry reported stolen from NYC Four Seasons
Jewelry reportedly worth US$2 million was stolen from the Four Seasons Hotel New York by two men early Sunday morning in a smash-and-grab from a lobby más...
New microsite promises inside look at Iberostar
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, has debuted Inside Iberostar, a new microsite that aims to bring the Iberostar experience to más...
Thailand's RevPAR growth rebounds in 2012
Thailand's RevPAR grew 15.4% in 2012 to THB2,232 (US$75), according to STR Global. The returning demand levels (13.3%) helped boost occupancy 10% to 69 más...
HOTELS Interview: Closing some of London’s biggest deals
Making big splashes in the London real estate scene is becoming a bit of a habit for Rafael Serrano. In May 2012, the Spanish-born chief executive of más...
Hot Openings: Kempinski unveils latest in Delhi
Kempinski Ambience Delhi, the brand's first independently managed hotel, is now open in the city's Shahdara commercial district. Ambience Group owns the más...
Marriott has 1,500-room Gaylord project back on track
Marriott International is now moving ahead with the 1,500-room Gaylord development in Aurora, Colorado, which had previously been shelved. The Denver más...
Atlantic City’s Trump Plaza sells for only $20 million
Trump Entertainment Resorts announced on Thursday that it sold the 906-room Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, located in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for US$20 más...
News in brief: Apple REIT Six, Guy Harvey, Boston
Apple REIT Six board against MacKenzie offer: The board of directors of Apple REIT Six is recommending that stockholders reject an unsolicited tender más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Tom Abbott has been appointed president of Mirbeau Management Co., Plymouth, Massachusetts. Abbott most más...
Hostmark launches new development venture
Hostmark Hospitality Group announced on Wednesday the launch of a partnership with Bradley Weiser, The Continental Companies president and CEO for hotel más...
SLS heads to Seattle with Starck
Sbe is partnering with real estate development company Stockbridge Capital Group, LLC and Daniels Real Estate to develop an SLS hotel in Seattle. The más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Indigo opens in New Orleans
Hotel Indigo New Orleans Garden District opened in December. The 132-key hotel is decorated with murals of decorative ironwork, louvred shutters and live más...
India exchange orders Roy's assets frozen
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Thursday ordered the freezing of bank accounts and attachment of all investments and properties of más...
Booking engines coming to social media: TravelClick
About half of 400 hoteliers recently surveyed by TravelClick report having a booking engine on Facebook or other social media. Of those who do not, half más...
Social media highlights Valentine’s Day US travel impact
New social media research from Digitas and Brandwatch shows that Americans are considering Valentine’s Day a time to vacation away from home and más...
News in brief: Kimpton, Choice, Starwood
Kimpton to expand in Texas: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced on Wednesday that it has been awarded a management contract for a 146-room más...
Summit, IHG buy San Francisco hotel for $60 million
Summit Hotel Properties and an affiliate of IHG announced on Wednesday the closing of a US$60.5 million joint venture purchase of the 252-room Holiday más...
What's Hot: sbe breaks ground on SLS Las Vegas
sbe announced Wednesday that it is officially breaking ground on SLS Las Vegas, which will open in fall 2014. The resort-casino, Philippe Starck's first más...
HOTELS Webinar: ROI of social media
Yes, social media can generate a ROI. The winners of HOTELS' inaugural Social Hotel Awards will present their case studies and take viewers' questions más...
Business travelers optimistic, but expect higher costs: GBTA
Companies in North America are more optimistic about business travel in 2013 but are also bracing for higher travel costs only partially offset by modest más...
News in brief: Hilton, IHG, Hyatt
Hilton ‘in talks’ for DC Conrad: The Washington Post reported that according to anonymous sources, Hilton Worldwide is in talks with más...
Louvre adds 12 hotels in Morocco partnership
Louvre Hotels Group announced on Tuesday that it signed a partnership agreement with Ynna Holding that includes the management, operation and marketing más...
Hilton Worldwide to manage 4 Australian hotels
Hilton Worldwide has signed a multi-unit management agreement with BG Group of Hotels to manage four hotels in Australia, marking the company's entry más...
What's Hot: Andaz lights up the night in London
Andaz Liverpool Street in London has launched a new program called “candlelight evenings” in its 1901 restaurant on the last Wednesday of más...
A GM who must smile from the inside
Editor's Note: This article by Paul Ruby gracefully addresses how a hotel general manager overcomes the daily challenge of working with Parkinson's disease más...
News in brief: BHG, 21c Museum, Focus
BHG expands in Brazil: BHG announced the signing of a management agreement for the 322-room Soft Inn Mega Moda, under development in Goiania. Read más...
Minor buys 2 Vietnam resorts for $16 million
Minor Hotel Group’s parent company announced last week that it bought two hotels in Vietnam for US$16 million from Life Resorts that it will manage más...
DH&R CEO Sabatier reflects on his first year
Jamie Sabatier is coming up on his first anniversary as CEO of Destination Hotels & Resorts and he recently told HOTELS Magazine that he is starting más...
Hot Openings: Troca Hotels opens in Goa
Troca Hotels has opened The Sofala 15º74 in Goa, India. The property, which formerly operated as The Sol, is named for the southernmost city in the más...
Ace partners for art exhibit on hotels
Ace Hotel is partnering with the Vancouver Art Gallery for Grand Hotel, an exhibition that charts the evolution of the hotel from its origins as an isolate más...
News in brief: RockBridge, IHG, Marriott
RockBridge, Concord acquire New Jersey hotel: RockBridge Partners and Concord Hospitality Enterprises announced the purchase of the 167-room Renaissance más...
HOTELS Interview: Neil Jacobs's Six Senses
Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas has renewed energy and leadership after being acquired last April by U.S.-based private equity fund manager Pegasus más...
What's Hot: Hôtel Plaza Athénée celebrates its centennial
The Dorchester Collection's Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris is celebrating its centennial this year. The property, which first opened más...
HOTELS Webinar: ROI of social media
Yes, social media can generate a ROI. The winners of HOTELS' inaugural Social Hotel Awards will present their case studies and take viewers' questions más...
News in brief: Northern Caucasus Resorts, KRL, Palmyra
Putin fires Bilalov: Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the firing of Akhmed Bilalov, head of Northern Caucasus Resorts and vice president más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Bernard Agache has been named managing director of Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach. Agache más...
Looking for outliers in EMEA’s gloomy outlook
Hotel transactions and development have slowed in EMEA, but opportunities for acquisitions and brand expansion remain. While certain gateway cities and más...
What's Hot: Apple Tree to open lodge in Myanmar
Apple Tree Group aims to open its new tented luxury lodge April 15 in Bagan, Myanmar. Bagan, which is located about 700 kilometers north of Yangon, is más...
Starwood teams with Delta for "crossover" benefits
Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Delta Airlines on Thursday announced that starting on March 1 their respective elite loyalty program members will be más...
The Pierre launches NYC design partnership
In celebration of New York City’s February Fashion Week, The Pierre, A Taj Hotel on New York's Central Park, is launching its new partnership más...
News in brief: Marriott, Starwood, Egypt
Marriott expands in Japan: Mori Trust Group and Marriott International announced on Thursday an agreement to convert the Gotenyama Garden Hotel más...
Al Faisal subsidiary buys Grand Hyatt Berlin
Al Rayyan Tourism and Investment bought the 342-room Grand Hyatt Berlin on Wednesday from the German real estate fund SEB ImmoInvest. Al Rayyan Tourism más...
What's Hot: Starck-designed villas to break ground in Bali
The Stairs Villa Hotel, designed entirely by Philippe Starck, will break ground this year in Seminyak, Bali's Petitenget neighborhood. The hotel will más...
North America 2013 demand remains positive: TravelClick
North American hotels continue to see a steady increase in occupancy and revenue performance, according to new data from TravelClick. When looking at más...
How Gen Y feels about social media brand pages
A mere 4% of all Americans aged 15 to 25 thinks that a brand page on Facebook is a credible source of information about the product, according to a study más...
News in brief: Ovolo, Hard Rock, Wyndham
Ovolo to add 2 hotels in Hong Kong: Ovolo Group announced that it will open a 162-room hotel via warehouse conversion on 64 Wong Chuk Hang Road más...
Four Seasons CEO Taylor leaves company
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts announced on Tuesday that Kathleen Taylor will be leaving her role as CEO, effective immediately. After nearly 25 years más...
What's Hot: Mövenpick opens new wing in Singapore
Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa has opened a new, all-suite wing in a former barracks. The three-story Heritage Wing, which housed British artillerymen más...
LVH first to join Leo Hotel Collection
Red Lion Hotels Corp. announced that LVH – Las Vegas Hotel & Casino will be first to join the Leo Hotel Collection. The 2,956-room hotel, which más...
California hotel legend passes away
Paul Handlery, owner and chairman of Handlery Hotels Inc., passed away January 26, 2013, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Paul’s más...
Renaissance Valentine’s suite promises thousands of flowers
Renaissance Hotels has designed a hotel suite for Valentine’s Day that features 27,000 flower blossoms. The “Love Blossoms” suite is más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Five Mile, Marriott
Wyndham ‘buys’ NYC hotel: An affiliate of Wyndham Hotel Group reportedly bought the 203-room Alex Hotel, located on 205 East 45th Street más...
Six Senses announces new CEO, chairman, 5 new-builds
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas announced on Monday the appointment of Neil Jacobs as CEO and Wolf Hengst as executive chairman, as well as five new-build más...
What's Hot: Shangri-La Hotel, Paris adds wellness center
The Shangri-La Hotel, Paris has unveiled a new wellness center in what once were the stables of Prince Roland Bonaparte's private home. The new más...
HVS research shows benefits of ‘job-hopping’
The process of switching jobs, or “job-hopping,” among C-level hospitality executives is both predictable and potentially positive, according más...
HSMAI Europe to launch web TV channel
HSMAI Europe will soon launch a web-based, fully sponsored TV channel with news and interviews aimed at the European travel and hospitality industry. más...
News in brief: Dusit, Maybourne, Rezidor
Dusit expands in Thailand: Dusit International announced that it is partnering with Vilailux Development Co. to open the 79-room DusitD2 Khao Yai más...
HOTELS Interview: Del Olmo on Latin America expansion
At Wyndham Hotel Group’s first Latin American regional conference held this week in Panama, presenters highlighted how the growing middle class más...
Starwood Capital sells four hotels in France, Hyatt to manage
Starwood Capital Group has announced that its Groupe Du Louvre affiliate has completed the sale of four hotels in France, which will be managed by Hyatt más...
HOTELS report from Panama: Wyndham’s e-commerce plans
Wyndham Hotel Group has brought much of its online marketing in-house over the last year and recently piloted a new distribution program aimed at boosting más...
What's Hot: Singita opens exclusive-use Serengeti House
Singita Serengeti House is now open in the 350,000-acre Grumeti Reserves in Tanzania. The house accommodates up to eight guests, with two suites in the más...
Massive tulip sculpture unveiled at Wynn Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas has debuted “Tulips,” a massive sculpture by Jeff Koons rendered in mirror-polished stainless steel and transparent color coating más...
News in brief: Starwood Hotels, Ascott
Starwood Hotels completes sale of Aloft and Element Lexington: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has completed the sale of the dual-hotel development más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Andrew Abram has been named general manager of Raffles Dubai. Abram was most recently general manager más...
enero 2013
HOTELS in Panama: Wyndham focuses on Latin America
Although RevPAR growth is declining in some of Latin America’s hottest markets, solid economic growth and a lack of branded hotels are fueling brand más...
Starwood Capital names head of management company
Starwood Capital Group on Thursday announced C. Scott Rohm, a 30-year industry veteran, as president of SH Group, Starwood Capital’s hotel brand más...
Marriott to manage seven more hotels in Thailand
Marriott International has signed seven management agreements with TCC Hotels Group to operate seven TCC hotels across Thailand. The seven hotels are: más...
What’s Hot: Sheraton Macao expands
Sands Cotai Central's parent-company, Sands China Ltd., a majority-held subsidiary of global integrated resort developer Las Vegas Sands Corp., has opened más...
W tops L2 digital IQ rankings
W Hotels ranks first in the third-annual Digital IQ Index: Hotels from L2 Think Tank, New York City. The report benchmarks the digital competence of 57 más...
HOTELS Webinar: ROI of social media
Yes, social media can generate a ROI. The winners of HOTELS' inaugural Social Hotel Awards will present their case studies and take viewers' questions más...
News in brief: DoubleTree, HRG survey
DoubleTree to enter downtown Toronto: Hilton Worldwide and Bayview Hospitality Group (BHG) haveannounced that the Metropolitan Hotel Toronto, which BHG más...
ALIS Notebook, part 2: Hilton, Choice interviews
The second part of the HOTELS report from the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles (read part one here) covers news and analysis from más...
Pebblebrook acquires Embassy Suites in San Diego
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, Bethesda, Maryland, has acquired the Embassy Suites San Diego Bay – Downtown for US$112.5 million. The 337-suite, full-service más...
What’s Hot: Gerber Group to open new NYC restaurant
Next month, Gerber Group will open The LCL: Bar & Kitchen at The Westin New York. The move, part of the US$65 million renovation and re-flagging más...
Carlson Rezidor survey examines travel trends
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has announced the findings of the 2013 International Travel Trends Survey, conduced by Kelton among more than 1,000 Americans más...
Benchmark predicts 2013 meeting trends
Benchmark Hotels & Resorts, Houston, has released the top 10 meeting trends for 2013 as observed by its 39 properties. 1. Steady as she más...
News in brief: Crowne Plaza, Interwest Capital, Ascott
Landmark Detroit hotel to reopen as Crowne Plaza: The shuttered Pontchartrain Hotel, which most recently operated as the Detroit Riverside Hotel, will más...
ALIS Notebook, part 1: HOTELS one-on-ones
During the recently completed Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles, HOTELS conducted multiple interviews with top executives from más...
Continent outlines expansion plans
Continent Hotels & Resorts, Istanbul, announced it is making progress on its goal of having more than 40 hotels under franchise and development agreements más...
What’s Hot: W Scottsdale unveils new suites
W Scottsdale has unveiled new VIP suites on a private wing of the hotel’s sixth floor. The new VIP suites include a one-bedroom Wow suite, four más...
Sofitel announces new organizational structure, appointments
Accor brand Sofitel has announced it will now be divided into four regions: Europe; the Americas; Middle East and Africa; and Asia Pacific. The reorganization más...
UNWTO touts tourism growth, visa progress
International tourist arrivals grew 4% in 2012 to reach 1.035 billion, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. By region, Asia and the más...
News in brief: BHG, Baur au Lac, Karl Lagerfeld
BHG announces new Golden Tulip in Brazil: Brazil Hospitality Group has signed a memorandum of understanding for the management of the Golden Tulip Colinas más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Lebua making big moves
Deepak Ohri is celebrating his 10th year in business with his Lebua brand in Bangkok, and from the sounds of his aggressive growth plan he recently shared más...
Travelodge introduces new guestroom design
Travelodge is benefiting from a £223 million (US$350 million) capital investment this year, the brand announced, part of which will go toward a más...
What’s Hot: B Hotels & Resorts launches value brand
B Hotels & Resorts plans to open the first hotel of its second brand, b2 hotels, in March. b2 miami downtown is currently accepting reservations más...
Shorter, smaller, on-the-fly meetings gain ground
The U.S. meetings industry has recovered from the corporate travel cutbacks of the 2008 recession, but meetings will never be the same, according to a más...
Conrad Macao extends ‘Earth Hour’ through year
Conrad Macao has made a commitment to switch off its exterior façade lighting and non-essential indoor lighting for one hour each month during más...
Why selective hospitality is not okay
Imagine a guest walks up to the front desk of your property and says, “I absolutely love your hotel! It has the most comfortable beds ever, your más...
News in brief: New Castle, Paramount, Watergate Hotel
New Castle Hotels and Resorts outlines expansion plans: The Shelton, Connecticut-based company plans to open four properties in the next 18 months — más...
HOTELS Interview: Virgin Hotels CEO Raul Leal
Veteran hotelier Raul Leal is in charge of one of the industry’s most anticipated hotel brands. After a launch back in September 2010, the first más...
Blackstone aims to borrow US$450 million to refinance debt
Blackstone Group, New York City, is looking to borrow approximately US$450 million to refinance debt on the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, a source más...
Great Eagle to list Hong Kong hotels
Great Eagle Holdings Ltd., Hong Kong, plans to list its three Hong Kong hotel properties in the third quarter in order to raise approximately US$800 million más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons branches out to Baku
Four Seasons Hotel Baku opened in Azerbaijan in September. The hotel, which is on a promenade by the shore of the Caspian Sea, has 171 rooms and suites más...
Sunstone to sell four hotels in Minnesota
Sunstone Hotel Investors, Aliso Viejo, California, has entered into agreements to sell a four-hotel, 1,222-room hotel portfolio and commercial laundry más...
Target pops-up at Karisma hotel
Karisma Hotels & Resort’s El Dorado Royale on the Riveria Maya in Mexico has premiered this week a pop-up Target store with convenience items más...
News in brief: Dusit, InterContinental New Orleans, Hall Equities Group
Dusit announces another DusitD2: Dusit International has announced DusitD2 Nairobi, the group’s second property on the African continent, slated más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Hilton Worldwide has appointed Marcel Berube complex general manager of the Calgary Airport Hotels & más...
Summit closes purchase of 3 US Hyatt Places
Summit Hotel Properties announced on Wednesday that bought three Hyatt Place-branded hotels in the U.S. from affiliates of Hyatt Hotels Corp. for US$36 más...
Hot Openings: Hard Rock Hotel launches in Panama
The Hard Rock Hotel Panama Megapolis is now open. The 1,468-key hotel occupies a 66-story tower in Panama City. Guestroom floors are decorated with a más...
Red Lion hopes Leo roars
Red Lion Hotels Corp. on Wednesday announced plans for a new brand “collection” that will be marketed to independent 3-star hotels looking más...
STR updates 2013, 2014 US forecasts
The U.S. hotel industry expects to see performance increases during 2013 and 2014, according to the most recent forecast from STR, in partnership with más...
Americas, MEA see largest 2012 RevPAR hikes: STR Global
The Americas and Middle East/Africa saw the largest RevPAR increases in 2012 compared to other regions of the world, according to new data from STR Global más...
News in brief: Sandals, Macdonald, Brook
Sandals to pay $12 million in corruption probe: Sandals Resorts will pay US$12 million to the government of Turks & Caicos after a corruption más...
Hilton, Marriott call for easing visa restrictions at Davos
The CEOs of Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, urging governments to move más...
What’s Hot: Maria Cristina shows off new look
The Hotel Maria Cristina, a Luxury Collection Hotel in San Sebastian, Spain, reopened in October after nine months of restoration work. The Gallery at más...
Dusit launches JV for China expansion
On Wednesday Dusit International launched joint venture Dusit Fudu International Hotel Management Co. with real estate developer Changzhou Qiao Yu Group más...
Investor sentiment upbeat for Asia Pacific: JLL
Asia Pacific hotel transaction volumes are projected to reach US$3.5 billion in 2013 thanks to strong investment sentiment to buy hotel assets in the más...
DLA Piper survey shows optimistic US hospitality outlook
Despite political gridlock in Washington, D.C., and some concerns about economic growth, an extraordinary number of U.S. hospitality executives expect más...
News in brief: Ascend Collection, TUI, CSM
Ascend Collection adds 21 Bluegreen properties: Choice Hotels International announced on Tuesday that it added 21 Bluegreen Vacation Club Resorts más...
FelCor converting 8 US Holiday Inns to Wyndhams
FelCor Lodging Trust announced on Tuesday that it is rebranding eight of its Holiday Inn-branded hotels in the U.S. to the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts más...
What’s Hot: Peppers Broadbeach introduces new penthouse
Peppers Broadbeach in Queensland, Australia, has launched a new three-bedroom sub-penthouse. The suite offers 3,670 sq ft (340 sq m) of space on the 48th más...
Viceroy to enter NYC in September
Viceroy Hotel Group announced on Tuesday that it will enter New York City with the opening of Viceroy New York at 120 West 57th Street in Manhattan in más...
Loews buys Boston hotel from Doyle Collection
Loews Hotels & Resorts announced on Tuesday that it is buying the 225-room The Back Bay Hotel, located in Boston, from the Dublin-based The Doyle más...
Choice rebranding 9 UK hotels
Choice Hotels International announced on Tuesday that it signed a strategic agreement with Akkeron Hotels Group that will initially see nine hotels in más...
Value Place announces $100 million investment
Value Place announced on Tuesday that it secured a US$100 million capital investment from private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg LLC. Value Place, Wichita más...
Survey shows sharp drop in consumer loyalty to travel brands
There has been a steep decline in consumer loyalty to travel brands, with only 8% of respondents to a new survey by Deloitte indicating they always stay más...
InterContinental Montreal promises frigid experience
The InterContinental Montreal has partnered with the Montreal Snow Village and Ice Hotel, which has opened in the city’s Parc Jean Drapeau with más...
News in brief: Travelodge, Aimbridge, Hilton
Travelodge may retain 10 hotel leases: Travelodge Hotels Ltd. may retain leases on up to 10 of its U.K. hotels out of the 49 the company expected más...
Anantara to enter Dubai with Palm Jumeirah hotel
Minor Hotel Group announced on Monday that its Anantara brand will enter Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with a new hotel on the Palm Jumeirah set to open más...
What’s Hot: New suites at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa in California has revealed its redesigned presidential suites. The 2,600-sq-ft (240-sq-m) one-bedroom más...
Wellness travel trends for 2013 include ‘digital detox’
Wellness Tourism Worldwide, which provides wellness-focused market intelligence and education, has released its top 10 wellness travel trends for 2013 más...
Corinthia London to immerse guests in theatrical performances
Corinthia Hotel London is hosting “immersive theater specialists” Look Left Look Right for a series of unique theatrical performances at the más...
Expedia’s 2-minute warning for hoteliers in New Orleans
American football’s Super Bowl means big business to the city that’s lucky enough to be selected to host, and this year is proving no different más...
News in brief: Jin Jiang, Interstate, Chetrit
Jim Jiang expanding in China: Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Co. announced that it has partnered with Jiangsu Bright Investment Co. to más...
HOTELS Interview: How online booking’s evolution affects hotels
Innovations involving metasearch, mobile and social media are likely to shake up online travel agencies and how consumers book online. However, it’s más...
Aston rebrands as Archipelago International
Aston International announced on Friday that the company has rebranded itself as Archipelago International. The new corporate legal entity will serve más...
What’s Hot: Palladium launches spa and wellness brand
Palladium Hotels & Resorts has introduced Zentropía Palladium Spa & Wellness, its luxury spa brand. The spas, which are fully owned and más...
Broadmoor to open Ranch at Emerald Valley
The Broadmoor, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, announced this week that it will open the retreat The Ranch at Emerald Valley in August. The 10-cabin más...
News in brief: Jakarta floods, Metropolitan, QHotels
PATA issues statement on Jakarta floods: The Pacific Asia Travel Association issued a statement that travellers should avoid travelling to Jakarta más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Amin Al Huneidi has been appointed director of sales at The St. Regis Doha. Al Huneidi most recently más...
REIT buys Clift Hotel for $120 million
An affiliate of Hospitality Properties Trust has reportedly bought Clift Hotel, located in San Francisco, for US$120 million from Tarsadia Investments más...
Host sells Atlanta Marriott Marquis for $293 million
Host Hotels & Resorts announced on Thursday that it closed the sale of the 1,663-room Atlanta Marriott Marquis for US$293 million on January 11. Host más...
Hot Openings: Kempinski sets up camp in Kenya
Kempinski Hotels has opened its first property in Kenya: Olare Mara Kempinski, Masai Mara Tented Camp. The camp, which is located in the Olare Orok Conservancy más...
London hotels attract foreign capital, broader UK market struggles
London trophy hotels continue to attract foreign capital, according to Jones Lang LaSalle, as London remains the main focus of U.K. investment activity más...
Excess supply to hurt London hotels in 2013: STR Global
Supply in London is projected to increase by 3.5% in 2013, while demand will only grow by 2.9%, according to new data from STR Global. The excess supply más...
News in brief: Empire Resorts, Accor, Marcus
Concord Resort revival approved: EPR Properties and Empire Resorts received approval from municipal authorities to redevelop the 1,583-acre (640-hectare) más...
Marriott buys LA site to develop Edition hotel
Marriott International has closed the purchase of a site in West Hollywood, California, where it plans to develop a 190-room Edition hotel. Real estate más...
Gemstone buys Bay Area's Hotel Durant
Gemstone Hotels & Resorts announced on Wednesday that it bought the 144-room Hotel Durant, located in Berkeley, California, from the Royal Bank of más...
What’s Hot: Historic inn renovates, adds meeting center
The Hanover Inn at Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H., has completed a US$40 million renovation of the property and added a new meeting facility. The property más...
Asian travelers heavily influenced by online reviews
For leisure travelers in Asia Pacific, online peer influence is at the forefront of planning according to a report on emarketer.com and a study by Text100 más...
Viceroy's Zetta gets creative with pre-opening marketing
Viceroy Hotel Group is opening the Hotel Zetta in San Francisco next month and is getting very creative with its marketing approach to attract attention más...
News in brief: Ascend, Hyatt, TUI
Ascend adds Florida Postcard Inn: Choice Hotels International’s Ascend Hotel Collection added the 196-room Postcard Inn on the Beach, located más...
Exclusive: Buyout, rebranding at Aqua Hospitality
Aqua Hotels and Resorts, Honolulu, has just completed a management buyout and changed its name to Aqua Hospitality, HOTELS learned exclusively on Tuesday más...
Miami Beach apartment building to convert to Roosevelt
John Pritzker’s Geolo Capital bought a Miami Beach apartment building from the Cohen family for US$100 million that it plans to convert to a 388-room más...
Hot Openings: Hyatt Regency opens in Chongqing
Hyatt Regency opened in the Western Chinese city of Chongqing late last summer.A Hirsch Bedner Associates design team led by Alicia Loo drew inspiration más...
Starwood suing Jack Parker Corp. for alleged fraud
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide filed a lawsuit earlier this month against Jack Parker Corp., alleging fraudulent loyalty program reimbursement más...
Former NYC hotel owner sues Marriott for $400 million
The former owner of the Courtyard New York Manhattan/Upper East Side has filed a US$400 million lawsuit against Marriott International, alleging the hotel más...
New social enterprise promotes clean water
Whole World Water, a social enterprise supporting access to safe and clean water, is set to launch on March 22, World Water Day. The model encourages más...
News in brief: Loews, Omni, TripAdvisor
Loews to expand in Chicago: Loews Hotels & Resorts announced that it is partnering with developer DRW Trading Group to open the 400-room Loews más...
Wyndham, Choice divvy up former Jameson Inns
Wyndham Hotel Group and Choice Hotels International both announced on Monday deals to rebrand portions of the Jameson Inns portfolio. Wyndham Hotel Group más...
Disabled pool access deadline looming for US hotels
U.S. hotels yet to install pool and spa lifts or sloped entries for disabled guests under the Americans with Disabilities Act may soon face prosecution más...
What’s Hot: Copacabana Palace gets new lobby
Orient-Express has finished a US$20 million renovation of the main building of the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro. As part of the project, the lobby más...
Koger judgment vacated; settlement with Host
The Maryland District Court in Montgomery County has vacated a US$22.8 million default judgment against Robert T. Koger and Molinaro Koger (MK) that was más...
Europe’s growth to slow in 2013: PwC
Europe’s hotels should see growth slow in 2013 due to the prolonged economic downturn, according to a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers. Paris más...
Hilton partners with news satire group on marketing campaign
Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide, has activated an online “Hilton Urgent Vacation Care Center” in conjunction más...
News in brief: Fattal, Oberoi, Marriott
Fattal in talks to buy German Holiday Inn portfolio: Fattal Hotel Management is reportedly in advance talks to buy 22 Holiday Inns in Germany for más...
HOTELS Interview: IREO’s Pankaj Dugar on India
Since 2003, IREO (India Real Estate Opportunity) has raised and mostly deployed US$2 billion in capital to develop real estate across the burgeoning India más...
Tax issue could delay Paulson & Co. resorts sale to Singapore
The U.S. government is alleging that MSR Resort Golf Course LLC's plan to sell its four resorts out of bankruptcy court to the government of Singapore más...
What’s Hot: New spa to focus on men’s treatments
The hotel Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof plans to open a new spa next month with a program that specifically focuses on male guests. Bangkok-based más...
Marriott testing new work, meeting space rental initiative
Marriott International announced on Thursday that it is testing Workspace on Demand, which makes renting work and meeting space like a hotel room, at más...
Ws of New York launch trendy detox package
Leave it to Starwood Hotels & Resorts and its W brand to tie-in to a big wellness trend in the U.S. The four W Hotels in New York have teamed up with más...
News in brief: Starwood, AmEx, HEI
Westin to expand in Texas: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Thursday that it signed an agreement with White Lodging Services más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village in Cape Coral, Florida, has appointed Eric Ashton general más...
New Langham program targets groups from China
To cater to the growing number of Chinese travelers, Langham Hospitality Group, Hong Kong, is introducing Ying, a group services program catering to guests más...
What’s Hot: El Encanto to reopen in March
Orient-Express will reopen El Encanto in March in Santa Barbara, Calif. The property’s Craftsman and Spanish Colonial bungalows have been restored más...
Kalahari details Pennsylvania development
Kalahari Resorts announced that it has begun the planning and development of a US$350 million, 150-acre (60 hectare) resort complex in Pennsylvania’s más...
HSMAI to honor 25 sales and marketing minds
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has announced its 10th annual list of the "Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in más...
Saudi Arabia ripe for economy hotel development: Colliers
The Saudi Arabian hotel market could potentially absorb 34,822 additional economy hotel rooms over the next five years, according to a new report from más...
News in brief: Le Méridien, Temple, Crestline
Le Méridien to debut in Chicago: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Wednesday the signing of the 172-room Le Méridien más...
New Aimbridge subsidiary to manage, rebrand Jameson Inns
Aimbridge Hospitality announced on Tuesday that it has set up Channel Point, a wholly owned and operated subsidiary, to manage and rebrand the Jameson más...
What’s Hot: Halkin by COMO brings F&B "dream" to London
Next month, The Halkin by COMO in London will open a new restaurant from the team behind Spain’s Arzak, which holds three Michelin stars. más...
Accor partners with ESSCA for revenue managers
On Tuesday Accor signed a partnership agreement with the École Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d’Angers (ESSCA), located in Angers más...
New Omni menu celebrates street food
Omni Hotels & Resorts, Irving, Texas, has introduced the Simply Street Food menu, which spotlights top street foods from around the world. To create más...
JLLH predict $32 billion in transactions
Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels & Hospitality experts expect worldwide hotel deal volume to reach US$32 billion in 2013, as increased transparency más...
GBTA predicts business travel rebound in 2013
Despite a slowdown in business travel spending growth through the end of 2012, the business travel forecast for 2013 should be more positive provided más...
News in brief: MGM, Chatham, Starwood
MGM clears Macau development hurdle: MGM Resorts International won official approval Wednesday for its planned US$2.5 billion Macau casino-resort más...
Orient-Expess starts 'associate' program
Orient-Express Hotels on Tuesday announced the launch of the Orient-Express Associate Hotels program with the founding member becoming the Hôtel más...
Loews Denver sold, to be rebranded
The 183-room Loews Denver Hotel has been sold by Loews Hotels and is set to close for renovations ahead of a rebranding. Loews Hotels, New York City, más...
Hot Openings: New Four Seasons flagship open in Toronto
In October, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts opened Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, its new flagship property.The property, which is located in the Yorkville más...
Wheelock buys Houston hotel
Wheelock Street Capital announced on Monday that an affiliate bought the 197-room Hilton Houston Westchase Hotel last month from an affiliate of Interstate más...
Bain Capital buys stake in Apple Leisure Group
Bain Capital has bought a stake in Apple Leisure Group, the size and purchase amount of which are not being disclosed. Apple Leisure Group, Newtown, Pennsylvania más...
Hotels to spend more on hiring, capex, marketing: TravelClick
A global survey of 600 hoteliers by TravelClick shows that hotels are not only planning to hire in 2013, but they are also putting more resources toward más...
eCornell launches free online new media course
eCornell and Cornell University on Tuesday announced the launch of a free online course focused on training hospitality professionals in the new media más...
News in brief: Jumeirah, Rezidor, Supertel
Jumeirah, McIlroy parting ways: Jumeirah Group will not renew its sponsorship of golfer Rory McIlroy, who is reportedly set to sign a sponsorship más...
Unlisted Collection acquires London hotel
Unlisted Collection has acquired out of administration the 15-room St. John Hotel and Restaurant, located in London’s Leicester Square. The leasehold más...
Hot Openings: Fairmont opens on Palm Jumeirah
Fairmont The Palm is now open on the man-made Palm Jumeirah island in Dubai.The property, which is owned by IFA Hotels & Resorts, has 381 guestrooms más...
Lloyds ‘selling’ Moran loans to Canyon Capital
Lloyds Banking Group has reportedly agreed to sell up to €140 million (US$182 million) in loans in Moran Hotel Group to Canyon Capital Advisors. más...
New Orleans, New Zealand among 2013 hot spots: Orbitz
New Orleans, New Zealand and Charleston, South Carolina, are projected to be among top destinations in 2013 thanks to new movie releases, national events más...
News in brief: Wynn, Timbers, McKillen
Wynn Resorts hires MGM’s Aziz: Wynn Resorts has hired Gamal Aziz, president and CEO of MGM Hospitality at MGM Resorts International, to head más...
HOTELS Interview: Greene on Delta’s brand repositioning
Delta Hotels and Resorts made headlines last month after announcing the end of its management of Canada’s largest hotel, the 1,590-room Delta Chelsea más...
LaSalle acquires majority of Boston's trendy Liberty hotel
LaSalle Hotel Properties has acquired a majority interest in the 298-room Liberty Hotel from HEI Hotels & Resorts through a US$170 million joint venture más...
Hot Openings: Naumi Liora opens in Singapore’s Chinatown
Naumi Liora, the Hind Group’s second boutique hotel, is now open in Singapore. The property draws inspiration for the Keong Saik Road area más...
How US hoteliers benefit from fiscal cliff deal
On January 1, H.R. 8, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, was enacted into law in the United States. The legislation stopped many automatic más...
JWT lists what to watch in travel
Marketing communications firm JWT has released its Things To Watch in 2013 Travel Report. This is part of its eighth annual forecast of key trends that más...
News in brief: Crestline, Bloc, CDL
Crestline expands in Caymans: Crestline Hotels & Resorts signed an agreement with The Grand Caymanian Ltd. to manage the 174-room Grand Caymanian más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Laurent Branover has been named general manager of Palais Namaskar in Marrakech. Branover previously más...
DoubleTree to enter Ireland with Morrison Hotel
Hilton Worldwide announced on Thursday that it signed a franchise agreement with Martinez Hotels & Resorts to bring its DoubleTree by Hilton brand más...
Hot Openings: JW Marriott reaches into Panama
JW Marriott Panama Golf & Beach Resort is now open, marking the brand’s first entry into Panama. The 1,000-acre resort is in the Buenaventura más...
Lightstone buys three Marriotts
The Lightstone Value Plus Real Estate Investment Trust (LVPR) on Thursday announced that it has acquired three Marriott-branded hotels in Iowa and Ohio más...
Pacifica de-flags two Best Western Plus properties
Pacifica Hotel Co., which owns and manages 26 hotels in coastal locations — primarily in California — has announced the de-flagging of two más...
JWT's F&B trends for 2013
Marketing communications firm JWT has released its Things To Watch in 2013 Food & Beverage Report. This is part of its eighth annual forecast of key más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Schulte, Toledo Hilton
Wyndham Vacation Rentals buys 3 businesses: Wyndham Vacation Rentals, part of Wyndham Worldwide, announced that it in three separate transactions más...
LodgeNet declaring bankruptcy, Colony swoops in
Showcasing the tidal shift in guest preferences for hotel in-room entertainment, LodgeNet Interactive Corp. ended 2012 by declaring it plans to enter más...
RockBridge buys landmark Dallas hotel
Columbus, Ohio-based RockBridge Capital has purchased the 100-year-old Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. RockBridge más...
Hot Openings: Surf’s up at Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort
Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort is now open on Kuta Beach, a popular Indian Ocean spot for surfing. PT. Indonesian Paradise Island owns the resort, which is más...
Kimpton buys Georgia hotel
Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group bought the 145-room The Mulberry Inn, located in Savannah, Georgia, on Monday. The hotel, bought from Prince-Bush-Smith más...
Social intelligence trends for 2013
Social intelligence firm newBrandAnalytics has analyzed information from 2012 to make some predictions for 2013 on what key ways businesses will más...
News in brief: Avocet, Bloomberry, Lakeview
Avocet buys South Carolina hotel: Avocet Hospitality Group bought the 66-room Vendue Inn, located in downtown Charleston, from Vendue Associates más...
HOTELS Interview: Stewart’s strategy for Sandals
Although the North American economy is recovering, the Caribbean market remains stalled with a dearth of development on the horizon. A recent report from más...
What’s Hot: Ritz-Carlton adds new guestrooms, restaurant
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel has added a new class of guestroom and a new farm-to-table steakhouse. The new fireside guest accommodations have an outdoor más...
Survey gauges cost of ingredients, technology in F&B
In addition to asking chefs and bartenders about top menu trends and bar trends for 2013 the National Restaurant Association (NRA) polled more than 1 más...
British hotel tests later checkout time for winter
The Crowne Plaza hotel in Leeds, England, is testing a later weekend checkout time during winter to help combat guests’ seasonal difficulty getting más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Four Points supports New Year’s resolutions
Four Points by Sheraton has teamed up with Seagram’s Ginger Ale to create the Refreshing Resolutions Sweepstakes. Fans can enter their New Year’s más...
diciembre 2012
HOTELS Year In Review: Most important stories
When considering the hotel headlines made in 2012, there was not a blockbuster story that most definitely could be categorized as “the story of más...
Hot Openings: Hilton Garden Inn opens in Milwaukee
The Hilton Garden Inn Milwaukee Downtown is now open in a 19th-century building that once served as the headquarters of Northwestern Mutual Life. The más...
‘Culinary cocktails’ among predicted bar trends for 2013
Pairing food and liquor as well as locally sourced and inspired drinks were among 2013 bar trends identified by a survey from the National Restaurant más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Mojito takes on seasonal flavors
The Chicago Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort has put some unique seasonal twists on a few classic cocktails. Case in point is the Pumpkin Mojito, which más...
HOTELS Year In Review: Notable interviews
Each Friday HOTELS publishes an online interview with an industry thought leader, from CEOs to GMs to executive chefs. Below are links to some of the más...
Marriott's Sorenson makes statement about "fiscal cliff"
As both political parties return to Washington, D.C., to negotiate a budget settlement and stave off the “fiscal cliff,” Marriott International más...
Hot Openings: Starwood sees double with first resort complex
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide opened its first dual-branded ski resort complex in Changbaishan, China this summer.Dalian Wanda Group owns Sheraton más...
Local, healthful among predicted 2013 menu trends
Concerns about nutrition and local, sustainable sourcing dominate the National Restaurant Association (NRA)’s “What’s Hot” culinary más...
How to survive with your bank
Nearly 25% of the 46,000 hotels in this country are in default of their mortgage covenants. A deep recession and overbuilding of hotel rooms have resulted más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: NYE menu showcases ‘lucky’ foods
The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami is offering a New Year’s Eve 2013 “Lucky 13 Menu” at its Essensia Restaurant dedicated to foods from más...
HOTELS Year In Review: Most-read stories
2012’s biggest hotel industry news stories included new brands from the majors and unexpected developments in the digital arena, including the launch más...
What’s Hot: PGA National Resort unveils specialty suites
PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., has introduced three new specialty suite types to its guest accommodations. The new suites más...
Arrivals to Japan, Myanmar, Cambodia surge
International visitor arrivals into Asia between January and September 2012 showed a collective increase of 5.5% year-on-year, according to preliminary más...
Year-end analysis of the Moscow market
Cushman & Wakefield, a commercial real estate services firm, recently announced preliminary 2012 results for the hospitality sector in Moscow, which más...
Maldives resort allows guests to produce Valentine’s rap
Niyama, Maldives is offering guests an opportunity to work with well-known hip hop artists to produce their own rap for Valentine’s Day. “Love más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Aloft gives gifts via Twitter sweepstakes
Aloft Hotels is counting down the holiday season by offering Twitter fans the chance to win a prize a day through December 31 by finding and tweeting más...
HOTELS Year in Review: Notable openings, renovations
2012 was a year of big openings and remarkable additions to existing properties. In considering hot announcements since January, 10 openings and additions más...
Hot Openings: Traders Hotel goes down under
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts assumed management of Traders Hotel, Brisbane in August, bringing the Traders brand to Australia for the más...
Starwood boasts better year in 2012
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Wednesday that in 2012 it signed the most deals since the onset of the global economic crisis. Before year-end más...
Andaz Salon series debuts website, Cultural Insiders
Hyatt brand Andaz has launched the next phase of its Andaz Salon series — a virtual Andaz Salon venue as well as the brand’s first Cultural más...
Florida hotel painstakingly restores historic murals
The Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida, listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, has fully restored four más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: New outdoor ice rink in Shanghai
Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai has debuted “Kerry Ice,” a 2,153-sq-ft (200-sq-m) outdoor ice rink made from synthetic material that creates más...
HOTELS Interview: Omni's meetings strategy through downturn
After the hotels meetings business plummeted when the U.S. economy tanked in 2008, Omni Hotels & Resorts took a different, riskier path than most más...
What’s Hot: Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay completes renovation
Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay has unveiled the results of a US$16 million guest room renovation.Dallas-based designers Looney & Associates updated the 442 más...
With health costs rising, US employers consider options
The 2012 Compensation Data Hospitality survey results reported that in the United States the average annual cost of insurance per employee on a hospitality más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Tampa hotel replicated in gingerbread
Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Airport Westshore in Tampa, Florida, is displaying an 8-ft (2.4-m) replica of the hotel that has been handcrafted out of a variety más...
HOTELS Interview: Adding value to the luxury experience
Turks + Caicos has built a reputation for its high-quality, high-end hotel product, but especially in light of ongoing economic challenges, the destination más...
Hot Openings: Kempinski opens first hotel in Baltic states
Kempinski Hotels opened its Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square in Vilnius, Lithuania in September, marking the brand’s first entry into the Baltic más...
Projected 2013 spa trends include ‘mindfulness massage,’ ‘earthing’
SpaFinder Wellness has revealed a preview of its 10th annual report that forecasts top trends in the spa and wellness industry around the globe. The SpaFinder más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: ‘Non-tree’ at The Opposite House
The Opposite House this holiday season is displaying “A Haven of Peace and Happiness,” an unconventional Christmas tree by sculpture artist más...
Edelstein, Nazarian to launch new brand with Raleigh
David Edelstein and Sam Nazarian’s sbe announced the joint acquisition of the 111-room The Raleigh, located in Miami Beach, from Brilla Group, which más...
HOTELS Interview: The resilient hotelier in Pakistan
Since 2007, Gordon Gorman has been the general manager of the 236-room Avari Towers, located in Karachi, Pakistan. Instead of spending his morning meetings más...
Pinnacle buys Ameristar in $2.8 billion deal
Pinnacle Entertainment announced on Friday that it entered into an agreement to buy all outstanding common shares of Ameristar Casinos Inc. The deal’s más...
Hot Openings: InterConti's historic London hotel
InterContinental London Westminster is now open in the former Queen Anne’s Chambers, which served as a government building. Architects Dexter Moren más...
International tourism hits one billion
One billion tourists have travelled the world in 2012, marking a new record for international tourism – a sector that accounts for one in every más...
Las Vegas resort hosts ‘Culinary Clash’
The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas are hosting “Culinary Clash,” a four-week competition for the resort’s team of chefs that will más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Gingerbread ‘house’ with a California twist
One California hotel has put a local spin on a venerable holiday fixture: the gingerbread house. Island Hotel Newport Beach in Newport Beach, California más...
News in brief: MCR, Pandox, STR
MCR Development buys 10 US hotels: MCR Development LLC announced today that it has acquired 10 Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide branded más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Savoy, A Fairmont Hotel in London has named Marie-Laure Akdag regional director, sales & marketing más...
Globally more hotel investors looking to buy: JLLH
‘Buy’ signals around the world have increased to the highest level since 2005, suggesting more hotel investment transactional activity ahead más...
What’s Hot: Suites with a view underwater
By the end of the year, guests will be able to book a stay in the new Ocean Suites at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. The suites feature floor-to-ceiling más...
Influence of owners, asset managers on property-level decisions
In spring 2012, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne and Cushman and Wakefield Global Hospitality undertook a study about the influence that hotel más...
HVS survey examines financing for German hotels
Germany is receiving continuous interest from the international and national hotel investment and lending community, according to a survey of the major más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Claridge’s Christmas tree draws from nature
Claridge’s in London has unveiled its 2012 Christmas tree, created by Kally Ellis, founder of British floral designers McQueens. Ellis has chosen más...
News in brief: Kempinski, Aston, IHG
Kempinski to expand in Oman: Omani Hospitality Co. will develop the 309-room Kempinski The Wave, Muscat Hotel and Hotel Apartments, which will include más...
DLF sells Amanresorts to Zecha for $300 million
Ownership of ultra-luxury Amanresorts is set to return to its founder, Adrian Zecha, as DLF announced on Wednesday that it is selling Amanresorts to Zecha más...
Hot Openings: Riu Hotels opens its second Costa Rica property
Riu Palace Costa Rica opened in November as Riu Hotels & Resorts’ second property in Costa Rica. The resort is located next to the Riu Guanacaste más...
Aloft to enter Iraq
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide brand Aloft Hotels has signed an agreement with BCD Co. to open the new Aloft Erbil in 2015. The property will más...
Langham to take over Toronto’s Delta Chelsea
Great Eagle Group announced on Wednesday that its subsidiary Langham Hospitality Group will take over as management of Canada’s largest hotel, the más...
LodgeNet may declare bankruptcy
Hotel in-room entertainment vendor LodgeNet Interactive Corp. may seek bankruptcy protection by the end of the year. LodgeNet received forbearance until más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Massive tree graces Bellagio display
Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens in Las Vegas has unveiled its holiday-themed floral creations, which will be on display through más...
News in brief: IHG, Starwood, Driftwood
IHG to expand in Thailand: IHG announced on Wednesday that it signed an agreement with JTM to open the 240-room InterContinental Phuket Rawai Beach más...
Diana Nelson to be new Carlson chairman
Diana Nelson will replace her mother, Marilyn Carlson Nelson as chairman of Carlson. The board of directors of Carlson, Minnetonka, Minnesota, announced más...
Kennedy Wilson, partner buy Lake Tahoe Ritz-Carlton
Real estate firm Kennedy Wilson announced on Tuesday that it bought a 50% stake in The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe and The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Lake más...
What’s Hot: Morgans hits the slopes… in Manhattan
Hudson’s Private Park at Hudson New York has gotten a wintry makeover. The outdoor space will serve as an outdoor, urban, ski resort-themed bar más...
Prague’s Augustine may become Ritz-Carlton
A Rocco Forte hotel in Prague may become a Ritz-Carlton. Business New Europe reported that according to anonymous sources, the 101-room Augustine Hotel más...
US holiday travel, hotel spending to increase: AAA
New data from AAA projects that during this holiday season an increased number of U.S. travelers will spend more at hotels. Year-end holiday hotel rates más...
Listen to the market
Development is a charged word. In second world countries such as mine, it is a term that has been used and abused constantly. The private sector talks más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Loews offers ‘Wrappy Hour’
Loews Hotels & Resorts is inviting guests to kick back and give back with its new “Wrappy Hour” during the holiday season. Through December más...
News in brief: Home2 Suites, Ritz-Carlton, Rezidor
Home2 Suites to enter Latin America: Hilton Worldwide announced that it will open the 100-room Home2 Suites by Hilton Querétaro, located más...
Hyatt removed from management of Curaçao resort
During a late-night switch by the hotel’s owner this weekend, a Hyatt Hotels Corp. affiliate was ousted from its management of a resort in Curaçao más...
What’s Hot: Hyatt Regency Minneapolis renovation
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis has completed a US$25 million renovation of its guestrooms, suites, public areas and restaurants. Stonehill & Taylor is más...
McKillen hangs onto Maybourne stake
Irish developer Paddy McKillen retained his 36% stake in Maybourne Hotel Group after a cash call that saw him and his rivals for the company, the billionaire más...
Baird says Manhattan overbuilding concerns overblown
Despite concerns over supply growth, Robert W. Baird & Co. on Monday released a bullish forecast for New York City’s Manhattan borough in 2013 más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Historic churches in gingerbread
The Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, located between Santa Fe and Albuquerque in New Mexico, this year features historic local churches in its annual más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Accor, Wynn
Andaz to enter Japan: Hyatt Hotels Corp. signed an agreement with Mori Building Co. to open the 164-room Andaz Tokyo in the summer of 2014. This más...
HOTELS Interview: Longevity at Texas resort
Barton Creek Resort & Spa in the scenic Texas Hill Country of the Austin area is celebrating its 25th anniversary, but General Manager James Walsh más...
Hot Openings: Eden Roc at Cap Cana set to open
Solaya Hotels & Resorts will open Eden Roc at Cap Cana on Saturday, Dec. 15, in the Dominican Republic. The property includes 34 suites, six dining más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Desert winter wonderland
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona, is transforming into a winter wonderland despite its desert location. The annual Christmas at más...
News in brief: Kimpton, IHG, Fairmont
Kimpton buys LA hotel: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced that it bought the 74-room Hotel Wilshire, located in Los Angeles, through a joint más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: David Arena has been appointed general manager of Courtyard Philadelphia Valley Forge/Collegeville in más...
US hotel market set to prosper through 2016: PKF
Looking forward, the U.S. lodging industry will see perpetual gains in demand, occupancy, ADR and RevPAR through 2016, according to a new study from PKF más...
Louvre partnership focuses on Première Classe, Campanile brands
Louvre Hotels Group, Nanterre, France, is partnering with Groupe ACI OUTREMER to expand its positions in French territories under its Première más...
Meliá, Chinese developer advance alignment
The partnership between Meliá Hotels International and the Greenland Group, one of the largest real estate group in China, on Thursday announced más...
What’s Hot: Hotel La Jolla shows off new look
The Hotel La Jolla, a Kimpton Hotel, reopened in August following a US$4 million renovation. The San Diego hotel’s new public spaces focus on light más...
OTAs dwarf metasearch in supplier referrals
While the popularity of metasearch is growing among U.S. travelers, its role in supplier traffic referrals via desktop computer hasn't been, according más...
US pipeline down 3.6% in November: STR
The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprised 2,586 projects totaling 299,201 rooms in November, a 3.6% decrease in the number of rooms in más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Vacation club focuses on philanthropy
A number of 5-star hotels — in addition to private vacation homes and crewed yachts — have joined the Getaway 2 Give (G2G) Collection, a philanthropic más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Gokongwei, Brighton
Hyatt to expand in Thailand: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that an affiliate signed a management agreement with Pioneer Property Co. to open the más...
US 2012 RevPAR to increase 6.6%: STR
Preliminary year-end data indicates that the U.S. hotel industry will finish 2012 by posting strong performances in all major metrics, according to new más...
What’s Hot: CuisinArt reopens after renovation
CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa is open again in Anguilla after renovations to its accommodations, resort entrance, pools and restaurants. The new entrance más...
Hilton, Starwood announce 3 hotels in Philippines
Both Hilton Worldwide and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed agreements with Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. to open three hotels más...
Luxury driving big Manila expansion
The second fastest growing economy in Asia and a stable political environment are combining to fuel a surging Manila hospitality market, particularly más...
Steigenberger partners with cruise company
The Steigenberger Hotel Group, Frankfurt, Germany, has partnered with cruise ship company A-ROSA Flussschiff to offer a new “Meet & Cruise” más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Pets pose with Santa
Ink48 and 70 Park Avenue, two Kimpton Hotels in New York City, hosted their annual Santa Paws event this past weekend. Pets were invited to pose with más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Loews, Modus
Wyndham launches time-share exchange program: Wyndham Vacation Rentals launched Wyndham Home Exchange, which allows owners to trade weeks at their más...
Accor launches women’s workplace equality initiative
Accor on Tuesday launched a women’s network, Women at Accor Generation, to help the company reach gender equality objectives, which include 50% más...
Lend Lease to develop 900-room Sydney hotel
Property giant Lend Lease has won A$2.5 billion (US$2.6 billion) in contracts to develop an entertainment and convention complex, as well as 900-room más...
Blackstone forecloses on 13-hotel portfolio
Blackstone Group now owns roughly 4% of the hotel inventory in the U.S., according to a Tuesday report from The Wall Street Journal, after foreclosing más...
What’s Hot: The Datai Langkawi adds beach villas
The Datai Langkawi in Malaysia has 14 new beach villas. All 13 one-bedroom villas have 2,345 sq ft (218 sq m) of living space with views of the sea, beach más...
What Hanoi needs to do in the Old Quarter
I took a walk on a recent Saturday afternoon. The sky was overcast but there was no threat of rain, and the temperatures were perfect. Not surprisingly más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: ‘12 Days of Country’
Country Inns & Suites By Carlson will commence “12 Days of Country,” an interactive social media sweepstakes, December 12. The brand will más...
News in brief: Langham, Access, IHG
Langham to expand in China: Langham Hospitality Group announced that it has signed an agreement with Huatang Grand Hotel Co. to manage the más...
Marriott bringing Courtyard, Fairfield Inn to Brazil
Marriott International on Friday announced that it is set to debut its Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield Inn by Marriott brands in Brazil. The brands más...
Carey Watermark Investors acquires San Diego Courtyard
Carey Watermark Investors (CWI), New York City, has acquired the Courtyard San Diego Mission Valley/Hotel Circle. The 317-room hotel includes approximately más...
What’s Hot: Aspen’s Hotel Jerome reopens after restoration
Auberge Resorts will reopen Hotel Jerome in Aspen on Friday, just in time for the winter season. The 93-room hotel, now called “Hotel Jerome, an más...
Ex-Strategic CEO Geller accused by former Fairmont employee
Chicagorealestatedaily.com reported on Friday that a former employee of the Fairmont Chicago, a property owned by Strategic Hotels & Resorts, has más...
GHM to enter India via Mumbai
General Hotel Management is set to enter India next year after signing an agreement with developer Kohinoor Group to open the 42-room The Aayu Mumbai más...
Hampton rewards loyal guests with snack package
Hampton Hotels has launched an updated guest appreciation initiative at its U.S. hotels. within its nearly 1,900 property portfolio worldwide this fall más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Facebook promotes additional Hyatt grants
As part of Hyatt Community Grants, Hyatt has announced that 27 Hyatt hotels and offices have awarded more than US$300,000 this year to communities más...
News in brief: Four Seasons, Caisse de Dépôt, Hilton
Four Seasons to expand in Turkey: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts signed an agreement with Dilek Gayrimenkul Yatirim ve Turizm A.S. to open the más...
HOTELS Interview: Four Seasons’ new F&B website
As part of its commitment to upgrade the image of the dining options at its properties, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, has debuted Taste, a más...
MGM seeks $5.25 billion to refinance
To refinance its debt and generate more cash flow, MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas, is launching a US$4 billion refinancing credit at a Friday lender más...
What’s Hot: A suite in London fit for a queen
The Royal Suite at the InterContinental London Park Lane has been renovated with a decor inspired by Queen Elizabeth II. The suite debuted during the más...
Dubai, Kuwait hotel performance up in October: TRI
In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai saw notable growth in demand and profits in October while Abu Dhabi hotels saw further decline in performance, according más...
Hamburg hotel profits dip, German MICE market mixed: TRI
Headline revenue levels in Hamburg are equal to, and exceed, some of the major hotel markets in Germany and the city is identified by Wüest & más...
New DC-area hotel shows Redskins spirit
The under-construction Homewood Suites by Hilton in Springfield, Virginia — near Washington, D.C. — is showing its support for the hometown más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Gift cards to give back
Andrew Pinckney Inn and HarbourView Inn in Charleston, South Carolina, are offering guests an opportunity to give back to the community via a complimentary más...
News in brief: LaSalle, Driftwood, Club Med
LaSalle buys California hotel: LaSalle Hotel Properties bought the 120-room L'Auberge Del Mar, an oceanfront resort located in Del Mar, for US$76 más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Denihan Hospitality Group, New York City, has appointed Thomas Botts to the newly created role of executive más...
Singapore buys 4 Paulson & Co. resorts for $1.5 billion
Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Government of Singapore Investment Corp. bought four prominent U.S. hotels controlled by a group led by Paulson & más...
Starwood Capital stake sale under consideration
Confirming earlier reports, Starwood Capital Group said it is exploring a stake sale to fund future investments. “It is something we are considering más...
Onity offering free guestroom lock replacements
Electronic locks manufacturer Onity is offering major hotel brands a replacement offer tantamount to a recall to replace circuit boards vulnerable to más...
Centara launched budget COSI brand
Centara Hotels & Resorts, Bangkok, on Thursday launched the COSI Hotels brand, “designed for cost-conscious travelers who mostly do all their más...
Hot Openings: Café Royal reopens as a hotel
After a four-year transformation, London’s Café Royal has reopened as a luxury hotel. The property now has 159 rooms and suites, including más...
Accor reorganizes operations in Europe
Accor has announced a new brand-based organization of its operations in Europe, effective January 1. This new organization structure concerns Accor's más...
Glenfiddich banned from Trump Hotel Collection
Donald Trump is in a tiff about Glenfiddich sponsoring an award ceremony that honored a Scottish farmer who refused to sell his land to Trump to build más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Winter wonderland in L.A.
W Los Angeles – Westwood has transformed its Wet pool deck into a winter wonderland for the fourth year in a row. This year the “Chill” más...
U.S. group business off in second half of 2012
New data from TravelClick shows group demand and ADR are showing declines after a very strong 2011 and first half of 2012. After a large comeback in 2011 más...
News in brief: Rotana, IHG, Elegant
Rotana to enter Iran: Rotana Hotel Management Corp. is set to enter Iran after signing management agreements for three 200-room hotels under its más...
Dalian Wanda in talks to buy US hotel chain
Dalian Wanda Group said earlier this week that it is in negotiations to merge with or buy a U.S. hotel chain. The announcement comes after the conglomerate más...
What’s Hot: Hotel Le Toiny unveils restaurant renovations
Hotel Le Toiny on St. Barthelemy has reopened its Restaurant Le Gaïac after renovations. St. Barts-based French Indies Design oversaw the renovations más...
White paper addresses convergence in hospitality industry
A new white paper from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association (HSMAI) and Sabre Hospitality Solutions addresses the ways systems, practices and más...
Deadline looms for new ALIS program
The deadline is December 7 for ALIS registrants to submit a new and innovative service, company or business idea potentially of interest to the hotel más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: The Greenbrier’s kids gift drive
For the second consecutive year, The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, is holding its Create a Dream Tree for Kids holiday gift drive más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Accor, Starwood
Ritz-Carlton to debut in Kazakhstan: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. announced that it will open the 145-room Ritz-Carlton Almaty, owned by a subsidiary más...
Madinat Jumeirah expansion planned
Jumeirah Group has confirmed plans to expand its Madinat Jumeirah resort in Dubai. The resort currently houses three hotels — Al Qasr, Mina A'Salam más...
Kingdom nets US$32.9 million in Plaza sale
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Co. will net a US$32.9 million profit from the sale of The Plaza in New York City to conglomerate más...
Study examines impact of social media, mobile on travel
Social media plays the largest role in inspiring travel and in the travel experience itself, according to a study commissioned by Text100 Global Communications más...
What’s Hot: InterContinental Hong Kong's function rooms
InterContinental Hong Kong has unveiled its newly redesigned harborview function rooms. The new design picks up themes used in last year’s más...
TRI: Is Hamburg the best place to invest in Germany?
Even as headline revenue levels in Hamburg are equal to, and exceed, some of the major hotel markets in Germany and the city is identified by Wüst más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Travelodge’s ‘Mary and Joseph’ deal
Travelodge is continuing its tradition of offering a free room to couples named Mary and Joseph during the 12 days of Christmas. Eligible couples can más...
News in brief: Chatham, Romney, HVMG
Chatham Lodging raises 2013 dividend: The board of Chatham Lodging Trust, Palm Beach, Florida, has voted to raise the REIT’s common share dividend más...
Host JV acquires five hotels in Europe
Host Hotels & Resorts announced Monday that the second fund of the company’s joint venture in Europe — in which the Bethesda, Maryland-based más...
Loews to buy DC hotel
Loews Hotels & Resorts on Monday announced it has entered into an agreement to purchase the 356-room Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C., from Jamestown más...
RLJ to purchase Hilton Cabana Miami Beach
RLJ Lodging Trust, Bethesda, Maryland, has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire upon completion the 231-room Hilton Cabana Miami Beach más...
UK's Bespoke Hotels acquires Oxford portfolio
Boutique hotel operator Bespoke Hotels has become one of the UK’s largest management companies by announcing Monday that it has taken over the management más...
What’s Hot: W's second Thai property
The W Bangkok will make its official debut on Dec. 7, becoming the brand’s second property in Thailand. The hotel combines a 31-story modern glass más...
J.D. Power examines satisfaction with independent travel websites
Price is the primary driver of overall customer satisfaction with independent travel websites, with 75% of online travel website consumers highlighting más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Trump helps fight childhood cancer
Trump Hotel Collection is continuing its partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, giving guests the opportunity — for the third más...
News in brief: Starwood, Hilton, Modus
Starwood enters new credit facility: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has closed a new US$1.75 billion senior credit facility that matures on February más...
noviembre 2012
HOTELS Video News: Hotelier of the World awards ceremony
HOTELS Magazine honored Tom Hewitt and Georg Rafael with the 2012 HOTELS’ Hotelier of the World at a ceremony in New York City earlier this month más...
Blackstone affiliate to buy Apple REIT Six
BRE Select Hotels Corp., an affiliate of New York City-based Blackstone Group, has agreed to purchase Apple REIT Six in a US$1.2 billion deal. Richmond más...
What’s Hot: 51 Buckingham Gate premieres new suite
The new Cinema Suite at 51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites & Residences has made its official debut. Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee drew inspiration from más...
Tennessee hotel to raise cattle
The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, is taking its sustainability program to the next level. Owners of the hotel recently bought a 245-acre (99-hectare) más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: ‘Tea at the Top’ in L.A.
The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles is debuting its “Tea at the Top” series of specialty afternoon tea services with menus inspired by the holiday más...
News in brief: Strauss-Kahn, DoubleTree, Aston International
Strauss-Kahn said to reach settlement: Former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn reportedly has reached an agreement to settle más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Patricia Armstrong has been named vice president of national sales and global accounts for Millennium más...
Harlequin details Caribbean growth plans
Although the Caribbean is largely seeing a drought of new development, Harlequin Hotels & Resorts is an exception to the trend. Harlequin has revealed más...
Hot Openings: Cincinnati home to second 21c Museum Hotel
Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson have opened their second 21c Museum Hotel, this time in downtown Cincinnati. The new hotel is located in the restored más...
Group leisure bookings up in October: Pegasus
Leisure bookings in October grew 9.2% over 2011 globally, as North America also saw a 9.1% increase, according to data released by Pegasus Solutions. más...
St. Regis Aspen announces new chefs for Food & Wine restaurant
The St. Regis Aspen Resort in Aspen, Colorado, has announced a new class of Food & Wine Best New Chefs to curate the next menu at Chefs Club by Food más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Hilton Garden Inn helps Feeding America
Hilton Garden Inn and hunger-relief organization Feeding America have launched Holidays with Heart, a seven-week holiday campaign to help fight hunger más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Accor, FTC
Rezidor to expand in Russia: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 508-room Radisson Blu Beach Resort & Spa, Sochi, in the más...
Sahara India Pariwar ‘closes purchase’ of Dream Downtown
In addition to The Plaza this week, Sahara India Pariwar has reportedly closed the purchase of a stake in another New York City hotel, Dream Downtown más...
What’s Hot: Beverly Hills Hotel gets a lobby makeover
Dorchester Collection’s Beverly Hills Hotel has unveiled its newly renovated lobby. Adam Tihany of Tihany Design is leading the ongoing two-year más...
Despite economy, travel to and from Europe to increase: IPK
In 2013 Europeans will undertake even more trips abroad while Europe can also expect more arrivals, according to new data from IPK International, commissioned más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Andaz Liverpool Street’s festive jukebox
Andaz Liverpool Street in London is celebrating the holiday season with a retro jukebox filled with Christmas songs chosen by hotel staffers. The jukebox más...
News in brief: Steigenberger, Sheraton New York, IHG
Brierly Gardens buys Steigenberger Europäischer Hof: Brierly Gardens Investments Ltd. bought the 131-room Steigenberger Europäischer Hof más...
Asia Pacific hotels to see 2013 meetings revenue uptick: AmEx
Asia Pacific, with its relatively strong economy, is likely to see the strongest growth among regions in both spending and the number of meetings in 2013 más...
What’s Hot: Park Hotels plans Kerala property for the spring
The Park Hotels plans to open The Park Kochi in the spring of 2013. Lotus Group designed the 28-floor, 168-key hotel with a blend of traditional and contemporary más...
$900 million offer for NYC Four Seasons declined
Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts has turned down an unsolicited offer to buy the 368-room Four Seasons Hotel New York for US$900 million. The company cited más...
Sahara closes on NYC’s Plaza purchase
Indian conglomerate Sahara India Pariwar announced that it closed its purchase of a 75% stake in New York City’s fabled The Plaza hotel for a total más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Windsor supports Toys for Tots
Windsor Capital Group (WCG), Santa Monica, California, has announced its 21 hotels across the United States are again serving as official collection sites más...
News in brief: Driftwood, Red Lion
Driftwood expands in Florida: Driftwood Hospitality Management announced that it has been appointed to manage the 224-room Quality Suites The Royale más...
Blackstone buys largest hotel in Dublin
The Blackstone Group bought the 501-room The Burlington Hotel, the largest hotel in Dublin, out of receivership for €67 million (US$86 million). más...
Indian Hotels may up ante for Orient-Express
While not yet confirmed by either party, multiple sources reported late last week that the Tata Group's Indian Hotels Co. and a fund controlled by Italy's más...
What's Hot: New F&B concepts at Radisson Blu Liuzhou
Radisson Blu Liuzhou Hotel in China has debuted the Scoozi Italian Restaurant and Twenty-Six Bar Lounge. Carlson Rezidor brought Aedas Interiors aboard más...
Koetser, Maag buy Grand Hotel Bellevue in Gstaad
Swiss billionaire Thomas Straumann announced that he sold the 57-room Grand Hotel Bellevue, located in Gstaad, Switzerland, to Daniel Koetser and Rudolf más...
MEA, Americas RevPAR up in October: STR Global
Hotels in the Middle East/Africa and the Americas saw region-wide RevPAR increases in October while Asia Pacific saw a slight RevPAR decrease, according más...
Positive October for US hotel industry: STR
The U.S. hotel industry reported increases in all three key performance metrics during October 2012, according to data from STR. Overall, the U.S. hotel más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Starwood partners with Giving Tuesday
In conjunction with its Cyber Monday sale, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and its Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program plan to donate up más...
News in brief: Jumeirah, Rendezvous, Marriott
Jumeirah to enter India: Jumeirah Group announced that it will open a 470-room hotel in Mumbai in 2017, to be located in the Lower Parel district más...
HOTELS Interview: Making a boutique hotel a home away from home
Hotel Chandler, located in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, bills itself as a boutique hotel, but it does not strive for the over-the-top hip style más...
What’s Hot: Sheraton Hanover Pelikan shows off new guestrooms
Sheraton Pelikan in Hanover, Germany, has a new look for its guestrooms. The red brick building that houses the 147-key hotel was built in 1906 as the más...
The Berkeley launches latest fashion-inspired tea pastries
The Berkeley in London is launching its new Prêt-à-Portea collection for winter 2012-2013. Prêt-à-Portea is designed to add más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: The Umstead’s unconventional trees
The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, North Carolina, promises an unconventional take on traditional Christmas trees as it blends a focus on art coupled más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Stephen Hilliard has been named managing director of the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods más...
Todak puts spin on boutique with Vintro
Robert Todak, whose early career was mentored by Ian Schrager, has launched Tailored Hospitality International and the Vintro boutique hotel brand in más...
What’s Hot: Five ships join Mövenpick’s Nile fleet
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has added five Nile cruisers to its fleet, bringing the total to eight vessels. The SS Misr is the fleet’s flagship más...
Survey shows consumer support of nutritional info at restaurants
A majority of restaurant users — 65% — favor nutritional labeling in restaurants, with the strongest demand for listing of calories and sodium más...
CNBC promises behind-the-scenes look at Marriott
CNBC is promising “extraordinary behind-the-scenes access” in a documentary about Marriott International scheduled to air December 12. The más...
Paulson-led group's loan approved ahead of auction
On Tuesday a judge approved tapping half of a US$10 million loan to keep four prominent U.S. hotels controlled by a group led by Paulson & Co. afloat más...
Marriott may become owner of indebted Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt
An interim examiner has been appointed to help restructure the debt of the 200-room Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, County Wicklow, Ireland, and Marriott could más...
What’s Hot: Pudong Shangri-La debuts new event venue
Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai, has opened The Summit Room, its latest event space. The 3,875-sq-ft (360-sq-m) Summit Room has a defined living room más...
Australia, Singapore tops in Asia Pacific for hotel investors: HSR
Australia and Singapore are two of the most coveted Asia Pacific locations for hotel investors, based on a recent survey conducted by HSR Hospitality más...
Presidential turkeys living it up at the W
Gobbler and Cobbler, the turkeys who will be spared by President Obama at the White House on Thanksgiving, are living the life right now just a few blocks más...
News in brief: Hyatt, StayWell, Wachtveitl
Hyatt Residence Club planned for Maui: An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. has formed a joint venture with an affiliate of Host Hotels & Resorts to más...
Yoma buys stake in Myanmar hotel development
Yoma Strategic Holdings announced on Monday that it purchased an 80% stake a two-hotel mixed-use development in Yangon, Myanmar. Burmese business tycoon más...
What’s Hot: Trumbull Marriott reveals redesign
Trumbull Marriott Merritt Parkway in Trumbull, Connecticut, has revealed the results of a two-year renovation project. All of the public spaces and guestrooms más...
Report examines independent hotels’ use of mobile, web
A majority of independent hotels — 62% — are not taking advantage of cross- or up-selling opportunities such as offering extras like flowers más...
Mediterranean markets show recovery: MKG
There are positive trends in occupancy, ADR and RevPAR in several Mediterranean and Middle Eastern destinations, according to a new report from MKG Hospitality más...
Brazilian resorts' revenue above 2008 peak: JLLH
The Brazilian resort market is reaping the benefits of Brazil’s stabilizing economy, as resort fundamentals in 2011 surpassed peak performance levels más...
News in brief: Corinthia, Best Western
Corinthia may pull out of Libya redevelopment: Corinthia Hotels may pull out of its €130 million (US$153 million) redevelopment project in más...
$3.5 billion of Extended Stay debt reportedly to be sold
Blackstone Group, Centerbridge Partners and Paulson & Co. are reportedly planning to sell US$3.5 billion in debt to refinance Extended Stay Hotels más...
What’s Hot: Outrigger Waikiki unveils renovations
Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach has completed renovations.The resort’s 524 newly renovated guestrooms and suites have new carpet in tones of deep más...
Boston, DC felt Sandy's brunt: TravelClick
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which caused severe flooding and caused extended power outages across the East Coast of the United States, TravelClick más...
Hotel supply to grow rapidly in Yangon: JLLH
International-quality hotel supply in Yangon, Myanmar, is expected to grow 36.7% per year from 2012 to 2016 assuming all projects that are underway or más...
News in brief: Starwood, Procaccianti, IHG
Aloft expands in Germany: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced that it signed agreements with Schörghuber Corporate Group to open más...
HOTELS Interview: New AH&LA chair outlines goals
As Ron Vlasic begins his year-long term as chair of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), he faces challenges that include helping más...
MWB Group going into administration
MWB Group Holdings announced on Friday that it will enter administration as it is unable to meet its liabilities. MWB Group Holdings, London, the parent más...
What’s Hot: Hotel Guanahani & Spa reopens
The Hotel Guanahani & Spa on Saint-Barthélemy reopens November 16 following a brief closure for refurbishment.Renovations on some of the guestrooms más...
Cornell research shows how online reputation boosts profitability
New research by the Cornell School of Hotel Administration confirms that online guest satisfaction has a direct impact on the financial performance of más...
CWT creates private review site for business travelers
Carlson Wagonlit Travel has launched CWT Hotel Intel, a travel review site that allows business travelers to share hotel ratings and reviews within a más...
News in brief: Rezidor, RLJ, Coast
Rezidor expands in Germany: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 190-room Radisson Blu Hotel Dortmund in January 2013 and the más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: IHG has appointed Philippe Bijaoui vice president of development for Europe. Bijaoui previously was más...
'Fiscal cliff' could have $20 billion impact on US travel
If the U.S. economy falls over the “fiscal cliff,” it would have an immediate and severe impact on U.S. business travel, according to new más...
What’s Hot: Barcelona’s Gallery unveils new look, rooms
The Gallery Hotel in Barcelona has completed major renovations that added two new categories of rooms and a tapas bar to the property.Of the property’s más...
Report shows soaring price per square foot for Manhattan hotels
Manhattan hotels recorded the highest sales price per square foot in the city over the past few years, according to a new report from Jones Lang LaSalle más...
London silver lining in lean UK forecast
Regional UK hotel top-line performance could take up to five years to recover, according to new research by advisory firm Deloitte, in conjunction with más...
Alfa buys NYC’s Grand Union hotel for $28 million
Alfa Development announced on Wednesday that it closed on the US$28.6 million purchase of the 95-room Hotel Grand Union, located in New York City. Alfa más...
Hershey Entertainment & Resorts appoints new CEO
Hershey Entertainment & Resorts announced on Wednesday that it appointed William Simpson Jr. as its new CEO upon the retirement of current CEO Ted más...
Asia Pacific dominates October global pipeline: STR Global
The Asia Pacific hotel development pipeline is the largest among the world’s regions in October, comprising 1,697 hotels totaling 374,523 rooms más...
Accor research studies European business travelers
European business travelers’ accommodation preferences, service expectations and habits when staying in a hotel were all areas of focus for Accor’s más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Accor, Amanresorts
Rezidor to expand in Hungary: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 236-room Park Inn by Radisson Zalakaros in 2015. Zalakaros más...
Blackstone takes ownership of Chicago Sofitel
Blackstone Group has confirmed that it agreed to take over ownership of the 415-room Sofitel Chicago Water Tower via voluntary forfeiture. The transaction más...
DiamondRock buys San Francisco boutique
DiamondRock Hospitality Co. announced on Tuesday that it acquired the fee simple interest in the Joie de Vivre-managed Hotel Rex, San Francisco, for US$29 más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons enters Beijing
The Four Seasons Hotel Beijing is now open in the city’s central business district. The 313-key property features Chinese contemporary art. A calligraphic más...
Wyndham signs deal for 10 Days Inns in Saudi Arabia
Wyndham Hotel Group announced the signing of an exclusive development agreement with Riyada International Hotels and Resorts to develop 10 hotels under más...
US pipeline down 6.6% in October: STR
The number of rooms in the total active U.S. hotel pipeline decreased 6.6% year-on-year in October, according to new data from STR. The total active U más...
Social media measures satisfaction inaccurately: study
Hotel customer feedback based on social media is inaccurate when compared to statistically significant survey research, according to an analysis by Market más...
Expedia study further exposes mobile user habits
Not surprisingly, travelers are increasingly comfortable planning travel via mobile devices, according to new research from Expedia Media Solutions, the más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Accor, Hilton
Hyatt to expand in Thailand: Hyatt Hotels Corp. entered into a management agreement with Grande Asset Hotels and Property Public Co. to open the más...
French consortium buys B&B Hotels portfolio in France
A consortium led by Foncière des Murs is buying the 165-hotel B&B Hotels portfolio in France from ANF Immobilier, Paris. Foncière des más...
What’s Hot: ME by Meliá launches London flagship
ME by Meliá will open its flagship hotel, ME London, next month. The 157-key hotel occupies Marconi House, once the London home of BBC radio. Foster más...
AH&LA creates metric to measure F&B revenue
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) F&B Council has developed a metric for the hotel industry to quantify F&B revenues. The más...
Strategic extends shareholder protection plan
Strategic Hotels & Resorts announced on Monday that it amended its existing shareholder rights plan to extend the expiration date for an additional más...
Sandy drags down US RevPAR outlook: PwC
Reflecting slower near-term economic growth, weaker third-quarter results, and the impact of Superstorm Sandy, an updated lodging forecast from PwC US más...
Los Angeles hotel provides posh polling place
Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles lived up to its name last week in honor of the U.S. election. The property was home to a polling station in más...
HOTELS at IHMRS: Social media’s missing links
While hotel companies are now producing many innovative marketing efforts on social media, return on investment often remains murky and the coordination más...
What’s Hot: Breakers Palm Beach reimagines the cocktail party
The Breakers Palm Beach will debut HMF, named after The Breakers’ founder Henry Morrison Flagler, late this month. Peacock + Lewis Architects and más...
Gold Key Awards winners announced
The International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) announced the winners of the 32nd annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design más...
Editors select best new products at 2012 IHMRS and BDNY
Ten exhibitors received Editors’ Choice Awards during the opening ceremonies of the 97th annual International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) más...
Host ‘potential acquirer’ of Strategic
With the recent exit of longtime CEO Laurence Geller at the beginning of November, financial analysts are speculating that Strategic Hotels & Resorts más...
AH&LA outlines likely impact of US election
Even though the balance of power remains the same in the wake of last week’s U.S. election — President Obama remains in office, Republicans más...
Commune announces Leondakis to be new CEO
Commune Hotels & Resorts, the joint venture created last year between lifestyle operators Thompson Hotels and Joie de Vivre, on Thursday named Niki más...
HOTELS Video News: 2012 Hotelier of the World winners reflect
HOTELS’ annual Hotelier of the World awards are voted on by the award winners’ industry peers and represents the culmination of an exceptional más...
What’s Hot: Venus Williams suites debut at InterConti Miami
The first hospitality project for Venus Williams and her firm, V Starr, is two presidential suites at InterContinental Miami. The 3,000-sq-ft (307-sq-m) más...
Sandy hurt NYC hotels’ RevPAR, occupancy: STR
Year-over-year occupancy for New York fell 7.3% as a result of Superstorm Sandy during the week of October 28 through November 3, according to data from más...
Kempinski stops managing Nambia properties
Kempinski Hotels told HOTELS on Friday that it has reached an agreement with The Ohlthaver & List Group of Companies (O&L Group) to end the management más...
News in brief: Priceline, Sandals, Wynn
Priceline buys Kayak: The OTA market is set for a major consolidation as Priceline.com Inc. is buying Kayak Software Corp. just a few months after más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Richard Alexander has been named general manager of Viceroy Anguilla. Alexander most recently was the más...
Orient-Express rejects Tata buyout, picks new CEO
On Thursday Orient-Express Hotels rejected Tata Group’s unsolicited US$1.86 billion buyout offer and announced the appointment of a new president más...
More details on Geller's separation from Strategic
Strategic Hotels & Resorts third quarter report issued on late Wednesday revealed that Laurence Geller, who stepped down at CEO earlier this week más...
HOTELS Video News: 2012 Hotelier of the World winners discuss service
New technology has made it possible for guests to check-in and check out of their hotel rooms without meeting a single staff member. But is such depersonalization más...
What’s Hot: Akirovs open London’s Café Royal
London’s Café Royal, which had been an event venue, a brasserie, and home to the National Sporting Club since its 1865 opening, has morphed más...
Rocco Forte 'to exit' Prague hotel
Rocco Forte Hotels is reportedly exiting its lease of 101-room Augustine Hotel Praha, located in Prague, due to failure to pay its rent on the property más...
Marriott International, foundation donate $500,000 for Sandy relief
Marriott International and The J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation, the Marriott family’s private foundation, announced Thursday that más...
NYC, Atlantic City reservations slammed by Sandy
Not surprisingly, Hurricane Sandy had a major impact on hotel reservations in New York City and Atlantic City, according to new data from Pegasus Solutions más...
News in brief: Accor, Fairmont, Hyatt
Accor to expand in Saudi Arabia: Accor announced that it signed a management agreement with King Abdullah International Foundation to open a 400-room más...
HOTELS Video News: Hotelier of the World winners’ mentors
Mentors are a key part of any successful hospitality career. With this in mind, HOTELS asked the 2012 recipients of HOTELS’ Hotelier of the World más...
Hilton launches global week of service
From November 11 through November 18, some 300,000 Hilton Worldwide team members across 90 countries and territories will participate in the company’s más...
Hot Openings: Hyatt enters the Netherlands with Andaz
Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht is now open — the first Hyatt hotel in the Netherlands. The hotel occupies the former Public Library of Amsterdam más...
Interval partners with European timeshare provider
Interval International and CLC Resort Developments, a European provider of mixed-use holiday products under the Club La Costa World (CLC World) brand más...
UNWTO campaign asks tourists to make actions count
With a milestone one billion tourists traveling the world in 2012, creating one billion opportunities is at the heart of the online campaign launched más...
French hotels post chilly September results
September proved disappointing for hotels in France, with drops in occupancy in most areas and hotel categories and average rates not sufficient to curb más...
Massachusetts hotel celebrates pork
Harbor View Hotel, located in Edgartown, Massachusetts, is partnering with The Kitchen Porch, a local business specializing in culinary and agricultural más...
News in brief: National Harbor, DoubleTree, Absolute
Maryland voters pass gambling expansion: Maryland voters passed on Tuesday a ballot initiative to expand gambling at National Harbor, after which más...
HOTELS Video News: 2012 Hotelier of the World winners
Their peers have voted, and HOTELS Magazine is proud to be honoring two industry legends this month in our magazine and at an awards ceremony in New York más...
What’s Hot: San Francisco’s Hotel Adagio reveals new look
The Hotel Adagio in San Francisco has completed renovations of the property, which was originally built in 1929. The hotel’s 171 guestrooms and más...
IHG seeks new bids for Barclay
In the face of stalled talks with a prospective buyer, IHG is seeking new buyers for its New York Barclay hotel, which is expected to be worth more than más...
IHG operating profit up in Q3
IHG reported that its operating profit increased 9% to US$167 million in the third quarter of 2012 from US$153 million in the third quarter of 2011. IHG más...
German hotels recovering strong, but luxury needs ADR boost: HVS
Economy hotels in the German cities of Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg are showing a stronger recovery than their luxury counterparts with higher occupancies más...
Trump Toronto offers Bond-inspired package
Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto is promising to shake — not stir — things up with a $17,007 package that offers guests a chance más...
News in brief: Indian Hotels Co., Hyatt, Axle
Indian Hotels Co. reports loss in Q3: Tata Group subsidiary Indian Hotels Co. reported a loss of Rs63.6 million (US$1.2 million) for the third quarter más...
Geller abruptly steps down at Strategic
With his contract about to expire, outspoken industry leader Laurence Geller has negotiated a mutually agreed upon exit from Strategic Hotels & Resorts más...
NYC Four Seasons may be bought, reflagged
Ty Warner reportedly informed Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts that he received a US$900 million purchase offer, probably from the government of Brunei más...
French named new Raffles president
Raffles Hotels & Resorts on Monday announced the appointment of Peter French as president, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, with effect from January más...
What’s Hot: Fashion inspires suite at St. Regis Rome
The St. Regis Rome has debuted its new Couture Suite, designed by The Gallery at HBA London and inspired by high-end fashion. The 1,615-sq-ft (150-sq-m) más...
Margins at India’s 5-star hotels to suffer: Crisil
Decreased demand coupled with increased supply is set to depress the profit margins of 5-star hotels in India over the next two years, according to new más...
UK RevPAR to decrease 3.5% in 2013: PwC
RevPAR at U.K. hotels is projected to decrease 3.5% year-on-year in 2013, with London seeing a 7.2% RevPAR decline and the provincial U.K. seeing a 0 más...
Resilient travelers boost UNWTO data
Global travelers continue to show their resilience as international tourist arrivals grew by 4% between January and August 2012 compared to the same period más...
News in brief: Accor, M&C, Kew Green
Accor to enter Bangladesh: Accor announced on Monday that it will open two properties in Bangladesh under management contracts — the 185-room más...
HOTELS Interview: Lessons from Crowne Plaza refresh
After a year working on the first, “Freshen up” phase of its repositioning, IHG’s Crowne Plaza brand is embarking on the second leg más...
What’s Hot: Langham Boston's Champagne lounge pops cork
The Langham, Boston opens its new luxury Champagne lounge Friday, Nov. 2. to conclude a US$6 million project. The lounge, called The Reserve, marks the más...
WTTC holds steady with 2012 travel forecast
Growth in the global travel and tourism industry in 2012 will be broadly in line with expectations set at the beginning of the year, according to the más...
Orient-Express net income up in third quarter
Orient-Express Hotels saw its net income increase to US$17 million in the third quarter of 2012 after posting a US$50 million loss in the third quarter más...
Caribbean occupancy slides during Sandy: STR
Hurricane Sandy, which first made landfall in Jamaica on Wednesday, 24 October, had a widespread impact on occupancy across the Caribbean, according to más...
Asian cities top JLLH’s ‘Global Capital Flows’ report
Direct investment in commercial real estate in Q3 2012 in Asia Pacific was US$22.4 billion, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s latest Global Capital más...
Americas guests feel squeezed by ADR hikes: Market Metrix
Among hotel guests in the Americas, perceived “value for price” declined in the third quarter of this year according to new data from más...
News in brief: Puma, Hyatt, Swiss International
Puma Hotels Collection appoints new CEO: Puma Hotels Collection appointed Fredrik Korallus as its new CEO. Korallus’ past positions include más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Ranganath Budumooru has been appointed general manager of Holiday Inn Express Ahmedabad in Ahmedabad más...
Kempinski JV negotiating to operate North Korean hotel
After towering over Pyongyang, North Korea, as an unfinished shell for two decades, the Ryugyong hotel could open as soon as next summer under a joint más...
What’s Hot: Outrigger opens Thailand resort this weekend
The 156-key Outrigger Phi Phi Island Resort and Spa will officially open Nov. 3 in Thailand. The resort occupies 70 acres (28 hectares) and was formerly más...
Q3 RevPAR down in Athens, flat for Greek resorts: GBR
Athens hotels saw an 18.9% year-on-year decrease in RevPAR in the third quarter of 2012, while Thessaloniki decreased 3.5% and Greek resorts slightly más...
Low conversion rate with AdWords for travel industry
Although the travel industry spends a high amount it has a relatively low conversion rate on Google AdWords, according to a report from Wordstream Inc más...
Hilton starts mattress recycling program
Hilton Worldwide on Thursday launched a mattress recycling program with more than 85% of each mattress turned into new products ranging from steel springs más...
The Alexander uses Facebook to find new cocktail
The Alexander, A Dolce Hotel, set to open in January in Indianapolis, is putting out a call for mixologists — amateur and professional alike — más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Hilton, Centara
Rezidor expands in Kazakhstan: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 248-room Park Inn by Radisson Astana in the first quarter más...
octubre 2012
Superstorm Sandy could crimp hotel revenue
Hotels in the areas hit by Superstorm Sandy this week may see revenue losses as the northeastern U.S. begins to recover from the devastating damage inflicted más...
What’s Hot: Ritz-Carlton transforms Coconut Grove lobby
The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a renovated lobby. The design company Gettys used a palette of blue, violet más...
Chesapeake acquires Hotel Minneapolis
Chesapeake Lodging Trust announced Wednesday that it acquired from a subsidiary of HEI Hotels and Resorts the 222-room The Hotel Minneapolis, a Marriott más...
Hyatt earnings up in Q3
Hyatt Hotels Corp. saw its net income improve in the third quarter of 2012, boosted by increased revenues. Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, reported a net más...
Sustainability, F&B among top meeting planner concerns
A survey of almost 400 meeting planners by Destination Hotels & Resorts identified 2013 trends including the importance of location, sustainability más...
News in brief: Caesars, MGM, Hilton
Caesars selling Macau property: Caesars Entertainment Corp. plans to sell the golf course it purchased in Macau for US$578 million after failing más...
Superstorm Sandy closes hotels on US East Coast
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Marriott International both reported closing hotels on the U.S. East Coast due to mandatory evacuations for más...
McKillen can appeal ruling for London landmarks
The battle for control and ownership of three of London’s most storied hotels – Berkeley, the Connaught and Claridge’s – continues más...
What’s Hot: Andaz branches out into Northern California
Andaz Napa is open in California’s wine country. The property, which had previously been Avia Napa, has been rebranded with an “agri chic” más...
Five Ista hotels in India to be rebranded as Hyatts
Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced Tuesday that a Hyatt affiliate has signed a management agreement with IHHR Hospitality Private Limited for five Ista hotels más...
September boosts European, Dubai hotels: TRI
September is typically a strong month of headline performance levels for hotels across the primary European hotel markets and 2012 was no exception with más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Atmosphere, Premier Inn
Hyatt expands in Puerto Rico: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that an affiliate entered into an agreement with an affiliate of Island Hospitality Partners más...
Light outlines IHG brand strategy
With a goal of making its ever-growing family of brands the first choice among guests and owners, IHG has a tightly focused strategy recently refreshed más...
Will Indian Hotels increase offer for Orient-Express?
Several media outlets are reporting that the Indian Hotels Co. might sweeten its US$1.86 billion offer to take control of Orient-Express Hotels. Sources más...
Hot Openings: Casa San Agustín opens in Cartagena de Indias
Casa San Agustín has opened within the walled city of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The boutique property offers 22 individually decorated guestrooms más...
HTNG announces new tech standards
Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) on Monday announced the release of new specifications that add functionality across a range of hotel systems and más...
Chinese visiting US prefer economy, midscale hotels: Expedia
Three-quarters of Chinese travelers to the U.S. are choosing to stay at 1-star to 3-star hotels and paying an average ADR of US$144, according to new más...
Most travel advice still happens face-to-face
Marketers everywhere are rushing to tap into the power of consumer word of mouth, and many assume that the keys to unlock this power are found online más...
Gstaad Palace offers ‘Igloo Experience’
With winter on the way, Switzerland’s Gstaad Palace is taking the unique approach of encouraging guests to head out into the cold. The hotel is más...
News in brief: Ascott, Accor, Rae’s on Wategos
Ascott expands in Vietnam: The Ascott Limited announced that it has been selected to manage the 100-unit serviced residence Somerset Vista Ho Chi más...
HOTELS Interview: Healthy goals for Even Hotels
Holistic wellness is one of the hottest topics in hotels today, so it’s hardly surprising that IHG is looking to capitalize on that trend with its más...
Hot Openings: The Luxury Collection expands into Jakarta
The Luxury Collection has opened Keraton at The Plaza, a Luxury Collection Hotel—the brand’s first property in Jakarta. Keraton at The Plaza más...
Orient-Express may pick new CEO next week
Tata Group’s offer to buy out Orient-Express Hotels could be complicated if Orient-Express moves ahead with picking a new CEO. Financial Times reported más...
Pebblebrook buys Hotel Palomar San Francisco
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust bought the 196-room Hotel Palomar San Francisco on Thursday from Griffin Capital Corp. for US$58 million. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust más...
Holiday Inn brands promise greater differentiation
On the heels of Holiday Inn’s 60th anniversary, IHG is promising more distinctive positioning for each of the four brands in the Holiday Inn brand más...
KKR makes bid for NH Hoteles shares
U.S. investment firm KKR has made a preliminary offer to buy bonds that can be converted into shares of the debt-laden hotel chain, according to a report más...
DoubleTree affiliates with Tropicana in Las Vegas
The Tropicana Las Vegas has signed a strategic franchise agreement with DoubleTree by Hilton. Beginning in January the 1,600-room hotel will be rebranded más...
Kimpton puts "virtual office" in Miami lobby
Kimpton’s Surfcomber Miami, South Beach has created The Docking Station, a “travel lounge” for the rising tide of virtual workers seeking más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Expedia, Aparium
Rezidor profit down in Q3: The Rezidor Hotel Group reported a profit of €4.4 million (US$5.6 million) in the third quarter of 2012, down from más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Rick Antestenis has been named general manager of the Courtyard Pittsburgh North/Cranberry Woods, set más...
IHG details next phase of Crowne Plaza refresh
A year after it first announced a plan to refresh the Crowne Plaza brand, particularly in the Americas, IHG outlined details of the next phase of the más...
Rezidor exiting 7 hotel leases in France
The Rezidor Hotel Group announced on Thursday that it is exiting seven leased hotels in France due to their consistent unprofitability. The hotels are más...
What’s Hot: Ritz-Carlton redesigns in South Beach
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach is renovating its 375 guestrooms and suites. Diego Gronda from Rockwell Group Europe and interior designer Linda Zarifi más...
Portman shows off Shanghai hotel complex
A great example of redeveloping a major fair site can be found in Shanghai, where John Portman & Associates has designed and broken ground on the más...
US RevPAR growth slows in Q3: STR
The U.S. hotel industry reported increases in all three key performance metrics for third quarter 2012 in year-over-year measurements, according to data más...
Starwood’s net income up, operational income down in Q3
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide reported an increase in net income despite a decrease in income from continuing operations in the third quarter más...
W creates Human Jukebox promotion
Leave it to Starwood Hotels & Resort’s W brand to create non-traditional, eye-catching promotions. Its latest: “The Human Jukebox.” más...
News in brief: Choice, Wynn, DoubleTree
Choice net income up in Q3: Choice Hotels International reported a net income of US$44.4 million in the third quarter of 2012, up from US$42.3 million más...
IHG signs 1st Even property in NYC
IHG announced on Wednesday the signing of a management agreement with CWC Inc. for the first hotel under its new Even Hotels brand, to be located in New más...
Hot Openings: Grand Hyatt debuts in Malaysia
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is now open, marking the brand’s first entrance into Malaysia. The hotel has 370 guestrooms and 42 suites, with warm and más...
Hersha buys NYC Hilton Garden Inn development
Hersha Hospitality Trust announced on Wednesday that it bought a 205-room Hilton Garden Inn hotel under development in New York City. Construction of más...
Wyndham Worldwide net income down, outlook up in Q3
Wyndham Worldwide, Parsippany, New Jersey, reported a decreased net income for the third quarter as higher expenses covered increased revenue. Net income más...
Consumers curate 2013 food trends
Culinary Visions Panel, Chicago, collected insight from foodservice professionals, scoured more than 20 trade conferences and surveyed over 3,000 consumer más...
“Peninsula Time” pays off
Peninsula Beverly Hills General Manager Offer Nissenbaum is convinced flexibility engenders loyalty. He believes in it so much that he has upgraded a más...
News in brief: Ameristar, IHG, Times Square
Ameristar unveils Massachusetts casino-resort plans: Ameristar Casinos unveiled plans for a US$910 million, 500-room casino-resort for Springfield más...
Starwood Capital buys InTown Suites chain
Starwood Capital Group bought the InTown Suites extended-stay hotel chain on Monday for US$735 million, including US$617 million in existing debt. Starwood más...
What’s Hot: Swire Hotels opens East, Beijing
East, Beijing is now open in Beijing’s Chaoyang district. The property is Swire Hotels’ second in Beijing. The 369-key hotel is part of the más...
Fiesta rebrands as Palladium Hotel Group
Fiesta Hotel Group, Ibiza, Spain, announced that it will rebrand as Palladium Hotel Group, taking the name of two of its brands, Palladium Hotels & más...
UK hotels return to ‘business as usual’ in September: PKF
Hotels across the United Kingdom saw a return to “business as usual” in September after an Olympic-fueled summer, according to preliminary más...
Americas see most RevPAR growth in September: STR Global
While Asia Pacific and Middle East/Africa saw RevPAR gains, the Americas region saw the largest year-on-year RevPAR growth in September, according to más...
US RevPAR up 3.8% in September: STR
The U.S. hotel industry's occupancy rose 0.4% to 63.4%, its ADR was up 3.4% to US$107.29 and RevPAR increased 3.8% to US$67.97 in September, according más...
News in brief: Delta, Belgraves, Grand Lucayan
Delta expands in Canada: Delta Hotels and Resorts announced that it will open the Delta Kingston Waterfront Hotel, located in Kingston, Ontario más...
SJM to build casino-resort on Cotai Strip
SJM Holdings announced on Friday that it is set to build a 2,000-room casino-resort on Macau’s Cotai Strip after securing a land lease from the más...
Orient-Express could see bidding war
While the Orient-Express Hotels board of directors promised to respond to Tata Group’s buyout offer within three weeks, the luxury hotel company más...
SilverNeedle launches its Collection in Asia
SilverNeedle Hospitality on Friday launched its SilverNeedle Collection, a group of independently owned and branded luxury boutique hotels across South más...
Hot Openings: Dusit opens Maldives resort
Dusit Thani Maldives is now open on Mudhdhoo Island in Baa Atoll, 35 minutes from Malé by seaplane or 10 minutes from the new domestic airport más...
ReardonSmith's perspective on Baku, Azerbaijan
Baku, Azerbaijan, is increasingly attracting the attention of developers and big name hotel brands. More recently, Four Seasons and JW Marriott hotels más...
Accor launches Ibis pillow fighting app on Facebook
On Monday Accor launched a Facebook application for its Ibis brand that lets users play a pillow fighting game and possibly win hotel stays at Asia Pacific más...
News in brief: Hyatt, StayWell, McCormick
Hyatt expands in China: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that it entered into a management agreement with China Resources Land Ltd. to open the 247-room más...
Kosmopolito relaunches as Dorsett Hospitality
Hong Kong-based Dorsett Hospitality International was officially launched Thursday with President and Executive Director Winnie Chiu revealing the brand’s más...
Update on Indian Hotels bid for Orient-Express
Indian Hotels Co. expects to get a response from Orient-Express Hotels on its takeover bid within the next three weeks, a company executive told Reuters más...
HOTELS Interview: Instagram promo clicks at DC hotel
The Dupont Circle Hotel sees emerging photo-sharing social network Instagram not only as an engagement tool, but a way to define the hotel’s identity más...
What’s Hot: Le Meurice unveils suite renovation
Le Meurice in Paris has renovated its presidential suites and its Dali apartment. Designer Charles Jouffre modernized the décor while keeping elements más...
Fairmont upgrades digital platforms
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, has unveiled the first phase in a multi-stage digital platform redesign that will affect all of the brand’s más...
Farewell to Utell
There are many of us out in the industry who observed a moment’s silence a couple of weeks ago when Pegasus announced that the Utell name would más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Hyatt to enter Sri Lanka: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that a Hyatt affiliate entered into a management agreement with Sinolanka Hotels and Spa más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Stephan Amesoeder has been named general manager of the Andover Inn in Andover, Massachusetts. Most más...
Tata gives Orient-Express buyout offer
Indian conglomerate Tata Group made an unsolicited offer via its subsidiary Indian Hotels Co. to buy out the remaining 93.1% of luxury hotel company Orient-Express más...
MGM to build $2.5 billion Macau casino-resort
MGM Resorts International announced on Thursday that its subsidiary MGM China Holdings is set to develop a 5-star luxury casino-resort on Macau’s más...
HOTELS asset management webinar now available on demand
On October 15, HOTELS Magazine hosted a webinar entitled “Ruthless Asset Management” with three top industry leaders discussing opportunities más...
What’s Hot: Hilton Munich Park debuts new look
The Hilton Munich Park has a new look by JOI-Design, which drew natural elements from the hotel’s surroundings in the Englischer Garten. The property’s más...
IHG establishing managed service center for Russia, CIS hotels
IHG announced on Wednesday plans to establish a managed service center that will provide support services for IHG hotels in Russia and other Commonwealth más...
Amex: Uncertainty in 2013 to keep rates mostly flat
American Express Global Business Travel released on Thursday its Global Business Travel Forecast 2013, which forecast hotel prices globally to increase más...
JLL from ULI: Steady growth primes U.S. investment
Presenting at the Urban Land Institute’s Fall Meeting on Wednesday in Denver, Jones Lang LaSalle stated strengthening fundamentals and higher yields más...
News in brief: CityCenter, Mandalay Bay, Starwood
CityCenter to further test Harmon defects: Attorneys for CityCenter Las Vegas filed a motion to allow further testing for structural defects of más...
Oxford Capital’s downtown Chicago hotel opening set
Oxford Capital Group announced that the 221-room The Godfrey Hotel Chicago, which it is developing with Cube Capital, will open in 2013. The development más...
Marriott issues statement on Eden Roc dispute
Marriott International issued a statement Tuesday evening about its dispute with the owner of the Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel, located in Miami Beach, más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons debuts in Pudong
Four Seasons Hotel Pudong, Shanghai is now open in the city’s Lujiazhui business district. The 187-key property is located in the 55-story 21st más...
Alpine collection, Snotels, launches
With 25 hotels across Austria, France, Switzerland and Norway, Snotels is making its debut as a representation company based in London. Among the ski más...
Investment group buys Times Square parcel, may build hotel
A group of investors using US$475 million in debt provided by Barry Sternlicht’s Starwood Property Trust Inc. and Starwood Capital Group bought más...
Hyatt offers real time bill tracking for meetings
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday launched its Group Bill technology, a real time billing and tracking system that allows meeting planners to track más...
Asia Pacific, Europe top global pipelines: STR
Asia Pacific and Europe saw the largest hotel pipelines among the world’s regions in September, according to new data from STR Global. The Asia más...
Chef Michel Richard coming to NY Palace
The New York Palace on Tuesday announced renowned Chef Michel Richard will open his first Manhattan-based restaurant at the luxury hotel in the summer más...
News in brief: Mantra, Starwood, Preferred
Mantra to enter Asia: Mantra Hotels & Resorts is set to enter Asia with the 172-room Mantra Nusa Dua, located in Bali, Indonesia, set to open más...
Marriott sues Eden Roc owner, keeps management
Marriott International will continue to manage the Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel, located in Miami Beach, Florida, after a judge issued a restraining order más...
Hot Openings: Vivanta by Taj - Madikeri, Coorg now open
Vivanta by Taj – Madikeri, Coorg opened Oct. 15 in southwestern India.The hotel is situated at an altitude of 3,800 ft (1,158 m) in 180 acres (72 más...
Accor’s revenue growth slows in Q3
Accor’s revenue growth for the third quarter of 2012 was 1.3% on a like-for-like basis, down from 3.6% during the first half of this year. This más...
Hilton partners with food-donation organizations
Hilton Worldwide has announced multi-year partnerships with Feeding America and The Global FoodBanking Network to secure food and reduce hunger in communities más...
Drinks and liquid ingredients for 2013
Andrew Freeman & Co. offers a glimpse into how U.S. hotel, restaurant, and marketing trends will shape the world of travel and hospitality in 2013 más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Wyndham, Genting
Hyatt expands in Armenia: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that an affiliate entered into an agreement with Ginekar LLC to open the 96-room Hyatt Place más...
Webinar: Hoteliers discuss asset management tactics
In a webinar produced by HOTELS Magazine, the CEOs of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust and Strategic Hotels & Resorts compared their hotel asset management más...
Accor sells majority stake of 15-hotel Indian portfolio
Accor sold a 60% stake in a 15-property portfolio of Formule 1 hotels in India to Samhi Hotels Private Ltd. Two of the hotels in the portfolio, Formule más...
New president, CMO for SBE
SBE Hotel Group, Los Angeles, announced the appointment of a new president, Sam Bakhshandehpour, and new chief marketing officer, Veronica Smiley. Bakhshandehpour más...
What’s Hot: W San Diego unveils renovated public spaces
W San Diego has completed a $US5 million renovation of its various public spaces. The hotel partnered with the interior designer Mr. Important Design más...
US hotel pipeline down, Canada flat in September: STR
The U.S. total active hotel pipeline saw an 8.3% decrease in the number of rooms under development compared to September 2011, according to new data from más...
Snacks, soft drinks among hot food trends for 2013
Joking that “a flavor a day keeps recession at bay,” Brooklyn, New York-based consultancy Baum + Whiteman has headlined its 2013 food and más...
'In'gredients for 2013
In part two of hospitality consulting firm Andrew Freeman & Co.’s look at how U.S. hotel, restaurant, and marketing trends will shape the world más...
News in brief: Hilton, Westin Imagine, Eden Roc
Hilton expands in Japan: Hilton Worldwide announced that it signed an agreement to open the 346-room Hilton Okinawa Chatan, located in Mihama, set más...
HOTELS Interview: BWI's Ron Pohl on extended-stay prototype
Best Western International, Phoenix, has developed a new extended-stay prototype, a first for the brand. The extended-stay prototype may make up 20% to más...
What’s Hot: Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor upgrades villas
The two private villas at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap, Cambodia, have been refurbished and upgraded. Villa Uma and Villa Kama each más...
Best Western unveils new ad campaign
Best Western International announced a new North American marketing campaign for the spring of 2013 that will feature television advertisements. The campaign’s más...
Restaurant, food trends for 2013
Andrew Freeman & Co., a hospitality and restaurant consulting firm based in San Francisco, has released its annual U.S. trend report identifying key más...
Thompson debuts NYC ‘food truck concierge’
Due to the number of guest requests for information on New York City’s more than 3,000 food trucks, Thompson Hotels’ New York concierges have más...
UNH launches predictive index
The University of New Hampshire on Friday announced a new quarterly economic index that it said would help the U.S. lodging industry conduct short- and más...
News in brief: HICAP, Hong Kong REIT, Toronto project
HICAP winners announced: At the 23rd annual Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong, the winner of the HICAP Merger & Acquisition más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Tom Ballance has been named president and chief operating officer at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa más...
HOTELS sneak peak: Starwood showcases design, brands
At its former corporate headquarters in White Plains, New York, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide had a problem. “Our old office space was más...
Meritus parent reportedly bids for Frasers Hospitality
Singapore-based conglomerate Fraser & Neave has reportedly received a US$1.1 billion unsolicited offer for its hospitality and serviced residence más...
Hot Openings: 2nd Tryp by Wyndham opens in Colombia
The new Tryp By Wyndham Bogotá Embajada is now open, marking the brand’s second entry into the Colombian market. The property’s 250 más...
MOHG announces senior management changes
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG), Hong Kong, has announced that Marco Torriani will retire effective Dec. 31. Torriani, who most recently spent 12 más...
Anantara offers coffee ‘refined’ by elephant digestion
Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas’ four Maldives resorts have joined the group’s Anantara Golden Triangle resort in Thailand in offering Black más...
News in brief: RockBridge, Myanmar, Tampa
RockBridge announces Chicago-area conversion: RockBridge Partners has acquired the 172-room former Renaissance Oak Brook in Oak Brook, Illinois. The property más...
Sydney rebrand signals Pullman’s Australian expansion
Quay Grand Suites Sydney has been rebranded to Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour, a move Accor says signals a dramatic expansion of its Pullman brand más...
Hot Openings: East meets West at Hotel Indigo in Tianjin
The new Hotel Indigo Tianjin Haihe uses design to bring local history to life. The Singapore-based firm Silverfox designed the property. The hotel stands más...
Asia Pacific pipeline hits cyclical high: LE
Asia Pacific’s pipeline stands at 2,317 projects/561,696 rooms — an all-time high at the end of the second quarter of 2012, according to the más...
Host posts 3Q loss, but FFO improves
Hit by higher expenses, Host Hotels & Resorts reported a US$34 million loss for the third quarter ended September 7, compared with a loss of US$33 más...
Apple first taps HRS for Passbook service
Global electronic hotel reservation system HRS has become the first provider of technology to allow iPhone users to manage their hotel reservations más...
London, Barcelona, Chicago among top meetings stops
London, Barcelona, Paris, Singapore and Hong Kong were among the favorite international meetings destinations, while Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco más...
Register for Monday's asset management webinar
On October 15 at 1 p.m. Central Daylight Time, HOTELS Magazine will host a webinar entitled “Ruthless Asset Management.” One hour will be más...
News in brief: Langham, Swissôtel, Ritz-Carlton
Langham expands in China: Langham Hospitality Group has announced two properties — Langham Place and Eaton Luxe, Rio Carnival, Qingdao — that más...
Marriott ad campaign targets diverse business travelers
Marriott International is debuting a new advertising campaign designed to showcase the breadth of its brands and welcome all frequent business travelers más...
What’s Hot: InterContinental Hong Kong's new lobby, lounge
InterContinental Hong Kong has debuted a new look for its lobby and lobby lounge. The new design comes from the architecture firm Woods Bagot’s más...
Hyatt Place coming to Times Square
41st Midtown LLC announced on Tuesday that a franchise agreement has been signed with an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. for a 130-room Hyatt Place hotel más...
TownePlace Suites debuts first national ad campaign
TownePlace Suites, Marriott International’s extended-stay brand that is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, has launched its first national más...
Latin American pipeline up: Lodging Econometrics
Latin America’s construction pipeline stands at 590 projects consisting of 96,777 guestrooms, up year-over-year by 10% and 12%, respectively, according más...
Pegasus Solutions evolves legacy Utell brand
Pegasus Solutions has evolved Utell into Pegasus Connect. The new offering combines Pegasus’ distribution, booking and business intelligence solutions más...
News in brief: Concord, Fairmont, New World
Concord expands in Canada: Concord Hospitality Enterprises announced that it has formed a joint venture with Select Hotel Group to acquire más...
Great Eagle buys Setai Fifth Avenue for $229 million
Great Eagle Holdings agreed on Sunday to buy the 214-room The Setai Fifth Avenue, located in New York City, for US$229 million from a subsidiary of Bi&Di más...
What's Hot: Hilton's 3 new fast-casual F&B concepts
With the growing success of fast-casual restaurant concepts in the United States such as Panera Bread and Noodles & Company, it should come as no más...
New management company for Motel 6, Studio 6
Following the successful completion of the acquisition of the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands by Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII from Accor, the brands más...
Hot Openings: Mövenpick Hotel Ankara now open
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has opened Mövenpick Hotel Ankara near the city’s largest convention center.The 176-key hotel references más...
New World Hotels continues China expansion
New World Hotels plans to continue its expansion in China with two new projects scheduled to open in 2015. New World Foshan Hotel will be a city resort más...
North American occupancy, ADR to increase: TravelClick
Committed occupancy for August 2012 through July 2013 is up 3.9% while ADR is up 4.1% year-on-year for North American hotels, according to new data from más...
Accor promo has robot paint Ibis guests sleeping
Accor has a unique Facebook promotion that gives away free overnight stays during which guests' sleep patterns are painted by a robot. Those who want más...
News in brief: Rotana, Hilton, LRCH
Rotana expands in Mauritania: Rotana Hotel Management Corp. announced that it signed a management contract with MMI to open a 230-room Rayhaan Hotels más...
HOTELS Interview: Four Points’ new design, expansion strategy
Four Points by Sheraton is fueling its portfolio expansion with a new, cost-neutral design that will be rolled out in 2013 and 2014. While the Starwood más...
Hot Openings: Scandic Fornebu opens near Oslo
Scandic Fornebu has opened, 10 minutes from Oslo’s city center. The design draws inspiration from its seaside location, and the property’s más...
La Quinta to sell 46 US hotels
LQ Management announced on Thursday that it plans to sell 46 of its company-owned hotel properties that no longer meet brand criteria. Most of the properties más...
Centara promotion imagines island castaway life
Centara Hotels & Resorts has launched a Facebook campaign asking participants to list three items they would want if they were castaways on a tropical más...
News in brief: Meliá, Starwood, Accor
Meliá expands in Germany: Meliá Hotels International announced that it signed a lease agreement to open the new-build, 205-room Innside más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach has appointed Jason Adams executive chef. Most recently, Adams was executive más...
Marriott profit, worldwide RevPAR up in 3Q
Marriott International posted a profit of US$143 million in the third quarter of 2012, up from a loss of US$179 million during the same period in the más...
Trust launches lifestyle hotel collection
On Thursday Trust Hospitality launched Indie Boutique Hotels & Resorts, a lifestyle hotel collection of eight properties in the Americas. Trust Hospitality más...
What's Hot: MGM Grand updates guestrooms and suites
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has finished a US$160 million renovation of suites and guestrooms in its main tower. Since October 2011, 3,570 más...
JV buys Westin Atlanta Perimeter North
Carey Watermark Investors Inc. (CWI), The Arden Group Inc. and Marcus Hotels & Resorts have acquired the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North in a joint más...
InterContinental invites bloggers into the kitchen
This fall InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is issuing a “Kitchen Passport” to a carefully curated group of bloggers who will work with más...
News in brief: Karisma, Hilton, Choice
Karisma debuts in Jamaica: Karisma Hotels & Resorts bought Sandy Bay Beach Resort, located in Negril and its first location outside Mexico, más...
Starwood sells NYC hotel for $275 million
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Wednesday that it sold the 665-room Manhattan at Times Square Hotel for US$275 million in cash. Starwood más...
Hot Openings: Sheraton Macao opens as Starwood’s largest
With nearly 4,000 guestrooms, the new Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central is the largest property in the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide portfolio más...
Maldives resort debuts underwater lounge
Niyama, Per Aquum’s newest resort in the Maldives, has opened the overwater restaurant Edge and Subsix, which it bills as the world’s first más...
HVS projects U.S. hotel value growth through 2016
HVS projects U.S. hotel value growth will persist through 2016, surpassing a 2006 peak of US$100,000 per room in 2013, according to the hospitality consultancy's más...
French market performance improves unevenly in August
August topped July for the French hotel industry, as those destinations with a strong ability to attract leisure tourists pulled up the market, according más...
North Carolina hotel highlights hands-on art for a cause
Most artwork is not meant to be touched, but the opposite is true of a new original piece at Aloft Hotel Downtown Asheville, North Carolina. “The más...
News in brief: Hyatt, De Vere, Ayala
Hyatt expands in Uruguay: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that an affiliate entered into a management agreement with Dilony S.A. for the 167-room Hyatt más...
Dorsett to convert London building into hotel
Dorsett Hospitality International announced that it purchased via subsidiary an office building in London for £14 million (US$22.6 million) that más...
Hot Openings: The JHouse Greenwich opens in Connecticut
The JHouse Greenwich made its debut in Greenwich, Connecticut, with John Sheedy serving as general manager. The lobby is reminiscent of a gallery, with más...
Legacy, Longrose Buccleuch join up
Legacy Resorts and Hotels and Longrose Buccleuch have teamed up to create hotel management joint venture Branded Hotel Management, Henley-in-Arden, England más...
Tulip Group Thailand to develop in Pattaya
Tulip Group Thailand and Golden Tulip Hotels and Resorts are partnering on a new-build, mixed-use hotel and condominium development in central Pattaya más...
Regent Taipei showcases art-inspired meal
Robin’s Grill at Regent Taipei is hosting acclaimed chef Andre Chiang, who will create an art-inspired meal for guests. The [Andre @ Taiwan] feast más...
Birthday cake could be worth special room rate
Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, California, is celebrating its first birthday, but the property is giving out a gift — to a fan or guest who accepts más...
News in brief: Dusit, Internos, Accor
Dusit expands in Guam: Dusit International signed a hotel management agreement with property owner Tanota Partners for the 415-room Dusit Thani más...
Inland American buys 3 Kessler hotels
A subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust Inc., Oak Brook, Illinois, bought three The Kessler Enterprise Inc. hotels in the southern U.S. for más...
Jebel Ali rebranding as JA Resorts & Hotels
Jebel Ali International Hotels, Dubai, is going to rebrand as JA Resorts & Hotels to create a more consistent message as the group looks to expand más...
Marriott accelerates ‘great room’ lobby rollout
Marriott Hotels & Resorts announced it is accelerating the rollout of its “great room” lobby, first introduced in 2007, that aims to offer más...
What’s Hot: Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco unveils new spa
On Oct. 1, Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco debuts its new spa and fitness center. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco has four treatment suites más...
Hong Kong’s RevPAR up 8.7%: STR Global
Hong Kong's RevPAR grew 8.7% year-to-August to HK$1,520.61 (US$195.60), supported by buoyant occupancy levels that remained well above the 80% mark, according más...
News in brief: M&C, Gaylord, Preferred
Millennium & Copthorne expands in China: Millennium & Copthorne Hotels signed a contract to manage its first resort hotel in China, the más...
septiembre 2012
HOTELS Interview: Club Med’s repositioning, expansion plans
In the midst of a decade-long repositioning from midscale to upscale, Club Mediterranée, Paris, is seeking expansion via third-party management más...
What’s Hot: The St. Regis New York debuts Bentley Suite
A new suite at The St. Regis New York marks a collaboration between St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and Bentley Motors. The Bentley Suite, designed by más...
New hotel, world’s tallest Ferris wheel set for NYC
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Thursday a multi-use waterfront development in Staten Island that will include a 200-room hotel and más...
SoHos: Starwood wins best use of Foursquare
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, won the Social Hotel Award for best use of Foursquare, brand. To see all the Social Hotel más...
August corporate rates close to pre-crisis highs
Average hotel daily rates paid for global corporate travel in August were within 1% of those paid pre-recession in August 2007 and 2008 globally, according más...
News in brief: Steigenberger, Marriott, Rosewood
Steigenberger to enter Belgium: Steigenberger Hotel Group announced that it will take over management of the 269-room Conrad Brussels at the beginning más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The London West Hollywood in Los Angeles has appointed Edward Costa Jr. general manager. Costa previously más...
Neumann to replace Ritter at Rezidor
The wheels of change continue to roll at Brussels-based The Rezidor Hotel Group. On Thursday the company announced that long-time chief executive Kurt más...
Summit buys 10 US hotels for $114.6 million
Summit Hotel Properties announced on Wednesday that it has entered into agreements to buy 10 U.S. hotels for a total of US$114.6 million. The purchase más...
Hilton names new leader for Embassy Suites
Hilton Worldwide on Thursday announced that John Rogers is the new global head of its Embassy Suites brand. He will oversee all aspects of brand management más...
7 Days could be taken private
7 Days Group Holdings Inc., Guangzhou, China, received a proposal to be taken private by a group of investors and said it plans to form a special committee más...
What’s Hot: Le Royal Monceau lights up a cigar lounge
Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris will debut its private cigar lounge, Le Club Viñales, this fall. The lounge offers bespoke leather armchairs, art más...
SoHos: Four Seasons Austin wins best use of emerging platforms
Four Seasons Hotel Austin, Texas, won the Social Hotel Award for best use of emerging platforms, property. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, más...
US RevPAR up 7% this summer: STR
During the summer season of June, July and August, the U.S. hotel industry's occupancy rose 2.4% year-on-year to 69.3%, its ADR increased 4.4% to US$107 más...
TRevPAR, GOPPAR up across UK in August: TRI
Both London and provincial U.K. hotels saw a boost in August from the Olympics, with GOPPAR in London increasing 90.1% year-on-year while provincial GOPPAR más...
News in brief: Preferred, Hilton, Indian Hotels
Preferred expands in Vegas: Preferred Hotel Group announced on Thursday that it has added Wynn Las Vegas and Encore, both located on the Las Vegas más...
Marriott debuts on-property small meetings concept
Marriott International announced on Wednesday that its namesake brand is debuting a new small meetings offering at a Seattle-area property. Marriott International más...
Hot Openings: Pullman lands in London
Accor opens its first Pullman property in the U.K. this month: the Pullman London St. Pancras.The 312-key property, which previously housed Accor’s más...
Hilton announces first managed hotel in Uruguay
Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement to operate a Hilton Garden Inn in Montevideo, Uruguay. The new-build Hilton Garden Inn Montevideo, más...
SoHos: Thompson wins best use of emerging platforms
Thompson Hotels, New York City, won the Social Hotel Award for best use of emerging platforms, brand. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click más...
Regal Hong Kong hotels tout organic gardens
Regal Hotels International’s Hong Kong properties now boast organic gardens as part of the Hong Kong-based company’s “We Love Our Planet” más...
News in brief: DoubleTree, HEI, Prism
DoubleTree to debut in Seychelles: Hilton Worldwide signed an agreement with Allamanda Hotel Developments Ltd. to convert the Allamanda Beach Resort más...
Gaylord shareholders approve REIT conversion
Despite earlier opposition, Gaylord Entertainment Co. shareholders overwhelmingly approved the company's conversion to a REIT as the company sells its más...
What’s Hot: Le Bar du Bristol now open in Paris
Le Bristol Paris has debuted Le Bar du Bristol, which completes its renovation program. The bar features an interior design by Pierre-Yves Rochon and más...
GBTA posts bleak outlook for European business travel
Interdependencies in trade, banking and distribution have cast a shadow over Europe, and overall business travel spend among major European markets will más...
Sign up: High-powered webinar on asset management
On October 15 at 1 p.m. central daylight time, HOTELS Magazine will host a webinar entitled “Ruthless Asset Management.” One hour will be más...
SoHos: Trump Miami wins best use of digital video
Trump International Beach Resort – Miami, located in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best use of digital video, más...
Brand.com, OTAs increase Q2 demand share: TravelClick
In North America for the second quarter of 2012 the channels that experienced the most growth for transient business and leisure demand include brand más...
News in brief: DoubleTree, Concord, Wyndham
DoubleTree to enter South Africa: Hilton Worldwide announced the signing of a new DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Cape Town with local operator, Upper más...
Chhatwal named CEO at Steigenberger
Steigenberger Hotels AG on Monday named Rezidor Hotel Group veteran development executive Puneet Chhatwal as its CEO. After several operational positions más...
Hospitality Properties Trust ‘buys’ Chicago hotel
Hospitality Properties Trust reportedly bought the 437-room Hotel 71, located in downtown Chicago, for US$87.4 million. Crain’s Chicago Business más...
Warwick buys Bahamas resort
Warwick International Hotels announced that it bought Paradise Island Harbour Resort, located in Nassau, Bahamas, at a CBRE auction for an undisclosed más...
RockBridge buys Hilton in Baton Rouge
RockBridge Partners, a division of RockBridge, on Monday announced the acquisition of the 290-room Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, adding a 56th property más...
Leelaventure to launch 5-star brand
Hotel Leelaventure, Mumbai, India, is planning to launch a 5-star brand Essence by India, via third-party management deals. Vivek Nair, vice chairman más...
What’s Hot: 50th anniversary renovation at NYC Sheraton
The Sheraton New York Hotel is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a US$160 renovation. The redesign updated the property’s 1,780 guestrooms and más...
SoHos: ITC wins best use of digital video
ITC Hotels, Gurgaon, India, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best use of digital video, brand. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click here más...
Loews offers expedited TSA screening
Loews Hotels is offering its YouFirst Platinum loyalty rewards members complimentary enrollment in the Transportation Security Administration’s más...
News in brief: Emaar, Radisson Lexington, Room Key
Emaar appoints Kufer as COO: Emaar Hospitality Group appointed Josef Kufer as its chief operating officer. Kufer's previous positions include senior más...
HOTELS Interview: Coast's new marketing, expansion plans
After upgrading its marketing and services to franchisees, Coast Hotels & Resorts, Vancouver, Canada, says the return on investment is validating más...
What’s Hot: Hudson renovates 836 rooms
Hudson, a Morgans Hotel Group property in New York, has completed a US$18 million renovation of its 836 guestrooms. During nine months of work, crews más...
Chinese continue buying spree in Australia with Versace
The Palazzo Versace resort on Queensland’s Gold Coast in Australia has reportedly been sold for A$68.5 million (US$71.6 million) by Sunland Group más...
SoHos: Marquis Los Cabos wins best Twitter promotion
Marquis Los Cabos, Mexico, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best Twitter promotion, property. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click here más...
Middle East/Africa RevPAR up most in August: STR Global
Of the world’s regions, the Middle East/Africa saw the largest RevPAR increase in August, according to new data from STR Global. The region's occupancy más...
US RevPAR up 7.2% in August: STR
The U.S. hotel industry's occupancy rose 2.8% to 67.8%, its ADR was up 4.3% to US$107 and its RevPAR increased 7.2% to US$72.55, according to new data más...
Asia Pacific tops global hotel pipeline in August: STR Global
The Asia Pacific region had the largest share of the global hotel pipeline in August, according to new data from STR Global. The Asia/Pacific hotel development más...
News in brief: Marriott
Marriott Rewards launches its largest ad campaign: Marriott International’s loyalty program is launching a US$18 million marketing campaign más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Resort & Spa in Florida has named Roger Amidon general manager más...
Sands announces new casino-resort for Macau
Las Vegas Sands Corp. is planning to invest US$2.5 billion in a new casino-resort project on Macau’s Cotai Strip, the 3,000-room The Parisian. The más...
Hot Openings: W opens its first property in Singapore
W Hotels Worldwide has opened its first hotel in Singapore: W Singapore — Sentosa Cove and The Residences at W Singapore — Sentosa Cove. W más...
SoHos: Best Western wins best Twitter promotion
Best Western International, Phoenix, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best Twitter promotion, brand. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click más...
Wyndham, Hilton tout sustainability progress
Both Wyndham Worldwide and Hilton Worldwide this week reported progress on reaching their respective sustainability goals. In its second annual Sustainability más...
Tougher conditions across Italy: STR Global
Sicily’s Taormina and Messina market led RevPAR growth and is one of four Italian markets to report increases year-on-year during the first seven más...
News in brief: IHG, Starwood, Panorama
IHG expands in United Arab Emirates: IHG announced it has signed an agreement with Kuwaiti-owned Almadina Real Estate Development to open the 442-room más...
Wheelock buys 15 US hotels for $221 million
Wheelock Street Capital announced on Tuesday that it acquired 12 select-service hotels from affiliates of Inland American Real Estate Trust Inc. and also más...
Four Seasons coming to Kyoto
Malaysian conglomerate Berjaya Corp., Kuala Lumpur, has announced plans to build a 186-room Four Seasons hotel in Kyoto, Japan, for an estimated US$318 más...
FelCor to sell two Embassy Suites properties
FelCor Lodging Trust on Wednesday announced it has agreed to sell the 370-room Embassy Suites – New Orleans-Convention Center and the 296-room Embassy más...
What’s Hot: The Dorchester shows off 22 new suites
The Dorchester in London has unveiled 22 new suites designed by Alexandra Champalimaud. The suites’ décor is very English, says Champalimaud más...
European hotel investment drops 16%: HVS
Single asset transactions along with the sale of hotel development sites in London have boosted what is otherwise a depressed hotel investment market más...
SoHos: Four Seasons Austin wins best Twitter account
Four Seasons Hotel Austin, Texas, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best Twitter account, property. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click más...
TravelClick puts hotel clients on Room Key
TravelClick announced that hotels using its online booking engine are now available on Room Key, adding thousands of independent properties to the hotel más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Ultima, HotelMe
Wyndham expands in China: Wyndham Hotel Group announced that it will open four hotels under its namesake brand, including the 250-room Wyndham Hangzhou más...
Rezidor, Regent sign strategic agreement
The Rezidor Hotel Group and Regent Hotels and Resorts announced a strategic alliance agreement on Tuesday. The agreement will see The Rezidor Hotel Group más...
Hot Openings: Aloft conversion takes off in San Francisco
After 14 months of renovations, Aloft San Francisco Airport is open — the first Aloft conversion from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford más...
US Hotels buys 2 New England hotels from Carlyle
US Hotels Group, Kennebunkport, Maine, announced on Monday that it bought two lifestyle hotels from asset management firm Carlyle Group. US Hotels Group más...
Element to debut in Europe
Element, the green-focused brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide that currently has properties in 10 U.S. markets, has announced it will más...
China’s Hainan set for tourism boom: WTTC
The Chinese province of Hainan is on track to become one of the world’s leading tourist resort destinations by 2021, according to a new report from más...
SoHos: Fairmont wins best Twitter account, brand
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best Twitter account, brand. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click más...
Marriott partners with Wired for event series
Marriott Hotels & Resorts has teamed with tech magazine Wired for the “Wired + Marriott Culturazzi Series,” four events hosted at U.S más...
Autograph adding 3 hotels in Western Europe
Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, a consortium of independent hotels, announced on Tuesday that it will add three Western European más...
News in brief: SilverNeedle, IHG, GHM
SilverNeedle buys Australia hotel: SilverNeedle Hospitality bought the 154-room Chifley at Lennons Hotel Brisbane for A$57 million (US$59.6 más...
Interstate adds 8-hotel portfolio in US
Interstate Hotels & Resorts announced on Monday that it transitioned management of a portfolio of eight U.S. hotels owned by an affiliate of Investcorp más...
What’s Hot: The Lumen expands, unveils redesign
The Lumen, located next to Southern Methodist University in downtown Dallas, has completed a three-year project to expand and redecorate the property más...
AC by Marriott expands to Paris
Marriott International on Friday announced the signing of its first AC Hotel by Marriott in Paris, the 166-room AC Hotel Paris Porte Maillot. The hotel más...
Emaar starts first hotel development since 2009
In its first hotel project announcement since the 2009 property crash in Dubai, Emaar Properties has announced plans to develop its sixth Address brand más...
Le Méridien Chiang Rai wins best reputation management SoHo
Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort, Thailand, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best reputation management, property. To see all the Social Hotel más...
Opposite House presents wearable art installation
The Opposite House, a Beijing lifestyle property managed by Swire Hotels, announced that it will be presenting “Memory,” a unique 6-piece más...
Marriott commits 75% of FF&E budget for sustainability
Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, has agreed to spend 75% of its 2013 FF&E budget with suppliers who are part of the MindClick Hospitality más...
Benchmark notes top dining, wine trends
Benchmark Hospitality International, The Woodlands, Texas, released its top dining and wine trends for 2012 list. The trends were observed by Benchmark’s más...
Bribery risks for hotel companies internationally
Whether obtaining prime locations, building, securing inspection and food permits, or creating partnerships to advance the development, operation and más...
News in brief: Bulgari, Hilton, W
Bulgari expands in China: Bulgari Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with OCT Group to open a new hotel in Shanghai in 2015. Read more más...
HOTELS Interview: How Kimpton personalizes its loyalty program
Personalization is a buzzword as hotel loyalty programs seek to leverage customer data to create targeted offerings for their members. One hotel company más...
Wyndham buys Shell Vacations in $255 million deal
Wyndham Worldwide, Parsippany, New Jersey, announced on Friday that it bought the privately held Shell Vacations LLC and its subsidiaries in a US$255 más...
Another Gaylord shareholder balks at Marriott deal
After resolving opposition from its largest shareholder in August, Gaylord Entertainment’s second-largest shareholder is now opposing the Marriott más...
Hot Openings: Frasers launches 3rd brand in Singapore
Frasers Hospitality debuted it third brand with the opening of Capri by Fraser hotel residences in Singapore’s Changi Business Park. The 313-suite más...
SoHos: Starwood wins best reputation management
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best reputation management, brand. To see all the más...
Atlanta hotel offers beer breaks for meetings
Hyatt Regency Atlanta is offering a memorable meeting break or team-building activity: a beer-tasting seminar with Martin Pfefferkorn, the hotel’s más...
Fairmont allows guests to record songs at Abbey Road
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Abbey Road Studios and The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, are joining forces to offer guests the chance to record a song más...
News in brief: AMResorts, IHG, Chesapeake
AMResorts expands in Mexico: AMResorts will assume sales, marketing and management duties of the Sabor Cozumel Resort & Spa, Sabor Cozumel Exclusive más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Cliff Atkinson has been named general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas. Atkinson most recently más...
US market forecast to grow for rest of 2012
New data from STR and TravelClick projects RevPAR, ADR and occupancy gains for U.S. hotels over the remainder of 2012. For 2012, STR projects a 2.1% increase más...
Hot Openings: Radisson Petra Concepción debuts in Chile
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has opened the Radisson Petra Concepción Hotel in Concepción, Chile. The hotel offers 127 guestrooms and suites más...
Brazil will grow ahead of World Cup, Olympics: STR
With the London 2012 Olympics over, the spotlight has started to shift to Brazil, which will be hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic más...
New US growth cycle underway: Lodging Econometrics
Moderate growth in U.S. hotel pipeline metrics has been underway for a while, according to a new report from Lodging Econometrics (LE). In Q2 2012, hotels más...
SoHos: Pfister wins best integrated digital campaign
The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best integrated digital campaign, property. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners más...
Conrad gives guests bath amenity options
Conrad Hotels & Resorts revealed on Thursday a selection of three distinct bath amenities - Aromatherapy Associates, Shanghai Tang and Tara Smith más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Swissôtel, Delta
Rezidor expands in South Africa: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 122-room Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands in the más...
Starwood Capital ‘exploring’ stake sale
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Starwood Capital Group is interested in selling a minority stake in the company and has hired Morgan más...
W Panama to mark brand's Central America debut
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Wednesday announced the signing of an agreement with Evolution Tower Corp. to manage the W Panama. The joint más...
Red Lion rules out sale
Red Lion Hotels Corp. announced on Tuesday that it has ruled out a company sale after receiving no offers from potential buyers. In March Red Lion Hotels más...
What’s Hot: Miami’s Mayfair to unveil renovations
Mayfair Hotel & Spa in Miami’s Coconut Grove will officially re-launch on Sept. 21 after renovations to its guest accommodations, spa and rooftop más...
Great Hotels of the World launches new business model
Great Hotels of the World, the London-based subsidiary of the Hotel Performance Co., is introducing a new business and pricing model. The value proposition más...
SoHos: DoubleTree wins best integrated digital campaign
Hilton Worldwide’s brand DoubleTree by Hilton won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best integrated digital campaign, brand. To see all the Social más...
International tourism on track to hit one billion
Despite concerns over the global economy, international tourism demand continues to show resilience. The number of international tourists worldwide grew más...
Brazilian business travel growth to continue: GBTA
Brazilian business travel spending will grow 9.3% in 2012 to US$30.1 billion and another 12.6% in 2013, according to the Global Business Travel Association más...
US hotel pipeline down in August: STR
The U.S. hotel pipeline, 2,745 projects totaling 304,825 rooms, was down 3.5% year-on-year in August according to new data from STR. “August posted más...
Louvre launches U training initiative
To further support development, Louvre Hotels Group on Wednesday announced the launch of its corporate university, U (pronounced “You”) to más...
News in brief: Marcus, Hilton, Residence Inn
Marcus expands in Nebraska: Marcus Corp. confirmed that it bought The Cornhusker Hotel, located in Lincoln, and that the property will have its más...
Sunstone sells 3 hotels for $107 million
Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. announced on Monday that it sold three U.S. hotels for an adjusted gross sale price of US$107 million. Sunstone Hotel Investors más...
What’s Hot: Modus Hotels transforms DC suites
Modus Hotels has completed renovating its 10th property, which is now called Avenue Suites. Modus acquired the former Washington Suites Georgetown in más...
Premier-branded, single-asset hotels top select-service wish list
Premier-branded, single-asset hotels are now the top investment choice for select-service hotel investors, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels’ más...
Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong wins best Facebook promotion, property SoHo
Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best Facebook promotion, property. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click más...
Hilton launches mom blogger contest
Hilton Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday announced Hilton Mom Voyage, a family travel website that will launch in January 2013 featuring 15 U.S. moms sharing más...
Homewood Suites study defines 'bang for buck'
Homewood Suites by Hilton’s Workstyles Study survey of more than 550 frequent business travelers found they want room to spread out, the ability más...
Marriott, Concord open Arnold Palmer-themed hotel
Golfing legend Arnold Palmer and Bill Marriott, Marriott International chairman, teamed up to celebrate the opening of the SpringHill Suites Pittsburgh más...
News in brief: Eagle, Woodcock, Saudi
Eagle, Blackstone reach compromise: Eagle Hospitality Properties Trust and Blackstone Group announced Monday that they have reached a compromise más...
Chesapeake REIT acquires San Diego hotel
Chesapeake Lodging Trust bought the 429-room Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina - San Diego for US$62 million. The Annapolis, Maryland-based REIT más...
Sands to develop EuroVegas in Madrid
After narrowing its choices to Madrid and Barcelona, Spain, Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced on Monday that its planned multi-billion dollar EuroVegas más...
What’s Hot: Millennium & Copthorne rebrands NYC hotel
Millennium UN Plaza Hotel has reopened as ONE UN New York following a renovation of its West Tower. The US$30 million project renovated 154 guestrooms más...
Best Western wins SoHo for best Facebook promotion, brand
Best Western International, Phoenix, Arizona, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best Facebook promotion, brand. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners más...
Salary increases in the US remain lukewarm
Hospitality compensation data in the United States compiled through March 1 by Compdata reported pay increase budgets at 2.7%, reflecting an increase más...
Branding Sub-Saharan Africa opportunity
The outlook for the hotel industry in Sub-Saharan Africa looks increasingly positive, with potential growth of 7% to 15% in RevPAR expected for 2012, más...
News in brief: Hard Rock, Ritz-Carlton, IHG
Hard Rock to enter China: Hard Rock Cafe International announced a partnership with Mission Hills Group to open two hotels in China, the 280-room más...
HOTELS Interview: Michael Gross' plans for Morgans
Michael Gross has spent the first 18 months on the job as CEO reimaging Morgans Hotel Group from a debt-laden owner-operator of chic hotels mostly found más...
What’s Hot: Peninsula Hong Kong boots up redesign
The Peninsula Hong Kong has completed the first phase of a renovation program. Guestrooms and suites have been redesigned with an aesthetic inspired by más...
Trump sells Vegas condos to Hilton for use as timeshares
Trump International Hotel Las Vegas has sold approximately 300 condominium units to Hilton Grand Vacations, the timeshare division of Hilton Worldwide más...
SoHo awards: Ritz-Carlton, Naples' best Facebook page
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Florida, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best Facebook page, property. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click más...
NYC’s Benjamin offering presidential pillows
The Benjamin, located in New York City, announced that it is offering Presidential Pillows, which will be available for all guests who stay in the VIP más...
News in brief: Oetker, JHM Interstate, IHG
Oetker expands in Caribbean: The Oetker Collection announced that Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France, located in Baie des Flamands, Saint Barthélemy más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Interval International, Miami, has promoted Marcos Agostini to senior vice president of resort sales más...
Peninsula launches brand campaign, hi-tech renovation
The Peninsula Hotels on Thursday launched “Peninsula Moments,” a multi-million-dollar global brand campaign, the new PenCities online travel más...
What’s Hot: Taj Crowne Plaza London lobby renovation
Taj Crowne Plaza London — St. James has completed the redevelopment of its ground floor lobby. Broadway Malyan chose sophisticated and modern furniture más...
Four Seasons wins best Facebook page, brand SoHo
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best Facebook page, brand. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click más...
TVHG gets investment boost
Investment firms Metric Capital Partners and Hutton Collins Partners announced that they are investing in The Vincent Hotel Group Budget Group Beheer más...
W Hotels partners to support fashion
On Wednesday W Hotels announced a partnership with {Fashion Incubator}, the newest program from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The más...
Workers say policies hinder customer service: Maritz
Employees often feel their hands are tied by corporate policies that focus on bottom-line needs rather than those of the customers they más...
News in brief: Pyramid, Driftwood, Lexington
Pyramid expands in California: Pyramid Hotel Group announced that it has taken over management of the 802-room Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel más...
Ritz-Carlton video series showcases ‘craftsmen’
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., Chevy Chase, Maryland, is putting the spotlight on their ladies and gentlemen in a new digital video series entitled “The más...
Former von Essen portfolio selloff finally complete
The selloff of the von Essen portfolio of properties in the U.K. is finally complete as entrepreneur and BBC2 television personality James Caan just picked más...
What’s Hot: W New Orleans shows off new look
W New Orleans – French Quarter has completed a US$9 million renovation of the whole property. The hotel’s 97 guestrooms, the Living Room lobby más...
Pfister wins best blog, property SoHo
The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, won the 2012 Social Hotel Award for best blog, property. To see all the Social Hotel Award winners, click here to go to más...
UK Travelodge creditors, landlords approve debt agreement
Travelodge Hotels Ltd., Thame, England, saw 97% of its creditors and 96% of its landlords approve a company voluntary agreement on Tuesday to restructure más...
Who would US travelers chose as next president?
A national survey by marketing services firm MMGY Global asked, “What if the traveling public actually called the Presidential race?” The más...
News in brief: Red Lion, AWH, Benchmark
Red Lion sells California hotel: Red Lion Hotels Corp. announced on Tuesday that it sold the Red Lion Hotel Sacramento at Arden Village for US$9 más...
Thompson Hotels wins best blog, brand SoHo
HOTELS Magazine has announced the winners of the first annual HOTELS Social Hotel Awards. In addition to print coverage, winning entries will be featured más...
Urban Commons buys Embassy Suites Anaheim – North
Urban Commons bought the 222-room Embassy Suites Anaheim – North, located in Anaheim, California, from FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. for US$25.5 million más...
What’s Hot: Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort reopens Garden Wing
Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinabalu in Borneo has opened its newly renovated Garden Wing. The resort spent some US$20 million to renovate más...
Jeddah hotels make windfall profit this summer: TRI
Hotels in Jeddah posted 30.9% growth in profits in July, while the effect of summer and Ramadan impacted hotel performance levels in all other markets más...
Miserable July for French hotels
The sunny spell so hoped for was not to be in July, as hotels in France saw occupancy rates drop 0.78% in July, according to new data from In Extenso más...
Hawaii hotels report successful July results
Hawaii hotels set a new record for hotel room revenue in July 2012, with revenues increasing 18.2% over July 2011 to an all-time high of US$310 million más...
Oregon hotel offers gourmet minibar pairings
Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Oregon, has debuted a minibar pairing menu that combines sips and snacks at discounted prices. The menu encourages guests to más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Hilton, Benchmark
Rezidor to enter Benin: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will enter Benin with the 203-room Radisson Blu Hotel Cotonou, set to open in más...
Small, fuzzy guests reap sweet rewards for one hotel chef
The middle of Chicago's Loop might seem like a strange place to welcome bees, but they've made themselves comfortable atop the Palmer House Hilton. Senior más...
What’s Hot: W Vieques adds new restaurant to F&B mix
W Retreat & Spa — Vieques Island has opened its newest dining option: Sorcé. The restaurant is named after an archaeological site on más...
Indonesian resort offers guests hands-on look at local art
The Chedi Club Tanah Gajah Ubud, Indonesia, has launched classes on Batuan art and painting led by noted art expert and illustrator Bruce Granquist. “Art más...
Marriott releases 2011-12 sustainability report
Last week Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, released its second sustainability report, set forth by the Global Reporting Initiative. In it, más...
What you need to know about new media right now
As the marketing landscape explodes with new media channels, hospitality marketers have an increased number of methods by which to raise the visibility más...
agosto 2012
HOTELS Interview: GM shares secrets to happy employees
Jennifer Robbins entered the hotel business somewhat by accident. While she was in art school, she took a job at a hotel because it fit her schedule and más...
What’s Hot: Fairmont updates suites in the Windy City
The Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park has completed a US$2 million renovation of its grand suites. Looney & Associates designed the four grand suites más...
Hotel BPM partners for voter registration drive
Hotel BPM Brooklyn, a music-driven property by DJ Bijal located in New York City, announced a partnership with Insomniac Inc. and Rock the Vote’s más...
The passion of a chef, in permanent ink
Over at HOTELS' sister magazine, Plate, we love to ask chefs to tell us about their tattoos. Why? Because of the passion people show about their más...
58% of US adults share vacation photos on social media: Expedia
A new study from Expedia Inc. shows that 58% of online U.S. adults shared vacation photos on social media. Expedia’s survey was conducted online más...
News in brief: Grasshopper, Kiroro
Grasshopper expands in DC: Grasshopper Hospitality bought the 50-room The Eldon Luxury Suites, located in Washington, D.C. for US$17.1 million in más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Nils Axing has been appointed general manager of Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi. Axing previously más...
Azimut affiliate buys Moscow’s Metropol
A company affiliated with Azimut Hotels bought the 362-room Metropol, located in Moscow, from the city government for 8.874 billion rubles (US$273 million) más...
Video tour: Garden atop landmark Chicago hotel
A 140-year-old building can be a somewhat demanding business partner — particularly if you're trying to grow a heavy rooftop garden. At Chicago's más...
What’s Hot: Former Trump now Golden Nugget in Atlantic City
The former Trump Marina Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is now a Golden Nugget resort. Landry’s Inc. purchased the property last más...
Hospitality leaders have high emotional intelligence: HVS
Hospitality leaders are characterized by having high emotional intelligence coupled with above-average task-orientation, are self-motivators, team players más...
Asia Pacific tourism arrivals growth slowing: PATA
International visitor arrivals into Asia Pacific destinations during May 2012 increased 3% year-on-year but the growth rate was down from earlier this más...
News in brief: De Vere, Ascend, LVH
De Vere expands in Scotland: De Vere Village Urban Resorts announced that it will open a 120-room hotel in Edinburgh, part of a £20 million más...
ANF Immobilier may sell B&B Hotels portfolio
Paris-based ANF Immobilier announced in its half-year earnings report that it is in talks to sell its 167-property B&B Hotels portfolio in France más...
What’s Hot: Raffles twists Singapore Sling for 125th
Raffles Hotel in Singapore will serve a new champagne sling in honor of its 125th anniversary. Randolf Velasco created the new signature cocktail, which más...
Second Ahn Luh deal signed in China
The Ahn Luh Hotel Management Co., the Beijing-based brainchild of legendary hotelier Adrian Zecha, has signed its second deal in China to manage a 100-room más...
2012 US hotel demand to exceed 2007: PKF
On any given night in 2012, nearly 3 million of the 4.8 million hotel rooms in the U.S. will be occupied, 5.6% more than in 2007 according to a new report más...
Accor revenue forecast for 2012 below estimates
Accor’s projected revenue for 2012 is between €510 million (US$639 million) and €530 million (US$664 million), less than market forecasts más...
Americans renew interest in quality travel: MMGY
"Trading down," "staycations" and other cost-conscious travel behaviors that emerged during the Great Recession have waned, and Americans have a renewed más...
TripAdvisor not liable for "dirtiest" list
While TripAdvisor in January said it would no longer publish negative lists such as “the dirtiest hotels,” it appears it no longer has to más...
News in brief: Carlson Rezidor, Interior, IHHR
Rezidor expands in United Arab Emirates: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 300-room Park Inn by Radisson Dubai Al Jadaf más...
Taj Mahal Hotel could change hands
The iconic 294-room The Taj Mahal Hotel, located in New Delhi, could be up for grabs. The Economic Times in India reported on Tuesday that consulting más...
Hot Openings: Ritz-Carlton opens first Austrian property
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has opened The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna, its first property in Austria. The 202-room hotel is the company’s ninth in Europe más...
Temple REIT to reorganize as corporation
Temple Real Estate Investment Trust, Winnipeg, Canada, announced on Tuesday that it plans to reorganize as a corporation. The REIT and its affiliated más...
US RevPAR to increase 7.2% in 2012, 5.6% in 2013: PwC
Despite persistent economic headwinds and heightened uncertainty, U.S. RevPAR recovery in 2012 is projected to remain intact, with slightly stronger gains más...
End of world good news for Tikal hotels
The end of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012, appears to be a boon for hotels near the Mayan city of Tikal, located in Peten, Guatemala. According más...
News in brief: JRK, Los Pericues, ABS-CBN
JRK buys Tennessee hotel: JRK Property Holdings announced on Tuesday that it bought the 472-room Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel. Read more at más...
Accor sells 2 MGallery hotels for €44 million
Accor announced on Monday that it sold two MGallery hotels in Europe to Internos Real Investors for €44 million (US$55 million). Accor, Courcouronnes más...
What’s Hot: Morgans transforms Penthouse
The duplex penthouse at Morgans in New York City is playing a new role: lobby. While the property renovates its lounge and restaurant, the penthouse, más...
Gold Key design awards finalists announced
The International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) has named finalists for the 32nd annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design más...
Far East REIT has positive debut in Singapore
While hospitality REITs were off to an inauspicious start this year with some floats postponed, on Monday Far East Hospitality Trust, the hotel unit of más...
Salamander to sell Woodlands Inn
Salamander Hotels & Resorts is selling Woodlands Inn, located in Summerville, South Carolina, to Tom Limehouse. The purchase amount for the 19-room más...
News in brief: Ameriprise, Golkonda, Diamond
Ameriprise buys Minnesota hotel: Ameriprise Financial signed a purchase agreement for the 136-room Hotel Ivy, located in Minneapolis. Read more más...
HOTELS Interview: Chef takes sourcing personally
Sourcing products locally is an expectation these days, but when it comes to finding lobster and crabs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that’s not possible más...
Pebblebrook acquires W in Los Angeles
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the W Los Angeles – Westwood from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide for US$125 million. At the same time más...
Iron Horse owner, former Elysian execs partner
The owner of the The Iron Horse Hotel, located in Milwaukee, and executives at Elysian Hotel, located in Chicago, have partnered to create a boutique más...
Hot Openings: BPM lays a new beat in Brooklyn
Hotel BPM, a music-driven property by DJ Bijal, has soft-opened in Brooklyn. DJ Bijal compiled the soundtrack that streams though public areas and guestrooms; más...
News in brief: M&L, Regent, Kyo-ya
M&L buys New Zealand hotel: Singaporean Michael Kum’s M&L Trusts bought the 165-room Hilton Auckland. Read more at The New Zealand más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Rob Andrews has been named general manager of Eventi Hotel in New York City. Andrews previously served más...
UK hotel transactions double in value: Deloitte
Hotel transaction activity across the U.K. totaled around £1 billion (US$1.5 billion) in the first half of 2012, over twice that of the same period más...
What’s Hot: Boston Marriott Copley Place gets makeover
Boston Marriott Copley Place has just completed a five-year renovation project that transformed the entire property. The hotel’s 1,100 guestrooms más...
US RevPAR up 4.3% in July: STR
The U.S. hotel industry's occupancy rose 0.5% to 70%, its ADR was up 3.8% to US$107.44 and its RevPAR increased 4.3% to US$75.25, according to new data más...
Corporate, leisure rates up in July: Pegasus Solutions
Hotel rates paid in July for business and leisure travel increased over last year both globally and in North America, according to new data from Pegasus más...
Increased airport arrivals boost Phuket hotels
An 11% surge in airport arrivals during the first half of 2012 for a total of 2.32 million passengers is driving the hospitality market in Phuket, Thailand más...
8 travel, lifestyle trends in a social media world
Travel and lifestyle marketing firm KWE Partners, Miami, has reviewed the travel-related trends of the past seven years and superimposed the criteria más...
News in brief: Aloft, American Liberty, Keauhou Beach
Aloft to debut in Russia: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Thursday that it will open its first Aloft-branded property in Russia más...
Chesapeake buys Chicago W for $126 million
Chesapeake Lodging Trust announced on Tuesday that it bought the 520-room W Chicago – Lakeshore from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide for más...
MGM unveils plans for Massachusetts gambling resort
MGM Resorts International on Wednesday unveiled plans for a US$800 million gambling resort, entertainment complex and housing development in downtown más...
What’s Hot: Cooper Inn upgrades 1816 manor's public spaces
The Cooper Inn in Cooperstown, New York, has completed renovations of its public spaces. The property, which is a 15-room Federal-style manor originally más...
Richfield forms China hotel management JV
Richfield Hospitality announced on Wednesday that it formed a joint venture to operate hotels in China. Richfield Hospitality, Greenwood Village, Colorado más...
Buyers, sellers differ greatly on 2013 US corporate rates: NYU
Based on preliminary plans and budgets, the difference between buyer and seller expectations for corporate and contract rates for 2013 are great, according más...
Americas RevPAR up, Asia Pacific down in July: STR Global
The Americas saw a year-on-year RevPAR increase in July while Asia Pacific and Middle East/Africa saw RevPAR declines, according to new data from STR más...
Sustainable tourism among Virtuoso’s top trends
Sustainable tourism was one of the key trends identified by luxury travel network Virtuoso during its recent Virtuoso Travel Week conference. Virtuoso más...
News in brief: Choice, Preferred, AAHOA
Clarion Collection expands in New Zealand: Choice Hotels’ Clarion Collection added the 60-room Metropolis serviced residences, located in más...
US price-fixing lawsuit launched against majors, OTAs
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against several of the largest hotel companies and online travel agencies alleging that rate parity is tantamount más...
What’s Hot: New room, dining designs at Auberge du Soleil
Auberge du Soleil, located in Rutherford, California, has unveiled a new redesign by San Francisco interior designer Suzanne Tucker of Tucker & Marks más...
Shareholder dissatisfaction with Red Lion continues
Shareholder Somerset Capital Management bemoaned that management of Red Lion Hotels Corp., Spokane, Washington, has not made progress in its strategic más...
Caribbean NOI increases 10%
The average Caribbean hotel that participated in PKF Hospitality Research’s survey experienced a 10% increase in net operating income (NOI) in 2011 más...
Perth to become Australia’s priciest city for hotels: AHS
By 2015, Perth will be Australia’s most expensive city in terms of hotels, with average room rate approaching A$260 (US$273), according to the latest más...
California hotel sales dollar volume down in H1: Atlas
In the first half of 2011, California had a record dollar volume of transactions as a number of trophy hotels changed hands. The market has caught its más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Hersha, Shanghai Disney
Hyatt expands in Puerto Rico: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into an agreement for a Hyatt Place hotel in Manatí más...
Joly resigns at Carlson; Rautio takes over as CEO
In what was apparently an unexpected move, French-born Hubert Joly resigned without notice on Friday after a four-year stint as chief executive of Carlson más...
Paulson, Winthrop put 4 hotels up for auction
A portfolio of four prominent U.S. hotels controlled by a group led by Paulson & Co. is being put up for auction October 25 with an initial bid of más...
What’s Hot: Affinia Gardens sprouts new lobby design
The lobby space at Affinia Gardens in New York City has been transformed into a “living room.” Stonehill & Taylor, the firm responsible más...
Como tagline added to luxury portfolio
Como Hotels and Resorts, Singapore, last week unveiled an updated brand identity for its nine properties. While each hotel will maintain its own individual más...
Four Points study shows business traveler mobile habits
A new study commissioned by the Four Points by Sheraton brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, reveals the mobile phone más...
Boston hotel honors long-time workers
As the Boston Harbor Hotel celebrates its 25th anniversary on August 21, it is paying special tribute to the property’s 21 original employees. Long-time más...
News in brief: Myanmar, Peppers, Fuller
Myanmar bans hotel GM: Myanmar’s hotels and tourism ministry reportedly banned Saman Sarathchandra, the general manager of Sedona Hotel, located más...
HOTELS Interview: Cross on the future of distribution, RevPAR
At the HSMAI Revenue Optimization Conference, held in June in Baltimore, conference speakers predicted that the distribution landscape will shift dramatically más...
UK Travelodge restructures debt, losing 49 hotels
Travelodge Hotels Ltd., Thame, England, agreed to a financial restructuring deal on Friday that will see £235 million (US$367 million) in debt written más...
Strategic confirms Essex House purchase
Strategic Hotels & Resorts confirmed on Friday that it bought the Jumeirah Essex House, located in New York City, and will rebrand it as the JW Marriott más...
Olympics boost London hotel performance: STR Global
London hotels reported increases in ADR and RevPAR during the 2012 Olympic Games, according to STR Global. The games started with the opening ceremony más...
What’s Hot: “Alice” gets new home at Omni Mont-Royal
The Hotel Omni Mont-Royal in Montreal has debuted the Alice Bar. “Alice,” a bronze female statue that’s been at the hotel since its más...
ADR fuels Singapore RevPAR growth in H1 2012: STR Global
Singaporean hoteliers benefited from sustained occupancy levels during the first six months of the year, which helped to boost ADR by 6.6%, according más...
Asia Pacific tops global hotel pipeline for July: STR Global
Asia Pacific dominated the global hotel development pipeline in July, according to new data from STR Global. Asia Pacific’s hotel development pipeline más...
News in brief: Liberty, Autograph, Wynn
Liberty buys Florida hotel: Liberty Group completed its purchase of the 75-room Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa-East, located in Seffner, for US$4 más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Gstaad Palace in Gstaad, Switzerland, has appointed Melanie Ehlert director of sales and marketing. más...
Candlewood Suites debuts new interior design scheme
IHG has opened the first Candlewood Suites hotel featuring the brand’s new interior design package, created with graduate students at Savannah College más...
Hot Openings: Regent Hotels to open flagship Phuket resort
Regent Hotels & Resorts will throw open the doors at Regent Phuket Cape Panwa Oct. 1. The flagship property is on a cliff overlooking the ocean with más...
Beverly Hills Hotel, Villa d’Este top Virtuoso awards
The Beverly Hills Hotel and the general manager of Villa d’Este, located in Cernobbio, Italy, won the top honors of Virtuoso’s 2012 “Best más...
Abu Dhabi named preferred bidder for 42 UK Marriott portfolio
Sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is reportedly now the preferred bidder for a portfolio of 42 U.K. Marriott-branded hotels. Citing más...
US hotel pipeline down y-o-y in July: STR
The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 2,745 projects totaling 300,954 rooms, a 6.9% decrease in the number of rooms in the total más...
UK hotel makes guests ‘guinea pigs’ for new dishes
The Earl of Doncaster Hotel in Doncaster, England, has created “Guinea Pig Night,” a once-a-month chance for guests to sample new dishes at más...
News in brief: Morgans, Far East, CBRE
Morgans expands in Russia: Morgans Hotel Group announced that it will expand in Russia with the opening of Delano Moscow in 2015. The hotel will más...
Strategic ‘to buy’ NYC’s Essex House
Reuters reported on Tuesday that Strategic Hotels & Resorts is buying the Jumeirah Essex House, located in New York City, for about US$375 million más...
What’s Hot: Halekulani shakes up a new bar concept
Halekulani in Waikiki has opened L’Aperitif, a new bar. The property collaborated with the Ritz Paris and Head Barman Colin Field of the Hemingway más...
Ikea looks to enter hotel space
Budget furniture retailer Ikea wants to develop at least 100 budget hotels across Europe, according to published reports. Inter Ikea, which owns Ikea’s más...
US federal per diem rates held at FY2012 level
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has announced it will not alter its market-based methodology in calculating federal per diem rates and más...
US hotel fees, surcharges to hit record in 2012: NYU
Following the record US$1.85 billion amount collected in 2011, total fees and surcharges collected by U.S. hotels are increasing again in 2012, forecast más...
US H1 hotel transactions hit $6 billion: STR Analytics
Almost US$6 billion in hotel transactions occurred in the U.S. during the first half of 2012, according to new data from STR Analytics. “The investment más...
News in brief: Marriott, Absolute, Sahara
Marriott to enter Ukraine: Marriott International announced that it will open its first hotel in Ukraine, the 173-room Renaissance Kiev Hotel, under más...
Vertical gardens the focus in new Westin lobbies
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, is rolling out a new lobby concept worldwide designed to be a “modern-day oasis” más...
What’s Hot: Hilton Milwaukee restores lobby lounge
Hilton Milwaukee has completed an extensive restoration of its lobby lounge. The space once housed one of the longest bars in Wisconsin at 82 ft (25 m) más...
SpringHill Suites highlights art across US
SpringHill Suites by Marriott has launched “Art on the Road: 10 Cities, 10 Discoveries” to highlight contemporary artisans and their work más...
US hotels continue green, health, tech practices: AH&LA
The 2012 Lodging Survey from the American Hotel & Lodging Association found that U.S. hotels are continuing to implement eco-friendly and health-conscious más...
News in brief: UAE, Accor, Hilton
Ramadan drags down occupancy: Business-centered hotels in the United Arab Emirates saw occupancy drop about 30% during the Ramadan period, while más...
UK Travelodge could lose 50 hotels
Travelodge Hotels Ltd., Thame, England, is considering a company voluntary agreement that would see it exit up to 50 loss-making hotel leases to trim más...
What’s Hot: The May Fair unveils its Cigar Room
The May Fair Hotel in London officially opens its Cigar Room this month. Graham Cox and the property’s design team are behind the space, which has más...
H1 ADR up most in Latin America: HRG
The strongest growth in hotel rates in the first half of 2012 took place in Latin America, while hotel prices across the eurozone either fell or remained más...
Picasso to take center stage at Conrad Indianapolis
Conrad Indianapolis will showcase a public exhibit of rare works by Pablo Picasso September 4 – October 14. The compilation of 25 prints spanning más...
Google buys Frommer’s
In a move that could affect the content on its Hotel Finder, Google Inc. bought the Frommer’s travel guide brand on Friday from John Wiley & más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Mahindra, Portugal
Rezidor expands in Russia: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 158-room Park Inn by Radisson Novokuznetsk in Q4 2014. Read más...
HOTELS Interview: Advani talks Grace Bay, Caribbean
Nikheel Advani, chief operating officer and principal of the luxury resorts and branded residences of Grace Bay Resorts in the Turks and Caicos, has his más...
Judge dismisses McKillen’s suit against Barclay brothers
A U.K. judge dismissed Irish property developer Patrick McKillen’s petition and claim against the Barclay brothers for control of three London hotels más...
Hot Openings: Marti Group goes urban in Istanbul
Marti Group has opened its first urban property: Marti Istanbul Hotel. The 11-story building is located in the city’s Taksim neighborhood. All 270 más...
News in brief: Marcus, Panorama
Marcus expands in Nebraska: Marcus Corp. has reportedly taken over ownership or management of The Cornhusker Hotel, located in Lincoln, Nebraska más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Andrew Abram has been named general manager of Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai. Abram previously más...
Hilton announces 3-hotel project in Canada
Hilton Worldwide announced an agreement to build a three-flag hotel development in Calgary, Canada. The project, under development by Prestige Hospitality más...
What’s Hot: Delano Marrakech to open next month
Morgans Hotel Group will open the 71-room Delano Marrakech next month in partnership with Ahmed Bennani and Hivernage Collection. The property, designed más...
Accor gauges Asia Pacific business travel preferences
Chinese and Indian business travelers lead the pack in terms of projected business travel in the second half of 2012 compared to the first six months más...
W teams with Intel on filmmaking promotion
In keeping with its long-standing effort to best connect with the art world and identify with cutting-edge cultural trends, Starwood Hotels’ W Hotels más...
Chicago hotel to reward public displays of affection
Taking the expression “get a room” literally, Public Chicago plans to give gift certificates to couples engaged in public displays of affection más...
News in brief: Residence Inn, Aloft, Temple
Marriott to expand in NYC: Marriott International is set to open a 125-room Residence Inn-branded hotel in New York City’s The Bronx borough más...
Brazil sees record 36.5% GOP in 2011: JLLH
Steady performance levels in Brazil coupled with efficiencies in operations led to a record 36.5% gross operating performance in 2011, according to Jones más...
What’s Hot: Four Seasons Vegas rolls out remodel
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas will remodel all 424 of its guestrooms and suites by Dec. 17, 2012. The new design is inspired by the Art Deco period. Bold más...
Olympics boosting London occupancy, ADR: STR Global
Hosting the Summer Olympic Games appears to be helping London’s hotel performance, according to new data from STR Global. From July 27 to August más...
Wedge Hotels acquires 4 Hilton Garden Inns
Wedge Hotels Corp., Houston, Texas, on Wednesday announced that it has acquired four Hilton-branded hotels. Kana Hotel Group has been retained to manage más...
Hotel operator optimism decreasing globally: Horwath HTL
Improved optimism among hotel operators at the start of the year has once again been stymied due to the prevailing global economic uncertainty according más...
News in brief: Marriott, Steigenberger, Jabal Omar
Marriott expands in Russia: Marriott International signed a management agreement for the 220-room Voronezh Marriott Hotel, set to open in 2015. más...
TRT cedes fight against Gaylord-Marriott deal
Gaylord Entertainment’s largest shareholder TRT Holdings switched its position on the US$210 million sale of the Gaylord brand to Marriott International más...
Delano Las Vegas announced for Mandalay Bay space
MGM Resorts International and Morgans Hotel Group on Tuesday announced a partnership to introduce in late 2013 the Delano Las Vegas, an 1,100-room all-suite más...
IHG shrinking Crowne Plaza portfolio, H1 profit up 6%
IHG is decreasing its Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand portfolio by 41 hotels, about 10% of the brand’s total number of hotels, as part of más...
What’s Hot: Maria Cristina restores for centennial
Hotel Maria Cristina, a Luxury Collection Hotel, is open again in San Sebastian, Spain, following extensive restoration — just in time for its 100th más...
IHG signs 8 Hualuxe management deals
IHG on Tuesday announced its first set of eight management contract signings for its new, Chinese-focused Hualuxe Hotels and Resorts brand, including más...
Hersha group in place to deploy funds
HHM, formerly known as Hersha Hospitality Management, Philadelphia, on Tuesday named Dustin Resnick as senior director of acquisitions and development más...
Accor, Odebrecht announce 3 hotels for Brazil
Accor and Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht plan to develop three hotels in Brazil, according to a report on Tuesday from Reuters. The duo will open one más...
News in brief: Regal, Red Lion, East India
Regal expands in China: Regal Hotels International signed an agreement with Furao Group to open the 5-star, 300-room Regal Furao Hotel, Yantai. más...
HOTELS Interview: Videos that make a connection
In the September issue of HOTELS magazine, a feature will appear about the evolution of hotel videos, which today are more about making an emotional connection más...
Tata says no plans to buy Orient-Express
Tata Group said it has no immediate plans to acquire Orient-Express Hotels, Hamilton, Bermuda. Earlier this year Tata subsidiary Indian Hotels Co., Mumbai más...
What’s Hot: Westin’s new lobby makes its debut in San Diego
The Westin Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego has completed a property-wide transformation that includes the debut of the brand’s new lobby design. The más...
Greek hoteliers pessimistic on Q3 2012
Mainly due to the continuing political and economic uncertainty around Greece in the second quarter, international arrivals declined 4.6% overall comparing más...
Sustainability report answers key questions
The SHRM Foundation, the World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA) and the North American Human Resource Management Association (NAHRMA) más...
Kimberly Hotel Facebook promo centers on concierge picks
The Kimberly Hotel in New York City is launching a sweepstakes on its Facebook page that will reward one winner with “picks” from Chief Concierge más...
Joie de Vivre to reward rebels
Playing hooky could pay off for guests at six Joie de Vivre Hotels in the U.S. Southwest. As part of Joie de Vivre’s Ditch campaign, guests can más...
HOTELS Interview: Broadmoor’s Bartolin on culture, renewal
The historic Broadmoor hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was in the news recently as a result of the massive wildfire that struck the area in early más...
KSL buys storied golf resort in England
KSL Capital Partners on Friday announced that it has acquired The Belfry, a renowned hotel and golf resort in Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield, North Warwickshire más...
Ascott to acquire London property for £159 million
CapitaLand’s wholly owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Ltd., has signed an agreement to acquire the 230-unit Cavendish in London más...
Hot Openings: Okura’s latest opens Friday in Taiwan
Okura Hotels & Resorts opens its second Okura Prestige property in Taipei Friday. The Okura Prestige Taipei has 7 stories below ground and 18 above más...
Windsor files bankruptcy for 8 hotels
Windsor Capital Group has filed bankruptcy for loan portfolio of eight Embassy Suites-branded hotels in the U.S. The portfolio has about US$100 million más...
Kokua to manage recently purchased Baltimore hotel
Kokua Hospitality announced that it has taken over management of the Tremont Plaza Suites and Grand Hotel Historic Venue hotel, located in downtown Baltimore más...
News in brief: Palmer, NH Hoteles, Host
Palmer plans 1,000-room Australia hotel: Clive Palmer announced plans on Friday to invest A$3 billion (US$3.7 billion) in a 1,000-room hotel and más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Peter Birk has been named executive chef for Hotel 1000 in Seattle. Birk was most recently executive más...
Crown proposes luxury hotel in Sydney
Crown has signed an agreement with Lend Lease Corp., Millers Point, New South Wales, Australia, to build a new luxury hotel in the A$6 billion (US$6.3 más...
NYC Times Square hotel to transform retail space
Bethesda, Maryland-based Host Hotels & Resorts has entered into a lease with Vornado Realty Trust, Paramus, New Jersey, to redevelop the retail and más...
What’s Hot: Trattoria brings the Amalfi Coast to Mondrian SoHo
On Friday, Isola Trattoria & Crudo Bar, a coastal Italian restaurant inspired by the Amalfi Coast, will debut at Mondrian SoHo. Native Sicilian Victor más...
North American hotels seeing bookings increase: TravelClick
North America’s occupancy outlook for third quarter 2012 through second quarter 2013 is strong, with group committed room nights up 5.7% and transient más...
Hawaii H1 room revenue hits $1.5 billion
Hawaiian hotel room revenue reached US$1.59 billion in the first half of 2012, representing a 14.8% increase over the first six months of 2011. Oahu and más...
Cornell marks passing of former dean Beck
Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration announced Wednesday the passing of Robert A. Beck, who was the youngest member of the faculty más...
News in brief: Choice, Fortuna, Normandy
Choice partners with Lancemore: Choice Hotels Australasia is partnering with The Lancemore Group to offer hotel management services. Read more at más...
Crown to build Perth's largest hotel
Crown has announced plans to build Crown Towers Perth, a new 5-star, 500-room hotel that will be part of the Burswood Entertainment Complex in Perth, más...
L&R buys Crowne Plaza in Manchester
Property company London & Regional (L&R) produced the winning bid to acquire the 198-bedroom Crowne Plaza Cambridge, England, out of administration más...
What’s Hot: Woodward-Newman suite at Delamar Southport
The Delamar Southport in Southport, Connecticut, has debuted its new Woodward-Newman Presidential Suite. The three-bedroom suite occupies the top floor más...
Hyatt profit up in Q2
Hyatt saw its profit increase to US$39 million in the second quarter of 2012, up from US$37 million in the second quarter of 2011. Hyatt Hotels Corp. más...
London hotels busy during Olympics: STR Global
From July 27 until July 29, hoteliers across London reported 84.4% occupancy and £224.72 (US$351.72) average room rates, according to new data from más...
Holiday Inn uses social media to celebrate 60
The Holiday Inn brand family is globally celebrating 60 years of innovative firsts by launching an extensive campaign to mark the brand’s anniversary más...
Starwood taps Segal for Latin America owner relations position
Starwood hired 35-year hospitality industry veteran Rick Segal for the newly created position of vice president, owner relations for Latin America. The más...
News in brief: Oxford Capital, Edgewater, Wynn
Oxford Capital to build Boston hotel: Oxford Capital Group is planning to build a 240-room lifestyle hotel in Boston’s Downtown Crossing shopping más...
julio 2012
Sahara Group finalizes NYC Plaza purchase
The Sahara Group, owned by Indian business mogul Subrata Roy Sahara, has bought a 75% controlling stake in New York City’s fabled The Plaza hotel más...
UK alleges online rate parity anti-competitive
A nearly two-year long investigation into online rate parity by the U.K. Office of Fair Trade culminated on Tuesday with allegations that the practice más...
What’s Hot: Thompson previews new hotel at pop-up store
Thompson Hotels is offering a preview of its upcoming Thompson Chicago property, set to open in 2013. LollaShop, a pop-up store at 332 S. Michigan Avenue más...
Jeddah, Dubai among hottest MENA performers: TRI
Hotels in Jeddah hit their highest profitability in three years during June thanks to strong summer demand. The properties enjoyed 15% growth in RevPAR más...
Muslim tourists US$126 billion market
A new study, ‘Global Muslim Lifestyle Travel Market: Landscape & Consumer Needs,’ shows that Muslim tourists globally represent a major más...
Onyx expansion plans include first Ozo properties
Bangkok-based hotel management company Onyx Hospitality Group’s expansion plans include the debut of its new select-service brand, Ozo, as well más...
News in brief: Gaylord, Vos, Wyndham
Gaylord to vote on Marriott purchase: Gaylord Entertainment shareholders will vote September 19 on its disputed decision to sell its brand and management más...
Accor sells 2 hotels in China, Mirvac fund stake
Accor announced on Monday that it agreed to sell its stake in Mirvac Wholesale Fund and two Beijing hotels to A-HTRUST for a total amount of €110 más...
Hot Openings: Tsogo Sun unveils 54 on Bath
Tsogo Sun has opened 54 on Bath, its new boutique hotel outside Johannesburg, South Africa. 54 on Bath offers 60 standard rooms, 12 suites, and three más...
Choice profit up in Q2 but 2012 earnings forecast lowered
Choice Hotels International saw its profit increase 16% year-on-year to US$31.8 million in the second quarter of 2012, but the company has lowered its más...
London’s loss is Europe’s gain as major cities thrive in June: TRI
While hotels in London suffered negative growth for the first time in 2012 as anxieties over Olympic-related transport issues and bedroom prices kicked más...
Phuket hotel investments to surge: JLLH
With investment in the hotel property sector in Phuket, Thailand, expected to exceed 10 billion baht (US$315 million) for the full year for the first más...
TripAdvisor index shows Indonesia hotels with brightest outlook
Hotels in Indonesia boast the best business outlook, according to the latest TripAdvisor Industry Index, a survey with responses from more than 25,000 más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Starwood, Kuriftu
Ritz-Carlton expands in Vietnam: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. announced the brand's first hotel in Ho Chi Minh City with 250-room The Ritz-Carlton más...
HOTELS Interview: Creating success on the California coast
Even in the competitive coastal California market, Pacifica Hotel Co. has found plenty of ways to shine. The Santa Barbara, California-based company is más...
Hot Openings: Sofitel makes its Auckland debut
Sofitel has opened its first hotel in Auckland, New Zealand. The property, which had been part of Accor’s MGallery collection, has been extensively más...
US posts best quarterly ADR gain since Q1 2008
In the second quarter of 2012, the U.S. hotel industry’s occupancy increased 3.1% to 65.1%, average daily rate rose 4.7% to US$106.41 and RevPAR más...
News in brief: Choice, Host, Brookshire Suites
Choice issues dividend: Choice Hotels International announced a special cash dividend in the amount of US$10.41 per share, resulting in an aggregate más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Nick Campbell has been appointed general manager of Park Inn Heathrow in London. Campbell most recently más...
Lawsuit aims to remove Hammons CEO Dowdy
Atrium Holding Co. affiliates filed a lawsuit against John Q. Hammons Hotels Management Co. claiming CEO Jacquie Dowdy violated a contract in 2010 más...
What’s Hot: The May Fair, London, unveils new suite
The May Fair Hotel in London has launched its newest accommodation: the Ebony Suite. The suite features a stylish dark wood interior with ivory and metallic más...
Starwood profit down for Q2 but up for H1
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide saw its net income decrease year-on-year in the second quarter of 2012 but increase for the first half of the más...
Schwartz close to buying Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley
Australian hotel tycoon Jerry Schwartz is reportedly close to buying the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley for A$45 million (US$46 million). The 319-room Crowne más...
Slow jobs, rate growth hamper US investment: STR
While most U.S. hotel investment parameters remained stable, investors and lenders indicated job growth and the ability to increase room rates as the más...
Aspen resort takes farm-to-table movement to the spa
Remède Spa at The St. Regis Aspen Resort in Aspen, Colorado, has introduced a menu that marries the farm-to-table movement with the health and más...
Starwood execs to bike for a cause
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide CEO Frits van Paasschen, together with 25 other Starwood executives and associates, will participate in the company’s más...
News in brief: Kosmopolito, Accor, Wyndham
Kosmopolito to enter Singapore: Kosmopolito Hotels International is set to debut in Singapore when the 285-room Dorsett Regency Singapore opens más...
Corporate bookings off double digits in June
Hotel bookings in June for business and leisure travel fell off last year’s levels globally and in North America, while rates for both channels más...
Orient-Express selling Johannesburg hotel
Orient-Express Hotels on Wednesday announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell The Westcliff, Johannesburg, to an undisclosed buyer. The más...
Wyndham profit, forecast up in Q2
Wyndham Worldwide Corp. reported net income of US$128 million for the second quarter of 2012, up from US$114 million in the second quarter of 2011. The más...
Guest satisfaction down across hotel industry: J.D. Power
While the hotel industry continues to gradually recover from the economic downturn, guest satisfaction with the underlying hotel experience continues más...
What’s Hot: VIP suites open at W South Beach
Miami’s W South Beach has transformed 26 of its suites into VIP suites. The accommodations feature an expanded lineup of bathroom amenities, plush más...
Final update ahead of Olympics from TravelClick
Just two days before the Olympics opening ceremony, London hotel bookings are looking healthy with committed occupancy currently at an average of 80.4% más...
‘Coffee Chine’ promises magical dining at Bermuda resort
Rosewood Tucker’s Point in Bermuda has transformed a previously overgrown area dating back to the 1920s into a secluded alfresco dining spot complete más...
News in brief: Morgans, Accor, Margaritaville
Morgans reveals London hotel location: Morgans Hotel Group announced that its newest Hudson property will be located on Great Scotland Yard in St más...
Outrigger to acquire Phuket resort
Hawaii-based Outrigger Hotels and Resorts has entered into an agreement to acquire the 254-key Laguna Beach Resort in the Laguna Phuket integrated resort más...
What’s Hot: Living Room at Grand Hyatt Dubai
The Living Room Lounge & Bar at Grand Hyatt Dubai has a new design that aims to demonstrate the vibrancy of the city. Hirsch Bedner Associates drew más...
STR reports global results for June
STR Global on Monday released June 2012 global hotel performance results for the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Middle East/Africa regions. The Americas más...
Emerging markets boast best outlook for business travel: GBTA
Business travel spending growth in developed economies is slowing compared to previous forecasts, but emerging markets continue to grow rapidly, according más...
Pinnacle adding hotel to Boomtown casino
Pinnacle Entertainment on Tuesday announced plans for a US$20 million hotel project at its Boomtown Casino New Orleans property. The 150-room, five-story más...
Hyatt tells its side of story in union battle
Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Tuesday used a full-page ad in the Washington Post to tell its side of the story about UniteHere’s 3-year-old labor practices más...
Clarion tests new bistro concept
Silver Spring, Maryland-based Choice Hotels International has begun beta testing for a new proprietary restaurant concept called Bistro C for its Clarion más...
Bill Marriott uses social media to launch cook-off
Bill Marriott is holding his first cook-off challenge, using Marriott International’s Facebook page and his personal blog to publicize the global más...
News in brief: Interstate, Solare
Interstate expands China portfolio: Arlington, Virginia-based Interstate Hotels & Resorts announced that Interstate China has signed an agreement más...
Swissôtel to open in Sanya, China, as part of golf resort
Swissôtel Sanya is scheduled to open in Sanya, China, in the southernmost part of Hainan Island as part of the 660-acre (267-hectare) Sanya Dragon más...
Hilton signs second hotel in Erbil, Iraq
Hilton Worldwide on Monday announced expansion plans in Iraqi Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, by signing a management agreement with the Mihtab Group to develop más...
W Hotels to debut in Colombia
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide brand W Hotels Worldwide announced it has signed an agreement with Terranum Hotels, Bogota, Colombia, to open más...
What’s Hot: Updates at The Legian Bali include a new pool
The Legian Bali has finished a four-month refurbishment project, using suggestions from guest feedback. The 68-room property unveiled a new infinity lap más...
Modern travel price inflation expected worldwide: CWT
Prices in most areas of travel spend are expected to grow modestly around the globe next year, with the most significant inflation expected throughout más...
First half results from Moscow, Saint Petersburg
Cushman & Wakefield, Moscow, has released data on hotel performance for the first half of 2012 for the cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg. “The más...
London, seven years after winning the Games
With the Olympic Games starting in London this week, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) decided to take a look at the city’s progress since it won the más...
News in brief: Regent, JW Marriott
Regent to offer free Internet: Regent Hotels & Resorts, Taipei, Taiwan, will introduce brand-wide complimentary Internet access across all five of más...
HOTELS Interview: A radical take on kids’ menus
Alice Waters is known around the world for her passionate, often unconventional views about food — ideas brought to life at her iconic restaurant más...
MGM gets go-ahead to raze Harmon; appeal pending
A Nevada state judge on Thursday gave the go-ahead to MGM Resorts International to implode the Harmon Tower, which never opened at the US$8.5 billion más...
AH&LA responds to boycott
The American Hotel & Lodging Association issued a statement on Thursday in response to the announced boycott of hotel companies on its and AAHOA’s más...
What’s Hot: Resorts World Sentosa debuts Tree Top Lofts
Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa has opened two new accommodations perched in the trees located 10 minutes outside the city. Angsana and Tembusu más...
RevPAR not helping UK hotels increase profits: TRI
The reliance on RevPAR performance, which shows a positive sentiment for the U.K. hotel industry, is misleading in the current operating environment as más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Chris Adams has been named general manager of the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas. Adams most más...
News in brief: Wyndham, FelCor, Hemingway
Wyndham brand to enter Scotland: Wyndham Hotel Group signed a franchise agreement with MAP Property & Leisure Developments Angus Ltd. to open más...
Interstate buys Virginia hotel via JV
Interstate Hotels & Resorts has announced that it has formed its fourth joint venture with Waramaug Hospitality LLC and a private investment group más...
Gaylord responds to TRT's deal objections
Gaylord Entertainment on Thursday issued a statement saying the proposed sale of the rights to manage its hotels to Marriott International and its subsequent más...
Commune bringing another hotel to Chicago
AJ Capital Partners, a Chicago-based investment company led by John Pritzker and Ben Weprin, has agreed to buy the Chicago Athletic Association building más...
London hotel market remains hot: JLLH
London will continue to far outpace the rest of the European hotel market as the city readies itself for the Olympics and Paralympics taking place this más...
US hoteliers posted $21.6 billion profit in 2011
The American Hotel & Lodging Association released its 2011 statistical analysis of 52,214 that make up the U.S. lodging industry, noting más...
Asia Pacific tops June global pipeline: STR Global
Asia Pacific continued to dominate the global hotel pipeline in June, according to new data from STR Global. The Asia Pacific hotel development pipeline más...
Hot Openings: Ramada Plaza goes to Orlando
The Ramada Plaza Resort & Suites Orlando is now open. The all-suite property occupies a new tower adjacent to the original 164-room Ramada hotel on más...
News in brief: Ascott, Time, Sonesta
Ascott expands in China: The Ascott Ltd. secured a contract to manage its third serviced residences property in Chengdu, China, the 296-apartment más...
SLS to debut in New York City next year
The Los Angeles-based SBE revealed on Tuesday that it is bringing its SLS Hotels brand to New York City. The 190-room SLS Hotel New York, located at 444 más...
TRT Holdings to fight Gaylord-Marriott deal
TRT Holdings, owners of the Omni Hotels brand and Gaylord Entertainment’s largest shareholder, said in a letter to shareholders that it opposes más...
Court finds against Molinaro Koger v. Host Hotels
The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that former hotel real estate brokerage Molinaro Koger has been ordered by a Montgomery County Court to pay más...
Disabled groups join to boycott US hotels
Unhappy about the U.S. hotel industry’s unwillingness to install lifts for disabled guests in on-property pools, a coalition of advocacy groups más...
Hyatt facing boycott from unions, advocacy groups
A long-simmering feud between Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, and labor union UNITE HERE is about to result in a planned boycott that includes prominent más...
Morgans reportedly listing The Delano
Morgans Hotel Group, New York City, is putting up for sale the 195-room Delano South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. Jones más...
What’s Hot: Riva Surya Bangkok to open in August
Riva Surya Bangkok will open Aug. 1. The 68-room boutique hotel is managed by SilverNeedle Hospitality, with Tim Vongswang as the general manager. Riva más...
Terranea Resort rewards social media influencers
Terranea Resort in Los Angeles has partnered with Klout, which is used to measure social media influence, on a promotion that awarded a weekend getaway más...
Board leadership tops list of corporate governance issues
Board leadership has emerged as most important topic today in corporate governance according to the annual Corporate Governance Outlook survey by Ferguson más...
News in brief: Sage, Fairmont, StayWell
Sage expands in Colorado: Sage Hospitality announced that it now manages the 403-room Embassy Suites Denber – Downtown/Convention Center. más...
Host buys Grand Hyatt Washington
Host Hotels & Resorts revealed in its second quarter financial results on Tuesday that it purchased the 888-room Grand Hyatt Washington from 1000 más...
Hot Openings: A new Revere rides into Boston
This time, it’s Revere that’s coming to Boston — the newly opened Revere Hotel Boston Common, that is. The 356-key boutique hotel, which más...
Walshe named CEO at Viceroy
Viceroy Hotel Group, Los Angeles, has appointed Bill Walshe as the new chief executive officer, replacing Nicholas Clayton, who in April left Viceroy más...
Accor revenue up like-for-like in H1
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, reported that its revenue for the first half of 2012 was up 3.6% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis. Consolidated revenue más...
Red Planet invests in Tune
Red Planet Hotels, Bangkok, bought a 16.05% stake in Tune Hotels, Selangor, Malaysia, making it the third-largest shareholder in Tune. Red Planet is a más...
China to become top outbound tourism market: Hotels.com
The number of Chinese travelers making international trips was up 22% in 2011 compared to 2010, and experts predict China is on track in the next few más...
News in brief: Hard Rock, Pyramid, Hostmark
Hard Rock raising $250 million: Hard Rock International is in talks with investors to raise US$250 million to fund the expansion of its lodging más...
Accor buys 15 Grupo Posadas hotels
Accor bought out the 15-hotel South American portfolio of Grupo Posadas for US$275 million on Monday. Accor, Courcouronnes, France, paid US$275 million más...
What’s Hot: Thirsty guests Soaked at Mondrian SoHo
Soaked, a rooftop cocktail lounge, is now open at Mondrian SoHo in New York City. The lounge serves fruit-infused cocktails without extra sugar or artificial más...
Hyatt overhauls kids’ menu in North America
On the heels of the launch of its new “Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served” F&B philosophy, Hyatt Hotels Corp. is introducing más...
South African hotels allegedly hit by pyramid scheme
The Post in South Africa reported on Monday that Durban-based hotel management company Signature Life Hospitality has collapsed amid allegations that más...
Waldorf Astoria launches service initiative
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts this month is launching a new initiative called True Waldorf Service, where a personal concierge is assigned to qualified más...
TravelClick updates London Olympics bookings
According to new data from TravelClick, only 77.4% of all guestrooms in London that TravelClick tracks are currently booked for the upcoming two-week más...
Hilton launches new ad campaign
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, launched a new advertising campaign for its Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand expanding on the brand’s “Stay más...
IHG launches new extended stay owner certification program
IHG, Denham, England, is launching a new master’s certification for owners of its extended stay brands Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. más...
News in brief: IHG, Alila, Four Points
IHG to expand in Serbia: Delta Holding is investing €25 million (US$30 million) to renovate the 420-room Hotel Continental Beograd, located más...
HOTELS Interview: Francis Ford Coppola, an hotelier, too
Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola was inspired to create his first exotic resort when he filmed Apocalypse Now. While it was originally supposed más...
Hot Openings: Magdalen Chapter blends old and new in Exeter
Chapter Hotels has opened its second property, The Magdalen Chapter, in Exeter, England. The hotel occupies a 19th-century building that was previously más...
Hyatt adds to pipeline in India
Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced on Friday that Hyatt affiliates signed management agreements for an Andaz hotel in Gurgaon and a Grand Hyatt hotel in Kochi más...
US, Canada pipeline down in June: STR
The pipeline in both the U.S. and Canada was down in June compared to the previous year according to the STR/McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report más...
European hotel real estate delivers stable returns: IPD
The European hotel sector continued to move from an “alternative” asset class to a mainstream sector with the sample from commercial real más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Vail Resorts, Broomfield, Colorado, has appointed Michael Barkin vice president of strategy and development más...
News in brief: Far East, Rezidor, Lalit Suri
Far East appoints hospitality CEO: Far East Organization has appointed Arthur Kiong as executive director and CEO of its Hospitality Business Group más...
Marriott earnings up in Q2, but forecast softens
Despite losing revenue due to its timeshare spinoff, Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, saw its earnings increase 5.9% year-on-year to US$143 más...
Hot Openings: New look at London's Dorset Square
Sports will be on the minds of many in London later this month, when the Olympics open there. Although cricket has only appeared in the Olympic Games más...
Carey Watermark buys California resort
Carey Watermark Investors, New York City, on Thursday announced it has acquired a 97% interest in Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa in California from Fulton más...
Mexico international arrivals up 4.2%
Mexico’s tourism ministry reported that international tourist arrivals increased 4.2% year-on-year over the first five months of 2012 to 9.7 million más...
Doha witnesses declines through May
Is the bloom already off the rose in Qatar? The Gulf Times reported on Thursday that data from Ernst & Young (E&Y) showed during the first five más...
Radisson Blu ad campaign launches in Asia Pacific
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has unveiled its latest Radisson Blu brand campaign, Turning the World Blu, in Asia Pacific, a region that will have close más...
Sofitel expands De-Light F&B offerings
Sofitel Luxury Hotels has announced the expansion of its French-inspired, wellness-focused De-Light menus, originally launched in winter 2011, to properties más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Davidson, Wheelock
Hyatt expands in St. Kitts: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced on Thursday that it signed a management agreement with Range Developments for a Park Hyatt más...
Spa 2.0 explored at Aspen summit
The Global Spa & Wellness Summit, held in Aspen, Colorado, in collaboration with think-tank the Aspen Institute, debated the most innovative, imaginative más...
What’s Hot: Roger Williams becomes The Roger
The Hotel Roger Williams in New York City has been reinvented as The Roger. The repositioning includes a new brand identity, full update of food and beverage más...
Hyatt reveals new-build hotel plans for Kansas City
Hyatt Hotels Corp. is set to expand with an own-operate hotel under development in Kansas City, Missouri. The 225-room new-build hotel will be developed más...
Investing in US hotels feels more attractive: PKF
Lower interest rates, revenues that are outpacing expense growth and below average supply additions are combining to give lenders and investors a greater más...
Maldives demand down, Mauritius up: STR Global
Demand growth grew in Mauritius but declined in the Maldives while supply increased in both countries year-on-year during the first five months of 2012 más...
Lincolnshire Marriott uses beehives to brew beer
Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, located in Lincolnshire, Illinois, is partnering with a nearby brewery to brew a special beer using on-property bees. Honey más...
News in brief: Qatari Diar, Socar, Metropol
Qatari Diar to build 5 hotels in Oman: Qatari Diar, a branch of sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority, signed a memorandum of understanding más...
DiamondRock buys 4 Blackstone hotels
DiamondRock Hospitality Co. agreed to buy four U.S. hotels from The Blackstone Group for US$420 million in cash and US$75 million in DiamondRock stock más...
Marriott, M Waikiki reach settlement on former Edition
M Waikiki LLC agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to Marriott International to settle a dispute over management of The Modern Honolulu, the former Waikiki más...
Pebblebrook buys 2 Kimpton hotels
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust bought two hotels in the U.S. Pacific Northwest from Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group for US$63 million on Monday. Pebblebrook más...
Ascendas again plans to launch its hotel REIT
In a rocky Singapore property market this year that has put several public offerings on hold, Reuters reported on Tuesday that property group Ascendas más...
Hot Openings: Jumeirah Creekside Hotel opens in Dubai
Jumeirah Group has opened its ninth Dubai-based property overlooking the Dubai Creek. Jumeirah Creekside Hotel has 292 guestrooms and suites. The hotel’s más...
Expedia releases its data on US travel to Mexico
Expedia Inc. has released data about trends in outbound travel to Mexico from its largest feeder market — the United States. The information offers más...
Element launches pedal promotion
Element Hotels is challenging its Facebook friends to replace one car trip per week with a bike ride for a chance to win a built-to-order bike. The Starwood más...
News in brief: Four Seasons, Carlyle, Marriott
Four Seasons expands in Tanzania: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has signed a long term management agreement with the owners of Bilila Lodge, a más...
Universal Orlando adding 1,800-room hotel
Universal Parks & Resorts and Loews Hotels & Resorts are partnering to build a new 1,800-room hotel at Universal Orlando Resort. Cabana Bay Beach más...
Blue Diamond buys Punta Cana property
Blue Diamond Hotels & Resorts announced on Monday that it bought the Grand Paradise Bavaro Beach Resort, Casino and Spa, located in Bavaro, Dominican más...
What’s Hot: Château Saint-Martin & Spa caters to kids
Château Saint-Martin & Spa, in Vence, France, has updated its menu with a new restaurant and new items just for young travelers. Chef Yannick más...
Qatar, Abu Dhabi ‘bidding’ for 42 UK Marriotts portfolio
Citing unnamed sources, The Sunday Times reported on Sunday that sovereign wealth funds Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority más...
UNWTO tourism numbers bullish through summer
International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 5% in the first four months of 2012, despite remaining economic uncertainties in some of the major outbound más...
Michigan hotel celebrates 125 years
Grand Hotel on Michigan’s Mackinac Island is celebrating its 125th anniversary July 10 with a birthday cake measuring 125 ft (38 m) and Champagne más...
News in brief: Interstate, Starwood, Taiwan
Interstate promotes to Knighton to president: Interstate Hotels & Resorts announced on Monday that COO Ted Knighton is being promoted to COO más...
HOTELS Interview: Bringing an Asian brand to the world
When Abid Butt took over as CEO of Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, Singapore, about a month ago, his challenges included guiding the brand through an más...
Hot Openings: 2nd InterContinental for Mexico City
The Presidente InterContinental Santa Fe is now open in Mexico City. The hotel’s 111 rooms include 26 suites, designed with contemporary décor más...
6 questions hoteliers should ask to evaluate sustainability
When hoteliers and vendors communicate early on to identify and discuss these essential due diligence issues, it enables both parties to rapidly and efficiently más...
Meliá brings wave machine to Magaluf
On Wednesday Meliá Hotels International and its partner Wave House hosted the grand opening of the new 184-room Sol Wave House hotel, located on más...
Peabody Orlando launches premium loft experience
The Peabody Orlando has debuted the Loft at The Peabody, a 52-room boutique experience located within three private-access floors in the Mallard Tower más...
News in brief: Meritus
Meritus CEO steps down: Michael Sengol stepped down as CEO of Meritus Hotels & Resorts on Friday. Read more at PR Newswire más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Fairmont Pittsburgh has appointed Brian Calder director of sales and marketing. Calder most recently más...
Carlyle buys 49% of Mandarin Hotel Holdings
The Carlyle Group LP announced on Thursday that it bought 49% of Mandarin Hotel Holdings, which owns and operates 25 hotels in China under the Orange más...
Meliá sells ME resort in Cancun
Meliá Hotels International on Thursday said it has sold the ME Cancun Hotel to an undisclosed buyer for €61.2 million (US$76.9 million), generating más...
Marriott launches new amenities for Chinese guests
On Thursday Marriott International unveiled “Li Yu,” a suite of customized amenities and services tailor-made for Chinese outbound travellers más...
What’s Hot: London calling at Paris Las Vegas
Gordon Ramsay Steak is now open at Paris Las Vegas, bringing a taste of England to the resort. EDG Interior Architecture + Design designed the space to más...
Hotel Arts Barcelona uniforms to reflect the Mediterranean
Spanish fashion designer Cortana has designed custom staff uniforms slated to debut in September at Hotel Arts Barcelona. The uniforms aim to reflect más...
Jeddah, Dubai among MENA top performers: TRI
Hotels in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, achieved record occupancy during the month of May, experiencing a 9% growth in occupancy, according to the latest HotStats más...
News in brief: Emaar, Rezidor, BHG
Emaar expands in Dubai: Emaar Hospitality Group signed management deals for the Al Manzil and Qamardeen hotels, both located in Dubai. The hotels más...
Accor reveals new Mercure guestroom design
As Accor continues its Mercure brand global refresh, the company has revealed a new guestroom design concept for the brand. The redesign concept Dédicaces más...
What’s Hot: Inn at Laguna Beach unveils new look for summer
Inn at Laguna Beach in Laguna Beach, California, has completed a multi-million dollar renovation project. The inn has been updated in its entirety, from más...
Room Mate searches for the face of Barcelona
Madrid-based Room Mate Hotels’ new property in Barcelona, Spain is in the midst of its “Looking for Pau” contest, which is searching más...
Peppers to launch ‘gourmet food trail’
Boutique hotel brand Peppers has announced a comprehensive national food and wine program, the Peppers Gourmet Food Trail, comprised of a series of events más...
Dorado Beach protects the environment and educates guests
Dorado Beach, which will be the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Americas when it opens in December, has announced plans to launch a new Ambassadors más...
La Quinta property creates custom wine
La Quinta Inn & Suites Paso Robles has released a custom, locally made wine with the help of Paul Frankel of Sculpterra Vineyard in Paso Robles and más...
Qatar Holding launching Harrods hotel chain
Sovereign wealth fund Qatar Holding announced on Tuesday that it plans to launch a Harrods hotel chain. The famous Harrods retail company, which also más...
Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner to become hotel
Istithmar World, a subsidiary of Dubai World, Dubai, announced on Monday that it plans to convert the Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner into a 300-room hotel más...
Hot Openings: Sheraton Madrid Mirasierra debuts
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has entered the Madrid market with the opening of Sheraton Madrid Mirasierra Hotel & Spa, Starwood Hotels & Resorts más...
Delta names new president and CEO
Kenneth Greene has been named president and chief executive officer of Toronto-based hotel management company Delta Hotels and Resorts. Greene will officially más...
Cocktails celebrate Chicago icons
The Lobby Lounge at the JW Marriott Chicago has a new menu of seasonal cocktails inspired by the hotel’s surroundings as well as the flavors of más...
Hotel Indigo in UK takes Bible hi-tech
If there is one thing that has remained a constant in hotel guestrooms over the years, it has been the presence of Gideons Bible in the nightstand next más...
News in brief: Fattal, Tune, Hilton
Fattal expands in Central Europe: Fattal Hotel Management announced that it signed two management deals for the 213-room Leonardo Vienna and the más...
Lowe Enterprises buys Houston's Hotel Derek
Lowe Enterprises Investors, Los Angeles, has acquired the Hotel Derek, a 314-room independent boutique hotel in the Galleria area of Houston, on behalf más...
What’s Hot: JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE trucks in local flavor
The JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE now offers a different catering experience for groups and conventions: a gathering of some of the city’s well-known más...
Home Inns buys eJia Express Hotels
Home Inns & Hotels Management, Shanghai, announced on Sunday that it bought the eJia Express hotel chain for 59.8 million yuan (US$9.4 million). With más...
Developer bringing Budgetel brand to India
Atlanta-based America’s Best Franchising has signed a multi-year agreement with Mumbai-based Budgetel Hotels India Pvt. Ltd. to be the master licensee más...
Study shows global travel budgets up
Travelers around the globe are rising above recent economic uncertainty by not only vacationing this summer, but increasing their allotted budget más...
GM at Westin, Aruba offers motorcycle tours
Through December the Westin Resort & Casino, Aruba is offering motorcycle tours led by General Manager Richard Roy. Once a month, Roy is conducting más...
News in brief: Hilton, IHG, AKA Beverly Hills
Hilton expands in Colombia: Hilton Worldwide signed six franchise deals in Colombia with Metro Hotels. The hotels are set to open over the next más...
junio 2012
HOTELS Video Report: The cycle in the US
With global economic headwinds continuing to cause pressure on hotel performance and deal making activity, the hotel industry gathered at the Marriott más...
5 Shamrock fund hotels declare bankruptcy
Five U.S. hotels under a Shamrock Capital fund declared bankruptcy earlier this week. Shamrock Capital Investors Inc., Burbank, California, controls the más...
Peabody in Little Rock changing hands
Fairwood Capital, Memphis, Tennessee, is set to acquire the 440-room Peabody Little Rock in Arkansas, according to a report in the Memphis Business Journal más...
What’s Hot: Mandarin in San Francisco reinvents for 25th
In celebration of the hotel’s 25th anniversary, Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco, has unveiled newly renovated interiors. San Francisco-based interior más...
Munich, Düsseldorf among top performers in May: TRI
Munich was one of the best-performing markets polled in May as the city hosted the UEFA 2012 Champions League Final, according to the latest HotStats más...
Atlantis celebrates JetBlue partnership with airport lounge
Atlantis on Paradise Island, The Bahamas, has kicked off a new partnership with JetBlue Airways with a unique promotion at JetBlue’s Terminal 5 más...
News in brief: Hilton, Protea, Sonesta
Hilton expands in Morocco: Hilton Worldwide signed an agreement on Thursday with Inveravante Group to introduce two new hotels in Tangier. Read más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa in Groton, Connecticut, has appointed Christopher Allen director más...
Barclays win court battle for Maybourne hotels
David and Frederick Barclay won a U.K. court battle with Paddy McKillen over ownership of the Maybourne Hotel Group portfolio, which includes the iconic más...
HOTELS report from HITEC: Going mobile
Blossoming mobile room key and guest-facing mobile integrated technology were showcased at HITEC, held in Baltimore this week. Several mobile room key más...
Hot Openings: Four Seasons opens high above Guangzhou
Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou will begin welcoming guests Aug. 1 in the top 30 floors of the 103-story International Finance Center. The building, designed más...
London remains strong in May as UK provinces lag: TRI
Hotels in London achieved a fifth consecutive month of strong profit growth in May even as hotels in the rest of the United Kingdom struggled, according más...
Real estate transparency increasing: JLLH
A biennial index released on Tuesday by Jones Lang LaSalle and LaSalle Investment Management revealed that recovering real estate markets have prompted más...
STR reports on 2011 global profitability
STR Global on Wednesday released preliminary data of its 14th annual Profitability Survey 2012 for selected cities, presenting detailed data on hotel más...
SLS South Beach culinary offerings span globe
The newly opened SLS Hotel South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida, includes F&B highlights ranging from global tapas to local seafood. Under the culinary más...
News in brief: Melco Crown, Pacifica, PATA
Melco Crown near deal in Philippines: Melco Crown Entertainment is reportedly near a deal with Belle Corp. to develop a casino-resort in Manila más...
Conrad finds home in South Africa
Hilton Worldwide on Wednesday announced Pezula Resort & Spa in South Africa is set to join the Conrad Hotels & Resorts portfolio after owner Alderney más...
Accor continues its push into Vietnam
Accor on Wednesday announced three new developments in Vietnam and now plans to see 16 new hotels and another 4,047 guestrooms opened there by 2015. The más...
Mövenpick will grow in Manila and Vietnam
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts on Wednesday announced it will manage new hotels in Vietnam and the Philippines: the Mövenpick Resort & Spa más...
20 Super 8s coming to Saudi Arabia
Wyndham Hotel Group on Wednesday signed a master franchise agreement with Saudi Automotive Services Company (SASCO) for 20 Super 8 hotels in Saudi Arabia más...
Wyndham charged over data breaches
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Tuesday charged Wyndham Worldwide Corp., Wyndham Hotel Group and Wyndham Hotel Management with failing to protect más...
What’s Hot: Taj Royal Attaché services at The Pierre
Guests staying in the 11 Grand Suites at The Pierre, A Taj Hotel in New York City, have a new amenity: palace-trained attaché staff. Taj is bringing más...
Mixed results for Poland, Ukraine during Euro 2012
STR Global reported Wednesday that hotels surrounding the UEFA Euro 2012 soccer championship across six cities in Poland and Ukraine are performing relatively más...
News in brief: Sonesta, Accor
Sonesta to add Myrtle Beach hotel: Sonesta International Hotels Corp. on August 27 will take over management of the 122-room Sonesta ES Suites Myrtle más...
HOTELS report from HITEC: Distribution’s uncertain future
Industry experts at the HSMAI Revenue Optimization Conference, held in Baltimore on Monday preceding HITEC 2012, pointed to the potential of mobile and más...
Riu plans NYC hotel
Riu Hotels & Resorts, Mallorca, Spain, announced it has entered into a contract to purchase a plot in Manhattan near Times Square to build Riu Plaza más...
Host to develop hotels in Brazil, Tennessee
Host Hotels & Resorts, Bethesda, Maryland, has entered into an agreement to develop two hotels in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and will develop one hotel más...
May global performance strong; Europe mixed bag
May was a good month for the global hotel industry, with only Europe reporting more of a mixed bag of results. Here is a rundown of the three key performance más...
What’s Hot: The Plaza Food Hall expands
The Plaza in New York City has completed the second phase of its food hall expansion. The space will ultimately occupy more than 40,000 sq ft (3,716 sq más...
Shangri-La Asia buys Sydney hotel
The Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney has been purchased by Shangri-La Asia, Hong Kong, which is owned by the Kuok family. Shangri-La Asia, which has managed más...
The South rising again for Independence Day in US
As Independence Day approaches in the United States, data from TravelClick suggests travelers seem to want to book more hotel rooms south of the Mason-Dixon más...
News in brief: DoubleTree by Hilton, Marriott, Westin
DoubleTree by Hilton to debut in Australia: Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Ramtron Australia Pty Ltd to open the first DoubleTree más...
Swissôtel to expand Russian portfolio
Zurich-based Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts and Riviera Tower Limited Liability Co. have signed a management contract for a new hotel in Kazan, más...
Hot Openings: Orient Express debuts Palacio Nazarenas
Orient Express has added to its portfolio in Peru with the opening of Palacio Nazarenas in Cuzco. The 55-suite boutique hotel occupies a 16th century más...
US drives rate 3.9% in May
The U.S. hotel industry in May reported that occupancy rose 3.6% to 63.5%, its average daily rate was up 3.9% to US$105.81 and its RevPAR increased 7 más...
London Olympics rate bonanza falling short
The Olympic Games bonanza for London hoteliers seems to be more like a bust, according to surveys that show the expected bookings surge has not materialized más...
Hansar Samui converts dump into farm
Hansar Samui in Koh Samui, Thailand, has converted 1.2 acres (0.5 hectares) of land adjacent to the hotel that had previously been used as a dumping ground más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Solís, Aimbridge
Grand Hyatt planned for Bogota: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Bienes y Comercio S.A más...
Louvre reportedly selling 4 luxe hotels to Katara
Agence France-Presse on Friday quoted a hotel union official as saying Starwood Capital’s Group du Louvre is about to sell four of its French más...
HOTELS Video Interview: La Quinta CEO talks tech trends
Technology is the name of the game, according to La Quinta President and CEO Wayne Goldberg. While talking with Goldberg at the NYU Investment conference más...
What’s Hot: Enchantment Resort reveals new look
Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Ariz., has finished a two-year, US$25 million renovation. The project added a virtual check-in process to give guests a más...
Joie de Vivre founder speaks at Kendall event
Kendall College, HOTELS Magazine and the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association welcomed author and hotelier Chip Conley to its Global Hospitality Spotlight más...
Elephant serves as ambassador for new hotel program
Koko, a 2-year elephant that lives at a nearby camp supported by Phulay Bay, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi, Thailand, is serving as the ambassador for más...
News in brief: Chesapeake, Kosmopolito, Sonesta
Chesapeake expands in Oklahoma: Chesapeake Hospitality announced on Thursday that it has transitioned management of the Crowne Plaza Oklahoma City más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Maurice Alfaro has been appointed director of operations for the Hilton Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut más...
Ellison buys Hawaiian island, 2 Four Seasons resorts
Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison bought 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lana'i from U.S. billionaire David Murdock’s Castle & Cooke real estate más...
Hot Openings: First Japanese Ritz-Carlton in Okinawa
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has opened its first luxury resort in Japan: The Ritz-Carlton, Okinawa. The resort’s 97 guestrooms and two suites have más...
HEI names new CEO
HEI Hotels & Resorts has promoted Anthony Rutledge, formerly chief financial officer and general counsel for the Norwalk, Connecticut-based owner/operator más...
Hersha buys remaining interest in Manhattan hotel
Hersha Hospitality Trust, Philadelphia, has purchased the remaining 50% interest it did not previously own in the 228-room Holiday Inn Express 29th Street más...
US forecast strong despite economic uncertainty: PKF
Despite news that will likely influence the short-term economic performance of the U.S. economy, PKF Hospitality Research predicts that RevPAR for U.S más...
Asia Pacific dominates May pipeline: STR Global
The Asia Pacific hotel development pipeline lead the world in May, comprising 1,613 hotels totaling 372,451 rooms, according to the latest data from STR más...
Insights about responsiveness to social media
Companies already investing a lot in social media will do so even more in future, while companies currently not investing in digital media are also not más...
News in brief: Astir Palace, MGM, Driftwood
Astir Palace for sale: The National Bank of Greece is preparing to sell Astir Palace Resort, which includes three hotels — Arion, a Luxury más...
Four Seasons to re-enter Dubai with new resort
On Wednesday Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts announced that it will open a new resort property in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 237-room Four Seasons más...
Swissôtel expands with 2 hotels in Turkey
Zurich-based Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio in Turkey is being expanded with two new hotels: a beach resort and a city resort in más...
Sunstone buys Chicago hotel
Sunstone Hotel Investors announced on Tuesday that it entered into an agreement to buy the 357-room Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile más...
What’s Hot: Plaza Athénée debuts new Royal Suite
A new guest accommodation has checked in at the Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris: the Royal Suite. The 4,844 sq ft (450 sq m) suite has four más...
Opinion: Caribbean killing its 'golden goose'
Each of the Caribbean hotel investment conferences held in April and May this year included sessions to encourage closer cooperation between the public más...
Guadalajara poised for hotel demand growth: HVS
The enhanced international standing of Guadalajara, Mexico, as recent host of the Pan Am Games and site of the upcoming Digital Creative City is generating más...
Fairmont joins Chinese amenity movement
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts on Wednesday announced that a new Chinese Menu Program is being rolled out at its 60 hotels worldwide introducing a number más...
G20 finally recognizes travel as economic driver
The Leaders’ Declaration from the annual meeting of the G20 just completed in Los Cabos, Mexico, states "we recognize the role of travel and tourism más...
News in brief: Sonesta, Wynn, Lanai
Sonesta expands in Illinois: Sonesta International Hotels Corp. announced on Wednesday that it will convert the Staybridge Suites Schaumburg into más...
Rosewood announces 1st hotel in China
Dallas-based Rosewood Hotels & Resorts announced on Monday that it will enter China with the opening of the 279-room Rosewood Beijing in the summer más...
HVS releases study about CEO turnover
The turnover of CEOs amongst the world’s 50 largest hotel companies doubled in 2011, compared with 2009, with 12% of companies now being led by más...
Hot Openings: Ovolo debuts in Hong Kong’s Central
Ovolo 286 Queens Road Central is now open in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong firm KplusK Associates designed the 60-room hotel. In-room technology includes Apple más...
Morgans partners for 2 hotels in Morocco
Morgans Hotel Group Co. announced on Tuesday that it is partnering with Ahmed Bennani and Hivernage Collection to open two hotels in Marrakech, Morocco más...
Marriott makes news, meets investors in China
Marriott International is making big news in China this week as it meets security analysts and institutional investors in Beijing. President and CEO Arne más...
Hotel customer satisfaction shows little movement: ACSI
Customer satisfaction with hotels is stable at 77 (on a scale of 0 to 100), and there is little movement among the top hotel brands, according to the más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Hard Rock, Kiawah Island
Wyndham expands in China: Wyndham Worldwide announced that it signed franchise agreements for four Ramada-branded properties in China. The hotels más...
Eagle Hospitality may face Blackstone takeover
Eagle Hospitality’s 13-hotel portfolio may be taken over by Blackstone Group unless its US$606 million debt can be restructured. The Wall Street más...
Report: Big change in the works at King & Grove
The New York Post reported Saturday that Ben Pundole last week emailed his resignation to King & Grove Hotels, New York City, and is going to sign más...
Environmentalists win big at Cabo Cortes project
A planned US$2 billion tourism development with 15 hotels in Baja California has been scuttled by Mexican President Felipe Calderón. Apparently más...
Hot Openings: Palazzo Victoria lays the scene in fair Verona
The Salviatino Collection has opened Palazzo Victoria in Verona, Italy. The 71-key hotel is located within Verona’s Roman walls. Public areas and más...
Marriott, OPIC partner for development
Marriott International and Overseas Private Investment Corp. (OPIC) announced on Monday that they are partnering to support new environmentally-sustainable más...
A preview of Seoul’s Block H development
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates has released its design for Block H of the Yongsan International Business District in Seoul. Scheduled for completion in más...
News in brief: MGM, Sonesta, Meliá
MGM may develop in Maryland: MGM Resorts International said it will develop a casino-resort in National Harbor, Maryland, if the state government más...
HOTELS Video Interview: Commune CEO on what’s new
HOTELS caught up with Commune Hotels & Resorts CEO Stephen Brandman at the NYU investment conference last week. While Brandman was not ready to offer más...
Sternlicht's 1 brand could be revived in Brooklyn
According to a Friday report in The New York Times, Barry Sternlicht and Starwood Capital Group will revive his dormant luxury eco-friendly luxury 1 brand más...
Hot Openings: Kimpton opens Hotel Palomar Phoenix
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has opened Hotel Palomar Phoenix. The 242-room property is part of the CityScape mixed-use development. The design includes más...
London could avoid post-Olympics slump: TravelClick
Fears that hotels in London could suffer a slump following this Summer Olympic Games might be unfounded, according to new data from market intelligence más...
Study shows generational gap in meeting planning
A new study on meeting planning shows a problem with a ‘generation gap’ within the industry relating to technology. The Future of Meetings más...
News in brief: Shangri-La, Louvre, TMI
Shangri-La expands in Australia: Holiday Inn Brisbane is set to be reflagged under Shangri-La’s Traders brand in August. Read more at Hotel más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Kevin Abramowicz has been named general manager of The Legian Bali. Abramowicz formerly was executive más...
Carlson Rezidor signs 3 hotels in China
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced on Thursday that it signed three new hotels in China. At a press conference held at the Radisson Blu Plaza Xing más...
Motel One expanding in UK
Motel One is set to expand in the U.K. with two properties in England and one in Scotland. Motel One Group, Munich, told BigHospitality that it will open más...
Diamond Jubilee boosts London hotel performance: STR Global
London received global attention during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee as the city hosted festivities over four days in the beginning of June for hundreds más...
Hot Openings: Radisson paints Nagpur, India Blu
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has opened its 53rd hotel in India: Radisson Blu Hotel Nagpur. The 214-key property is the fifth in India that Carlson Rezidor más...
White paper defines omnichannel loyalty tactics
Coining a term that captures the critical role loyalty plays in creating the seamless customer experience evolving in the marketplace today, Kobie Marketing más...
Madrid hotel boasts record-setting garden
Mercure Madrid Santo Domingo Hotel has announced that its vertical garden — measuring 9,086 sq ft (844 sq m) — has obtained a Guinness World más...
News in brief: Mövenpick, Sonesta, Aimbridge
Mövenpick expands in Philippines: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has signed a deal with Picar Development Inc. to manage a 324-room hotel más...
Langham buys Sydney’s Observatory
Langham Hospitality Group secured its first flag in Sydney with the acquisition of The Observatory Hotel on Wednesday. Great Eagle Holdings, Hong Kong más...
Starhill buys 3 Aussie Marriotts for $412 million
Starhill Real Estate Investment Trust announced on Wednesday that it bought three Marriott-branded hotels in Australia for a total of A$415 million (US$412 más...
What’s Hot: New suite checks in at Hotel Arts Barcelona
Hotel Arts Barcelona has introduced its new Arts Suite. Josep Juanpere of GCA Architects Barcelona remodeled the one-bedroom suite. The 1,615 sq ft (150 más...
W. Europe business travel to recover in 2013: GBTA
Western European business travel is predicted to be flat or decline in 2012 but increase in some countries in 2013, according to the Global Business Travel más...
W design winners interpret ‘spark’
Shedding light on their own creative process and demonstrating how the spark of inspiration evolves into material designs was the aim of the 2012 W Hotels más...
Pattaya on track to set record for guests: C9 Hotelworks
Pattaya, Thailand, is on track to accommodate more than 8 million hotel guests this year, a record for Pattaya and any Thai resort destination, according más...
US pipeline down in May: STR
The U.S. hotel pipeline decreased 6.4% year-on-year last month, according to the May 2012 STR/McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report. The total más...
News in brief: Marriott, Temple, Minor
Courtyard to enter Romania: Marriott International announced this week that its brand Courtyard by Marriott is set to debut in Romania in 2014 when más...
Morgans growing Hudson brand in London
Morgans Hotel Group Co. announced that it has entered into a 20-year management agreement for a 200-room property in London under its Hudson lifestyle más...
7 Days to focus on management
7 Days Group Holdings announced on Tuesday that it is shifting its long-term strategic focus from leased-and-operated hotels to managed hotels. The budget más...
Noble House buys Riviera Palm Springs
Noble House Hotels & Resorts announced on Tuesday that it bought the remaining stake of the Riviera Palm Springs resort, located in Palm Springs, más...
RLJ buys Hilton Garden Inn in SF Bay area
RLJ Lodging Trust, Bethesda, Maryland, on Tuesday announced that it acquired the 278-room Hilton Garden Inn San Francisco Oakland/Bay Bridge for US$36 más...
Hot Openings: Revel adds luster to Atlantic City
The beachfront resort and casino Revel is now open in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The resort boasts 1,898 guestrooms and suites with ocean views, along más...
Hong Kong sees record RevPAR in Q1: HVS
A new study on the Chinese hotel market from HVS shows the RevPAR performance of the high-end hotel market in Hong Kong reached HK$2,023 (US$260) in the más...
Kempinski continues to grow in Africa
Bloomberg on Tuesday reported that luxury operator Kempinski is looking for development opportunities in five more African countries. “Our focus más...
Louvre steps up Eastern European development
As Louvre Hotels Group prepares to open its new hotel complex in Wroclaw, Poland, with a 152-room Campanile and 136-room Premiere Classe, it is also ramping más...
New methodology aims to standardize hotels’ carbon measurement
Twenty-three global hospitality companies, in collaboration with the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the World Travel & Tourism Council más...
News in brief: Sonesta, Aimbridge, DLF
Sonesta expands in Pennsylvania: Sonesta International Hotels Corp. announced that it will open the 120-room Sonesta ES Suites Malvern, located más...
Four Seasons takes over at former Auberge resort
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has taken over management of the Encantado resort in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as ownership led by an affiliate of the Canyon más...
NYC’s Plaza sale close: Bloomberg
Bloomberg reported on Friday that El Ad Group is close to selling its stake of The Plaza, located in New York City, to Sahara India Pariwar for US$575 más...
What’s Hot: Shangri-La's revamped garden wing blooms
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore has opened its renovated Garden Wing after eight months of work. The S$66 million (US$51.3 million) project retrofitted all más...
Tata to invest $107 million to expand Ginger
Tata Group is planning to invest Rs600 crore (US$107 million) to open 55 hotels under its Ginger brand across India. Tata Group, Mumbai, India, said Roots más...
Trump closes on Doral, plans $200 million redo
The Trump Organization on Monday announced it has closed on its purchase of Doral Golf Resort & Spa and that the Trump Hotel Collection has assumed más...
Economy hurts Benelux hotels: Horwath HTL
The hotel industry in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg is still operating in the shadow of the economic crisis, according to a new report from más...
The Broadmoor enters next phase of renovation
The 744-room Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is starting the second phase of a two-year, US$60 million renovation, focusing on redesigned más...
Despite dip in luxury, Russia has good Q1
The key hotels in Moscow have so far this year performed well, in the main — showing a growth in RevPAR over 2011. Last year, itself, was a strong más...
News in brief: Clearview, Paramount, Orchid
Clearview buys California hotel: Clearview Hotel Capital bought the 156-room Embassy Suites Valencia Hotel, located in Valencia, for US$19.6 million más...
HOTELS Video Interview: Dorchester's Chris Cowdray
The Dorchester Collection, London, is in celebration mode. Not only was it partying at home last week during the Queen’s Jubilee, but it is also más...
Hot Openings: Generator Hostels powers up in Hamburg
Generator Hostels has opened its second German property, this time in Hamburg. Generator Hamburg occupies a 1920s skyscraper that was originally the Klockmanhaus más...
Boozy snow cones celebrate summer
This summer The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. Lobby Bar and Lounge is featuring an adult twist on a childhood favorite: snow cones enhanced with liquor más...
Four Points by Sheraton highlights brews and ’cue
In honor of the simple yet satisfying American backyard barbecue tradition, Four Points by Sheraton is offering Best Brews & BBQ until August 1 at más...
News in brief: Marriott
Marriott launches LGBT marketing campaign: Marriott International announced on Thursday a new marketing campaign “Be You, With Us” targeting más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Dorchester Collection has appointed Rachel Angell performance improvement manager for the U.K. area más...
De Vere Village rebrands as Village Urban Resorts
Warrington, U.K.-based De Vere Village Hotels, which currently boasts 26 U.K. hotels owned and operated by De Vere Group, has rebranded as Village Urban más...
Hot Openings: SLS Hotel opens in Miami’s South Beach
SLS Hotel South Beach opened Thursday in Miami, in a historic art deco building that housed the Ritz Plaza Hotel. The hotel offers 140 guestrooms, of más...
Entry deadline extended for HOTELS' Social Hotel Awards
The entry deadline for the HOTELS Magazine Social Hotel Awards has been extended to June 14 because there were technical difficulties with uploading the más...
Continent signs JV to add 80 India hotels
Continent Worldwide Hotels has signed up a joint venture agreement to rebrand 80 hotels in India. Continent Worldwide Hotels, Istanbul, announced this más...
$100 million being spent on Ws in the US
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and some of its W brand owners on Thursday announced plans to commit more than US$100 million to renovate 10 W más...
Homewood extends footprint in Canada
Homewood Suites by Hilton has signed three hotel deals in Canada. With two extended-stay properties coming to Ontario and another to Manitoba, the brand’s más...
Nominations sought for 2012 Gold Key Awards
Hospitality designers from around the world are invited to submit entries for the 32nd annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design. The más...
News in brief: Iberostar, Barlington, Aston
Iberostar invests in Mexico: Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is investing US$100 million in a beachfront hotel in Litibu, Mexico. Read more at Fox más...
HOTELS Magazine launches iPad application
HOTELS Magazine has launched a new iPad application, which is now available in the iTunes store. The HOTELS Magazine app blends the in-depth coverage más...
Sunstone selling Marriott Del Mar for $66 million
Sunstone Hotel Investors announced on Wednesday that it sold the 284-room San Diego Marriott Del Mar for US$66 million to an undisclosed buyer. The transaction más...
What’s Hot: Rick Tramonto, John Folse dish up a R’evolution
The long-awaited Restaurant R’evolution from chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto is now open in the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans’ French más...
Sonesta adds 2 ES Suites via conversion
Sonesta International Hotels Corp. announced two new hotels in New Jersey for its new extended-stay brand Sonesta ES Suites. Both hotels are being converted más...
Investors’ buy, sell sentiments indicate recovery: JLLH
Investors’ “buy” sentiment marks the dominant investor strategy in the United States, according to new data from Jones Lang LaSalle más...
Hotelier talk about "rainbow tourism" at ILTM
During the opening luxury travel forum at ILTM Asia 2102, currently taking place in Shanghai, a number of experts discussed why travel demands change más...
31% of US transactions in 2011 involved distress: STR
More than US$19 billion in hotel transactions occurred in the U.S. during 2011, according to data from the inaugural Hotel Transaction Almanac, a report más...
Mixed results for French market in April
After a brief respite in March, French hotel performances dropped again in April according to a new report from In Extenso. Hotel demand appeared under más...
Hyundai to launch hotel business
The Korea Herald reported on Wednesday that South Korean conglomerate Hyundai Group is set to buy the Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul to launch a hotel más...
Preferred launches family website
Preferred Hotel Group has launched its family travel website, www.PreferredFamily.com with search functionality, discussion on current news and travel más...
News in brief: Sandton, Minor, White Lodging
Sandton to manage Kura Hulanda Resorts: Sandton Hotels has been appointed to manage Hotel Kura Hulanda and Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach Club, más...
New partnership focuses on Yotel brand expansion
Yotel, which bills itself as the “most radical hotel in the world,” has announced the creation of a dedicated real estate fund platform focused más...
U.S. hotel transaction volume strong to start 2012: JLLH
U.S. hotel transaction volume reached US$5.1 billion through May 2012, representing the second-highest volume over the past four years, according to Jones más...
Joie de Vivre expands in Hawaii
As part of its ongoing expansion outside California, San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre Hotels has added the Coconut Waikiki Hotel in Honolulu to its portfolio más...
STR HOST Study shows improved 2011 performance
The U.S. hotel industry's total revenue grew 7.5% in 2011 to US$137.5 billion, the largest percent change in the previous 10 years, according to the Hotel más...
Hot Openings: Hyatt Place opens first Big Easy property
Hyatt Place New Orleans/Convention Center is now open in the city’s Warehouse District. The property marks the brand’s first entry into the más...
Supplier websites fail to expand in 2011
A new PhoCusWright study revealed that increased spending by American travelers and the complexity of travel stimulated more online shopping in 2011. más...
How important is experience?
A recent Ricci Rants blog by Susan Ricci on HOTELSMag.com chastising North American hotel companies for hiring less-experienced candidates to save on más...
News in brief: Four Points by Sheraton, Wynn, 8Hotels
Four Points by Sheraton Benin City planned: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has signed an agreement with S&F Panoramic Tourist Limited más...
Commune to launch new brand in NYC
Commune Hotels and Resorts, the joint venture of lifestyle operators Thompson Hotels and Joie de Vivre, announced Monday it will launch a new hotel brand más...
MCR acquires 3 hotels for $40 million
MCR Development, New York City, has acquired three hotels in Florida and New Jersey for approximately US$40 million. The properties, a Homewood Suites más...
B Hotels & Resorts expands portfolio
B Hotels & Resorts, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has announced its first b2 hotel and the third property for the B brand. The first b2 hotel will debut más...
What’s Hot: Harbour Rocks Hotel highlights history
The 59-room Harbour Rocks Hotel in Sydney has unveiled a new look with some very old elements. The recently completed renovation revealed some of the más...
PwC predicts ongoing RevPAR recovery in 2012, 2013
Despite economic risks associated with a recovery and the European sovereign debt crisis, an updated lodging forecast released Monday by PwC US anticipates más...
ADR continues to drive RevPAR growth: TravelClick
Despite economic uncertainty in Europe, new data from TravelClick’s May North American Hospitality Review (NAHR) shows the North American hotel más...
Tisch says infrastructure biggest challenge for U.S. travel industry
The U.S. travel industry must take on the challenge of improving the nation’s aging infrastructure and seize opportunities presented by a boom in más...
Best Western re-engineers housekeeping
Best Western International is rolling out its “I Care Clean” program that will bring advanced cleaning technologies used in hospitals, such más...
Nominations sought for 2012 Gold Key Awards
Hospitality designers from around the world are invited to submit entries for the 32nd annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design. The más...
News in brief: Westin, Driftwood, DoubleTree
Westin to debut in San Jose: Owned by SCH Partners, The Westin San Jose in California is slated to open in July 2013 across the street from the newly más...
HOTELS Interview: SLH sets sights on South America
Undeterred by Europe’s continued economic troubles, the London-based Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) is bullish about its membership’s más...
What’s Hot: Hotel Alfonso XIII shows off new look
Hotel Alfonso XIII is once again open in Seville following a US$25 million (€20 million) restoration. Local architect Demopolis led the 10-month más...
North American corporate rate shines in April
ADR continued a northward trend in April, realizing record or near-record growth margins over rates paid in 2011, according to data released Thursday más...
Manhattan occupancy, RevPAR post strong Q1: PwC
Manhattan's occupancy levels saw significant improvement during the first quarter of this year while ADR continued to recover slowly, resulting in a robust más...
GM christens new waterslide with memorable plunge
The Red Lion Hotel at the Park in Spokane, Washington, celebrated the grand opening of its new 28-ft (8.5-m) waterslide, waterfall and updated pool area más...
News in brief: China Lodging Group, Sonesta, Thayer Ventures
China Lodging Group invests in Starway Hotels: China Lodging recently completed an investment in Hong Kong-based Starway to own a majority stake. Read más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The St. Regis New York has appointed Trine Ackelman director of sales and marketing. Ackelman previously más...
mayo 2012
Gaylord becomes REIT as Marriott buys brand
Gaylord Entertainment Co. announced on Thursday that it agreed to sell the Gaylord Hotels brand and the rights to manage its four hotels to Marriott International más...
Loews acquires Hollywood hotel
Paul Whetsell has made his first mark at Loews Hotels & Resorts by acquiring the 632-room Renaissance Hotel & Spa in Hollywood, California, from más...
London’s Hoxton acquired by Ennismore Capital
London-based boutique investment firm Ennismore Capital has acquired the Hoxton hotel on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch, London. A news release from más...
Sacco leaves Starwood for Pyramid
Paul Sacco, most recently head of North American development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, has joined Pyramid Hotel Group as senior más...
RLJ Lodging buys NYC, DC hotels
RLJ Lodging Trust bought the two focused-service hotels in New York City and suburban Washington, D.C., for a combined US$146.5 million. The hotels are más...
Abid Butt named Banyan Tree CEO
The Singapore-based Banyan Tree Holdings announced that it appointed Abid Butt as CEO of Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts. In his most recent position, más...
What’s Hot: Mallorca Marriott undergoes a makeover
The Mallorca Marriott Son Antem Golf Resort and Spa has unveiled a new look after a yearlong redesign project. The new design uses warm, inviting colors más...
News in brief: Pentahotels, GF, Supertel
Pentahotels to debut in Hong Kong: Pentahotels announced that it will open the 720-room Pentahotel Hong Kong, Kowloon in the summer of 2013, its más...
Ascendas scuttles hospitality trust IPO
Ascendas cancelled plans on Tuesday for an initial public offering of its hospitality trust. The Singapore-based REIT cited tough market conditions as más...
Fairmont to manage Texas new-build
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced on Wednesday that it will open its second hotel in Texas with a 1,000-room, new-build property in Austin. FRHI más...
What’s Hot: Tremezzo unveils new rooftop suites
The Grand Hotel Tremezzo has renovated its rooftop floor. The fifth floor now resembles a lakeside estate, with views over Lake Como. It comprises three más...
Egyptian market sees surge in April: TRI
Hotels in Cairo experienced a surge in profitability during the month of April, according to the latest HotStats survey of full-service hotels in six más...
Pyramid adds 2 resorts
Pyramid Resort Group, the resort division of Boston-based Pyramid Hotel Group launched in 2011, has added two resorts to its management portfolio: The más...
Stars will shine at Beverly Hills Hotel's 100th
The stars are about to come out at The Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows as it celebrates its centennial beginning on June 15 with a weekend of exclusive más...
Beau-Rivage Palace boasts new bar
The Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland, has unveiled a new bar specializing in bespoke cocktails. Named simply Bar, the space was designed in más...
News in brief: Katara, Continent, Millennium & Copthorne
Katara buys 2 Qatar properties: Katara Hospitality bought the Barwa Al Sadd Hotel and Somerset West Bay Serviced Residencies, both located in Doha más...
GHM partners to launch Chinese resort brand
Beijing Tourism Group, Great Ocean Group and GHM are partnering to launch Ahn Luh, a luxury resort brand for the Chinese market. The principals said the más...
Louvre Hotels Group restructures in Europe
Louvre Hotels Group on Tuesday announced that its European operations (excluding France) will take on a new structure centered on two distinctive management más...
Wyndham launches 1st Days Inn prototype
Wyndham Hotel Group announced on Tuesday the first prototype for its Days Inn brand. Wyndham created the prototype to offer franchisees a uniform model más...
IHG a potential takeover target for Marriott: Numis
A buy note for IHG stock from Numis Securities supported the strategic rationale for a potential Marriott International takeover of IHG. The London-based más...
Hot Openings: Westin Xian features its own museum
The Westin Xian has opened in China’s Shaanxi province. In addition to 329 rooms and 32 one- to two-bedroom apartments, the hotel includes a museum más...
Survey shows Mexico City hoteliers most optimistic: JLLH
Mexico City has the most optimistic hotel investment outlook in Latin America, according to the first Latin America Hotel Investor Sentiment Survey from más...
Mixed results for Europe in April: TRI
A detailed look at the departmental revenue mix of hotels in markets across Europe illustrates the impact of revenue attributed to rooms and ancillary más...
News in brief: Bahrain, EnerChina, Lalit
Bahrain to get Disneyland: Bahraini investor Fouad Shuwaitar signed a US$63.8 million deal to build a miniature Disneyland theme park, including más...
Soho House announces major expansion
Soho House on Monday announced the second phase of an expansion plan for the private members club Group, launching five new houses to be opened over the más...
Hot Openings: Amalfi Coast monastery turned hotel
Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa has just opened, perched on a cliff on the Amalfi Coast. The building was originally a 17th-century monastery. To más...
Submit your entry for HOTELS' Social Hotel Awards
To recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in connecting with consumers online via social media, HOTELS Magazine más...
St. Regis Mexico City now boasts Vongerichten concept
J&G Grill, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten concept that promises to be both comfortable and elegant, has debuted at The St. Regis Mexico City. The restaurant más...
Gas prices less likely to sway US summer travel
In April 2011, the average price of a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline was approaching US$4. Almost seven in 10 U.S. adults stated that rising gasoline más...
Holiday Inn Express, TV personality team up for contest
Holiday Inn Express and famous hairstylist Tabatha Coffey are teaming up as part of a contest to reward a small business or entrepreneur with the most más...
HOTELS Video Interview: Corinthia founder Alfred Pisani
Alfred Pisani, founder of Corinthia Hotels, has operated in survival mode more than once. Now he has his sights set on competing with the best in luxury más...
Hot Openings: Sofitel opens 2nd Bangkok property
Sofitel Luxury Hotels opened Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, its second property in Bangkok. The new hotel has 345 guestrooms, including 37 suites and 75 Club más...
Myanmar reveals hotel development legal reform plans
Thai newspaper The Nation reported on Friday news on how Myanmar plans to reform its laws on hotel investment. The Union of Myanmar Travel Association más...
Seibu rumored to be selling Hawaiian resorts
Multiple media outlets reported on Friday that Japan’s Seibu Holdings Inc. has hired a real estate broker to sell its resorts in Hawaii, potentially más...
Solage to reopen shuttered Arizona resort
Auberge Resorts looks set to open its second Solage Hotels and Resorts branded location at a shuttered Arizona resort. Robert Flaxman, owner of the former más...
The Berkeley to offer synchronized swimming classes
This July and August in advance of the Summer Olympic Games, The Berkeley in London will host weekly synchronized swimming classes in partnership with más...
News in brief: IHG, Raffles, Burke Mountain
IHG chairman retires: IHG announced on Friday that the company’s chairman Daniel Webster will retire on December 31. Read more at MarketWatch más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Holly Anderson-Bender has been named director of sales for the Courtyard by Marriott in Cromwell, Connecticut más...
New credit facility gives Fairmont Raffles flexibility
FRHI Holdings Ltd. on Thursday announced that it successfully entered into a new US$600 million credit facility with a syndicate of 11 lenders. más...
Hot Opening: San Giorgio Mykonos pops up until October
The second Design Hotels pop-up project has opened, temporarily, on the Greek island of Mykonos. The 34-room San Giorgio Mykonos is owned by the proprietors más...
Tokyo to improve, Barcelona forecast flat: STR Global
Tokyo is set for RevPAR growth in 2012 and 2013 while Barcelona, Spain, is projected to see largely flat RevPAR, according to new data from STR Global más...
Northview, Five Mile buy Sanderling
Northview Hotel Group and Five Mile Capital Partners announced on Thursday the acquisition of 88-room The Sanderling Resort & Spa from Turnpike Properties más...
Omni unveils art-inspired poolside menu
Omni Hotels & Resorts has a new “Art of Water” poolside menu that will be available at its U.S. properties from Memorial Day through Labor más...
Issue resolution key to US guests: PwC
Issue resolution and current room amenities are most sought by customers, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' Experience Radar 2012: Consumer insights más...
News in brief: Interstate, Pacifica, Ri-Yaz
Interstate expands in Ireland: Interstate Hotels & Resorts announced on Thursday that it entered into a management agreement for The Marker más...
Submit your entry for HOTELS' Social Hotel Awards
To recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in connecting with consumers online via social media, HOTELS Magazine más...
Paulson-led group plans to sell resorts
Bloomberg is reporting Wednesday that a group led by Paulson & Co. plans to sell the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix and the Claremont Hotel Club & más...
Asia Pacific sees largest RevPAR gain in April: STR Global
Asia Pacific netted the largest regional RevPAR gain in April, according to new data from STR Global. In year-over-year measurements, the Asia Pacific más...
US ADR up 5% in April: STR
The U.S. hotel industry in April reported increases in all three key performance metrics, according to data from STR. Overall, the U.S. hotel industry's más...
What’s Hot: New suites, spa at Le Méridien Barcelona
Le Méridien Barcelona has renovated 19 suites and its spa. Isabel Lopez Vilalta + Associates designed the new spaces. The Mediterranean suites más...
Invesco medium-term bullish on European real estate
Invesco Real Estate on Wednesday stated hotels in Europe will continue to offer attractive income returns generally guaranteed to strong international más...
Westin Excelsior boasts renovated rooftop restaurant
The Westin Excelsior in Florence, Italy, has reopened Sesto on Arno following a €3.3 million (US$4.1 million) restoration. Set atop the hotel and más...
News in brief: Alex, Flatotel, Vladivostok
Alex, Flatotel owners bankrupt: 205 E 45 LLC, the owner of Alex Hotel and EALC LLC, the owner of Flatotel, both located in New York City, filed más...
Accor sells Motel 6 to Blackstone for $1.9 billion
Accor announced on Tuesday that it signed an agreement to sell its Motel 6 and Studio 6 chains to an affiliate of Blackstone for US$1.9 billion. As part más...
Wyndham to rebrand 20 hotels under deal with HPT
Wyndham Hotel Group, part of Wyndham Worldwide, will rebrand 20 IHG hotels with the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham brand names más...
Blackstone restructures La Quinta debt: WSJ
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday afternoon that The Blackstone Group LP has restructured the debt on its 2006, US$3.4 billion acquisition of the más...
Former Leading execs bringing Great Hotels to Americas
Three former senior executives of The Leading Hotels of the World, including Marshall Calder and Paul McManus, are returning to New York City to establish más...
Accor closes Mirvac purchase
The same day it sold its North American division, Accor announced the completion of its €195 million (US$254 million) joint purchase of Mirvac Hotels más...
What’s Hot: New Fairmont Miramar suite feels like home
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows has introduced the first of its suites to be redesigned by Lynda Murray. The new suite design offers a residential más...
2 Moscow hotels sold to Gutseriyev
Russian billionaire Mikhail Gutseriyev and his nephew Mikhail Shishkhanov, president of B&N Bank bought four property parcels that include two Moscow más...
China poised to surpass US in business travel: GBTA
China, currently ranked second in the business travel market, is forecast to surpass the United States as early as 2015, according to the inaugural Business más...
News in brief: IHG, Sonesta, Auberge
Hotel Indigo debuts in Wales: IHG’s Hotel Indigo brand is set to debut in Wales with the signing of the 92-room Hotel Indigo Queen Street más...
Hyatt announces 8 hotels in Latin America
Hyatt announced eight new hotels in Latin America on Monday in addition to completing a previously announced acquisition of a Mexico City hotel. Hyatt más...
Meliá, Katmandu launching theme park resort
Katmandu Park, a Producciones de Parques theme park located in Mallorca, Spain, has joined forces with Meliá Hotels International to transform más...
What’s Hot: W Seattle adds local color to public spaces, F&B
W Seattle has reopened its public spaces after a three-month closure and US$2.5 million renovation project. W Hotels Global Brand Design Group and Skylab más...
B launches b2 brand
B Hotels & Resorts announced on Monday the launch of the b2 hotel brand for the 3-star market. The first b2 location will be announced within weeks más...
BC Lynd buys San Antonio hotel
BC Lynd Hospitality announced on Monday that it bought the historic The St. Anthony Riverwalk Wyndham Hotel, located in San Antonio. The 430-room hotel más...
Renowned Indian restaurant pops up at London hotel
Bukhara, the acclaimed Indian restaurant at ITC Maurya in New Delhi, has popped up at the Sheraton Park Tower, Knightsbridge, through June 1. The two más...
Jubilation not expected to overcome London hoteliers
Around one million visitors lined the streets for The Royal Wedding last year and PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated that the economic benefit from the más...
News in brief: HPL, Prism, Kosmopolito
HPL buys Maldives development: HPL Hotels and Resorts bought the 100-room Baa Atoll Malefushi resort development. Read more at Haveeru Prism más...
HOTELS Interview: Chef helms one of Paris’ hottest hotels
Thierry Marx has been renowned for many years as one of France’s most distinguished chefs, but as executive chef and catering director for Mandarin más...
Hot Openings: Imperial views at Palace Hotel Tokyo
Palace Hotel Tokyo has opened after a ¥90 billion (US$1.2 billion) investment in the multi-use property that previously housed the Hotel Teito and más...
Royal Family’s hats recreated as tea pastries at The Berkeley
The Berkeley in London is celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee with Prêt-à-Portea – The Royal Collection, pastries resembling más...
HTNG releases interface specifications
Hospitality technology buyers and providers will benefit from one of the largest sets of new and improved standards ever incorporated into a single release más...
Malmaison updates F&B offerings
U.K. luxury boutique hotel brand Malmaison has debuted a new menu at its brasseries as well as updated bar and room service menus. The new brasserie menu más...
SpringHill Suites survey examines US summer travel plans
A new survey on U.S. summer travel plans by SpringHill Suites by Marriott and researcher TNS reveals what hotel amenities, technology and travel booking más...
Panama at vanguard of Latin American pipeline: STR
Despite its small size compared to other countries in the region, Panama was set for 44% of the Central and South American pipeline in April, according más...
News in brief: Starhill, Seiyo Ginza, Scotland
Starhill ‘in talks’ to buy 3 Aussie Marriotts: Starhill Real Estate Investment Trust is in talks to buy the Sydney Harbour Marriott más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Coast Hotels & Resorts, Seattle, has named Judy Adams regional general manager of the Coast Coal más...
Choice announces dual-brand prototype, F&B program
Choice unveiled a new dual-brand combination hotel prototype for its Sleep Inn and MainStay Suites brands at the company’s annual convention in más...
What’s Hot: Branding the Berkeley
The Berkeley hotel in London has unveiled a new brand identity. The London design studio Construct created the new branding, which has been developed más...
Russia's Azimut rolls out Smart room
Azimut Hotels, Moscow, for the first time has developed a new guestroom prototype that will be implemented in its Moscow and St. Petersburg hotels, and más...
Boyd buys Peninsula for $1.4 billion
Boyd Gaming Corp. agreed on Thursday to buy Peninsula Gaming for US$1.45 billion, adding five casinos all outside of Nevada. The Las Vegas-based Boyd más...
Hyatt Place launches heartier free breakfast
Hyatt Place has introduced the a.m. Kitchen Skillet, a new breakfast program that is still free for guests. The new breakfast program includes three breakfast más...
Pipeline growing in sub-Saharan Africa: W Hospitality
A recent study conducted by Lagos-based consultancy W Hospitality Group has revealed that hotel development in sub-Saharan Africa by international hoteliers más...
Easing visa rules will boost G-20 tourism: UNWTO
Visa facilitation is central to stimulating economic growth and job creation through tourism and the G-20 can have a particularly important role to play más...
Asia Pacific dominates world pipeline in April: STR Global
The Asia Pacific hotel development pipeline in April led the world’s regions at 1,591 hotels totaling 365,507 rooms, according to data from STR más...
News in brief: Hilton, BHG, Marriott
Embassy Suites to debut in Dominican: Hilton Worldwide announced on Thursday that it signed an agreement with Desarrollos RDC, S.A. to open a 200-room más...
Is Gaylord now a takeover target?
An interesting report by Bloomberg on Wednesday speculated that Gaylord Entertainment Co., Nashville, Tennessee, could now be a takeover target after más...
Orient-Express names new interim CEO
Orient-Express Hotels, Hamilton, Bermuda, has named board member Philip Mengel interim chief executive officer as the board continues its search for a más...
Al Faisal buys stake in Radisson Blu Aqua
A subsidiary of Al Faisal Holding Co. bought a stake from Magellan Development Group in the 334-room Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, which opened in November más...
Hot Openings: Swiss style arrives in Dresden
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts opened the Swissôtel Dresden Am Schloss, its fourth hotel in Germany earlier this year. The property has 235 más...
Sheraton launches premium wine program
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is launching Sheraton Social Hour, a premium wine program it will offer globally in cooperation with Wine Spectator magazine más...
Canada sets hotel transactions record in Q1: Colliers
Canada witnessed a record amount of hotel transactions in the first quarter of 2012 with C$360 million (US$356 million) spent on 20 hotels, according más...
US pipeline down 9% in April: STR
The U.S. hotel development pipeline saw a 9% year-on-year decrease in the number of rooms in the total active pipeline compared to April 2011, according más...
Americans to travel more this summer: Deloitte
Compared to 2011, more Americans are planning to kick-off the summer with a Memorial Day weekend excursion this year but they are conscientious about más...
News in brief: Hilton, Rezidor, ITC
Hilton expands in Qatar: Hilton Worldwide signed a deal with a subsidiary of Al Faisal Holding Co. to open two new DoubleTree by Hilton-branded más...
Fairmont Raffles focuses on China
After tripling its presence in China over the past few years, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International appointed on Tuesday a new vice president of development más...
Hot Openings: Okura Prestige opens in Bangkok
The Okura Prestige Bangkok opened Monday. The hotel offers 240 guestrooms, a spa, a fitness center, four restaurants and bars and a business center. Four más...
Polish hotel market set for further growth: JLLH
The Polish hotel market was one of the best performing in Europe in 2011 with hotels in Warsaw posting an 8.3% appreciation in room yield when compared más...
CFOs to spend on travel to drive growth: AmEx
Senior finance executives around the world report that they will direct resources to business travel spending that can drive revenue growth, according más...
View from Europe: The Americans are coming!
It is really hard to envisage the sea change we have seen here in Europe over the past two or three months. It would be no exaggeration to say that a más...
Americans more bullish about travel: USTA
For the second consecutive year, the outlook for summer travel continues to brighten with 64% of U.S. adults, or an estimated 154 million Americans, planning más...
Swissôtel Chicago completes renovation
Swissôtel Chicago has finished a US$10 million renovation of its lobby and meeting space that began last December. Inspired by the work of the building’s más...
News in brief: Noble, Absolute, Wyndham
Noble buys Boston-area hotel: Noble Investment Group announced on Tuesday that it bought the 148-room Hilton Garden Inn Boston Waltham, located más...
Reynolds Plantation sold to MetLife
Insurance giant MetLife revealed on Friday that it bought the sprawling Reynolds Plantation golf resort, located in Greensboro, Georgia. MetLife, which más...
Hilton Garden Inn to debut in Southeast Asia
Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Hoan Kiem Tourism & Trading Company Ltd. for the 86-room Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi. Scheduled más...
Hot Openings: Conrad debuts in NYC
Hilton Worldwide's Conrad Hotels & Resorts brand has opened its first property in New York City, its fifth in the U.S. The Conrad New York has 463 más...
Hanoi hotel to open bomb shelter as memorial
The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi on May 21 will cut the ribbon on a bomb shelter used during the Vietnam War from the mid-1960s through the Christmas más...
Andaz in NYC prepares chic picnics
Andaz 5th Avenue in New York City has relaunched its picnic basket service with three choices and the option to use an Andaz Picnic Butler to help arrange más...
News in brief: Meliá, Marco Polo, Sonesta
Meliá quarterly profit flat: Meliá Hotels International reported a €4.7 million (US$6 million) profit for the first quarter of más...
HOTELS Interview: Getting deals done in the downturn
When Bruce White founded White Lodging Services Corp. in Merrillville, Indiana, in 1985, limited resources forced him to focus the hotel management company más...
Iberostar segments portfolio in 4 categories
Grupo Iberostar announced on Wednesday that it is segmenting its Iberostar Hotels & Resorts portfolio into four different categories: Iberostar The más...
Frasers launches new brand
Singapore-based Frasers Hospitality launched on Thursday a new serviced residences brand, Capri by Fraser. All Capri by Fraser properties will have hotel más...
What’s Hot: Hotelito Desconocido expands with palafitos
Hotelito Desconocido in Cruz de Loreto, Mexico, has reopened after a renovation and expansion project. The resort replaced its 24 existing bungalows with más...
CBRE Roundtable: Sourcing debt in Europe
At the 15th anniversary of the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin this March, CBRE Hotels hosted a round table discussion examining the current más...
International tourism on strong start in 2012: UNWTO
International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 5.7% in the first two months of 2012 according to the May issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer más...
News in brief: Turnberry Isle, Summit, Premier Inn
Turnberry Isle joins Autograph: Turnberry Isle Miami joined Marriott International’s Autograph Collection. Read more at MarketWatch más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Amy Arbuckle has been named general manager of the San Francisco Marriott Fisherman's Wharf. Arbuckle más...
Hilton launches design website, new closet concept
On Wednesday Hilton Worldwide launched a website to assist Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand hotel owners with their properties' design process and unveiled más...
Starwood to move HQ to Dubai for a month
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s top 100 global executives met Thursday in Dubai and announced plans to temporarily move the company's más...
What’s Hot: W Union Square's renovated guestrooms, bar
W Union Square in New York City has completed a full renovation of its 270 guestrooms as well as its Extreme Wow and Wow suites. Guestrooms now feature más...
Despite Arab Spring, Middle East hotel market set to grow: HVS
Despite continued unrest in the region, the Middle East remains at the forefront of hotel development and tourist growth according to a new report from más...
Miami to see hotel transactions uptick in 2012: JLLH
After increasing 154% year-on-year to US$557 million in 2011, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels is projecting that the hotel transaction volume in Miami will más...
European association wants fair play from OTAs
HOTREC, the European association of hotels, restaurants and cafés, unanimously agreed on April 27 at its general assembly in Limassol, Cyprus, más...
News in brief: Pan Pacific, Room Key, Baku
Pan Pacific expands in Singapore: Pan Pacific Hotels Group announced on Wednesday that it will open the 180-room Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach más...
Hyatt launches global F&B philosophy
Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Wednesday announced the launch of “Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served,” a global philosophy focused on sourcing más...
Westin 'Hive' reinvents business centers
Westin Hotels & Resorts on Wednesday announced a new workspace concept to re-invent the hotel business center. After conducting guest research and más...
IHG profits surge in first quarter
Despite ongoing challenges in Europe, IHG, number one in HOTELS ranking of the world’s biggest hotel companies, on Wednesday reported a surge in más...
Social media, multilingual content star on new Fairmont jobs site
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, has officially launched its new-look careers website. Site users wishing can now enjoy greater options enabled más...
Hot Openings: Jumeirah opens its first European resort
Jumeirah Group has opened its first European resort: Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa in Mallorca, Spain. The property has 120 rooms and suites, two más...
DoubleTree launches ‘Little Things Project’
From free Wi-Fi to chocolate cookies, DoubleTree by Hilton has promised to deliver “little things” to make guests’ travel experiences más...
Accor hotel reopenings help revitalize Christchurch
Accor announced on Wednesday plans to open two of its four hotels in Christchurch, New Zealand, which were closed following the earthquake in February más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Viceroy, Hilton
Wyndham Hotel Group expands Ramada in Peru: An agreement with Hoteles Costa del Sol will franchise three new Ramada Hotels in Peru, expanding the brand’s más...
Starwood announces new W in Dubai
Starwood announced that it will open a new W Hotel on The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2016. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide más...
What’s Hot: Singapore Marriott gets new, contemporary look
Singapore Marriott Hotel has completed a S$36 million (US$28.4 million) refurbishment project. The design team at Hirsch Bedner Associates used neutral más...
Aggressive AWH Partners acquires Hilton Jackson
AWH Partners, LLC – a joint venture of Winston Harton Holdings and August Group Ventures – on Tuesday announced the all-cash acquisition más...
Caesars sells Harrah's St. Louis to Penn
Penn National Gaming Inc. has announced it will buy Harrah's St. Louis from Caesars Entertainment Corp. for US$610 million. Upon closing in the second más...
Tropicana Entertainment names CEO
Tropicana Entertainment Inc., Las Vegas, has named Tony Rodio president and chief executive officer. Rodio succeeds Daniel Ninivaggi, who served as Tropicana más...
New Shangri-La website has Instagram initiative
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has unveiled a revamped website that includes a themed “#LovingTheMoment” Instagram initiative to encourage más...
HOTELS, Kendall College to host Chip Conley lecture
The Kendall College School of Hospitality Management, in partnership with HOTELS Magazine and the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, has announced más...
News in brief: Solis, Peppers, Wynn
Solis expands in China: Solis Hotels & Resorts announced on Monday that it signed an agreement with Fantasia Holdings Group Co. to develop and más...
Al Habtoor buys Le Méridien Budapest
Al Habtoor Group announced on Monday that it bought the 218-room Le Méridien Budapest, located in Budapest, Hungary, from Central European Estates más...
What’s Hot: American Club renovates guestrooms, lobby
The American Club Resort Hotel in Kohler, Wisconsin, has completed an extensive renovation project. The property’s 240 guestrooms now feature rich más...
1 in 5 Americans to vacation more this summer
According to new data from Harris Interactive, 18% of Americans plan to take more vacation trips during this summer than last summer but are keeping value más...
Comfort foods, food trucks among key 2012 trends: Kruse
Innovation is the key to real recovery in the U.S. foodservice industry, and that menu innovation can be broken down into three main categories — más...
Brazilians visit US at record rates: Expedia
New data compiled by Expedia shows that a record number of Brazilians are visiting the U.S. and that they spend more per capita than any other nationality más...
House-brewed beer joins minibar menu
Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai’s The Brew, a gastropub that brews its own beers, is now bottling two of its house-made beers — The Pils and más...
2011 world tourism spending above $1 trillion: UNWTO
In 2011, international tourism receipts exceeded US$1 trillion for the first time, up from US$928 billion in 2010, according to the latest UNWTO World más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Omni, Great Wolf
Rezidor expands in Saudi Arabia: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 252-room Radisson Blu Hotel, Riyadh North Ring Road, located más...
HOTELS Interview: Prominent chef expands hotel presence
Chef Charlie Palmer may still be best known for his many acclaimed restaurants — Aureole in New York City and Las Vegas, Charlie Palmer at the Joule más...
Kempinski makes 2 new deals in Africa
Kempinski Hotels this week announced the signing of a management agreement with the Simba Corp. Ltd. for a 200-key hotel in Nairobi, Kenya and a luxury más...
AH&LA reports US hotels receiving bomb threats
The American Hotel & Lodging Association today sent out an email alerting the media that several hotels across the United States, including Chicago más...
Hot Openings: Mandarin Oriental flag now flies in Atlanta
The 42-story, 127-room Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta joined Atlanta’s skyline this week. The hotel, built in 2008 and previously known as The Mansion más...
Q1 RevPAR growth in most of Latin America: STR Global
The majority of South American and Central American cities continued to report RevPAR improvements for the first quarter 2012 compared to the same timeframe más...
Jeddah, Dubai shine; Abu Dhabi profits drop: TRI
Hotels in Jeddah saw a 30% surge in profits during March, according to the latest survey of full-service hotels in six MENA cities by TRI Hospitality más...
REITs with female board members get higher returns: study
A national study of the board structures of real estate investment trusts by Ferguson Partners Ltd., a global executive recruitment consultancy, found más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Lowe, Red Lion
Rezidor expands in Scotland: Rezidor Hotel Group announced that the 91-room Park Inn by Radisson Glasgow City Centre, located in Glasgow, Scotland más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Christian Acker has been appointed F&B manager at The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam. Acker previously más...
Sunstone buys Wyndham Chicago for $88 million
Sunstone announced on Wednesday that it signed an agreement to buy the 417-room Wyndham Chicago from an affiliate of The Blackstone Group for US$88.4 más...
Libyan laws: What hoteliers need to know
Following the troubles that faced Libya in 2011, the country is experiencing a boom as its political and business leaders rush to revive the country from más...
Invesco acquires two new Berlin hotels
Invesco Real Estate has acquired two newly built 4-star hotels at Berlin’s Alexanderplatz for €60 million (US$79.1 million) in a sale and leaseback más...
Lowe Enterprises buys, rebrands Affinia in Chicago
Lowe Enterprises Investors, on behalf of an investment client, has acquired the 28-story, 213-room Affinia Chicago Hotel located in Chicago from Denihan más...
Strong summer forecast for US: STR
The U.S. hotel industry is expected to report strong performance results in summer 2012, according to STR's summer forecast. The summer season comprises más...
Hyatt reorganizes, releases Q1 earnings
On Wednesday Hyatt announced that it would reorganize its structure with the creation of three operating regions — the Americas, Asia and EMEA más...
Renaissance launches global ad campaign
Marriott International brand Renaissance Hotels has launched its first global advertising campaign, “Live Life to Discover.” The print, digital más...
What’s Hot: Marriott Pittsburgh Renaissance Hotel renovated
The Marriott Pittsburgh Renaissance Hotel has completed an interior renovation. D-ash Design redid the hotel’s lobby, bar, ballrooms, meeting rooms más...
Centara names CEO
Centara Hotels & Resorts, Bangkok, has appointed Thirayuth Chirathivat chief executive officer. Chirathivat replaces Gerd Steeb, who recently retired más...
News in brief: Hersha, Absolute, Signature Life
Hersha buys Boston hotel: Hersha Hospitality Trust bought the 80-room Bulfinch Hotel, located in Boston, for US$18.2 million. Read more at MarketWatch más...
Hammons sued for allegedly overstating worth
The saga over the ongoing operations of John Q. Hammons Hotels, Springfield, Missouri, is back in the headlines. The company now faces a lawsuit over más...
Wynn gets OK for Macau expansion
Wynn Resorts received approval from the Macau government on Tuesday to build its second casino-resort there. Wynn plans to build a 2,000-room casino-resort más...
Lemon Tree, APG launch JV
The Lemon Tree Hotel Co. and a Dutch pension fund have partnered to form a joint venture to develop midscale hotels in India. The Lemon Tree Hotel Co más...
Hyatt buys Mexico City hotel for $190 million
Hyatt announced on Wednesday that it will buy the 756-room Hotel Nikko Mexico, located in Mexico City, from Japan-Mexico Hotel Investment Co. for US$190 más...
What’s Hot: St. Regis Aspen redesigned
The St. Regis Aspen has completed a US$40 million redesign of its interior and exterior. For the project, designer Lauren Rottet came up with a “mountain más...
French market posts positive March results
Following rather gloomy results in January and February, March marked a turnaround for the French hotel market, according to a new report from In Extenso más...
Starwood to re-enter Perth in June
Host Hotels and Resorts and GIC Real Estate, the real estate investment arm of the Government of Singapore Investment Corp., have purchased the Citigate más...
Claridge’s to host ‘Taste of Noma’
To mark the celebrations of the London Olympics 2012 this summer, Claridge’s will offer “A Taste of Noma at Claridge’s” from July más...
Homewood Suites launches new ad campaign
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, launched an advertising campaign for its extended-stay brand Homewood Suites by Hilton on Tuesday. The campaign includes más...
News in brief: Shaza, Starwood, Meliá
Shaza to expand in Oman: Shaza Hotels announced on Monday plans to open a beach resort in Salalah, Oman. Read more at Zawya Starwood expands más...
Qatar National Hotels rebrands as Katara
Qatar National Hotels Co. announced at the Arabian Travel Market convention in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Monday that it is rebranding as Katara más...
SBE gets cash to revive Vegas' Sahara
After acquiring Las Vegas’ landmark Sahara Hotel & Casino and then shuttering the property in May 2011, SBE Entertainment Group has with the más...
US hotels set to prosper: PKF
The U.S. lodging industry recovery may have begun in 2010, but it wasn't until 2011 that the improved prosperity was shared by nearly all hotels in the más...
What’s Hot: Dorset Square Hotel, London
The Dorset Square Hotel in London will reopen in June under the direction of Firmdale Hotels once more. The Regency townhouse has 38 guestrooms. Kit Kemp más...
Kingdom sells Four Seasons Toronto
Kingdom Holding Co. sold the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto property for C$142.5 million (US$144 million) on Monday. Kingdom Holding Co., Riyadh, Saudi Arabia más...
Viceroy to operate Istanbul urban resort
Viceroy Hotel Group announces that it has been selected as the operator of the new Nef Bebeköy development in Istanbul, Turkey. Spread across ten más...
Ritz-Carlton app includes presidential tips
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has launched its mobile app with tips from brand president Herve Humler and also serves up exclusive tips, tours and integrates más...
Leisure rates set growth record in March: Pegasus
ADR paid by leisure hotel guests climbed 9.2% in March over 2011, beating the previous record of 8.3% set in December over 2010, according to data from más...
Online satisfaction up among business travelers: HSMAI
Online satisfaction and task completion improved among business travelers during the first quarter of 2012 despite fewer repeat visitors and loyalty program más...
News in brief: Nevele, IHG, HMH
Nevele property purchased for redevelopment: Nevele Investors finalized its purchase of the 500-acre (202-hectare) Nevele Grande Hotel and Country más...
abril 2012
Kerzner sells Bahamas, Dubai properties
Kerzner International ceded ownership of its flagship Atlantis Paradise Island as well as two other properties as part of a debt restructuring deal. After más...
Starwood to re-enter Iraq
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with BCD Co. to manage a new-build Sheraton hotel in Erbil, Iraq. Scheduled to open in más...
Mövenpick debuts new name in China
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has announced it will be known as Rui Xiang in China, which means “brings you enjoyment and luck with Swiss más...
HOTELS launches website optimized for all devices
HOTELS Magazine has completely redesigned our website, the latest in a series of enhancements that include more integrated photo galleries and other interactive más...
Study ranks US hotel chains by energy efficiency
Sustainability technology company Brighter Planet recently released a study of 46,000 U.S. hotels from 75 chains that measured each for energy efficiency más...
Locally made chocolate, high-end liquor star in new minibars
Soho House New York has launched the Mini Bar Collection, an array of unique goodies in a custom-built mid-century modern credenza. The showpiece of the más...
News in brief: Fairmont, Hard Rock, Al Khozama
Fairmont expands in UAE: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced that it will open the 252-room Fairmont Ajman, located in Ajman, United Arab Emirates más...
HOTELS Interview: Taking all-inclusive to the next level
Miami-based Palace Resorts’ new marketing arm, The All Inclusive Collection, recently announced the reflagging of Mexico’s Cancun Palace and más...
What’s Hot: Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh
Showcasing its multi-year brand refresh program for its Sheraton Hotels & Resorts brand, Starwood has unveiled the new look of Sheraton Grand Hotel más...
Puma Hotels launches Collection
After taking over 20 hotels in the UK from Barceló Group earlier this month, Puma Hotels has now launched the Puma Hotels’ Collection. Barceló más...
Choice profit up 27% in Q1
Choice increased its profit by 27% year-on-year to US$20 million in the first quarter of 2012 from US$15.7 million in 2011. Choice Hotels International más...
Kingdom sells resort in Phuket
A unit of TA Global Bhd, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, is buying the Mövenpick Karon Beach Resort in Phuket, Thailand, for 276.94 million Malaysian ringgit más...
Mixed Q1 performance in Persian Gulf: STR Global
During the first quarter of 2012, the major markets across the Gulf Cooperation Council member states reported mixed results in RevPAR following mostly más...
GoldenEye collaborates to launch fashion line
Clothing design company Haute Hippie and the GoldenEye resort, located in Oracabessa, Jamaica, announced recently their collaboration on creating the más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Phoenix at CityScape, scheduled to open in June in Phoenix, Arizona, has más...
News in brief: Bin Majid, Aimbridge, Marriott
Bin Majid expands in UAE: Bin Majid Group announced that it will open two new hotels in the United Arab Emirates, one in Abu Dhabi to open in the más...
Starwood quadruples profit in Q1
Starwood saw its profit more than quadruple to US$128 million in the first quarter of 2012 from US$28 million during the same period in 2011. Starwood más...
Sternlicht expands on his Baccarat plans
The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday got Barry Sternlicht on the record talking about his Starwood Capital Group's plans for the luxury Baccarat Hotels más...
Brazil Hospitality announces 7-hotel expansion
Brazil Hospitality Group announced on Wednesday that it added seven hotels to its portfolio in Brazil with a series of management agreements. All the más...
8,500 more rooms, new brand announced for Makkah
Abdul Latif Jameel Real Estate Investment Co. (ALJREIC) on Wednesday unveiled plans to invest 10 billion Saudi riyals (US$2.67 billlion) to develop new más...
Galaxy Macau to add 2 new hotels
Galaxy Macau is set to undergo a US$2 billion property expansion, which will include new Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott branded hotels. The addition will más...
Starwood to manage 3 Al Habtoor hotels in Dubai
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide will manage three hotels in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to be built by the Dubai-based Al Habtoor Group, according más...
North American RevPAR up 15%: TravelClick
RevPAR for hotels across North America is up 15% year-over-year based on current reservations for the upcoming 12 months compared to a year ago, according más...
March gives mixed performance in Europe: TRI
While six of the European cities polled successfully achieved an increase in TrevPAR, only three were able to convert this growth in total revenue into más...
News in brief: Las Vegas Sands, Rezidor, Aimbridge
LVS doubles Q1 profit: Las Vegas Sands saw its profit double year-on-year in the first quarter to US$489.9 million. Read more at The Washington más...
What’s Hot: 2nd Mama Shelter opens in Marseille
This month saw the opening of the second Mama Shelter hotel, Mama Shelter Marseille, located in central Marseille, France. The hotel features 127 guestrooms más...
Hyatt expands portfolio in India
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into agreements with Piccadily Hotels Private Limited for two new Hyatt Regency hotels más...
Momentum in US continues through Q1: STR
The U.S. hotel industry reported increases in all three key performance metrics for the first quarter of 2012 in year-over-year measurements, according más...
Wyndham Worldwide profit down 56%
Although Wyndham Hotels Group saw a 24% year-on-year increase in revenue to US$185 million in the first quarter of 2012, its parent company’s profit más...
Forbes Travel Guide launches in Shanghai
Forbes Travel Guide, formerly Mobil Travel Guide, the originators of the 5-star ratings program in the U.S., has added Shanghai, China, as its newest más...
News in brief: Host, Sonesta, Hemingway
Host narrows loss in Q1: Host Hotels & Resorts reported a loss of US$2 million in the first quarter of 2012, down from a US$60 million loss más...
Lane Hotels deals for capital infusion
AWH Partners LLC has announced a joint venture to purchase Lane Hotels Inc., as well as individual hotels owned by Lane Hospitality LLC, for an undisclosed más...
MEA sees largest RevPAR gain in March: STR Global
While Asia Pacific, the Americas and Europe all saw hotel performance gains in March, those registered for Middle East/Africa were the most dramatic, más...
AmericInn launching $75 million refresh
Northcott Hospitality’s limited-service AmericInn brand announced a US$75 million brand refresh at its 2012 annual convention in Minneapolis this más...
Optimistic yet realistic development outlook from the Caribbean
This month’s Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC) is promoted on the basis of predicted resort development growth across the más...
Aussie Palazzo Versace put up for sale
Palazzo Versace — Gold Coast, located in Main Beach, Australia, is being put up for sale. Developer Sunland Group, Surfers Paradise, Australia, más...
Hilton grows Mexico portfolio
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, announced it has signed two management agreements that will bring its total number of properties operating in Mexico más...
Hot Openings: Best Western Premier Majestic Ponta Negra Beach, Brazil
Best Western has opened its first Best Western Premier property in Brazil: the Best Western Premier Majestic Ponta Negra Beach. The property, Best Western’s más...
News in brief: Element, Courtyard, Legoland
Element expands in New Jersey: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Tuesday that the Element Harrison, located near Newark Liberty más...
Apollo wins Great Wolf bidding war
It appears that Apollo’s bid of US$7.85 per share on Friday for ownership of Great Wolf is the winner. Great Wolf Resorts, Madison, Wisconsin, announced más...
Britannia buys 2 De Vere hotels
Britannia Hotels bought two hotel properties in northern England from De Vere Group for £20 million (US$32 million). Britannia Hotels, Altrincham más...
Family, multi-generational travel emerging in 2012: Virtuoso
Family and multi-generational travel tops the list of biggest travel trends emerging this year, followed by river cruises, active or adventure trips, más...
NAMA defends short notice on Maybourne loan sale
Two National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) executives defended in court the decision to give Patrick McKillen only an hour’s notice on the transfer más...
What’s Hot: SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills
SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills is installing a comprehensive new lighting program. The lighting, developed by photographer, filmmaker and creative director más...
New managing director for The Setai, Miami Beach
Trevi, the new management company for The Setai, Miami Beach, appointed Guenter Richter as vice president and managing director at the property. Richter más...
News in brief: Westin, Nassau, Aloft Richmond West
Westin to debut in Dominican: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Monday plans to debut its Westin Hotels & Resorts brand in más...
HOTELS Interview: Renewal at Turnberry Isle
Last August, Turnberry Isle Miami's owner, the Soffer family's Turnberry Associates, removed Fairmont Hotels & Resorts from management of the 408-room más...
Apollo raises Great Wolf bid to $7.85
Apollo and KSL are not relenting in their bidding war to buy Great Wolf Resorts, with the latest bid more than 50% above the initial offer. Great Wolf más...
Worldhotels, H2O partner to develop 5 Philippines hotels
H2O Ventures and Worldhotels are partnering to develop five hotels in the Philippines for US$200 million. The first project will be the new-build, 252-room más...
Asia Pacific, Europe lead global pipeline: STR Global
Asia Pacific and Europe topped the global pipeline in March according to the latest figures from STR Global. The Asia Pacific hotel development pipeline más...
US RevPAR up 8% in March: STR
The U.S. hotel industry's occupancy rose 4% to 63.6%, its ADR was up 3.9% to US$105.91 and its RevPAR increased 8% to US$67.38, according to data from más...
Hot Openings: Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach
With the opening of its Diamond Head Tower, which accompanies the Puli Tower that opened last December, Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach is complete. The hotel más...
News in brief: Four Points, De Vere, Fairmont
Four Points to debut in British Columbia: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Thursday that its Four Points by Sheraton brand is más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Daniel Aylmer has been appointed general manager of Le Royal Méridien Shanghai and area managing más...
Clayton leaves Viceroy to become Jumeirah COO
Jumeirah Group on Thursday announced the appointment of Nicholas Clayton as chief operating officer as well as the retirement of Guy Crawford as CEO, más...
Marriott sees RevPAR, ADR gains in Q1
Marriott saw a year-on-year a systemwide RevPAR increase of 6.8% and an ADR increase of 3.5% in the first quarter of 2012 using constant dollars. This más...
KSL ups Great Wolf offer to $7.25
The private equity bidding war for Great Wolf Resorts continues. Great Wolf Resorts, Madison, Wisconsin, announced on Thursday that the offer from KSL más...
Sonesta launches extended-stay brand
Sonesta announced on Thursday that it will open its first extended-stay hotel hotel this summer in suburban Boston. The 141-room Sonesta ES Suites Burlington más...
Royal Orchid sells Ahmedabad hotel to Samhi
Royal Orchid Hotels announced on Wednesday that it sold the 104-room Royal Orchid Central, Ahmedabad to Samhi Hotels for Rs 67 crore (US$12.8 million) más...
Joule awards sales superstars with Mercedes
Management company Richfield Hospitality has awarded two of its associates at The Joule in Dallas 2012 Mercedes-Benz cars for exceeding sales goals. Jessica más...
Vertical catwalk opens Revere
The Revere Hotel Boston Common officially launched on April 18 with a vertical fashion show featuring climbers walking down the side of its 24-story façade más...
Aqua holding Pinterest contest
Aqua is offering a free 5-night stay as part of its first-ever contest on the Pinterest social photo sharing website. The “Pin Hawaii: Hawaii Bucket más...
News in brief: Hilton, Canada, Nigeria
Hilton partners with TV show: Hilton Hotels & Resorts announced a partnership with "The Firm," which airs on NBC in the U.S. and in 62 other más...
Southern Sun rebrands as Tsogo Sun
Tsogo Sun Holdings, Bryanston, South Africa, is consolidating its operating divisions under one name, unifying its gaming and hotel interests under the más...
Sagicor buys back Breezes Runaway Bay
Sagicor Life Jamaica bought the 266-room Breezes Runaway Bay resort, located in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, from SuperClubs. The property will be rebranded to The Jewel más...
Accor revenue up 1.2% in Q1
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, saw a 1.2% year-on-year revenue increase of €16.7 million (US$21.8 million) during the first quarter of 2012 to €1 más...
Global hotel inventory up 1.6%: STR Global
The hotel inventory compound annual growth (CAGR) increased by 1.6% over the 12-year period, led by Asia Pacific and the Middle East/Africa region, which más...
Meet the new steak!
A new steak discovery dubbed the Vegas Strip was unveiled Tuesday for the first time exclusively at the Protein Innovation Summit, hosted by the Marketing más...
Chef details Fairmont’s strategy for pairing healthy with delicious
From locally crafted menus addressing specific dietary concerns to healthy kids offerings that go well beyond standard fare, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts más...
Street food, ‘approachability’ among 2012 menu trends
This year’s hot menu trends run the gamut from healthy to indulgent and comforting to kind of crazy, according to a presentation by Darren Tristano más...
HOTELS launches Social Hotel Awards
TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY: Click here to download the Social Hotel Awards entry form. Once you have completed it, you can upload your submission here. To recognize más...
News in brief: Strategic, Viceroy, Marriott Waikiki
Strategic to make public offering: On Tuesday Strategic Hotels & Resorts said it plans to make a public offering on 16 million shares. Read más...
Hemingway hotel brand being launched
A company controlled by the estate and family of Ernest Hemingway has entered into an agreement to launch a hotel brand named after the famous author más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Indigo San Diego Del Mar
IHG has announced the grand opening of the Hotel Indigo San Diego Del Mar in Del Mar, California, following a multimillion-dollar renovation and rebranding más...
Baccarat coming to NYC
Starwood Capital’s 5-star Baccarat Hotels & Resorts brand is set to enter New York City. The New York Post reported on Tuesday that Starwood más...
Communicating sustainability on your menu
New research from The Hartman Group on how restaurants can best communicate their sustainability to customers was presented during the 2012 Protein Innovation más...
Indian Hotels ‘trying to boost’ stake in Orient-Express
Indian Hotels Co. is reportedly seeking to increase its 6.9% share of Orient-Express Hotels. Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that according to two people más...
Crowne Plaza partners with pro golfer on ad campaign
IHG brand Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has launched a multimedia advertising campaign starring PGA Tour professional Rickie Fowler. The campaign más...
News in brief: Qatar, Lalit, Miami Beach
Engel, Beaufort partner on Doha development: T.R. Engel Group and Beaufort Global Partners are partnering to implement the development of four hotels más...
HOTELS launches Social Hotel Awards
To recognize both brands and individual properties for their leadership and innovation in connecting with consumers online via social media, HOTELS Magazine más...
Qatar fund buys 4 Sardinia hotels
Sovereign wealth fund Qatar Holding signed an agreement on Monday to buy four hotels in Sardinia from Colony Capital for an undisclosed sum. The hotels más...
Marriott sells ExecuStay to Oakwood
On Monday Marriott International signed an agreement to sell ExecuStay, its corporate and temporary apartment housing business to Oakwood Worldwide. The más...
Hot Openings: Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche
Sofitel Luxury Hotels has opened its first hotel in Abu Dhabi and its second in the United Arab Emirates: Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche. The property’s más...
Accor to open 2nd US sales office
Accor is set to open its second U.S. sales office in suburban Chicago in May targeting outbound U.S. business and leisure travelers. Although the brand más...
Kimpton adds 11th DC-area hotel
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced Friday that it has added the Donovan House, a boutique hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., to its roster of más...
News in brief: Great Wolf, GHM, Roger
Great Wolf deems KSL offer superior: The board of Great Wolf Resorts deemed a US$7 per share buyout offer from KSL Capital Partners superior to más...
HOTELS Interview: Launching a lifestyle brand with Asian flair
When Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai, opened in February 2011, it marked the debut of a completely new brand for Hong Kong-based Shangri-La International más...
First Hospitality sells 11 US hotels
First Hospitality Group has sold 11 select-service hotels located in the Midwestern U.S. to a privately held investment group. The Plasencia Group, Tampa más...
UK Travelodge switches CEO amid financial troubles
Guy Parsons, the CEO of Travelodge Hotels Ltd., Thame, U.K., stepped down on Thursday to be replaced by his predecessor Grant Hearn. The move comes as más...
$2.8 billion theme park resort planned for Moscow
A US$2.8 billion theme park resort in Moscow is under development with the involvement of Universal Parks & Resorts. The theme park resort is planned más...
Atlantic City launches $20 million marketing campaign
The Atlantic City Alliance is launching a US$20 million marketing campaign on April 16 that will not feature gaming. Atlantic City Alliance said the goal más...
US, Canada pipeline down in March: STR
The U.S. hotel pipeline was down 9.5% year-on-year and Canada’s was down 3.9% year-on-year in March, according to the latest data from STR. The más...
News in brief: M&L, Grand Wailea, Yonkers
M&L Hospitality Trusts plans IPO: M&L Hospitality Trusts, which owns hotels across the Asia Pacific region, plans to raise US$410 million más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Marianne Alberti has been named general manager of the Homewood Suites by Hilton, Washington, D.C. Alberti más...
Starwood announces retirements, organizational changes
Starwood announced the retirements of the presidents of its hotel group and North America and Asia Pacific operations on Thursday. Starwood Hotels & más...
Land acquired to build hotel next to World Trade Center
New York City developer Hidrock Realty will likely build a 300-room hotel near the new World Trade Center on the land it just acquired in a joint venture más...
Accor launches systemwide sustainability drive
On Thursday Accor launched Planet 21, a 21-point systemwide sustainability drive for the hotel giant. Among the goals that Accor, Courcouronnes, France más...
JMI buys Inn at Rancho Santa Fe
JMI Realty bought The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe for an undisclosed sum on Wednesday. JMI Realty, Austin, Texas, is co-owned by John Moores, who owns a majority más...
The real technology driving the hospitality industry
Globally commerce is being exposed to rafts of new technology, much of which we are told is customer centric and must be incorporated into our operating más...
News in brief: Best Western, Santa Monica, Four Seasons
Miami Best Western sold: Man-Co USA bought the 93-room Best Western Atlantic Beach Resort from Island Associates for US$50 million. Read more at más...
Hot Openings: The Pod 39, New York City
The Pod 39 hotel will open later this spring in New York City. The property is the brand’s second. The former Allerton House on 39th Street is being más...
Private equity firm buys Grove Park Inn
KSL Capital Partners announced on Tuesday that it entered into an agreement to buy the 512-room Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, located in Asheville más...
More details emerge on LVS Spain casino-resort plans
Sheldon Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp. revealed more details on Wednesday of the company's planned “mini Las Vegas” in Spain. Adelson más...
Hilton creates yoga, cardio room types
The Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, Virginia, located next to Hilton Worldwide's company headquarters, has created two new room types that cater to fitness más...
Graves CEO running for Congress
The CEO of Graves World Hospitality is running for a seat in the U.S. Congress against Michele Bachmann. Jim Graves announced on Tuesday that he is standing más...
64 hotels in Manhattan pipeline: Lodging Development
New data from Lodging Development Group shows that there are 64 properties comprising 13,693 guestrooms now under construction, approved or in active más...
St. Regis Aspen, Food & Wine create unique restaurant
To mark the completion of a US$40 million renovation, the St. Regis Aspen Resort and Food & Wine magazine announced Wednesday that in June they will más...
New certification program for asset managers
The Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA) on Wednesday announced the formation of the Certified Hotel Asset Manager (CHAM) designation to establish más...
News in brief: Bloomberry, Sonnenblick, Kenya
Bloomberry marketing IPO: Filipino casino-resort operator Bloomberry Resorts is reportedly pre-marketing a US$250 million re-IPO. Read more at International más...
Private equity fund buys Six Senses brand
Private equity fund manager Pegasus Capital Advisors, Cos Cob, Connecticut, through one or more of its affiliates, has entered into a binding agreement más...
Kingdom Holding to retain Plaza stake
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Co., Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, plans to retain its 50% stake in The Plaza’s 130 hotel rooms and 25% más...
US hotels seeing largest revenue growth in 6 months
The North American hotel industry is continuing to experience strong gains with hotels showing the largest growth in revenue in six months, according más...
What’s Hot: Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago has unveiled its new art collection and a newly renovated lobby, restaurant and bar. The art collection includes more than más...
Summit resolves Choice arbitration, reveals transaction plans
Summit Hotel Properties, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, announced on Tuesday that it resolved arbitration with Choice Hotels International, Silver Spring más...
Staying ahead of the social media curve
It is often said that hoteliers and restaurateurs are "two years behind the curve" as it relates to social media but in today's marketplace they más...
News in brief: Four Points, Ascend, Kentucky
Starwood to re-enter Perth: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is set to re-enter Perth, Australia, with the signing of a management agreement más...
Pebblebrook buys $30 million San Francisco hotel
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, Bethesda, Maryland, announced on Monday that it bought the 108-room Hotel Milano, located in downtown San Francisco, for US$30 más...
Bidding war ensues for Great Wolf
Two private equity firms are embroiled in a bidding war to buy out Great Wolf Resorts, Madison, Wisconsin. After KSL Capital Partners, Denver, Colorado más...
Starwood sells Atlanta hotel to RockBridge
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, announced on Monday that it sold the 275-room Atlanta Perimeter Hotel & Suites to más...
What’s Hot: Sofitel Plaza Hanoi
The Sofitel Plaza Hanoi is set for its April 12 coming-out party after three phases of renovations. Architect Victor Loh of DP Design in Singapore was más...
Cahill leaves Fairmont for new role with LVS
Las Vegas Sands Corp. on Friday announced that Chris Cahill has joined the company in the newly created position of executive vice president of global más...
The profit flow through paradigm
One of the key financial performance indicators in the hospitality industry has been the profit flow through analysis (called "flow through" hereafter) más...
News in brief: von Essen, Duet, Ukraine
Former von Essen hotel sells: Nicholas Dickinson bought the 26-room Congham Hall Hotel, a former von Essen hotel located in Grimston, U.K. for £2 más...
HOTELS Interview: Wyndham’s new Asia Pacific director
Wyndham Worldwide Corp., Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, has greatly expanded its hotel portfolio in Asia Pacific to about 500 properties from just más...
Sahara ‘in talks to buy’ The Plaza
Indian business daily The Economic Times reported on Friday that according to a person familiar with the matter, Sahara India Pariwar, Lucknow, India más...
American travel plans remain restrained
Although Americans are continuing to travel, their travel plans remain somewhat subdued, according to a new report from the U.S. Travel Association and más...
Having comp sets improves RevPAR: STR
STR’s U.S. Comp Set Study, which analyzes 30,000 comp sets in the United States, found there is a direct correlation between the number of comp más...
The Peninsula Chicago takes Easter on the road
Forget hopping —this Easter Bunny drives in style. The Peninsula Chicago has introduced the Mini Bunny in its custom Peninsula Mini Cooper for Easter más...
New Marriott CEO heads to Brazil
Arne Sorenson, the new CEO of Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, visited Brazil for the first time this week to visit four Marriott-branded properties más...
News in brief: China Lodging, Sanya, Hilton Garden Inn
China Lodging appoints new COO: China Lodging Group announced the appointment of Yunhang Xie as chief operating officer. Read more at The Sacramento más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Mike Case has been appointed general manager of The Westin Westminster in Westminster, Colorado. Case más...
FelCor sells 6 US hotels for $103 million
FelCor Lodging Trust, Irving, Texas, announced that it is selling six U.S. hotels for US$103 million to an undisclosed buyer. FelCor said the transaction más...
KSL gives Great Wolf better buyout offer
A US$703 million deal from Apollo Global Management, New York City, to buy Great Wolf Resorts, Madison, Wisconsin, could be under threat after rival private más...
IHG taps McDonald’s vet as chief brands officer
IHG, Denham, U.K., has appointed Larry Light, former chief marketing officer for fast-food giant McDonald’s, as its new global chief brands officer más...
Hot Openings: Swisstouches Hotel Xi’an
Swisstouches has opened its flagship property in China: Swisstouches Hotel Xi’an. The property, located in the city’s Gaoxin high-tech development más...
Barceló pays fine to back out of 20 UK leases
As a result of difficult operating conditions and expensive rents, Barceló Group, Palma de Majorca, Spain, has agreed to pay a £20.25 million más...
Tharaldson Motels introduces new identity, leadership
Tharaldson Motels, Fargo, North Dakota, is rolling out a new identity as new leadership joins the company, which has a portfolio that will total 201 hotels más...
RevPAR up across South Africa: STR Global
South Africa saw RevPAR increase by 13.6% for the first two months of this year, reaching 542.07 rands (US$69.45), according to the latest results from más...
Egypt shows early signs of recovery: TRI
Hotels in Egypt have started a recovery but they remain a long way from their previous highs prior to the Arab Spring, according to the latest survey más...
News in brief: von Essen, Okura, Burma
Former von Essen hotel sold: The 46-room The Royal Crescent Hotel, a former von Essen property located in Bath, U.K., has been bought by Topland más...
HOTELS report from Las Vegas: Wyndham reveals HoJo, Asia plans
An update on the Wyndham Worldwide Corp., Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, brand refresh of Howard Johnson, which has been largely kept under wraps más...
Vote for HOTELS 2012 Hotelier of the World awards
For the 32nd year, HOTELS will present the Hotelier of the World awards. What follows are the nominees for the Corporate and Independent awards; please más...
Italian golf resort debt puts stress on Forte hotels
Multiple news sources are reporting that Sir Rocco Forte is talking with Unicredit Banca d'Impresa to restructure a €94.7 million (US$126.2 million) más...
Major London hotel project approved
KOP Group, Singapore, announced on Wednesday that its proposal to turn London’s historic 10 Trinity Square building into a hotel has been approved más...
Vantage creates partnership to grow in India
Vantage Hospitality Group and three Asian American lodging developers on Tuesday introduced VanMYT Hospitality and revealed plans to launch Vantage’s más...
Starwood converting Four Points hotel to Aloft
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, announced on Wednesday that it will convert a hotel it owns in Tucson, Arizona, from its más...
Hot Openings: Belgraves, a Thompson Hotel, London
Belgraves, a Thompson Hotel, is now open in London’s Belgravia neighborhood. The property is the company’s first outside North America and más...
Flash sales get mixed reviews: TravelClick
Despite the immense popularity and relative newness of flash sale websites such as Groupon, BloomSpot, JetSetter and Living Social, the jury is still más...
Developers Gross, Zobler in lawsuit
Allen Gross, president and CEO of GFI Capital Resources Group, New York City, is now in a legal battle with Andrew Zobler, CEO of Sydell Group, New York más...
News in brief: Interstate, Sonesta, PPHE
Interstate expands in India: Interstate Hotels & Resorts announced on Wednesday that it signed agreements to take over management at The Turtle más...
Miami Beach's Eden Roc owners sue Marriott
Eden Roc LLLP has filed a lawsuit against Marriott International seeking US$75 million in damages accusing the company of mismanaging the Eden Roc Renaissance más...
Novotel Hong Kong sale city's biggest in decade
LaSalle Asia Opportunity Fund II, through LaSalle Investment Management, has agreed to sell the Novotel Nathan Road Kowloon Hong Kong to funds managed más...
GHM responds to being ousted as Setai manager
Singapore-based management company General Hotel Management (GHM), which early Saturday was removed by owner representatives as manager of The Setai South más...
Moscow market posts strong Q1 results
Following 10% RevPAR growth across the city in 2011 over the previous year, the Moscow hotel market is again showing good operational returns, according más...
Hot Openings: Borgo dei Conti Resort, Perugia, Italy
The Borgo dei Conti Resort in Perugia, Italy, is open after an extensive restoration. The resort offers 58 guestrooms and eight apartments, some of them más...
What hotels should be doing in social media: 10 tips
Revving up social media marketing can be one of the most cost-effective maneuvers a hotel sales and marketing director can make. Both leisure and business más...
Wyndham initiatives aim to drive direct business
Wyndham Hotel Group, at its second global conference in Las Vegas, on Tuesday announced new initiatives designed to drive more direct business to hotels: más...
News in brief: Sheraton, PATA, Seaham Hall
Sheraton continues to grow spa brand: The Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide brand plans to double its portfolio of Shine Spas with 23 openings in más...
Carlson Rezidor signs deal for Park Inns in India
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group on Monday announced a partnership with Bestech Hospitalities in India to invest US$42 million to develop the Park Inn by Radisson más...
GHM kicked out as manager of Setai in Miami Beach
Setai Owners LLC, a hotel company affiliated with Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., on Saturday announced that the Setai Resort & Residences in Miami más...
Glennie new president at Fairmont Raffles
Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI), the parent company of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts and Swissôtel Hotels más...
New Castle JV acquires Canadian icon
Owner-operator New Castle Hotels and Resorts, Shelton, Connecticut, on Monday announced a joint venture purchase of the Algonquin Resort with Halifax-based más...
French hotel market continues to struggle in February
Hurt largely by lagging business travel, in February the French hotel market continued the downward trend exhibited in January as well, according to a más...
Hilton promo aims to attract LGBT travelers
Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide, is offering a new “Stay Hilton. Go Out.” package at more than 140 properties más...
Protein Summit cutting demos to feature world debut
From the grinder to the center of the plate, the latest steak discovery is a muscle that’s tender, versatile and likely a game-changer in the value más...
News in brief: Swissôtel, Fiji, Driftwood
Swissôtel continues expansion in India: Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has signed a management contract for Swissôtel Grand Mumbai, más...
marzo 2012
HOTELS Interview: Exploring F&B’s cutting edge in China
When the former Shangri-La Kerry Centre Hotel, Beijing rebranded as Kerry Hotel, Beijing last November to become Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts’ más...
New preferred bidder for 42 UK Marriotts?
After MINA Holding’s announcement in February that it was set to purchase 42 Marriott-branded hotels in the United Kingdom from Fawkes Holding failed más...
Marriott may sell Edition properties
Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, revealed that it may sell its Edition-branded properties to help fund the expansion of the lifestyle brand más...
Inland American buys 2 US hotels for $135 million
Inland American Lodging Group, Oak Brook, Illinois, announced the purchase of two U.S. hotels this week. Inland bought the Hilton St. Louis Downtown, más...
Laura Ashley to launch boutique hotel
Home décor and fashion company Laura Ashley, London, has bought a hotel in the U.K.'s Hertfordshire county for £5.8 million (US$9.2 million) más...
Africa’s hotel pipeline by brand: W Hospitality
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series highlighting research from Trevor Ward’s W Hospitality Group, Lagos, Nigeria, on Africa’s más...
New restaurant promises ‘Texas eclectic’ menu
Dallas Marriott City Center has introduced Centric, a new all-day-dining restaurant that is part of a US$14.5 million renovation of the hotel. Designed más...
Mixed performance for European hotels in February: TRI
Despite a number of cities achieving strong increases in profit per room during February, the big freeze contributed to significant declines in a number más...
News in brief: Swissôtel, Crestline, RCI
Swissôtel expands in Thailand: The 180-room Courtyard by Marriott at Kamala Beach will be rebranded as Swissôtel Resort Phuket on April más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Chesapeake Hospitality, Greenbelt, Maryland, has appointed Lisa Augustine regional director of operations más...
Red Lion considers sale
Red Lion Hotels Corp., Spokane, Washington, said Wednesday that it may sell its hotel chain. The company has hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch to explore más...
Protea adding 11 hotels across Africa
Protea Hospitality Group, Sea Point, South Africa, is forging ahead with expansion plans across Africa this year with 11 properties in the pipeline for más...
Hampton launches ‘Feel the Hamptonality’ campaign
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, launched on Thursday a new campaign for its Hampton Hotels brand called “Feel the Hamptonality” which más...
Africa’s hotel pipeline by country: W Hospitality
Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series highlighting research from Trevor Ward’s W Hospitality Group on Africa’s hotel más...
Hyatt to re-enter Puerto Rico
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, on Wednesday announced that a Hyatt affiliate has signed a management agreement with an affiliate of Island Hospitality Partners más...
Shangri-La to expand in China
Shangri-La Asia Limited, incorporated in Bermuda, announced on Thursday the development of its second hotel in Harbin, China. Scheduled to open in 2015 más...
Loews Lake Las Vegas rebrands as Westin
The 493-room Loews Lake Las Vegas, located in Henderson, Nevada, rebranded on Thursday as Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa. The property will continue más...
Cost creep in London, UK provinces suffer: TRI
While hotels in London were once again able to achieve a year-on-year improvement across all headline performance measures in February, rising cost levels más...
News in brief: RockBridge, Aston, Magnuson
RockBridge buys Minnesota hotel: RockBridge Partners bought the University Hotel Minneapolis for US$18.5 million. Read more at The Wall Street Journal más...
Pentahotels targets Asian expansion
New World Hospitality, Hong Kong, has announced expansion plans focused on Asia for its Pentahotels brand, which also is debuting a new visual identity más...
Hyatt to enter Cambodia
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, announced on Tuesday that it signed via affiliate a management agreement with Hotel De La Paix Co. for the first Hyatt branded más...
Renaissance to enter Chile
Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, announced this week that its brand Renaissance Hotels is set to enter Chile with a hotel in its capital Santiago más...
Mandarin signs deal for Marrakech resort
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Hong Kong, announced Wednesday that it signed a long-term agreement to manage a luxury resort currently under development más...
India hotel supply must grow to meet demand: HVS
India is expected to witness 1.7 billion travelers by 2021, an increase of more than 900 million from current levels. To meet this increased demand, a más...
News in brief: Al Hokair, MGM, Brilla
Al Hokair to rebrand portfolio: Al Hokair Group plans to convert half of its managed hotels to its own MENA Hotels and Resorts brand over the next más...
Sabatier named Destination president, COO
Lowe Enterprises, Los Angeles, has named James “Jamie” Sabatier president and chief operating officer of Destination Hotels and Resorts, the más...
InterContinental Vienna sold for €50 million
The WertInvest Group, privately held by Austrian businessman Michael Tojner, is buying the 458-room InterContinental Vienna for €50 million (US$66 más...
Revel gets casino license, set to open
The last hurdle ahead of the April 2 opening of the US$2.4 billion, 1,898-room Revel casino-resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was overcome on Monday más...
Gas prices could decrease US leisure, business travel
With the price of crude oil continuing to rise, U.S. travelers could alter vacation plans to control summer vacation costs and business travelers will más...
Embassy Suites survey shows US business travel up
A new U.S. business travel survey commissioned by the Embassy Suites Hotels brand of Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virgina, indicates that one-third of respondents más...
Corporate and leisure rates rise in February: Pegasus
Rates paid for North American hotel rooms in February led to record increases over the prior year for both business and leisure bookings, according to más...
Shared-ownership sales up 4% in 2011: Ragatz
New data from Ragatz Associates shows that the total shared-ownership sales volume in North America reached US$552 million in 2011, a 4% increase from más...
Loews to offer Tax Day cocktails
Filing taxes drives many Americans to drink, so it’s only fitting that Loews Hotels is offering specialty cocktails in honor of the U.S. Tax Day más...
News in brief: Emaar, Lebua, Waterford
Emaar expands in Egypt: Emaar Hospitality Group signed an agreement to manage the 1,544 acre (624 hectare) The Address Marassi Golf Resort & más...
What’s Hot: Renovated Hyatt Regency Atlanta
Hyatt Regency Atlanta is set to complete its US$65 million property-wide renovation next month. Among the changes is a refresh of the hotel’s 22-story más...
New supply hurts performance in China: Horwath HTL
The influx of new bedrooms over the last four years in China’s key destinations has continued to impact negatively on operating performance according más...
New CEO, leadership shuffle at Ascott
The Ascott Ltd., Singapore, appointed Chong Kee Hiong as CEO this week. Prior to this, Chong was the CEO of Ascott Residence Trust Management, a REIT más...
Renovated Coeur d’Alene Resort includes koi in lobby
Coeur d’Alene Resort in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, has completed a three-year renovation project that includes upgrades to the lobby, restaurant más...
Renaissance launches best band competition for Europe
Renaissance Hotels, a brand of Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, announced on Monday a competition for French, German and U.K. bands that will más...
Economic outlook to inform Protein Summit attendees
That the U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest level in 60 years, a trend pushing beef prices to historic highs, is just one of the challenges facing meat más...
News in brief: Starwood, Shangri-La, Libya
Aloft expands in California: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced that it will open a hotel under the Aloft brand in Cupertino, California más...
HOTELS Interview: Home2 Suites one year on
In the year since the launch of Home2 Suites by Hilton the brand has managed to fuel its expansion with new-builds despite the ongoing troubles some developers más...
$1 billion Real Madrid theme park resort planned for UAE
Spain’s popular Real Madrid football team is set to have an island theme park and resort dedicated to it in the United Arab Emirates. The investment más...
JOLT Act would expedite US visa process
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) on Thursday announced support for the Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act or JOLT Act más...
Hot Openings: St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort and Residences
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, recently opened the 243-room St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort & Residences, which includes más...
MEA sees largest February RevPAR gains: STR Global
In February the Middle East/Africa saw a large increase in RevPAR and the Asia Pacific and Americas regions also saw RevPAR gains, according to the latest más...
News in brief: Sonesta, Hilton, J Plus
Sonesta debuts in South Carolina: Sonesta International Hotels Corp. announced its first hotel in South Carolina with the 340-room Sonesta Resort más...
People on the move
Choice Hotels International has appointed Alexandra Jaritz, senior vice president of brand strategy and marketing, and Michael Murphy, senior vice president más...
Schiphol airport to get new-build Hilton
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, announced on Thursday that it signed an agreement to manage a new-build Hilton Hotels & Resorts hotel at Amsterdam más...
L2 ranks hotel companies’ digital competency
New research from digital brand evaluator L2 Think Tank, New York City, claims to demonstrate a clear relationship between a hotel company’s digital más...
Carlson revenue up in 2011
Carlson, Minneapolis, Minnesota, reported a 13% increase in its systemwide revenues to US$38 billion in 2011. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group saw systemwide más...
Greenbrier holding country music competition
The Greenbrier, located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, this week announced a talent competition, "The Greenbrier's Got Country Class," to discover más...
Fairmont San Jose holding Titanic anniversary dinner
In commemoration of the 100th year anniversary of the doomed maiden voyage of the R.M.S. Titanic, The Fairmont San Jose will be serving a ten-course meal más...
News in brief: Las Vegas, Presidian, Limelight
Las Vegas occupancy up: A new report from Moody’s shows a 3.4% year-on-year increase in hotel occupancy in Las Vegas for 2011 as well as a más...
Starwood picks new W, Le Méridien brand leader
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, announced on Wednesday that it has appointed Vincent Gillet as global brand leader for más...
Crillon to close for 2-year renovation
Le Crillon in Paris is closing for a two-year interior renovation estimated to cost between €70 million and €100 million (US$92 million to US$132 más...
Blackstone buys Parc 55
Private equity firm The Blackstone Group, New York City, has bought a controlling stake in the Parc 55 hotel, located in San Francisco, for about US$70 más...
Genting to pare down Miami plans
After the Florida state government passed on expanding gambling rights to accommodate its US$3 billion casino-resort mega-complex proposal, The Genting más...
Trial over ownership of Maybourne hotels continues
High Court proceedings in London involving the ownership dispute of Maybourne Hotel Group between the Barclay brothers and developer Paddy McKillen moved más...
Interstate creates new identity
Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday unveiled its new global corporate identity, logo and website. The new imaging was revealed más...
Select service deals in US to double: JLLH
A steady flow of capital is expected to continue in the hotel real estate market in 2012 with increasing investor interest in select service transactions más...
F&B staff salaries up 25% in London: HVS
The boom in fine dining in London, which now boasts 55 Michelin starred restaurants, has helped push salaries for food and beverage professionals in city más...
Room Key expands internationally
Hotel search engine Room Key announced on Wednesday the launch of international websites outside the United States, including sites for the United Kingdom más...
News in brief: Jumbo Glacier, Salviatino, Sandals
Jumbo Glacier project approved: The British Columbia provincial government approved the development of the US$1 billion Jumbo Glacier ski resort más...
What’s Hot: Boston’s Revere Hotel
Boston is set for a new hotel and then some when the 356-room Revere Hotel opens April 18. Previously housing a Radisson-branded hotel and Stuart Street más...
50 Chinese cities to watch: JLLH
Jones Lang LaSalle has released a new report called China50: Fifty Real Estate Markets that Matter, which highlights the opportunities for corporate property más...
Asia Pac, MEA, Europe top pipeline: STR Global
Asia Pacific, Middle East/Africa and Europe held the largest shares of the global hotel pipeline in February, according to STR Global. The Asia/Pacific más...
North American hotel website bookings up in 2011: TravelClick
The amount of room nights booked through hotel websites grew consistently in each quarter in 2011, up 6.8% in the fourth quarter compared to the same más...
Koh Samui sees ADR, occupancy uptick
While Thailand's frenzied hotel development pipeline continues, Koh Samui’s high-end property openings are driving occupancies and rates higher más...
Sheraton launches Color Your Plate dining
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts announced on Tuesday its new approach to nutrition with Color Your Plate? by Sheraton Fitness, a dining program that makes más...
Bali increases security after terrorist arrests
Security precautions are being taken at hotels and other public areas in Bali, Indonesia, after a successful law enforcement raid on suspected terrorists más...
News in brief: Britannia, Oktogo.ru, Canada
Britannia buys 2 UK hotels: Britannia Hotels bought two hotels in Scarborough, U.K., The Royal and The Clifton, from English Rose Hotels Scarborough más...
IHG launches Hualuxe, new brand in China
IHG, Denham, U.K., announced on Sunday that it has signed 20 letters of intent to manage hotels for its new brand for the Chinese market, Hualuxe. While más...
Hot Openings: Vivanta by Taj — Bekal
Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has added a fifth Vivanta by Taj property in the Indian state of Kerala, bringing its portfolio to 24. The property is más...
PKF bullish about US through 2016
PKF Hospitality Research forecasts that RevPAR for U.S. hotels will rise 5.8% in 2012, the result of a 1.6% increase in occupancy and a 4.1% gain in ADR más...
Commune to manage NYC’s 5 Beekman St
Commune Hotels & Resorts, the joint venture company created last year between lifestyle operators Thompson Hotels and Joie de Vivre, has been chosen más...
Jumeirah expands in Turkey
Jumeirah Group, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, announced on Monday that it signed a management agreement with Demsa Group, Istanbul for the 115-room Pera más...
IHG rebuffs anti-Iran advocates
As tension between Iran and the Western powers ratchets up with sanctions over nuclear development, IHG, Denham, U.K., has said it will not bar Iranian más...
Health, nutrition in spotlight at 2012 Protein Summit
Confronted by skyrocketing obesity rates, regulatory threats and market pressure to satisfy conflicting consumer expectations, food and beverage professionals más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Maybourne, Lebanon
Cayman Ritz-Carlton in receivership: The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman has gone into receivership due to its owner RC Cayman Holdings’ outstanding más...
HOTELS Interview: Jumeirah’s social media efforts
While all the large hotel management companies are now active on social media, the goals, methodologies and amount of staff dedicated to their social más...
Hot Openings: Palais Namaskar in Marrakech
The Oetker Collection is slated to debut in Africa next month with the opening of Palais Namaskar in Marrakech. Set amid more than 538,000 sq ft (50,000 más...
IHG adds 3 hotels in Colombia
IHG, Denham, U.K., announced on Thursday that it signed a licensing agreement for three Holiday Inn Express-branded hotels with Grupo Contempo, Bogota más...
Tourism in Brazil fastest growing in Latin America: WTTC
Tourism in Brazil, which contributed US$79 billion to the country’s GDP in 2011, is expected to grow 7.8% year-on-year in 2012 according to the más...
News in brief: Marriott, Urgo, Aqua
Marriott expands in Russia: Marriott International announced on Thursday that it signed a management agreement with OAO Krepost Hotel to open the más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Maybourne Hotel Group, London, has appointed Jim Bishop regional director of sales for the Americas más...
Meliá to manage Parisian new-build
Meliá Hotels International, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, announced on Thursday that it signed a 12-year lease agreement with Union Investment Real más...
Details of famed Algonquin renovation emerge
Details are being revealed for the multi-million dollar renovation of New York City’s iconic Algonquin Hotel, which is slated to open in late May más...
Hot Openings: Inn at the Presidio
Inn at the Presidio, the first hotel in San Francisco’s Presidio — once one of the oldest U.S. military posts and now an urban national park más...
Element launches power-generating bicycles
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, announced on Thursday an initiative for its Element Hotels brand to pilot pedal-powered más...
Asia Pac cities to see 2012 RevPAR gains: STR Global
STR Global is forecasting positive revenue per available room (RevPAR) growth across four key Asian markets in 2012. Supply is expected to grow between más...
US pipeline down in February: STR
The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 2,716 projects totaling 290,989 rooms, according to the February 2012 STR/McGraw Hill Construction más...
Andaz Wall Street to offer guests tax filing help
Artists in residence are nothing new at hotels, but Andaz Wall Street in New York City is putting a twist on that convention by welcoming an accountant más...
News in brief: King & Grove, Room Key, US renovations
King & Grove buys NYC hotel: King & Grove bought the 64-room Hotel Williamsburg, located in New York City’s Brooklyn borough, for más...
Fairmont San Francisco to be sold for $200 million
Woodridge Capital Partners, Los Angeles, has agreed to buy the 591-room The Fairmont San Francisco hotel for US$200 million from Maritz, Wolff & Co más...
Louvre, Jin Jiang partnership could expand
Following the signing of a strategic brand partnership in November 2011 Jin Jiang Inn Co. and Louvre Hotels Group, the second largest hotel services group más...
Wyndham launching 2 brands in Brazil
Wyndham Worldwide Corp., Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, announced on Wednesday that it entered into an agreement with Brazilian real estate company más...
Hot Openings: Four Points by Sheraton Zaporozhye
Four Points by Sheraton Zaporozhye, the first hotel branded by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, in Ukraine opened in September más...
French hotels post stagnant January
The start of 2012 was somewhat gloomy for the French hotel market, with only luxury hotels in Paris and on the Côte d’Azur posting RevPAR más...
Starwood loyalty program launches mobile app
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, announced on Wednesday a new program for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The application includes más...
Legoland hotel to make UK debut
The Legoland Windsor Resort Hotel is set to open Saturday on the outskirts of London. The £25 million (US$39.1 million), 150-room hotel is the first más...
News in brief: Mövenpick, London Olympics, Ameristar
Mövenpick expands in Philippines: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts signed a management agreement with United International Hotels Group más...
Apollo buys Great Wolf for $703 million
Private equity firm Apollo Global Management, New York City, announced on Tuesday that its affiliate is set to buy Great Wolf Resorts, Madison, Wisconsin más...
Hot Openings: Sofitel So Bangkok
Sofitel Luxury Hotels has opened its second property under the Sofitel So label: Sofitel So Bangkok. The hotel’s 238 guestrooms and suites reflect más...
Adriatic Luxury Hotels announces new organizational structure
Adriatic Luxury Hotels, Dubrovnik, Croatia, has announced a new organizational structure and business operations plan. Adriatic Luxury Hotels is the result más...
Steigenberger renovating 4 hotels
Steigenberger Hotel Group, Frankfurt, Germany, revealed on Tuesday details of renovation plans for four of its hotels in Germany in the cities of Bad más...
Ensuring your hotel website is ADA-compliant
The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) is a civil rights law created to increase accessibility for millions of Americans with disabilities. The law was más...
News in brief: Peppers, Host, Wyndham
Peppers expands in Tasmania: The 86-cabin Cradle Mountain Lodge, set in Australia's World Heritage Cradle Mountain-St. Clair National Park, rebranded más...
Fairmont buys Sonoma property
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, announced on Friday that it bought the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, located in Sonoma, California, from más...
Hot Openings: Kempinski debuts in the Seychelles
Kempinski Hotels has opened its first property in the Seychelles, in a corner of Baie Lazare on the island of Mahé. Nestled under dramatic granite más...
NYC’s Essex House up for sale
Dubai Investment Group, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is selling the historic Jumeirah Essex House hotel, located on the edge of Central Park in New York más...
Première Classe looks to grow in Germany
In the next 4 or 5 years, the Louvre Hotel Group, Paris, plans to open 35 hotels of the budget-brand Première Classe in German cities such as Berlin más...
Abu Dhabi looks to balance room growth
The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority has said it will be "selective" in the issuance of new hotel licenses, according to Gulf News, adding that another report más...
Mandarin Oriental expands in Atlanta
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Hong Kong, announced on Monday that it has signed a management agreement for The Mansion on Peachtree luxury hotel and más...
Original consumer research on tap for Protein Summit
Two market research experts will present insights at the upcoming 2012 Protein Innovation Summit on how consumer perceptions about meat and poultry sustainability más...
News in brief: IHG, ITB, Swiss International
IHG expands in Saudi Arabia: IHG announced two management deals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one of which will be the debut of its Hotel Indigo brand más...
HOTELS Interview: Expansion plans for Room Mate Hotels
Room Mate Hotels, Madrid, has been steadily expanding its portfolio of midscale lifestyle hotels, currently one of the industry’s most dynamic segments más...
What’s Hot: Transformed Orlando hotel
Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort in Orlando, Florida — formerly known as the Sheraton Safari Hotel and Suites — has undergone a US$25 million más...
LaSalle buys DC Palomar
LaSalle Hotel Properties, Bethesda, Maryland, announced on Friday that it bought the 335-room Hotel Palomar, Washington, DC for US$143.8 million in an más...
Balfour-Lynn steps down
Richard Balfour-Lynn, the founder of MWB Group Holdings, London, is stepping down as CEO of the company, effective March 31. MWB, founded by Balfour-Lynn más...
Take a brief survey on changing role of the GM
Professor Demian Hodari from the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne is conducting a multi-year study of hotel general managers and how the role más...
News in brief: Alila, Fragrance
Alila expands in Indonesia: Alila Hotels & Resorts is set to open two new properties in Indonesia in 2014, Alila Villas Bintan, located near más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Steve Buckler has been appointed general manager of Hyatt Place Braintree in Braintree, Massachusetts más...
HOTELS report from Berlin: Development plans revealed
Some 1,700 delegates wrapped up their participation on Wednesday in the 15th International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin with panelists and más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Lincoln in Chicago
San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre Hotels has opened Hotel Lincoln in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The hotel features 184 guestrooms with más...
77 Candlewood, Staybridge hotels to get $165 million renovation
IHG, Denham, U.K., announced on Thursday that 77 Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites hotels, all managed by IHG and owned by Hospitality Properties más...
Group, leisure demand driving occupancy: TravelClick
Group business is driving occupancy growth while transient business — individual business and leisure travelers — is driving an increase in más...
Mixed results for Benelux in 2011: Horwath HTL
While ADR and average occupancy increased in the Netherlands, occupancy increased and ADR decreased in Belgium and both decreased in Luxembourg in 2011 más...
Mövenpick adds 3 Egyptian resorts
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Glattbrugg, Switzerland, announced on Wednesday that it has taken over management of Mövenpick Resort Hurghada más...
Residence Inn launches animal-themed ad campaign
Residence Inn by Marriott, a brand of Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, announced on Thursday that it is launching a new advertising campaign más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Viad, Expedia
Hyatt expands in California, Georgia: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced on Thursday that two Avia hotels in Napa, California, and Savannah, Georgia, más...
What’s Hot: Borgata unveils room redesign
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, has unveiled details of its US$50 million room redesign project. Scheduled to be complete más...
Japan's tourism to fully recover in 2012: WTTC
Japan’s tourism industry is set to fully recover in 2012 following last year’s earthquake and tsunami, according to a new report by the World más...
Wyndham launching Super 8 in Germany
Wyndham Worldwide Corp., Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, announced at Berlin’s International Hotel Investment Forum on Wednesday that it is launching más...
Commune announces management deal in Mexico
Commune Hotels & Resorts, the recently renamed joint venture company created last year between lifestyle operators Thompson Hotels and Joie de Vivre más...
WTTC forecasts milestone year for travel and tourism in 2012
Travel and tourism’s direct contribution to the global economy is expected to pass US$2 trillion in GDP and 100 million jobs, according to research más...
The Beverly Hills Hotel celebrates centennial
The Beverly Hills Hotel first opened its doors on May 12, 1912 — two years before the city of Beverly Hills, California, was officially incorporated más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Preferred, Marriott
Hyatt expands in Switzerland: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced on Wednesday that it signed a management agreement for a Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Place más...
Hot Openings: Boutique hotel in Panama City
Tántalo Hotel / Kitchen / Roofbar has soft-launched in the historic Casco Viejo neighborhood of Panama City, with a grand opening planned for March más...
IHIF CEO panel reveals optimism
The CEO panel at Berlin’s International Hotel Investment Forum revealed that the hotel industry’s top executives are generally optimistic más...
Dedeman launching new brand
Dedeman Hotels & Resorts, Istanbul, is launching a new brand, Dedeman Park, aimed at short-stay business travelers. Dedeman said it has signed a management más...
Mexico City hotel market set for strong growth: JLLH
Following a steep decline in 2009 and lackluster performance for part of 2010, Mexico City’s hotel market has swung to recovery mode over the past más...
California hotel sale dollar volume to decrease in 2012: Atlas
While 2011 saw a record amount of sales for California hotels with the total volume at US$5.3 billion, 2012 will likely see a drop in the dollar volume más...
What to do and not do in distribution
In 2012, hoteliers face more challenges than ever. From resolving to concentrate on “SoLoMo” (social, local, mobile marketing), to navigating más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Choice, Vietnam
Wyndham unveils Super 8 room design: Wyndham Worldwide Corp. unveiled a new guestroom design concept for its Super 8-branded properties in EMEA más...
Hot Openings: Le Méridien debuts in Turkey
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s Le Méridien brand has debuted in Turkey with the opening of the Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler más...
CBRE forecasts continued strong performance for Manhattan hotels
There will be continued strength in operating metrics and the Manhattan hotel investment sales market, according to the winter 2012 snapshot of the Manhattan más...
Tepid growth for Europe in 2012: DLA Piper
The European hospitality market will see little or no growth in the next 12 months say 84% of respondents according to a 2012 European hotel survey from más...
RevPAR up overall in Europe in 2011: STR Global
The European hotel market reported overall positive RevPAR growth 12-months to January, according to STR Global. Despite the economic conditions a majority más...
TripAdvisor pulls new ratings system amid outcry
After an outcry from hoteliers TripAdvisor pulled a new ratings system on Friday from its website that allowed users to give a simple one through five más...
Baglioni, government launch Italy travel blog
Baglioni Hotels, Milan, and Italy’s National Agency of Tourism are launching Italian Talks, a new blog covering Italy’s luxury travel market más...
Sustainability anchors 2012 Protein Innovation Summit
Sustainability is among the most vexing and politically charged challenges facing the food industry today. Large and small companies alike are debating más...
News in brief: Waldorf Astoria, Ireland, Interstate
Waldorf Astoria to debut in SE Asia: Hilton Worldwide announced on Monday that it singed a management agreement with Magnolia Finest Corp. to open más...
Hersha buys Rittenhouse for $42 million
On Thursday Hersha Hospitality Trust, Philadelphia, bought 111-room luxury The Rittenhouse Hotel, also located in Philadelphia for US$42 million. The más...
HOTELS Interview: Robert Cook details his bold Village vision
Robert Cook was born and raised in a hotel in Aberdeen, Scotland, and used that as a springboard to leadership roles at a list of hotels — primarily más...
What’s Hot: Scotland hotel revamps F&B
The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, has restyled and expanded the Strathearn restaurant in addition to the debut of a new Sommelier Table in más...
Jeddah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi up in January: TRI
Shopping festivals helped hotels in Jeddah and Dubai register substantial growth in revenues and profits during the month of January 2012, according to más...
WTTC predicts UK travel and tourism growth in 2012
The travel and tourism industry will grow 1.3% in the United Kingdom in 2012 — more than double the rate of growth in the wider economy, predicted más...
Vegas observation wheel foundation set
SkyVue, the Las Vegas development featuring an observation wheel that developers say will be the third largest in the Western Hemisphere, set its 1,300 más...
News in brief: Edinburgh, PPHE, Sahid
Edinburgh to get new luxury hotel: Peveril Securities has bought an office building in Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square for £20 million más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Dolce Hotels and Resorts, Rockleigh, New Jersey, has appointed David Anderson managing director, Europe más...
Hot Openings: Sofitel Mumbai BKC
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, announced the opening last week of the 301-room Sofitel Mumbai BKC, located in Mumbai, India. The hotel was designed by más...
Further growth forecast for European hotel values: HVS
Improved trading performance has boosted hotel values across Europe by 2.3% to an average of €220,000 (US$292,800) per room, according to the latest más...
Peninsula Beverly Hills unveils four specialty suites
The Peninsula Beverly Hills in Southern California has completed an extensive renovation of its 193 guestrooms, suites and villas with the debut of four más...
Guest satisfaction up in 2011: Market Metrix
Guest satisfaction with hotels improved in 2011 over the prior year, up 1.2 to 84.5, due in part to improved hotel performance and the positive industry más...
Swiss hotels hurt by strong currency
The latest Swiss hotel performance results from STR Global show that despite a positive trend in the first half of 2011 across major markets, the country's más...
Lungarno Collection offers guests ‘Ferragamo Creations’
Lungarno Collection, the Florence, Italy-based hospitality group owned by the Ferragamo family, is now offering suite guests an opportunity to purchase más...
News in brief: Trump, Interval, Marriott
Trump resort joins Magnuson: Trump International Beach Resort, located in Miami Beach, Florida, has joined Magnuson’s Global Hotel Exchange más...
febrero 2012
Hot Openings: Selman Marrakech
The Selman Marrakech luxury resort, located in Marrakech, Morocco, is slated for a May 1 opening, following three years of planning and work. The resort más...
Does burgeoning Phuket have infrastructure issues?
Capacity at Phuket International Airport is expected to reach critical levels this year with the thriving tourist destination expected to handle a staggering más...
Return of luxury, increased size among meeting trends
Houston-based Benchmark Hospitality International has released a list of 11 top meeting trends for 2012 observed by its 35 hotels, resorts and conference más...
Time signs 6 management deals in UAE
Time Hotels Management, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has secured management contracts for six properties in its native country, Emirates 24/7 reported más...
Largest Red Lion shareholder urges sale
Columbia Pacific Opportunity Fund, Seattle, the largest shareholder of Red Lion Hotels Corp., Spokane, Washington, is urging the hotel company to put más...
MICE looking up in North America: RRC
There is reason for guarded optimism in the meetings and conventions market in 2012, according to research from RRC Associates’ DestinationMAP, más...
La Quinta breaks human domino record
La Quinta Inns & Suites now holds a new Guinness World Record for 850 human mattress dominoes. Breaking a previous record of 550 established más...
Embassy Suites launches sweepstakes
Embassy Suites Hotels, a brand of Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, is launching a sweepstakes via its Facebook fan page. Consumers can enter the “366 más...
HSMAI presents annual Adrian Awards
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) presented the 55th annual Adrian Awards earlier this week in New York City. HSMAI más...
News in brief: Caesars, La Quinta, Hyatt
Caesars posts big loss: Caesars Entertainment Corp. posted a loss of US$220.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Read more at Bloomberg Businessweek más...
IHG launches new brand, Even
IHG, Denham, U.K., announced on Tuesday the launch of a new health-conscious midscale hotel brand, Even. IHG plans to own and operate its first several más...
Accor launches brand extension for China
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, announced the re-engineering of its Grand Mercure brand, tailored for the Chinese market. The brand extension Mei Jue has más...
Trump buys Doral for $150 million
The Trump Organization, New York City, announced on Monday that it bought the 692-room Doral Hotel & Country Club, located in Miami for US$150 million más...
DoubleTree first Hilton-franchised hotel in China
Interstate Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday announced that Interstate China has signed an agreement to manage the 850-room DoubleTree by Hilton Shanghai-Pudong más...
Is French-run independent hotel disappearing?
From the annual analysis of the French hotel supply conducted by MKG Hospitality, France counts less than 18,500 classified hotels for a total number más...
Keynoters deliver in-depth knowledge at upcoming Protein Summit
The Protein Innovation Summit 2012, coming up in April in Chicago, will feature a series of keynote presentations by a variety of in-the-trenches experts más...
News in brief: Centara, Ascend, Al Habtoor
Centara president retires: Gerd Steeb, president of Centara Hotels & Resorts, will retire from the company on February 23 after almost 22 years más...
What’s Hot: Refreshed Caribbean resort focuses on tradition, art
La Samanna by Orient-Express in St. Martin, French West Indies, has completed the first phase of a US$8 million property refresh that includes the renovation más...
Australia poised for steady growth: Deloitte
A new report by Deloitte predicts steady RevPAR, occupancy and ADR increases over the next two years in Australia, fueled by increased arrivals from Asia más...
Microtel brand adds 'by Wyndham' designation
In an effort to leverage marketing and sales exposure and reach an expanded consumer base, Wyndham Hotel Group’s Microtel brand will soon be known más...
European hotel transaction volume up 9% in 2011: HVS
Total European hotel transaction volume rose 9% to €7.1 billion (US$9.5 billion) in 2011 despite the continuing scarcity of debt funding, according más...
IHG issues new uniforms
IHG, Denham, U.K., has issued new uniforms for 15,000 personnel at its Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza branded hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa más...
News in brief: Kempinski, Sofitel, Istithmar World
Kempinski to reenter Latin America: Kempinski Hotels announced that it will reenter Latin America with the opening of a 106-room resort in Colón más...
HOTELS Interview: Acme Chicago's Gene Kornota
The hot segment of the moment, 3-star lifestyle hotels, has another player from Chicago in the form of the Neighborhood Development Corp. (NDC) and its más...
Extended Stay appoints former Starbucks CEO
Extended Stay Hotels, Charlotte, North Carolina, announced on Thursday that it appointed Jim Donald as CEO, replacing 15-year veteran Gary DeLapp. In más...
Moscow’s hotels see steady growth: Cushman & Wakefield
Moscow hotels closed 2011 at an 8% RevPAR increase over 2010 figures. This came from a 5% growth in occupancy and 3% in average rate. It was steady, if más...
Europe’s GOPPAR down in January: TRI
Seven of the 10 European cities included in the latest HotStats report by TRI Hospitality Consulting registered a GOPPAR decline in January 2012. The más...
Start the clock: Hotel promises meals in 5, 10, 20 minutes
Washington Marriott in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington, D.C., is offering guests fresh, chef-crafted fare guaranteed to be ready in 5, 10 or 20 minutes más...
Court gives Coolum back to Hyatt
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, is back helming the Hyatt Regency Coolum, located in Coolum Beach, Australia, after the Queensland Supreme Court ruled that más...
PeekYou lists hoteliers with biggest web presence
PeekYou.com, the people search engine, has released a PeekScore list of the top 12 hotel tycoons with the biggest web presence. The higher someone’s más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Aston, Gomes
Radisson Blu to enter Guinea: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will open the 249-room Radisson Blu Hotel Conakry in Guinea in 2014. Read más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Douglas Ariza-Giammaria has been appointed general manager of The Westin Hefei Baohe in Hefei, China más...
London hotels set for record year in 2012: PwC
According to a new analysis, PricewaterhouseCoopers expects the Olympics to turn 2012 into a record year for London with 2.8% RevPAR growth. Hotels should más...
LA investors buy Two Bunch Palms
Two Bunch Palms Resort & Spa, Desert Hot Springs, California, has been acquired by an investment team of Hollywood executives Steve Markoff, Donald más...
January RevPAR up in Americas, Asia Pac, MEA: STR Global
The Americas, Asia Pacific and Middle East/Africa saw RevPAR gains in Jaunary on a regional basis, according to the latest figures from STR and STR Global más...
Hotusa Group grows in South America
The Hotusa Group, Barcelona, on Wednesay announced plans to develop projects in Brazil and Colombia. Hotusa signed a joint venture agreement with Brazilian más...
New London hotel suite celebrates 19th century courtesan
Feted Parisian courtesan Cora Pearl was once turned away from The Grosvenor Hotel in London, but now an entire suite is dedicated to her. As part más...
Asia Pac, Europe top pipeline figures: STR Global
Asia Pacific and Europe have the largest share of the global hotel development pipeline, according to the January 2012 STR Global Construction Pipeline más...
News in brief: Groupe du Louvre, Best Western, HFTP
Groupe du Louvre to debut in Algeria: Groupe du Louvre announced its first hotel in Algeria, The Golden Tulip Arc-en-Ciel, located at Skikda, which will más...
Commune new umbrella brand for JDV, Thompson, maybe more
Commune Hotels & Resorts is the new name of the joint venture company created last year between lifestyle operators Thompson Hotels and Joie de Vivre más...
Prism takes over 12-property US portfolio
Prism Hotels & Resorts, Dallas, has been selected to take over management of a 12-property, 1,877-room hotel portfolio, which includes Courtyard by más...
MGM bringing Bellagio brand to China
MGM Resorts International, Paradise, Nevada, is poised to introduce its Bellagio brand to China. MGM announced on Tuesday that it has entered into an más...
Accor’s pre-tax operating profit up 18% in 2011
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, saw its net profit in 2011 decrease to €27 million (US$35 million) from €3.6 billion (US$4.7 billion) in 2010 más...
Hilton plans to open 500 restaurants in three years
Hilton Worldwide announced Wednesday that it plans to open 500 new restaurants globally in three years with the expansion of the website hiltonrestaurantconcepts más...
Vail expands in Lake Tahoe
Vail Resorts Inc., Broomfield, Colorado, announced on Wednesday that it has entered into an agreement to buy Kirkwood Mountain Resort at Lake Tahoe, California más...
HEI buys, rebrands Hotel Palomar Arlington
HEI Hotels & Resorts, Norwalk, Connecticut, announced on Wednesday that it bought the 154-room Hotel Palomar Arlington, which it rebranded as Le Meridien más...
Chinese chains dominate domestic market
While U.S. hotel companies have made some very impressive inroads into the expanding Chinese hospitality industry, China-based economy chains have the más...
Study examines online travel shopping behavior
PhoCusWright has released a study, commissioned by Amadeus, which identifies consumers’ behavior and motivations when shopping for travel online más...
Edwardian chairman sued by father
Jasminder Singh, chairman and CEO of Edwardian Group Ltd., Hayes, U.K., is being sued by his father Bal Mohinder Singh for £100 million (US$156 más...
News in brief: Bushmills Dunes, Switzerland, MGM
Govt approves Bushmills Dunes: The U.K. environment minister approved plans for the 120-room Bushmills Dunes Golf Resort and Spa, a golf resort más...
What’s Hot: New Slow Food Italian restaurant at Miami’s Delano
The Light Group, Las Vegas, has opened Bianca, the new signature restaurant at the Delano in Miami serving modern Italian fare for breakfast, lunch and más...
Choice profits up in 4Q
Choice Hotels International Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland, saw its operating profit increase 3% to US$24.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2011 from más...
Plaza Athénée to boast Alpine-themed pop-up restaurant
Plaza Athénée in Paris will showcase its first limited-time seasonal restaurant, Les Bancs d’Hiver, from February 28 to March 10. más...
Moscow hotel sale price 'doubles' in 2 months
The Moscow Times reported on Tuesday that the new owner of Hotel National, located in Moscow near Red Square, received an offer to buy the property for más...
Pride to offer IPO
Pride Group of Hotels, Mumbai, India, revealed to the Indian press this week that it plans to file for an initial public offer by December after a New más...
News in brief: IHG, Hyatt, Melco Crown
IHG reenters Bangladesh: IHG signed a 30-year management agreement with Bangladesh Services Ltd. and will convert the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel into más...
Travelodge UK may face buyout
Travelodge Hotels Ltd., Thame, U.K., may be facing buyout as its lenders are meeting on Tuesday with owner Dubai International Capital LLC, Dubai, United más...
Okada bought out of Wynn
Wynn Resorts Ltd., Paradise, Nevada, announced on Sunday that it forcibly bought out the 19.66% stake of estranged shareholder Kazuo Okada’s Universal más...
What’s Hot: Jazz club turned spa at Swiss hotel
Hotel Schweizerhof Bern in Bern, Switzerland, has debuted 5,382 sq ft (500 sq m) of spa facilities in a space that used to house the jazz club Jaylin’s más...
Supply lowers Panama City occupancy: STR Global
The Panama City hotel market reached total inventory of 10,180 daily available rooms in 2011, following another strong year of new hotel openings, according más...
Concord Hospitality plans to double pipeline
Concord Hospitality Enterprises, managers of more than 80 hotels in North America, has committed US$355 million in active development on 15 hotels más...
Jumeirah to offer traditional pearl diving
Jumeirah Group, in partnership with the Emirates Marine Environmental Group, is launching a traditional pearl diving experience at the Jumeirah Beach más...
HOTELS Interview: Dolce CEO Steven Rudnitsky
Dolce Hotels and Resorts, Rockleigh, New Jersey, continues to expand throughout the U.S. and Europe with new hotels under development in Vittel, France más...
Group demand strong for 2012: TravelClick
Hotels are seeing strong growth in group commitments for 2012, according to TravelClick’s January 2012 North American Hospitality Review, which más...
Vail looking abroad
Vail Resorts Inc., Broomfield, Colorado, has created a new position for one of its senior executives to work on expanding the company’s portfolio más...
What’s Hot: Renovation of historic California hotel
The Grande Colonial in La Jolla, California, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year, has completed a US$500,000 renovation of the hotel’s más...
U.S. pipeline down 1.6% in January: STR
The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 2,736 projects totaling 293,143 rooms, according to the January 2012 STR/McGraw Hill Construction más...
Compelled to cuddle: 35% of British adults sleep with teddy bear
Teddy bears comfort more than just kids, a new survey by budget hotel brand Travelodge found. More than a third — 35% — of 6,000 British adults más...
News in brief: IHG, Hyatt, Viceroy
IHG expands in Russia: IHG announced its second InterContinental-branded hotel in Russia, the 173-room InterContinental St. Petersburg set to open más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Absolute Hotel Services Group, Bangkok, has appointed Jean-matthieu Beroujon corporate director of operations más...
Leela drops Kempinski flag
On Thursday Hotel Leelaventure Ltd., Mumbai, India, dropped the Kempinski Hotels flag for all but two of its Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts properties más...
Steigenberger CEO steps down
Steigenberger Hotels AG, Frankfurt, Germany, announced on Thursday that its CEO Arco Buijs is leaving the company “by mutual consent.” Buijs más...
Billions in maturing US hotel loans may be extended: JLLH
The state of the commercial mortgage-backed securities market is one of the biggest wild cards affecting the pace of U.S. hotel investment in 2012, according más...
Hot Openings: Tryp by Wyndham debuts in NYC
Tryp by Wyndham has made its U.S. debut with the opening of the 173-room Tryp New York City Times Square South. The hotel, located on 35th Street between más...
4Q Marriott profit down
Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, reported a decreased profit in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010. Reported más...
Hyatt improves 4Q margin
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, saw its net income increase significantly in the fourth quarter of 2011 to US$52 million from US$6 million during the same más...
Carlson Rezidor updates progress on Ambition 2015
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group reported from its global business conference this week that its Club Carlson loyalty program has reached eight million members más...
Swiss Int’l aims for South Asia expansion
Swiss International Hotels & Resorts, Gland, Switzerland, announced on Thursday that it has signed an agreement with Rockwood Associates, Portland más...
Accor selling used furniture on eBay
On Tuesday Accor, Courcouronnes, France, launched reBorn, a special eBay online store to sell the hotel giant’s used furniture. The store includes más...
News in brief: Jebel Ali, Pride, Maldives
Jebel Ali buys Dubai hotel: Jebel Ali International Hotels has bought a 341-room, yet to be named hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for US$100 más...
What's Hot: Acme to open in Chicago
Acme Hotel is set to open in Chicago in May 2012, its developer Neighborhood Development Corp., Chicago, announced on Wednesday. The 130-room property más...
NYC’s Avalon hotel sold for $48 million
The 100-room Avalon hotel, located on 32nd St in midtown Manhattan, has been sold by Ferrado US, Newport Beach, California, for US$48.3 million to 16 más...
London’s Kingsley by Thistle sells for £40 million
CIT Real Estate Partners, London, announced that it sold the 129-room The Kingsley by Thistle hotel, located in central London, to an unnamed buyer on más...
Macau occupancy hits record high
Macau’s Statistics and Census Services reported on Tuesday that the special administrative region set a monthly record with an 89.7% average hotel más...
L.A. hotel offers 33% F&B savings
Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles is offering guests the option of purchasing a US$150 food and beverage credit for US$100 upon check-in. The más...
UNLV study on misconceptions about energy management
Investments in energy efficiency initiatives in 4- and 5-star U.S. hotels are impacted by concerns from hoteliers about building automation and control más...
Participate in important survey on digital marketing strategies
HeBS Digital and and New York University’s Tisch Center for Hospitality Studies announce the launch of their sixth annual Benchmark Survey on Hotel más...
News in brief: Destination, Worldhotels, Courtyard
Destination to manage Lansdowne: Destination Hotels & Resorts announced on Wednesday that it will manage the Lansdowne Resort, located in Leesburg más...
What’s Hot: The Joule, Dallas
The Joule, located in Dallas, is currently undergoing a yearlong US$78 million renovation. The project will expand the hotel, which is housed in a 1920s más...
IHG operating profit up 26% in 2011
Despite Europe’s economic troubles, IHG, Denham, U.K., saw a 26% year-on-year increase to US$559 million in operating profit, fueled by revenue más...
London Edition back on track
The renovation work to turn a London hotel into a Marriott Edition is back on track after two years of inaction. U.K. trade publication Construction Enquirer más...
Gemstone to manage Boston’s Copley Square
Gemstone Hotels & Resorts, Park City, Utah, announced on Tuesday that it has assumed management of the Copley Square Hotel, located in Boston. Originally más...
Florida hotel hires ‘Kite Concierge’
Boca Beach Club, a Waldorf Astoria resort in Boca Raton, Florida, has hired Randy Lowe — also known as “Randy the Kiteman” — to más...
News in brief: Hilton, Wheelock, Host
Hilton to debut in Kazakhstan: In 2014 Hilton Worldwide will open its first hotel in Kazakhstan with the Hilton Garden Inn Astana. Read more at más...
Luxury Collection debuts in Australia
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc., Stamford, Connecticut, announced on Monday that its The Luxury Collection brand debuted in Australia with más...
Kerzner’s One&Only to debut in China
Kerzner International Holdings Ltd, Paradise Island, Bahamas, announced on Monday that it has entered into an agreement with Hainan Gezhouba Industrial más...
Holiday Inn set for 2 Indian hotels: Mint
IHG, Denham, U.K., is set to sign management contracts for two 150-room hotels in India that will be branded as Holiday Inns, Indian business newspaper más...
Is Cape Town over its World Cup hangover?
The outlook for the 5-Star hotel market in South Africa is looking brighter, according to Joop Demes, CEO of Pam Golding Hospitality, Cape Town, particularly más...
Cambodia boutique hotel showcases fashion collection
Hôtel de la Paix in Siem Reap, Cambodia, recently hosted the opening of “Emotional,” a presentation featuring the latest haute texture más...
News in brief: Noble, Wyndham, Marriott
Noble expands in Florida: Noble House Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with Jefast Hotels to manage the Pelican Grand Beach Resort in más...
MINA to buy 42 UK Marriotts for $800 million
MINA Holdings, Freeport, Bahamas, revealed on Friday that it is set to purchase 42 Marriott-branded hotels in the United Kingdom from Fawkes Holding, más...
HOTELS Interview: Antonioli’s plans for Lungarno
Since 1995, Leonardo Ferragamo, the youngest son of legendary shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo, has been fashioning contemporary hotels with famed Italian más...
Accor sells Novotel Times Square
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, announced on Friday the sale of its Novotel Times Square hotel in New York City for €71 million (US$93 million) to más...
What’s Hot: New restaurant at Gansevoort Turks + Caicos
Gansevoort Turks + Caicos has opened a new restaurant, Stelle, by Toronto restaurateur Franco Agostino, whose previous restaurants include Il Post Nuovo más...
Top 10 movie hotels: Trivago
In honor of movie award season, hotel search engine Trivago has put together a list of "The Top 10 Movie Hotels." Its criteria for the tribute to the más...
News in brief: McSam, Leading Hotels of the World, HNA
McSam sells NYC site for hotel: McSam Hotel Group has sold a vacant lot at 50 Trinity Place in New York City for US$15 million. A hotel will be más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Jennifer Balch has been appointed national sales manager of La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California más...
Hot Openings: Vivanta by Taj – Begumpet, Hyderabad
Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has opened Vivanta by Taj – Begumpet, Hyderabad, the 23rd addition to the Vivanta by Taj portfolio. The hotel features más...
Arab Spring keeping lid on demand: STR Global
One year since the beginning of the Arab Spring, demand has yet to return to Egypt, Bahrain and the Levant region according to the 2011 year-end data más...
Homewood Suites adds 3 hotels in Canada
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia announced on Thursday that it signed three hotels in Canada under its Homewood Suites by Hilton brand. The new hotels más...
Auberge to offer adventures
Auberge Resorts, Mill Valley, California announced this week the launch of “Auberge Adventures,” excursions for guests centered on cultural más...
Iberostar Cancun debuts following renovation
Following its US$100 million purchase and renovation of the property, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has opened Iberostar Cancun. The renovation included más...
Is Cupid staying home for Valentine's Day?
While some couples might be taking a romantic getaway for next week’s Valentine’s Day, new data from TravelClick suggests either people in más...
News in brief: Sandos, Marriott, African Sun
Sandos expands in Cancun: Sandos Hotels & Resorts announced that it has taken over management and reflagged a Le Meridien hotel in Cancun, Mexico más...
Trump, Colony chosen to redevelop historic DC building
The U.S. General Services Administration has chosen Trump Hotel Collection and Colony Capital’s proposal as the winning bid to develop the historic más...
HNA buys NYC’s Cassa Hotel
HNA Group Co., Haikou, China has purchased the 165-room Cassa Hotel and Residences, located in New York City, and signed an agreement for Viceroy Hotel más...
Kimpton buys Portland’s Riverside Hotel
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurant Group, San Francisco has purchased the 84-room Riverside Hotel, located in Portland, Oregon from Larkspur Hotels & más...
Panic buttons, raises among perks in new NYC hotel labor contract
The Hotel Association of New York City Inc. and the New York Hotel Trades Council, AFL-CIO have reached a tentative labor agreement that will impact up más...
Bank restructuring deals will drive EMEA deals: JLLH
Driven by debt restructuring deals, hotel investment activity is expected to remain stable across EMEA during 2012 with US$11 billion worth of deals forecast más...
£100,000 experience for 100 years at The Stafford
On Wednesday, The Stafford London by Kempinski began a year-long celebration of its 100th birthday by unveiling an opulent VIP experience that draws on más...
News in brief: SilverNeedle, Wyndham, Marriott
SilverNeedle appoints new CEO: SilverNeedle Hospitality has appointed Iqbal Jumabhoy as managing director and CEO. Wyndham net income down más...
What's Hot: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa has finished a US$21 million renovation. The newly updated lobby uses teak, black walnut, stone, water-jet cut aluminum más...
Mandarin Oriental plans resort, residences in Turkish Riviera
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced it will manage a resort and branded residences on the northern side of Turkey’s Bodrum Peninsula, also known más...
Preferred launches serviced residences brand
On Tuesday Preferred Hotel Group, Chicago announced Summit Serviced Residences, its first luxury serviced residences brand. Joining the Summit Serviced más...
Florida gambling expansion bill dies
A proposal from The Genting Group, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to build a US$3 billion casino-resort mega-complex in Miami is stalled. A bill approving the más...
Waldorf Astoria makes official Chicago debut
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia announced on Tuesday that has rebranded the Elysian Hotel to Waldorf Astoria Chicago. The move comes after Hilton was más...
France posts strong December in 4- and 5-star market
Even while growth slowed in the budget and 2-star sectors and the 3-star market posted mixed results, the 4- and 5-star market in France continued its más...
LodgeNet chairman comments on new mega-app
LodgeNet Interactive Corp., Sioux Falls, South Dakota announced last week the launch of a new mobile application that combines hotel service ordering más...
News in brief: Como, Thompson, Sabre
Como expands in Bhutan: Como Hotels & Resorts announced that it will open an 11-room lodge, Uma Panakha, in rural Bhutan in September. Read más...
Hot Openings: The Westin Playa Bonita Panama
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. and developer Bern Hotels & Resorts have opened the first Westin in Panama. The US$100 million resort, más...
IHG chairman ‘to resign’
U.K. newspaper The Sunday Telegraph reported without citing a source that IHG chairman David Webster is set to resign and that a search for a new chairman más...
Analyzing Starwood's acquisition of Design Hotels
In what the company describes as purely an investment, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has agreed to acquire the nearly half-stake in consortium más...
Lemon Tree launching third-party management co.
Lemon Tree Hotels, New Delhi, revealed to Indian business newspaper Mint that it plans to launch a third-party management company in May. Currently Lemon más...
Dubai, Riyadh saw 2011 top regional performance: TRI
Hotels in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia achieved the highest ARR and GOPPAR in the Middle East/North Africa region for the month of December and full year 2011 más...
New York Helmsley to undergo huge renovation in Westin rebranding
The historic New York Helmsley Hotel, acquired by Host Hotels & Resorts last year, is undergoing a US$65 million renovation as part of its move to más...
Travel Channel debuting hotel business show
U.S. television channel Travel Channel, Chevy Chase, Maryland announced on Monday the premiere date for a new program based on turning around business más...
News in brief: Centara, Scandic, Emaar
Centara expands in Maldives: Centara Hotels & Resorts will open its second property in the Maldives in late 2012, the Centara Ras Fushi Resort más...
HOTELS Interview: Denihan's David Duncan
David Duncan is the recently appointed president of the Denihan Hospitality Group, New York City. Since its recapitalization in 2006, the boutique owner-operator más...
Royal Orchid launches midscale brand
On Friday Royal Orchid Hotels, Bangalore, India announced the launch of Regenta, a midscale brand that will initially be focused on hosting events. The más...
StreamCo buys Afton
StreamCo, a Richmond, Virginia-based real estate management company, announced on Thursday that it bought hotel management company Afton Hospitality, más...
Canadian hotel investors optimistic: Colliers
Results of the second annual Canadian Hotel Investment Sentiment Survey, published by Colliers International shows hotel investors remain positive about más...
Greek hoteliers pessimistic about 2012: GBR
Although Greek hotels in Thessaloniki and island resorts saw RevPAR and international arrivals in the fourth quarter increase, Athens hotels saw declines más...
Culinary showdowns mark Loews Super Bowl celebrations
Loews Hotels is celebrating this weekend’s Super Bowl with game day-inspired brunches featuring various culinary creations reflecting the team’s más...
Online marketing, recommendations most effective: study
A newly-released study on hotel channel distribution by HawkPartners highlights the importance of recommendations, social media reviews, online travel más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Noble, Schlitterbahn
Hyatt expands in Saudi Arabia: Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced three management agreements for new-build hotels in Saudi Arabia, one in Riyadh and más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Khalid Al-Ashgar has been appointed regional director of sales in Saudi Arabia at Rosewood Hotels & más...
Starwood Capital-led consortia buys former Gansevoort Miami Beach
A consortium consisting of affiliates of Starwood Capital Group, the LeFrak Organization and Invesco Ltd. on Thursday announced that they have jointly más...
Livingstones buy Cliveden
Cliveden House Hotel, a former von Essen luxury property located in Taplow, England has been bought for an undisclosed sum by British billionaire brothers más...
Starwood's Q4 revenue up 14%
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide reported fourth-quarter 2011 results on Thursday with revenue up 14%, beating Wall Street estimates. Profits in más...
European market shows positive signs, questions: MKG
With an average of 5.5% RevPAR growth and average occupancy rate higher than 66% for 2011, Europe posted many positive indicators despite some ongoing más...
2012 UK RevPAR to increase slightly: STR Global
London and the regional U.K. reported positive RevPAR growth in 2011, according to data from STR Global. Despite its challenges throughout the year, demand más...
Caesars begins process to sell public shares
Caesars Entertainment Corp. on Thursday announced the start of its public share listing process. The Las Vegas-based company is selling 1.81 million shares más...
Regent wins management of new Montenegro hotel
Regent Hotels and Resorts has been named as the operator of the first hotel to be developed in Porto Montenegro, the new marina destination on the coast más...
Courtyard to expand in US, Europe
Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland revealed that it has signed management agreements for four Courtyard by Marriott-branded hotels in the más...
News in brief: Las Vegas Sands, InterContinental, Carlson
Sands announces first dividend: Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced its first dividend for US$800 million, about US$343 million of which will go to más...
Accor out of Groupe du Louvre bidding
Accor, Courcouronnes, France revealed on Wednesday that it is no longer in the bidding process for the hotels of Groupe du Louvre, owned by Starwood Capital más...
Starwood ups ante in loyalty game
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Wednesday raised the stakes in the hotel loyalty game by adding benefits (beginning March 1) to its Starwood más...
UK rules TripAdvisor no longer trustworthy
TripAdvisor was barred on Wednesday from marketing itself as “honest” and “trusted” in the U.K. after a government agency ruled más...
FelCor acquires third hotel for NYC market
FelCor Lodging Trust on Wednesday announced the acquisition of the landmark Knickerbocker Hotel in midtown Manhattan, New York City, for US$115 million más...
Lonrho to rehabilitate Congolese hotel
Lonrho plc, London signed a 10-year agreement on Wednesday with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to manage and renovate 450-room más...
Hot Openings: Vivanta by Taj, Surya, Coimbatore, India
Vivanta by Taj has opened its 22nd property: the Vivanta by Taj Surya, Coimbatore, which is also the company’s 3rd property in the Indian state más...
Kimpton will rock Cleveland next year
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, San Francisco, announced on Tuesday its plans to enter the Cleveland, Ohio, market with the management of a 161-room más...
News in brief: Edwardian, Mövenpick, Strand
Edwardian buys London site: Edwardian Group bought property in London’s Leicester Square for £100 million (US$158 million) for a multi-use más...
enero 2012
Chesapeake to buy NYC Hyatt Place
Chesapeake Lodging Trust announced Tuesday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the 185-room Hyatt Place New York Midtown South más...
Chartres realigns to support growth
San Francisco-based hotel and investment advisory firm Chartres Lodging Group has announced the restructuring of its executive team as a result of a growing más...
Westin rolling out new fitness gyms
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc., Stamford, Connecticut announced on Tuesday that it is renovating the fitness studios at its Westin-branded más...
Island wants to double management contracts
Island Hospitality Management LLC on Tuesday announced that Tim Walker has rejoined the company as president. Walker will be responsible for executing más...
Carlton staff told to post fake TripAdvisor reviews: Irish Times
The Irish Times newspaper published an investigative article on Tuesday alleging that it had seen internal communication by Carlton Hotel Group, Dublin más...
Vienna 2011 overnight stays hit record high
Vienna saw a new record number of overnight stays in 2011, totaling 11.4 million, according to an annual report from the Kohl & Partner tourism consultancy más...
News in brief: Mövenpick, DoubleTree, Ethiopia
Mövenpick to enter Indonesia: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts announced on Tuesday that it will open its first hotel in Indonesia, the más...
Swazi businessman buys Durban’s Royal
Moses Motsa, a Swaziland businessman, revealed to Times of Swaziland that he purchased the 210-room The Royal Hotel, located in Durban, South Africa, más...
Hot Openings: Hotel Mazarin, New Orleans
Hotel Mazarin, part of the New Orleans Hotel Collection, is now open half a block from Bourbon Street in the building that was once home to the Saint más...
Starwood gives away ‘dream vacation’ on Facebook
By showing “what vacation means to them” by posting a picture, photo or even a poem to Facebook, travelers in North America can win a “dream más...
NYC deal volume at all-time high: JLLH
After two strong rebound years, the volume of hotel transactions in New York reached an all-time record high in 2011. Eighteen transactions, comprising más...
More Brits will travel, but spend less in 2012: Hotwire
More Brits plan to take trips in 2012 versus last year, although they will spend on average slightly less in 2012 compared with 2011, according to research más...
Stronger European markets surpass 2008 numbers: TRI
Five of the 10 European cities for which TRI Hospitality Consulting presents data registered GOPPAR growth in December with Berlin, Prague, Warsaw and más...
Comedy Central orders hotel-centered TV show
U.S. cable and satellite television network Comedy Central, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc., New York City, has reportedly ordered a pilot episode for a television más...
News in brief: Roy, London Olympics, Myanmar
Roy offers £750 million for Marriotts: Indian business mogul Subrata Roy has reportedly offered the Royal Bank of Scotland £750 million más...
Brazil Hospitality buys Grupo Solare
Brazil Hospitality Group, São Paulo, has signed an agreement for the acquisition of hotel management company Grupo Solare, São Luís más...
HOTELS Interview: Renowned Spanish chef discusses Paris debut
When W Paris – Opéra debuts in mid-February, its signature restaurant will be Arola, named for Executive Chef Sergi Arola, one of the most más...
$2.4 billion Kerzner debt sent to servicer
Bloomberg reported on Thursday that US$2.4 billion in Kerzner International Holdings Ltd, Paradise Island, Bahamas debt has been sent to Wells Fargo & más...
Caribbean has best year since 2008: STR
The Caribbean hotel industry reported increases in all three key performance metrics in 2011, according to data from STR. In year-over-year comparisons más...
Poland, Ukraine limit growth ahead of UEFA 2012: STR Global
STR Global reported on Friday that in light of the upcoming UEFA European Football Championship in June, hotel inventory in Poland and Ukraine is expected más...
Wynn lawsuit to secure Manila project funding?
Kazuo Okada’s Universal Entertainment Corp., Tokyo, broke ground on a US$2 billion casino-resort mega-complex in Manila, Philippines on Thursday más...
Super Bowl boosts hotel rates up to 1,700%
Hotel rates in and around the city of Indianapolis, site of the Super Bowl on February 5, are soaring, in some cases more than 1,700% above normal prices más...
News in brief: Al Habtoor, Hainan, PATA
Al Habtoor eyes London, Paris: Khalaf Al Habtoor said Al Habtoor Group is eyeing hotel acquisitions in London and Paris, but not the Middle East más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Wichita, Kansas-based Value Place has named Andy Anderson vice president of franchise development for más...
Hot Openings: Trump towers over Toronto
The 65-story Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto, Canada’s tallest residential building and second-tallest structure overall, is scheduled más...
Accor launches location-based app for loyalty club
On Thursday Accor, Courcouronnes, France announced the launch of a location-based Facebook application, A|Club Places, for its loyalty program. Every más...
Split performance in MENA
MKG Hospitality’s December and end-of-year hotel results for the Middle East & North African regions reveal Turkey, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia más...
US RevPAR to increase in 2012, 2013: STR
The U.S. hotel industry is expected to report steady RevPAR increases in both 2012 and 2013, according to the most recent forecast from STR in partnership más...
US hotel transactions up 62% in 2011: STR
Total hotel property transactions in 2011 amounted to US$14 billion, compared to $8.6 billion in 2010, according to data from STR Analytics. This is a más...
Rare wine event at The Halekulani
The Halekulani in Honolulu on February 4 will host a noteworthy dining experience featuring rare wines flown in from the renowned Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé más...
News in brief: AC, Best Western, Neemrana
AC by Marriott to enter France: Marriott International Inc. announced on Thursday plans to convert the 143-room Elysee Palace Hotel in Nice to AC más...
Study shows lower rates don’t generate enough demand
At a time when the hotel industry is grappling with increasingly complex distribution systems, a landmark study on hotel channel distribution released más...
World to enter ‘golden age’ of travel: PSB
A study released on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland bolsters optimism about the world travel market as results indicated that más...
US market sees strong recovery in 2011: STR
The U.S. hotel industry reported increases in all three key performance metrics in 2011, according to data from STR. Overall, the U.S. hotel industry's más...
What's Hot: Historic Florida resort unveils renovated lobby
The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Fla., has welcomed guests into its newly renovated lobby. The lobby now más...
London hotels more resilient than rest of UK: TRI
Hoteliers in London recorded a second straight year of profitability growth in 2011 even as results in much of the rest of the United Kingdom were not más...
Beijing hotel hosts interactive sculpture installation
The Opposite House in Beijing for three months is hosting an interactive performance art exhibition and installation of sculptures by Huang Rui titled más...
News in brief: Starwood, Ameristar, IHG
Starwood back to pre-recession level: Matthew Avril, the president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. revealed at the World Economic más...
Choice updating Comfort brand family
Choice Hotels International, Silver Spring, Maryland announced on Tuesday that it is revamping its flagship midscale brands Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites más...
Hospitality recovery to continue in 2012: Ernst & Young
Hospitality market fundamentals appear set to continue the recovery started in 2011 in spite of continuing economic uncertainty, according to a new report más...
DLA Piper survey reveals strong appetite for hotel deals
There is a strong appetite for hotel transactions fueled in part by a significant uptick in private equity investment activity as well as flattening asset más...
Asia Pac, Americas top 2011 RevPAR gains: STR Global
Asia Pacific and the Americas saw the largest regional RevPAR gains in 2011, according to date from STR and STR Global. In year-over-year measurements más...
Access, conference infrastructure help Amsterdam hotels
Thanks to the city’s accessibility, conference infrastructure and numerous cultural and tourist attractions, Amsterdam’s hotel sector has más...
News in brief: ALHI, HVMG, Landmark
ALHI enters Asia: Associated Luxury Hotels International added six hotels in China to its global sales organization. HVMG expands in Pennsylvania: más...
HOTELS Interview: Architect talks hotel design trends
Patrick Reardon, executive chairman of ReardonSmith Architects in London, is no stranger to accolades, with ReardonSmith having recently won The European más...
Hot Openings: Park Hyatt Hyderabad
The Park Hyatt Hyderabad is preparing for its grand opening in the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The hotel, located in Banjara Hills más...
Healthy, on-the-go among breakfast trend predictions
Hotel breakfast programs are increasingly reflecting prominent trends in the broader culinary world — the move toward local sourcing, the demand más...
Marriott brands for 3 new Sochi hotels
Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland announced on Monday that it is opening three new hotels in Sochi, Russia under franchise agreements negotiated más...
DoubleTree to debut in Japan
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia announced on Monday that it signed a management agreement with ASV Investment Co. to introduce the first DoubleTree más...
News in brief: D4 Hotels, Interstate, Luxe
D4 Hotels taken over: After paying €400 million (US$516 million) for the Dublin properties six years ago, Irish developer Seán Dunne más...
HOTELS Interview: Detert on boutique trends, new co.
Hotelier Yvonne Detert has been at the forefront of the lifestyle hotel trend since she opened Hotel Union Square, located in San Francisco, with her más...
Paris Pullman sold for €77 million
On Thursday Accor, Courcouronnes, France announced the sale of the 617-room Pullman Paris Rive Gauche to real estate developer Bouygues Immobilier, Paris más...
What’s Hot: Renovated Art Deco landmark in Miami
The Shelborne South Beach in Miami, originally designed in 1940 by renowned modernist Igor Polevitzky, recently completed a two-year, US$20 million renovation más...
Southwest Value revitalizing 2 Westins
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona and the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina won más...
NH Hoteles seeks €195 million refinancing
Reuters reported on Thursday that NH Hoteles, Madrid, has asked creditors to back its debt refinancing ahead of a €195 million (US$251 million) loan más...
Asia Pacific tops December pipeline: STR Global
The Asia/Pacific hotel development pipeline comprises 1,460 hotels totaling 355,957 rooms, according to the December 2011 STR Global Construction Pipeline más...
News in brief: Accor, Fairmont, Resort Group
Accor expands in Indonesia: Hotel Nikko Jakarta has been rebranded as Pullman Jakarta Indonesia. The hotel is being refurbished but will stay open más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Lindy Andrews has been appointed director of sales and marketing at Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific in más...
Marriott, Schrager reaffirm commitment to Edition
On Thursday Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland reaffirmed its commitment to its lifestyle Edition brand created with Ian Schrager with the más...
Obama announces international tourism strategy
Speaking at Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama announced a national strategy to boost international arrivals más...
Loews commits $500 million for expansion
Loews Hotels & Resorts, New York City, announced on Thursday that it has more than US$500 million in discretionary capital committed to the acquisition más...
Louvre makes deal for 7 hotels in Poland
Qualia Development, a subsidiary of Poland’s largest bank PKO Bank Polski, and Louvre Hotels Group, Paris, on Wednesday announced a strategic franchise más...
Americas hotel transactions to hold steady in 2012: JLLH
Hotel real estate investment in the Americas reached a four-year high in 2011 as transaction volume swelled to US$15.2 billion — a 24% increase más...
Spain, Portugal showed RevPAR growth in 2011
STR Global on Wednesday reported that increased occupancy led to double-digit RevPAR growth in Lisbon, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands year-to-November más...
Denihan promotes Duncan to president
Denihan Hospitality Group has appointed its chief financial officer David Duncan to the newly created role of company president. In this new role, Duncan más...
What’s Hot: Indoor/outdoor Vegas nightlife at Hyde Bellagio
The Hyde nightlife brand from Los Angeles-based sbe has debuted in Las Vegas with Hyde Bellagio. The 10,000-sq-ft (929-sq-m) indoor/outdoor venue occupies más...
News in brief: Parkside, RLJ, Meliá
Parkside to expand in India: Parkside Hotels and Resorts announced on Thursday that it plans to invest US$400 million to expand its operations in más...
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group debuts
With Carlson President and CEO Hubert Joly calling the news analogous to the two Hiltons coming together in 2006, Minneapolis-based Carlson and Brussels-based más...
Brookfield cancels Atlantis debt deal with Kerzner
A bid by Kerzner International Holdings Ltd, Paradise Island, Bahamas, to sell its flagship property Atlantis Paradise Island as well as two other resorts más...
Al Habtoor announces $1.3 billion Dubai project
On Wednesday Dubai-based real estate developer Al Habtoor Group announced a US$1.3 billion project to replace the historic Metropolitan Hotel in Dubai más...
Accor 'to sell' NYC Novotel for $91 million
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Accor, Courcouronnes, France intends to sell the 480-room Novotel New York Times Square by the end más...
Japan's RevPAR returns to positive territory
Hotel performance in Japan is making a comeback with November 2011 marking the first positive month of RevPAR performance since the March earthquake and más...
What’s Hot: Gensler-designed Indianapolis homage
Indianapolis-based Buckingham Companies and Rockleigh, New Jersey-based Dolce Hotels and Resorts recently announced that the new hotel they are creating más...
Hotel sells lessons with Olympic gold swimmer
Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona, is offering a package that includes swimming sessions with Olympic gold medalist Misty Hyman, más...
News in brief: Accor, Jumeirah, Westin
Accor sales up 2.5%: Accor revealed that its sales grew 2.5% in 2011 and confirmed its profit forecast. Read more at Bloomberg Businessweek más...
What’s Hot: Refurbished Canary Islands hotel
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has officially reopened the historic Mencey Hotel — which originally opened its doors in 1950 — in Santa Cruz más...
California hotel foreclosures to decrease in 2012: Atlas
Hotel default filings in California will fall substantially in 2012, down 30% to 40% and hotel foreclosures will be down 15% to 20%, according to a new más...
S. Korea travel market growing strong: PhoCusWright
PhoCusWright recently published research on the burgeoning South Korean travel market. The South Korean Travel Market: Rising Again states that South más...
Hotel spa recovery lags: PKF
The great recession appears to have been harder on hotel spa operations than on hotels themselves, according to a new study released by PKF Consulting más...
Commentary: Promoting value in South Africa
As the 2012 business year begins, many in the hospitality industry in South Africa are licking wounds, grateful frankly, just to be here. Around the world más...
Trolley at Andaz Wall Street features whiskey, scotch
The restaurant Wall & Water at Andaz Wall Street in New York City plans to introduce a trolley featuring a range of whiskey and scotch varieties in más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Langham, IHG
Rezidor expands in Qatar: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced an agreement with Al Jassim Group to open Hotel Missoni Doha in 2015. Read more at Reuters más...
Russian billionaire to buy Dublin hotel
The Irish Times reported on Saturday that the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) is set to sell Morrison Hotel, located in central Dublin, to one más...
Kingdom sells Four Seasons, Movenpick hotel
Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), chaired by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, in the fourth más...
Viceroy rebrands Riviera Maya resort after renovation
Viceroy Hotel Group has rebranded the former Tides Riviera Maya as the Viceroy Riviera Maya following a major renovation of the property. The 6-acre (2 más...
Robert Cook switches CEO jobs
Hotel brands Malmaison and Hotel du Vin of MWB Group Holdings and De Vere Village of De Vere Group have switched CEOs. Robert Cook, former CEO of Malmaison más...
Burkle buys Soho House stake
The Soho House Group, London, announced on Friday that it sold a majority stake to Ronald Burkle’s privately held investment firm Yucaipa Companies más...
Kimpton to buy Santa Barbara hotel
Pacific Coast Business Times reported on Friday that Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, San Francisco, is set to buy Canary Hotel, located in Santa Barbara más...
No shortage of controversy at Hotel Chelsea
Excitement at New York City’s legendary artists hangout, Hotel Chelsea, ramped back up this past week, first when rock ‘n roll legend Patti más...
Fairmont partners with Abbey Road Studios
Toronto-based Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has entered a global partnership with Abbey Road Studios through which Fairmont guests will have access to más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Hilton, Wynn
Rezidor entering Qatar: Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it will convert the 583-room Ramada Plaza Doha to a Radisson Blu and will invest US$18 más...
HOTELS Interview: Room Key’s plans for 2012
Room Key, which launched on Wednesday, is positioning itself as a game-changer for online hotel booking by allowing customers to book directly with hotel más...
HNA drops Amanresorts bid
HNA Group Co., Haikou, China, confirmed to Reuters on Friday that it dropped its bid to buy luxury hotel chain Amanresorts International Pte Ltd from más...
Analyst's bullish view of New York City
R.W. Baird analyst David Loeb released a bullish report about New York City’s hotel business for 2012, despite what he says is an overall contrarian más...
US hotel value to increase 25% in 2012: HVS
An optimistic outlook for the industry marks the 2011 edition of the HVS U.S. Hotel Valuation Index. The U.S. lodging market experienced strong demand más...
Commentary: Social travel is going strong
This commentary by Doug Miller, senior vice president, New Initiatives for LivingSocial, is in response to a blog by Max Starkov posted to hotelsmag más...
2012 to see more US, Canada openings: STR
The U.S. hotel industry during 2011 opened 373 new properties with 38,409 rooms, which resulted in a 0.5% increase in existing room supply, according más...
Farm-to-table approach for new Four Seasons Chicago restaurant
An approachable environment and farm-to-table, regional American cuisine will characterize Allium, the new restaurant set to open next month at Four Seasons más...
News in brief: Pebblebrook, Autograph, MGM
Pebblebrook secures loan: Pebblebrook Real Estate Investment Trust secured a US$46 million loan with a first mortgage on Hotel Monaco, located in más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Tim Block has been appointed general manager of the Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Oregon. Block previously más...
Hot Openings: Lakeside Park Hyatt resort in China
Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa is located on the banks of Dong Qian Lake in the eastern province of Zhejiang, two-and-a-half hours from Shanghai. Designed más...
Hyatt House goes to India
Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Thursday announced it signed a management agreement by a Hyatt affiliate for a Hyatt House hotel in Mumbai. The company also announced más...
Best Western signs on with Room Key
Best Western International on Thursday announced it has signed on as the first commercial partner to supply hotel inventory to Room Key, the new online más...
Amanresorts sale ‘stalled’: Reuters
Reuters reported on Thursday that Indian real estate giant DLF’s sale of luxury hotel chain Amanresorts International Pte Ltd is stalling due to más...
Madhya Pradesh leads growth: STR Global
India’s hotel industry showed overall year-to-date November 2011 growth in performance data and the supply pipeline, according to new figures from más...
Brand.com making gains: TravelClick
Data from the third quarter 2011 TravelClick North American Distribution Review (NADR) reveals hotel websites, referred to as brand.com, were the fastest más...
Beirut RevPAR down 27%: Ernst & Young
A new hotel market report on the Middle East by Ernst & Young shows RevPAR in Beirut from January to November 2011 was down 27.6% year-on-year. Likewise más...
Wynn shareholder sues company
The largest shareholder in Wynn Resorts Ltd, Paradise, Nevada is suing the company for allegedly withholding its books and records from him. Kazuo Okada más...
News in brief: MGM, Marriott, CAM
MGM seeks Massachusetts casino-resort: MGM Resorts International is seeking to develop a casino-resort in western Massachusetts. Read more at The más...
6 giants launch hotel search engine
Six of the world’s largest hotel companies have joined forces to create a hotel search engine website that facilitates booking on better terms than más...
Wyndham deals to develop HoJo in India
Wyndham Hotel Group announced Wednesday a major development deal in India while the executive team was traveling there to source more deals. It has signed más...
New JV acquires Austin Four Seasons
In a new joint venture with Chicago-based Lodging Capital Partners, Prudential Real Estate Investors (PREI) — the Parsippany, New Jersey-based real más...
Detert launches new management co.
Famed hotelier Yvonne Detert, president and CEO of Personality Hotels, San Francisco, announced on Wednesday the launch of Engage Hospitality, a full-service más...
What’s Hot: The Peninsula Hong Kong enhances guestrooms
The Peninsula Hong Kong has started a two-phase project that will transform all 297 of its guestrooms. The initiative will be confined to each of the más...
Report predicts future of travel
By 2020 airports will become paperless, passengers will need just their finger prints as a boarding pass, they will cruise through customs and immigration más...
News in brief: Korman, Hilton, Autograph
Korman expands in California: Korman Communities bought an office building in Crescent City for US$85 million to convert into an AKA-branded luxury más...
Hot Openings: Beachfront retreat in Vietnam
Anantara’s first hotel in Vietnam, Anantara Mui Ne Resort & Spa along the country’s southeast coast, promises an ideal beach climate in más...
Strong regional growth in China: STR Global
The Chinese hotel market’s performance has remained positive year-to-November, with RevPAR growing 2.8% compared with the previous year, according más...
MKG reviews results, looks ahead in France
Despite the deficit crisis amongst European member-states, 2011 confirmed that the previous year’s economic upswing was still in effect in France más...
TripAdvisor drops ‘Dirtiest Hotels’ list
TripAdvisor decided to drop its annual “Dirtiest Hotels” list, which recently instigated a lawsuit by a hotel against the online travel review más...
New culinary program highlights signature ingredient monthly
Destination Hotels & Resorts, a Denver-based hospitality management company with more than 35 properties across the United States, has launched The más...
News in brief: Taj, Kewsick, Langham
Indian Hotels expands in China: Indian Hotels Co. signed a deal to open two hotels with its Taj and Vivanta by Taj brands in Kunming, China. Read más...
Kerzner steps down as CEO
On Thursday Sol Kerzner, longtime CEO of Kerzner International Holdings Ltd, Paradise Island, Bahamas, stepped down to be replaced by Alan Leibman. Kerzner más...
Louvre focusing on its home turf, France
Louvre Hotels Group said on Monday that it aims to actively pursue its development in France and is planning 25 to 30 hotel openings in 2012, 50% of which más...
Principal Hayley buys back 6 UK hotels
Principal Hayley Group, Harrogate, England, bought back six hotels for £200 million (US$308 million) from property fund aAim. The hotel properties más...
Qatar buys 2 Raffles hotels
Sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority, Doha, Qatar, has purchased a Raffles hotel in Paris and Singapore via its subsidiary Qatar National más...
What’s Hot: Restored 19th century London railway hotel
Guoman Hotels’ The Grosvenor, which first opened in 1862 and is billed as London’s oldest railway hotel, has completed an 18-month restoration más...
Rezidor reorganizes regional operations
The Rezidor Hotel Group, Brussels, announced on Monday the organizational optimization of their regional operations offices in Europe, the Middle East más...
News in brief: Sheraton, Scandic, von Essen
Starwood expands in Brazil: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. announced the signing of the Sheraton Reserva do Paiva Hotel and Convention más...
HOTELS Interview: Is Groupon good for hotels?
Its launch of flash sales for hotel stays in July 2011 has given Groupon tens of millions of dollars in business worldwide via partnerships with hotels más...
BWI plans big India expansion
Best Western International plans to set up another 66 hotels across India over the next five years, according to a Reuters report on Friday. The report más...
What’s Hot: Revamped guestrooms inspired by Peranakan heritage
InterContinental Singapore has refurbished its 65 shophouse guestrooms and suites to reflect the Peranakan heritage prevalent throughout Singapore. “Peranakan” más...
2012 top 10 digital marketing resolutions
Last year the economy remained in recovery mode, allowing the industry to focus its efforts more on marketing to the travel consumer and less on scaling más...
News in brief: Grand Hotel, Sarovar, Kenya
Grand Hotel to reopen: The historic Grand Hotel on Colmore Row in Birmingham, England, is planned to reopen in 2013 after a £30 million (US$46 más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Gina Danze has been named director of sales for the Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile más...
NYC convention center, hotel with Genting proposed
On Wednesday the governor of New York proposed tearing down the Javits convention center and replacing it with a new convention center and hotel in a más...
Global deals to reach $30 billion again: JLLH
Despite continuing economic uncertainty, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels forecasts that global hotel transaction volume in 2012 will match 2011 levels at upwards más...
Dubai leads MENA performance in November
Dubai hotels reported strong growth in ARR in November 2011, resulting in a knock-on effect on the RevPAR and GOPPAR levels, according to the latest HotStats más...
Geller named CBE by Queen Elizabeth
Laurence Geller, chief executive officer of Strategic Hotels & Resorts, has been named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Her más...
Rotana to invest $750 million
Rotana Hotels Management Corp., Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is planning on investing US$750 to fuel an expansion of its portfolio in the Middle East más...
What’s Hot: Rainbow Tower renovations complete
Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort’s US$45 million makeover of the Rainbow Tower, which first opened in 1968, is complete. The Honolulu más...
Trump anniversary package includes crystal chandelier
Since crystal is the traditional 15th anniversary gift, Trump International Hotel & Tower New York plans to celebrate its upcoming 15th anniversary más...
News in brief: Carlson, Genting, Overstock
Carlson appoints interim leader: On Thursday Carlson appointed Scott Meyer to serve as interim leader, midscale brands, Carlson Hotels, Americas más...
Maldives spa ban reversed
In a quick turnaround following an outcry from the country’s resorts, the president of the Maldives has reversed a decision to ban spa services más...
Update on IHG's new brand in China
A Wednesday MarketWatch report from London offered more details on IHG’s plans for introducing its new upscale, still unnamed brand created specifically más...
6.6% RevPAR bump for Q1 in N. America: TravelClick
Hotels will continue to see strong growth in 2012, primarily driven by rate increases and strong, steady demand for hotel rooms, according to TravelClick’s más...
What’s Hot: Colorful rooms at Ritz-Carlton in San Juan
The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan has completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its 416 guestrooms and suites designed to embrace the tropical ambiance and más...
Keys to writing a successful bar menu
It has been well established that the design and layout of a menu can affect guests’ choices, and with a bit of planning, your menu can increase más...
News in brief: FelCor, Marriott, Interstate
FelCor declares dividends: FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. declared current quarterly dividends payable at US$0.4875 per share on its Series A Preferred más...
DLF 'finalizing' Amanresorts sale to HNA
Indian real estate giant DLF is planning to sell its luxury hotel chain Amanresorts International Pte Ltd to HNA Group Co., Haikou, China, according to más...
Maldives spa ban causes confusion
A blanket ban on spas by the Maldives government is causing confusion for the island nation’s resorts, some of which are still offering spa services más...
French hotel performance strong in November
The French hotel industry, particularly 4- and 5-star properties, performed well in November, according to a report from In Extenso. Hotels in the 4- más...
Chains start to dominate in the Netherlands
At the end of 2011, 61% of the hotel supply in the Dutch market was chain affiliated, which is considerably higher than the European average, according más...
Hot Openings: Colorful boutique hotel in Dubai
The Hues Boutique Hotel in old Dubai, which opened in October 2011, blends neutral colors with bold orange, green, blue and yellow themes to deliver a más...
Whetsell jumps off the Virgin hotel voyage
Paul Whetsell’s stay with Virgin Hotels was short lived as Tuesday Bloomberg reported the 61-year-old industry veteran was named CEO of the 18-hotel más...
News in brief: China Lodging, Marriott, Dickwella
China Lodging appoints new CEO: China Lodging Group Ltd. announced Tuesday that its founder and executive chairman Qi Ji will be appointed CEO. más...
diciembre 2011
HOTELS Interview: Italian sommelier shares wine trends
Milan’s Hotel Principe di Savoia has a new chef sommelier for its Acanto Restaurant: Alessandra Veronesi. Veronesi is a veteran of the Antico Caffe más...
HOTELS holiday schedule
HOTELS' Daily News Service is taking the coming week off to celebrate the holiday season. Publication will resume Tuesday, January 3. We wish all our más...
Americas, Asia Pac, Europe improve: STR Global
Hotels in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe saw improved performance metrics in November 2011, according to data from STR Global. In year-over-year más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Teaching kids to care with cookies
Grade school students in more than 100 cities around the world are considering who might deserve 2,500 cookies this holiday season thanks to DoubleTree más...
Westin in St. John launches honeymoon gift registry
Newlyweds set up gift registries, so why not a honeymoon registry through their honeymoon hotel? That is what the team at The Westin St. John Resort & más...
Hotel managing director creates ocean-inspired jewelry line
Dana Hokin, managing director and CEO of the 84-room Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands, has created Deliberate Hues, a new ocean-inspired más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Lisa Asdikian has been named general manager of Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Hotel & Resort in más...
Ace reportedly heading to Los Angeles
The Ace hotel brand, Seattle, reportedly will expand to Los Angeles at the existing downtown United Artists building. The Hollywood Reporter reported más...
Hot Openings: Two new Hilton hotels at Frankfurt Airport
Hilton Worldwide has opened Hilton Frankfurt Airport and Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport, both part of the futuristic The Squaire complex. The two más...
US hotels perform better
The U.S. hotel industry in November reported increases in all three key performance metrics, according to data from STR. Overall, the U.S. hotel industry’s más...
Hotels across UK see profits dip
Hoteliers in London recorded another month of year-on-year decline in profit per room as total revenue levels in the capital dropped for only the second más...
IHG tops in HVS European hotel board study
IHG took the top spot in the HVS Executive Search European Hotel Board study, the fourth year the company has made it into the top three. The top three más...
Kendall launches speaker series
Nearly 100 hospitality industry leaders attended the first Kendall College international speaker series event earlier this month. “Global Hospitality más...
Preferred presents multi-generational travel research
In a recent research study about the potential for creating new business by targeting multi-generational travelers, Preferred Hotel Group (PHG) found más...
Westin partners with Pottery Barn
Westin Hotels & Resorts has partnered with home furnishings retailer Pottery Barn to feature Westin’s signature Heavenly Bed in the Pottery más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Tissue paper rolls become Christmas tree
As part of a series of eco-friendly initiatives, Eaton Smart, Hong Kong is displaying a Christmas tree made entirely of tissue paper rolls. More than más...
News in brief: Nippon, Ascend, TripAdvisor
Japanese REITs merge: Nippon Hotel Fund Investment Corp. and Japan Hotel & Resorts Inc. are merging in a US$224 million deal. Read more at Bloomberg más...
What’s Hot: Renovated over-water retreats in the Maldives
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island recently completed a renovation of 28 Water Villas to transform them into contemporary over-water retreats. The Water Villas más...
US select-service sector poised for active year
The U.S. select-service sector should have a busy 2012, with 42% of select-service hotel investors targeting acquisitions in the coming year, according más...
Mondrian to debut in Turkey
Morgans Hotel Group has entered into a management agreement for a 128-room Mondrian hotel slated to open in the Old City area of Istanbul in 2014. Morgans más...
Asia Pac dominates hotel pipeline: STR Global
The Asia Pacific region continues to dominate the world's hotel development pipeline with 1,443 hotels totaling 348,653 rooms according to the November más...
New supply may hurt Panama hotels
The bulk of new supply opening in Panama's hotel market could cause a large downturn in occupancy next year. Online news portal Newsroom Panama reported más...
GDS remains crucial platform: TravelClick
Findings from the 2011 Global Travel Agent GDS Study commissioned by TravelClick reveals 84% of respondents indicated that they were using their GDS platform más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Eggnog, candy canes inspire festive libations
Warwick New York Hotel in Midtown Manhattan is serving a variety of specialty holiday cocktails at its Randolph’s Bar & Lounge through January más...
News in brief: Courtyard, Peak, Hampton
Courtyard expands in Peru, Algeria: Marriott International Inc. announced this week that it will open two Courtyard by Marriott branded hotels in más...
Legendary French Riviera hotel manager indicted
The Daily Mail in the U.K. reported on Tuesday that a complaint filed in 2006 by the Oetker Group, owners of the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on the French Riviera más...
Hogg Robinson's insights into 2012 corporate travel
With projected continued global economic uncertainty in 2012, corporate service company Hogg Robinson Group (HRG), London, forecasts that while travel más...
STR: Mixed picture for Italian market
Hotel performance in Italy shows a generally favorable view, as measured by year-on-year percentage change for the year-to-date October 2011 for the key más...
Rooftop bars prove profitable in NYC
Rooftop bars at hotels have proven to be highly profitable in New York City, generating revenues up to US$120 per square foot per month in peak season más...
Tnooz reveals 2012 predictions
On Tuesday travel tech website Tnooz revealed a set of predictions for technology trends in hospitality for 2012, with input from various industry experts más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Cambodia hotel constructs tree made of feathers
Hôtel de la Paix in Siem Reap, Cambodia, is showcasing an eco-conscious Christmas tree made entirely with recycled materials. The tree is made más...
News in brief: Ritz-Carlton, Terrapin, von Essen
Ritz-Carlton to enter Austria: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. announced on Tuesday that it would open its first hotel in Vienna in 2012. Read more at más...
Hot Openings: Park Hyatt on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas has opened on Saadiyat Island, less than a mile off the coast of Abu Dhabi. Designed by New York-based architects más...
The Park brand expanding in India
Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, which operates The Park brand in India, has launched a Rs 1,500 crore (US$284 million) expansion plan to double its room más...
Firmdale gets financing for new London hotel
U.K. luxury boutique hotel company Firmdale Hotels has received £188 million (US$292 million) in financing from Barclays Corp. to fund a new London más...
Scotsman Hotel Group bought from administration
Saudi businessman Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber has bought his Scotsman Hotel Group out of administration after resolving a court battle with Standard más...
Hard Rock to offer guitars, DJ systems in guestrooms
Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos has rolled out a new amenity program, The Sound of Your Stay, that offers guests free access to guitars, professional sound más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Guessing weight of giant gingerbread house
The person who can come closest to guessing the weight of the giant gingerbread house that is the centerpiece of the holiday wonderland tea at The Langham más...
News in brief: Merlin, Centara, DoubleTree
Merlin offers ski resort buyout: Merlin Entertainments Group has offered a A$140 million (US$139 million) buyout for the James Packer-controlled más...
Accor finalizes deal to acquire Mirvac
Accor, Paris, has agreed to acquire Australia-based Mirvac, which manages some 48 hotels across Australia and New Zealand, for €195 million (US$254 más...
HOTELS Interview: Chef heads upscale restaurant with broad appeal
Michelle Weaver has spent the past three years as executive chef at Charleston Grill, the signature restaurant at the 440-room Charleston Place in Charleston más...
Financing key to success in UK: HVS
An improved outlook for the United Kingdom's hotel sector into 2012 will depend largely on the availability of debt to fund hotel transactions and to más...
JWT's travel, tourism trends for 2012
Marketing and advertising agency JWT, New York City, has released its trend report for 2012. Among its things to watch in travel and tourism: uber-affordable más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Christmas tree harnesses solar energy
The Opposite House in Beijing has created a Christmas tree in the spirit of sustainability. The hotel’s “solar tree” — nearly más...
News in brief: Lungarno Collection, MetWest Terra, CBRE Hotels
New CEO for Lungarno: Lungarno Collection, a luxury hospitality group based in Florence, Italy, owned by the Ferragamo family, has appointed former Chief más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Mary Ahlstrom has been named opening director of sales at Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa más...
HOTELS sneak peak inside W Paris – Opéra
W Hotels Worldwide will debut in France in February with the opening of W Paris – Opéra, and HOTELS has obtained an exclusive sneak peak más...
TravelClick reports on upcoming holidays in US
Forward-looking data from TravelClick shows that cities in the Midwest will benefit the most from holiday travelers as occupancy and rate projections más...
STR: US pipeline down
The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 2,861 projects totaling 310,196 rooms, according to the November 2011 STR/McGraw Hill Construction más...
Mixed picture for Aussie hotels
Australian hotel performance presented a mixed picture across the major markets, reports STR Global. For the year-to-date October 2011, hotel performance más...
Rosewood debuts fragrance butler
Citing skyrocketing checked baggage fees and increasingly strict regulations limiting liquids in carry-on luggage, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has announced más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: World’s longest Yule log cake
The pastry chefs at Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai recently broke the Guinness World Record for the longest Yule log cake, which had stood at 681.8 feet más...
News in brief: Marriott, Rendezvous, Fairmont
Marriott sues Aqua: A subsidiary of Marriott International Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Aqua Hotels and Resorts Inc. in regards to the former más...
Schulze takes on partner for Capella expansion
On the heels of initial success with his ultra-luxury Capella hotel brand since it launched in 2002, veteran hotelier Horst Schulze is taking on an equity más...
Bill Marriott stepping down as CEO
J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr. will be stepping down as CEO of Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, to be replaced by Arne Sorenson más...
Hot Openings: Hyatt Regency Jinan reflects local area
Hyatt Regency Jinan opened in Jinan, China, this past September with a goal of reflecting the natural, cultural and historical influences of the surrounding más...
Why 2012 will be the year of the hotel website
While we’ve all been waiting for the “next big thing” and surviving the downturn, we’ve also failed to tap the full potential más...
Top 12 customer loyalty trends for 2012
Retaining and engaging customers remains a tough challenge for all businesses, so Loyalty 360 – The Loyalty Marketer’s Association, released más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Ice skating with a purpose in Miami
Forget the surf and sun of South Beach. This holiday season, the InterContinental Miami is focused on ice skating. Through January 15, the hotel is celebrating más...
News in brief: IHG, Autograph, Sofitel
IHG expands in China: IHG is set to open two Crowne Plaza and Hotel Indigo branded hotels in Sanya, China, in 2015. Read more at IHG Autograph más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Ultra-luxe investors plan to grow with Capella
Castleton Hotel Partners (CHP), Washington, D.C., is taking a bigger step into the ultra-luxury hotel sector with initial plans to develop three or four más...
China’s HNA cancels deal to acquire stake in NH Hoteles
Citing financial market uncertainty, China’s HNA Group has canceled a deal, announced this past May, to acquire 20% of Spain’s NH Hoteles más...
PKF forecasts uneven recovery for U.S. hotels
PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR) is forecasting the continued recovery of the U.S. lodging industry, with U.S. RevPAR projected to rise 8.1% in 2011 más...
What’s Hot: Ultimate new suite at Taj Palace New Delhi
Taj Palace New Delhi has unveiled the crown jewel of its extensive renovation: the 7,500-sq-ft (697-sq-m) Tata Suite. The Tata Suite boasts a master bedroom más...
Iberostar buys Thomas Cook hotels
Thomas Cook said on Tuesday that it has sold its Spanish hotel chain Hotels Y Clubs De Vacaciones (HCV) to Grupo Iberostar for €72.2 million (US$95 más...
Fairmont adds more healthy children’s menu items
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, announced it will be ramping up its children’s menu offerings to include an expanded array of creative dishes más...
Hotel contest asks guests to steal art
Australian luxury boutique hotel company Art Series Hotels Group is offering a unique contest for guests — daring them to try to steal a Banksy más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Cocktails celebrate the season
Mixologists at The London Bar by Gordon Ramsay in both The London NYC in New York City and The London West Hollywood in Los Angeles have created two signature más...
News in brief: Host, Orbitz, Aloft
Host terminates agreement to acquire D.C. hotel: Host Hotels & Resorts terminated its agreement to acquire the 888-room Grand Hyatt Washington D.C más...
Hot Openings: Oman boutique hotel from Orascom
Orascom Development has opened its first hotel in Oman, The Sifawy in Jebel Sifah. Designed by Italian designer Alfredo Freda, The Sifawy offers 55 guestrooms más...
Sarovar making second home in Africa
Sarovar Hotels, New Delhi, has signed a management contract for a 100-room, 3-star hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of its plan to strengthen presence más...
DLF to sell hotel development subsidiary
The Economic Times reported on Monday that Indian real estate giant DLF is set to sell its hotel development subsidiary DLF Hotels & Hospitality, más...
Four Seasons promises 15-minute room service
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is introducing 15-Minute Room Service, available company-wide by the end of the year. Christopher Hunsberger, executive más...
RevPAR, ADR improve in Dublin
New figures from STR Global show that hotels in Dublin have bounced back from 2010 with year-on-year improvements in ADR, RevPAR and occupancy levels más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: GM on the roof for a cause
Tom Sprankle, general manager of the Golden Hotel in Golden, Colorado, spent December 5 on the hotel’s roof to raise awareness and ask for donations más...
Securing post-closing indemnification obligations following a hotel sale
When an owner sells a hotel to a purchaser, the seller typically agrees to indemnify the purchaser for certain post-closing obligations. Because many más...
News in brief: von Essen, Extreme, Ashford
Rhombus to manage former von Essen hotel: The new owner of Hotel Verta, one of the former von Essen properties, has signed a management agreement más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Sam Zell makes his hotel play
Other than at one time holding a significant stake in Starwood Hotels & Resorts (today it is less than 5%) and last year buying nine hotel mortgages más...
HOTELS Interview: Hilton details plans in Latin America
Like many hotel companies, Hilton Worldwide has an aggressive growth strategy in Latin America, with a development pipeline that aims to add 60 hotels más...
Accor, partner 'to buy' Australian hotel portfolio
A partnership between Accor, Courcouronnes, France, and commercial real estate company Ascendas, Singapore, is reportedly close to purchasing the hotel más...
London landmark on the market
A 100-year-old London landmark that could be converted to a hotel is being marketed by the British government. Savills has been appointed as the sales más...
Dubai Group transfers $1.1 billion in real estate
On Thursday Dubai Group transferred control of its US$1.1 billion real estate portfolio to private equity firm Silverpeak Real Estate Partners, New York más...
STR: Hotel demand up in Lagos, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi
Hotel demand grew strongly across the three main economic centers in Western and Eastern Africa for year-to-date October 2011, compared to the previous más...
Black Friday-Cyber Monday a success
Over the weekend spanning from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, according to data from hotel business intelligence provider TravelClick, hotel bookings in más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: High tea with international Christmas flavors
The Royal Horseguards hotel in London is serving up the international flavors of Christmas in its “Taste of Christmas” high tea until December más...
News in brief: Al Zorah, Rock Ohio Caesars, ALT
Al Zorah Resorts project resumes: An Ajman, United Arab Emirates state-backed tourism project has restarted work on its US$1.1 billion Al Zorah más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Marline Avelar has been named director of group sales for CordeValle, a Rosewood Resort just north of más...
Patron buys 7 von Essen properties
Pan-European private equity group Patron Capital announced on Thursday that it bought seven former von Essen properties from their administrators for más...
Accor sells stake in 20 African hotels
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, announced on Thursday that it sold its 52.6% stake in the 20-hotel Hotel Formula 1 portfolio for €28 million (US$37 más...
Hot Openings: Italian hotel combines green and chic
Italian hospitality company Starhotels has opened its first ecological property in the center of Milan, Italy. Known as E.c.ho. — which stands for más...
Grand Hyatt New York completes major renovation
Manhattan’s Grand Hyatt New York has completed a multi-phase, US$130 million renovation that includes 1,306 redesigned guestrooms and suites, the más...
PATA: Asia Pacific arrivals up 5.7% in September
On Wednesday the Pacific Asia Travel Association released its preliminary figures for international visitor arrivals at Asia Pacific destinations for más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Christmas Valet delivers traditional trimmings
Hilton Surfers Paradise in Gold Coast, Australia, has debuted what it calls the country’s first Christmas Valet. The Christmas Valet service brings más...
News in brief: Rezidor, JW Marriott, JLLH
Rezidor expanding in Norway: The Rezidor Hotel Group announced two new-build hotel projects in Oslo, Norway. A 135-room Radisson Blu and 208-room más...
Brazil resort market on the rise: JLLH
A Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels (JLLH) study about the Brazilian hotel resort market revealed strong demand growth with occupancy rising 10% during the first más...
Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Hotel could be for sale
Philadelphia-based REIT Hersha Hospitality Trust reportedly is in talks to purchase Philadelphia’s luxury Rittenhouse Hotel, according to the Philadelphia más...
Hot Openings: InterContinental returns to Russia
After a decade away, IHG’s luxury brand has returned to Russia with the opening of InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya. The hotel, owned by Business más...
Westin bringing lively bar to India
Dubai-based development, design and project management company Bare Global has been appointed as concept and branding designers for the new, high-energy más...
Top 20 secrets to success in hotel SMS marketing
With the rapid growth of the mobile channel, SMS marketing is becoming a vital component of a well-rounded digital marketing strategy. Unfamiliar with más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Cambria Suites rewards holiday white lies
Choice Hotels brand Cambria Suites is rewarding those who lie to relatives to avoid having them as houseguests during the holiday season via its “Little más...
News in brief: Marriott, Hospitality Ventures, historic New Hampshire hotel
Marriott to debut in Serbia: The 107-room Courtyard by Marriott Belgrade City Center is set to open in early 2014 under a management agreement with PFB más...
Starwood acquires stake in Design Hotels
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Tuesday signed an agreement to acquire 49.8% of the shares of Design Hotels AG from Arabella Hospitality SE más...
Sports reporter sues Marriott over peephole incidents
ESPN reporter Erin Andrews has filed a lawsuit against the West End Marriott in Nashville, Tennessee, and a convicted perpetrator for invasion of privacy más...
Hot Openings: New Zealand country estate
Peppers has expanded its network of New Zealand properties with the debut of Peppers Parehua Country Estate in the heart of the Martinborough wine region más...
Corporate travel expected to flourish in 2012
Corporate travel appears poised to have a healthy year ahead, as many Millennials and Generation X professionals expect to take to the road more often más...
Four Seasons George V caters to employees, too
While the Four Seasons George V started a two-year customer-facing renovation this year, management decided it was equally important to do something for más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Claridge’s showcases fanciful Christmas tree
Claridge’s, the landmark hotel in London’s Mayfair, has partnered with Alber Elbaz of Lanvin in Paris to design its lobby Christmas tree this más...
News in brief: Richfield, Wyndham Orlando Resort, FelCor
Richfield takes on first Marriott management contract: Richfield Hospitality will partner with Northern California-based Presidio Companies to operate más...
Hot Openings: 5-star hotel inspired by Chinese royal gardens
The Haikou Eadry Royal Garden Hotel, the only 5-star hotel in China’s Hainan Province, debuted earlier this fall in Lingshan, Haikou City. BLVD más...
Owner-tenant discontent continues at New York's Chelsea
Apartment dwellers at the recently acquired Chelsea Hotel are going to court with the property's new owners over the planned renovations residents say más...
Jumeirah to manage Grand Hotel Via Veneto in Rome
Dubai-based Jumeirah Group has been appointed to manage the Grand Hotel Via Veneto in Rome starting in early 2012, when the property will be rebranded más...
DLF acquires Hilton’s stake in JV
DLF has acquired Hilton International’s 26% stake in the joint venture DLF Hotels & Hospitality for a reported US$23.4 million (1.2 billion más...
Paradisus Resorts partners with renowned Spanish chef
Meliá Hotels International brand Paradisus Resorts has announced a brand-wide partnership with Martin Berasategui, whose eponymous restaurant in más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Wyndham Rewards transforms bad gifts
Stale fruitcake or an ugly sweater need not be the curse of the holiday season this year. Thanks to the new “My Horrible Holiday Gift” contest más...
News in brief: Hilton Garden Inn, Eaton Luxe, Radisson Blu
Hilton Garden Inn to debut in Colombia: Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement to operate a new-build Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Barranquilla más...
HOTELS Interview: Oetker Collection on the move
When it comes to ultra-luxury hotelkeeping, The Oetker Collection, based at its Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden, Germany, is among the elite más...
Kraft, Wynn discussing $1 billion casino-resort
The Boston Globe reported on Friday that The Kraft Group founder Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots football team, and Steve Wynn are in más...
Mondrian set to enter Europe
Morgans Hotel Group Co., New York City, announced on Thursday that it has entered into a 25-year management agreement for the Sea Containers office building más...
More rumors about DLF's sale of Aman Resorts
The Business Standard in India is reporting that bankers are getting closer to finalizing a deal for DLF’s disposition of its majority stake in más...
$85 million renovation for Amelia
The 249-room Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort is set for an US$85 million renovation, Omni Hotels & Resorts announced on Friday. The renovation más...
HOTELS Holiday Spirit: Children’s concierge service with charitable twist
Millennium and Copthorne International Ltd, Singapore, will introduce a children’s concierge service December 9 that includes a charity element más...
Marriott relaunches diversity website
Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, announced Friday the refresh of its diversity and inclusion website. The new site, www.marriott más...
News in brief: Starwood, Peak, HEI
Starwood board authorizes buyback: The board of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. authorized the repurchase of up to US$250 million in stock más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Mary Ahlstrom has been named opening director of sales at Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa más...
Tryp by Wyndham makes North American debut
Tryp by Wyndham has made its North American debut with the opening of the 242-room Tryp Quebec Hotel Pur in Quebec City. The select-service brand is aiming más...
New-build Kämp for Helsinki
Palace Kämp Group, Helsinki, Finland, announced on Wednesday a new-build hotel project concentrated on MICE offerings in the Finnish capital. The más...
Yacht-shaped new-build UK hotel announced
As part of the company’s owned and operated Ocean Village Marina in Southampton, England, Marina Developments Ltd announced that it is developing más...
Radisson gets new COO
Carlson, Minneapolis, announced on Thursday the promotion of Javier Rosenberg to the positions of COO of its Radisson brand in addition to his current más...
Vail announces layoffs
Vail Resorts Inc., Broomfield, Colorado, announced on Wednesday that it would make staff reductions in its lodging division and no longer seek to add más...
What’s Hot: Kimpton’s South Beach premiere
The Surfcomber Miami, South Beach has officially opened under the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand following an extensive renovation of the hotel’s más...
Gingerbread house with a heart
Great Wolf Lodges in 11 U.S. locations have installed life-sized, edible gingerbread houses in which guests can sit and dine with proceeds of the meal más...
News in brief: Kosmopolito, Marriott, Starwood
Kosmopolito sells Hong Kong hotel: Kosmopolito Hotels International Ltd announced on Thursday that it sold the Central Park Hotel for HK$515 million más...
noviembre 2011
Kerzner sells Atlantis to restructure debt
Kerzner International Holdings Ltd, Paradise Island, Bahamas, has sold its flagship property Atlantis Paradise Island as well as two other resorts as más...
Marriott, Mission Hills Group partner on Hainan
The Mission Hills Group – a leading golf brand and driving force behind the sport's rapid growth in China – announced Wednesday más...
InterContinental near O'Hare has new lease on life
Hostmark Hospitality Group, Schaumburg, Illinois, has assumed management of the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare, which emerged from bankruptcy on más...
TravelClick: North America set for growth
According to TravelClick's November 2011 North American Hospitality Review, all travel segments — business travel, leisure travel and group business más...
Amex offers 2012 meetings outlook
A new report from American Express Meetings & Events suggests companies will book more meetings in 2012, but will be trying to do more with less. más...
To get you into the holiday spirit
Magical Christmas decorations now grace the Four Seasons George V, Paris, as a result of a enchanting creation by Jeff Leatham, the hotel’s florist más...
Israeli companies burned by Vegas project
Subsidiaries of Delek Group, Netanya, Israel, and IDB Group, Tel-Aviv, Israel, have written off US$500 million in losses on their project to bring The más...
Virgin Hotels appoint development VP
Virgin Group’s nascent brand Virgin Hotels has appointed David Kuperberg as its senior vice president of development. Prior to joining the Virgin más...
News in brief: Salamander, Hooters, Fukushima
Salamander expands in Dominican: Salamander Hotels & Resorts has been selected to manage Sanctuary Cap Cana, located in Dominican Republic. más...
Starwood Capital sending more Postcards
With the opening of the second Postcard Inn hotel in Islamorada, Florida, Starwood Capital Group is taking its next step toward developing a funky, retro más...
Marriott to enter Haiti
Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, is set to manage its first hotel in Haiti when the new-build, 173-room Port-au-Prince Marriott Hotel más...
Singh buys London hotel
After purchasing a historic Manchester property last month, British hotelier Jasminder Singh bought the upscale 169-room New Providence Wharf Hotel in más...
Report shows Abu Dhabi, Dubai lone bright spots
Hotels in Abu Dhabi reported a surge in occupancy during October while hotels in Dubai were as full as they were in 2007, according to the latest HotStats más...
What’s Hot: Courtyard by Marriott in historic Hawaiian spot
Following a two-year, US$35 million facelift, Courtyard by Marriott’s King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach hotel has debuted in the historic fishing más...
Hotel private equity firm formed
GFI Capital Resources Group Inc., New York City, owner of Ace Hotel New York and Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs has partnered to create a new más...
Hyatt partners to provide healthier children’s menu
The Partnership for a Healthier America, which works with the private sector and honorary chairwoman U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama to solve the nation's más...
News in brief: Venture, Syracuse, The Plaza
UK hotel group enters administration: Administrators have been called in for Venture Hotel Group properties. Read more at the Manchester Evening más...
Hot Openings: Villa-only family resort in Saudi Arabia
Mövenpick Beach Resort Al Khobar — featuring 36 villas, two restaurants, a spa and fitness center, free-form swimming pool, kids club and private más...
Jin Jiang in yet another brand alliance
Shanghai-based Jin Jiang Inn Co. and Louvre Hotels Group, Paris, have signed a deal to co-promote their Jin Jiang Inn and Campanile brands, respectively más...
Emirate launches hotel management company
The government of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, has launched a management company to handle operations at government-owned hotels in the emirate más...
TRI: Sluggish performance in London, Paris, Amsterdam
London, Paris and Amsterdam posted declines in total revenue per available room (TRevPAR) and gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) during más...
Expanding boundaries: Spa trends for 2012
The Spa Association (SPAA), for spa owners and business-to-business providers, has released its trends report for 2012. ChangePopulation explosion, globalization más...
Thomas Cook gets survival loan
Troubled travel agency Thomas Cook Group, Peterborough, England, secured a £200 million (US$310 million) loan on Friday to keep the company afloat más...
News in brief: Hampshire, Minor, Disney
Hampshire to expand in LA: Hampshire Hotels and Resorts has signed an agreement to manage a US$45 million new-build hotel planned to open in 2013 más...
HOTELS Interview: What’s the best distribution strategy?
A landmark study about hotel distribution channels made headlines earlier this year when one of its conclusions was revealed to be that US$2.5 billion más...
What’s Hot: Restored 19th century villa in the heart of Florence
The restored Grand Hotel Villa Cora in Florence, Italy, brings back to life many of the artistic and architectural masterpieces that link back to the más...
Why PCI compliance is important for hotels
According to Verizon’s 2011 Data Breach Investigations Report, 40% of all 2010 data breaches occurred in the hospitality industry. Not unsurprisingly más...
Life-size gingerbread house boasts ‘green’ features
The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina, is showcasing a life-size gingerbread house through December 28 that boasts a number of “green” más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Tampa, Florida-based McKibbon Hotel Management has promoted Jeff Antonaccio to director of operations más...
Hot Openings: Colonial residence turned suite hotel in Thailand
The new 137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai, Thailand — set to open in early January — promises the nostalgic ambiance of its former days as a más...
Hilton honors European F&B Masters
Hilton Worldwide recently announced the winners of its Europe Food & Beverage Masters 2011, a competition focused on four disciplines: culinary, pastry más...
How 'fresh' is your hotel website?
Every year, Google makes more than 500 updates to its search algorithm. The most significant update in 2011 was the Google Panda Update, now in version más...
Sky-high Singapore restaurant blends sleek design, dramatic views
Sky on 57, the restaurant recently opened atop the Marina Bay Sands resort and casino in Singapore, promises dramatic views of the city and ocean along más...
What’s Hot: Refurbished resort promises ultimate beachfront living
Boathouse Resort on the Beach, formerly known as Mom Tri’s Boathouse, has undergone a five-month, US$6 million renovation led by French designer más...
October performance shows global strength
With a handful of exceptions, October marked a mostly positive month for all three key performance metrics in global markets, according to data from STR más...
Postcard Inn now a brand of two
Starwood Capital Group’s Postcard Inn brand now stands at two with further plans to grow after the recent rebranding of the Holiday Isle Beach Resort más...
Mexican resort offers guests immersion experience
A new program at Maroma Resort and Spa in Riviera Maya, Mexico, aims to incorporate local culture into guests’ daily life at the resort. Maroma’s más...
News in brief: The Plaza, Cayuga, Marriott
The Plaza expands food hall: The hotel is debuting a US$3 million, food-focused addition to the space in two phases. Read more at the New York Times más...
After 100 years, new 5-star coming to Gstaad
In the very steady and staid Alpine village of Gstaad, Switzerland, a new 5-star hotel is coming next year to shake things up just a little bit and compete más...
October leisure travel remains strong, especially in North America
Leisure travel bookings continued to climb against challenging odds, increasing 4.7% globally in October, according to data from Dallas-based Pegasus más...
Concord sells 4 hotels in Canada
Concord Hospitality Enterprises, Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday announced the sale of four Marriott-branded hotels located in Ontario, Canada más...
San Francisco fog inspires waitstaff uniforms
The W San Francisco recently unveiled new uniforms for its waitstaff inspired by the city’s famous fog as well as the hotel’s interiors. New más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Edinburgh, HFF
Rezidor announces Russian project: The 180-key Park Inn by Radisson Petrozavodsk is scheduled to open in 2013. Read more at the Rezidor website New hotel más...
Asia Pacific pipeline continues to dominate
STR Global has released global hotel development pipeline numbers for October 2011 with — not surprisingly — Asia Pacific far outdistancing más...
Nordic chain uses talent shows for hiring
Nordic Choice Hotels’ Clarion brand is succeeding in the recruitment arena by using unconventional staff auditions with talent shows. When hiring más...
What’s Hot: Iconic athlete’s steakhouse combines past and present
Michael Jordan’s Steak House Chicago at the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile aims to blend the atmosphere of a modern upscale restaurant más...
Peninsula takes shark fin off the menu
The parent company of The Peninsula Hotels, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd. (HSH), announced Monday it will stop serving shark fin at all its group más...
Jazz clubs to debut at St. Regis hotels worldwide
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s St. Regis Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) to create a series of más...
News in brief: Shangri-La, Marriott, Meliá
Shangri-La to debut in Yingkou, China: Shangri-La Asia Ltd. plans to open a 400-room hotel in 2015 in the coastal city on the Liaodong Peninsula in Liaoning más...
Courtyard prototype for Europe revealed
Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, revealed its new European design model for its midscale Courtyard by Marriott brand. Marriott said the goal más...
HOTELS Interview: IHG owners optimistic for 2012
The IHG Owners Association, a voluntary organization that represents nearly 2,000 owners and operators of more than 3,000 IHG brand hotels worldwide, más...
Oman buys iconic Budapest hotel
The State General Reserve Fund, an Oman sovereign wealth fund, has completed the purchase of the Four Seasons Gresham Palace Hotel in Budapest, Hungary más...
Tisch urges action to increase travel to the US
Jonathan Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels, on Thursday urged members of the United States Senate to set a national goal to win back the nation’s más...
UK hoteliers on OTAs, 2012 performance
New data shows that 87% of London hoteliers and 80.8% of provincial U.K. hoteliers believe that customers will change the way they book their hotel in más...
News in brief: Morgans, Zell, Omni
Morgans buys Light Group: Morgans Hotel Group Co. announced on Thursday that it entered into an agreement to buy 90% of The Light Group. Read more más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa, Canada, has appointed Daniel Buss executive chef. Buss previously más...
Hot Openings: The 1,001-room Omni Dallas Hotel
November 11 saw the grand opening of the 1,001-room Omni Dallas Hotel, connected by a skybridge to the Dallas Convention Center. To help celebrate the más...
JLLH: Investors’ appetite rises to 18-month high
Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels on Thursday said that a new hotel investor sentiment revealed an increased 38.6% of investors across the globe indicated a ‘buy’ más...
Monte-Carlo SBM names new deputy CEO
Monte-Carlo SBM, operators of four luxury hotels in Monte Carlo, has appointed Isabelle Simon deputy CEO to oversee various aspects of the company’s más...
Mövenpick aims to make kids’ food fun
Zurich-based Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has debuted the “Power Bites” menu for kids at selected restaurants at properties in the más...
Accor partners with Ayers Rock Resort
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, announced on Sunday that it has partnered with Ayers Rock Resort, an integrated resort complex of five hotels in Yulara más...
California hotel offers ‘green concierge’
Shore Hotel, a 164-key hotel that opened in Santa Monica, California, last month, has introduced a “green concierge,” a local expert on all más...
News in brief: Caesars IPO, Onyx, Supertel
Caesars IPO back on table: Caesars Entertainment Corp. plans to raise US$50 million as it revives its plan to go public. Read more from The Wall más...
Inside HOTELS Hotelier of the World awards
On Monday at the New York Palace, HOTELS Magazine feted the winners of its 2011 Hotelier of the World awards – Katie Taylor from Four Seasons Hotels más...
Gold Key hotel design winners announced
The International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show announced winners of the 31st annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design at a breakfast más...
New Novotel prototype room unveiled
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, is offering a new prototype guestroom for its midscale Novotel brand featuring cutting-edge motion-sensing technology hardware más...
Former NBA star invests in hotels
The Admiral Capital Real Estate Fund, co-founded by former NBA star David Robinson, announced on Tuesday that it acquired a preferred equity interest más...
Forbes launches travel social media website
Forbes Travel Guide has launched a social media website, Startle.com, which will allow users to share their travel experiences and recommendations. The más...
How much influence does social media really have?
Social media influence on travel might be less important than believed, according to a survey presented by EyeforTravel, a media company that specializes más...
News in brief: Steigenberger, Fairmont, Embassy Suites
Steigenberger expands in Berlin: Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts announced on Tuesday that it will manage a new-build hotel in central Berlin. más...
Taylor, Gelardi receive Hotelier of the World awards
On Monday night in New York City, HOTELS Magazine formally presented its 2011 Hotelier of the World awards to Katie Taylor, president and CEO of Four más...
STR: US 2011, 2012 forecasts lowered
The U.S. hotel industry is expected to report smaller increases in all three key performance metrics for year-end 2012 than previously forecasted, according más...
Genting’s Miami project moves ahead
The Genting Group, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, announced on Monday that it acquired the Omni Center & Hilton Hotel complex in downtown Miami, a step forward más...
On the rise in 2012, part 3: Marketing trends
HOTELS previously presented insights about hotel and spa trends as well as F&B for 2012 from San Francisco-based Andrew Freeman & Co.’s más...
Sweet indulgence: Hotel scraps healthy snacks
When The Eldon Luxury Suites Hotel in Washington, D.C., opened in 2009, its 50 guestrooms were stocked with a variety of healthy snacks like trail mix más...
Zell makes big move in Chicago
Global real estate mogul Sam Zell is expanding his position in the hotel business in a big way after Crain’s Chicago Business reported on Saturday más...
HOTELS at IHMRS: Downturn sends F&B back to basics
The ongoing economic downturn has forced the hotel industry to reexamine its food and beverage strategies and place a greater focus on lowering costs más...
Public coming to New York
After opening its first location in Chicago last month, Ian Schrager’s new brand Public is set to enter his native New York City, The Wall Street más...
On the rise in 2012, part 2: F&B trends
Last week HOTELS presented insights about hotel and spa trends for 2012 from San Francisco-based Andrew Freeman & Co.’s annual report about más...
Hilton lets loyalty club members go shopping with points
Hilton HHonors, Hilton Worldwide’s loyalty program, has debuted a Global Online Shopping Mall that allows members to turn their HHonors points into más...
Europe still attractive destination for US travelers
Europe remains a “must-see” destination for Americans, and U.S. travel to Europe will return to 2008 levels by 2014 and continue to grow thereafter más...
HOTELS Interview: Residence Inn expands, renovates
The Residence Inn by Marriott extended-stay brand of Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, has been establishing footholds outside of the U.S. lately más...
Interstate enters 10th foreign country
Interstate Hotels & Resorts on Friday announced that it has entered into a long-term management agreement for the 136-room Four Points by Sheraton más...
Hot Openings: The Naka Island resort getaway
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. opened The Naka Island, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa earlier this month. The resort is on Naka Yai más...
STR: Istanbul ADR, RevPAR up
The Istanbul hotel market experienced positive growth in both ADR and RevPAR year-to-September 2011, according to STR Global. The trend is encouraging más...
Starwood launches villa collection
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., White Plains, New York, announced on Wednesday the launch of the Starwood Asia Pacific Villa Collection más...
News in brief: W, Priceline, DoubleTree
W plans Jakarta debut: Scheduled to open in 2015, W Jakarta in the city’s central business district will mark the Starwood brand’s second más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Murray Aitken has been named general manager of the Regent Bali, scheduled to open in June 2012 in the más...
Hot Openings: Armani debuts in Milan
The Armani Hotel Milano — the second hotel to be launched within the Armani Hotels & Resorts project, following the Armani Hotel Dubai — más...
PwC: Business travel strength will aid US in 2012
PricewaterhouseCoopers has updated its 2012 U.S. forecast by stating it expects the current upward momentum in business travel to drive the recovery, más...
Turkish hotels collapse in earthquake
A 5.6-magnitude earthquake in Van, Turkey caused the collapse of several buildings including two hotels. The midscale Hotel Bayram, which had its 5-story más...
Sternlicht, Lomanno, others bet big on social media
Some big names in the U.S. hotel industry are getting behind a provider of business intelligence from social media customer feedback. On Thursday newBrandAnalytics más...
2 brands debuting in Netherlands
The Park Inn by Radisson and Waldorf Astoria brands are set to enter the Netherlands. The Rezidor Hotel Group, Brussels, announced on Thursday that it más...
Tryp by Wyndham enters Central America
Wyndham Worldwide, Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, announced on Thursday that it has opened its first Tryp by Wyndham branded hotel in Central America más...
News in brief: Nigeria, Jumeirah, Sheraton
US withdraws terror threat: The U.S. embassy in Nigeria has withdrawn its terror warning on 3 hotels in Abuja. Read more at Reuters Jumeirah más...
Hersha buys historic Miami hotel
Hersha Hospitality Trust, Philadelphia, agreed on Wednesday to buy the historic, 263-room Courtyard by Marriott Miami Beach Oceanfront hotel for US$95 más...
Coffee table books showcased at refreshed London lounge
London boutique hotel The Halkin has debuted a transformed lobby lounge, dubbed the Assouline Culture Lounge, which showcases the publisher’s various más...
Four Seasons shines the spotlight on spas
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, is highlighting its spas with initiatives including a “spa week” and a partnership with American más...
On the rise in 2012, part 1: Hotel and spa trends
Over the next several days HOTELS will present insights from San Francisco-based Andrew Freeman & Co.’s annual report about upcoming restaurant más...
HOTELS, Kendall College launch speaker series
HOTELS magazine is partnering with The Kendall College School of Hospitality Management in Chicago to launch the “Global Hospitality Spotlight: más...
TripAdvisor launches hotelier hotline
Online hotel review company TripAdvisor launched a hotline on Tuesday for hoteliers that would like to talk about reviews they consider unfair or defamatory más...
News in brief: Noble, Sun, von Essen
Noble buys W Atlanta: Noble Investment Group bought the 291-room W Atlanta – Buckhead hotel. Read more at PR Newswire Sun buys Grayston: más...
Hilton rebranding Mint portfolio
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, announced on Tuesday that the Mint Hotel portfolio purchased by Hilton’s parent company Blackstone Group, New más...
IHG profits up by third
IHG, Denham, U.K., posted strong profit growth in the third quarter of 2011, with an operating profit of US$153 million, up 33% from the US$115 million más...
What’s Hot: Peace Hotel suites celebrate 9 nations
As part of its full rehabilitation of Shanghai’s Fairmont Peace Hotel, global hospitality design firm HBA has refurbished the property’s Nine más...
European tourism through August beats expectations
International tourist arrivals grew 4.5% in the first eight months of 2011, to a total of 671 million — 29 million more than in the same period más...
Turkey, Gulf states see RevPAR boost
Turkey and the Persian Gulf states saw a boost in RevPAR in September, according to a Middle East and North Africa hotel market report by MKG Hospitality más...
News in brief: Choice, WTTC, Nigeria
Choice set for Indian expansion: Choice Hotels International signed an agreement with Parsvnath Hotels Ltd to manage a chain of budget hotels under más...
Hot Openings: Mövenpick hotel celebrates Ghanaian art
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Zurich, has officially opened the 260-key Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, the capital of Ghana. Originally más...
Rhetoric about London Olympics business begins
VisitScotland is boosting its marketing efforts to take advantage of what is expected to be a wave of 2012 summer travelers avoiding London due to the más...
Hilton throws in hat on historic DC building
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, has submitted a proposal to turn the Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington, D.C., into a 245-room Waldorf Astoria más...
US warns of terror strike on hotels
The U.S. government has issued a warning that the Transcorp Hilton, Nicon Luxury and Sheraton hotels in Abuja, Nigeria may be under the threat of terrorist más...
ACH hotel-casino resuscitated
Atlantic City’s financially troubled ACH Casino and Resort is set for rebirth after its parent company Colony Capital LLC, Santa Monica, California más...
News in brief: Starwood, Rezidor, von Essen
Starwood expands in Sri Lanka: Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. will build a Sheraton branded hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Read more at más...
HOTELS Interview: How IHG is making money with mobile
As vice president of web and interactive marketing for IHG, Michael Menis leads efforts that contribute more that US$3 billion annually to the company más...
Red Lion buys 10 hotels
Red Lion Hotels Corp., Spokane, Washington, bought 10 hotels formerly leased from a subsidiary of iStar Financial, New York City, for US$37 million. The más...
Marriott to manage NYC new-build
Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, announced on Thursday that it will manage a new-build New York City hotel under the Courtyard by Marriott más...
Prestige investing $203 million in India
Indian real estate developer Prestige Estates Projects Ltd. plans to invest up to 10 billion rupees (US$203 million) over the next three to four years más...
Hot Openings: Jumeirah debuts in Abu Dhabi
Dubai-based Jumeirah Group has opened its first property in Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, located on the Arabian Gulf in the Ras Al Akhdar area más...
Paris, Cannes up in September
September saw an improvement in hotel performances across France, according to a new report from In Extenso. Overall five- and four-star French hotels más...
News in brief: Starwood, Red Planet, Athens
Starwood increases dividend: The board of directors of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. declared that the company’s annual cash más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, has named Mark Aldridge director of sales and marketing. Prior, Aldridge was más...
Hot Openings: Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago
The rebirth of the Radisson brand in North America took place on Halloween in Chicago when Carlson opened its doors to Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago más...
Dubai, Saudi Arabia up, Egypt down
While Dubai and Saudi Arabian hotels are seeing strong growth, Egypt’s continue to see declines in demand while margins in Abu Dhabi are hurt by más...
HPT affiliate to acquire Sonesta
Sonesta International Hotels Corp. announced Thursday that it will be acquired by an affiliate of Newton, Massachusetts-based Hospitality Properties Trust más...
NH Hoteles to debut in China
NH Hoteles, Madrid, announced on Wednesday that it will open its first hotel in China in early 2012. The 210-room hotel will be located in Chongqing and más...
Pop-up stores return for holidays
Morgans Hotel Group has launched Luna & Curious, a pop-up boutique at its Sanderson hotel in London. Shoreditch, U.K.-based Luna & Curious is más...
News in brief: Sahara, Palms, von Essen
Sahara to be renovated, reopen: SBE Entertainment and Stockbridge Real Estate Funds announced plans to renovate and reopen the Sahara Hotel and más...
Woodridge, Oaktree buy Fairmont Orchid
A joint venture between an affiliate of Woodridge Capital Partners, Los Angeles, and Oaktree Capital Management, Los Angeles, has bought the Fairmont más...
Hyatt’s RevPAR up, profit down in 3Q
Hyatt Hotel Corp., Chicago, reported that its profit decreased to US$14 million in the third quarter of 2011 from US$30 million during the same period más...
Bright spots in Greece, says GBR
GBR Consulting’s most recent analysis of Greek hotel performance show that while Athens continues to suffer as a result of political and economic más...
Westin museum pays tribute to ancient China
The Xian Qu Jiang Art Museum, which houses more than 2,000 artifacts paying tribute to the ancient history of China, has opened at The Westin Xian. The más...
AH&LA, LodgeNet partner on PSA
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that it is launching a public service announcement campaign, “If You See Something más...
News in brief: Meliá, Tazi Palace, Ginn Sur Mer
Meliá expands in Germany: Meliá Hotels International announced that it will lease a new-build 219-room hotel in Wolfsburg, Germany más...
Interstate buys Noble Management Group
Interstate Hotels & Resorts Inc., Arlington, Virginia, announced on Tuesday that it bought Noble Management Group, the hotel management division of más...
Fairmont appoints new president
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, announced the appointment of Jennifer Fox as president. Fox succeeds Chris Cahill, who will focus on his duties más...
LA hotel sales up 77%
According to the latest figures from Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, hotel transactions in Los Angeles increased 77% to US$550 million from January through más...
Hard Rock in on new Massachusetts hotel-casino
Hard Rock International Inc., Orlando, Florida, announced on Tuesday that it is partnering with Paper City Development LLC, Springfield, Massachusetts más...
Republicans renege Tampa hotel contracts
The Republican National Committee is reneging on contracts previously signed with hotels in Tampa, Florida for 15,000 guestrooms booked for the 2012 Republican más...
STR data shows impact of Bangkok flooding
Hoteliers in Bangkok are starting to feel the effect of historic flooding across Thailand, according to daily performance data from STR Global. During más...
Ibis debuts in Japan
Accor, Courcouronnes, France, debuted its budget brand Ibis in Japan on Tuesday with the opening of Ibis Tokyo Shinjuku. Ibis Tokyo Shinjuku is a rebranded más...
News in brief: Marriott, East India, Expedia
Marriott expands in Bahrain: Marriott International Inc. announced on Tuesday that it signed a deal with Khaleejcapita B.S.C. to manage the JW Marriott más...
octubre 2011
Radisson Blu expands in China, Turkey
One day ahead of the brand’s debut opening in North America, Radisson Blu has announced two additions in China and Turkey. A second Radisson Blu más...
Hot Openings: Aloft debuts in UK
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., White Plains, New York, announced on Monday the opening of its first Aloft branded hotel in the U.K. Situated más...
Swiss hotel offers Watch Concierge
Since Switzerland is known for its elegant timepieces, the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken has partnered with Swiss jeweler Bucherer más...
PATA: Bangkok ready for visitors
The Pacific Asia Travel Association is asserting that the recent floods Bangkok has experienced should not deter visitors from traveling to Thailand’s más...
NYC dominates largest hotel buys this year
New York City hotels made up five of the top 10 largest hotel transactions worldwide by price so far in 2011, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. The top más...
Become a transition management expert
Would you consider yourself a transition expert? Certainly the concept of adapting to change and embracing it is a part of your daily vocabulary, unless más...
News in brief: Wyndham, RLJ Lodging, Dream Hotel
Wyndham expands in Turkey: Wyndham Hotel Group announced on Monday that it signed an agreement to open its second franchised Wyndham Hotels and más...
HOTELS Interview: IHG CEO talks Crowne Plaza, China, recession
Since Richard Solomons took over as CEO of Denham, U.K.-based IHG in July, the company has undergone a series of management changes, not to mention más...
Sonesta in potential merger talks
Sonesta International Hotels Corp. on Friday announced it is engaged in discussions with third parties who have approached it regarding potential transactions más...
Hot Openings: Landmark Patagonia warehouse turns hotel
After nearly a century, the circa-1915 Bories Cold Storage Plant will breathe new life with the December debut of The Singular Patagonia, the Chilean más...
STR: Nordic market improving
The Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden all showed increases in demand in year-to-September results, according to STR Global más...
Egencia releases 2012 corporate business forecasts
Egencia, an Expedia, Inc. company, on Thursday unveiled its 2012 Corporate Travel Forecast and Hotel Negotiability Index, finding that ADR for top corporate más...
Salamander unites 3 golf resorts
Three Florida golf resorts — Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, Reunion Resort in Orlando, and Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast — have been united más...
News in brief: Indian Hotels, Innkeepers, Expedia
Indian Hotels turns profit: Indian Hotels Co. posted a US$1.6 million profit in the third quarter of 2011, after posting a US$1.2 million loss during más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: John Burger has been appointed general manager at Hilton Guangzhou Tianhe in Guangzhou, China. Burger más...
Hot Openings: Ritz-Carlton debuts in Saudi Arabia
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. debuted in Saudi Arabia this week with the palatial 493-room The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh. The sense of arrival through 213,500 más...
3Q good for Starwood, Choice
Along with an inflation-adjusted 2.5% increase in U.S. gross domestic product during the third quarter, both Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc más...
Corinthia appoints new COO
Corinthia Hotels, Malta, has appointed Liam Lambert chief operating officer. Lambert will direct Corinthia Hotels’ strategic operational objectives más...
J.D. Power: Cost, fees make European guests mad
After several years of improvement, overall satisfaction among hotel guests in Europe has declined notably, with deterioration occurring across all levels más...
TRI: Europe's recovery continues
Seven of the ten European cities in the latest HotStats survey by TRI Hospitality Consulting registered TRevPAR and GOPPAR growth for the month of September más...
Marriott launches website for foodies
Marriott International on Thursday launched a website dedicated to its F&B outlets around the world. Its new Restaurant & Bar Showcase tells the más...
sbe launches unique loyalty program
sbe, a hospitality, lifestyle and real estate development company Wednesday launched its sbePREFERRED FRIENDS loyalty program, providing rewards, perks más...
News in brief: Egyptian Resorts, Bangkok flood, Hurricane Rina
Sawari project relaunched: Egyptian Resorts and Orascom Development Holding announced that the US$369 million mixed-use Sawari resort project in más...
Marriott reportedly to buy NYC Clock Tower for Edition
Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, has reportedly agreed to buy the Clock Tower building in New York City for US$165 million from Africa más...
HOTELS at IHG: Holiday Inn brands focus on refreshed F&B
Holiday Inn has received a lot of attention over the past several years thanks to its ambitious relaunch, but brand leaders at the IHG Americas Investors más...
San Diego Courtyard receives royal attention
The phone is ringing off the hook at the Courtyard San Diego Solana Beach/Del Mar near San Diego, California, after The Daily Mail in London reported más...
Wyndham’s margin improves
Wyndham Worldwide Corp., Parsippany, New Jersey, saw its profit margin increase 12% in the third quarter of 2011 to US$175 million from US$156 million más...
Amex makes 2012 rate predictions
A global forecast released on Wednesday by American Express Global Business Travel projected conservative air, hotel and ground transportation rate increases más...
Pegasus: Off-peak driving leisure bookings
North American leisure travel outpaced global travel bookings in September by 1.4%, according to data released Tuesday by Pegasus Solutions. Overall, más...
News in brief: Bangkok flood, Sofitel So, von Essen
Flooding hurts Bangkok hotel occupancy: Some Bangkok hotels are reporting large occupancy declines as the floods sweeping Thailand are curtailing más...
HOTELS at IHG: Crowne Plaza shifts gears
Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is adopting a new brand positioning, “Traveling for success,” and targeting “strivers,” a group más...
TravelClick: North America set for growth
TravelClick’s October 2011 North American Hospitality Review indicates that North America is continuing to see strong growth in bookings over the más...
STR: September performance better in Americas, Asia
New figures from STR Global on occupancy, average daily rate and RevPAR during the month of September show solid gains in the Americas, Europe and Asia más...
Hot Openings: Andaz debuts in Asia
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, opened the Andaz Shanghai last week, introducing its boutique-inspired upscale lifestyle Andaz brand to Asia. The newly constructed más...
Buckingham Palace to be hotel?
A biography of the Queen Elizabeth II set to publish this week postulates that Prince Charles plans to turn Buckingham Palace into a luxury hotel. The más...
Westin launches wellness program for workers
Westin Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday launched a global Associate Enrichment Program that will introduce the brand’s “Elements of Well Being más...
News in brief: Host, Starwood, Viceroy
Host Hotels narrows loss in 3Q: After hotel revenue increased 15% to US$1 billion for the third quarter, Host Hotels narrowed its loss to US$35 más...
Virgin Hotels announces first deal in Chicago
Virgin Group’s nascent brand Virgin Hotels announced its first development deal on Monday via the conversion of a historic downtown Chicago office más...
New York might see 2012 RevPAR dip
In a Monday report by Bloomberg Businessweek about the surge in New York City hotel development, STR Global’s Jan Freitag was quoted as saying new más...
3 ways your digital strategy is failing
It’s no well-kept secret that your customers are more digitally dependent than ever before. While this puts the onus on your business to deliver más...
Hot Opening: Hyatt Regency New Orleans reborn
Following a US$275 million redesign and revitalization, Hyatt Regency New Orleans finally reopened this month after closing in 2005 when it sustained más...
Jumeirah resort offers over-water villas in Indian Ocean
Jumeirah Dhevanafushi, an all-suite resort in the Maldives, has debuted the Ocean Pearls, a cluster of water villas located about a half mile (800 meters) más...
News in brief: Marcus, von Essen, Retaj
Marcus CEO resigns: Bill Otto, CEO of Marcus Hotels & Resorts resigned on Friday after spending 19 years with the company. Read more at MarketWatch más...
HOTELS Interview: Geller more optimistic about 2012
This week HOTELS talked the irrepressible and outspoken hotel owner Laurence Geller, CEO of Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Chicago, which owns upscale más...
More details on Hard Rock’s Mexico expansion
Since the deal was announced on Wednesday, more details on Hard Rock’s rebranding of three all-inclusive Mexican resorts have emerged. The deal más...
US RevPAR up 10% in September
New data from STR shows a strong boost in the U.S. hotel market performance in September. Overall, average hotel occupancy for September in the U.S. increased más...
Hot Openings: Family-friendly Phuket resort
Angsana Laguna Phuket from Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, located within Thailand’s Laguna Phuket — billed as Asia’s first integrated más...
Starwood brings reviews to its websites
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., White Plains, New York, launched on Friday a feature on its website allowing loyalty club members to post más...
Maldives eco-tourism summit draws big names
The Slow Life Symposium, organized by the luxury resort company Six Senses Resorts & Spas, Bangkok, and held in the Maldives this week drew some famous más...
New survey details guest reservation preferences
A new survey conducted by Seattle University professors shows that although guests overwhelmingly use the Internet to search for and book hotel rooms más...
News in brief: Club Carlson, Dubai, Westin Casuarina
Club Carlson offers sweepstakes: Club Carlson, the loyalty program for Carlson Hotels, launched this week a sweepstakes that runs through Dec. 16 más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Manish Bhatia has been named general manager of the Dolce Valley Forge hotel in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania más...
Innkeepers-Cerberus deal finally sealed for $1 billion
After a lawsuit and extensive negotiations, Innkeepers USA Trust has agreed to sell 64 hotels to Cerberus Capital Management and Chatham Lodging Trust más...
Brownsword buys 4 von Essen hotels
English businessman Andrew Brownsword purchased four former von Essen hotels out of administration on Thursday, reportedly for £32 million (US$50 más...
Into the wild: 2012 food trends, part 2
HOTELS presents part two of a 2012 food trends forecast from New York City-based restaurant consultant Michael Whiteman. Among many other things, Michael más...
Hard Rock rebranding Mexican resorts
Hard Rock International Inc., Orlando, Florida, announced on Wednesday that it signed an agreement with Palace Resorts LLC, Miami, to rebrand three all-inclusive más...
Hot Openings: Renovated 19th century French mansion
Following four years of renovations, Hotel du Marc — the 19th century neoclassic private mansion of the House of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin in Reims más...
News in brief: John Q. Hammons, Trump, MGM
Renaissance Hotel up for auction: The partially completed 300-room Renaissance Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado, was put up for auction on Thursday más...
Into the wild: 2012 food trends, part 1
On Wednesday and Thursday HOTELS is presenting the opinions of New York City-based restaurant consultant Michael Whiteman, who has just authored his annual más...
Ritz in Paris to close for thorough renovation
The famed Ritz Paris, first opened in 1889 by the Swiss hotelier César Ritz, is going to close next summer for 27 months to undergo a top to bottom más...
Report details Chinese tourist impact on Europe
The number of Chinese outbound tourists visiting Europe is expected to grow to 4.5 million by 2015 and around 8.6 million by 2020, giving the European más...
Fairmont entering Russia
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto, announced on Wednesday plans to open its first hotel in Russia in 2017, the Fairmont Pekin Moscow. Real estate más...
Accor sales up in 3Q
Accor, Courcouronnes, France reported that its revenue in the third quarter increased 2.7% year-on-year to €1.6 billion (US$2.2 billion). Given that más...
“Dirtiest” hotel sues TripAdvisor for $10 million
The owner of the Grand Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Pigeon Force, Tennessee is suing online hotel review company TripAdvisor for US$10 million más...
DiamondRock sells 3 hotels
In the REIT’s third quarter performance results DiamondRock Hospitality Co., Bethesda, Maryland, revealed that it sold three hotels to Inland American más...
News in brief: Amanresorts, Google, HHonors
Amanresorts buyers narrowed to 3: CNBC-TV18 reported via anonymous sources on Wednesday that DLF Ltd. has narrowed its list of buyers for Amanresorts más...
Hilton expands in Russia
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, announced on Tuesday that it signed management and franchise agreements for four hotels under development in Russia más...
PwC: Stockholm RevPAR up most in 2012
A new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts that Stockholm will see double the RevPAR growth of any other large European hotel market in 2012. The más...
Hot Openings: Homey comfort in heart of NYC
Hyatt 48 Lex, a 116-key boutique new-build hotel from Hersha Hospitality, has opened on Lexington Avenue in New York City. Hyatt 48 Lex — más...
CWT: Latin America ADR up most in 2012
Business travel management company Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Minneapolis, Minnesota, is predicting that Latin America will see the largest ADR increase más...
Affinia offers a little TLC
Affinia Hotels has launched Tender Loving Comfort (TLC), an initiative rooted in deep customer service and responding to guests’ body language, más...
News in brief: Morgans, NH Hoteles, Arab Spring
Morgans buys London hotel: The Sunday Times reported that Morgans Hotel Group, with backing from Invesco Ltd., bought the Hoxton Hotel for £68 más...
Hilton expands in Middle East
Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia, signed an agreement with Al Habtoor Group, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to convert two of its properties to the Hilton más...
Kyriakidis sips Marriott cocktail
After some 37 years as a consultant and listing Marriott International as his biggest client, Deloitte LLP’s most familiar face to the hotel industry más...
Saudi Arabia Middle East bright spot
New figures from Ernst & Young show that besides Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia, most of the Middle East saw occupancy rate, ADR and yield per room más...
Thai hotels surviving massive flooding
Despite massive flooding the past week, it appears Thailand’s tourism industry has so far been spared, according to a variety of reports. A Bloomberg más...
Moscow, St. Petersburg hotel markets improve
Reflecting Russia’s strong economic recovery after the financial crisis, Moscow and St. Petersburg luxury and upscale hotels are seeing solid occupancy más...
News in brief: Davidson, Crimson, Starwood
Davidson moving headquarters: Davidson Hotels & Resorts is moving its headquarters from Memphis, Tennessee, to Atlanta. Read more at MarketWatch más...
HOTELS Interview: Concorde’s social media sized up
Concorde Hotels & Resorts, Paris, launched a new digital strategy in July, and has seen a substantial increase in its social media followers since más...
Innkeepers, Cerberus reportedly agree on $1 billion
After intensive negotiations, Innkeepers USA Trust’s sale of 64 hotel properties to Cerberus Capital Management and Chatham Lodging Trust has reportedly más...
Kim Kardashian, hotelier?
If Armani and Versace can do it, does reality TV star Kim Kardashian have the chops to be an hotelier? She is thinking maybe so! According to a Thursday más...
Qatar reportedly bidding for Amanresorts
Another potential suitor for Amanresorts International Pte Ltd is reportedly Qatar Holding LLC, a subsidiary of Qatari sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment más...
What's Hot: Kimpton revives glam at Sir Francis Drake
San Francisco’s iconic, 416-room Sir Francis Drake hotel has been transformed by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, with a more stylish and sophisticated más...
Hong Kong, Singapore top market forecast
STR Global’s Market Forecast is projecting mostly year-on-year improvements in revenue per available room for the remainder of 2011 with some slowdown más...
News in brief: DB Hospitality, Gaylord, Willis
DB Hospitality selling stake: Indian hotel property developer DB Hospitality is selling a 1,000 crore (US$203 million) stake to fund new hotel projects más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Tyrea Baskin has been named director of sales for Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Columbus Airport-East más...
Hotel values climb in Russia, CIS
Hotel values in Russia, other Commonwealth of Independent States members and Georgia are expected to increase 7% by the end of 2011, nearly double the más...
Two big moves in hotel executive suites
Thursday has brought news of prominent changes in executive suites at hotel companies in New York City and in the U.K. In New York, Loews Hotels’ más...
HNA bidding for Amanresorts
HNA Group Co., Haikou, China, is among the companies bidding to purchase Amanresorts International Pte Ltd. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that two people más...
McKillen sues Barclay brothers, Maybourne
Property developer Patrick McKillen, a 36% shareholder of Maybourne Hotels Ltd. is suing David and Frederick Barclay and Maybourne Finance Ltd. over the más...
Hotel uncaps its own beer label
The Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa, has introduced its own beer label — Oscar Lager — in collaboration with the craft breweries más...
Lather up: Hotel offers soap concierge
The Tides Riviera Maya in Mexico offers a unique signature amenity: the soap concierge, who presents guests with a variety of soaps upon arrival and then más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Rezidor, Worldhotels
Wyndham expands in India: Wyndham Hotel Group announced on Thursday that it signed franchise agreements for three properties in the Indian cities más...
Trump bids $170 million for Doral
The Trump Organization has bid to pay US$170 million for the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, a luxury resort property in Miami. Winthrop Realty Trust and más...
Hyatt makes big news in China
On Wednesday Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, announced that it has signed deals for two Hyatt Places and a Hyatt House in Shanghai, as well as eight additional más...
Hot Openings: Amsterdam conservatory reborn as hotel
A 110-year-old Amsterdam conservatory has gotten a new lease on life as a lifestyle hotel. The 128-room, 5-star The Conservatorium Hotel soft opened earlier más...
Case study: How Interstate drove bookings with local SEO
Every day more travelers use online search engines and directories to plan their trips and find hotels. And because their hotel choices are greatly más...
TravelClick: Mobile, social media spending to increase
A new poll from hotel e-commerce and marketing company TravelClick shows that hotels are planning on investing more in mobile and social media marketing más...
Green practices earn guests discounts
The InterContinental San Francisco has introduced the LEED by Example package, which allows guests to save up to 10% off their room rate by taking part más...
News in brief: Innkeepers, Host, MGM
Innkeepers bankruptcy trial delayed: The trial that will decide the legality of Cerberus Capital Management and Chatham Lodging Trust’s decision más...
MGM expanding in India
MGM Resorts International announced on Tuesday that it signed an agreement to operate a Bellagio hotel, an MGM Grand hotel and a Skylofts hotel at a mixed-use más...
French market posts strong August results
The French hotel industry saw growth in occupancy and rates during August despite the challenging economy and some unfavorable weather conditions, according más...
What’s Hot: Renovation inspired by Red Rock Country
L’Auberge de Sedona in the Red Rock Country of Sedona, Arizona, has completed a US$25 million renovation that includes redesigned guestrooms and más...
1.8 billion global tourists by 2030
International tourist arrivals are forecast to grow at a more moderate 3.3% per year pace, but still reach 1.8 billion by 2030, according to the UNWTO más...
Silence is not always golden
In order to establish in which way and at what level inquiries are responded to in the event area and ultimately how much turnover is generated, the IFH más...
News in brief: Grace, Oetker, MB Holding
Grace expands in San Francisco: The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Tuesday that the Singapore-based hotel group Grace International has bought más...
Morgans sells 2 London properties
Morgans Hotel Group Co., New York City, announced on Monday that it has sold its Sanderson and St. Martins Lane hotels in London for £192 million más...
Cerberus, Innkeepers reportedly reach settlement
Innkeepers USA Trust and Cerberus Capital Management have reportedly reached a settlement on their scuttled US$1.1 billion hotel purchase deal. Bloomberg más...
Schrager deals to further Public brand
Bloomberg reported on Monday that Ian Schrager’s plan to further develop his Public brand is taking on a more definitive shape with deals in New más...
Protests to mark Hotel Bel-Air reopening
Hotel Bel-Air is scheduled to reopen Friday following a two-year, multimillion-dollar renovation, but union protesters may mar the unveiling. According más...
Tokyo hotels return to normal after typhoon
After a typhoon paralyzed Tokyo on September 21, the performance of hotels in the city has already bounced back to normal. According to data from STR más...
News in brief: Le Méridien Etoile, Kyoto Grand, Driftwood
Sale of Le Méridien Etoile considered: CBRE Hotels reported on Monday that it has been selected to advise on the potential sale of the 1 más...
Southern Sun buys Johannesburg 5-star
Southern Sun, Bryanston, South Africa, bought The Grace hotel in Johannesburg from property investment firm Hyprop on Friday for 85 million rand (US$10 más...
HOTELS Interview: Design splash in Moscow’s F&B scene
Since Les Menus par Pierre Gagnaire at Lotte Hotel Moscow opened to diners late last year, it has garnered attention from local media and guests for creating más...
Court paves way for Miami casino-resorts
With billions of dollars in casino-resort development set to enter Miami, a Florida appeals court ruled on Thursday that state legislators do not need más...
Does opulence still sell? Four Seasons answers
Opulence is not dead, and Four Seasons can prove it. Executive Vice President of Marketing Susan Helstab told HOTELS several jetsetters have already reserved más...
A day in the life of the digitized hotel
High-end hotels are the ideal proving ground for the ability of social and digital media to enhance luxury brand equity. Most up-market brands are scared más...
News in brief: Westin, Meliá, Riu
Sage, Optima converting Cleveland hotel: Optima Ventures and Sage Hospitality have partnered to purchase a Cleveland city center hotel that will más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Mark Andrew has been appointed regional vice president and general manager for the Fairmont Washington más...
Marriott posts loss for 3Q
Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, announced on Wednesday that it posted a loss of US$179 million during the third quarter. The company’s más...
France fines Expedia
The French government has ordered online travel giant Expedia Inc. to pay a fine of €427,000 (US$566,000) for “misleading marketing practices más...
Hot Openings: Three-hotel Marriott complex in Doha
Marriott International has opened the three-hotel Doha City Center complex including the 257-room Renaissance Doha City Center Hotel, the 204-room Courtyard más...
Modest wage increase in US
After two years of pay cuts, wage freezes or miniscule increases, this year was expected to be one of modest pay increases for the hotel industry, based más...
Bouncing on the bed gets serious
Bouncing on the bed might get kids in trouble, but Premier Inn has made it Natalie Thomas’ job. Thomas, the U.K. budget chain’s new director más...
News in brief: LaSalle, Estonia, Mercure
LaSalle buys San Francisco hotel: LaSalle Hotel Properties announced on Wednesday that it bought the Villa Florence hotel property in San Francisco más...
Hot Openings: Swanky redesign unveiled for London hotel
The Radisson Edwardian Mercer Street in London, formerly the Radisson Edwardian Mountbatten, has undergone a US$24 million redesign and rebranding that más...
Renovated Orlando hotel features interactive kitchen
The Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld, a 781-key aquatic-themed resort in Orlando, Florida, has completed a five-year renovation project worth more than más...
Westgate Resorts gives free stays to US veterans
On Wednesday, Westgate Resorts, Orlando, Florida, announced a special offer for U.S. military veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring más...
Japan seeks to revitalize tourism
This week the Japanese prime minister is meeting with the president of the World Travel & Tourism Council and secretary general of the World Tourism más...
Andaz launches salon events
Andaz, the lifestyle hotel brand of Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, announced on Friday the launching of Andaz Salon, a regular series of events to be held más...
News in brief: Cerberus, Hyatt, Shangri-La
Cerberus reveals reasoning behind scuttled deal: In bankruptcy court documents, Cerberus Capital Management LP revealed that it walked away from más...
Marriott launches more provocative ad campaign
Marriott Hotels & Resorts is launching a new US$6 million global advertising campaign featuring six custom illustrations by world-renowned artist más...
Eisemann leaps from Marriott to IHG
IHG on Tuesday announced that Joel Eisemann has been appointed senior vice president and chief development officer for the Americas region and Jim Anhut más...
Minor gets new CEO
Minor Hotels Group, Bangkok, announced on Tuesday that it has promoted its chief operating officer Dillip Rajakarier to CEO. Rajakarier joined Minor in más...
TravelClick: Business travel will drive US forward
With business travel as the main driver, the TravelClick North American Hospitality Review predicts the next 12 months (September 1, 2011 – August más...
Let them eat cake! Marriott offers sweet promotion
Eight Marriott hotels in New Jersey and Pennsylvania have partnered with Buddy Valastro, star of “Cake Boss” on TLC, for the Cake From Buddy más...
Best Western launches Facebook app
Ever want to get something tangible for a high score in a video game? Best Western International, Phoenix, is offering just that with a new Facebook application más...
News in brief: IHG, Las Vegas Sands, Lonrho
IHG enters Uganda: IHG signed an agreement on Monday with Kingdom Kampala to manage the Kampala InterContinental hotel. Read more at the Daily Nation más...
Thompson, Joie de Vivre merge
Thompson Hotels, an international collection of 12 luxury lifestyle hotels, and San Francisco-based boutique operator Joie de Vivre Hospitality on Monday más...
Accor gets franchises for 24 Jarvis properties
The purchase of 24 Jarvis Hotels properties that were in pre-pack administration has allowed Accor’s Mercure brand to expand in the U.K. via franchise más...
McKillen may challenge NAMA's sale of Maybourne debt
Property developer Paddy McKillen is not going quietly into the night over the disputed Maybourne Hotels portfolio with the Irish Times reporting on Monday más...
Worldhotels makes big strides in China
Worldhotels, Frankfurt, has announced a strategic partnership for China with China World Hotels to develop over 75 Worldhotel branded hotels over the más...
Louvre expands in Brazil, CEE
Louvre Hotels Group, Paris, expanded its brand in Brazil and Poland during the past week, with more expansion for Central and Eastern Europe planned this más...
Kyriakidis made Marriott’s Middle East, Africa president
Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, announced on Monday that it has appointed Alex Kyriakidis as president and managing director of its Middle más...
News in brief: Kosmopolito, Muriya, Ishraq Dubai
Kosmopolito gets new president: Kosmopolito Hotels International announced that Winnie Chiu has been appointed president of the company. Read more más...
septiembre 2011
RBS taking over Jarvis Hotels
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is preparing to push Jarvis Hotels through a pre-pack administration that would allow it to acquire 20 hotels, according más...
German hotels show speedy recovery
Compared with other European countries, hotels in Germany have demonstrated one of the fastest recovery rates in addition to strong RevPAR growth, with más...
New-build Capella announced for D.C.
In an economic environment where luxury hotels are hard to finance and build, Capella Hotels and Resorts, Atlanta, Georgia, has announced a new-build más...
HOTELS Interview: Design details on new Hyatt brand
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, made big news last week with the announcement that it is rebranding its 38 Summerfield Suites and 16 Hotel Sierra hotels más...
Fall uniform trends: slimming separates, vivid colors
From updated classics to bold colors, Cintas Corp.’s 2001 Fall Fashion Trends Forecast translates runway-inspired apparel to the workplace. Here más...
PwC: London market steady, rest of UK tougher
A new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) shows that while London hotels continue to thrive given the city’s high-profile status, hotels in the más...
News in brief: TUI, Wyndham, Home Inns
TUI to revamp portfolio: German tour operator TUI announced on Thursday that it plans to cut 550 jobs and revamp its hotel portfolio. Read more más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Peter Antinoph has been appointed general manager of The Paris Marriott Champs Elysees. Antinoph previously más...
Barclay brothers buy out Maybourne debt from NAMA
Ireland’s bad bank, NAMA (National Asset Management Agency), has sold more than €800 million (US$1.1 billion) of debt held by Maybourne Hotel más...
AAHOA, Choice in standoff
The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) has threatened to end its relationship with Choice Hotels International as part of a dispute over más...
Chedi Muscat wellness venue boasts firsts for Oman
The new 26,910-sq-ft (2,500-sq-m) spa and fitness facility at The Chedi Muscat, set to open next week, will be the largest of its kind in the city and más...
Hotels banned from outsourcing housekeeping
An initiative by the municipal government of Cambridge, Massachusetts is set to ban hotels from outsourcing housekeeping labor within the city. An ordinance más...
New hotels for Japan disaster area
Sparx Group Co., Tokyo, announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with Kachikaihatsu Co., Tokyo, to build a pre-fabricated 314-room hotel for relief más...
Historic Cambodian hotels to sport refreshed look
Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh and Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap, opened in 1929 and 1932, respectively, and the only luxury hotels más...
News in brief: Posadas, Priceline, Richfield
Richfield adds 4 properties: Richfield Hospitality announced on Thursday that it signed management deals for four hotels in Pennsylvania, Texas más...
Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows merge
Two of the largest ski resorts at Lake Tahoe, Squaw Valley USA and Alpine Meadows, are set to combine operations with an acquisition deal announced on más...
Fashionable brand coming to Vietnam
Fusion Resorts, operators of Fusion Maia’s all-inclusive spa concept and Fusion Alya’s all-inclusive dining concept in Vietnam, has reportedly más...
Fuller to retire from Marriott
The man whose tenure as an executive saw Marriott International Inc.’s dramatic growth from 16 hotels to 550 outside the U.S. announced his retirement más...
The Greenbrier opens The Windsor Club
The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, has opened The Windsor Club, named for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, frequent guests of the más...
August a mixed bag for UK hotels
August saw a slight boost in profit for provincial hotels but not London hotels, a HotStats U.K. market report from TRI Hospitality Consulting shows. más...
What’s Hot: New wing pays tribute to the Taj Mahal
ITC Mughal in Agra, India, has created an exclusive new wing, the Khwab Mahal – the Palace of Dreams, featuring 42 rooms and suites that pay tribute más...
News in brief: Rosedale, Travelocity, India
Indian rates up: The Hotel Price Index survey by Hotels.com shows that in the first six months of 2011 Indian hotel rates increased an average of más...
$2.3 billion hotel-casino planned for Philippines
Universal Entertainment Corp., Tokyo, revealed plans on Tuesday to invest US$2.3 billion in a hotel-casino mega-complex in Manila, Philippines. Manila más...
Hilton HHonors targets Chinese travelers
Hilton HHonors, Hilton Worldwide’s guest loyalty program, has unveiled a new marketing campaign created expressly for Chinese travelers. The campaign más...
South American market performance improves
New data from STR Global showcases an impressive performance by hotels in South America so far this year. The STR Global report shows that across South más...
What’s Hot: Tuscan castle turned boutique hotel
Hotel Castello di Casole in Tuscany, Italy — a 10th century castle turned 41-suite boutique hotel from Timbers Resorts — is slated to open más...
Foreign visitors spending more in US
New figures from online travel agency Expedia Inc. show a year-on-year US$1 billion uptick in spending in the U.S. by foreign visitors during the month más...
Hilton Garden Inn app links business travelers via jargon
Hilton Garden Inn has launched BizWords, an iPhone/iPad app designed to serve as a social network for business travelers by helping them decode and navigate más...
Trump Chicago scores with golf stunt
On Monday, U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III and European Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal teed-off for charity and publicity más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Hilton, Israel
Wyndham expands in China: Wyndham Worldwide Corp. announced on Monday that it signed a management agreement for a 401-room property under construction más...
Minor launches new brand
Minor Hotel Group announced on Thursday the launch of Avani Hotels & Resorts, a new upscale brand. The brand is set to debut with the November opening más...
Meliá expands in US
Meliá Hotels International, Palma de Mallorca, Spain announced on Monday the opening of its second hotel in the U.S. in Orlando, Florida. The 240-room más...
Study shows French market improving
New figures from KPMG show that the French hotel market performance improved in the first half of 2011 compared to the previous year. Year-on-year, the más...
Steigenberger announces European expansion plan
Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts, Frankfurt, Germany, announced on Monday an expansion plan for its brand InterCityHotel that would increase the brand's más...
Hilton Garden Inn to refresh lobbies
Hilton Garden Inn has started an initiative to refresh lobbies across its entire portfolio by the end of 2013. “Project Grow” already has más...
Peninsula to go pink in October
The Peninsula Hotels properties in Asia and North America are showing their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October with Peninsula in Pink más...
News in brief: Doubletree, Starwood, Gemstone
Doubletree by Hilton enters Croatia: Hilton Worldwide announced on Monday that it signed a management agreement for its Doubletree by Hilton brand más...
HOTELS Interview: What do Facebook’s changes mean for hotels?
The social media world got some big news on Thursday when Facebook unveiled its latest developments at the Facebook f8 Developer Conference in San Francisco más...
HOTELS in Phoenix: Lodging Conference notebook
HOTELS Editor-in-Chief Jeff Weinstein attended this week’s Lodging Conference in Phoenix and here offers a roundup describing the tone and mood más...
What's Hot: Radisson Blu Royal's 'NYC Mansion Style'
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Brussels has announced all business class rooms at the hotel have been recently renovated into the stylish and vibrant ambience más...
Caesars breaks ground on 5-star resort in China
Caesars Entertainment Corp. has broken ground on Caesars Palace Longmu Bay in Hainan, China, a 5-star, 1,000-key luxury resort that marks the first major más...
US lodging fees hit new record in 2011
Total fees and surcharges collected by U.S. hotels are increasing again in 2011, from US$1.7 billion in 2010 to a record US$1.8 billion. The increase más...
News in brief: Marco Polo, Hilton, Utell
Marco Polo lands new Ortigas hotel: Marco Polo Hotels revealed that the company has signed a management deal for a 5-star hotel to be built in the más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Carlos Abaunza has been appointed general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun in Mexico. Abaunza most más...
W London sells for $307 million
Al Faisal Holding, owned by Qatari royal family member Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, bought the W London Leicester Square hotel from U.K. developer más...
Best Western tiered brands debut in UK
Best Western Hotels GB, the British wing of the giant hotel marketing cooperative Best Western International, introduced the midscale Best Western Plus más...
SilverNeedle to launch new brand
After acquiring over 60 hotels in Australia and New Zealand earlier this month with the purchase of Constellation Hotels, SilverNeedle Hospitality is más...
InterMountain buys Pillar
On Thursday InterMountain Management LLC, Monroe, Lousiana and Pillar Hotels and Resorts, Irving, Texas announced that they have entered into an agreement más...
Refurbished suites at Le Méridien Stuttgart reflect local area
The local artistic heritage as well as the 10th century and Baroque castles in neighboring Schlossgarten Park served as inspiration for the recent soft más...
UK hotel values only 12.7% from pre-recession peak
The IPD European Hotel index, which launched this year and is sponsored by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, Invesco Real Estate and HVS, shows the all-hotels más...
Marriott hotels pair wine with … cookies?
Forget wine and cheese. The New York Marriott Marquis, Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach, JW Marriott Washington DC and JW Marriott Los Angeles LA Live más...
New TV show on fixing up US hotels
Chef turned U.S. television personality Gordon Ramsay is setting his sights on the hospitality industry for his new show on the Fox Broadcasting Co., más...
News in brief: Cambria Suites, Bognor Regis, RCI
Cambria Suites expands in US: Choice Hotels International Inc. announced on Wednesday that its brand Cambria Suites would debut in Washington, D más...
$1.3 billion expansion for Manila hotel-casinos
In light of nearby Macau’s hotel-casino boom, the developer of Resorts World Manila and Resorts World Bayshore in the Philippines is investing US$1 más...
Royal Orchid to launch mid-market brand
Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd., Bangalore, India revealed in an interview with Reuters that it plans to add a new mid-market brand for the Indian market within más...
PKF: US hotel forecast looks optimistic
PKF Hospitality Research has projected that RevPAR for U.S. hotels will rise 7.2% in 2011, a more optimistic projection than its 6.9% forecast for RevPAR más...
Trump offers private course with celebrity chefs
Trump International Hotel & Tower New York is offering a new culinary master course with renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and his executive más...
Auberge takes over Hotel Jerome
Auberge Resorts, Mill Valley, California, announced on Wednesday that it signed a deal to assume management of Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado. The hotel más...
New report on EMEA pipeline
The second quarter 2011 EMEA pipeline report from Lodging Econometrics shows Europe’s development plateauing and the Middle East and Africa declining más...
News in brief: Thompson, Driftwood, Disney
Thompson expands in Miami: Thompson Hotels has taken over management of Hotel Victor on Miami Beach. Read more at Thompson Hotels Driftwood más...
Hyatt announces major brand revamp
Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced on Monday that it is rebranding its 38 Summerfield Suites and 16 Hotel Sierra hotels as Hyatt House, with the key concept más...
IHG introduces new price guarantee
On Tuesday IHG, Denham, U.K. launched a new online sales initiative called “Best Price Guarantee” for all of its brands that offers a free más...
What’s Hot: All-day dining gets interactive
Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur has opened Mosaic, a new 24-hour dining venue that promises an interactive dining experience in an elaborately designed más...
The Luxury Collection, Orient-Express launch ad campaigns
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s The Luxury Collection and Orient-Express have both launched advertising campaigns highlighting the unique más...
European rates surge this month
New figures from Trivago show rates at hotels across Europe have shot up this month by an average of 19% from August. The biggest increases were found más...
Centara, Accor end association
Centara Hotels & Resorts, Bangkok, Thailand and Accor, Courcouronnes, France announced on Tuesday that they are ending their joint branding of three más...
News in brief: TownePlace Suites, InterContinental, Shangri-La
New leadership for TownePlace Suites: Marriott International’s TownePlace Suites extended-stay brand is getting a new management team. Read más...
Hot Openings: New Vivanta by Taj reflects nature
Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has opened the Vivanta by Taj – Yeshwantpur, Bangalore, designed to reflect the nature of India’s “garden más...
Interstate, TVHG join up
Interstate Hotels & Resorts and TVHG Budget Group Beheer BV announced the formation of a joint venture on Monday to open nine hotels in the Netherlands más...
Changes at the top for De Vere
Several media sources in the U.K. are reporting a boardroom shake up at De Vere Hotels with Chief Executive Richard Balfour-Lynn and CFO Jay Singh stepping más...
Ritter celebrates 35 years with Rezidor
After first joining the company in 1976 as general manager of the SAS Luleå Hotel in Sweden, Rezidor Hotel Group President and CEO Kurt Ritter is más...
New iPad app offers InterContinental recipes
IHG's InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has launched the InterContinental Kitchen Cookbook app for the iPad. The free app features recipes from 24 más...
Aloft plans rocking celebration for 50th opening
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide’s Aloft brand will celebrate its 50th opening with a worldwide music festival. “Live at Aloft Hotels: más...
Fitzpatrick CEO exposed as philanthropist
The “Secret Millionaire” series, beginning September 19 on Ireland’s RTÉ One, will feature The Fitzpatrick Hotel Group’s más...
Case study: How to restart a construction project
When it was announced that the Revel Resort project in Atlantic City received US$1.15 billion in February of this year to resume construction, it was más...
News in brief: Accor, Guy Laliberté, Radisson Edwardian
Accor taking over Auckland hotel: Accor signed a deal to manage the 130-room Hotel Lighter Quay in Auckland, New Zealand, formerly a Westin branded más...
Blackstone acquires Mint hotels in UK
It appears the DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn brands just received nice boosts to their pipelines with Friday’s announced deal of the más...
HOTELS Interview: Delivering luxury during tough times
When Alan Fuerstman founded Montage Hotels & Resorts in 2002, he wanted to create an artistic collection of ultra-luxury properties in stunning settings más...
Hilton, Swissôtel expand in Russia
Both Hilton Worldwide, McLean, Virginia and Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, Zürich, Switzerland, announced expansion deals in Russia this week más...
NYC set for 2 hotel conversions
Two hotel conversions in New York City, one of a university dormitory and the other of an office building, were reported over the past two weeks. Crain’s más...
Feeling lucky? Hotel invites guests to roll the dice for perks
Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center and Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, wants gets to press their luck for a chance to win a variety of perks más...
Hilton, National Geographic team up for promo
The Hilton HHonors loyalty program and National Geographic Traveler magazine are teaming up to offer a unique promotion for travel photographers to get más...
News in brief: Mandarin Oriental, RCI, Oberoi
Mandarin Oriental gets celebs onboard: A Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group advertising campaign has some high-profile participants, including Hollywood más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Magdalena Grand Beach Resort, set to open in November in Scarborough, Tobago, has appointed Vince más...
Genting reveals $3 billion Miami resort plans
The Genting Group, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, announced on Wednesday that it plans on investing US$3 billion to build a casino-resort mega-complex in Miami más...
$15 billion Sochi development moves forward
International property developers and top Russian government officials are meeting at a forum in Sochi, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, to sign más...
Famed Broadmoor sold to Anschutz
The Oklahoma Publishing Co., whose assets include the historic The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sold on Thursday to The Anschutz más...
HVS: Restaurants key to boutique hotel success
HVS London’s biannual London Boutique Hotel Monitor shows that by 2013 a further 2,544 rooms will have been added to the London boutique hotel sector más...
Ritz-Carlton launches dynamic marketing platform
In a new brand advertising platform launching this month, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. will pose an alternative style of question to guests, asking ‘Let más...
US pipeline down for August
New figures show that the total active U.S. hotel development pipeline was down 12.4% year-on-year in August. The pace of development varied greatly by más...
News in brief: Hilfiger, Innkeepers, Las Vegas Hilton
Hilfiger backs off Clock Tower: Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger revealed that his US$170 million deal to buy the Clock Tower building in New York más...
First Aloft conversion announced
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced on Wednesday its first conversion project for its Aloft brand – a company-owned hotel in San Francisco más...
Digital marketing budget should focus on direct online channel
Hoteliers’ 2012 digital marketing budgets need to focus on the direct online channel, which has grown 25% in the past four years, and reverse the más...
Mercure unveils room redesign
Accor has a new bed board for its midscale Mercure brand that has been installed in three hotels in Paris, Lyon and Marseille, France. The new bed boards más...
Benelux hotels in recovery mode
Hotel occupancies in Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg are on the rise, according to a report from Horwath HTL. Additionally, average room rates más...
Paramount to grow third-party business
Paramount Hotel Group, a Fairfield, New Jersey-based management and ownership company, on Wednesday announced plans to aggressively ramp up its third-party más...
New Fairfield ad campaign highlights dependability
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott has launched the new integrated “Let’s Get it Done” advertising campaign that aims to demonstrate más...
News in brief: Holiday Inn Express, Travelodge, Gramercy Park Hotel
Holiday Inn Express continues expansion in Thailand: The brand announced a new-build hotel that will be developed in partnership with owner Kebsup Group más...
HOTELS report from Paris: Accor shakes up budget brands
Accor announced at an investor’s conference in Paris on Tuesday that it is subsuming two of its budget brands under the Ibis brand as it seeks to más...
Potter stepping down from Corinthia
After completing his five-year commitment to Corinthia Hotels International as CEO and managing director in January 2012, Tony Potter will step down from más...
Four Seasons to open Walt Disney World Resort in 2014
Toronto-based Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has entered into a joint venture with Silverstein Properties and Dune Real Estate Partners to develop a más...
Hot Openings: Mövenpick makes Indian debut
Zurich-based Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has opened its first property in India, the Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore. The 182-key, 5-star más...
Brown’s keeps guests on their toes with Degas package
Rocco Forte’s Brown’s Hotel in London is teaming up with the Royal Academy of Arts and ballet flat specialist London Sole to offer a package más...
News in brief: Fairmont, Rezidor, Four Points by Sheraton
Fairmont reduces CO2 emissions by 8.4%: The company also has pledged to reduce its operational CO2 emissions by 20% below 2006 levels by 2013 in addition más...
IHG plans 100 hotels for Russia, CIS
IHG sees Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as a huge growth opportunity, and plans to have 100 hotels open by 2020, the company más...
Beverly Hilton reportedly receives investment to avoid sale
Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital Management LP has invested an undisclosed amount in the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, allowing that property to avoid más...
Private equity buyers now more active than REITs
Despite ongoing volatility in U.S. financial markets, which has, perhaps, muted the buying appetite of what have been aggressive U.S. REITs, Jones Lang más...
The changing dynamics of the Swiss hotel market
Switzerland’s reputation as a leader in hospitality is renowned around the world. In recent years, however, industry professionals and business más...
What’s Hot: Starck-designed spa at Royal Monceau
Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris has opened Spa My Blend by Clarins, which features a new spa concept as well as a design by Philippe Starck. My más...
News in brief: Westin, Wynn Macau, Sage Hospitality
Westin opens 10th hotel in Latin America: The 221-key Westin Guadalajara opened Monday. Read more at MarketWatch. Wynn Macau signs land deal for más...
HOTELS Interview: Blazing a trail as a female GM
The hotel industry is seeing an increasing number of women breaking into top leadership roles, and Catherine Racsko is just one example of that trend más...
Langham, Shui on Land start hotel JV
Luxury hotel company Langham Hospitality Group, Hong Kong, and Shui On Land Ltd, Shanghai, announced this week that they are creating a lifestyle hotel más...
Hyatt to become first global brand in Vladivostok
Hyatt Hotels Corp. has entered into management agreements with OJSC Nash Dom-Primorye for two new Hyatt hotels in Russia. The 217-room Hyatt Regency más...
Waldorf=Astoria facelift approved
The historic The Waldorf=Astoria received unanimous approval from the New York City Landmark Preservation Commission to alter the entrance canopy on the más...
What’s Hot: Cocktail menu celebrates fashion
A new limited-time cocktail menu at several Dorchester Collection properties will celebrate five designers who have been shortlisted for the 2011 Dorchester más...
Aloft reaches 52-hotel mark
Four new Aloft hotels around the world have pushed the brand past its landmark 50th hotel opening. The "style-at-a-steal" brand from Starwood Hotels & más...
News in brief: PATA, Pyramid, St. Regis
PATA appoints new CEO: The Pacific Asia Travel Association appointed Martin Craigs as its new CEO, effective October 31. Read more at eTurboNews más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Benchmark Hospitality International in Houston has named Warren Breaux corporate director of national más...
Pan Pacific, Parkroyal hotels refresh brand identities
Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Singapore, has unveiled refreshed brand interpretations for its more than 30 Pan Pacific and Parkroyal portfolio of hotels, más...
Hilton signs first Iraq hotel
As U.S. troops are heading out, Hilton Worldwide is heading into Iraq after signing a deal to open its first branded property in the country. Hilton Worldwide más...
San Francisco to get most ADR, RevPAR growth
The latest STR Market Forecast report on the top 25 largest U.S. hotel markets shows that San Francisco is set for the largest ADR and RevPAR growth this más...
Big city center sales in UK, US
Two city center hotel sales were completed this week in the U.S. and U.K. while the sale of the W Hotel in London is reportedly close. The Hilton Glasgow más...
Expedia eager to extend dialogue about impact of OTAs
In response to what it considers "somewhat biased" research about the impact and cost of OTA bookings, Expedia Inc. has put out a press release stating más...
What’s Hot: Modern yet classic British fare at Dukes London
Thirty-Six by Nigel Mendham has debuted at Dukes London, the 90-key hotel located in a private courtyard near Green Park and Buckingham Palace. Mendham’s más...
News in brief: Zagat, RCI, IHG
Google buys Zagat: Google Inc. announced on Thursday that it bought Zagat Survey LLC, the publisher of the Zagat restaurant and hotel reviews. Read más...
Hot Openings: Art Deco prominent at London’s 45 Park Lane
45 Park Lane in London, Dorchester Collection’s newest addition, promises a contemporary style with prominent Art Deco influences from architect más...
London hotels have poor online reputation
The results of a new online reputation study for European hotels show London hotels faring near the bottom while those in Dresden, Germany are at the más...
Lonrho expanding in Africa
Lonrho plc, London, revealed to Bloomberg in a Monday interview that it plans to open 50 budget hotels across Africa by 2016. Lonrho signed an agreement más...
Kimpton raising another equity fund
Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, San Francisco, revealed last week that it will raise a US$200 million acquisition fund this fall to buy hotel properties más...
Swissôtel launches new loyalty program
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has launched Swissôtel Circle, a new loyalty program. Membership is divided into three tiers: Inizia, Elevà más...
The dark side: Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte to open chocolate ‘experience’
The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte in North Carolina will open Bar Cocoa on September 30, a venue the hotel promises will present a “sophisticated, all-new más...
Hilton’s 'Bride Whisperers' check into Puerto Rico
Hilton Worldwide has added specially trained consultants dubbed “Bride Whisperers” to five of its properties in Puerto Rico. “There’s más...
News in brief: Doral, Kurdistan, Chateau Bourbon
Doral Golf Resort may have buyer: The owners of the Doral Golf Resort and Spa near Miami revealed that they have found a tentative buyer that will más...
Restored Frank Lloyd Wright hotel reopens
Looking for Frank Lloyd Wright’s only remaining hotel? You’ll find it halfway between Des Moines and Minneapolis in Mason City, Iowa. A little más...
US capital expenditures on hotels to increase
New research from New York University shows that capital expenditure spending for U.S. hotels is set to increase in 2011 for the first time since 2008 más...
Courtyard by Marriott, NFL team up
At the beginning of a new American football season, Marriott International kicked off a multi-year deal on Tuesday to become the exclusive lodging category más...
The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte amps up tech offerings
One year ahead of the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte is installing some major tech and más...
SpringHill Suites programs put art in the spotlight
To celebrate the brand’s dedication to design and style, SpringHill Suites by Marriott currently has a couple art-focused programs underway. During más...
The look of new age parking garages
Hotel parking lots and garages are typically constructed using standard designs intended to maximize car counts. Lately, it has become quite apparent más...
News in brief: Whitbread, Hero Group, Switzerland
Whitbread sales up: British hospitality group Whitbread reported a 4.8% year-on-year increase in sales in June, July and August. Read more at Financial más...
Hot Openings: Hilton Guangzhou Baiyun offers modern style, central location
McLean, Virginia-based Hilton Hotels & Resorts has opened Hilton Guangzhou Baiyun, its third new hotel in China in less than two months. The 313-key más...
LVMH reportedly bidding for Amanresorts
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA (LVMH) is reported to be among the companies interested in acquiring Amanresorts International, according to a Bloomberg más...
Details on Choice's new loan program
Choice Hotels International, in partnership with Access Point Financial, has a new program that provides financing to qualified franchisees. The initial más...
Culinary destinations team up for special offer
Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris and The Dorchester in London — both Dorchester Collection hotels — are partnering to offer más...
Four Seasons resort to plant half a million trees
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka‘upulehu on Hawai‘i Island has partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods to plant up to 500,000 más...
Wellness offering at Chicago hotel combines meditation, architecture, history
JW Marriott Chicago has introduced a wellness offering for guests that combines meditation, tai chi and yoga with the city’s architectural and historic más...
HOTELS Interview: Surviving (and thriving) after a natural disaster
For the most part, Hawaii was spared serious damage from the tsunami following the March 11 earthquake that struck Japan. However, Four Seasons Resort más...
$850 million for Jin Jiang Philippines expansion
GMA News and Public Affairs reported on Friday that the Filipino snack food producer Liwayway Marketing Corp. has entered into a licensing agreement with más...
Marriott promises retaliatory lawsuit
On Thursday Marriott International Inc. reacted to the disputed Waikiki Edition property owner’s bankruptcy declaration by promising a lawsuit seeking más...
19 of 28 von Essen Hotels under offer
After two rounds of bidding, brokerage firm Christie + Co. reported on Friday that 19 of 28 of the foreclosed von Essen Hotels are now under offer. The más...
Falor arrested for tax evasion
Robert Falor, a Chicago-based former condominium hotel promoter, was arrested on Thursday for tax evasion. Falor is accused of failing to pay US$1.75 más...
Hot Openings: New Disney resort highlights Hawaiian traditions
Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, debuted earlier this week as part of the Ko Olina Resort Community & Marina on the western side of Oahu, Hawaii más...
2nd UK investigation of TripAdvisor launched
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority revealed on Thursday that it has initiated an investigation of online hotel review company TripAdvisor over allegedly más...
News in brief: Compass, Biloxi, Fairfield
ALH buys Compass portfolio: Australia’s Compass Hotel Group’s 12 hotel and tavern portfolio was bought by ALH Group. Read more at The más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Ömer Acar has been named general manager of Raffles Paris – Le Royal Monceau. Acar formerly más...
M Waikiki files for bankruptcy
The property owner of the disputed Waikiki Edition filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday, which it says will allow it to ignore a judge’s más...
Date set for Innkeepers, Cerberus trial
Cerberus Capital Management LP and Chatham Lodging Trust are set to face an October 10 trial with Innkeepers USA Trust, who is suing the two companies más...
Split performance in Middle East, North Africa
New figures from MKG Hospitality on the Middle East and North Africa show a sharp split in regional hotel market performance largely driven by the level más...
Jumeirah leads 2Q guest satisfaction rankings
Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts posted the top customer satisfaction score (+6.3 to 97.9) among hotel brands in the second quarter's Market Metrix Hospitality más...
Gold Key Awards finalists announced
On Wednesday the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show named the finalists for the 31st annual Gold Key Awards for excellence in hospitality design más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Westin, Romania
Global travel revenue up: New data from Pegasus Solutions shows worldwide business travel net revenue was up 12.2% year-on-year in July, while leisure más...
agosto 2011
Five Mile, Westmont make $700 million Red Roof Inn purchase
Five Mile Capital Partners and Westmont Hospitality Group gained control of 143 properties from Red Roof Inns Inc. on Wednesday by acquiring US$700 million más...
Advantage Marriott in Waikiki Edition battle
A New York state judge on Wednesday ordered the owners of the Waikiki Edition to return the hotel to Marriott International's control as of 2:30 p.m. más...
CEOs prefer bonuses to base pay
HVS International’s annual survey of public U.S. hotel company CEO performance reveals that CEOs took smaller salaries or declined salary increases más...
Hot Openings: Jumeirah Group debuts in continental Europe
Dubai-based Jumeirah Group has opened its first hotel in continental Europe, the 218-key Jumeirah Frankfurt in Germany. The 5-star property is located más...
Strong Asian growth leads global hotel rate increase
Hotels worldwide have reported 4% rate growth during the first six months of 2011, according to the latest hotel survey from corporate travel services más...
News in brief: Four Seasons, Ascott, Galaxy
Four Seasons expands in Japan: Four Seasons Hotels Inc. announced that it plans to open a new property in Okinawa, Japan, in 2014. Read more at más...
Hyatt coming to Times Square
Extell Development Co. said Tuesday that it will build a 54-story, 487-room Hyatt Times Square in New York City slated for completion in 2013. An más...
New initiative to standardize carbon footprint reporting
A new initiative led by the International Tourism Partnership and the World Travel & Tourism Council aims to create a standardized methodology and más...
Travelocity launches flash sales
Not to be outdone by its business rival Expedia, which recently initiated a joint venture with Groupon, online travel agency Travelocity launched Dashing más...
Innkeepers USA suing Cerberus
Innkeepers USA filed a lawsuit against Cerberus Capital Management LP on Monday for abandoning its US$1.12 billion deal to buy 64 hotel properties. In más...
What’s Hot: Mandarin Oriental, Paris offers diners ‘intimate cocoon’
Sur Mesure par Thierry Marx, the gourmet restaurant on the ground floor of Mandarin Oriental, Paris, which debuted earlier this summer, was conceived más...
News in brief: Hilton, Rezidor, Hartkorp
Hilton enters Sierra Leone: Hilton Worldwide signed a management agreement with a hotel in Sierra Leone, the company’s first location there más...
Waikiki Edition switches management, brand overnight
The former Waikiki Edition hotel in Hawaii changed management and rebranded overnight amid a legal dispute between the property owner and Marriott International más...
Orascom CEO appeals prison sentence
Egyptian hotel and real estate development company Orascom Development Holding is appealing a two-year prison sentence for its CEO Samih Sawiris, who más...
HOTELS Interview: Creating a service culture for Embassy Suites
Charles Gremillion, director of brand culture and internal communications, Embassy Suites Hotels, wrote the book on the brand’s guest service philosophy más...
Thai resort develops organic farm
Kirimaya, a 64-room resort near Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park, is developing a 5-acre (2-hectare) organic farm that eventually will supply all más...
Ritz-Carlton signs new Chinese hotels
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., a subsidiary of Marriott International, announced on Monday that it signed agreements to manage two hotels inside new skyscraper más...
News in brief: Royal Orchid, Citrus, Turnberry
Royal Orchid launches third-party management: The Indian hospitality chain Royal Orchid Hotels announced on Monday that it is launching a third-party más...
What’s Hot: London hotel unveils Jaguar theme suite
In September a London hotel will unveil a suite with a novel theme: Britain’s classic luxury car company Jaguar. The new suite at 51 Buckingham más...
Las Ventanas reduces the hassle factor
Las Ventanas al Paraíso, a Rosewood-operated resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, owned by Beanie Baby mogul Ty Warner, is trying to further differentiate más...
Park Hyatt to launch hands-on culinary workshops
The Park Hyatt brand is introducing seasonally and locally inspired culinary workshops that will take place around the world four times per year, an evolution más...
Same team? Same goals?
The hotel industry, like every other industry, needs to maximize the performance of all its employees. Furthermore, because there is so much product convergence más...
News in brief: Hyatt, Worldhotels, Disneyland
Hyatt trims LodgeWorks purchase: Hyatt Hotels Corp. revealed in a SEC filing this week that it has reduced its purchase of 24 hotels from LodgeWorks más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Tareq Al Naser has been appointed general manager at the St. George Landmark Hotel in Jerusalem. Previously más...
New Marriott mobile app a hit
Since its soft launch on August 5, Marriott International’s new cross-brand mobile phone application has been downloaded over 200,000 times and más...
Will growth outduel inflation in China?
One internationally branded hotel is expected to open in China every four days, making China one of the world’s fastest growing and increasingly más...
The Benjamin reveals redesigned lobby, enhanced guestrooms
The Benjamin in New York City has completed the final phase of a US$7 million refresh, which includes a redesigned lobby, enhanced guestrooms and suites más...
‘Lending library’ lets hotel guests look like L.A. locals
Guests at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel will soon be able to look like Los Angeles locals thanks to the property’s Fred Segal Lending Library, más...
Five Mile, Innkeepers reportedly talking
Five Mile Capital Partners is talking with Innkeepers USA Trust about buying 64 hotels after a deal with Cerberus Capital Management and Chatham Lodging más...
IHG upgrades green design website
On Thursday, IHG, Denham, U.K., launched an upgrade of its Innovation Hotel website, which showcases green hotel design and practices. Innovation Hotel más...
July good for hotels in Asia, Americas
Global hotel performance figures for July released on Wednesday from STR Global show positive results for the Americas and Asia Pacific but continuing más...
News in brief: Chesapeake, Disney, Malaysia
Chesapeake buys Denver hotel: Chesapeake Lodging Trust completed a deal to buy the Denver Marriott City Center on Wednesday. Read more at Metro más...
Texas hotel lets guests flip coin for free stay
Hotel Indigo San Antonio at the Alamo is offering a novel promotion — letting guests booking two nights get one night free based on a coin toss más...
Review plan for Harmon demolition
Las Vegas county officials have asked MGM Resorts International for more information about its stated intention to implode the unopened 26-story Harmon más...
Innkeepers fighting return of $20 million deal deposit
Innkeepers USA Trust is objecting to a demand from Cerberus Capital Management LP and Chatham Lodging Trust to recover a US$20 million deposit for their más...
UK’s July hotel market performance divided
A new report by TRI Hospitality Consulting shows a sharp divide in hotel performance in July between London hotels and the rest of the U.K. One year ahead más...
Accor, Melco Crown post solid results
Both French hospitality giant Accor and Macau’s Melco Crown have returned to black in their latest financial results. A 4.4% year-on-year upshot más...
Hot Openings: Croatian hotel focuses on design
Hotel Lone, the 248-key property newly opened in the Istrian resort of Rovinj, Croatia, was designed as a contemporary expression of a classic Croatian más...
Accor survey trumps efficiency for Asia Pacific business travelers
Efficiency emerged as a major theme of the Accor Asia Pacific Business Traveler Research 2011 report, which surveyed more than 10,000 respondents that más...
News in brief: Marriott, Latvia, Choice
Choice sets up financing alliance: Choice Hotels International Inc. announced on Wednesday that it has set up a new partnership with Access Point más...
Hot Openings: Istanbul landmark offers modern take on Turkish culture
The 20-year-old Marmara Taksim, which features 376 rooms and suites in the heart of Istanbul, has completed the first phase of a renovation project that más...
DLF confirms Aman Resorts for sale
Indian real estate company DLF confirmed on Tuesday that it is selling its stake in Aman Resorts as part of a debt-cutting strategy, but that its joint más...
Business travel rates up worldwide
In addition to paying more for airfare, a new study from American Express shows that hotel rates worldwide are up year-on-year for business travelers más...
Fire torches Great House on Branson’s Necker Island
A fire early Monday morning destroyed the 8-room Great House at Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson’s exclusive Necker Island resort in the British más...
Australian business travel up, leisure lags
Although Australia’s key cities continue to record strong occupancy levels driven by business travel, leisure destinations are struggling, according más...
News in brief: Qatar, Kenya, Koh Samui
Qatar plans massive tourism investment: The government of Qatar announced on Monday that it plans to invest US$20 billion to US$25 billion in tourism más...
$1.1 billion Innkeepers USA purchase terminated
A US$1.12 billion joint purchase by Cerberus Capital Management and Chatham Lodging Trust of 64 hotels from Innkeepers USA Trust was terminated on Monday más...
New rumor about Aman sale
The Sunday Times in London reported that the luxury Aman Resorts chain may be sold for more than US$400 million. It did not source its information for más...
Hot Openings: Remote African resort highlights local cultures
The Residence Zanzibar, the new all-villa resort located in a remote area on the southwest corner of the island of Zanzibar, boasts a colonial theme and más...
IHG shuffles Americas management
IHG’s shuffling of management positions worldwide continues in the aftermath of the June resignation of CEO Jim Abrahamson. IHG's Americas division más...
Conrad's 25th campaign channels high style
On its 25th anniversary, Conrad Hotels & Resorts is launching a new global marketing campaign called "The Luxury of Being Yourself" by taking a page más...
Meliá, Tune, ITC, Taj talk pipeline
Several Asian and European hotel companies trumpeted their burgeoning pipelines on Monday. Tune Hotels, part of Tune Group, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, is más...
W Hotels gets new fashion director
After creating the role for the lifestyle hotel chain a year ago, W Hotels announced on Monday that it appointed Jenne Lombardo as global fashion director más...
News in brief: Starwood, Brazil, Carlson
Brazil RevPAR heats up: Reflecting the country’s steady economic growth, a Jones Lang LaSalle report shows RevPAR in Brazil increased 17.3% más...
HOTELS Interview: TripAdvisor talks future plans
The power of hotel review website TripAdvisor in determining which hotels travelers choose to spend the night at only continues to grow. The statistics más...
Viceroy set to enter Turkey
Viceroy Hotel Group announced this week that it is making its first entry into Turkey with a luxury resort in Bodrum, located along the Aegean Sea. The más...
July hotel pipeline figures released
Worldwide hotel pipeline figures for July compiled by STR Global were released on Thursday, showing the lion’s share of development going to the más...
What’s Hot: Omni debuts regionally inspired cocktails
Irving, Texas-based Omni Hotels & Resorts has partnered with five noteworthy mixologists to create regionally inspired cocktails focused on local más...
La belle vie: French luxury hotels do well in June
France’s hospitality industry continued to perform well at the beginning of the summer, according to an industry performance report released by más...
News in brief: Park Plaza, MetWest, Centara
Park Plaza back in black: Park Plaza Hotels Ltd. posted a profit of US$2.47 million (€1.72 million) for the first six months of 2011 after más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Handan Bas-Bailey has been appointed director of sales & marketing at Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington más...
Hersha selling 18 hotels to Starwood Capital
Hersha Hospitality Trust, Philadelphia, announced on Thursday that it is selling 18 properties for US$155 million to an affiliate of Starwood Capital más...
Innkeepers USA purchase delayed
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that people familiar with the Cerberus Capital Management and Chatham Lodging Trust deal to buy 64 Innkeepers más...
European rate up from 2010, down from July
Rate at European hotels dropped in August from the previous month but are still up year-on-year, new findings from the trivago Hotel Price Index reveal más...
Hot Openings: Beverly Hills bungalows promise luxe home away from home
The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles has opened its two new ultra-luxe Presidential Bungalows, which offer nearly 5,000 square feet (465 square meters) más...
Caesars offers glimpse of upcoming Las Vegas strip project
Caesars Entertainment Corp. has released renderings of The Linq, the US$550 million retail, dining, entertainment and hospitality district it is planning más...
Venice, Beverly Hills top Virtuoso hotel awards
Hotel Cipriani and the managing director of The Peninsula Beverly Hills topped the Virtuoso 2011 “Best of the Best” hotel awards presented más...
News in brief: MGM, Kerzner, Moscow
Kerkorian sells MGM shares: Billionaire founder Kirk Kerkorian sold 20 million shares of MGM Resorts International stock on Thursday. Read more más...
What’s Hot: Bellagio unveils new guestrooms in 3 color palettes
Bellagio in Las Vegas this week unveiled redesigned guestrooms that are the result of a US$70 million remodeling project that started in June. Created más...
Australian Accor hotels catering to Indians
Two Accor hotels in Sydney, Mercure Sydney and The Menzies are the first to achieve a new service standard that caters to Indian visitors. Accor, Courcouronnes más...
Can Bilby turn around Disney time-shares?
The Walt Disney Company has shaken up the management of its time-share business, the Disney Vacation Club. Disney announced on Tuesday that it has hired más...
US travelers more tech-savvy, value-driven
A new survey from Ypartnership and Harrison Group shows U.S. travelers are becoming more tech-savvy and driven by value, rather than simply lower prices más...
Latin American pipeline up
A new report from Lodging Econometrics shows that the hotel pipeline in Latin America increased 14% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2011 to 528 más...
The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas invites guests to become ‘Soup Saviors’
The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas has partnered with local organization SoupMobile Inc. to give guests a hands-on opportunity to make soup and serve it to the más...
News in brief: Mondrian, Sheraton, Scotland
Scotland hotel market impressing: A new study from PKF International shows that Scotland is outperforming the rest of the U.K. in occupancy, with más...
MGM seeks to demolish Harmon hotel tower
MGM Resorts International sought approval on Monday from county authorities to demolish the troubled Harmon hotel tower. Construction of The Harmon, part más...
$1.5 billion hot spring resort planned in China
Two Chinese developers announced plans on Monday to build a US$1.5 billion (5 billion yuan) hot spring resort in Wulongbei, located in the country’s más...
Chinese tourists making mark on U.S.
A recent article from HVS, a global hospitality consulting company, highlights the influx of Chinese tourists visiting the U.S. and suggests that hotels más...
2Q down for Cosmopolitan, Sonesta, China Lodging
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, owned by Deutsche Bank disclosed in a regulatory filing on Monday that it lost US$54.3 million in the second quarter of más...
Floating hotels in Florida, Vietnam
Are boat hotels turning into a hot lodging trend? Perhaps, as announcements on Monday about new boat hotels in unrelated projects in Florida and Vietnam más...
Hot Openings: Boutique hotel in NYC’s Nolita promises homey feel
The Nolitan, which bills itself as the first boutique hotel in New York City’s Nolita neighborhood, opened at the corner of Kenmare and Elizabeth más...
News in brief: Whitbread, Starwood Capital, Quantuvis
Rembrandt drawing recovered: A valuable Rembrandt drawing stolen from The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey on Saturday was recovered on Tuesday in a más...
Auction of von Essen portfolio starts
The 28 properties of the foreclosed von Essen luxury hotel portfolio are being put up for auction this week. The auction comes after the U.K. hotel group más...
HOTELS Interview: Modus Hotels carves out niche
The newcomer brand Modus Hotels is positioning itself in a niche market by offering approachable lifestyle hotels. The management brand from Potomac Hospitality más...
Hot Openings: Steigenberger resort promises understated maritime elegance
Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts’ new-build Steigenberger Grandhotel and Spa, which debuted earlier this summer on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom más...
Rembrandt stolen from California hotel
A drawing by the Dutch master Rembrandt was stolen from an exhibit at The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey. The ink drawing dates from the 1600s and is titled más...
News in brief: Morgans, Israel, Noble
Morgans refinances mortgage: Morgans Hotel Group Co. announced on Friday that it had refinanced its Hudson mortgage and mezzanine debt of US$227 más...
HOTELS Interview: Westin’s new global brand leader
Westin is positioning itself as the hotel to stay at for wellness. In May Brian Povinelli started as global brand leader for Westin Hotels and Resorts más...
Big gap in US corporate buyer, seller expectations
In a preliminary outlook report about corporate hotel rate negotiations in the U.S., Dr. Bjorn Hanson says buyer and seller expectations for corporate más...
Hot Openings: Australia’s Hayman now features beachside villas
Hayman — Australia’s private island resort located in the Great Barrier Reef — has reopened after a five-month renovation that included más...
How to maximize ground leases to finance hotel projects
Although not without unique challenges, a long-term ground lease may be an appropriate structure for facilitating financing for some new hotel projects más...
Hotels adding dogs and cats to staff
Some of the YouTube website’s most popular videos are of adorable dogs and cats, and with this sensibility hotels are adding domesticated animals más...
News in brief: Whitbread, Sharjah, Pan Pacific
Whitbread signs sale, leaseback deal: British hospitality group Whitbread announced on Thursday that it sold seven properties to LaSalle Investment más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Reto Borer has been named director, food and beverage at Fairmont Beijing. Borer joined Fairmont Beijing más...
Hot Openings: Largest Best Western debuts in Russia
Best Western International has opened its first hotel in Russia, the 970-key Best Western Vega Hotel & Convention Centre in Moscow, which is the largest más...
Tough market for Lisbon hotels
Although 2010 was a step in the right direction for hotels in Lisbon, Portugal, the tough market conditions imposed by Europe’s economic downturn más...
Home Inns & Hotels stays in black, RLJ Lodging doesn’t
Home Inns & Hotels, Shanghai, posted impressive second quarter 2011 results on Wednesday despite a lower profit. While its profit margin decreased más...
China’s hotel boom continues
A new report by real estate agency Jones Lang LaSalle testifies to the frenetic expansion of the hospitality sector in China. The “China Hotel Market más...
The Langham, London to offer new jewelry-inspired tea pastries
British jewelry designer Stephen Webster’s recent “Murder She Wrote” collection will serve as the inspiration for the upcoming Stephen más...
News in brief: Autograph, Jeddah, Leela
Autograph to debut in Caribbean: Marriott International announced on Wednesday that it will open an Autograph Collection brand franchise in the más...
Schrager creates novel LivingSocial offer
Hotelier and master marketer Ian Schrager is wasting no time trumpeting his new PUBLIC brand via the flash sales route. Today, LivingSocial Escapes started más...
Oberoi expanding in India
After a 2010 stake sale to Reliance Industries, East India Hotels is looking to invest in luxury properties in the Indian cities of Bangalore and Goa más...
TripAdvisor shows new features for hoteliers
Online hotel review website TripAdvisor held a “master class” in Chicago on Tuesday, one of a series of seminars educating area hoteliers más...
Caesars still in red
Caesars Entertainment Corp. released its second quarter results on Tuesday showing the company was still in red ink but improving from 2010. Revenues más...
UK hotelier headed to Everest for charity
James Hemming, hotel manager of Sherwood Forest-based Clumber Park Hotel and Spa, Nottinghamshire, England, is limbering up for the biggest challenge más...
What’s Hot: Le Cirque debuts in India
Iconic restaurant brand Le Cirque has made its first foray into Asia at The Leela Palace New Delhi, where it soft-opened this month and will celebrate más...
News in brief: Hilton, Hipmunk, Onyx
Hipmunk challenges Google: Just a week after it debuted, the Google Hotel Finder already has a competitor from Hipmunk, who launched a hotel finding más...
Hot Openings: Dream Downtown arrives in NYC
Dream Downtown, a US$270 million renovation from Vikram Chatwal, situated in New York City between the Meatpacking District and Chelsea neighborhood, más...
2Q looks good for MGM, IHG
The second quarter of 2011 showcased how the worldwide economic recovery has boosted the revenue of hospitality heavyweights MGM and IHG, while REITs’ más...
Phuket set for tourism surge
The boom in tourist numbers in Phuket, Thailand, is set to continue for the rest of the year, according to a new report by C9 Hotelworks. The report shows más...
Managing your social media strategy
Would you like to increase customer loyalty, customer connection and brand recognition? If not, you need to find a new job. If you would like to do these más...
100 hotels join Preferred Pride collection
Nearly 100 hotels in the Preferred Hotel Group portfolio have come together to create Preferred Pride to cater to the specific needs of the LGBT (lesbian más...
EB-5 funds can finance hotels
With the United States narrowly avoiding a major debt default, and trillions cut in government spending, traditional hotel financing is becoming difficult más...
News in brief: Michels rumor, Rotorua, Rotana
Pinnacle closes $95 million Vietnam deal: Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. announced on Tuesday that it closed a US$95 million deal to join the Ho Tram más...
Unrest defines Middle East hotel performance
Continued political unrest in the Middle East is sharply driving hotel market performance, with some countries benefiting while others lose out. Hotels más...
Olympic Games rate hype underway in London
While there was some rioting and looting in the streets of London this past weekend, hoteliers are seemingly very optimistic about the windfall rates más...
Chilly, profitable promotion at W in LA
W Los Angeles – Westwood’s WET pool deck this winter for the third straight year will be transformed into the CHILL ice rink. Why not, the más...
Sunstone gets new CEO, 2Q results
Sunstone Hotel Investors revealed with the release of its second quarter earnings that the company has appointed a new CEO. The REIT’s board of más...
New Orleans' Hotel Le Cirque to renovate, rebrand
Hotel Le Cirque, located in downtown New Orleans, will undergo a US$7 million renovation and be renamed to The Hotel Modern New Orleans upon completion más...
News in brief: Rezidor, Taj, Fiji
Kruger Park hotel authorized: The South African national government approved the construction of a 120-room, 5-star Rezidor hotel inside the Kruger más...
Hot Openings: Hilton resort reflects Nubian history, culture
Hilton Hotels & Resorts, McLean, Virginia, has opened a resort in Egypt’s Marsa Alam region, the 370-key Hilton Marsa Alam Nubian Resort, which más...
Hilton, IHG join Sands Macau development
Las Vegas Sands announced on Friday that Hilton Worldwide’s Conrad and IHG’s Holiday Inn brands have joined the roster at the Sands Cotai más...
Study: US hotels lost $2.5 billion to OTAs
A research report previewed at a hotel industry conference on Wednesday posits that U.S. hotels lost US$2.5 billion by selling rooms through online travel más...
HOTELS Interview: Chef shares secrets of allergy-specific menus
Anthony Sicignano, executive chef at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida since 2002, has been customizing menus for guests’ specific needs his entire más...
New Century to offer US$400 million IPO
Dow Jones reported on Friday that New Century Hotel Group, Hangzhou, China plans on raising US$400 million from an initial public offering. The move comes más...
News in brief: Taj, China, Caesars
Indian Hotels profits up: Indian Hotels Company, whose subsidiaries are collectively known as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces reported a six-fold más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Marion Abaunza has been named general manager of Embassy Suites Santa Clara – Silicon Valley. Most más...
Star Trek theme resort coming to Jordan
Construction of a US$1.5 billion theme park and resort in Jordan based on the “Star Trek” franchise is set to begin early next year and when más...
2Q better for Chesapeake, Hersha, Strategic
The second quarter saw big gains in profitability for the REITs Chesapeake Lodging Trust and Hersha Hospitality Trust, while Strategic Hotels & Resorts más...
Former Vegas mayor turning restaurateur
Former three-term Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will open Oscar’s steakhouse this fall in the street-level iconic dome of the recently renovated más...
TravelClick: North American ADR, RevPAR up
Research by e-commerce company TravelClick shows promising figures for the still-recovering North American hotel market. Data from this month’s más...
Financing in place to renovate Hotel Chelsea
Details about the real estate magnet Joseph Chetrit’s deal to acquire and renovate the famed Chelsea hotel in New York City are becoming clearer más...
News in brief: Marriott, Hyatt, IHG
Marriott expands in Texas, Benin: Over the past two days Marriott International announced two management deals. One was signed for a 200-room resort más...
New York’s Chelsea finally sells
The Real Deal Online in New York City reported on Tuesday that real estate investor Joseph Chetrit has, indeed, closed on the reported US$80 million sale más...
2Q good for Orient-Express, losses for REITS
The second quarter proved a boon for Orient-Express but left the REITs Pebblebrook and FelCor at a loss. Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., Hamilton, Bermuda más...
California hotel foreclosures up 91%
A market survey by Atlas Hospitality Group released this week shows that hotel foreclosures in California increased 91% year-on-year in the second quarter más...
South, Southeast Asia post strong international arrivals
Led by strong performances in the South Asia and Southeast Asia sub-regions, international visitor arrivals into Asia-Pacific destinations grew 4% year-on-year más...
Morgans: no sale plans for Delano
Morgans Hotel Group, New York City, revealed in an earnings call with investors on Tuesday that it is not “aggressively marketing” the Delano más...
Nose-to-tail eating, global wine programs among top dining trends
A desire to try new things in a sustainable manner is a common thread uniting the "Top Five Dining Trends for 2011" released Wednesday by Benchmark Hospitality más...
News in brief: Marshall, IHG, Hilton
Marshall signs 1st Caribbean contract: Marshall Hotels & Resorts announced on Wednesday that it has signed a management deal for the 160-room más...
Baha Mar inks deals with Hyatt, Morgans, Rosewood
Baha Mar Ltd. announced on Monday the signing of management agreements with Hyatt Hotels Corp., Morgans Hotel Group and Rosewood Hotels and Resorts for más...
Hot Openings: Relaunched L.A. hotel salutes '60s air travel
San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre Hotels will relaunch the refreshed Custom Hotel in Los Angeles September 15. Custom Hotel bills itself as a lifestyle más...
Hyatt, Choice, M&C show 2Q improvement
Second quarter financial results showing year-on-year improvement for several large hotel companies were released over the past two days. Hyatt Hotels más...
GHM begins ‘green’ spa makeover
GHM, whose portfolio includes properties in Southeast Asia as well as The Setai in Miami, has embarked on “green” makeover of its spas, introducing más...
Profits in US jump to $18 billion in 2010
For 2010, the U.S. lodging industry posted pre-tax profits of US$18 billion, up from US$16 billion in 2009, and US$127.7 billion in sales, up slightly más...
Micro-tripping with Matt Zito
Travel guru Matt Zito coined the term “micro-tripper” to describe a new type of traveler — someone who travels in the short-term spontaneous más...
Hilton hires Ip to be China chairman
On Monday Hilton Worldwide announced the appointment of Edmond Ip as chairman, Greater China, where he will oversee the company’s operational interests más...
News in brief: Marriott, Hyatt, Hooters
Hooters files for bankruptcy: The owners of the Hooters Casino Hotel in Las Vegas filed for bankruptcy on Monday with a total liability of US$162 más...
New World buys 5 Rosewood branded assets
In what can be viewed as a vote of confidence for the hotel industry and luxury, in general, a unit of Hong Kong’s New World Development Co. made más...
Arora new Rosewood president
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts on Monday named Radha Arora president of the luxury management company based in Dallas. Arora replaces current president más...
NAMA starts to market assets
Ireland’s so-called “bad bank,” NAMA (National Asset Management Agency), has placed some 850 properties for sale, according to published más...
Trump proposes luxury hotel in historic D.C. building
Trump Hotel Collection, a luxury hotel brand ran by New York real estate mogul Donald Trump’s Trump Organization, is proposing to turn a historic más...
Wyndham implements anti-prostitution training
Wyndham Worldwide, Parsippany, New Jersey, revealed to CNN on Friday that it is implementing new staff training procedures in light of child prostitution más...
Hot Openings: China’s newest Hilton Resort offers natural bounty
Hilton Hangzhou Qiandao Lake Resort, featuring 349 rooms and seven towers, has expanded Hilton Worldwide’s footprint in mainland China to 18 properties más...
News in brief: Joie de Vivre, Mecca, RCI
Pebblebrook closes Manhattan deal: Pebblebrook Hotel Trust closed a US$910 million deal on Monday to purchase six upscale hotels in New York City más...
julio 2011
What's Hot: The Stafford London by Kempinski renovations
The historic The Stafford London by Kempinski 5-star hotel has a new look after a seven-month, US$9.7 million (£6 million) renovation. This marked más...
Google Hotel Finder could challenge OTAs
Search engine giant Google Inc. introduced a special hotel search engine, still in beta form, called Hotel Finder on Thursday. The search engine is still más...
Greek resort sector recovering
A new report on the Greek hotel market by GBR Consulting shows that while the resorts are improving, problems remain for hotels in the major cities of más...
Hyatt to manage in Sochi, Russia
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, has entered into an agreement with Yug – Novy Vek, a subsidiary of leading Russian real estate developer Snegiri Development más...
Grace Hotels enters Asia
The boutique hotel group Grace Hotels announced on Thursday that it acquired the 30-room Yi House Hotel in Beijing, which is the company’s first más...
Istanbul leads Europe in first half of 2011
Hotels in Istanbul enjoyed an almost 50% profit growth during the first six months of this year, according to European hotel market performance statistics más...
News in brief: Expedia, Nigeria, Accor
Expedia earnings up 23%: The second quarter earnings of online travel giant Expedia Inc. increased 23% year-on-year with a profit of US$140 million más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Luis Eduardo Pinheiro has been appointed the new chief executive officer of Rani Resorts, más...
China bottomed out in 2009: Horwath study
The 2011 China Hotel Industry Study created by Horwath HTL shows a revival in 2010 performance, especially in the major markets, after four years of declining más...
Interstate, JHM expand in India
Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Arlington, Virginia, announced on Thursday that its joint venture with JHM Hotels signed contracts to operate two more más...
Starwood Q2 results promising
The second quarter financial results of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, White Plains, New York, reflected the recovery of the hotel industry más...
Study shows guests prioritize green certification
A study examining the eco-friendly attributes guests seek in hotels found that green certification, such as LEED, was the single most influential factor más...
Hsiang to helm Kept Hotels development
Dodd Mitchell’s nascent hotel company KEPT Hotels and Resorts appointed Jason Hsiang as principal — acquisitions and development on Wednesday más...
Giant sculpture anchors Sheraton Seattle's Garden Walk
“Urban Garden,” a colorful 27-foot (8.2-meter)-tall kinetic sculpture, has been installed as the centerpiece of the Sheraton Seattle Hotel’s más...
News in brief: Abu Dhabi, Datai Langkawi, Luxe
Abu Dhabi scores record visitor count: The United Arab Emirates city of Abu Dhabi had a record-high one million visitors in the first six months más...
IHG appoints new CFO
On Wednesday IHG announced the appointment of Tom Singer as chief financial officer of the Denham, U.K.-based hotel corporation. Singer takes over the más...
London hotels streak higher in June
London hoteliers reported in June their 19th month of year-on-year profitability growth, according to a nationwide survey of the United Kingdom by TRI más...
New software to challenge fake hotel reviews
The computer science department of Cornell University revealed on Tuesday that it is developing software to detect false hotel reviews posted online. más...
Hotel market recovering in Thailand
Hotel performance across Thailand has bounced back after a politically tumultuous 2010, hotel industry research company STR Global reported on Wednesday más...
Hotel Indigo partners with celebrity chef to find top U.S. local dishes
Hotel Indigo, IHG’s upscale boutique brand, has launched a campaign with celebrity chef Curtis Stone to encourage guests to share their favorite más...
Hot Openings: Muthi Maya promises mountain escape
Located on 800 acres (324 hectares) in Khao Yai, Thailand, bordering the UNESCO World Heritage Khao Yai National Park, Muthi Maya Forest Pool Villa Resort más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Marina Bay Sands, Holiday Inn
Marina Bay Sands gets new CEO: Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands casino-hotel got a new CEO on Wednesday. George Tanasijevich was promoted from más...
Hilton debuts first iAd campaign
On Tuesday Hilton Hotels & Resorts launched “Stay Hilton, Go Everywhere,” which is the company’s first iAd campaign. iAd is Apple's más...
New TRYP by Wyndham website launched
On Tuesday the TRYP by Wyndham select-service brand launched a global marketing and advertising campaign and debuted the brand’s revamped consumer más...
Sunday Times investigates fake TripAdvisor reviews
An investigative journalism article published this weekend by the British newspaper The Sunday Times revealed a robust market for fake reviews on the más...
Solid Q2 in the U.S.
For the second quarter of 2011 in the United States, hotel occupancy increased 4.5% to 63.4%, average daily rate rose 3.5% to US$101.44, and revenue per más...
Sheraton Nha Trang unveils luxury apartments
The Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa in Nha Trang, Vietnam, has rolled out what it bills as the first serviced apartments and penthouses in the region más...
Hot Openings: InterContinental’s palatial Portugal premiere
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has made its debut in Portugal with the InterContinental Porto-Palacio das Cardosas, which is open following a US$43 más...
News in brief: Starwood, IHG, Credit Suisse lawsuit
Starwood expands hotel spas in Asia: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced on Tuesday that it will expand hotel spas at its Sheraton más...
HEI buys La Jolla hotel
HEI Hotels & Resorts, Norwalk, Connecticut, announced on Monday that it purchased the 360-room San Diego Marriott La Jolla hotel for an undisclosed más...
Edinburgh expected to grow by 13% over 3 years
Edinburgh, Scotland has nearly 1,500 new rooms coming on-stream in the next two years, including a Marriott and InterContinental extended-stay hotels más...
Santiago, Bangkok, S. Africa among winners, losers in June
STR Global on Monday released global hotel performance results for June 2011. Here is a summary by region: The Americas region ended June with a 4% increase más...
Hot Openings: Jaipur Marriott big on meeting space, F&B
Marriott International’s Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand has debuted in the Indian state of Rajasthan with the 365-key Jaipur Marriott Hotel más...
Digging the future of vertical gardens
More and more businesses today are looking to green walls as a way to add natural beauty while dramatically improving energy efficiency by moderating más...
Hotel letting guests pick oranges
An increasing number of hotels are growing produce on-site, but The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain is taking this type of hyper-local sourcing a step further más...
News in brief: Best Western, Sandals, Ho Chi Minh City
Best Western UK bookings up 20%: Best Western Hotel Group saw a 20.28% increase in room bookings from January to June compared to the same period más...
HOTELS Interview: Andre Fu on design trends
When The Upper House opened in 2009 in Hong Kong, its design made waves — an impressive debut hotel project for Andre Fu of AFSO, a young designer más...
$2.5 billion theme park, hotel complex planned in Russia
Initial plans to construct a 600-acre theme park and hotel complex about 50 km (31 miles) outside of Moscow were announced on Thursday. The project involves más...
Halekulani, Imperial Hotel Tokyo partner for pastry event
Halekulani in Waikiki, Hawaii, is partnering with Imperial Hotel Tokyo to present “The Art of the Dessert” in August. Imperial Pastry Master más...
Hammons forfeits Colorado project
In what appears to be a first for storied John Q. Hammons Hotels and Resorts, and somewhat ironic in light of the fact that the legendary Mr. Hammons más...
Hampton by Hilton expands in Mexico
Hilton Worldwide announced on Thursday that its brand Hampton by Hilton signed a management deal to open a location in Mexico. The 120-room Hampton Inn más...
Hot Openings: Z New York Hotel showcases Queens
Z New York Hotel, a 100-room lifestyle hotel with uniquely New York design located across the East River from Manhattan in the borough of Queens opened más...
News in brief: US RevPAR, Park Plaza, Google
US RevPAR highest since Aug. 2008: New figures from Smith Travel Research show RevPAR in the U.S. in June finished at its highest level since August más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Brickell-Downtown, set to open this fall, has named Lourdes Beach director más...
Host Hotels buys Grand Hyatt Washington for $442 million
Host Hotels, a REIT based in Bethesda, Maryland, announced via its second quarter earnings report on Wednesday that it reached an agreement to buy the más...
Berggruen courts women travelers in India
The Economic Times of India reported Thursday that Berggruen Hotels plans to develop 30 hotels across India by 2015 that will focus on single women travelers más...
New York’s first gay hotel set to open
New York City’s first gay hotel — THE OUT NYC — is set to open in early 2012, the property’s developer, Parkview Developers, announced más...
What’s Hot: Ever-changing menu in Bangkok
Bangkok’s Lebua at State Tower has relaunched its fine dining restaurant Mezzaluna to focus on a menu that changes daily and offers both local products más...
Blogging for tropical romance
Marriott and Renaissance Caribbean & Mexico Resorts launched on Wednesday a contest for couples that are followers of the company’s Facebook más...
News in brief: Tasmania, Marshall Hotels, Oman
Marshall adds 4 properties: Marshall Hotels & Resorts, a hotel management and services company based in Maryland, announced on Thursday the más...
Concorde to launch new digital strategy
Concorde Hotels & Resorts, Paris, announced on Tuesday that it will launch a new, comprehensive digital strategy later this month that includes social más...
Guests satisfied with prices, not service
Hotel guests in North America are less satisfied with their overall experience at hotels this year than last year but are happier with prices even though más...
Accor’s first-half 2011 revenue up 4.4%
Accor, Paris, released its first-half sales figures on Tuesday showing a 4.4% increase during the first half of this year from the same period in 2010 más...
Study shows guests seek out free offerings
It's not just the amenities guests pay for, but also the complimentary offerings they don't that influence consumers' selection of one hotel over another más...
What’s Hot: 51 Buckingham Gate debuts alfresco dining destination
51 Buckingham Gate, the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces property that features 86 residential-style suites in London’s St. James’s area, has más...
Park collection expands to Goa, Kochi
The Park Hotels in India has announced two luxury, boutique projects that will grow its portfolio to 11. New-builds will open in Goa in the last quarter más...
News in brief: America’s Best, Cristal, Host Hotels
America’s Best expands in China: America’s Best Franchising Inc. signed Golden Wisdom Management Consulting as a licensee for the brands más...
Marriott adds 6 European hotels
Marriott International, Bethesda, Maryland, announced on Tuesday that its Autograph Collection brand would be adding to its roster six hotels in Europe más...
Colombian hotel market blossoms
Colombia has never been the tourism destination it could be, but that seems to be changing. Blessed with tropical weather, a varied landscape and colorful más...
$4 billion Vietnam project gets go-ahead
VinaCapital and Genting Group have won governmental permission to reclaim a large area in Quang Nam province to develop a US$4 billion tourism project más...
Four Points debuting in Spain
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed an agreement with Amrey Hotels S.L. to operate a Four Points Hotel in Barcelona, Spain starting this fall más...
Chicago hotel offering rooftop accommodation
On Tuesday, Affinia Chicago, a boutique hotel located in downtown Chicago, began offering a room on its rooftop, without a roof, for guests to rent when más...
News in brief: Hilton, Wynn, Orbitz
Hilton to manage New Delhi hotel: Hilton Worldwide signed an agreement on Tuesday with Nehru Place Hotels, an Eros Group company, to take over management más...
MGM coming off tough week
Last week was a difficult week for MGM Resorts International, starting with the loss of long-time executive and former CEO J. Terrence Lanni, who died más...
Inca capital rising again
Thanks to the Machu Picchu centenary, tourism in Cusco, Peru, is on a major upswing after a disastrous 2009 and 2010. But is it a long-term trend? In más...
First Ritz-Carlton Reserve in U.S. announced
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., a subsidiary of Marriott International, announced on Monday that the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve label resort in North America más...
San Diego's Sè sale closed
The closure of a US$49 million sale of the 184-room Sè Hotel in San Diego, California was announced by real estate company CB Richard Ellis on más...
Hampton by Hilton expands in Turkey
Hilton Worldwide, a subsidiary of the Blackstone Group, is adding four hotels in Turkey to its roster under its Hampton by Hilton label in a deal announced más...
Another hotel robbery in Rio
Rio de Janeiro has been hit with another hotel robbery, highlighting safety concerns for travelers in the Brazilian city ahead of the 2014 World Cup and más...
Arizona hotel debuts tanning concierge
With Scottsdale, Arizona, enjoying more than 300 days of sunshine each year, W Scottsdale is aiming to help guests capitalize with a new complimentary más...
News in brief: Wyndham, Hilton, Dawn
Hilton to manage Yuxi resort: Hilton Worldwide announced on Monday that it signed an agreement with Yunnan Chengjiang Great Eagle Resort to manage más...
Hyatt buys $802 million LodgeWorks portfolio
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, announced on Friday that it signed an agreement to acquire 24 hotels from the privately-held LodgeWorks, a private hotel más...
Preferred QA now includes social media
Preferred Hotel Group has launched Integrated Quality Assurance (IQA), which adds the analysis of guest reviews on social media sites to better evaluate más...
HOTELS Interview: Corinthia sommelier training
CHI Hotels & Resorts, which operates the Corinthia Hotels brand, has continued its focus on sommelier training, most recently with a “level más...
How to have zero impact meetings
Pan Pacific Seattle had observed general interest in sustainable business practices among its meetings and events clients for years, but increasingly más...
Paris hotel Gallicizing cupcake
Cupcakes are as American as apple pie. But the pastry chef from Paris' Hotel Fouquet's Barrière, Claude Ducrozet, is setting out to change that más...
News in brief: Chatham, Edinburgh, Wichita
Edinburgh airport plan unveiled: A US$484 million (£300 million) renovation plan for Edinburgh Airport was announced on Wednesday evening más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Rob Adams has been named general manager of the Marriott Suites Anaheim in California. Adams previously más...
Interstate to manage 6 new Sochi hotels
Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Arlington, Virginia, announced on Thursday that it was selected to manage six hotels in Sochi, Russia currently under más...
Marriott profits up 13% in Q2
Marriott International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, reported on July 13 that second-quarter profit climbed 13% as a result of strong results outside of the más...
Seoul tourism development plan unveiled
The South Korean government announced on Wednesday a new package of measures to boost tourism in the capital city of Seoul. Eager to fill a lack of supply más...
Formule 1 rooms undergo metamorphosis
Formule 1, Accor’s budget brand with more than 80 hotels in Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan and South Africa, has introduced its new “Cocoon” más...
The most awkward one wins
Embassy Suites Hotels has launched a novel promotional contest, giving away 14 nights and US$15,000 to the family that submits the most awkward photo más...
News in brief: Auckland, Hilltone, St. Petersburg
New 5-star in Auckland: A five-star 300-room hotel will be constructed on the waterfront of a former America's Cup site in Auckland, New Zealand más...
HOTELS Interview: John Fitzpatrick on NYC, NAMA
John Fitzpatrick is marking his 20th anniversary in New York City this year. The owner-operator of the family-named Fitzpatrick Hotel Group, North America más...
Caesars, Nobu finalize Vegas hotel deal
Caesars Palace and Nobu Hospitality executed definitive agreements last week to create the first-ever Nobu Hotel, Restaurant and Lounge in Las Vegas. más...
$34 billion in hotel investment forecast for 2011
Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels released its second quarter analysis of the global hotel investment market on Wednesday showing that US$14.8 billion in hotel más...
Hot Openings: New Hotel's design stands out
The Greek Yes! Hotels group opened New Hotel in Athens at the beginning of July and its design by Brazilian design team The Campanas has made headlines más...
Expedia, Groupon deal site launches
Expedia and Groupon's new joint venture Groupon Getaways, which offers flash sales on hotel stays, went live on Wednesday. Deals being offered on the más...
Courtyard goes full tilt with pinball promotion
Getting stuck at the airport may be a bit less boring this summer thanks to Courtyard by Marriott’s new Lobby Launch pinball games. Installed at más...
News in brief: TripAdvisor, Moscow, Joe Montana
Mark Hotel loans foreclosed: Dune Real Estate Partners filed to foreclose on US$120 million worth of loans granted by the Anglo Irish Bank to Alexico más...
Noble, Hyatt join forces for development
Noble Investment Group and Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced on Monday the creation of a new joint venture that will pump US$80 million into the development más...
HOTELS Interview: Protea CEO on acquisition plans
South Africa’s Protea Hotels revealed on Monday that it has amassed a “multi-billion rand” fund to buy distressed hotel properties in más...
Driftwood, Apollo ink $400 million JV
Driftwood Hospitality Management (DHM) has announced a US$400 million joint venture with a real estate investment fund managed and advised by affiliates más...
Sofitel appoints new CEO
Sofitel's chief operating officer Robert Gaymer-Jones received a promotion on Monday to CEO. Gaymer-Jones has worked as COO at Sofitel since 2007, and más...
How the KGB came to Vegas
When Vision 360 agreed to work on KGB, the gourmet burger and vodka bar at Harrah’s Las Vegas that opened last summer, the Dallas-based architecture más...
News in brief: Kempinski, Park Plaza, Firmdale
Park Plaza's new London development: Hotel company Park Plaza bought a US$9.5 million (£6 million) property site in western London on Tuesday más...
Hilton, Starwood cater to Chinese
Two of the biggest names in the hotel world, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, have launched amenity and service más...
Hot Openings: Gay chain opens in Miami
Lords South Beach Hotel, which is marketing itself as the first chain hotel for gay travelers in the U.S. opened its first location in Miami on Monday más...
Taj combines fashion, CSR
Mumbai-based Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is using community outreach to source unique uniforms for all front-office staff at the company’s flagship más...
HIG partners for SE Asia development
International hotel developers Hospitality Investors Group announced Monday that the company has partnered with Skybridge International Development Corporation más...
Marriott putting two hotels in Iraq
Marriott International announced on Sunday that it signed an agreement with local developer Empire Iraq to manage two new hotels in Erbil, Iraq. Erbil más...
News in brief: Christchurch, Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton owners sue brand: The Lewis Trust Group, owners of the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach are taking the brand to court for alleged property más...
Management buys out Menzies Hotels
UK hotel group Menzies Hotels was bought out of administration on Friday by the company's management. Menzies, which owns and operates 16 hotels across más...
Orient-Express CEO resigns
Orient-Express Hotels CEO Paul White announced his resignation on Friday after serving three years as chief of the international hotel group. White más...
HOTELS interview: Chef connects with fans to promote hotel project
John Folse, the Louisiana chef known as an authority on Cajun and Creole cuisine and for his radio and television programs, is not sitting on the sidelines más...
Millennium & Copthorne expands to Japan
UK hotel group Millennium & Copthorne announced on Friday the purchase of real estate in downtown Tokyo to build a new hotel by 2014. This will be más...
Hot Openings: Trump goes international
This week marks the opening of the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel & Tower Panama, the group’s first international venture. Designed by más...
Accor sale nets 200,000 bookings
Accor’s “Super Sale” promotion of 50% which took place from June 16-22 gave the company’s website accorhotels.com a new record más...
Wynn pays $12.8 million for Chinese vases
American casino mogul Steve Wynn paid US$12.8 million for four eighteenth century Chinese vases at a Christie's auction in London on Thursday. The vases más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Dallas-based Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has appointed Paul Arnold vice president of development of más...
News in brief: Hotel Rio Palace, Tioga Downs, Grand Hyatt
BHG buys Hotel Rio Palace: The sale of Hotel Rio Palace, managed by Sofitel in Rio de Janeiro, to Brazil Hospitality Group was approved by más...
Accor builds momentum for Pullman brand
With a US$12.7 million (20 million real) initial investment, Accor has opened its first Pullman hotel in Brazil, the Pullman São Paulo Ibirapuera más...
Hotel gives Wall Street a farmers market
When you hear “Wall Street” a farmers market with fresh produce isn’t the first image to come to mind. But that’s what the Andaz más...
Pfister takes to blogging
A number of hotels have been hiring in-house storytellers or bloggers to put a more personal spin on a property’s social media marketing approach más...
Concrete pipe design works for Mexican hostel
The boutique hotel trend has seen some rather extreme design in lodging, but putting all the rooms in concrete pipes stands out from the crowd. Mexico’s más...
Survey says hotel CEOs more optimistic
A survey conducted by Ernst & Young and The Economist Intelligence Unit showed a significant increase in optimism among hospitality CEOs worldwide más...
News in brief: Hyatt Regency Coolum, Majestic Saigon
Accor sells Paris Pullman: Accor announced Thursday that it had sold the Pullman Bercy for US$150 million (€105 million) to Host Hotels más...
De L’Europe renovation blends history, technology
De L’Europe, a 111-key property in Amsterdam that dates back to 1896, has reopened following a US$88.3 million (€61 million) restoration project más...
PKF: U.S. hotel demand up, rate lags
The recovery of the U.S. lodging industry continues in a pattern established in the first quarter of 2010, with occupancy gains still outpacing gains más...
Hotel tales from devastated Christchurch
In the aftermath of the tragic February earthquake in New Zealand come two noteworthy hotel stories out of Christchurch. The New Zealand Herald reported más...
Hotels, Menin style
Yet another young, up and coming life style hotelier beginning to make his mark in the business is Keith Menin of Menin Hotels in Miami Beach. His most más...
W South Beach secures market position
The tough hospitality market caused by the recession hasn't held back W South Beach. A recent PKF Hospitality Research study shows that the luxury sector más...
News in brief: Resorts World Manila, Orbitz, Hawaii
New golf resort in Scotland: Former BBC chairman Gavyn Davies and his wife have purchased the Machrie Hotel on the island of Islay for £1 más...
Swissôtel Living residency suites launched
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts recently opened its first Swissôtel Living extended stay suites offering, adjacent to the Swissôtel The más...
Millennium & Copthorne appoints new CEO
UK hotel chain Millennium & Copthorne has promoted chief financial officer Wong Hong Ren to the CEO position after the retirement of Richard Hartman más...
HVS partners with nonprofit to provide hospitality training in Haiti
Global hospitality consulting and services firm HVS announced it is working with the Yéle Haiti Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has led más...
Inkaterra Hotels launches web TV channel
Inkaterra Hotels will launch Peru.inkaterra.tv, a live web channel streaming the celebrations commemorating the centennial anniversary of the rediscovery más...
Costa Rica hotel profits from medical tourism
One way to stand above the crowd in Costa Rica’s competitive hotel industry is to appeal to medical travel. Residence Inn, located in San Jose, más...
News in brief: Abu Dhabi, Sri Lanka, Canada
Royal Host announces four-hotel sale: Royal Host chain is selling four hotels in western Canada. The sale includes a Country Inn & Suites más...
Swissôtel introduces new sport/spa centers
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts is rolling out a new sports and spa center feature in their hotels called Pürovel with the aim of having a uniquely más...
The Peninsula Beverly Hills unveils renovated guestrooms
In celebration of its twentieth anniversary, this summer and fall The Peninsula Beverly Hills is unveiling refurbished designs in all 193 of its rooms más...
HOTELS interview: Nonprofit founder brings hospitality training to Cambodia
For underprivileged youth in Cambodia, hospitality training could be the ticket to an independent career. The trouble is, many of them have never set más...
UNWTO survey show tourism up worldwide
A United Nations World Tourism Organization survey released last week shows that despite a lingering recession and increased oil prices in many parts más...
News in brief: China survey, Glasgow delay, Oman
Survey gives insight into Chinese tourists Hilton's loyalty program Hilton HHonors recently released the results of a survey of Chinese tourists has some más...
HOTELS interview: Dusit CEO expands on North American plans
Bangkok-based Dusit International recently announced plans to expand into the United States with its dusitD2 brand via a 136-key, heritage-listed property más...
Cannonball! Ritz-Carlton serves dinner in the pool
Forget poolside dining — The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona, is inviting diners into the pool with a new Splash Dining package. más...
UK chain lets guests stay late for Facebook posting
The UK’s Radisson Edwardian hotel chain has launched a unique social media campaign allowing guests to check out two hours later if they announce más...
Coppola’s Belize resorts reinforce eco-commitment
Francis Ford Coppola’s resorts in Belize, 21-room Blancaneaux Lodge and 27-room Turtle Inn, have formalized two strategic alliances that further más...
People on the move
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Rita Abney has been hired as director of sales for Residence Inn St. Louis-Westport. Abney joins the más...
News in brief: 7 Days, Ireland VAT, Venice Lido
Chicago's Navy Pier to get hotel Chicago's Navy Pier tourist attraction announced a US$155 million plan to build a new boutique hotel at the end of the más...
junio 2011
Hilton Worldwide to terminate franchise deal with Las Vegas Hilton
LAS VEGAS Hilton Worldwide has notified the owner of Las Vegas Hilton that it will exercise its right to terminate the franchise deal later this year más...
Chatham REIT’s acquisition of 69 Innkeepers hotels approved by court
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA A bankruptcy judge has approved the acquisition of 69 Innkeepers USA Trust-owned hotels by Chatham Lodging Trust. Chatham will invest más...
Gaming industry in precarious financial position, Moody’s says
UNITED STATES Reduction in consumer spending on gambling could undermine the recent modest improvement in the U.S. gaming industry and ultimately lead más...
Sliding occupancy rates drive RevPAR down across MENA region
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA Political changes and demonstrations across parts of Northern Africa and the Middle East continue to negatively influence hotel más...
Hersha REIT acquires new NYC Hyatt for US$595,000 per key
NEW YORK CITY Hersha Hospitality Trust has agreed to acquire the under-construction 175-key Hyatt Union Square in New York City for US $104.1 million más...
Urgo acquires Residence Inn, Courtyard hotels at Montréal airport
MONTRÉAL Urgo Hotels has acquired the majority interest of its joint venture partner, Real Estate Group of Marathon Asset Management, in a pair más...
Dusit partners with Chef Green for healthy-eating program
BANGKOK Dusit International is collaborating with Chef Daniel Green, a healthy-eating expert and celebrity chef, to launch a healthy-eating program called más...
Ex-Hard Rock Vegas CEO to head Palms
LAS VEGAS A former president and CEO of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has been tapped to head up another Las Vegas resort popular with hard-partying young más...
Four Points Facebook contest offers US$25,000 for most outrageous story
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK The Four Points by Sheraton brand is sponsoring a Facebook contest that boasts a US$25,000 grand prize for the outrageous true más...
Woman falls to death from rooftop lounge at W Washington D.C. hotel
WASHINGTON, D.C. A difficult news cycle for the W Hotels Worldwide brand has gotten even worse with the death of a woman who fell from the rooftop lounge más...
Dorchester Collection signs first third-party management deal
GENEVA Le Richemond hotel on the banks of Lake Geneva will join Dorchester Collection in August, marking the group’s first third-party management más...
19 dead in terrorist attack on prominent Kabul hotel
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN Eleven civilians and eight suicide bombers are dead after an attack on Hotel Inter-Continental Kabul, one of Afghanistan’s most más...
China’s hotel pipeline is world’s first to match pre-recession levels
CHINA The hotel development pipeline in China has surpassed its pre-recession peak levels in terms of both projects and guestrooms, making it the first más...
W Austin Hotel closes following third falling glass incident
AUSTIN, TEXAS W Austin Hotel & Residences has closed following the third instance this month—and second this week—of 15-sq.-ft. glass más...
Ritz-Carlton to reflag InterContinental Muscat hotel
MUSCAT, OMAN The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. is taking over management of Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat from IHG and will reflag the property as más...
Half of consumers have used Groupon for spa information, survey finds
WORLDWIDE More than half of respondents to a global survey say they have used Groupon to source spa information, while two out of three have booked más...
Hilton Garden Inn’s new ad campaign focuses on acronyms
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE Hilton Garden Inn has launched a new integrated advertising campaign developed to speak to today's travelers using shorthand and acronyms más...
Sheraton, Four Points hotels to open in Medina
MEDINA, SAUDI ARABIA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide plans to open two new hotels next year adjacent to each other in the city of Medina. Owned más...
Düsseldorf leads strong month of performance growth across Europe
EUROPE The hotel industry across Europe has posted positive results in May year over year, with Düsseldorf leading the improvement in all three key más...
Great Wolf Resorts enables Facebook photo sharing via RFID technology
GRAND MOUND, WASHINGTON Great Wolf Resorts is debuting technology that allows guests to link the radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology in their más...
New York City hotels offer same-sex wedding packages
NEW YORK CITY The state of New York legalized same-sex marriage last week, and several hotels have already begun promoting packages for gay and lesbian más...
Boomerang Hotels sells Shoney’s Inn brand back to Shoney’s
HENDERSONVILLE, TENNESSEE Less than a year after winning a trademark fight for the right to the Shoney’s Inn economy hotel brand, Boomerang Hotels más...
Mandarin Oriental debuts in France with Paris opening
PARIS Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has made its long-awaited debut in the City of Lights with the official opening of the 138-key Mandarin Oriental, más...
Asia Pacific hotels see 13% RevPAR spike in May
ASIA PACIFIC Hotels in the Asia Pacific region experienced mostly positive results in the three key performance metrics during May, according to STR Global más...
Atlantic City Hard Rock ‘boutique casino’ project moves forward
ATLANTIC CITY A stalled boutique casino resort project from Hard Rock Café International is moving forward, with the company applying for permits más...
Wyndham Hotel Group to debut in Armenia with Ramada in capital
YEREVAN, ARMENIA Wyndham Hotel Group is launching its first property in Armenia under a franchise agreement with Rameo Otel CJSC. The 150-key Ramada Yerevan más...
Starwood Capital finances doubling of NYC’s City Club Hotel
NEW YORK CITY A boutique hotel near Times Square is set to double in size after securing US$36 million in loans from a REIT controlled by Starwood Capital más...
Spire is first luxury flash sale site to offer guaranteed best deals
SAN FRANCISCO Spire, a new members-only travel site that offers limited-time deals on luxury hotels worldwide, is purportedly the first flash sale site más...
Vail Resorts’ new chief marketing officer held same role at PepsiCo
BROOMFIELD, COLORADO Vail Resorts Inc. has appointed Kirsten Lynch as is new chief marketing officer, responsible for brand marketing, advertising, customer más...
England Hyatt Regency, London Waldorf fall into administration
ENGLAND The holding companies of the 319-key Hyatt Regency Birmingham Hotel and the 299-key Waldorf Hilton London have fallen into administration, and más...
Doug Manchester plans 1,035-key convention hotel in Texas capital
AUSTIN, TEXAS Developer Doug Manchester is planning to build a US$350 million hotel just east of the Austin Convention Center, the second hotel of at más...
HITEC focuses on digital guest interaction
AUSTIN, TEXAS — This year’s HITEC was all about what is best for interacting with the guest. Attendees at the Austin Convention Center saw más...
Crowne Plaza tests ‘snore absorption rooms’
DENHAM, ENGLAND Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is field-testing a special guestroom at nine hotels that is designed to reduce the sound of snoring más...
CitizenM Hotels launches SocietyM ‘virtual offices’ concept
GLASGOW CitizenM Hotels, the tech-friendly Amsterdam-based boutique brand, is launching a “virtual offices” concept that will allow the public más...
Ritz-Carlton concierges add expertise to Foursquare
CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND The Ritz-Carlton is bringing its world concierge services to Foursquare, the location-based social media platform, marking the first más...
Americas RevPAR jumps 9% in May on rising occupancy, ADR
THE AMERICAS Hotels across the Americas recorded positive results on average in the three key performance metrics for May, according to STR and STR Global más...
Asia Pacific arrivals up, led by South Asia’s surge
ASIA PACIFIC International visitor arrivals are up 6.8% for April across Asia Pacific, according to data released by Pacific Asia Travel Association, más...
Greenbrier resort to launch luxury train service to Washington
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA The Greenbrier, perhaps America’s most iconic luxury resort, is launching a signature train service to and más...
Fire destroys 430-key hotel near Orlando, 8 injured
KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA Eight people have been injured, including two firefighters, after a fire caused the roof to collapse at a 430-key hotel outside Orlando más...
Starwood’s Méridien brand unveils new cultural gathering lobby concept
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts is overhauling its lobby design with a new concept, Le Méridien Hub, which reinterprets más...
Accor releases new sustainability research, aims for industry green dialog
ÉVRY, FRANCE Accor SA is launching Earth Guest Research, an open platform for sharing knowledge on social and environmental issues relating to más...
America’s Best is 1st franchisor with system-wide Google AdWords
ATLANTA America’s Best Franchising Inc. is the first franchise company in any industry to launch a system-wide AdWords campaign in strategic partnership más...
IHG launches individual iPhone apps for each of its brands
ATLANTA Although it previously worried that doing so would confuse the marketplace, IHG has changed course and has now issued individualized mobile booking más...
RevPAR up 9% at U.S. hotels in May
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry posted increases in all three key performance measurements during May, according to data from STR. Occupancy was más...
Riu opens 2nd hotel under Plaza brand, in Mexico
GUADALAJARA, MEXICO Riu Hotels & Resorts has opened its first urban hotel in Mexico, in the city of Guadalajara, the second property under its nascent más...
HBO to film miniseries about Chateau Marmont
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA Chateau Marmont, legendary as a favorite hangout of Hollywood stars for generations, will be the focal point of an upcoming más...
Michigan Comfort Suites tries to stop health clinic from opening, is sued
AUBURN HILLS, MICHIGAN The owners of Comfort Suites Auburn Hills have been sued by Planned Parenthood after attempting to block the healthcare provider más...
Four Seasons Chicago hosts Crosstown Culinary Classic
CHICAGO A pair of acclaimed Chicago chefs with opposing baseball allegiances will contest their culinary capabilities tonight in the fifth annual Crosstown más...
People on the move, week of June 20, 2011
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Florida’s Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort has named Marti Alexander as area director of sales más...
Jumeirah hits sponsorship jackpot by backing young golf star
DUBAI It is probably safe to say that many Americans were introduced to the Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts brand for the first time last weekend. Jumeirah más...
Women must sacrifice to succeed in hotel industry, female executives say
LONDON Women must be willing to make sacrifices to achieve senior roles in the global hospitality sector, and they need a strong support network, the más...
Urgo Hotels, Carlyle Group acquire two South Beach hotels
MIAMI BEACH A joint venture between Urgo Hotels and The Carlyle Group has acquired two hotels in Miami Beach. The hotels are the 75-key Blue Moon Hotel más...
Marriott promotes Facebook contest with free spa in NYC park
NEW YORK CITY Marriott International’s nine resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico are turning Manhattan’s Madison Square Park into a free tropical más...
Centara Hotels launches career training for underprivileged youth
BANGKOK Centara Hotels & Resorts has launched a training program intended to provide youngsters from underprivileged homes with career opportunities más...
President of Disney’s resorts division announces retirement
ORLANDO The president of Disney Parks & Resorts has announced his retirement after 39 years with The Walt Disney Co. Al Weiss, 57, has served as president más...
InterContinental Wellington goes on market
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND Eureka Funds Management is selling its 5-star InterContinental Hotel Wellington. The 232-key hotel in the New Zealand capital más...
MGM’s Monte Carlo, restaurant chain in spat over marketing slogan
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International’s Monte Carlo Resort and Casino is suing a national restaurant chain that positions itself as a video arcade más...
Local investors purchase 330-key Utah Marriott hotel
PROVO, UTAH The 330-key Provo Marriott Hotel & Conference Center has been sold to local investors for an undisclosed price. The 9-story hotel, which más...
Public votes to keep Pump Room name at Schrager’s Chicago hotel
CHICAGO The restaurant at Chicago’s Ambassador East Hotel will retain its legendary name following an online vote, owner Ian Schrager has announced más...
Pebblebrook takes 49% stake in Denihan’s 6 NYC hotels
NEW YORK CITY Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has taken a 49% stake in six New York City hotels owned and operated Denihan Hospitality Group as part of a new más...
Mobile technology a top priority for hoteliers, survey finds
UNITED STATES The vast majority of U.S. hotel owners say that it is important to enable booking via mobile devices. Mobile has emerged as a major focus más...
Customer satisfaction improves for hotel industry, led by Hilton
UNITED STATES Customer satisfaction ratings continue to climb for the hotel industry, even as travelers grow more frustrated with the airlines. Consumer más...
Gaylord to build 1,500-key hotel near Denver Airport
AURORA, COLORADO Gaylord Entertainment Co. plans to build a 1,500-key hotel near Denver International Airport in suburban Aurora, about 25 minutes from más...
Sheraton launches US$20m ad campaign to back global rebranding
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is launching a US$20 million advertising campaign that highlights the brand's recently-completed más...
Corporate bookings up 19% this year, hotel consortium reports
LONDON Sales and marketing consortium Great Hotels of the World reports a 19% increase in corporate travel bookings from the global distribution system más...
Sofitel launches career mentorship initiative to retain employees
ÉVRY, FRANCE Sofitel Luxury Hotels is launching a program to turn its employees into ambassadors for the brand by offering enhanced training and más...
New Orleans market posts top hotel rate increase in June
NORTH AMERICA Hoteliers in New Orleans have seen booked rates spike 27% this month on discount online travel agency site Hotwire.com, the biggest year-over-year más...
Starwood Hotels expands into Azerbaijan with Sheraton signing
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with Silk Way Airlines LLC to open a Sheraton-flagged hotel in Baku, más...
Accor rebrands Novotel Abu Dhabi under Mercure flag
ABU DHABI Accor SA has rebranded its Novotel Abu Dhabi City Centre as Mercure Abu Dhabi City Centre. The 215-key Mercure Abu Dhabi City Centre is the más...
HOTELS’ exclusive: Kingdom reassesses position in Mövenpick
DUBAI Kingdom Hotel Investments is “assessing its options” with regards to its 33% minority stake in Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts más...
Wynn eager to expand to Singapore
SINGAPORE Steve Wynn is “dying” to open a gaming resort in Singapore. "That's my next goal in life—to build a hotel in Singapore," the más...
Upscale segment dominates global hotel development pipeline
WORLDWIDE Most of the world’s near-term hotel development is occurring in the upscale and upper-upscale chain segments, according to new pipeline más...
Chesapeake buys Indigo San Diego, to announce more acquisitions soon
SAN DIEGO Chesapeake Lodging Trust has acquired the 210-key Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp Quarter for US$55.5 million, or approximately US$264,000 per más...
Aitken Spence seeks partner for major resort project in Sri Lanka
NILAVELI, SRI LANKA Aitken Spence PLC, the Colombo-based owner-operator of resorts in the Maldives, India and Oman, is seeking a joint venture partner más...
Fairmont adds hotel in northern China’s Shanxi province
TAIYUAN, CHINA Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announces a new property scheduled to open in 2014 in Taiyuan, a historic city in northern China and the más...
New AAHOA booking portal to allow multiple stays on same transaction
ATLANTA The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) has hired InnLink LLC to create a customized portal solution, similar to an OTA, to facilitate más...
Hyatt hotels offer in-room beauty treatments for women guests
GERMANY Several Hyatt Hotels Corp.-flagged properties in Europe are offering a slate of in-room beauty treatments geared toward female guests, a special más...
Stalled Marriott Marquis project in Texas capital to move forward
AUSTIN, TEXAS Construction of a long-planned 1,003-key Marriott Marquis-branded convention hotel in downtown Austin, shelved after the recession hit, más...
Houston mixed-use project to include hotel
HOUSTON The Redstone Cos. LP, owner of the 289-key Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, is planning to build a mixed-use hotel development near Houston’s más...
New World Hospitality acquires Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
HONG KONG New World Hospitality is acquiring Rosewood Hotels & Resorts LLC for US$229.5 million from owners Rosewood Corp. and Maritz, Wolff & más...
Langham’s Eaton Smart brand debuts in India with hourly airport rates
NEW DELHI Eaton Smart New Delhi Airport Transit Hotel has opened as the first outpost for Langham Hotels International’s midscale brand. Billed más...
Europe's average hotel rates fall in June
EUROPE The hotel industry across Europe has seen room rates decline this month, with the average guestroom costing about £4 less in June than in más...
Ireland hotel sues Google over ‘receivership’ search result
BALLYMASCANLON, IRELAND A hotel is suing Google Inc. over a libelous search engine result that falsely implies the property has gone into receivership más...
Iraq to convert Hussein’s palaces into resorts, museums
IRAQ Several of Saddam Hussein's most luxurious palaces are to be transformed into resorts and museums once the U.S. military withdraws its forces from más...
Anantara replaces Banyan Tree in Abu Dhabi development
ABU DHABI Anantara Hotels Resorts & Spas will operate the upcoming Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa in Abu Dhabi after rival Banyan Tree Hotels & más...
TPG financing deal reduces Maloofs’ stake in Palms to just 2%
LAS VEGAS An agreement announced last week between the Maloof family and two private investment groups to lower the debt load on Palms Casino Resort will más...
Philadelphia Renaissance ex-manager charged with stealing loyalty points
PHILADELPHIA A former sales manager at Renaissance Philadelphia Airport Hotel has been charged with stealing more than US$100,000 worth of Marriott Rewards más...
Hilton to reflag Al Hamra Fort Hotel, Ras Al Khaimah
RAS AL KHAIMAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Hilton Worldwide has signed a deal with Al Hamra Real Estate Development to take over management of the 249-key Al más...
Human rights tribunal rebukes Vancouver Sheraton for discrimination
VANCOUVER The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has ordered Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre to pay a C$5,000 fine for discriminating against an organization más...
HOTELS interview: Jim Abrahamson on leaving IHG, plans for Interstate
On Monday, Jim Abrahamson resigned from his post as Americas president for IHG to take over as CEO of Interstate Hotels & Resorts. Abrahamson will más...
58% of hoteliers say mobile technology adds to customer satisfaction
WORLDWIDE More than half of hospitality organizations that have deployed mobile technologies say customer satisfaction has improved as a result. Information más...
Hotel ADR gains in North America in line with higher business demand
NORTH AMERICA The moderate increases seen in ADR at North America hotels are in line with increased demand as forecasted by American Express Global Business más...
Glass panels fall from W Austin balconies, four injured
AUSTIN, TEXAS Two glass panels fell more than 20 stories from balconies of unoccupied units at W Austin Hotel & Residences, injuring four people when más...
UK hotels see flat occupancy, higher ADR
UNITED KINGDOM Challenging market conditions continue to affect UK provincial full-service hotels, leaving sales growth flat and profits down, while London más...
Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger’s hotel plans hit snag
NEW YORK CITY Famed fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger's plan to convert Manhattan’s landmark Metropolitan Life Tower into a luxury hotel may have más...
EMEA hotel pipeline stalls amid continued economic uncertainty
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA The rapid recessionary declines in Europe’s hotel construction pipeline have abated, but the pipeline is in a lower más...
IHG dumps Microsoft Outlook for Google’s Gmail
ATLANTA Some 25,000 employees and executives with IHG are switching their business email servers to Google Inc.’s Gmail, replacing Microsoft Corp más...
Four Seasons Denver offers all-inclusive package
DENVER Four Seasons Hotel Denver is offering an all-inclusive package this summer. The “Sky’s the Limit” promotion includes unlimited más...
People on the move, week of June 13, 2011
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Philippe Bonnot has been appointed general manager at Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates más...
Davidson Hotel Co. unveils new name, logo
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE Davidson Hotel Co. is changing its name to Davidson Hotels & Resorts, also adding a new logo that better reflects the company’s más...
Creditors sue Blackstone over 2007 Extended Stay sale
NEW YORK CITY Creditors are suing Blackstone Group LP over its 2007 sale of Extended Stay Inc., claiming the private equity giant “siphoned” más...
Boyd acquires Mississippi gaming resort for US$278m
BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI Boyd Gaming Corp. has agreed to acquire the 1,088-key IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi for US$278 million cash, or about US$256,000 más...
Hilton signs second Garden Inn for South America
ZARATE, ARGENTINA Hilton Worldwide has signed a management deal to operate the first Hilton Garden Inn in Argentina and the second in South America. The más...
Brazil launches national hotel rating system
BRAZIL A national hotel rating system will be implemented across Brazil in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, the country’s más...
Tiffany-themed suite is unveiled at St. Regis New York
NEW YORK CITY One of the most extravagant hotel suites in the world has been unveiled at The St. Regis New York. The 1,700-sq.-ft. Tiffany Suite, outfitted más...
Driftwood to sell 2 Bahamas resorts
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Two resorts in the Bahamas capital will be sold to an unidentified Canada-based company this month, according to local reports. The buyer más...
London’s Ritz hotel on target list found with dead terrorist
LONDON The Ritz hotel appears among several high-profile London sites on a list of potential terrorist targets found with a dead al-Qaeda terrorist. The más...
SBE Hotels partnership with BMW offers perks for guests, drivers
LOS ANGELES Guests of SBE Hotel Group and owners of BMW automobiles will each receive perks through a new partnership between the two companies. As the más...
Priceline reduces hotel booking opacity with winning bid alerts
NORWALK, CONNECTICUT One of the industry’s most prominent opaque distribution channels is lifting the veil slightly, making it easier for consumers más...
Dusit announces North America debut with California hotel project
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA Dusit International is expanding into North America with DusitD2 Pasadena, which is also the first hotel under the company’s más...
RBS takes control of 42 Marriott hotels in UK
EDINBURGH Royal Bank of Scotland has taken control of 42 UK hotels, all branded under Marriott International flags, after the bank was unable to restructure más...
IHG signs for 19 more Holiday Inn Express hotels in India by 2016
NEW DELHI Duet India Hotels Group and IHG have signed a joint venture partnership for the development of 19 new Holiday Inn Express hotels across India más...
Swissôtel unveils new spa brand, Pürovel Spa & Sport
ZÜRICH Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts is rolling out a new spa brand called Pürovel Spa & Sport. The concept is based on an Alpine-inspired más...
Grand Hyatt brand to debut in Malaysia with Kuala Lumpur signing
KUALA LUMPUR Hyatt Hotels Corp. has signed an agreement with Bahagia Investment Corp. to manage the 412-key Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. The hotel, which más...
Hospitality Properties Trust realigns contracts with Marriott, will sell 21
NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS Hospitality Properties Trust has realigned three of its five sets of hotel management contracts with Marriott International Inc más...
Fairmont San Francisco hotel goes on sale market
SAN FRANCISCO The Fairmont San Francisco hotel is being put up for sale by its owner, Maritz, Wolff & Co. There will be no asking price for the 591-key más...
Partnership with TPG to reduce debt on Palms Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS Palms Casino Resort is partnering with a joint venture between TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners to “significantly reduce” más...
Hotel development firm Fortuna buys site near NYC’s SoHo
NEW YORK CITY A 50,000-sq.-ft. commercial development site bordered by the Tribeca, the West Village and SoHo neighborhoods has just been acquired by más...
Starwood offers US$40 gas card for 2-night stays at select-service hotels
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide is launching a gas card promotion across its three select-service brands. Two-night stays más...
Absolute Hotels launches midscale brand with partial-day booking plans
BANGKOK Absolute Hotel Services Group has launched a new midscale brand, Eastin Easy, with six management deals already signed in India and Vietnam. The más...
5 Westin hotels in Canada are sold
MONTRÉAL One of Canada’s largest investment groups has sold its 49% stake in five Westin-branded hotels in the country. SITQ, the real estate más...
W Hotels debuts in Russia with St. Petersburg opening
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA W Hotels Worldwide has debuted Russia with the official opening of the 137-key W St. Petersburg. Owned by Real Estate Development más...
Vail Resorts posts strong season results, issues first-ever dividend
BROOMFIELD, COLORADO Earnings for Vail Resorts Inc.’s fiscal third quarter rose 5.6% behind strong demand and pricing power, and the only publicly-traded más...
Strip’s shuttered Sahara to hold massive liquidation sale
LAS VEGAS Sahara Hotel & Casino, the Las Vegas Strip icon that closed last month, is holding what might be described as the world’s biggest más...
Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe to be auctioned
LAKE TAHOE, NEVADA Bank of America has scheduled an auction of its Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe. The 171-key luxury resort will be auctioned on the steps of más...
Dallas among top performing hotel markets in early June
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry has posted increases in all three key performance metrics during the week of May 29 to June 4. Occupancy rose 2 más...
Rezidor announces Radisson Blu Resort for Ukraine
BUKOVEL, UKRAINE The Rezidor Hotel Group announces its first ski resort in Ukraine, The Radisson Blu Resort, Bukovel, which is scheduled to open for the más...
Starwood takes Aloft brand to Brooklyn
NEW YORK CITY Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s select-service Aloft brand has opened in Brooklyn, the brand’s second hotel in New más...
Prism tapped to manage Sheraton Charleston Airport Hotel
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA Prism Hotels & Resorts has been selected to manage the 289-key Sheraton Charleston Airport Hotel, located near Charleston más...
IHG’s Abrahamson takes CEO role at Interstate, Kinsell succeeds him
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Jim Abrahamson, IHG’s Americas region president, has been appointed CEO of Interstate Hotels & Resorts. Abrahamson will más...
Meet the 4 types of luxury travelers of 2012
WORLDWIDE Personal relationships, value, simplicity and seamless service will be the key differentiators in the luxury travel market of the near future más...
Facebook most popular social media channel for hoteliers
WORLDWIDE Facebook is the most popular social media channel for hoteliers, beating Twitter by a wide margin. According to a poll of hoteliers by revenue más...
Hyatt unveils global corporate responsibility program, ‘Thrive’
CHICAGO Hyatt Hotels Corp. announces a new global corporate responsibility platform, Hyatt Thrive, designed to help make communities places where Hyatt más...
Japanese travel to Hawaii off 24%, but North America raises performance
HAWAII With Japan still reeling from March’s devastating tsunami and earthquake, Japanese travel to Hawaii fell 23.5% in April. Despite that drop-off más...
Club Med earnings beat estimates, sees massive China growth
PARIS Club Méditerranée SA has posted substantial growth in bookings this year, particularly from Chinese consumers, leading to first half más...
Strategic Hotels teams with Walton Street for Fairmont Scottsdale financing
CHICAGO Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. has established a 50-50 joint venture with private equity firm Walton Street Capital LLC to recapitalize Strategic’s más...
Hilton reflags Princess resort in southwestern Turkey
BODRUM, TURKEY Hilton Hotels & Resorts has opened its second resort in Turkey, the 494-key Hilton Bodrum Turkbuku Resort & Spa in the Paradise más...
Sofitel signs hotel in China’s Yunnan province
KUNMING, CHINA Sofitel Luxury Hotels expects to open a new 405-key hotel Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, in early 2014. Sofitel Kunming is being más...
San Francisco hotel deal volume to approach US$500m this year
SAN FRANCISCO The deal volume for San Francisco’s hotel market is expected to range from US$400 million to US$500 million this year, based on the más...
Hotels of 2030 to offer virtual sex, dream management, futurologist predicts
WORLDWIDE Interactive dreaming, virtual love-making, sleep studying and health monitoring are among the technological advancements that could become commonplace más...
Parent company puts 138-property InTown Suites chain up for sale
NEW YORK CITY The largest owner and operator of budget extended-stay hotels is on the market. Kimco Realty Corp. is selling InTown Hospitality Corp. and más...
Cairns Pullman pilots Accor’s Chinese service standards optimization effort
CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA Pullman Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns is the first hotel to be accredited under Accor’s new program to optimize service standards más...
Centara Hotels announces debuts in Mauritius, Bali
BANGKOK Centara Hotels & Resorts has signed management contracts for hotels in Mauritius and Indonesia, marking the Bangkok-based company’s más...
Ritz-Carlton issues first branded credit card
CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. is issuing a branded credit card for the first time. The Ritz-Carlton Rewards American Express card is más...
TUI begins construction on €250m Tuscany resort project
CASTELFALFI, ITALY TUI Resorts & Hotels has started construction on the €250 million Castelfalfi Resort in Tuscany. The first phase of the project más...
Leela Hotels partners with Meta Wellness for heart health programs
MUMBAI The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is partnering with New York City-based Meta Wellness to offer intensive lifestyle-change programs for heart más...
Ousted Hammons exec Tarwater lands at O’Reilly Hospitality
SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI Scott Tarwater, the longtime executive for John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts who left the company when its ailing founder was más...
Vegas Excalibur to open Lynyrd Skynyrd-themed barbecue restaurant
LAS VEGAS The band behind such classic American hits as “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird” is the inspiration for a new restaurant más...
People on the move, week of June 6, 2011
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: Jeffrey Barry, who most recently led the sales team at Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island, South más...
Ritz-Carlton expects to reach 100 properties by 2016
CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. expects its global portfolio to reach 100 by 2016. “While the global economy seems to show a recovery más...
Four Seasons operations chief FitzGibbon retires, position splits
TORONTO The president of worldwide hotel operations for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Jim FitzGibbon, is retiring, with the position to be split into más...
RSR Hospitality takes ownership stake in Gemstone Hotels
PARK CITY, UTAH A joint venture between three high-profile hotel industry investment firms has taken a significant ownership stake in management firm más...
Beverly Hills Hotel GM del Hoyo sued for sexual harassment
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA Five former employees are suing the recently-retired general manager of the luxury Beverly Hills Hotel, alleging sexual harassment más...
Marriott backs launch of sustainable purchasing consortium
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Marriott International is among a group of leaders in the hotel industry representing brands, hotel suppliers and architecture firms más...
Tryp by Wyndham hotel brand debuts in Colombia
MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA The Tryp by Wyndham brand makes its debut in Colombia with the opening of the 140-key Tryp Medellín. It is the 14th hotel in más...
Two lawsuits filed in Atlanta W hotel death
ATLANTA Two separate lawsuits have been filed in connection with the death of a guest who fell out of 10th floor window at W Atlanta Midtown last month más...
Stalled Staybridge project in downtown Chicago may restart
CHICAGO A partially-build Staybridge Suites project in downtown Chicago, stalled since being foreclosed on in October 2008, may be moving closer toward más...
Hilton Garden Inn to flag historic Milwaukee office building
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN Hilton Garden Inn would flag the 125-year-old Loyalty Building in downtown Milwaukee, under a conversion proposal by First Hospitality más...
First-ever NFC mobile phone key pilot concludes at Stockholm hotel
STOCKHOLM The world's first pilot program using NFC-enabled mobile phones to check in and out of hotel rooms—replacing guestroom keys—has más...
Paris hotels to reach record value by 2015, driven by ‘trophy hunters’
PARIS A general shortage of available hotel stock in Paris is turning quality properties into trophy assets for international investment by private individuals más...
More Americans will travel this summer, but mainly close to home
UNITED STATES More Americans are planning to take a summer vacation this year than last, but those who do are more likely than previous summers to stay más...
Aby Rosen buys former NYC hotspot Paramount Hotel
NEW YORK CITY Notable developer Aby Rosen has agreed to purchase Manhattan’s Paramount Hotel, a 1980s cultural hotspot and one of the earliest boutique más...
Sands sees opportunity for further Asia expansion
LAS VEGAS Sheldon Adelson believes there is further opportunity to grow his Las Vegas Sands Corp. in multiple new markets in Asia Pacific. A Sands spokesman más...
US$3b MGM Resorts project in Abu Dhabi under review
ABU DHABI Plans for a US$3 billion MGM Resorts International entertainment complex in Abu Dhabi's Mina Zayed are under review, placing the project’s más...
NYC Element is first U.S. hotel to participate in community-sponsored agriculture
NEW YORK CITY Element New York Times Square West is giving guests and neighbors easy access to fresh, seasonal produce and artisanal farm products through más...
Wyndham signs 3 Ramada hotels in China, including first management deal
CHINA Wyndham Hotel Group has signed three new Ramada properties in China, including the company’s first managed Ramada in the country. The new más...
12 new JW Marriott hotels slated to open in next 18 months
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Marriott International's luxury JW Marriott brand is scheduled to flag 12 additional properties by the end of next year, bringing the más...
Hyatt to rebrand 3 Woodfin Suites properties under Summerfield flag
CALIFORNIA Hyatt Hotels Corp. has acquired three Woodfin Suites hotels in California and will reflag them under its Hyatt Summerfield Suites extended-stay más...
Rezidor opens Radisson Blu Dubai Downtown
DUBAI The Rezidor Hotel Group announces that its seventh property in the United Arab Emirates, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Downtown, is now open. "The opening más...
When will oil prices impact lodging industry?
UNITED STATES If oil prices surge to US$150 per barrel, the recovery that U.S. hotels are currently enjoying could be severely curtailed, based on an más...
‘Short-term’ booking window at average of 13 days for meetings
WORLDWIDE Hoteliers and meeting planners may not be on the same page when it comes to describing what constitutes a “short-term” booking window más...
Sol Meliá changes name to Meliá Hotels International
PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN Sol Meliá SA, Spain’s largest hotel company, has changed its name to Meliá Hotels International. The addition más...
LaSalle REIT buys Manhattan’s Park Central Hotel for US$406m
NEW YORK CITY LaSalle Hotel Properties has agreed to buy the 934-key Park Central Hotel in New York City for $405.5 million, or about US$434,000 per key más...
Summit REIT assigns new flags to hotels terminated by Choice
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA The remaining six hotels owned by Summit Hotel Properties Inc. that were terminated from the Choice Hotels International system más...
IFA Hotels, Kuwait Real Estate pay US$315m for Yotel New York
NEW YORK CITY IFA Hotels & Resorts and its investment partners have closed on a financing and acquisition deal worth US$315 million to acquire its más...
Rosewood ‘doubling down’ on Asia growth
DALLAS Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is “doubling down” on growth in Asia and is confident in the long-term prospects for the Middle East más...
B Hotels announces 2nd property, in South Beach
MIAMI BEACH Six months after opening its first and only property, in Fort Lauderdale, B Hotels & Resorts announces the second property to fly the más...
Rixos Hotels to flag mixed-use project on Palm Jumeirah
DUBAI Rixos Hotels is planning a mixed-use project on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah. Rixos Residences Palm Jumeirah, a combined hotel and residence project más...
Former Choice Hotels senior vice president settles insider trading case
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND A former Choice Hotels International senior vice president has agreed to pay a six-digit fine to settle charges of insider trading más...
HOTELS’ Investment Outlook magazine in strategic alliance with Burba Hotel Network
CHICAGO Hotel conference producer Burba Hotel Network has formed an international strategic alliance with HOTELS’ Investment Outlook magazine, a más...
Host Hotels accuses Molinaro Koger of real estate fraud
BETHESDA, MARYLAND The largest U.S. hotel owner has leveled serious accusations of fraud against a prominent real estate brokerage. Host Hotels & más...
Marriott launches recruiting game for Facebook
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Marriott International hopes a new game available for free to Facebook users could convince a new wave of young people to give the más...
Starwood relocates executive team to China for month
SHANGHAI CEO Frits van Paasschen and the rest of the top executive team of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. will spend the next four weeks más...
Hotel investors’ ‘buy’ intentions at six-year high
UNITED STATES Hotel transaction volume in the United States reached US$4.9 billion through May—triple the volume recorded during the first five más...
Algonquin Hotel sale is confirmed
NEW YORK CITY The historic 174-key Algonquin Hotel has been sold for the fifth time in 15 years. Owner HEI Hotels & Resorts has sold the Manhattan más...
Hilton Worldwide to open five properties in Mexico this year
MEXICO Hilton Worldwide plans to open seven hotels in Mexico within the next 12 months, including five before the end of this year. The company plans más...
Dow Hotel Co. acquires Hilton Long Island
MELVILLE, NEW YORK The Dow Hotel Co. has acquired the 304-key Hilton Long Island/Huntington in a joint venture with Prudential Insurance Company of America más...
Marriott flagship brand’s global pipeline stands at 49, half in Asia Pacific
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Marriott International's flagship brand, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, has a pipeline of 49 hotels and resorts to open in the next más...
Kimpton assumes management of Hotel La Jolla near San Diego
LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has taken over management of Hotel La Jolla for the property owner, an affiliate of Westport Capital más...
Kidnapped Novotel GM found dead in Côte d’Ivoire
ABIDJAN, CÔTE D’IVOIRE After two months of intense search by authorities from France and Côte d’Ivoire, the general manager of más...
W Hotels brand leader Ziegler to resign
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Eva Ziegler, the global brand leader of W Hotels and Le Méridien, is leaving Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. más...
Average U.S. hotel sale price hits record high in first quarter
UNITED STATES For the sixth consecutive quarter, year-over-year selling prices have accelerated for U.S. hotels. According to Lodging Econometrics, 110 más...
Times Square Four Points hotel sells for US$460,000 per key
NEW YORK CITY Gehr Development has acquired the 244-key Four Points by Sheraton Midtown Times Square for US$112 million, or approximately US$460,000 per más...
ADR, occupancy 10% higher in April across Mideast, Africa
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA The combined Middle East and Africa region reports mixed performance results during April, posting big gains in occupancy and ADR más...
Hemingway estate attempting to launch boutique hotel brand
NEW YORK CITY The estate of Ernest Hemingway is looking to partner with a hotel management company to launch a chain of boutique hotels using the famed más...
Jumeirah presses forward with Syria hotel despite unrest
DAMASCUS Jumeirah Group will push forward with plans to manage a 5-star hotel in Syria’s capital city, despite widespread political unrest in the más...
Disney denies plans to partner on Dubailand development
DUBAI Despite whispers locally that The Walt Disney Co. might partner in the development of the stalled Dubailand entertainment resort, Disney says it más...
Family plans lawsuit over W Atlanta hotel death
ATLANTA Two women fell 10 stories from a guestroom at W Atlanta Midtown last week, killing one and critically injuring the other. According to witness más...
People on the move, week of May 30, 2011
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move:Mete Atakuman has been appointed general manager at the Jumeirah Bilgah Hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan. Atakuman’s más...
Benchmark Hospitality acquires MTM Luxury Lodging, launches new brand
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS Benchmark Hospitality International has acquired MTM Luxury Lodging, bringing four managed properties into Benchmark’s portfolio más...
Schrager: Waikiki Edition lawsuit ‘frivolous’
NEW YORK CITY After almost a week of public silence on the topic, Ian Schrager is going on the offensive in response to the lawsuit filed against him más...
Groupon makes major splash in travel industry with Expedia tie-up
CHICAGO Groupon and Expedia have joined forces to create Groupon Getaways with Expedia, offering deeply discounted travel deals from Expedia’s hotel más...
Pyramid Hotel Group launches dedicated resort management division
BOSTON Pyramid Hotel Group is launching a new resort division, Pyramid Resort Group. “We see a meaningful and timely opportunity,” says Pyramid más...
Hotel industry veterans Schiffman, Lasky to invest in distressed assets
NEW YORK CITY Two experienced hotel and real estate professionals, Marty Schiffman and Morris Lasky are partnering with two high-net-worth families to más...
HEI Hotels acquires Westin Pasadena, California
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA HEI Hotels & Resorts has purchased the 350-key Westin Pasadena from MPG Office Trust Inc. MPG reports the purchase price as US$92 más...
HEI in talks to sell NYC Algonquin Hotel
NEW YORK CITY The historic 174-key Algonquin Hotel may be sold for the fifth time in 15 years. Owner HEI Hotels & Resorts is reportedly in talks with más...
Amsterdam tourism may take hit over tighter marijuana rules
AMSTERDAM Officials in the Netherlands are tightening the country’s famously lax marijuana laws, a move that could reduce the number of tourists más...
IHG opens global sales offices in New Delhi, Mumbai
INDIA Complementing its growing presence in India, IHG has opened a pair of global sales offices, in New Delhi and Mumbai. The sales offices will serve más...
Central, Eastern Europe partner on sustainable tourism in Carpathian Mountains
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA The seven Central and Eastern European countries sharing the Carpathian mountain range have agreed to jointly manage the sustainable más...
Pierre suspends supervisor, equips housekeepers with panic buttons
NEW YORK CITY The Pierre has suspended a supervisor and agreed to equip guestroom attendants with panic buttons following an alleged sexual assault of más...
Capital Hotel Management acquires 4-property Santa Monica Hotel Group
LOS ANGELES Capital Hotel Management has acquired the four-property Santa Monica Hotel Group—an asset-management portfolio that includes Four Seasons más...
Goldman’s Whitehall fund restructures US$1.42b of hotel debt
NEW YORK CITY A Goldman Sachs fund has restructured US$1.42 billion of debt that had been coming due on a group of hotels known as the Tharaldson and más...
Japan hotels continue to cope with disasters’ aftermath
JAPAN Hotels across Japan have reacted with composure in the aftermath of the March earthquake and tsunami, and the related radiation issues from the más...
Hilton buys Ohana Islander Waikiki, will convert to timeshares
HONOLULU Hilton Grand Vacations has purchased the shuttered Ohana Islander Waikiki Hotel from Outrigger Enterprises Group for an undisclosed amount. Hilton más...
Pod hotel brand Qbic targets 10 properties in UK
UNITED KINGDOM Qbic Hotels, an Amsterdam-based economy brand specializing in prefabricated pod hotels, is aiming to open 10 properties across the United más...
Atlantic City cocktail servers hire Allred in lawsuit over revealing uniforms
ATLANTIC CITY A group of cocktail servers who were fired by Resorts Casino Hotel have hired celebrity attorney Gloria Allred to represent them in an age más...
New Jersey Marriott waterpark hotel sells, to be operated as independent
MOUNT LAUREL, NEW JERSEY The 280-key Marriott Mt. Laurel and CoCo Key Water Resort has been sold, with the property to be operated as an independent resort más...
Bill Marriott calls on Obama to loosen U.S. visa rules
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Bill Marriott has taken to the pages of Fortune magazine to plead with President Barack Obama to make it easier for travelers from más...
LodgeNet tries tiered pricing, earlier movie availability for hotel video on demand
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA LodgeNet Interactive Corp. is hoping its latest VOD 2.0 offering, which includes an earlier window for new movie availability más...
mayo 2011
Accor announces 21 new hotels in Indonesia
INDONESIA Accor has signed franchise and management agreements for 21 new hotels in Indonesia, bringing the number of pipeline hotels in the country to más...
Another high-profile housekeeper sex assault at NYC luxury hotel
NEW YORK CITY For the second time this month, a well-known international businessman has been arrested on accusations of sexually assaulting a housekeeper más...
Travelodge launches smaller hotel design concept
THAME, ENGLAND Travelodge Hotels Ltd. is launching a new budget hotel concept, Metro, that will include properties of less than 40 guestrooms and will más...
Genting buys land for Resorts World Miami
MIAMI Genting Malaysia Bhd. is planning a major leisure development called Resorts World Miami on a 14-acre site it has acquired from The McClatchy Co más...
Penthouse at Toronto Four Seasons sells for US$28.6m
TORONTO A penthouse atop Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Toronto has sold for C$28 million (US$28.6 million), which is believed to be the most más...
HOTELS’ Investment Outlook magazine in strategic alliance with Burba Hotel Network
CHICAGO Hotel conference producer Burba Hotel Network has formed an international strategic alliance with HOTELS’ Investment Outlook magazine, a más...
Hotels in Eastern Europe post bounce-back April
EUROPE The hotel industry across Europe posted positive results in year-over-year metrics in April, with Eastern Europe rebounding especially strongly más...
Hilton Hotels expands into Equatorial Guinea, Namibia
MCLEAN, VIRIGINIA Hilton Hotels & Resorts has signed management deals to debut in two additional countries. Equatorial Guinea and Namibia represent más...
Global Hotel Alliance hotels offer 2-hour mini tours for busy business travelers
GENEVA Global Hotel Alliance has launched a program catering to business travelers who may not have the time to devote to excursions but who still want más...
Measure hotel managers using RevPAR-adjusted budgets
WORLDWIDE Budgets are a good planning tool for hoteliers, but it is not always appropriate to use them as benchmarks to measure a hotel manager’s más...
Owner of Waikiki Edition sues Marriott, Schrager
HONOLULU The owner of Waikiki Edition—the debut property of the highly publicized lifestyle hotel brand jointly conceived by Marriott International más...
Home Inns acquisition of Motel 168 creates China’s largest hotel company
SHANGHAI Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. has acquired 100% ownership interest in Motel 168 International Holdings Ltd. for a total of US$470 million más...
Taj ties up with JK Hotels for expansion into Morocco
MARRAKECH Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has established its presence in North Africa by entering into a management contract with JK Hotels to operate más...
Weak leisure business takes RevPAR toll on Germany cities
GERMANY Both Düsseldorf and Frankfurt registered double-digit declines in RevPAR during April, a reflection of continued weak leisure travel business más...
Sofitel New York permits female staff to wear trousers instead of skirts
NEW YORK CITY Female staff at Sofitel New York have been given permission to wear trousers instead of the traditional uniform skirt, two weeks after a más...
France to invest in construction of resorts in North Caucasus
NORTH CAUCASUS, RUSSIA France will help build US$2.84 billion worth of resorts in North Caucasus region, making an undisclosed investment into Russia’s más...
Hilton launches largest DoubleTree ad campaign since acquiring brand
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide is launching the most comprehensive awareness campaign for the DoubleTree by Hilton brand since acquiring it 10 years más...
Pebblebrook REIT acquires Viceroy Miami
MIAMI Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the 148-key Viceroy Miami hotel for US$36.5 million, or about US$247,000 per key. The luxury hotel, located más...
Atlantic City Golden Nugget conversion to include US$100m renovation
ATLANTIC CITY Landry’s Restaurants Inc. will spend about US$100 million to convert the former Trump Marina Hotel Casino into Golden Nugget Atlantic más...
People on the move, week of May 23, 2011
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move:Marcus Hotels & Resorts in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has promoted Chris Anderson to senior vice president más...
IHG signs 6 new hotels in China, including 3 InterContinental flags
CHINA A new three-brand, six-hotel management contract with Poly Real Estate Group Co. Ltd. will add about 1,773 guestrooms to IHG’s China pipeline más...
Hotel Inns poised to pick up China rival Motel 168
HONG KONG Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. has been picked as the preferred bidder for Shanghai Motel Management Co., according to multiple published más...
Asia Pacific RevPAR, ADR spike despite lower occupancy in April
ASIA PACIFIC Hotels in the Asia Pacific region posted substantial gains in RevPAR and ADR during April, despite lower occupancy during the month. In year-over-year más...
Pinnacle Entertainment buys stake in Ho Tram Strip developer, will manage resort
HO TRAM, VIETNAM Gaming operator Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. will invest US$95 million to acquire a 26% stake in the developer of the Ho Tram Strip, a más...
Arena, convention center expansion, hotel proposed for Baltimore Sheraton site
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND A Baltimore civic organization is proposing a US$900 million project to be built on the site of Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel that would más...
New W Hotels iPhone app facilitates on-property service requests
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK W Hotels Worldwide has unveiled a new iPhone application that lets guests order roomservice and request other guest services, in más...
Stalled Atlantic City Hard Rock casino resort project moves forward
ATLANTIC CITY A stalled boutique casino resort project from Hard Rock Café International appears to be moving forward, as the company is preparing más...
HEI Hotels acquires Sheraton National Hotel near Washington
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA HEI Hotels & Resorts has purchased the fee-simple interest in the 417-key Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, for más...
Hilton Hotels to pilot new bath amenities by Peter Thomas Roth
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA A new bath amenity collection exclusively available at Hilton Hotels & Resorts includes six new products by Peter Thomas Roth, a más...
Swiss-Belhotel takes over management of Jakarta hotel
JAKARTA Swiss-Belhotel International has assumed management of the former Grand Flora hotel, a 4-star property in Jakarta, on behalf of owner Arion Paramita más...
Wheelock Street Capital acquires three hotels in California
BOSTON Wheelock Street Capital has acquired, in separate transactions, the 262-key Hyatt Westlake Plaza in Thousand Oaks, California, and the 245-key más...
Royal wedding’s impact less than expected for London hoteliers
UNITED KINGDOM Hoteliers in London posted strong numbers during April, but the royal wedding contributed relatively little to the hotel industry’s más...
New York considers requiring ‘panic buttons’ for hotel housekeepers
NEW YORK A New York lawmaker is proposing a measure that would require hotels to provide housekeepers with an emergency “panic button” to más...
Hard Rock Hotels makes Latin America debut in Panama
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA Marking the brand’s debut in Latin America, Hard Rock Hotel Panama Megapolis is scheduled to debut in December in Panama City más...
Atlantic City’s US$2.4b Revel Resort gets opening date
ATLANTIC CITY One of the most expensive resorts ever built has been given an official opening date, after the global economic crisis slowed development más...
RevPAR up 8% across Americas in April
THE AMERICAS The Americas region has recorded positive results in all three key performance metrics for April, according to STR Global data. Hotels in más...
Ex-Sands executive seeks defamation trial against Adelson
LAS VEGAS The former CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s Macau division has filed a defamation lawsuit against company Chairman Sheldon Adelson. The más...
Swissôtel to manage new hotel in Olympics host city Sochi
SOCHI, RUSSIA Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts is adding another hotel to its Russia portfolio, signing a management deal for a 200-key beach resort más...
Hyatt weeks away from union settlement, CEO says
CHICAGO Hyatt Hotels Corp. hopes to reach a contract settlement with Chicago labor unions within a matter of weeks, its CEO says. Chicago-based Hyatt más...
Habitat for Humanity strips fixtures from never-opened Radisson
NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE A Radisson hotel that was built more than 10 years ago but never opened due to a local zoning dispute has been stripped of its fixtures más...
Schrager launches Public brand, to debut at Chicago’s Ambassador East
CHICAGO Ian Schrager has finally gone Public with his plans for revitalizing Chicago’s iconic Ambassador East Hotel. Schrager intends to make the más...
Choice’s Comfort brands overhaul design, strive for more upscale look
SILVER SPRING, MAYRLAND Choice Hotels International’s Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites brands have unveiled an entirely new design concept to modernize más...
Choice Hotels launches new national marketing campaign
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International has launched a US$40 million U.S. marketing campaign aimed at unifying the company’s portfolio más...
Australia hotel market improves in cities, but regional destinations struggle
AUSTRALIA Key demand drivers to Australia’s tourism, hospitality and leisure sectors have softened in recent months, due primarily to the surging más...
Hotels lose US$2.2b annually to online ‘brandjacking’
WORLDWIDE Hotels lose an estimated US$2.2 billion each year from online “brandjacking,” in which competing distribution channels siphon would-be más...
Another bidder emerges for Oaks Hotels
SUNSHINE COAST, AUSTRALIA Three weeks after a controlling stake in debt-stricken Oaks Hotels & Resorts was acquired by Minor International PCL, a más...
Trump Entertainment weighs sale of Trump Plaza
ATLANTIC CITY Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. is considering either selling or expanding Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, with a decision likely within más...
Hotel Leelaventure plans to raise US$222m through bond issue
NEW DELHI Hotel Leelaventure Ltd. is seeking shareholder approval to raise 10 billion rupees (US$222 million). This luxury hotel group's board has voted más...
Steigenberger Hotels reshuffles executive team
FRANKFURT As part of Steigenberger Hotel Group’s strategic plans to expand its portfolio internationally, the company is reshuffling its executive más...
Joie de Vivre hotels invite guests to sing for room upgrades
CALIFORNIA Four Joie de Vivre Hotels in Southern California are each giving away a complimentary upgrade each day through September to the first guest más...
Westbrook buys St. Regis Washington for US$100m
WASHINGTON, D.C. Private equity firm Westbrook Partners has purchased the 182-key St. Regis Washington, D.C., for about US$100 million in cash. The acquisition más...
U.S. hotel RevPAR up 8% in April
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry posted increases in all three key performance measurements during April, according to data from STR. In year-over-year más...
KSL Capital buys InterContinental Montelucia Resort, drops flag
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA KSL Capital Partners LLC has acquired the 293-key InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale. The purchase price has más...
Earthquake-stricken Copthorne Hotel Christchurch City to be razed
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND Officials overseeing the city’s recovery from a February earthquake have concluded that the 142-key Copthorne Hotel Christchurch más...
CitizenM confirms New York City projects
NEW YORK CITY CitizenM Hotels, the technologically-forward budget brand based in Amsterdam, has selected a site for its first property outside Europe más...
Strategic to acquire remaining 49% interest in InterContinental Chicago
CHICAGO Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. will acquire the 49% interest in InterContinental Chicago that is owned by its joint venture partner, an affiliate más...
DoubleTree to reflag Sheffield Park Hotel
ENGLAND Three England hotels owned by Pederson Caterers Ltd. have been sold by administrator CB Richard Ellis Hotels. They are Sheffield Park Hotel, Winchester más...
Ruling clears way for Starwood Capital takeover of Viceroy Anguilla
ANGUILLA A U.S. Bankruptcy Court has approved a public auction for the 166-key Viceroy Anguilla Resort and Residences, potentially clearing the way for más...
Hilton Hotels signs management deal in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia
AL JUBAIL, SAUDI ARABIA Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Dar Al Bayan Real Estate Development Co. for a Hilton Hotels & Resorts más...
Dolce Hotels taps ex-Kimpton executive as new development director
ROCKLEIGH, NEW JERSEY Dolce Hotels and Resorts has appointed Miguel Batista as its new director of development for North America. Batista is tasked with más...
Cheval Blanc to flag hotel conversion of Paris' Samaritaine store
PARIS Closed since 2005, the once-beloved Paris department store, La Samaritaine, is set to undergo a three-year renovation to convert it into a luxury más...
Sol Meliá reflags former Kempinski hotel in Tanzania
ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA Sol Meliá will make its debut in Tanzania with the reflagging of the former Zamani Kempinski, Zanzibar. The 107-key resort will más...
Solmar Hotels opens luxury resort in Los Cabos
CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO Located at the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula where the Sea of Cortes meets the Pacific Ocean, Grand Solmar Land's End más...
IHG’s Indigo brand named official hotel partner of WNBA
ATLANTA The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and IHG have announced a new multiyear marketing partnership that makes Hotel Indigo más...
Closed Nebraska Crowne Plaza to reopen as Sheraton
OMAHA, NEBRASKA Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is returning to Nebraska’s largest city after a 10-year absence, reflagging a former Crowne Plaza más...
Electric automaker Tesla installs charging stations at 10 UK hotels
UNITED KINGDOM Tesla, the U.S. manufacturer of high-end electric automobiles, will install charging stations at 10 hotels across Great Britain in a bid más...
Rezidor announces new-build Radisson Blu for Istanbul
ISTANBUL The Rezidor Hotel Group announces the 133-key Radisson Blu Golden Horn Hotel, Istanbul, scheduled to open in early 2013. The hotel will be owned más...
California brewery plans boutique hotel
ESCONDIDO, CALIFORNIA Stone Brewing Co. is planning to build a boutique hotel adjacent to its restaurant in Escondido. The hotel, which would have between más...
Choice Hotels offers third stay free promotion across Europe
EUROPE Choice Hotels International is offering members of its Choice Privileges loyalty club a free night after two stays at any of its more than 200 más...
People on the move, week of May 16, 2011
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move:Klaus Assmann has been appointed general manager at Jumeirah Creekside Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates más...
Fashion TV network to launch new hotel brand with Dubai debut
DUBAI Global satellite network Fashion TV has signed with Al Habtoor Group to flag the world’s first Fashion Hotel, in Dubai. Al Habtoor will own más...
New York Palace Hotel sells for US$400m
NEW YORK CITY The New York Palace Hotel, one of Manhattan’s most luxurious properties, is being sold to Northwood Investors LLC. Northwood, controlled más...
Ex-Lexington Collection CEO Belmonte launches Centerstone Inns
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA Hotel industry veteran Steve Belmonte is launching a new franchising company, built on the backbone of Key West Inns. Centerstone más...
La Quinta could go public before Blackstone sibling Hilton
NEW YORK CITY It is widely assumed that Blackstone Group LP is preparing to bring Hilton Worldwide back to the public markets in the near term, but it más...
Asia Pacific arrivals up in Q1 despite Japan disasters
ASIA PACIFIC International visitor arrivals across Asia Pacific are up 5% in the first quarter year over year, although world events kept the travel increase más...
Katrina-closed Hyatt Regency New Orleans sets October reopening
NEW ORLEANS Six years after Hurricane Katrina blew out most of the windows of the 32-story hotel, Hyatt Regency New Orleans is preparing to reopen following más...
New Delhi’s pipeline is world’s largest relative to open inventory
WORLDWIDE New Delhi would see its hotel inventory grow by nearly half if all projects currently in the pipeline come to fruition, giving the India capital más...
Hilton Worldwide enters New Zealand’s South Island with 2 hotels
QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND The Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand is debuting in New Zealand's South Island with the opening of the 178-key Hilton Queenstown más...
773-key Hyatt Regency Dearborn sells
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN Royal Realties LLC has acquired the 773-key Hyatt Regency Dearborn from CW Capital for an undisclosed price. Hyatt Hotels Corp. will más...
Sandals Resorts sued over guest’s hot tub death
MIAMI The family of a man who drowned in a hot tub at Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort is suing Sandals Resorts International and Unique Vacations Inc., más...
Kerkorian, Paulson agree to be ‘cornerstone investors’ in MGM China
HONG KONG The Macau joint venture of MGM Resorts International has received US$190 million from four investors leading up to its initial public offering más...
MGM Hospitality’s plans for China get more ambitious
CHINA MGM Hospitality is raising its goals for nongaming expansion into China, now aiming to open as many as 30 hotels in the country by 2015. The nongaming más...
Class-action lawsuit questions legality of ‘hidden’ resort fees
NEW YORK CITY A class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court this week could have far-reaching implications on the hotel industry and its growing más...
HEI Hotels acquires Sheraton Dallas North
DALLAS HEI Hotels & Resorts has acquired the 309-key Sheraton Dallas North for an undisclosed price. The property is HEI’s second hotel acquisition más...
InterContinental San Francisco pilots Prius electric plug-in cars
SAN FRANCISCO InterContinental San Francisco is partnering with car-sharing company Zipcar to offer a Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) to its más...
Hard Rock Tulsa to build new hotel tower
CATOOSA, OKLAHOMA Following record snowfall in February that caused a casino roof to partially cave in, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa is planning más...
African Pride to flag former Arabella hotel in Cape Town
CAPE TOWN Protea Hospitality Group will manage the former Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa under its African Pride brand, following the 5-star property’s más...
Mexico tourism turns to discounting, media blitz to battle violent image
MEXICO An aggressive ad campaign across the United States and widespread hotel industry discounting are among the tactics being employed by the Mexico más...
Carlson opens first Park Inn by Radisson hotel in Brazil
SÃO PAULO Carlson announces the further international expansion of its Park Inn by Radisson brand in Latin America with the opening of Park Inn más...
Jumeirah manager confesses to 2009 murder of Essex House guest
NEW YORK CITY A former housekeeping manager at Manhattan’s Jumeirah Essex House has pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder and attempted rape más...
Marriott to manage 3 hotels in Mecca, including JW Marriott
MECCA Marriott International will manage three additional hotels in Mecca under a long-term agreement with Jabal Omar Development Co. Scheduled to open más...
U.S. hotel industry recovery favors upmarket segments
UNITED STATES After two years of declining profits, the average U.S. hotel enjoyed a 9.8% bottom line increase in 2010, according to PKF Hospitality Research más...
Europe hotel rates highest since 2008
EUROPE The average price of a standard double guestroom in Europe’s 50 most popular destinations this month reached £117—the highest más...
Sofitel lands at center of high-profile international sex assault case
NEW YORK CITY A housekeeper at Sofitel New York has accused French politician of sexual assault, and the Accor brand’s CEO has issued a statement más...
Ex-Morgans branding chief Miller to lead Marriott’s Edition Hotels
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Marriott International Inc. has named Tim Miller senior vice president and managing director for Edition Hotels, the company’s más...
Optimism among CFOs at highest level in four years, more will travel
WORLDWIDE Optimism about economic expansion is on the rise among senior finance executives around the world, reaching its highest level in the four years más...
Westin Hotels brand makes debut in South America
LIMA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened the first Westin hotel in South America, The Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center. Located más...
Elad Properties CEO resigns
NEW YORK CITY The CEO of Elad Properties has resigned, just days after a dispute between the company’s Plaza Hotel and its Oak Room resulted in más...
Expedia begins posting hotels' ‘walk scores’
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON Expedia has begun posting hotels' rating based on the ability of guests to walk to and from various points of interest, in an effort más...
ClubHotel Riu Palm Azur opens in Tunisia
DJERBA, TUNISIA Riu Hotels & Resorts has opened its 10th hotel in Tunisia and second on the island of Djerba, the 390-key oceanfront ClubHotel Riu más...
Galaxy Macau gaming resort opens, including Banyan Tree, Okura hotels
MACAU Galaxy Macau, an integrated resort on the Cotai Strip from Galaxy Entertainment Group, has officially opened. The US1.9 billion complex includes más...
Sears Tower owner identified as Hotel Chelsea buyer
NEW YORK CITY Joseph Chetrit, a reclusive New York City-based real estate investor noted for his partial ownership of North America’s tallest building más...
31% of upscale American travelers plan resort stays this summer
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA More than two in five upscale American travelers will book their vacations within three months of departures, while just 31% of upscale más...
Vegas Cosmopolitan loses US$56.8m in debut quarter
LAS VEGAS Despite loads of positive buzz and a recovering tourism market, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has posted somewhat disappointing results in its más...
IHG appoints 3 regional development chiefs
DENHAM, ENGLAND The world’s largest hotel company by number of guestrooms has appointed three regional development heads to lead IHG’s continuing más...
UK hotels see modest performance improvement during Q1
UNITED KINGDOM The hotel industry in the United Kingdom posted RevPAR growth of 3.8% during the first quarter, according to STR Global. UK RevPAR rose más...
Hyatt to repurchase 9m shares from Pritzkers
CHICAGO Hyatt Hotels Corp. has agreed to repurchase about 9 million of its Class B common shares from trusts of the founding Pritzker family. The buyback más...
Surge in hotel inventory challenges Cape Town occupancy rate
CAPE TOWN Even with significant increases to Cape Town’s upscale and luxury hotel inventory in the past couple years, the market continues to perform más...
Retired NBA star Oakley sues Aria Las Vegas, alleges assault by security
LAS VEGAS Charles Oakley, a former standout basketball player for the New York Knicks, has filed a lawsuit against MGM Resorts International’s Aria más...
Vegas Strip’s oldest casino, Sahara, closes today
LAS VEGAS Once a favorite hangout of the Rat Pack and Elvis Presley, the Las Vegas Strip’s oldest operating casino, Sahara Hotel & Casino, today más...
Sequel to St. Barth’s Sereno hotel planned at Italy’s Lake Como
TORNO, ITALY Lake Como will soon see the addition of a luxury boutique hotel from the owner of St. Barth’s renowned Le Sereno. Il Sereno, Lago di más...
Visitors returning to Europe, spending more on luxury hotels
EUROPE The hotel industry in Europe is showing steady signs of growth, although it is yet to recover to pre-downturn levels, according to new data from más...
Miami’s Doral Golf Resort goes on market
MIAMI The 693-key Doral Golf Resort and Spa is being placed on the market, three months after it and four sister properties were placed into bankruptcy más...
DiamondRock to pay US$335m for Manhattan Radisson
NEW YORK CITY DiamondRock Hospitality Co. would pay US$470,000 per key for Radisson Lexington in Midtown Manhattan, according to published reports. The más...
Ascott to flag luxury extended-stay hotel near Arc de Triomphe
PARIS The Ascott Ltd., the serviced residences company owned by Singapore-based CapitaLand, will launch its luxury Ascott brand in France with a luxury más...
Sol Meliá increases revenue 14% in Q1 on higher occupancy, rates
PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN Sol Meliá SA has quadrupled its earnings in the first quarter thanks to higher revenues and improved hotel performance más...
Strategic Hotels CEO Geller installed as U. West London chancellor
LONDON The University of West London has installed alumnus Laurence Geller, president and CEO of Strategic Hotels & Resorts, as its new chancellor más...
San Diego proposes hotel tax to fund convention center expansion
SAN DIEGO The city of San Diego is proposing a new guestroom tax of up to 3% to help finance expansion of the San Diego Convention Center. The tax would más...
IHG signs 400-key Holiday Inn in Medina
MEDINA, SAUDI ARABIA Al Aqeeq Real Estate Development Co. is building a 400-key Holiday Inn hotel in the holy city of Medina. Holiday Inn Medina-Al Safwa más...
People on the move, week of May 9, 2011
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move:Hilton Worldwide has appointed Carlos Baruki as regional vice president, sales and marketing, for Mexico más...
Hilton aspires to be fastest-growing luxury hotel company
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide is in a period of aggressive expansion of its luxury hotel brands, and executives are aiming to become the world’s más...
Accor refinances credit facility with €1.5b syndicated line
EVRY, FRANCE As part of its financial optimization process, Accor SA announced has closed a €1.5 billion syndicated line of credit with a group of más...
AH&LA, U.S. Chamber, hotel companies form travel trade lobbying group
WASHINGTON, D.C. American Hotel & Lodging Association is teaming with U.S. Travel Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Retail Federation más...
Qatar occupancy rate up 9 points in Q1 on higher regional travel
QATAR Hotel occupancy across Qatar is up noticeably in the first quarter, driven by surging inbound travel from other Gulf Cooperation Council states más...
DoubleTree brand to debut in Mexico this quarter
QUERÉTARO, MEXICO Hilton Worldwide has signed a franchise development deal with GS Consorcio Hotelero SA de CV for the first DoubleTree-branded más...
Residence Inn to open near Boston’s Fenway Park
BOSTON A Residence Inn by Marriott is being developed about two blocks from Boston’s historic Fenway Park baseball stadium. Boylston Properties más...
Silverleaf Resorts shareholders approve merger with Cerberus
DALLAS Shareholders of timeshare operator Silverleaf Resorts Inc. have approved a merger agreement with an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management LP más...
Radisson Blu signed for Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area
BANGKOK Carlson announces the signing of Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Bangkok, Sukhumvit. The 290-key hotel is owned by G&P Asset Holdings, a major property más...
Michigan Four Points reflags as Sheraton following renovation
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN RockBridge Partners has completed an US$8.5 million renovation of the 197-key former Ann Arbor Four Points by Sheraton, which is now más...
Aqua Hotels launches pair of edgy promotions
HONOLULU Aqua Hotels & Resorts has rolled out a pair of promotions that are as clever as they are edgy. The first promotion plays off the conspiracy más...
Raffles to make Turkey debut next year
ISTANBUL Raffles Hotels & Resorts will flag a luxury hotel at a major mixed-use project under construction in Istanbul. The Zorlu Center residential más...
Global tourism up 4%, led by South America
WORLDWIDE International tourist arrivals grew 4% during the first two months of 2011, consolidating the 7% rebound registered in 2010. According to the más...
Focus on customer experiences to build brand, Cornell summit concludes
ITHACA, NEW YORK The vast quantity of consumer information available on the Internet can help hospitality firms to manage their brands more effectively más...
Pacific Asia Travel Association creates Rapid Recovery Task Force
BANGKOK Pacific Asia Travel Association will establish a Rapid Recovery Task Force to address post-crisis recovery strategies in the face of natural, más...
HSMAI revises mission, launches ‘expert communities’
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has revised its organizational mission to focus on providing a more más...
RLJ REIT prices IPO at US$495m
BETHESDA, MARYLAND RLJ Lodging Trust expects to raise about US$495 million from its initial public offering today. The REIT’s is selling 27.5 million más...
Aloft expands Smart Check-In program to five more hotels
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK The automated check-in program from Aloft Hotels that lets guests bypass the front desk and use their SPG cards as room keys is más...
Thayer refinances Interstate Hotels stake
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND Thayer Lodging Group has completed the refinancing of its 50% stake in Interstate Hotels & Resorts. Thayer and 50-50 joint venture más...
Starwood teams with Foursquare for bonus Starpoints on check-in
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Preferred Guest is teaming up with Foursquare to encourage and reward guests who check-in on the geolocation-based social más...
Ideeli, Voyage Privé partner on ‘largest upscale flash sale travel platform’
NEW YORK CITY Flash sale website Ideeli.com and private travel sale site Voyage Privé are partnering to launch what the companies claim is the más...
China’s HNA Group takes 20% stake in NH Hoteles
MADRID HNA Group has acquired a 20% stake in NH Hoteles, investing about €431.6 million in a move that gives the Beijing-based company a significant más...
Morgans buys out hotel restaurant management, reevaluates F&B strategy
NEW YORK CITY Morgans Hotel Group Co. is acquiring the remaining 50% interests that it does not own in its restaurants, effectively buying out its third-party más...
IHG posts 7% RevPAR gains worldwide, including 19% in China
DENHAM, ENGLAND RevPAR is up across all regions in the first quarter, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC reports, with particularly strong success in China más...
Chesapeake REIT to buy W Chicago City Center
CHICAGO Chesapeake Lodging Trust has agreed to acquire the 368-key W Chicago City Center for US$128.8 million, or about US$350,000 per key, according más...
Clinton Bush Haiti Fund invests in Port au Prince hotel, hospitality academy
PORT AU PRINCE The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund is investing US$2 million to complete construction on a major hotel project in Haiti that was abruptly halted más...
MGM Resorts closes 500 guestrooms at Gold Strike
JEAN, NEVADA MGM Resorts International has closed more than half of its hotel capacity at its resort in Jean, citing diminished business. MGM is shuttering más...
Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Downtown opens
DUBAI The Rezidor Hotel Group announces the opening of its seventh property in the United Arabe Emirates, the 222-key Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Downtown más...
IHG signs 2 Staybridge Suites properties for UAE
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES IHG is partnering with Action Hotels to develop two Staybridge Suites properties in the United Arab Emirates. Staybridge Suites Ras más...
Summit REIT closes on 3 hotel acquisitions, announces 4th
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA Summit Hotel Properties Inc. has closed on three previously announced acquisitions and is acquiring a fourth property, as well más...
Insecticide blamed in deaths of four Thailand hotel visitors
CHIANG MAI, THAILAND The chemical chlorpyrifos, typically used by farmers to kill insects, is suspected as the cause of four deaths at a hotel in Chiang más...
Caesars launches nongaming development unit
LAS VEGAS Caesars Entertainment Corp. has created a new nongaming business unit to develop branded luxury hotels, restaurants and other lifestyle amenities más...
KOP to launch ‘super-luxury’ hotel chain in London
LONDON A historic building next to the Tower of London that was acquired last year by Singapore-based KOP Properties is to be converted into the first más...
RLJ REIT IPO expected this week on NYSE
BETHESDA, MARYLAND The newly formed hotel REIT from Robert L. Johnson is planning to debut this week on the New York Stock Exchange with a US$664 million más...
Fundraising target of MGM Macau IPO triples to US$1.5 billion
HONG KONG The Macau joint venture of MGM Resorts International is now seeking to raise US$1.5 billion in its upcoming initial public offering—about más...
Mixed results in March for France hotel industry
FRANCE After two encouraging months of improved activity, March was rather inconsistent for the majority of France’s hotels, as the staggering of más...
Chicago’s historic Allerton Hotel staves off foreclosure with bankruptcy filing
CHICAGO The new owner of Chicago's Allerton Hotel has filed for bankruptcy, for now staving off an attempted foreclosure by senior lender DiamondRock más...
Fairmont to enter Indonesia with Jakarta hotel
JAKARTA Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will make its debut in Indonesia with a 488-key luxury hotel in Jakarta, scheduled to open in 2014. Situated in más...
Firmdale buys back Dorset Square Hotel
LONDON The 37-key boutique property that launched Firmdale Hotels 25 years ago is back in Tim and Kit Kemp’s portfolio. Firmdale sold Dorset Square más...
Sage to renovate neglected Crowne Plaza in Cleveland
CLEVELAND, OHIO Years of neglect have left about 75% of the guestrooms at the dilapidated 470-key Crowne Plaza Hotel Cleveland City Centre unusable, but más...
Hersha REIT enters L.A. market with Courtyard acquisition
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA Hersha Hospitality Trust is acquiring the 260-key Marriott Courtyard Westside in Culver City, the REIT’s first foray into más...
Fashion icon Hilfiger to buy Manhattan’s MetLife tower, convert to hotel
NEW YORK CITY Famed fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger has agreed to buy Manhattan’s landmark Metropolitan Life Tower and plans to convert it into más...
Majority of select-service hotel investors pursuing acquisitions
UNITED STATES More than half of investors in the U.S. select-service hotel market are currently engaging a “buy” strategy, marking the highest más...
France grants ‘palace’ label to 8 luxury hotels
FRANCE Eight luxury hotels in France may refer to themselves as a palace, a new rating granted by the government to distinguish the elite lodgings from más...
Waldorf=Astoria responds to alleged forced name change
NEW YORK CITY Earlier this week, longtime Waldorf=Astoria New York Hotel employee Mohammed Kotbi went public with allegations that the property asked más...
MGM Resorts narrows losses on improving hotel performance
LAS VEGAS Occupancy and ADR rose at MGM Resorts International properties during the first quarter, narrowing its losses even as gaming revenue dropped más...
Plaza Hotel’s legendary Oak Room to close in July
NEW YORK CITY The Oak Room at The Plaza Hotel will close at the end of July after the legendary restaurant’s owners failed to come to terms with más...
Pod hotel Yotel New York lands Chef Sandoval for F&B operations
NEW YORK CITY Restaurateur and acclaimed Chef Richard Sandoval will oversee food and beverage operations at the new Yotel pod hotel in New York City. más...
Celebrity Chef Rowe to helm Ottoman restaurant at London’s May Fair Hotel
LONDON Quince, a new destination restaurant at The May Fair Hotel, will open its doors June 1, with celebrity Chef Silvena Rowe at its helm. Silvena más...
Google offers free professional photography for Places pages
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA Google Inc. is offering hotels in select cities the opportunity to receive complimentary professional photography that would más...
Marriott ups dividend 14%, to repurchase 25m more shares
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Marriott International Inc.’s board of directors is increasing its quarterly cash dividend by 14% and will buy back about 25 más...
People on the move, week of May 2, 2011
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move: The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort in Florida has appointed Brigette Bienvenu as director of sales más...
India insurance magnate Analjit Singh to become hotelier, buys Delhi tower
NEW DELHI Analjit Singh, chairman of insurance and healthcare conglomerate Max India, is planning to launch his own hotel brand and has purchased a 500 más...
A promising spring for Europe’s hotel industry
EUROPE Hotel performance across the European Union continued to remain positive in March, capping a successful first quarter in which creeping occupancy más...
Mohegan Sun to partner on New York gaming resort
KIAMESHA LAKE, NEW YORK The Mohegan Tribe, owners of Mohegan Sun gaming resort in Connecticut, is partnering on the restoration of a hotel project in más...
Paradisus plans new resort for Costa Rica following reflag by Westin
PAPAGAYO BAY, COSTA RICA Sol Meliá will open a new-build Paradisus Resorts all-inclusive luxury resort in Papagayo Bay, scheduled to open in July más...
Mandarin Oriental eyes entry into India
MUMBAI Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is reportedly negotiating on a management deal in Mumbai that would mark the luxury hotelier’s debut in India más...
Despite Japan disasters, Hawaii’s hotel industry continues upswing
HAWAII Hotel occupancy and RevPAR across Hawaii continued improving in March, despite significant reductions in the number of visitors from Japan—typically más...
Sonesta loses Orlando flag to DoubleTree
ORLANDO Sonesta International Hotels Corp. has lost one of its four U.S. flags, with the conversion of the former Sonesta Orlando Hotel Downtown to Hilton más...
Marriott may expand Mideast development deal with Bahrain’s ITICO
SAR, BAHRAIN Private investment firm ITICO is hoping to expand its partnership with Marriott International to develop additional hotels across the Middle más...
Expedia reveals 'Insiders’ Select' list of world’s top hotels for value
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON Hotels in Italy and the United States dominate the Expedia 2011 Insiders’ Select list that identifies the world’s top más...
Comedienne DeGeneres acts as concierge for Venetian, Palazzo
LAS VEGAS Comedienne and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres served as a celebrity concierge for a day at The Venetian and The Palazzo to promote the Las Vegas más...
Cerberus-Chatham JV wins Innkeepers auction, buys 64 hotels for US$1.13b
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA A joint venture between Cerberus Capital Management LP and Chatham Lodging Trust has won a bankruptcy auction for 64 hotels owned más...
Minor International acquires controlling stake in Australia’s Oaks Hotels
BANGKOK Minor International PCL has successfully acquired a controlling stake in Australia-based Oaks Hotels & Resorts Ltd. The newly purchased 34 más...
Omni is first major hotel brand to enable booking on Facebook itself
IRVING, TEXAS Omni Hotels & Resorts has launched a new Facebook reservations tool, becoming the first major hotel company to enable booking without más...
China’s Shimao Property may spin off its hotel business
HONG KONG Development firm Shimao Property Holdings Ltd. is considering a spinoff of its hotel, tourism and leisure property business on the Hong Kong más...
Hotel investment opportunities ripen in Buenos Aires
BUENOS AIRES An upswing in economic fundamentals in Buenos Aires has spurred numerous hotel investment opportunities there, with domestic and foreign más...
Brazil passes China for real estate transaction volume in Q1
WORLDWIDE The BRIC nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China continue to grow in importance to the real estate capital markets. The group, which accounted más...
Middle East and Africa hotel occupancy plunges in March
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA RevPAR dropped 5.1% during March across the Middle East and Africa, even as ADR spiked 9%, according to STR Global data. The region's más...
U.S. hotel rates to be 7% higher this summer, Bing predicts
UNITED STATES Summer hotel rates will be about 7% higher than a year ago across the United States, according to predictions from Microsoft’s Bing más...
Hilton Garden Inn brand to debut in Qatar
DOHA Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Smile Trading and Contracting to open the first Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Qatar. The 258-key más...
Sheraton to flag 4th Dubai hotel
DUBAI Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with Abdulsalam Alrafi Group LLC to open a new Sheraton hotel in Dubai. Scheduled más...
Jumeirah shelves launch of lifestyle Venu brand
DUBAI Jumeirah Group is suspending the development of its Venu Hotels brand, a lifestyle concept that the Dubai-based company announced a year ago. “We más...
Hyatt’s Q1 profit doubles on higher RevPAR
CHICAGO Revenue rose 4% during the first quarter for Hyatt Hotels Corp., driven by growing RevPAR, higher management fees and creeping ADR. Hyatt posted más...
Westin launches new US$30m ad campaign
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Westin Hotels & Resorts has unveiled a new US$30 million ad campaign, "For a Better You," that uses artistic imagery to depict más...
Europe RevPAR up 9% in March
EUROPE The hotel industry in Europe posted positive results in year-over-year metrics for March, according to data compiled by STR Global. In the first más...
Accor to introduce Adagio brand to Middle East
ABU DHABI Accor plans to launch its Adagio extended-stay brand in the Middle East next year with a property in Abu Dhabi. Accor aims to open more than más...
Sol Meliá moves ahead with Middle East expansion
DUABI Sol Meliá SA announces its first property in the Middle East, a 5-star urban resort in Dubai slated to open in October. The 164-key Meliá más...
Lootah Hotel Management to open Shariah-compliant resort in Maldives
MALDIVES Lootah Hotel Management will manage the first Shariah-compliant resort in the Maldives by 2013. The nascent firm will manage the property on más...
Madayen Holding aims to build 35 Islamic hotels by 2014
ABU DHABI Madayen Holding has started an investment fund that aims to build 35 Islamic hotels over the next three years. Most of the hotels—about más...
Accor promotes Mercure website relaunch with interactive contest
PARIS Accor is promoting the relaunch of the website for its midscale Mercure brand with an interactive online contest. Through May 31, visitors to the más...
Hyatt Place to be built at Austin Convention Center
AUSTIN, TEXAS Hyatt Hotels Corp. has formed a joint venture with White Lodging Services Corp. to construct and own a Hyatt Place hotel in at the Austin más...
M&C to launch brand based on L.A.’s Millennium Biltmore
ABU DHABI Millennium & Copthorne Hotels PLC is launching a hotel brand based on its Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles, with the first satellite más...
10 killed, 35 injured in fire at Home Inn, arson suspected
TONGHUA CITY, CHINA At least 10 people are dead and about 35 more are hurt following a fire at a budget hotel in northeastern China. The fire broke out más...
U.S. hotel development pipeline reaches cyclical low
UNITED STATES Further declines have brought U.S. hotel construction pipeline counts to a new cyclical low of 2,951 projects and 354,100 guestrooms, according más...
Greece tourism declines in Q1, but hoteliers optimistic for full year
GREECE International arrivals declined significantly during the first quarter in Greece’s top tourism markets, but hoteliers across the country más...
Orlando, Vegas top 2011 list of U.S. summer destinations
UNITED STATES Orlando and Las Vegas are the most popular U.S. destinations for summer travelers this year, according to a new survey by OTA Orbitz. Despite más...
No-frills chain Tune Hotels may go public by 2013
KUALA LUMPUR Tune Hotels, the no-frills budget hotel chain that charges add-on fees for everything from towels to air conditioning, could go public in más...
Hilton announces 2nd DoubleTree in Malaysia
MALACCA, MALAYSIA Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Hatten Group for DoubleTree by Hilton, Melaka, the second property for the brand más...
Florida Hotel Indigo to be sold, reflagged
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA The 67-key Hotel Indigo Fort Myers is scheduled to change hands this week, and the new owner plans to reflag the property. Massachusetts más...
Employee sues Waldorf=Astoria for discrimination after requested name change
NEW YORK CITY A longtime employee of The Waldorf=Astoria Hotel New York is suing the property, claiming managers insist he wear nametags displaying monikers más...
New York City’s Moderne Hotel undergoes complete redesign
NEW YORK CITY Amsterdam Hospitality Group has tapped Goodman Charlton LLC to execute a complete redesign of The Moderne Hotel in Manhattan. The lavish más...
abril 2011
Marriott, Accor expand free WiFi offerings
EUROPE AND ASIA PACIFIC Marriott International and Accor Hospitality are each significantly expanding their free WiFi offerings. Marriott is now providing más...
MGM Resorts’ Hong Kong IPO runs into problems
HONG KONG The Hong Kong Stock Exchange held a special meeting Thursday to review the planned IPO of MGM China Holdings Ltd., expressing concerns about más...
Asia Pacific RevPAR up 10% despite falling occupancy
ASIA PACIFIC Occupancy across Asia Pacific slipped during March year over year, but RevPAR is nevertheless higher thanks to a spike in ADR. The region's más...
Tsunami-damaged Four Seasons resort reopens
KONA, HAWAII Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka‘upulehu reopens Saturday following a six-week closure caused by the earthquake-generated más...
Disney to convert guestrooms for princess, wellness themes
ORLANDO Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is converting some of its hotel guestrooms into niche offerings featuring a princess theme or a health-and-wellness más...
Sarovar to open 4 in eastern India, plans major expansion in 2012
MUMBAI Sarovar Hotels & Resorts will double its portfolio in eastern India, announcing hotel projects in Guwahati, Tezpur, Bhubaneswar and Raniganj más...
Continental South Beach Hotel sells for US$61m
MIAMI BEACH InSite Group has acquired the 251-key Continental South Beach Hotel for US$61 million, or about US$243,000 per key. Weston, Florida-based más...
Colorado Ritz-Carlton faces foreclosure
BEAVER CREEK, COLORADO The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, has fallen into foreclosure, and the luxury property’s owner has until August 24 to bring más...
Anantara debuts in Vietnam with coastal resort
MUI NE, VIETNAM Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is making its Vietnam debut with a resort on the southeast coast, in a fishing village near Phan Thiet más...
People on the move, week of April 25, 2011
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move:Steven Adams has been promoted to director of food & beverage of Hotel Duval in Tallahassee, Florida más...
Shaner Hotels launches Italy division, flags Barga resort for Renaissance
STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA Shaner Corp. has formed a new division, Shaner Italia SRL, to own and operate hotels in Italy, and it has already made its más...
London hotels see revenue per booking jump 384% for royal wedding
LONDON Revenue per booking is up nearly 400% across London hotels for this weekend’s royal wedding, according to data from Pegasus Solutions. Forward-looking más...
U.S. hotels to see modest demand boost in summer, STR predicts
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry can expect to see a modest increase in demand for hotel rooms, combined with meaningful rate gains this summer, más...
Gaylord to feature DreamWorks characters, branding
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE Gaylord Entertainment Co. and DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. are partnering on a cross-branding effort that will feature iconic animated más...
Gaylord in talks for Western-themed convention hotel near Denver
DENVER Gaylord Entertainment Co. is in discussions with the National Western Stock Show about building a 1,500-key convention center hotel and Western-themed más...
Starwood profit falls, but revenue and outlook rise
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.'s first-quarter profit fell 6.7%, but increased revenue outpaced analyst expectations más...
Swissôtel aims for viral videos with new social media initiative
ZÜRICH Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts is launching a social media campaign featuring short video clips that the company hopes will go “viral más...
Whitbread accelerates Premier Inn expansion plans
LEAGRAVE, ENGLAND Whitbread PLC is accelerating plans to grow its Premier Inn budget hotels brand. Whitbread expects to increase its hotel inventory about más...
Rocco Forte Hotels announces Middle East flagship in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI The 281-key Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi will serve as the UK firm’s flagship property in the Middle East, the company says. It will also más...
Interstate JV adds 2 Four Points by Sheraton hotels in India
INDIA JHM Interstate Hotels India has opened and is managing two new-build Four Points by Sheraton hotels in India, in Pune and Vizag. The 217-key Four más...
Louvre Hotels Group to average 100 openings per year through 2016
PARIS Louvre Hotels Group, the newly-named organization comprising Starwood Capital Group’s merged Louvre Hôtels and Golden Tulip Hotels, más...
Barclays brings 3 U.S. luxury hotels to market
NEW YORK CITY Barclays Capital is putting three luxury hotels on the market, comprising 1,052 guestrooms, available for purchase individually or as a más...
Millennial travelers motivated by causes, learning new things
UNITED STATES Travelers in the up-and-coming Millennial generation are motivated more by connecting with causes and learning new things than are older más...
Supertel REIT implements regional management companies strategy
NORFOLK, NEBRASKA Supertel Hospitality Inc. is adopting a strategy of assigning third-party managers of its hotels on a regional basis, signing three más...
Accor North America CEO Poirot assumes additional responsibilities
DALLAS Accor North America CEO Olivier Poirot is adding oversight for the Novotel brand in Canada and all Accor operations in Mexico to his responsibilities más...
Wyndham Worldwide’s Q1 income up 44%, outlook improves
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Worldwide Corp.'s net income climbed 44% in the first quarter on improved revenue across all segments. The company is also más...
Amsterdam hotel market continues to shine amid recovering Europe
EUROPE Amsterdam hotels continue to register robust performance metrics, outpacing most other major Europe markets in revenue and occupancy. Amsterdam más...
Starwood’s Luxury Collection signs first New York hotel
NEW YORK CITY The Chatwal in Manhattan has joined The Luxury Collection, giving the Starwood Hotels & Resorts brand its first property in New York más...
Business travelers on road more this year, but still seeking value
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Business travel is on the rise compared to 2010, but road warriors are actually more apt to seek out value when booking hotels, a new más...
Investor group restructures ownership of Four Seasons Seattle
SEATTLE An investor group led by Jolene and Bruce McCaw has completed a financial restructuring of Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Seattle that más...
Starwood, Hilton, Four Seasons, IHG lauded for ‘digital competence’
WORLDWIDE Five brands from four major hotel companies rank in the travel industry’s top 10 brands for “digital competence” in a study más...
Japan inbound tourism down 50%, but Asia Pacific travel up overall
ASIA PACIFIC Travel demand to Southeast Asia remains robust, as arrivals to the subregion grew 10% year over year in February, with most destinations más...
Trump’s hotels face PR dilemma from his political activity
NEW YORK CITY Trump Hotel Collection, Trump Entertainment Resorts and other hotel companies affiliated with Donald Trump are facing a public relations más...
Starwood, Edwardian, M&C among targets of UK price-fixing inquiry
LONDON Several large international hotel chains are reportedly the subject of a price-fixing investigation by the UK Office of Fair Trading. Starwood más...
Americas RevPAR grows 9% in Q1
AMERICAS Hotels across the Americas recorded positive results in the three key performance metrics in the first quarter, according to STR Global data más...
Cosmetics firm Guerlain to expand branded spas for hotels
NEW YORK CITY Guerlain, an iconic purveyor of fragrances and cosmetics, is partnering with Trilogy Spa Ventures to grow the portfolio of Guerlain-branded más...
Accor’s luxury Pullman brand to debut in Qatar
DOHA Accor’s luxury Pullman Hotels & Resorts brand will enter the Qatar market with a 470-key property in Doha, set to open in 2014. The 5-star más...
Club lounges renovation is final phase of Sheraton revitalization effort
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is in the process of upgrading 120 club lounges globally, marking the final phase of the brand’s más...
LaSalle REIT offers 7m shares at 3% discount
BETHESDA, MARYLAND LaSalle Hotel Properties is offering 7 million shares at a 3% discount to its Monday closing price. Priced at US$27.65, the share sale más...
MGM Resorts CEO Murren takes US$4m pay cut
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren made about 29% less last year than in 2009, mainly from a substantial decline in compensation from más...
Pebblebrook REIT buys Mondrian L.A. from Morgans for US$137m
LOS ANGELES Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the 237-key Mondrian Los Angeles from Morgans Hotel Group Co. for US$137 million, or about US$578,000 más...
U.S. hotel transaction volume up 126% in first quarter
UNITED STATES The transaction market for U.S. full-service hotels soared in the first quarter, albeit from a relatively small base in 2010, according más...
Rocco Forte partners with Egypt to renovate, manage historic Luxor Hotel
LUXOR, EGYPT Rocco Forte Hotels is partnering with the Egypt government to renovate and then manage the historic Luxor Hotel, which was first built in más...
Ritz-Carlton to debut in Abu Dhabi later this year
ABU DHABI The 532-key Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, will open late this year on a private beachfront, marking the luxury brand’s debut in más...
Raffles debuts in Indian Ocean with Seychelles opening
PRASLIN, SEYCHELLES Raffles Praslin Seychelles has opened on the island of Praslin, a 15-minute helicopter flight from the capital of Mahé, marking más...
Caesars Entertainment partners with Topguest to reward social media
LAS VEGAS The nine Caesars Entertainment resorts in Las Vegas have begun offering Total Rewards points for social networking via Topguest. Visitors at más...
JW Marriott Tripoli remains in ‘suspended operation,’ future unknown
TRIPOLI, LIBYA The future of Marriott International’s only hotel in Libya, the 370-key JW Marriott Tripoli, remains uncertain. However, Marriott más...
Travel Channel takes Oyster.com stake, will promote hotel review site
NEW YORK CITY U.S. cable network Travel Channel has taken a US$7.5 million stake in online hotel review site Oyster.com, in an effort to position itself más...
California hoteliers indicted on prostitution racketeering charges
OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA The owners of a California Travelodge have been indicted on federal charges of facilitating a prostitution ring in conjunction with más...
Four Seasons commits to planting 10 million trees
TORONTO Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts announces a global commitment to plant 10 million trees as part of its long-term efforts to support sustainability más...
Hyatt Hotels finances, stars in major film about product placement
CHICAGO A new film by acclaimed filmmaker Morgan Spurlock that examines product placement, advertising and marketing has been financed largely by Hyatt más...
Waldorf Astoria, 2 Hilton Hotels signed for China
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide has signed three management agreements with New Huadu Industrial Group for a Waldorf Astoria-branded resort and two más...
Fairmont establishes new sustainable design policies
TORONTO Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is introducing a new sustainable design policy that promotes the use of green building certification systems with más...
Carlson redesigns Country Inns for India, aims to quadruple portfolio there
INDIA Carlson has renewed its joint venture with Chanakya Hotels Private Ltd. and plans to expand its portfolio of Country Inns & Suites by Carlson-flagged más...
U.S. RevPAR up 10% during March, led by luxury segment
UNITED STATES RevPAR at U.S. hotels rose 10.1% year over year during March, finishing at US$62.47, driven by higher occupancy and creeping ADR. U.S. hotels más...
India hotel pipeline represents third of existing inventory
WORLDWIDE India’s hotel guestroom inventory would increase by nearly a third if the entirety of the current development pipeline comes to market más...
Summit REIT converts 5 Comfort-flagged hotels to AmericInn
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA Summit Hotel Properties has converted five of its former Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites hotels to the midscale AmericInn brand más...
Golf resort with 3 boutique hotels planned for Cuba national park
GUANAHACABIBES NATIONAL PARK, CUBA La Playa Golf & Resorts SL of Spain is negotiating with the Cuba government to construct a large golf resort with más...
Starwood joins bath amenities recycling program
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is partnering with charity Clean the World Foundation on a new corporate agreement to collect más...
People on the move, week of April 18, 2011
Here is a roundup of people recently on the move:Ayhan Ahlatci has been named general manager of Side Crown Palace, Antalya, Turkey. Ahlatci most recently más...
Luxury 28-hotel von Essen Group goes into administration
LONDON Von Essen Group, the owner 28 luxury hotels and guesthouses across the United Kingdom and France, has gone into administration after defaulting más...
Accor sets quarterly expansion record, posts sustained revenue growth
PARIS Accor SA set a new company record in terms of expansion in the first quarter, adding about 6,600 guestrooms across 50 hotels. Europe’s largest más...
Former Shangri-La CEO Angelini to oversee Dusit's China expansion
HONG KONG Giovanni Angelini, the former CEO of Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts and the 2006 HOTELS Corporate Hotelier of the World, has been named vice más...
Marriott’s Q1 earnings disappoint, North America recovery slows
BETHESDA, MARYLAND First quarter results from Marriott International Inc. came in short of analysts’ estimates, raising concern that the hotel industry más...
Wyndham in deal for 75 new-build Microtel Inns in Canada
CANADA More than 75 new-build Microtel Inns & Suites are expected to open in Canada over the next 25 years as part of a master development agreement más...
Four Seasons to debut in New Delhi market, eyes further India expansion
NOIDA, INDIA Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts will manage a 250-key new-build hotel in India’s National Capital Region, under an exclusivity agreement más...
London ADR continues upswing, outpaces UK provinces
UNITED KINGDOM London hotels achieved profit levels 2.5-times higher than hotels in the UK provinces during March, according to the latest survey of approximately más...
Carlson signs 4 hotel management deals in China
CHINA Carlson has signed four management agreements for new-build hotels in China, including two Radisson Blu and two Park Plaza properties. The four más...
Best Western UK partners with Virgin Atlantic on loyalty collaboration
YORK, ENGLAND Best Western Hotels Great Britain has launched a global partnership deal with carrier Virgin Atlantic on a mutual loyalty club scheme. Guests más...
UNWTO steps up tourism investment promotion in Latin America
LATIN AMERICA The United Nations World Tourism Organization and Inter-American Development Bank are deepening their cooperation on tourism development más...
Wynn Resorts Q1 profit soars, will start on 3rd Macau project soon
LAS VEGAS Wynn Resorts Ltd. beat analyst expectations for the first quarter, posting a sixfold profit increase behind major gains from its Macau operations más...
Leela launches midscale hotel brand targeting religious pilgrims
MUMBAI Hotel Leelaventure Ltd. is planning to launch a midscale hotel brand called Leela Gardens that will be aimed primarily at religious pilgrims. The más...
Shangri-La opens hotel in northeast China, aims for 20 more on mainland
MANZHOULI, CHINA Shangri-La Asia Ltd. has opened the 235-key Shangri-La Hotel, Manzhouli, located near China’s border with Russia. It is the luxury más...
Hilton reflags hotel on Cairo’s Zamalek Island
CAIRO Hilton Hotels & Resorts has opened its 16th hotel in Egypt, Hilton Zamalek Residence Cairo. The 154-key former Safir Suites Zamalek overlooking más...
Hersha REIT acquires 2 New York City hotels
NEW YORK CITY Hersha Hospitality Trust has purchased a pair of midscale hotels in New York, the 112-key Holiday Inn Express Wall Street and the 81-key más...
California bill would require fitted bed sheets in hotels
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA A bill being debated in the California Legislature would require all hotels in the state to do away with the flat bed sheets preferred más...
Schrager Co. hires ex-Morgans exec Nekhamkin as acquisitions VP
NEW YORK CITY Ian Schrager Co. has hired Ana Nekhamkin as vice president of acquisitions and development, responsible for new business development for más...
Saudi Arabia needs 230,000 more guestrooms by 2020, report says
SAUDI ARABIA More than 230,000 additional guestrooms are required by 2020 to meet an anticipated increase in tourism to Saudi Arabia, the state’s más...
Egyptian Resorts removes Mubarak associate from board
CAIRO Egyptian Resorts Co. has removed Ibrahim Kamel, a senior member of ousted President Hosni Mubarak's party now under detention, from its board of más...
Marriott’s 900th Courtyard hotel opens, in Bali
BALI Marriott International's Courtyard by Marriott brand has opened its 900th hotel, debuting in Indonesia with Courtyard Bali Nusa Dua. The 250-key más...
New lobby design unveiled for Hilton Hotels & Resorts
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA A new lobby design has been introduced for the Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand, featuring accessible technology, contemporary food más...
Nobu Hotel to open on Abu Dhabi’s Reem Island
ABU DHABI Nobu Hospitality plans to operate a luxury hotel on Abu Dhabi’s Reem Island, making it the second foray into the lodging sector for the más...
Hotel Leelaventure Chairman Nair to retire in June
NEW DELHI Captain CP Krishnan Nair, the 90-year-old chairman of Hotel Leelaventure Ltd. and one of the icons of India’s hotel industry, will step más...
Combo Courtyard-Residence Inn to open at L.A. Live development
LOS ANGELES A combination 377-key hotel flying both the Residence Inn by Marriott and Courtyard by Marriott flags will open adjacent to the L.A. Live más...
Emaar’s Address Hotels brand to launch in India by next year
INDIA Dubai-based Emaar Hospitality Group LLC plans to debut in India within the next 18 months with the launch of its luxury Address Hotels & Resorts más...
Hotel F&B directors gain prestige, salary in India
INDIA Directors of food and beverage in upscale and luxury hotels across India saw their median salaries grow by 43% between 2008 and 2010, almost double más...
Helsinki hotel market among Europe’s quickest recoveries
HELSINKI Hotels in Finland’s capital region posted a 10.7% rise in RevPAR in January year over year, following an increase in demand during the más...
Solís Hotels to debut in China
SHENZHEN, CHINA China’s largest residential real estate developer, China Vanke Co. Ltd., has joined with Solís Hotels & Resorts to launch más...
Starwood settles with San Francisco hotel union
SAN FRANCISCO Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has reached an agreement with San Francisco labor union Unite Here Local 2, tentatively ending a más...
Taj Hotels opens 20th Vivanta property, in Kashmir
SRINAGAR, INDIA Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has debuted in India’s Jammu & Kashmir state with the opening of Vivanta by Taj-Dal View, Srinagar más...
Marriott signs 6 in Mideast & Africa, including 2 Ritz-Carltons
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA Marriott International announces the addition of six new properties to its pipeline of 37 previously-announced hotels in the Middle más...
RevPAR continues growing across Europe, Rezidor says
BRUSSELS The Europe hotel market is continuing its long road to recovery, with RevPAR growing in all significant markets, The Rezidor Hotel Group says más...
Hotel Leelaventure to sell 5% stake
NEW DELHI Hotel Leelaventure Ltd. anticipates selling about 5% of the company within the next two months, reducing its founders’ stake to 50%. The más...
2nd-ever W hotel drops flag, will remain with Starwood
ATLANTA The 274-key W Atlanta Perimeter is dropping its flag and going independent, although it will retain its affiliation with Starwood Hotels & más...
Travelodge partners with pub operators on 36-property expansion
THAME, ENGLAND Travelodge is partnering with a host of pub operators as part of a £100 million plan to add 36 properties to its budget hotel portfolio más...
Fairmont San Francisco condo plan collapses
SAN FRANCISCO A proposal to convert a portion of The Fairmont San Francisco into condominium units has collapsed, leaving the future of the property in más...
DiamondRock raises US$100m via Hilton Minneapolis mortgage
BETHESDA, MARYLAND DiamondRock Hospitality Co. has closed on a new US$100 million loan secured by a mortgage on its Hilton Minneapolis. The loan has a más...
Wynn Resorts, Station Casinos cut ties with indicted online poker companies
LAS VEGAS Wynn Resorts and Station Casinos Inc. have each terminated alliances with online poker companies following indictments from the U.S. Department más...
Expedia’s discount OTA Hotwire.com launches in UK
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON Expedia Inc. is launching its opaque discount online travel agency site Hotwire.com in the United Kingdom. Hotwire, which has been más...
New York-New York Hotel accidentally features on U.S. postage stamp
LAS VEGAS The scale replica Statue of Liberty at New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip is depicted on a new U.S. postage stamp, más...
Disney accounts for 2.5% of Florida’s total economy, study says
FLORIDA The Walt Disney Co. accounts for about 2.5% of Florida’s cumulative gross domestic product and is directly or indirectly responsible for más...
Cairo hotel still operating as Hyatt, despite flag termination
CAIRO Nearly a month after Hyatt Hotels Corp. terminated its management deal for Grand Hyatt Cairo following a dispute with owner Saudi Egyptian Touristic más...
India real estate firm inks franchise deal with Wyndham for 10 hotels
GURGAON, INDIA Aerens Gold Souk Group, an India real estate, retail and entertainment conglomerate, is entering the hospitality industry with a strategic más...
Connected hotel among plans for addition to Cleveland airport
CLEVELAND, OHIO A new hotel connected to the main terminal is in the latest master development plan for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The proposed más...
Steps for hoteliers to counter guest personal data theft
WORLDWIDE Hoteliers should take immediate steps to minimize cyber crime vulnerabilities to avoid the potential for hundreds of thousands of dollars in más...
Sheraton may flag Houston’s Maharishi Hotel
HOUSTON The Maharishi Hotel, a downtown Houston icon that has been closed for two decades, could see new life as a Sheraton-branded property. Investment más...
New LV Sands hotel in Pennsylvania to house Lagasse’s first Italian foray
BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA The 300-key hotel at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem is set to open next month, and with it will come Chef Emeril Lagasse’s más...
Stalled Mexico green resort project wins funding
SIERRA GORDA, MEXICO The Sierra Gorda Ecological Group has been named as the benefactor of a grant from the Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American más...
Carlson continues expansion of Radisson in India
GANDIHIDHAM, INDIA Carlson announces the signing of its 42nd Radisson hotel in India, the 117-key Radisson Hotel Kandla, which will be the company’s más...
People on the move, week of April 11, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of April 11, 2011: Loews Coronado Bay has promoted John Annicchiarico to director of marketing más...
MGM Resorts founder Kerkorian, 93, to resign from board
LAS VEGAS The founder of the gaming giant now known as MGM Resorts International will resign from the company’s board of directors in June. Kirk más...
Shockingly low occupancy rates in turbulent Bahrain
BAHRAIN Hotels in Bahrain are reporting extraordinarily low occupancy rates in recent weeks, following a brief period of political unrest that preceded más...
Radisson Edwardian Hotels adds QR codes to restaurant menus
LONDON Radisson Edwardian Hotels have added QR codes to restaurant menus at 11 of its hotels, allowing guests to access exclusive video content related más...
RevPAR, occupancy slip in France
FRANCE RevPAR fell slightly across all segments of France’s hotel industry in March year over year, despite strong improvement in all three metrics más...
Wyndham resumes hotel project at Bonnet Creek timeshare resort
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is resuming work on a 400-key hotel at its Bonnet Creek timeshare resort, a long-delayed project más...
Nevada considers legalizing hotel guestroom gambling
NEVADA The Nevada Legislature is considering a bill to legalize mobile gaming technology that would permit hotel guests to gamble from the comfort of más...
Florida Hilton convention hotel project wins public funding
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Taxpayers in Palm Beach County will be on the hook for US$27 million to help fund construction of a 400-key convention center más...
Sheraton Keauhou, Hawaii, sells for US$26.2m
KEAUHOU, HAWAII The 521-key Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa has been sold for US$26.2 million, or about US$50,000 per key. The buyer is an affiliate más...
Choice Hotels adds 27 franchises in March
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International Inc. added 27 newly-opened franchised properties to its system during March. The openings include más...
Fontainebleau worker sues LeBron James’ mother over hotel altercation
MIAMI BEACH A parking valet has sued basketball star LeBron James’ mother following a physical altercation last week at the luxury Fontainebleau más...
MGM Resorts to gain majority control of Macau venture
MACAU MGM Resorts International and Macau joint venture partner Pansy Ho have agreed on a deal that will give MGM Resorts majority control of the venture más...
Bids for Shanghai Motel disappoint, Morgan Stanley may scuttle sale
SHANGHAI Bids for Shanghai Motel Management Co. have come in well below what was anticipated by majority owner Morgan Stanley, and the sale of one of más...
Antares Investment to fund development of 10 Modo hotels in U.S.
ATLANTA Antares Investment Partners is teaming with Modo Hotels LLC to raise US$400 million in debt and equity financing to help fund development of 10 más...
Pebblebrook’s hotel buying spree to continue
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Pebblebrook Hotel Trust plans to spend an additional US$600 million this year on hotel acquisitions, on top of the 11 properties it más...
Hyatt’s Abu Dhabi hotels to open this year
ABU DHABI Two Hyatt Hotels Corp. properties are expected to open this year in Abu Dhabi. The 189-key Hyatt at Capital Gate and the 314-key Park Hyatt más...
Starwood to launch Element Hotels brand in Canada
BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA Suburban Vancouver will host Canada’s first Element hotel when the 169-key Element Vancouver Metrotown debuts in 2014 más...
U.S. hotel pipeline down 8.2%, but growth continues in New York City
UNITED STATES The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 3,095 projects totaling 325,407 guestrooms, an 8.2% decrease from a year ago más...
New Orleans among top markets for hotel rate increases in April
NORTH AMERICA Hoteliers in New Orleans have seen booked rates spike 23% this month on discount online travel agency site Hotwire.com, tied for the biggest más...
Empire Resorts proposes development of former Concord Hotel site
MONTICELLO, NEW YORK Empire Resorts Inc. has entered into an exclusivity agreement with Entertainment Properties Trust and MSEG LLC to explore the joint más...
Riu to open all-inclusive resort in Bulgaria
GOLDEN SANDS, BULGARIA The all-inclusive Riu Dolce Vita resort in the tourism zone of Golden Sands, about 20 km from Varna. The 290-key property will más...
Ex-Arabella CEO Neumann joins Rezidor Hotel Group as COO
BRUSSELS Wolfgang Neumann, the former CEO of Arabella Hospitality Group, has joined The Rezidor Hotel Group as executive vice president and chief operating más...
Blackstone, Square Mile Capital acquire 45 hotel mortgages
UNITED STATES A joint venture between Square Mile Capital Management LLC and The Blackstone Group LP has acquired a portfolio of 45 hotel first-mortgage más...
Leading Hotels offers loyalty perks for members’ home cities
NEW YORK CITY The Leading Hotels of the World has rolled a unique benefit for members of its Leaders Club loyalty program, offering perks for members más...
Consider OTA commissions ‘marketing expense,’ Cornell professor says
ITHACA, NEW YORK A new Cornell University study confirms the existence of the so-called "billboard effect" of online travel agent websites, with hotels más...
Vail Resorts makes US$390m tender offer
BROOMFIELD, COLORADO Vail Resorts Inc. is making a tender offer for US$390 million in notes, with plans to finance the offer through new notes. The cash más...
Oberoi expansion driven by management deals
MUMBAI Expansion of The Oberoi Group and its EIH Ltd. will come primarily from management contracts, including in Europe, where the India luxury hotel más...
Courtyard by Marriott debuts in Mexico City at airport
MEXICO CITY The first Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Mexico City will open early next year at Benito Juarez International Airport. The 292-key Courtyard más...
Dolce Hotels reports spike in UK bookings, plans Europe growth
MONTVALE, NEW JERSEY Conference business from UK outbound travelers has spiked in the past year for Dolce Hotels and Resorts. UK outbound business surged más...
Florida Hilton convention hotel project seeks public funding
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Taxpayers in Palm Beach County may be on the hook for US$27 million to help fund construction of a 400-key convention center más...
San Francisco sees uptick in international travel interest
SAN FRANCISCO International demand for travel to San Francisco has gained notably in recent months, particularly from source markets in Asia Pacific and más...
Vikram Oberoi named successor chairman of Oberoi Group
MUMBAI PRS “Biki” Oberoi, the legendary 82-year-old Indian hotelier and chairman of The Oberoi Group, has named his son, Vikram Oberoi, as más...
Manhattan’s Cassa Hotel to sell for US$828,000 per key
NEW YORK CITY The 165-key hotel portion of Cassa Hotel and Residences in Manhattan, is under contract to be sold for US$130 million, or $828,000 per key más...
Providence’s historic Biltmore hotel goes into receivership
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND The Providence Biltmore hotel has gone into state receivership, after ownership missed several mortgage payments late last year más...
TA Global buys Swissôtel Kunshan for US$60.6m
KUNSHAN, CHINA Kingdom Hotel Investments has sold its 100% interest in the 387-key Swissôtel Kunshan to TA Global Bhd. for US$60.6 million, or US$157 más...
Pebblebrook REIT acquires Hotel Monaco Seattle
SEATTLE Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired Hotel Monaco Seattle for US$51.2 million in an all-cash transaction. The 189-key property, located in Seattle’s más...
Lebua Hotels aims to enter India by next year
INDIA Luxury operator Lebua Hotels & Resorts, Bangkok, is planning to debut in India within the next year. Lebua, which currently operates two luxury más...
Mövenpick opens hotel at Sentosa, marking Singapore debut
SINGAPORE Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has soft-opened Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa, its first property in Singapore. Located in the heart más...
Park Inn to open across from London’s Wembley Stadium
LONDON The Rezidor Hotel Group announces the 235-key Park Inn London Wembley, scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2012. The midscale property will más...
Dorchester Collection’s annual fashion contest to be held at New York Palace
NEW YORK CITY The New York Palace will host the 2011 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize, with a panel of judges gathering there to award an up-and-coming más...
Hotelier Vikram Chatwal reportedly dating actress Lindsay Lohan
NEW YORK CITY Vikram Chatwal, the boutique hotelier whose Dream and Night brands are being franchised by Wyndham Hotel Group, is getting cozy with controversial más...
Marriott introduces Fairfield to India with 15 projects, revamped prototype
INDIA Marriott International will launch Fairfield by Marriott, a prototype of its midscale brand customized for the India market, in India with 15 properties más...
IHG joint venture to launch 19 Holiday Inn Express hotels in India
INDIA Duet India Hotels Group, the hotel investment arm of global asset manager Duet Group, has signed a joint venture deal with IHG to develop 19 new más...
Hotel Chelsea under contract to be sold, but buyer unknown
NEW YORK CITY The landmark Hotel Chelsea finally has a buyer, but the identity remains a mystery. The 225-key property is under contract to be sold to más...
Contrarians Maritz, Wolff see now as time to sell hotels
LOS ANGELES Maritz, Wolff & Co., owner of eight hotels including The Carlyle in New York City and a 50% stake in Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, has más...
Proposed China hotel shaped like giant ping pong paddle
HUAINAN, CHINA A 150-m hotel designed in the shape of a ping pong paddle has been proposed as part of a 67-ha sports complex in the eastern city of Huainan más...
Metrics up across France’s hotel industry, led by luxury segment
FRANCE The significant growth across France’s hotel industry that was recorded in January continued into February, with year-over-year performance más...
Japan disasters may derail Hawaii hotel industry recovery
HAWAII The continued recovery in Hawaii’s hotel industry, which gained strength in February, is now uncertain due to the expected drop in visitors más...
Marriott increases focus on Russia with larger sales organization
RUSSIA Marriott International is launching a new global sales strategy aimed at improving the delivery of its sales and account management services in más...
W Retreat & Spa planned for Riviera Maya
RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO W Hotels Worldwide plans to open W Retreat & Spa Kanai-Riviera Maya, located within an exclusive master-planned beachfront resort más...
DoubleTree by Hilton brand makes UAE debut
RAS AL KHAIMAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Hilton Worldwide announces the opening of the 126-key DoubleTree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah, the first DoubleTree property más...
Starwood announces debut for W Hotels in India
MUMBAI Located in bustling south-central Mumbai, where modern architecture intertwines with colonial cultural monuments, W Mumbai will debut as the brand’s más...
Hilton, Marriott among victims of massive customer data hack
WORLDWIDE Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International are among more than two dozen companies whose customer data was stolen in a massive security breach más...
KSL Capital, East West in resort real estate partnership
DENVER East West Partners and KSL Capital Partners are partnering to pursue resort real estate acquisition and development opportunities throughout the más...
Atlantic City casino profits tumbled 28% in 2010
ATLANTIC CITY Gross operating profit at Atlantic City's 11 casinos fell by nearly 28% last year, as the gaming resort destination struggles to stay relevant más...
UK Holiday Inns report 500% rise in prom-related bookings
UNITED KINGDOM American-style high school proms are surging in popularity in the United Kingdom, with IHG reporting that bookings related to the traditional más...
Leading Hotels unveils new tagline as part of rebranding campaign
NEW YORK CITY The Leading Hotels of the World has unveiled a new tagline that emphasizes the consortium’s independent luxury status, as part of más...
Maui Ritz-Carlton headed to auction next month
MAUI, HAWAII The 404-key Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, will be put up for auction next month after being acquired in September in a foreclosure action. Lehman más...
Starwood Capital buys 533-key Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS Hyatt Hotels Corp. has sold a majority stake in the 533-key Hyatt Regency Minneapolis to a joint venture of Haberhill LLC and Starwood Capital más...
Great Wolf Resorts pushes forward with asset-light strategy
MADISON, WISCONSIN Great Wolf Resorts, one of the industry’s leading waterpark resort operators, is pushing forward with an asset-light strategy más...
Canada’s largest Holiday Inn opens in Toronto
TORONTO Holiday Inn Toronto Downtown Centre has opened as Canada’s largest Holiday Inn-flagged property, with 513 guestrooms and 9,000 sq. ft. of más...
FelCor acquires Royalton, Morgans from Morgans Hotel Group
NEW YORK CITY The property from which Morgans Hotel Group Co. derives its name is no longer owned by the company, although it will continue to manage más...
Interstate assumes management of 30 hotels owned by Inland
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Interstate Hotels & Resorts has assumed management of 30 premium-branded, select-service and extended-stay hotels. The properties más...
Accor implements service standards for Indians, Chinese at Australia hotels
AUSTRALIA Accor is thought to be the first hotel group in Australia to implement a fully-accredited optimum service standards program for hotels catering más...
Hotel Equities in management, development partnership with Premier Hotel Corp.
ATLANTA Hotel Equities has signed a joint venture partnership with Premier Hotel Corp. to be Premier’s preferred hotel management firm, starting más...
Libyan ownership requires Corinthia Hotel London to get opening approval
LONDON Economic sanctions against the Libya government have forced Corinthia Hotel London, which is part-owned by the beleaguered state, to seek approval más...
Okura, JAL embark on global marketing strategy
TOKYO Hotel Okura Co. Ltd. and its recently-acquired subsidiary, JAL Hotels Co. Ltd., are reorganizing their sales and marketing structures in an effort más...
Wyndham signs 7 hotels in India for Ramada, Days Inn flags
INDIA Wyndham Hotel Group has signed seven full-service properties in India for its Ramada and Days Inn brands. Six of the new hotels will be branded más...
SuperClubs' Breezes Rio Bueno resort to close
RUNAWAY BAY, JAMAICA The 226-key Breezes Rio Bueno in Runaway Bay will close this month after SuperClubs Super-Inclusive Resorts was unable to extend más...
Oriens plans green destination resort in Costa Rica
PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA Oriens Travel & Hotel Management Corp. is planning to build a world-class green destination resort on a 360-acre parcel in más...
Choice Hotels Canada sponsors hockey fantasy league contest
TORONTO Choice Hotels Canada is offering a 52-inch HDTV and 100,000 Choice Privileges points to the winner of its second-annual playoff hockey fantasy más...
Jin Jiang to expand portfolio with more rural budget hotels
CHINA Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotel Group Co. Ltd. plans to expand its presence in tertiary markets across China by adding more budget properties más...
Japan crisis to negatively impact Hawaii hotel real estate, Fitch says
HAWAII Last month’s earthquake and subsequent tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan is expected to put pressure on tourism in Hawaii, which in turn más...
China bans smoking in hotels, restaurants
CHINA The China government has forbidden smoking in all hotels and restaurants, along with most other indoor public spaces, effective May 1. The national más...
Global average booked rates on par with 2004 prices
WORLDWIDE Last year’s global hotel price increase was the first time that the average booked rate on discount online travel agency Hotels.com rose más...
Pebblebrook REIT plans share offering worth about US$200m
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Pebblebrook Hotel Trust is selling 8 million shares of stock that could raise approximately US$200 million. The REIT, which raised más...
San Diego Marriott earns Marquis designation
SAN DIEGO The completion of a US$200 million renovation has earned the 1,360-key San Diego Marriott the coveted Marquis brand extension. Marriott hotels más...
Hilton signs another DoubleTree development deal in Romania
PLOIESTI, ROMANIA Hilton Worldwide has signed its third franchise deal in Romania, a conversion agreement with property owner SC Valdor SRL for DoubleTree más...
Bay Area Marriott is put up for sale
WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA The owners of the 338-key Marriott Walnut Creek have appointed Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels to market the property for sale. The más...
Dusit hotels solicit Japan donations with check-in appeals, in-room envelopes
BANGKOK Dusit International hotels are raising funds to aid those affected by the disasters in Japan with guest donation requests upon check-in and with más...
People on the move, week of March 28, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of March 28, 2011: Groupe Monte-Carlo SBM names Luca Allegri as director of hotel operations. más...
marzo 2011
Planet Hollywood expansion continues with Panama, China hotels
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY New-build Planet Hollywood-branded hotels are being developed in Panama and China by Wyndham Hotel Group, joining the brand’s más...
Dolce to debut new urban conference hotel concept
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA Dolce Hotels and Resorts will soon unveil a new concept for urban markets that it describes as a hybrid between a city center lifestyle más...
Rezidor Hotel Group to make Sierra Leone debut
FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE The Rezidor Hotel Group is entering Sierra Leone with the reflagging of Mammy Yoko Hotel under the Radisson Blu brand. The 171-key más...
Summit’s franchise terminations initiated by Choice, arbitration ongoing
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND The termination of 11 franchise contracts on properties owned by Summit Hotel Properties was initiated by Choice Hotels International más...
Hyatt makes debut in Maldives with Alila resort reflagging
HADAHAA ISLAND, MALDIVES Hyatt Hotels Corp. makes its debut in the Maldives, signing with Driftwood Maldives Pte. Ltd. to manage the former Alila Villas más...
Jumeirah opens its first hotel in China
SHANGHAI Jumeirah Group announces the soft opening of its first in China, the 5-star Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Shanghai. The 401-key hotel, located at más...
Deutsche Bank expects Vegas Cosmopolitan to be profitable
LAS VEGAS Deutsche Bank, owner of the US$3.9 billion Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas that opened in December as perhaps the last major Strip resort for several más...
Florida considers taxing hotels, OTAs equally
FLORIDA A bill that would have shielded online travel agencies from paying higher hotel sales taxes has run into unexpectedly strong opposition in the más...
Interval International’s social network boasts 70,000 members
MIAMI Interval International launched an online members-only network, Interval Community, to great success last spring. After one month, members were más...
Westin Houston Memorial City opens
HOUSTON Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has opened its 267-key Westin Houston Memorial City, a new-build property in the heart of Houston’s más...
Summit REIT drops 11 Choice flags, acquires 2 IHG properties
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA Summit Hotel Properties Inc. has terminated franchise agreements with Choice Hotels International for 11 hotels, and the REIT más...
Sunstone buys San Diego Hilton, sells Miami Beach hotel, reflags Times Square DoubleTree
ALISO VIEJO, CALIFORNIA Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. has acquired the 1,190-key Hilton San Diego Bayfront and has sold the 409-key Royal Palm Miami Beach más...
Food-inspired colors among spring fashion trends for hotel uniforms
CHICAGO Splashes of color in shades inspired by foods and belted blazers are among the top fashion trends for the spring season’s hotel uniforms más...
Mideast/Africa RevPAR up slightly despite 13% occupancy drop
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA Hotels in the Middle East and Africa region reported mixed year-over-year performance results during February, with ADR and RevPAR más...
Mercure launches revamped website
PARIS Accor’s midscale Mercure brand has unveiled a new website featuring a totally revamped visual environment with more images and content and más...
Cleveland Crowne Plaza sells, to be reflagged upmarket
CLEVELAND, OHIO Sage Hospitality Resources and Optima Ventures have agreed to buy Crowne Plaza Hotel Cleveland Downtown, with plans to renovate it and más...
Los Angeles approves elaborate digital lighting at Wilshire Grand Hotel
LOS ANGELES The rebuilt 45-story Wilshire Grand Hotel will be permitted to have an elaborate series of digital lighting, signage and advertising along más...
Mövenpick to reflag Hilton Cebu Resort, Philippines
CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts will take over management of Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa on April 1. Owner Oikonomos International más...
Australian Hotels Association calls for improved national rating system
AUSTRALIA The Australian Hotels Association and Tourism Accommodation Australia have called on AAA Tourism to deliver substantial improvements in restructuring más...
IHG relaunches Priority Club with enhanced redemption options
ATLANTA IHG announces the relaunch of its Priority Club Rewards loyalty program, including increased point-redemption options, an overhauled website and más...
Sofitel Hotels on social media strategy: Be authentic, engaging, local
ATLANTA Accor’s Sofitel Luxury Hotels brand offers five tips for fellow hoteliers on developing a strong social media strategy. Sofitel’s más...
Marriott takes Residence Inn brand to UK
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND Marriott International plans to open the 107-key Residence Inn Edinburgh under a management agreement with Gladedale Ventures Ltd más...
Marshall Hotels adds three management contracts, one receivership
SALISBURY, MARYLAND Marshall Hotels & Resorts Inc. has signed contracts to manage three hotels and has been appointed receiver for a fourth. The properties más...
Struggling Ireland, Greece show signs of hotel industry recovery
EUROPE The hotel industry in Europe posted positive results in year-over-year metrics for February, with struggling markets like Dublin and Athens showing más...
Tough economy continues to drive hot food trends: consultant
CHICAGO Today’s hottest food trends are related to economic headlines such as rising foreclosures and high unemployment, according to a presentation más...
World’s highest hotel, Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, officially debuts
HONG KONG The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, opens today as the world’s highest hotel, occupying floors 102 to 118 of the International Commerce Centre más...
Pebblebrook REIT buys W Boston Hotel out of bankruptcy
BOSTON The hotel component of W Boston Hotel & Residences has been acquired by Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, less than a year after the developer filed más...
Richfield-Shelbourne joint venture buys North Carolina Sheraton
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA A joint venture between Richfield Hospitality and Shelbourne Falcon Investors announces the acquisition of the 168-key Sheraton más...
UNWTO to provide aid for sustainable tourism projects in Africa
AFRICA The World Tourism Organisation and the Banesto Foundation are partnering on an effort to provide technical support to and financial aid for sustainable más...
IHG shares more detail on upcoming China-specific hotel brand
CHINA IHG announced plans earlier this year to launch a new upper-upscale hotel brand specific to the needs and wants of Chinese travelers, and some details más...
North America demand below expectations, Marriott says
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Worldwide RevPAR in the first quarter will grow, Marriott International Inc. reports, but it is likely to be at the low end of the más...
Expedia launches long-awaited loyalty program
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON Expedia.com, one of the world’s most prominent OTAs, has launched Expedia Rewards, providing members with points for booking más...
ADR, RevPAR continue to soar in Asia Pacific
ASIA PACIFIC Hotels in the Asia Pacific region experienced increases in all three key performance metrics during February, according to data compiled más...
Horst Schulze’s Solís Hotels to debut in Mideast with Doha property
DOHA Solís Hotels & Resorts, led by legendary hotelier Horst Schulze, has been appointed to manage a new 5-star hotel in Doha. Solís más...
Louca buys Hilton Manchester, Radisson Blu Liverpool
ENGLAND Cypriot businessman Loucas Louca has bought a pair of hotels owned by Beetham Organization, in Liverpool and Manchester, out of administration más...
Thunderbird Resorts sells two more properties in Lima
LIMA, PERU Thunderbird Resorts Inc. is selling two properties in Lima to an undisclosed buyer. The 151-key Thunderbird Hotel Principal and the 45-key más...
India’s Kamat merges hotels, restaurant business
MUMBAI Kamat Hotels India Ltd. has merged its restaurant business, Kamat Restaurants, and its Lotus Resorts units in Murud and Goa with itself. The KHIL más...
India’s Viceroy Hotels puts JW Marriott Chennai up for sale
CHENNAI, INDIA Viceroy Hotels Ltd. plans to spin off its 5.6 billion-rupee (US$125 million) Chennai project division to raise cash. Hyderabad-based Viceroy más...
Candlewood Suites signs preferred hotel deal with Hot Rod Association
ATLANTA The National Hot Rod Association has signed a multiyear deal with IHG that designates Candlewood Suites, IHG’s midscale extended-stay hotel más...
Hyatt signs 9 new hotels in India, country pipeline at 38
INDIA Hyatt Hotels Corp. has signed management agreements for nine new Hyatt-branded hotels across India, bringing the company’s development pipeline más...
Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka to house 1,600 Fukushima refugees
TOKYO Once one of the trendiest hotels in Japan, The Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka—which was scheduled for closure and demolition next month—will más...
São Paulo hotel performance surges, leads strong Americas results
AMERICAS Hotels in the Americas region recorded positive results in the three key performance metrics in February, with São Paulo leading the way más...
Dublin hotels deliver double-digit growth in February
DUBLIN Hotels shrugged off Ireland’s economic woes during February and recorded an astonishing growth in profits of more than 40%, according to más...
Hyatt has ‘serious interest’ in buying Dublin’s Grand Canal Square hotel
DUBLIN Hyatt Hotels Corp. has confirmed its interest in acquiring Dublin’s 169-year-old Grand Canal Square Hotel, which has been on market for two más...
Bronx president calls for luxury hotel at Yankee Stadium
NEW YORK CITY The president of New York City’s Bronx borough believes a luxury hotel atop a Yankee Stadium parking garage would help boost the struggling más...
Wynn Resorts teams with PokerStars to lobby for U.S. online gaming legalization
LAS VEGAS Wynn Resorts has entered into a strategic relationship with PokerStars, the world's largest online poker business, and the companies plan to más...
Willard InterContinental joins Preferred’s Historic Hotels label
WASHINGTON, D.C The Willard InterContinental Washington DC, one of America’s most iconic hotels, has joined Historic Hotels of America, a program más...
Great Wolf sells Blue Harbor Resort, Wisconsin
SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN Waterpark operator Great Wolf Resorts Inc. has sold the 182-key Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan to Claremont New Frontier Resort más...
People on the move, week of March 21, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of March 21, 2011:Jason Brown will serve as director of development and acquisitions for Kimpton más...
Sands terminates deal with Shangri-La, may tap IHG for Macau management
MACAU The Hong Kong-based arm of Las Vegas Sands Corp. has terminated an agreement with Shangri-La Asia Ltd. to manage its Macau development, and the más...
Rival China hoteliers teaming with private equity on Shanghai Motel bids
SHANGHAI At least three of China’s largest domestic hotel operators are bidding to acquire rival Shanghai Motel Management Co., in each case teaming más...
Corporate travel returns as GDS bookings rise 24% in February
WORLDWIDE Bookings through the global distribution systems (GDS), which largely represent corporate travel, grew a substantial 23.5% in February year más...
Host REIT closes on New York Helmsley, will reflag as Westin
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. has closed on the acquisition of the 1,625-key Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego and the 775-key New más...
Chatwal targets 50 hotels in India by 2016 via Wyndham franchising
INDIA The Dream and Night boutique hotel brands could flag as many as 50 hotels in India over the next five years through a new partnership with Wyndham más...
Benchmark Hospitality to manage new-build boutique hotel in Brooklyn
NEW YORK CITY Benchmark Hospitality International will manage a new-build 128-key boutique hotel in Brooklyn, scheduled to open in November. The 19-story más...
Starwood expects 25 Sheraton openings this year, mostly in China
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK The Sheraton brand continues to lead Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s global growth, with the legacy brand scheduled más...
Grand Hyatt to flag mixed-use project in Philippines
TAGUIG CITY, PHILIPPINES Developer Federal Land Inc. has tapped Hyatt Hotels Corp. to manage a 66-story hotel as the centerpiece of a US$300 million mixed-use más...
InterContinental Chicago to house Michael Jordan’s Steak House
CHICAGO Basketball icon Michael Jordan will lend his name to a new restaurant at InterContinental Chicago beginning this summer. The 160-seat Michael más...
Best Western Premier premiers in Canada
CALGARY, ALBERTA The first Best Western Premier hotel in Canada has opened in Calgary. It is the seventh Premier in North America since Best Western International más...
Marriott launches flagship brand in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI Marriott International has signed agreements with Real Estate Group LLC, a subsidiary of Bloom Properties, to manage two new properties in Abu más...
U.S. RevPAR grows 8% in February
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry posted increases in all three key performance measurements during February, according to STR. In year-over-year más...
Sol Meliá announces luxury hotel project in Indonesia
SURABAYA, INDONESIA Sol Meliá will manage a new 5-star hotel in Indonesia, Meliá Adhiwangsa Surabaya, slated to open in 2013. It will be más...
Profitability remains stable for London hoteliers despite occupancy declines
UNITED KINGDOM Despite a decline in occupancy in February, profitability levels have remained stable for London hoteliers through the early part of the más...
Honolulu sees North America’s biggest hotel rate gain in March
NORTH AMERICA Hoteliers in Honolulu have seen booked rates spike 25% this month on discount online travel agency site Hotwire.com, the biggest year-over-year más...
London hoteliers ‘furious’ over inflated resale of rooms for Olympics
LONDON The British Hospitality Association is fielding complaints from London hoteliers angry over guestroom allotments for the 2012 Olympics that are más...
Halekulani Hotel to host Japan fundraiser featuring Chef Nobu
HONOLULU Halekulani Hotel and Nobu Waikiki are joining to present three of the most highly acclaimed chefs in a culinary benefit for Japan next month más...
Accor launches hospitality industry’s largest indigenous reconciliation plan
AUSTRALIA Accor Hospitality is embarking on the next phase of its campaign to build sustainable relationships with indigenous Australians, an effort that más...
New Mexico Radisson waterpark is for sale
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO The 314-key Radisson Hotel & Water Park Albuquerque has been put on the market, and the property has notified employees that más...
Pittsburgh-area Holiday Inn converts to DoubleTree
WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA A 138-key Holiday Inn hotel near Pittsburgh has been converted to a DoubleTree. Third-party manager Hospitality Ventures LLC más...
New-build JW Marriott planned for Machu Picchu
CUSCO, PERU Marriott International plans to open a luxury JW Marriott Hotel in Cusco next year. Situated at the gateway to Machu Picchu, the 153-key JW más...
Minor bids for Australia’s Oaks Hotels, but other suitors wait in wings
SUNSHINE COAST, AUSTRALIA Minor International PCL, parent company of Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, has made a cash bid of A$61 million for a controlling más...
Starwood Capital takes over New York library hotel development project
NEW YORK CITY The planned conversion of a New York City library building into a luxury boutique hotel will be pursued by Starwood Capital Group now that más...
Amanresorts plans three properties in Gabon
LIBREVILLE, GABON Amanresorts will open its second property in Africa, a 20-villa resort in the nation of Gabon, to be followed by two more resorts there más...
Shangri-La Tokyo suspends operations
TOKYO The luxury Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo, has suspended operations until at least mid-April, following the March 11 natural disaster and resulting nuclear más...
Mövenpick plans health resort in Himalayas
DHARAMSHALA, INDIA The planned 124-key Mövenpick Dharamshala Resort & Spa in Northern India is poised to take the design and delivery of upscale más...
Von Essen taps Barceló’s UK boss as new CEO
BATH, ENGLAND Von Essen Hotels has hired the head of Barceló Hotels UK to be its new CEO. Charles Prew will be the first CEO in Von Essen history más...
Hawaii tourism braces for economic impact of Japan disaster
HAWAII Hoteliers in Hawaii are preparing for thousands of cancellations in the wake of the devastation across the Pacific Ocean, as Japanese travelers más...
Peninsula Hotels profit grows 13% in 2010
HONG KONG The parent company of The Peninsula Hotels posted a 13% increase in its 2010 net profit, but while RevPAR has recovered to pre-recession levels más...
Starwood CEO’s compensation grows 7% to US$9.5m
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide CEO Frits van Paasschen collected approximately US$9.5 million in salary, bonuses and stock más...
Morgans announces major shakeup to executive team, board of directors
NEW YORK CITY Morgans Hotel Group Co. has tapped Michael Gross to be its new CEO, and the company has also named a new chief operating officer, chief más...
Blackstone reportedly prepping Hilton for flotation
NEW YORK CITY Blackstone Group LP is reportedly organizing the financial records of Hilton Worldwide in a preliminary step toward floating the company más...
Hyatt terminates Cairo flag in owner dispute
CAIRO Hyatt Hotels Corp. has terminated its management deal for Grand Hyatt Cairo following a dispute with owner Saudi Egyptian Touristic Development más...
Asia visitation rises 7% in January, but Japan disaster to curb growth
ASIA PACIFIC International visitor arrivals into Asia Pacific increased 7% year over year, setting new records in several markets, according to Pacific más...
Windsor Capital averts foreclosure auction with Starwood Property loan
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA The largest closely-held owner-operator of Embassy Suites Hotels has averted a hotel foreclosure auction by using a new loan más...
Investor Edelstein emerges as frontrunner to buy Hotel Chelsea
NEW YORK CITY David Edelstein, president of Tristar Capital, has reportedly emerged as the frontrunner to purchase the legendary Hotel Chelsea. New York más...
Bangladesh to take over management of Dhaka Sheraton, drop flag
DHAKA, BANGLADESH The state-owned Bangladesh Services Ltd. will take over management of the 272-key Dhaka Sheraton Hotel next month, renaming the property más...
Four Seasons launches website chronicling corporate responsibility initiatives
TORONTO Marking its 50th anniversary, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has launched a website dedicated to chronicling the company’s various corporate más...
Orient-Express Hotels founder, chairman both retire from board
HAMILTON, BERMUDA The founder and chairman of Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. have both announced plans to retire from the company’s board of directors más...
U.S. rejects Hyatt petition for unionization votes
CHICAGO Regional offices of the U.S. National Labor Relations Board have rejected four petitions filed by Hyatt Hotels Corp. properties in California más...
Dune acquires NYC’s landmark Mark Hotel
NEW YORK CITY Dune Real Estate Partners has agreed to buy the mortgage on the 84-year-old Mark Hotel on New York’s Upper East Side. Dune will pay más...
DoubleTree brand relaunch goes live at 11 hotels
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA The relaunch of the DoubleTree by Hilton brand that was announced last year has officially been unveiled at 11 properties across the más...
Starwood sees partner potential in Europe’s independent hotels
EUROPE Independently-owned luxury hotels could prove to be a big part of the next big wave of expansion in Europe for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide más...
Starwood Capital may acquire Viceroy Anguilla resort via bankruptcy
ANGUILLA Starwood Capital Group is reportedly close to acquiring the 166-key Viceroy Anguilla resort in a bankruptcy auction. Owners of the luxury Caribbean más...
Switzerland management group announces 5 upcoming hotel projects
ZUG, SWITZERLAND Lifestyle Hospitality & Entertainment Management AG, a two-year-old Switzerland-based group with a single property in Bonn, announces más...
Benchmark Hospitality CEO Cabañas reflects on 50 years in hospitality
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS Burt Cabañas joined the hospitality industry in 1961 as a 14-year-old pool boy, having been exiled from Cuba following Fidel más...
Ferris wheel-shaped Radisson Blu hotel proposed near Atlanta
LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA A local developer has proposed a 23-story Ferris wheel-shaped building that would house one of the first new-build Radisson Blu más...
Radisson Edwardian announces new-build hotel in England
GUILDFORD, ENGLAND One of the UK's largest privately owned hotel groups continues to expand as Radisson Edwardian Hotel Group announces a new-build property más...
Burj Al Arab goes green—literally—for St. Patrick’s Day
DUBAI The famous Burj Al Arab on Thursday became the latest hotel to go green in a major way, but this initiative has nothing to do with the environment más...
People on the move, week of March 14, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of March 14, 2011:The Stafford London by Kempinski has promoted Leon Baum to general manager. más...
Dubai occupancy improving, but Kempinski to delay project 2 years
DUBAI Citing a saturated hotel marketplace, Kempinski Hotels has announced it will delay completion of a hotel on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah for at least más...
Blackstone, Square Mile to buy mortgages on 45 hotels from U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. Private equity firms Blackstone Group LP and Square Mile Capital LLC have reportedly agreed to buy about US$385 million worth of mortgages más...
Osaka hotels packed as people flee Tokyo
OSAKA, JAPAN Hotels in Osaka are reporting high occupancy this week as Tokyo residents and business travelers flee the capital amid rising concerns over más...
Tsunami forces 6-week closure of Hawaii Four Seasons resort
KONA, HAWAII Last week’s tsunami that has devastated Japan also had some comparatively minor impact on Hawaii, including forcing the closure of más...
LaSalle REIT acquires Viceroy Santa Monica
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA LaSalle Hotel Properties has acquired the leasehold interest in the 162-key Viceroy Santa Monica for US$80.1 million, or about más...
Travelclick acquires hotel business intelligence provider Rubicon
NEW YORK CITY Hotel e-marketing firm Travelclick has acquired Rubicon—one of the hotel industry’s biggest providers of business intelligence—creating más...
Ultra-luxury Maikhao Dream Villa Resort opens in Phuket
PHUKET, THAILAND Maikhao Dream Hotels & Resorts announces the April 2 opening of its first luxury beachfront resort on Maikhao Beach Phuket. Maikhao más...
Indian Hotels subsidiary sells stake to Singapore’s Omega
MUMBAI Roots Corp., the Indian Hotels Co. subsidiary that manages the budget Ginger Hotels brand, is selling a minority stake to Singapore-based Omega más...
Mondrian Soho stocks every guestroom with customized iPads
NEW YORK CITY All 270 guestrooms at the recently opened Mondrian Soho feature Apple iPads equipped with guest service software from Intelity. The Intelity más...
Nightlife operator sues Chatwal for US$30m over Dream Downtown dispute
NEW YORK CITY Emm Group, a New York City-based lounge and nightclub operator, has filed a US$30 million lawsuit against Vikram Chatwal Hotels and its más...
Cosslett resigns as IHG CEO, replaced by CFO Solomons
WINDSOR, ENGLAND Andrew Cosslett will step down as CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group PLC as of June 30, to be succeeded by Chief Financial Officer más...
NH Hoteles forms strategic alliance with AMResorts
PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NH Hoteles and AMResorts have signed a strategic agreement to collaborate on marketing, brand management and hotel management más...
Wyndham to manage new resort in China, debut in Thailand
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Hotel Group will open and manage a Wyndham-branded resort in Sanya, China, and a resort under development in Khao Lak, más...
Invesco acquires 5 NH Hoteles in Germany, Austria
DALLAS Invesco Real Estate has closed on the first properties in its second pan-European hotel fund, buying five hotels comprising 1,153 guestrooms in más...
Average hotel transaction value soars 68% in 2010
AMERICAS Transaction volume across the Americas increased five-fold in 2010, reaching US$11.9 billion, while the average sale price soared compared to más...
Major renovation planned for 1,781-key Sheraton New York
NEW YORK CITY The Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, one of New York City's largest hotels, announces a US$150 million renovation project. Over the next más...
Hilton’s Sri Lanka presence in question after state claims property
COLOMBO The future of the 384-key Hilton Colombo is in question after the Sri Lanka government has moved to take possession of the property. Former owner más...
Accor’s MGallery Collection adds 2 resorts in Thailand
THAILAND Two Thailand resorts have joined Accor’s upscale MGallery Collection: Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai and Veranda Resort & Spa Hua Hin-Cha más...
Starwood launches microsite to help plan resort vacations
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has launched a microsite dedicated to helping travelers plan and purchase resort vacations más...
Starwood reaches deal with Hawaii labor union
HAWAII The labor union representing 2,800 workers at six Starwood Hotels & Resorts-managed properties in Hawaii has reached a tentative three-year más...
U.S. luxury hotels to see 10% RevPAR jump this year, PKF projects
UNITED STATES Performance across the U.S. lodging industry will continue to improve this year, PKF Hospitality Research predicts, but hotels upmarket más...
Limited inventory increase shifts pricing leverage back to hoteliers
WORLDWIDE Room demand from business travelers will continue to increase this year, American Express Global Business Travel predicts, and hoteliers are más...
Slowed growth helping UAE hotel industry recover
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Although transaction volumes are expected to remain suppressed in the UAE over the coming months, development has slowed from the más...
Starwood names new head of Westin brand
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has named Brian Povinelli global brand leader for Westin Hotels & Resorts. He más...
Nylo Hotels names new CEO, restructures debt
ATLANTA Nylo Hotels LLC has named Michael Mueller, the original visionary for the Nylo brand and a Starwood Capital Group veteran who helped launch the más...
April opening announced for Istanbul Edition
ISTANBUL The new luxury lifestyle hotel brand from Ian Schrager and Marriott International is set to make its Europe debut in Istanbul next month. The más...
Court to decide guardianship for ailing John Q. Hammons
SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI Eight friends of legendary hotelier John Q. Hammons have petitioned a Missouri court to appoint a public administrator to act as más...
Metasearch site Kayak adds direct hotel booking capability
NORWALK, CONNECTICUT Kayak.com has unveiled some long-awaited functionality that it hopes will allow it to stave off a challenge to its travel metasearch más...
Fairwood Capital acquires Hilton Knoxville, Tennessee
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE New York-based investment firm Fairwood Capital has closed on the acquisition of the 317-key Hilton Knoxville and plans to renovate más...
Red Lion Hotels places Montana property on sale market
HELENA, MONTANA Red Lion Hotels Corp. plans to offer for sale its Red Lion Colonial Hotel in Helena. "We plan to maintain our presence in Helena, where más...
First Wyndham-managed Planet Hollywood hotel to open in Qatar
DOHA The first Planet Hollywood-branded hotel to be announced under a franchising affiliation with Wyndham Hotel Group will be located in the capital más...
Australia hotel market boasts signficant investor potential
AUSTRALIA The hotel industry in Australia offers “golden opportunity” for medium-term investment, according to Sydney analyst firm BIS Shrapnel más...
Potomac Hospitality unveils new boutique Modus brand
WASHINGTON, D.C. Hotel management company Potomac Hospitality Services has launched a branding effort for its collection of boutique business properties más...
New hotel construction virtually nonexistent in New England
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel development pipeline is off 11.1% from a year ago, and the New England region in particular is seeing almost no new construction más...
Apple REIT Nine puts 12 hotels under purchase contract
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Apple REIT Nine has outstanding contracts to purchase 12 hotels for US$209.2 million, the company says. The properties comprise 1,472 más...
Check-Inn Hotels select-service brand launches in India
NEW DELHI A new select-service brand called Check-Inn Hotels has launched in India with the opening of the first property, a 43-key hotel in New Delhi más...
Wyndham Grand brand debuts in Middle East
DOHA Wyndham Hotel Group announces the debut of its Wyndham Grand brand in the Middle East with the 246-key Wyndham Grand Regency Doha. Located in the más...
Some London hotels charging Olympics premiums of 5-times or more
LONDON With just over a year before the 2012 Summer Olympics kick off in London, hoteliers in the notoriously expensive UK capital are charging rate premiums más...
Starwood offers loyalty points for Earth Hour pledges
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Preferred Guest is giving away 100 Starpoints to any SPG member who pledges to participate in Earth Hour on March 26. más...
Orlando, Vegas remain favorites for U.S. summer travel
UNITED STATES For the ninth year in a row, Orlando and Las Vegas remain America’s most popular summer destinations, according to a survey of U.S más...
Ashford pays US$1.28b for 28-property Highland Hospitality portfolio
DALLAS A joint venture led by Ashford Hospitality Trust Inc. has taken ownership of the 28-hotel Highland Hospitality portfolio through a consensual foreclosure más...
Vegas Strip’s oldest casino, Sahara, to close in May
LAS VEGAS SBE Entertainment Group has announced plans to close the Las Vegas Strip’s oldest operating casino, Sahara Hotel & Casino. The iconic más...
5-property Willow Hotels portfolio goes on market
NEW YORK CITY CB Richard Ellis Hotels has been retained to solicit the sale or recapitalization of the five-property Willow Hotels portfolio. The portfolio más...
Banyan Tree to debut in Macau with luxury urban resort
MACAU Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts will soon open Macau’s first 5-star all-suite urban resort in the heart of Cotai City. Banyan Tree Macau opens más...
InterContinental Hotels app enables video chat with concierges
ATLANTA Starting next week, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts will connect guests face-to-face with concierge teams at 10 properties around the world más...
Cairo hotel occupancy plummets but ADR stabilizes
CAIRO Hotel performance in Cairo, site of large-scale political unrest last month, has stabilized at low levels, according to the latest data from STR más...
Panama Nikki Beach hotel renamed, under new management
PLAYA BLANCA, PANAMA The 240-key Nikki Beach Playa Blanca luxury resort will be renamed The Royalton Playa Blanca Panama and will come under new management más...
Ocean Properties acquires Balsams resort in New Hampshire
DIXVILLE NOTCH, NEW HAMPSHIRE Tillotson Corp. has agreed to sell its 232-key Balsams Grand Resort to Ocean Properties Ltd. for an undisclosed price. The más...
Wynn, Pinnacle in strategic marketing alliance
LAS VEGAS Wynn Resorts and Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. have announced a strategic alliance to allow Pinnacle customers to use rewards points at Wynn’s más...
People on the move, week of March 7, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of March 7, 2011:David Chu has joined YOTEL as director of sales and marketing. Chu most recently más...
Caesars Entertainment to brand nongaming hotels in Asia
LAS VEGAS Taking a cue from rival MGM Resorts International, gaming industry giant Caesars Entertainment Corp. has announced plans to brand nongaming más...
Hacienda La Boticaria to become Spain’s first Waldorf Astoria
ALCALA DE GUADAIRA, SPAIN Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement to convert Hacienda La Boticaria, an Andalucian-style retreat near Seville más...
Hyatt brings select-service Place brand to Europe
HOOFDDORP, NETHERLANDS Hyatt Hotels Corp. is launching its select-service Hyatt Place brand in Europe with the announcement of Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport más...
Hawaiian royal family claims ownership of bankrupt Maui resort
MAUI The estate of King Kamehameha III, who ruled Hawaii from 1825 to 1854, has filed a notice with a U.S. bankruptcy court claiming ownership of Grand más...
InterContinental to flag new resort hotel in Chile
PUNTA PIQUEROS, CHILE IHG has signed a 20-year management agreement with Inmobiliaria Punta Piqueros S.A. for the new-build InterContinental Punta Piqueros más...
56-story Fairmont Nanjing to open next year
NANJING, CHINA Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announces the addition of a new property in China, Fairmont Nanjing, scheduled to open late next year. Situated más...
Carlson CEO Joly nominated to be Rezidor chairman
BRUSSELS Carlson CEO Hubert Joly has been nominated to be chairman of the board of directors for The Rezidor Hotel Group. Joly, the current vice chairman más...
Interval International adds new top tier to membership program
MIAMI Interval International unveils its most prestigious membership level, Interval Platinum, designed for vacation owners seeking more upscale travel más...
6 UK hotels join Best Western since December
UNITED KINGDOM Six hotels have joined the Best Western International portfolio in the United Kingdom over the past three months. The new member hotels más...
Solmar Hotels enables direct booking capability from Facebook
LOS CABOS, MEXICO Solmar Hotels & Resorts has introduced capability to book reservations directly from the group's Facebook page. "At Solmar Hotels más...
Thayer acquires Atlanta Palomar, will reflag as Renaissance
ATLANTA Thayer Lodging Group has agreed to acquire the 304-key Hotel Palomar Atlanta-Midtown and will rebrand it under Marriott International’s más...
W London Leicester Square hotel put on sale market
LONDON The 192-key W London Leicester Square is being marketed for sale, owner McAleer & Rushe has announced. The asking price is £200 million más...
Hospitality lending suddenly a ‘hot ticket’
WORLDWIDE The mood of the hotel industry debt market can fairly be described as enthusiastic and slightly overwhelmed, as the pool of lenders that was más...
Hoteliers increasingly optimistic about recovery, survey finds
WORLDWIDE Hotelier sentiment is trending in the right direction as demand slowly moves north, according to a survey by hospitality consultancy Horwath más...
Hyatt Regency to flag hotel, residences at Cap Cana resort
PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Hyatt Hotels Corp. has signed a management deal with Cobbo Bay Developers SA for Hyatt Regency Cap Cana Hotel, Villas and más...
Pegasus service helps hoteliers capture direct metasearch bookings
DALLAS Pegasus Solutions has launched MetaSearch Services, a solution that allows hotels to capture a greater share of the profitable direct bookings más...
Wyndham signs deal for 10 Super 8 hotels in Poland
POLAND Wyndham Hotel Group and Colliers International, the second largest real estate consulting firm in the world, have signed a development agreement más...
Starwood expects to add 50 hotels in EMEA within 5 years
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. plans to open 50 hotels in Europe, Africa and the Middle East over the next más...
Halekulani offers up menu items free of ‘genetically modified organisms’
HONOLULU The famed Halekulani Hotel has begun offering menu items free of genetically modified organisms, making it purportedly is the first U.S. luxury más...
Schrager not flattered by homage from retailer Crate & Barrel
NORTHBROOK, ILLINOIS Legendary hotelier Ian Schrager is less than pleased by an homage from home goods retailer Crate & Barrel, which named a piece más...
Hilton to reflag Coral Cape Town hotel
CAPE TOWN Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement to flag the 137-key Hilton Cape Town, its first property in the city. The property, formerly known más...
Marriott is Fortune magazine’s ‘most admired’ hotel company
BETHESDA, MARYLAND For the sixth consecutive year, Marriott International Inc. sits atop Fortune magazine’s ranking of the most admired hotel companies más...
Bill Marriott discusses new Chicago property, adult content, social media
CHICAGO Prior to a celebration Monday evening marking the opening of Chicago's first JW Marriott property, Marriott International Chairman and CEO Bill más...
Hotel Leelaventure to sell 15% equity
MUMBAI Hotel Leelaventure Ltd. plans to sell 14.95% equity in the company to raise funds to help reduce debt, the company says in a regulatory filing más...
Hilton reaches deals with unions in Chicago, San Francisco, Honolulu
UNITED STATES Labor union Unite Here has reached agreements to end 18-month disputes with Hilton Worldwide in Chicago, San Francisco and Honolulu, covering más...
Marriott’s Autograph Collection expands to Europe
SPAIN Marriott International’s Autograph Collection is coming to Europe with the addition of four hotels in Spain. The first four Autograph hotels más...
Best Western targets 100 hotels in India by 2017
INDIA Best Western International expects to have 100 hotels in India by 2017, mainly in the budget segment. There are currently 18 Best Western-affiliated más...
Lender takes NYC’s Cooper Square Hotel in loan restructuring
NEW YORK CITY The developers of the 145-key Cooper Square Hotel have returned the property mezzanine lender Westport Capital Partners in what is being más...
Kimpton buys Hotel Monaco Baltimore
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants has acquired the 202-key Hotel Monaco Baltimore and B&O American Brasserie out of bankruptcy for más...
DoubleTree by Hilton planned for Slovakia capital
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKA Hilton Worldwide has signed a franchise agreement with Tehelne Pole AS for a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Bratislava. The 120-key más...
Caesars Palace tower to be redeveloped as world’s first Nobu Hotel
LAS VEGAS Caesars Palace Las Vegas and Nobu Hospitality will partner on the development of the world’s first Nobu Hotel, converting a Caesars tower más...
Anantara to reflag Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa
BANGKOK Minor Hotel Group will reflag one of its owned Bangkok properties, the 413-key Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa, bringing it under its luxury más...
Virgin Hotels scouting Chicago for possible development
CHICAGO Richard Branson’s Virgin Hotels is reportedly scouting Chicago for a location for the new brand, recently breaking off talks with a building más...
Atlantic City’s revamped Resorts Casino aggressively targets gay travelers
ATLANTIC CITY Resorts Casino Hotel hired what is said to be the gaming industry’s first marketing director devoted strictly to the lesbian, gay más...
LaSalle REIT to offer US$250m in common shares
BETHESDA, MARYLAND LaSalle Hotel Properties plans to offer up to US$250 million in common shares to expand and pay down existing debt. The REIT has not más...
Workers at 4 Starwood hotels in Honolulu authorize strike
HONOLULU Workers at four Starwood Hotels & Resorts-managed properties in Honolulu have authorized strikes, voting 97% in favor of a labor action. más...
Crescent Hotels appoints executive to oversee expansion efforts
FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA Crescent Hotels & Resorts has named Adam Greene senior vice president of development and investments, responsible for spearheading más...
FelCor REIT closes on US$225m credit line
IRVING, TEXAS FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. has closed a new US$225 million secured line of credit with a group of seven banks. J.P. Morgan and BofA Merrill más...
Dusit International launches quarterly magazine, Ei8ht
BANGKOK Dusit International has launche a new quarterly magazine, Ei8ht, intended to build stronger relationships with guests and extend the Dusit brand más...
Ritz London announces royal wedding promotions
LONDON With the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton just weeks away, The Ritz has launched its Monarchy & Matrimony package. Patriotic decorations más...
Anantara’s first urban hotel opens in Bangkok
BANGKOK Luxury operator Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has launched its first urban hotel with the opening of Anantara Bangkok Sathorn. Located in más...
4 Hyatt hotels ask U.S. Labor Relations Board to call for union votes
UNITED STATES Four Hyatt hotels in California and Indiana have filed petitions with the National Labor Relations Board, an independent U.S. federal agency más...
Greece hotel industry benefits from North Africa turmoil
GREECE Unrest in North Africa is expected to help spur a 10% increase in tourist arrivals to Greece this year, the head of the Hellenic Hotel Federation más...
EMEA hotel pipeline continues decline due to economic, political uncertainty
WORLDWIDE Sovereign debt crises, budget cutbacks and rising inflation continue to weigh heavily on much of Europe and will keep economic growth subdued más...
Club Med profit up, but North Africa unrest costs group €8m
PARIS Club Mediterranée reports a 14.6% increase in revenue during the first quarter of 2011, but uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt cost the resort más...
Hilton is exclusive prize provider for week of ‘Wheel of Fortune’
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Hotels & Resorts and the game show "Wheel of Fortune" have put a new spin on their longstanding relationship with a full week más...
SBE to convert Bellagio’s Fontana Bar into Hyde Lounge
LAS VEGAS Bellagio Resort & Casino will close its famed Fontana Bar overlooking the dancing fountains, replacing it with an ultralounge operated by más...
Buffalo’s landmark Hotel Niagara to hit auction
BUFFALO, NEW YORK The shuttered Hotel Niagara in Buffalo will be put up for auction next month after the owner, State Bank of Texas, failed to sell the más...
Steve Wynn gets US$1m raise from Wynn Resorts
LAS VEGAS Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn has received an annual salary increase of about US$1 million, according to a regulatory filing last month. Wynn’s más...
People on the move, week of February 28, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of February 28, 2011: Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, has named Joel Bloom director of finance. más...
Omni's loyalty program extended across entire Global Hotel Alliance
GENEVA Sales and marketing consortium Global Hotel Alliance, which touts itself as the world's largest alliance of independent hotel brands, has launched más...
Starwood makes online booking available in Chinese
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has added comprehensive online booking capabilities in Chinese to all of its branded más...
Chesapeake REIT buys D.C. Courtyard, raises additional funds
WASHINGTON, D.C. Chesapeake Lodging Trust has agreed to buy the 204-key Courtyard Washington Capitol Hill/Navy Yard hotel in Washington for US$68 million más...
Africa's first Ramada Encore hotel to open in Morocco
TANGIER Wyndham Hotel Group is bringing its Ramada Encore brand to Africa. Expected to open in 2012, the 195-key Ramada Encore Tangier is currently under más...
Fairmont hotel set to open in Saudi Arabia next year
RIYADH Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will manage a new 287-key luxury hotel and convention center scheduled to open in the Saudi Arabia capital late next más...
IHG brings Staybridge Suites brand to Central America
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA IHG has signed a 15-year license agreement with Shakir Investment Group for a new-build Staybridge Suites hotel, scheduled to open más...
Great Wolf finds buyer for Wisconsin’s Blue Harbor Resort
SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN Great Wolf Resorts Inc. has agreed to sell its 182-key Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan. Company officials have más...
Istanbul’s Via Hotel reflags as Crowne Plaza
ISTANBUL The 388-key Via Hotel Istanbul has reflagged as Crowne Plaza Istanbul Asia. The decision by owner Bayraktar Group to scuttle its independent más...
Accor puts Novotel Times Square up for sale
NEW YORK CITY Accor SA has put its 480-key Novotel New York Times Square on the sale market. Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels has been tapped to shop the midscale más...
Swiss-Belhotel to manage boutique hotel in Oman
JABAL AL AKHDAR, OMAN Swiss-Belhotel International has signed a management agreement for a boutique hotel in Oman, to be called Swiss-Belinn Jebal al más...
Hilton opens 2nd property in Seychelles
SILHOUETTE ISLAND, SEYCHELLES The 111-villa Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa, operated under a management agreement with Silhouette Island Resort más...
TripAdvisor creates executive position to deal with hotelier complaints
NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS In an effort to better respond to the concerns of hoteliers TripAdvisor is launching a new customer support unit. John Dila has más...
New Embassy Suites launches first TV ad campaign since 2007
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Embassy Suites Hotels will launch a new television advertising campaign on March 6, part of a US$15 million integrated brand awareness más...
Sol Meliá to open 2 luxury resorts in Mexico, accelerate U.S. expansion
PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN Sol Meliá is planning to open a pair of 5-star resorts in Mexico later this year, and the company expects to accelerate más...
New breakfast trends offer opportunities
Drawing and keeping customers coming to restaurants for breakfast is a lot more complex than cooking up some bacon and eggs, according to food and restaurant más...
Marriott exec Fuller offers leadership expertise in new book
BETHESDA, MARYLAND As president and managing director of international lodging at Marriott International, Ed Fuller has spent a significant part of his más...
Starwood CEO meets with Latin America developers
LATIN AMERICA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. plans to accelerate growth in Latin America by opening six new hotels in 2011, and President más...
Motel 6 chief marketing officer Palmer dies
DALLAS Jeff Palmer, chief marketing officer and executive vice president of Motel 6 and Studio 6, died February 25. He was 63. Respected for his leadership más...
M&C to sell Studio M Hotel Singapore for £77.3m
SINGAPORE Millennium & Copthorne Hotels PLC has agreed to sell its 360-key Studio M Hotel Singapore to an affiliate of CDL Hospitality REIT for £77 más...
Mexico president first to join UNWTO global campaign on value of travel
UNITED NATIONS Mexico President Felipe Calderón has become the first head of state to join the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and World más...
Novotel debuts next-generation guestroom design with Bangkok opening
BANGKOK Accor’s midscale Novotel brand has unveiled an innovative guestroom concept with the opening of the 370-key Novotel Bangkok Ploenchit. The más...
Wyndham to debut Days Inn brand in India with 3 signings
INDIA Wyndham Hotel Group announces the debut of its Days Inn brand in India with the signing of three new-build, full-service Days Hotels. The 48-key más...
Hilton to launch luxury Waldorf Astoria brand in UAE
RAS AL KHAIMAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Al Hamra Group for Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, the second más...
Rezidor opens 2nd Hotel Missoni, in Kuwait
KUWAIT CITY Hotel Missoni Kuwait, the second property under the iconic design house’s hotel brand flag, has opened in Kuwait City. The 169-key property más...
RevPAR up 11% in Middle East during January
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA The Middle East and Africa region reported increases in all three key performance measurements during January, according to data más...
Europe hotel values grow 1.5% in 2010, reversing 2 years of decline
EUROPE The hotel industry in Europe saw a slight rebound in property values last year, with average hotel values per room increasing by 1.5% to €215 más...
Renaissance Dubai reflags as Crowne Plaza under US$55m renovation
DUBAI Renaissance Dubai Hotel has relaunched as Crowne Plaza Dubai-Deira, coinciding with the commencement of a US$55 million renovation project. IHG más...
Christchurch’s Hotel Grand Chancellor stabilizes, may be demolished
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND The tilting 26-story Hotel Grand Chancellor is being stabilized so authorities can conduct a search and rescue mission following más...
Miami could see US$750m of hotel transactions this year
MIAMI Hotel transaction volume in Miami could reach US$750 million this year, which would more than triple last year’s trading, according to a new más...
Brokerage Brown Hotel Group partners with Vantage, changes name
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIFORNIA Brokerage and marketing firm Brown Hotel Group has formed an alliance with Vantage Hospitality Group, creating Brown Nester más...
febrero 2011
Plans unveiled for Indonesia’s Treasure Bay integrated resort
BINTAN, INDONESIA Landmarks Bhd., a Kuala Lumpur-based luxury developer, has commenced construction of an 835-acre site on the coast of Bintan that aims más...
Tripoli’s branded hotels suspend operations
TRIPOLI Violent unrest across Libya, especially in the capital of Tripoli, has caused most of the internationally-branded hotels there to suspend operations más...
Growth expectations tell tale of two hotel industries in UK
UNITED KINGDOM Hoteliers across the United Kingdom are targeting revenue growth of almost 7% for 2011, but there is a wide disparity of expectations between más...
Occupancy, ADR gains continue to lead Europe’s hotels recovery
EUROPE The Europe hotel industry posted positive results in year-over-year metrics for January, according to data compiled by STR Global. "Europe's recovery más...
IHG to launch first Hotel Indigo resort property
PHUKET, THAILAND IHG’s Hotel Indigo boutique brand will open in a resort destination for the first time, with a new project set to debut in 2014 más...
Accor rolls out mobile apps for BlackBerry, Samsung phones
PARIS Accor SA has launched mobile applications on two additional operating systems and announces a major enhancement to the booking capability of its más...
InterContinental to reflag Koh Samui luxury resort
KOH SAMUI, THAILAND InterContinental Hotels & Resorts will reflag and manage the 79-key property currently known as Baan Taling Ngam Resort & más...
Sandals Resorts posts industry’s best customer satisfaction scores in 2010
WORLDWIDE All-inclusive operator Sandals Resorts scored highest of all hotel brands on the annual customer satisfaction survey by Market Metrix. Overall más...
Inland American Lodging acquires West Virginia Marriott for US$25.5m
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA Forest City Enterprises Inc. has sold the 352-key Charleston Marriott, West Virginia, to Inland American Lodging Group for US$25 más...
Hilton opens fourth India hotel, in Chennai
CHENNAI, INDIA Hilton Hotels & Resorts has opened the 204-key Hilton Chennai, its first hotel in India's fifth most populous city and it fourth property más...
Google Maps rolls out hotel rate meta-search functionality
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA Google has gone live with a service that lets users enter their desired arrival and departure dates in Google Maps and returns más...
OTAs gain bigger market share of web booking conversions
WORLDWIDE Hotel websites lost ground to online travel agencies in the first half of last year on a percentage of bookings basis, according to a new PhoCusWright más...
Hilton to launch Garden Inn brand in China
CHINA Hilton Worldwide has signed two China management agreements with Zhejiang Jiacheng Holding Group, including for the first Hilton Garden Inn in the más...
Hotel database lets consumers search for perfect guestroom
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA A new website called Room 77 is the world’s first hotel guestroom database and search engine. Targeting properties in the más...
Americas region sees all 3 key hotel metrics rise in January
THE AMERICAS The Americas region recorded positive results in the three key performance metrics for January, according to data compiled by STR and STR más...
Morgans forfeits interest in Hard Rock Vegas
LAS VEGAS Brookfield Asset Management Inc. and Warner Gaming LLC have been granted ownership and operational control of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, más...
London hotel performance continues improving, led by upper end
UNITED KINGDOM The hotel industry in London continued its improvement in January, although growth slowed a bit compared to recent months. While London más...
Wyndham Worldwide raises US$250m from note sale
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Worldwide Corp. has raised US$250 million from the sale of senior unsecured notes due March 1, 2021. The notes will bear más...
Downtown Vegas’ aging El Cortez redesigns for hipper crowd
LAS VEGAS At 70 years, El Cortez Hotel & Casino is one of the oldest continuously operating casinos in the world. In an effort to ditch its rough-around-the-edges más...
People on the move, week of February 21, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of February 21, 2011:Manhattan Hospitality Advisors has appointed Daniel Barr as general manager más...
HOTELS Interview: London’s Dukes Hotel GM talks international expansion
LONDON Seven Tides, which owns London’s Dukes Hotel, announced in November that it would split from CampbellGray Hotels to explore the possibility más...
Whitehall loan backed by 107 hotels faces ‘imminent default’
NEW YORK CITY A US$478.5 million loan backed by 107 hotels owned by Whitehall Street Global Real Estate Ltd. will be transferred to a special servicer más...
Accor joins bidding for Shanghai Motel Chain Co.
SHANGHAI Accor SA is among the potential bidders for Shanghai Motel Chain Co., the fourth largest China-based hotel company and operator of the budget más...
Marriott adds Warsaw Renaissance, Courtyards in Germany, France
EUROPE Marriott International will open a 225-key Renaissance Hotels airport property in Warsaw. In addition, the company has signed agreements to add más...
Asia Pacific RevPAR spikes 15% in January
ASIA PACIFIC RevPAR across Asia Pacific improved 14.9% during the first month of 2011 compared to the same period a year earlier, boosted by very strong más...
Ski resorts icon Larry Lichliter dies
DENVER Larry Lichliter, a longtime ski resort executive who helped build Vail Resorts into a major hospitality company, has died after a long illness más...
Strategic Hotels sells Paris Marriott Champs Elysees
PARIS Strategic Hotels & Resorts has sold its leasehold interest in the 192-key Paris Marriott Champs Elysees for €39.7 million, or about €207 más...
Interstate Hotels acquires Sheraton Denver Tech Center, will renovate
DENVER Interstate Hotels & Resorts has formed a joint venture with Waramaug Hospitality LLC and an investment management company to acquire the 262-key más...
Signs of tourism recovery already in Egypt, Tunisia
NORTH AFRICA As normality returns to Egypt and Tunisia, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation is lauding efforts by authorities to restore confidence más...
Authorities close China’s only capsule hotel over fire concerns
SHANGHAI Shanghai fire authorities have refused to approve the first capsule hotel in China, saying materials used in its construction do not meet safety más...
Cosmopolitan Vegas has hotel industry’s most valuable Twitter account
WORLDWIDE The Twitter account of the new Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas resort has the hotel industry’s most valuable Twitter following, according to más...
Morgan Stanley puts Shanghai Motel Chain Co. on market
SHANGHAI The 42nd largest hotel company in the world has been placed on the market by its owners, including majority stakeholder Morgan Stanley. Shanghai más...
New Zealand’s Hotel Grand Chancellor ‘on verge of collapse’
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND The 26-story Hotel Grand Chancellor in earthquake-stricken Christchurch city center is tilting, and officials say the building más...
Accor to accelerate asset sales to reduce debt
PARIS Accor SA expects that recovery in room demand will continue this year, and the company plans to accelerate asset sales to reduce debt by a targeted más...
U.S. hotel occupancy up 6% in January
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry posted increases in all three key performance measurements during January year over year, according to data from más...
Creating kid-approved products focus of upcoming Protein Innovation Summit
Creating protein products that appeal to kids — and their parents — is somewhat of a holy grail for food processors and foodservice operators más...
Ayala Land to open five boutique hotels in Philippines
PHILIPPINES Ayala Hotels Inc. plans to open five boutique hotels across the Philippines at a cost of US$75 million to US$100 million. The division of más...
Balazs among developers to show interest in JFK airport terminal hotel
NEW YORK CITY The development firm of boutique hotelier André Balazs was among the companies to participate in a site tour of the vacant landmark más...
Hilton to open Rwanda hotel
KIGALI, RWANDA Hilton Worldwide will open a 160-key hotel in Kigali, according to the Rwandan Development Board. The 4-star hotel, which is being constructed más...
Gaylord Hotels offers charity donation rooms packages
NASHILLE, TENNESSEE Gaylord Hotels is launching a promotion called Rooms for Good in which 10% of revenue from packages booked under the promotion will más...
Shangri-La launches new 5-star hotel brand in Shanghai
SHANGHAI Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has unveiled its newest 5-star hotel brand, Kerry Hotels, with the debut of the 574-key Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai más...
Millennium & Copthorne hotels damaged in New Zealand quake
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND Three Millennium & Copthorne Hotels in central Christchurch have sustained significant damage due to Monday’s 6.3-magnitude más...
Hotel industry recovers from external shocks faster than expected, study says
ITHACA, NEW YORK Although the U.S. hotel industry was badly damaged by the terrorist attacks of 2001 and the economic crisis of 2008, the effects of those más...
Mövenpick plans North Africa expansion
NORTH AFRICA Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Management AG plans to add up to 27 new hotels to its portfolio in North Africa and the Sub-Saharan region más...
Part-owner of Hotel Chelsea wants to buy out other shareholders
NEW YORK CITY A former manager and current part-owner of Hotel Chelsea wants to buy out the property’s other shareholders if he can do it at a “fair más...
Consortia Prestige Resorts, Keytel in marketing alliance
MINNEAPOLIS Hotel sales and marketing consortia Prestige Resorts & Destinations Ltd. and Keytel have formed a partnership to boost each other’s más...
Omni Hotels engages business-to-business social media promotion
DALLAS Affect Strategies, a strategic marketing and social media firm, has been selected by Omni Hotels & Resorts to develop and execute a social más...
Choice Hotels adds 15 properties in January
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International Inc. added 15 newly- franchised properties during January. The openings include hotels in five states más...
Protestors pack hotels in Wisconsin capital
MADISON, WISCONSIN Tens of thousands of protestors have descended on Madison during the past week to support or oppose attempts by the governor to end más...
Best Western launches automated interactive voice system for Rewards program
PHOENIX Best Western International has selected Interactions Corp. to provide a highly advanced, conversational voice portal for members of its Best Western más...
NH Hoteles ousts longtime CEO Burgio
MADRID NH Hoteles President and CEO Gabriele Burgio will be replaced next week as head of the company by Mariano Pérez Claver, according to a filing más...
India, China set foreign arrivals records in 2010
ASIA India posted a 9% increase in foreign arrivals in 2010, setting a new record with 5.6 million foreign inbound visits for the year, according to Pacific más...
China, India continue leading non-U.S. hotel development pipeline
WORLDWIDE China and India have the most hotel guestrooms under development of any country markets aside from the United States, according to the latest más...
At least 3 CoCo Key resorts sell for bargain prices in online auction
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN At least three of the 10 CoCo Key Water Resorts-affiliated hotels that were placed into an online auction have been sold. The ownership más...
Does the hotel industry lack skills to capitalize on social media?
PARIS The hotel industry as a whole is too conservative to effectively tap the potential of social media channels, according to the five panelists at más...
Travelodge sales up 13% in 2010, plans 35 openings this year
THAME, ENGLAND Budget chain Travelodge Hotels Ltd. reports a 13% growth in sales in 2010, led by 16% improvement in London. Occupancy rate improved 3 más...
Luxury NYC hotel offers hourly-rate guestrooms
NEW YORK CITY The luxury Le Parker Meridien hotel in Midtown Manhattan posted a bold promotion earlier this month on UrbanDaddy.com—hourly guestrooms más...
Ski resorts operator Intrawest to relocate headquarters to Denver
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA Ski resorts owner-operator Intrawest ULC plans to relocate its corporate headquarters from Vancouver to Denver later this más...
Whimsy, street scenes inspire décor of W Hotels’ first Chinese restaurant
HONG KONG Chinese restaurants are often known for gaudy decor replete with kitschy dragons and motifs, but Steve Leung Designers brings a sense of nostalgia más...
Choice Hotels opens its first extended-stay hotel in Canada
SHERWOOD PARK, ALBERTA Choice Hotels International has launched its MainStay Suites extended-stay brand in Canada with the opening of a 119-key property más...
Handbook guides growing field of travel philanthropy
WORLDWIDE Asked in the right way, many travelers would be happy to contribute to a worthy program that works to preserve the social and environmental más...
Spain’s Sol Meliá in cross-cultural alliance with China’s Jin Jiang
PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN Sol Meliá SA and Jin Jiang International Hotel Co. have formed an alliance to cooperate in marketing, sales, operations más...
Joie de Vivre expands beyond California with Mondrian Scottsdale reflagging
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA Joie de Vivre Hospitality will manage the former Mondrian Scottsdale, the group’s first property outside the state of California más...
North Africa hotels post healthy RevPAR growth, but outlook mixed in Mideast
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Hotels in the Middle East and North Africa ended 2010 with great disparity of performance, as some markets posted true RevPAR más...
Hawaii hotels post gains in occupancy, ADR in 2010
HAWAII The hotel industry in Hawaii has recovered somewhat from a devastatingly poor 2009, but its total room revenue in 2010 remains 18% off the peak más...
Skyline Development acquires Canada’s luxury Deerhurst Resort
MUSKOKA, ONTARIO Deerhurst Resort, the luxury Ontario retreat that hosted the 2010 G8 Summit, has been acquired by Toronto-based Skyline International más...
Pittsburgh sees North America’s biggest hotel rate gain in February
NORTH AMERICA Hoteliers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have seen booked rates spike 26% this month on discount online travel agency site Hotwire.com, the más...
Rome hotel rates soar for May beatification of John Paul II
ROME Hotel prices have skyrocketed in Rome for the May 1 beatification ceremony for John Paul II, with some 2-star hotels asking €330 per night and más...
‘Combo’ hotels offer myriad cost-savings advantages
WORLDWIDE Hotel developers are increasingly turning to hybrid hotel projects, also known as “combo” hotels, that are co-located as a way to más...
Discount carrier Southwest adds TripAdvisor ratings to hotel booking page
DALLAS Popular discount carrier Southwest Airlines has introduced new features on the hotel booking page of Southwest.com, including adding TripAdvisor más...
People on the move, week of February 14, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of February 14, 2011: ResortCom International has named Enrique Aguirre as vice president of resort más...
LV Sands wants €15b ‘Euro-Vegas’ development in Barcelona or Madrid
LAS VEGAS Sheldon Adelson is in talks with officials from Barcelona and Madrid about his vision for a so-called “Euro-Vegas,” which would más...
91% of U.S. hoteliers offer free Internet access
UNITED STATES Free Internet access at hotels is more common than perhaps many consumers realize. According to a survey of 1,000 U.S. hoteliers by TripAdvisor más...
Morgans Hotel Group announces expansion into Middle East
DOHA Morgans Hotel Group Co. will manage a Mondrian hotel in the capital of Qatar. The property is currently under construction and is expected to open más...
Manhattan most active U.S. hotel transactions market
NEW YORK CITY The hotel deals volume in Manhattan is expected to double this year, making it the most active hotel transactions market in the United States más...
Hyatt RevPAR up 4% in Q4 on strong international performance
CHICAGO Hyatt Hotels Corp. saw its RevPAR rise 4.1% in the fourth quarter year over year, driven by higher occupancy and especially strong performance más...
Struggling Atlantic City Hilton goes on market
ATLANTIC CITY As the Golden Nugget brand will soon return to Atlantic City, the gaming resort city’s original Golden Nugget property has been put más...
Super Bowl boosts Dallas hotel rates by 187%
DALLAS As is usually the case, American football’s biggest game was a boon to local hoteliers. Super Bowl XLV boosted average rates in the Dallas-Fort más...
Red Lion Hotels removes interim tag from CEO Eliassen
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON Red Lion Hotels Corp. has named Jon E. Eliassen president and CEO, removing his previous interim status. Eliassen took over as interim más...
Interstate China JV announces senior management team
SHANGHAI The China joint venture between Interstate Hotels & Resorts and Jin Jiang International Hotels Co. announces its senior management team, más...
Family Inns founder to serve 3 months in jail for sex charges
PIGEON FORGE, TENNESSEE The founder and former CEO of a regional hotel chain will serve 90 days in jail after agreed to a plea deal relating to sexual más...
Strategic to acquire Four Seasons hotels in Jackson Hole, Silicon Valley
CHICAGO Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. has agreed to acquire Four Seasons-branded properties in Wyoming and California in exchange for about US$95 más...
Carlson strikes deal with Rezidor to grow Hotel Missoni brand
MINNEAPOLIS Carlson has reached a deal with partner The Rezidor Hotel Group to expand Rezidor’s Hotel Missoni luxury lifestyle brand beyond Europe más...
Singapore sovereign fund bids US$1.5b for 5 bankrupt resorts
NEW YORK CITY A Singapore sovereign wealth fund has bid US$1.5 billion for five bankrupt luxury resorts controlled by billionaire John Paulson. Government más...
Banyan Tree to reflag Sheraton Phuket as flagship Angsana resort
PHUKET, THAILAND Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts will take over operations of the 384-key Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket from Starwood Hotels & Resorts más...
Hilton, DoubleTree hotels to open in Bangkok in 2012
BANGKOK Hilton Worldwide has signed management agreements with TCC Hotel Group for a new-build Hilton Hotels & Resorts property and a conversion project más...
Host REIT is latest to attempt purchase of San Diego Grand Hyatt
SAN DIEGO Host Hotels & Resorts has had its bid for the 1,625-key Manchester Grand Hyatt accepted by owner Doug Manchester—the third company más...
Millennium & Copthorne actively seeking hotel acquisitions
LONDON Millennium & Copthorne Hotels PLC is actively hunting for new hotel acquisitions, but the London-based company has yet to find any opportunities más...
MGM Resorts reports narrower loss, ADR stays steady
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International lost about US$139 million during the fourth quarter, but that result is a 68% improvement over the US$434 million más...
Ritz-Carlton returns to Canada with Toronto opening
TORONTO The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has resumed operations in Canada with the opening of the 53-story, 267-key Ritz-Carlton, Toronto. "We are delighted más...
Dusit relaunches website to improve targeted marketing
BANGKOK Dusit International has launched a more interactive Dusit.com, with the Bangkok-based hotel company aiming for improved targeting of prospective más...
Marriott International spins off timeshare business
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Marriott International Inc. will split the company’s hotel and timeshare businesses into two separate, publicly traded companies más...
IHG RevPAR up 8% in Q4, prepares Crowne Plaza relaunch
WINDSOR, ENGLAND IHG reported an 8% increase in RevPAR for the fourth quarter and 6.2% improvement for the full year 2010. The world’s largest hotel más...
Marriott passes Wyndham as 2nd largest hotel company
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Marriott International Inc. has surpassed rival Wyndham Worldwide as the second largest hotel company in the world, behind IHG. Marriott más...
IHG to launch new upper-midscale hotel brand in China
CHINA IHG has announced plans to launch a new upper-midscale hotel brand in China by the end of this year. The brand will be positioned between Crowne más...
Interstate assumes management of Summit REIT’s 65-hotel portfolio
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Interstate Hotels & Resorts has assumed management of 65 premium-branded, select-service hotels owned by Summit Hotel Properties más...
Barbecue goes global at the 2011 Protein Innovation Summit
An exploration of global barbecue flavors and cooking techniques will be highlighted at the 2011 Protein Innovation Summit, hosted by Marketing and Technology más...
Hotel rates soar in Asia, Moscow remains most expensive
WORLDWIDE The strongest increases in hotel rates in 2010 took place in Africa and Asia Pacific, while European hotel prices fell for the second consecutive más...
Hilton reflags New York’s Fashion 26 Hotel
NEW YORK CITY Hilton Hotels & Resorts is reflagging the year-old Fashion 26 Hotel as Hilton New York Fashion District. The boutique-style hotel marks más...
U.S. hotel development pipeline down slightly since December
UNITED STATES Despite having 54 fewer projects in the U.S. hotel development pipeline than a month ago, the number of guestrooms under development has más...
Average leisure trip budget hits all-time high, Tripology says
SKOKIE, ILLINOIS The average U.S. consumer budget for leisure trips has hit an all-time high for clients of Tripology, the online travel referral service más...
Landry’s buys Trump Marina A.C., will rebrand as Golden Nugget
ATLANTIC CITY Landry’s Inc., owner of the Golden Nugget casinos brand, has agreed to acquire the 728-key Trump Marina Hotel Casino in Atlantic City más...
Carlson overhauls loyalty program, launches mobile sites
MINNEAPOLIS Carlson is giving its Goldpoints Plus loyalty program a major overhaul, unveiling a new slate of customer benefits along with a new name: más...
Bulgari confirms plans to flag London hotel
LONDON Bulgari Hotels & Resorts will launch its third hotel in 2012 when the ultra-luxury brand opens in London’s Knightsbridge area. The 85-key más...
W Hotels launches in UK with London opening
LONDON W Hotels Worldwide today premieres its newest flagship hotel, W London - Leicester Square, the W brand’s 40th hotel globally. Situated on más...
Kempinski signs 5-star hotels in Russia, Czech, Armenia
GENEVA Kempinski Hotels SA has signed management agreements for 5-star hotels, in Russia, the Czech Republic and Aremenia. The projects are being developed más...
Michael Jackson’s father invests in 5-star Vietnam resort project
LONG AN, VIETNAM The patriarch of the legendary Jackson family of the music business is one of the primary investors in a 5-star resort hotel project más...
Carlson’s sales up 12% in first year of companywide improvement effort
MINNEAPOLIS Carlson’s hotel sales rose 12% to US$6.5 billion in 2010, the first year of its Ambition 2015 strategy to revitalize the company’s más...
Vegas Stratosphere parent infringing on trademark, Ace Hotels claims
LAS VEGAS Modern Housing LLC, the parent company of the trendy Ace Hotels brand, has filed an appeal with the U.S. government to reverse a trademark issued más...
Sunstone REIT taps Green Street’s Arabia as CFO
ALISO VIEJO, CALIFORNIA Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. has hired John Arabia as its chief financial officer and executive vice president of corporate strategy más...
Graves renovates tertiary Radisson into upscale independent hotel
ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA Minneapolis-based Graves Hospitality Corp. is remodeling a Radisson-flagged hotel in a tertiary Minnesota market into an upper-upscale más...
HOTELS interview: Cairo hotelier talks security, business in wake of protests
CAIRO The fluid political and security situation in Egypt is causing financial hardships on businesses throughout the country, but few industries are más...
More hoteliers view online marketing favorably
WORLDWIDE Hoteliers increasingly consider online marketing and social media as critical components of a successful promotional strategy, according to más...
Hyatt’s Andaz brand to debut in Asia with Shanghai hotel
SHANGHAI Andaz Shanghai, the first hotel in Asia under Hyatt Hotels Corp.’s nascent luxury lifestyle brand, will open in Shanghai this summer. The más...
Ritz-Carlton to launch Reserve villas brand in Mexico
SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO A development of 124 private oceanfront villas to be branded by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co.’s Reserve flag will open within más...
Thayer acquires San Francisco JW Marriott
SAN FRANCISCO Thayer Lodging Group has acquired the leasehold interest in the 338-key JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square from Ashford Hospitality más...
India hotel occupancy, RevPAR improve in 2010
INDIA Occupancy gains across India's hotel industry generally outweighed declines in ADR during 2010, resulting in improved RevPAR for the year, according más...
Chesapeake REIT posts strong RevPAR gains, forecast
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND Chesapeake Lodging Trust reported a net loss of US$1.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2010, but its RevPAR increase of 6% and an más...
Chefs Folse, Tramonto to open restaurant at Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS Restaurant R'evolution, the first joint venture of award-winning chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto, will offer modern reinterpretations of más...
Interstate takes over management of Comfort Inn Manhattan Bridge
NEW YORK CITY Interstate Hotels & Resorts has assumed management of the 60-key Comfort Inn Manhattan Bridge in New York City. The hotel, owned by más...
People on the move, week of February 7, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of February 7, 2011: The Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel has named Sharif Aboushaba más...
MGM’s Vegas Monte Carlo lures Blue Man Group from Venetian
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International’s Monte Carlo Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip will welcome the world-renowned entertainment sensation más...
Swire Hotels launches new Britain brand ‘Chapter’
GREAT BRITAIN Hong Kong-based Swire Hotels introduces Chapter Hotels, a new British-style hotel brand that builds on the recent success of the company's más...
Morgans signs hotel management deals in Mexico, Turkey, New York City
NEW YORK CITY Morgans Hotel Group has signed management agreements for three new hotels, including Delano-branded resorts in Mexico and Turkey. Morgans más...
Hilton Hotels to debut in Sharjah, UAE
SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Bin Otaiba Investment Group for a Hilton Hotels & Resorts property más...
Merger of major Europe OTAs Opodo, Go Voyages, eDreams
EUROPE Private equity firms Axa and Permira have agreed to acquire UK-based online travel agency Opodo from Amadeus and will merge it with two rival OTAs más...
MGM Macau aims for higher-than-expected US$800m IPO
HONG KONG MGM Macau, the joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Macau businesswoman Pansy Ho, is seeking approval to launch a Hong Kong initial más...
Koh Samui’s limited airlift impacts hotel performance
KOH SAMUI, THAILAND Koh Samui’s four-year hotel building boom is threatening to undermine the long-term success of the destination, as supply outstrips más...
Swissôtel to flag luxury hotel in Odessa, Ukraine
ODESSA, UKRAINE Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has signed a management deal in Odessa with Ukraine-based investment group Interpoint Development más...
Accor’s Novotel brand on track for 100% green certification by 2012
PARIS Accor’s midscale Novotel brand is on pace to meet its goal of becoming 100% environmentally sustainable by next year, the group says. To date más...
Panama developer claims Nikki Beach did not meet commitment
PLAYA BLANCA, PANAMA The owner-operator of a new US$40 million luxury condominium hotel in Playa Blanca, Panama, has accused Miami-based Nikki Beach Worldwide más...
Carlson’s Park Inn Hotels brand to debut in Mexico
SALTILLO, MEXICO A week after announcing the Park Inn brand’s upcoming debut in Latin America, Carlson has launched the midscale flag in Mexico más...
Starwood launches all-inclusive travel deals in Mexico
MEXICO Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. is launching a series of all-inclusive packages at its Westin, Sheraton and Le Méridien resorts más...
Wyndham’s Q4 profit beats expectations
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Worldwide Corp.’s fourth quarter profits are slightly higher than analysts expected, driven by a low depreciation más...
Australia hotel industry recovering well, but challenges await
AUSTRALIA Hotel occupancy levels in Australia’s major cities are well on the path to full recovery to pre-recession levels, with Sydney the star más...
Summit Hotel REIT raises US$253.5m from IPO
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA Summit Hotel Properties Inc. has raised US$253.5 million from the sale of 26 million shares of common stock, its initial public más...
Hotel RevPAR to climb 6% in U.S. this year, STR projects
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry is projected to end 2011 with increases in all three key performance measurements, according to the latest updated más...
Marriott launches Saray Spa brand in Middle East
DUBAI Marriott International has launched its new Middle East-influenced spa brand, Saray Spa, with plans to roll it out at several Marriott properties más...
Several Thailand hotels to swap flags this year
THAILAND A number of high-profile hotels in Thailand are in the process of swapping major brand affiliations this year. The Langham Place Samui this month más...
Glenmont Capital, Peachtree embark on distressed assets strategy
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA An affiliate of Glenmont Capital Management LLC, in a joint venture with an affiliate of Peachtree Hotel Group, has acquired the más...
Former JFK Airport Crowne Plaza goes to bankruptcy sale
NEW YORK CITY A federal bankruptcy court has ordered the sale of the 183-key JFK Plaza Hotel, formerly called Crowne Plaza JFK Airport, which lost its más...
Marriott’s Fairfield brand sponsors small business competition
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is giving a major boost to an innovative start-up company that is trying to make the world a más...
Zinc InVision Hospitality targets 28 new hotels in MENA by 2020
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Zinc InVision Hospitality plans to invest up to US$180 million to brand and operate 28 hotels in the Middle East and North más...
Akkeron acquires 10 Butterfly Hotels from administration
SURREY, ENGLAND Akkeron Hotels Group has acquired 10 of the 12 Butterfly Hotels that went into administration last week. Birmingham, England-based Butterfly más...
Lenders agree to cancel Vegas Hard Rock foreclosure auction
LAS VEGAS A foreclosure auction for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas that had been scheduled for today has been cancelled after a group of lenders más...
Starwood to launch Sheraton, Aloft brands in Bursa, Turkey
BURSA, TURKEY Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has signed agreements with Faik Celik Turizm to develop two new hotels in Bursa, Turkey’s más...
Renaissance to reflag Cote d’Azur resort hotel
JUAN-LES-PINS, FRANCE Renaissance Hotels will reflag the 221-key Hotel Ambassadeur in the Cote d’Azur resort town of Juan-les-Pins in early 2012 más...
Sarovar Hotels aims to open 30 hotels in India by 2013
MUMBAI Sarovar Hotels and Resorts plans to add between 20 and 30 properties in India to its network of managed hotels within the next two years. "We are más...
Armani denies plans for Russia hotel
MILAN Fashion designer Giorgio Armani has denied reports that his luxury hotel brand will develop in Russia's Caucasus region. "The Armani Group categorically más...
Ottawa Crowne Plaza hotel rebrands as Delta
OTTAWA Delta Hotels and Resorts has assumed management of and reflagged the former Crowne Plaza Hotel Ottawa. The 411-key property relaunched as Delta más...
MGM Resorts trims Aria workforce by 40% since opening
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International cut the number of worker hours at Aria Resort & Casino by about 40% since its December 2009 opening, according más...
Macdonald Hotels reflags Manchester’s Princess hotel
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND Macdonald Hotels & Resorts has taken over management of the 85-key Princess on Portland hotel in Manchester, the group’s más...
Landmark New York airport terminal could become boutique hotel
NEW YORK CITY The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is soliciting proposals for a luxury boutique hotel inside the vacant TWA terminal at New más...
Average U.S. hotel selling price jumps 86% in 2010
UNITED STATES The average selling price per guestroom in the United States increased an astonishing 86% year over year in 2010 and was 9% off the all-time más...
Blackstone acquires majority stake in Hotel Del Coronado
CORONADO, CALIFORNIA Blackstone Real Estate Advisors has finalized the acquisition of a 60% ownership stake in the 787-key Hotel Del Coronado, the iconic más...
Accor to open 18 new hotels in the Middle East by 2014
MIDDLE EAST Accor Middle East has 18 hotel projects in its pipeline, expected to add some 4,850 guestrooms to its regional portfolio by 2014. Accor’s más...
Kenya to privatize Nairobi Hilton, InterContinental, 9 other hotels
KENYA Eleven government-owned hotels in Kenya will be privatized under a new plan to reduce the country’s debt. Assets to be sold include Hilton más...
Starwood extends marketing alliance with Live Nation Entertainment
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and concert-promoter Live Nation Entertainment Inc. have extended the strategic sponsorship más...
Rezidor announces Ghana hotel project, explores more opportunities
ACCRA, GHANA The Rezidor Hotel Group announces its 10th hotel in West Africa, the 168-key Radisson Blu Hotel, Accra, scheduled to open in 2013. The Radisson más...
Moscow businessman in center of hotel fraud probe flees to U.S.
MOSCOW Russian billionaire Ashot Yegiazaryan has fled to the United States and may seek asylum following an investigation into his financial dealings más...
Crowne Plaza opens at airport in Charleston, South Carolina
NORTH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA Interstate Hotels & Resorts has opened and is managing the newly reflagged 166-key Crowne Plaza Charleston Airport más...
Loews Hotels lets loyalty members choose preferred perks
NEW YORK CITY Loews Hotels is inviting members of its YouFirst loyalty program an opportunity to select from a range of perks, including F&B credits más...
São Paulo Sonesta reflags as Park Inn, brand’s South America debut
SÃO PAULO Carlson’s Park Inn by Radisson midscale hotel brand will officially launch in South America this month with a 350-key property más...
Hilton’s midscale extended-stay Home2 Suites brand debuts
FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA Hilton Worldwide’s newest brand, the midscale extended-stay Home2 Suites by Hilton, has officially made its public más...
RLJ Lodging Trust files for IPO worth US$550m
BETHESDA, MARYLAND RLJ Lodging Trust has filed plans with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering that could raise más...
Hilton acquisition turns positive for Blackstone, sources say
NEW YORK CITY When Blackstone LP releases its fourth quarter earnings statement on Thursday, it could include news that seemed unthinkable just a few más...
CORRECTION: Shenyang hotel fire damages Dynasty Wanxin, not Sheraton
SHENYANG, CHINA A major hotel fire in Shenyang on Thursday heavily damaged the 5-star Dynasty Wanxin Hotel, but the adjacent Sheraton Shenyang Lido Hotel más...
Precise Hotels acquires 5-star Hotel El Rompido, Spain
COSTA DE LA LUZ, SPAIN Acting on behalf of Spain chain Set Hotels, Christie + Co. has sold the freehold of the 5-star Hotel El Rompido Golf on the west más...
Cerberus Capital to acquire timeshare operator Silverleaf Resorts
DALLAS Silverleaf Resorts Inc., a developer and operator of timeshare resorts, has agreed to be acquired by SL Resort Holdings Inc., an affiliate of Cerberus más...
Boston W Hotel staves off foreclosure
BOSTON A U.S. federal bankruptcy judge has denied an attempt by lender Prudential Insurance Co. to foreclose on W Boston Hotel & Residences. Judge más...
Four Seasons launches family-oriented travel blog
TORONTO Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has launched a new family-oriented blog and online tool for travelers. The Have Family Will Travel blog hosts más...
Fashion designers create pieces inspired by W Hotels properties
NEW YORK CITY W Hotels Worldwide is sponsoring 15 designers as part of Fashion Next, the brand’s fashion program that supports emerging designers más...
People on the move, week of January 31, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of January 31, 2011: Elizabeth Bastoni has been appointed executive vice president, human resources más...
Famous candy-maker Lauren opens outlet at Marriott resort
PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA Marriott’s Shadow Ridge in Palm Desert, California, is bringing a sweet experience to its owners and guests with the opening más...
How hoteliers can diminish TripAdvisor’s online monopoly
WORLDWIDE In December, TripAdvisor customer reviews disappeared from Google Places listings, causing a stir among hoteliers. Whereas a previous Google más...
Starwood’s Q4 results beat expectations, raises 2011 outlook
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. beat its fourth quarter growth forecast, posting a 10.1% RevPAR improvement and raising más...
Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel files lawsuit to block foreclosure auction
LAS VEGAS The Morgans Hotel Group-controlled Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, has filed a lawsuit in New York state court to block a foreclosure más...
Canada hotel sector sees ‘meteoric’ rise in stock prices
CANADA The lodging investment sector in Canada came back with a vengeance in 2010 after bottoming out in the fall of 2009, with the industry now in a más...
Officials raid Deutsche Bank’s Moscow office in hotel fraud probe
MOSCOW The local offices of Deutsche Bank AG were raided Wednesday in connection with an investigation into an alleged US$87.5 million fraud related to más...
Fire guts Sheraton Shenyang Lido Hotel
SHENYANG, CHINA A major hotel fire in Shenyang on Thursday heavily damaged the 5-star Dynasty Wanxin Hotel. No casualties were reported. A previous version más...
Iberostar Hotels to launch 7 new properties in 2011
PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN Iberostar Hotels & Resorts reported €881 million in sales in 2010, a 9% increase over the previous year. The Mallorca-based más...
Minneapolis Airport Holiday Inn upgrades to Crowne Plaza brand
BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA Holiday Inn & Suites MSP International Airport has upgraded to sibling flag Crowne Plaza following a US$2 million renovation más...
Sheraton Montreal Airport to debut in April
MONTRÉAL The 476-key Sheraton Montreal Airport Hotel is scheduled to debut in April, marking the brand’s third property in the Montréal más...
Post-recession innovation a focus of upcoming Protein Summit
The U.S. economy may finally be returning to health, but consumer target markets have shifted, and they won't respond to the same appeals that worked más...
Arizona Biltmore, 4 other luxury resorts file for bankruptcy
NEW YORK CITY Five luxury resorts among eight seized by billionaire John Paulson last month have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The five más...
Lenders foreclose on Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel
LAS VEGAS A group of lenders has filed a notice of foreclosure against the 1,500-key Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. The lending group, NRFC más...
Bulgari may flag £350m London hotel development
LONDON A £350 million property under construction in London’s Knightsbridge area could be flagged by Marriott International’s ultra-luxury más...
MGM Resorts to debut in India in 2014
NEW DELHI MGM Resorts International will debut in India with a 480-key hotel in New Delhi, set to open in early 2014. The property will be managed by más...
Vienna International fires Chairman Tucek
VIENNA The supervisory board of Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG has decided to part ways with Management Board Chairman Rudolf Tucek, effective más...
Chatham REIT to try reduced share offering
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Chatham Lodging Trust is planning another attempt at a share offering, slashing the offering by almost half from its last scuttled más...
IHG plans US$500m investment in Mexico
Correction: IHG reports the $500 million investment in Mexico stated in the story below is not being made directly by IHG but rather by the franchisees más...
Family quarrels over fortune of Macau magnate Stanley Ho
MACAU Casino magnate Stanley Ho, chairman of Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau—the biggest gaming operator in the gaming capital más...
U.S. new hotel openings to be at cyclical lows in 2011, ’12
UNITED STATES Construction financing will remain difficult to attain in 2011, and lodging operating metrics will improve, but at a relatively slow pace más...
Hilton Hotels, Bill Marriott among top honorees at travel marketing awards
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Hotels & Resorts won the public relations best of show award in the 54th annual Adrian Awards, a gala honoring the best in más...
Investment firm Jamestown acquires iconic Madison Hotel D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. Asset investment and management firm Jamestown has acquired The Madison, a landmark hotel in Washington, D.C. The hotel will be operated más...
W Hotels, St. Regis brands to launch in India
MUMBAI W Hotels will launch in India with a property to open in Mumbai in 2013 or 2014, a Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide executive says. Vice más...
5 employees accused of wrongdoing in November Mexico resort blast
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO Authorities plan to charge five employees with homicide in connection with a November explosion at a Riviera Maya resort that más...
China enters bidding war for Maybourne Hotel Group
LONDON The China government has made a surprise bid to acquire a stake in Maybourne Hotel Group, less than a week after the billionaire Barclay brothers más...
CNL Hotels affiliates file for bankruptcy
ORLANDO More than 20 affiliates of CNL Hotels & Resorts Inc. have filed for bankruptcy, with more than US$1 billion in assets and liabilities outstanding más...
Study links consumer behaviors with preferred hotel segments
WORLDWIDE A new study from GfK MRI reveals behaviors and opinions of vacation travelers who influence the vacation travel plans of others via social media más...
Richfield adds 3 hotel management deals in January
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO Richfield Hospitality added three hotels to its portfolio in January, following on the six properties it added during 2010 más...
Choice hires Wyndham SVP Dupont to oversee Europe development
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International Inc. has named Olivier Dupont to the newly-created position of vice president of European development más...
Vegas Stratosphere unveils US$20m modernization
LAS VEGAS Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower on the Las Vegas Strip has recently debuted a renovation worth more than US$20 million to modernize of más...
Chef Blumenthal opens Dinner at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
LONDON Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and The Fat Duck Group have joined forces to create Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Chef Heston Blumenthal’s first más...
enero 2011
Egypt hotels brace for continued unrest
EGYPT As thousands of protestors continue to mill about Cairo and other major cities throughout Egypt, hotels in city centers and resort areas alike are más...
Four Seasons Park Lane opens with innovative F&B concept
LONDON It was 41 years ago this month that Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts opened the Inn on the Park in London, its first European property and one that más...
TA Global buys China Swissôtel from Kingdom
KUNSHAN, CHINA Kingdom Hotel Investments has sold its stake in the 387-key Swissôtel Kunshan for US$60.75 million, or US$157,000 per key, to Malaysia más...
Chatham REIT to acquire upscale extended-stay hotel in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Chatham Lodging Trust has signed a contract to acquire an unidentified upscale extended-stay hotel in Pittsburgh for US$24.9 más...
Orient-Express taps ex-Four Seasons exec as chief development officer
HAMILTON, BERMUDA Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. has appointed Roy Paul as chief development officer. Paul previously served in a similar capacity with Four más...
CEO of Best Western Great Britain to resign
YORK, ENGLAND Interchange & Consort Hotels, the parent company of Best Western Great Britain and management firm InnFutures, announces that CEO David más...
Hilton plans 19 hotel openings in India by 2016
INDIA Hilton Worldwide is planning to launch 19 hotels across India in the next five years, including six properties slated to open this year. Martin más...
Crowne Plaza to flag former Sheraton in Connecticut
STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT A former Sheraton hotel in Connecticut will be rebranded as a Crowne Plaza later this year. The 448-key Stamford Plaza & Conference más...
Dallas Aloft temporarily renames as Bud Light Hotel
DALLAS In what has become a Super Bowl tradition, brewer Anheuser-Busch has purchased temporary naming rights to a hotel near the big game. This year’s más...
Hilton bestows Diamond status on Grammy presenters, performers
MCLEAN, VIRGNIA Hilton Worldwide is granting Diamond Elite status in its Hilton HHonors loyalty program, along with 50,000 HHonors bonus poins, to presenters más...
3 InterContinental Hotels flags to be terminated in Germany
GERMANY Neue Dorint GmbH is terminating the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand agreement from three of its luxury hotels in Germany, effective más...
Zurich posts Europe’s highest RevPAR in 2010, Prague struggles
EUROPE The cold weather in the United Kingdom towards the end of the year was not enough to diminish headline performance levels as London achieved a más...
Armani scouting Russia for new hotel site
NORTH CAUCASUS, RUSSIA The hotel operation of famed designer Giorgio Armani has established a Russia division, and the project manager is scouting the más...
AH&LA releases study of multicultural traveler demographics
UNITED STATES The American Hotel & Lodging Association has released a study quantifying the travel and spending power of the top five U.S. multicultural más...
Britannia Hotel Group acquires Pontins holiday camps
SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND Pontins, a group of five holiday camps across the UK, has been acquired by Britannia Hotel Group, saving the company from bankruptcy más...
Accor posts record year for expansion in Asia Pacific
ASIA PACIFIC Accor posted its most successful year for Asia Pacific expansion in 2010, signing more than 70 new development contracts that will add more más...
Riu to open its 5th resort in Cape Verde
BOAVISTA, CAPE VERDE Riu Hotels & Resorts in May will open its fifth property in Cape Verde, an all-inclusive beachfront property located on the island más...
39-story hotel tower proposed for Chicago’s theater district
CHICAGO A local developer is proposing construction of a US$100 million 39-story tower in Chicago’s theater district that would include a hotel más...
Harvard Business School examines Mumbai hotel staff heroism
MUMBAI Harvard University’s Business School has published a study examining what businesses can learn from the heroism of Mumbai’s Taj Mahal más...
People on the move, week of January 24, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of January 24, 2011: The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Florida has promoted más...
2 Morgans hotels in New York City up for bids
NEW YORK CITY Morgans Hotel Group has reportedly placed two of its most prominent hotels on the market. Bids are due next week on the 168-key Royalton más...
U.S. hotels post biggest quarterly occupancy spike on record
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry reported increases in all three key performance metrics for the fourth quarter in year-over-year measurements, according más...
Summit Hotel Properties to proceed with IPO
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA Summit Hotel Properties Inc. is moving ahead with plans to become a publicly traded REIT, including an initial public offering más...
Blackstone close to buying 50% of Hotel Del Coronado
CORONADO, CALIFORNIA Blackstone Group LP is close to acquiring a 50% stake in the 787-key Hotel Del Coronado, the iconic seaside property that is struggling más...
Swissôtel unveils apartment-style guestroom design concept
ISTANBUL The first incarnation of Swissôtel Living, a new residential guestroom concept by Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, has been unveiled más...
Choice to launch Cambria Suites in NYC with 2 new hotels
NEW YORK CITY Choice Hotels International has signed two new development contracts for its Cambria Suites brand in New York City, in Times Square and más...
Rezidor opens Stockholm Radisson Blu, conference center
STOCKHOLM The Rezidor Hotel Group has opened a new flagship in Sweden, the 414-key Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Stockholm, the group’s sixth property más...
8 hotels to open in Kiev before 2012 Europe soccer tournament
KIEV Government officials in Kiev say eight new hotels will open in time for the Euro 2012 soccer tournament. By the end of 2011, eight hotels with nearly más...
IHG offers loyalty points in daily trivia contest
ATLANTA IHG’s Priority Club Rewards loyalty program is offering thousands of points as part of a new online promotion, “Win It in a Minute más...
Hotel industry to lead U.S. construction recovery in 2012
UNITED STATES Nonresidential construction activity will decline by 2% this year in the United States, but a recovery is anticipated in 2012, led by the más...
Wyndham’s new Tryp designs include lobby ‘blog wall’
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Hotel Group has unveiled new brand identity and product designs for its Tryp by Wyndham brand, including an updated logo más...
Tarsadia Hotels splits into three companies
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA Tarsadia Hotels has divided its corporate structure into three companies: Evolution Hospitality LLC, T2 Development LLC and más...
Advaya launches music-focused Modo Hotel brand
ATLANTA Advaya Hospitality, a recently launched venture from the founders of Nylo Hotels, has unveiled its debut brand, a music-focused lifestyle concept más...
Barclay brothers gain control of Maybourne Hotel Group
LONDON Private investors David and Frederick Barclay will take a controlling stake in Maybourne Hotel Group, a portfolio of three of London’s most más...
Top 10 hotel meeting trends for 2011
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS Hospitality management company Benchmark Hospitality International has released its annual list of top 10 meeting trends, as observed más...
Identifying opportunities for hospitality brands on Facebook
WORLDWIDE As online culture transitions from being search-based to social media-based, and as consumer attention shifts from paid media to earned media más...
Anantara Hotels rolls out new shared ownership offering
BANGKOK Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has unveiled a new shared ownership concept, Anantara Vacation Club, as part of an affiliation with RCI. Anantara más...
Sol Meliá reflags Hilton Valencia, Spain, following sale
VALENCIA, SPAIN The 304-key Hilton Hotel Valencia has been sold to Paris-based Continental Property Investment for an undisclosed sum. Sol Meliá más...
Morgans partners with philosophical group on events, amenities
NEW YORK CITY Morgans Hotel Group is adding a “Minibar for the Mind” to guestrooms and will roll out a series of bespoke amenities and events más...
Sage Hospitality partners with Denver college to launch hotel school
DENVER Sage Hospitality is partnering with Metropolitan State College of Denver to create a Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center in downtown Denver. más...
Host Hotels wins bidding war for NY Helmsley, will renovate
NEW YORK CITY Host Hotels & Resorts has purchased the 773-key New York Helmsley Hotel for between US$310 million and US$315 million, with plans to más...
Hospitality executives much more bullish than year ago
UNITED STATES Buoyed by the rebound of the U.S. economy and the number of hotel assets that have traded hands in recent months, the overwhelming majority más...
Economic trends will ‘reawaken’ hospitality industry in 2011
WORLDWIDE A series of financial, operational, demographic and regulatory trends suggest that global hospitality markets will see more robust, broad-based más...
Europe hotels head toward full recovery as RevPAR continues upswing
EUROPE The hotel industry across Europe is on track to full recovery, with mature markets, key capital cities and upscale hotels enjoying the strongest más...
Kimpton targets 10 new hotels in New York City
NEW YORK CITY Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group has its sights set squarely on New York City expansion, aiming to add 10 new hotels in America’s más...
Jumeirah to operate luxury hotel at Dubai’s Aviation Club
DUBAI Airport retailer Dubai Duty Free, owner of a new 5-star hotel at The Aviation Club, has tapped Jumeirah Group to operate the property. The hotel más...
Landmark Hotel Californian to be replaced with new hotel
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA Developer Michael Rosenfeld, owner of Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles, has acquired and is planning to demolish most más...
Marriott to manage third hotel in Colombia
CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA Marriott International Inc. will manage the 278-key Cartagena Marriott Hotel in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, slated to open in 2014 más...
Financiers Lipson, Wright form hospitality funding firm
WASHINGTON, D.C. Veteran hospitality consultants Michael Lipson and Jon Wright, in an alliance with Georgetown Capital Partners, have launched Georgetown más...
Nylo Hotels announces first conversion project
DALLAS Nylo Hotels LLC announces its first conversion property, a 76-key hotel project in the South Side Dallas neighborhood that will be the group’s más...
RLJ acquires Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Robert L. Johnson’s RLJ Development LLC has picked up its second upscale urban hotel this month, acquiring the 291-key más...
Hersha Hospitality Trust buys hotels in D.C., Delaware
PHILADELPHIA Hersha Hospitality Trust has acquired the 152-key Capitol Hill Suites in Washington, D.C., for US$47.5 million, and the 191-key Delaware más...
8 hotel trends driven by China’s next generation of travelers
CHINA Hong Kong-based management firm New World Hotels is undergoing a major brand relaunch, including an aggressive expansion effort in China. The brand más...
Sonesta partners with designer to launch boutique hotel brand
LOS ANGELES Dodd Mitchell Design and Development announces the launch of Kept Hotels & Resorts, a collaborative partnership with Sonesta International más...
Innkeepers USA puts itself up for sale
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Bankrupt Innkeepers USA Trust is soliciting bids for all of its assets, including the company itself, as part of its plan to repay más...
Global hotel transactions to rise 15-25% this year, JLLH predicts
WORLDWIDE Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels estimates that US$24.3 billion in hotel real estate traded hands globally in 2010, and that figure is set to grow más...
New World Hotels announces 5 China projects
CHINA New World Hotels plans to open five new properties in China by 2014. In addition to Beijing, the other selected locations are targeted for economic más...
Emaar plans 5 new Address Hotels by 2014
DUBAI Emaar Hospitality Group LLC plans to double its portfolio of The Address Hotels & Resorts, launching five new properties in the next four years más...
IHG’s green program for existing properties endorsed by LEED
ATLANTA The in-house sustainability program from IHG, dubbed Green Engage, has become the first program designed for existing properties to win LEED certification más...
Rezidor announces new Radisson Blu hotel in Gothenburg, Sweden
GOTHENBURG, SWEDEDN The Rezidor Hotel Group and Winn Hotel Group announce the 266-key Radisson Blu Riverside Hotel Gothenburg, slated to open in early más...
10 CoCo Key Water Resorts properties to be publicly auctioned
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN The owners of nine CoCo Key Water Resorts and their affiliated hotel properties have put the portfolio on the auction block, following más...
Marriott International confirms intent to ban adult content
BETHESDA, MARYLAND A day after LodgeNet Interactive Corp. addressed reports that a major hotel customer intends to phase out pornography in its guestroom más...
Magellan Hospitality to help Malmaison expand throughout Europe
LONDON Malmaison, the 12-property boutique hotel brand controlled by MWB Group Holding PLC, has signed a strategic partnership with Rome-based Magellan más...
Grecotel shuts 4 hotels in Athens
ATHENS N. Daskalantonakis Group, which controls the Grecotel chain of hotels, has decided to close four upscale properties that were built prior to the más...
AC Hotels by Marriott joint venture becomes official
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Spain hotel group AC Hotels and Marriott International Inc. have formally announced their joint venture to manage and franchise a new más...
Upscale segment leads hotel pipeline in Asia Pacific
WORLDWIDE The upscale segment accounts for the largest portion of guestrooms in the total active pipeline in Asia Pacific, according to the latest STR más...
Hyatt Place to flag Ocean Resort Waikiki following renovation
HONOLULU The 425-key Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki, acquired last month by The Chartres Lodging Group and Morgan Stanley Real Estate, will undergo an extensive más...
Honolulu tops January list of hotel price increases
NORTH AMERICA Hawaii hoteliers received a rare dose of good news in the latest average rate report from discount online travel agency Hotwire, which lists más...
Consortium Worldhotels adds record 73 hotels in 2010
FRANKFURT Sales and marketing consortium Worldhotels added a record 73 properties in 2010, increasing its membership portfolio by approximately 20,000 más...
People on the move, week of January 17, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of January 17, 2011: Davide Barnes has been appointed hotel manager at Four Seasons Hotel Los más...
Jin Jiang-Thayer venture launches Marvel brand
SHANGHAI JT Realty Advisors, the joint venture fund of Jin Jiang Hotels and Thayer Lodging Group, is developing a 3-star business-class hotel brand más...
Wyndham to take Chatwal’s Dream, Night boutique hotel brands global
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Hotel Group and Chatwal Hotels & Resorts LLC have entered into a partnership, giving Wyndham exclusive rights to franchise más...
Accor posts 9.4% revenue gains in Q4, ups year-end profit target
PARIS Accor has raised its 2010 profit projection by about 5%, reporting fourth quarter revenue results that surpassed analyst expectations. Like-for-like más...
Major hotel company to phase out guestroom porn
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA A major hotel company is planning to phase out pornography from its guestroom entertainment options by 2013, according to an más...
Veteran hotelier Boykin launches branded spa concept for hotels
NEW YORK CITY The Boykin Group CEO Robert Boykin has teamed with cosmetics executive David Stoup to launch a company that will specialize managing in más...
Urgo acquires Ocean Point Hotel in Pompano Beach, Florida
POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA Urgo Hotels has acquired the 96-key Ocean Point Hotel, a beachfront property in Pompano Beach. Terms of the transaction have not más...
Marriott expects India RevPAR to grow 10% this year
INDIA Marriott International expects RevPAR for its India properties to increase by 10% to 12% this year, which would surpass the 8% growth the company más...
City OKs Marriott hotel project for downtown Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN City officials have given the go-ahead for developers to renovate a vacant 19th century building in downtown Milwaukee into a 200-key más...
Broadreach secures 5-year extension on Park Hyatt Aviara loan
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA Broadreach Capital Partners has modified a US$186.5 million loan backed by its 329-key Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad, California más...
Los Angeles falls out of top 10 U.S. destinations list
UNITED STATES Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States, fell off a list of the top 10 U.S. destinations in 2010, based on booking data más...
HOTELS interview: Wequassett Resort director talks staff training, service advancements
CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS At Wequassett Resort & Golf Club on Cape Cod, Managing Partner Mark Novota has taken employee training to a different level más...
Hotel social media resolutions for 2011
WORLDWIDE Having a presence on Facebook and Twitter with a well-developed social media strategy has become a necessity for most hoteliers, and it is important más...
UK hotel property prices flat in 2010, trading to increase in 2011
UNITED KINGDOM A steady improvement in trading performance coupled with the strength of the London market led to average hotel prices stabilizing during más...
Banyan Tree closes China hospitality fund at US$214m
SINGAPORE Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd. has closed its first yuan renminbi-denominated private equity fund in China, the Banyan Tree China Hospitality Fund más...
DiamondRock to buy unfinished Times Square hotel for US$450k per key
NEW YORK CITY DiamondRock Hospitality Co. has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire, upon completion, a hotel under development in Times más...
UK hotel rates up 14% year over year in January
UNITED KINGDOM Hotel rates in the United Kingdom are on average 14% higher than in January 2010, and many cities have experienced even larger increases más...
Chicago-area Holiday Inn sells, to be converted to Marriott
NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS The 426-key Holiday Inn Select Chicago-Naperville has been acquired by a joint venture between Janko Group, Bricton Group and a Heitman-managed más...
Red Lion puts hotels in Seattle, Denver on market
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON Red Lion Hotels Corp. has placed its Red Lion Hotel Fifth Avenue, Seattle, and its Red Lion Hotel Denver Southeast on the market. más...
Como to manage resort at The Yamu, Phuket
PHUKET Singapore-based Como Hotels and Resorts is to develop and manage a new property on the Yamu Peninsula of Phuket. Located in Phang Nga Bay on the más...
Morgans turns over shuttered South Beach hotel to lender
MIAMI Morgans Hotel Group Co. has turned over a shuttered hotel in South Beach in a deed-in-lieu-of-foreclosure transaction that frees the company of más...
Cinnovation invests in InVision Hospitality, targets 30 hotels by 2013
BANGKOK Singapore-based investment company Cinnovation CG has formed a joint venture with hotel management firm InVision Hospitality that aims to open más...
Third-party travel sales to grow 30% by 2015
MADRID Revenue from third-party sales is expected to grow 30% by 2015, including from expansion of “extreme” services like virtual reality más...
Innkeepers USA reaches debt deal, to emerge from bankruptcy
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Innkeepers USA Trust has struck a deal to cut its debt by US$400 million, clearing the way for the lodging REIT to emerge from Chapter más...
RLJ buys Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel, New York City
NEW YORK CITY RLJ Development has acquired the 755-key Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel in Midtown Manhattan for US$335 million, or US$444,000 per key. RLJ más...
U.S. hotel RevPAR up 7.8% in first week of year
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry reported year-over-year gains in all three key performance metrics during the week ending January 8, according to más...
Dubai bans hotel alcohol sales on Valentine’s Day
DUBAI Valentine’s Day will be dry in Dubai this year, as the romantic holiday—usually a lucrative one for hoteliers—falls a day ahead más...
Kohler to turn Hamilton Grand at St. Andrews into luxury residences
ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND Kohler Co. will convert Hamilton Grand, located adjacent to the Royal & Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews, into 26 luxury residences más...
India’s Lemon Tree Hotels plans 7 more properties
NEW DELHI Lemon Tree Hotels today has launched its 13th upscale business hotel and second in Gurgaon, with plans to open seven more in India by next year más...
Radisson Blu Kuwait closes for year-long renovation
KUWAIT CITY Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait, The Rezidor Group's first property outside of Scandinavia, has closed for a major redevelopment project with completion más...
Jetsetter.com partners with luxury hotel groups on private sales
NEW YORK CITY Members-only travel site Jetsetter.com is launching Jetsetter 24/7, a selection of limited-time discounted vacation experiences, featuring más...
Al Habtoor Group plans 2,000-key Dubai hotel, UAE’s largest
DUBAI In yet more evidence that Dubai’s phenomenal building boom of the past decade may not be over, Al Habtoor Group confirms that it is exploring más...
Legendary menu expert to flag flavor, value trends at Protein Innovation Summit
CHICAGO Sure, the economy is coming back and sales of luxury cuts of meat are creeping upward, but restaurants have a lot of catching up to do to offset más...
Cultural heritage major driver of travel for U.S. blacks, survey finds
UNITED STATES A new poll suggests that cultural heritage plays a key role when it comes to destination selection for African-American travelers, with más...
Queensland still open for visitors despite floods, tourism officials say
QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA Queensland Tourism Industry Council is urging Australian and international holidaymakers not to give up on trips to the region despite más...
Hyatt Hotels announces first property in Costa Rica
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA Hyatt Hotels Corp. will manage a Hyatt Place hotel on behalf of Strategic Hospitality Investments Corp. in San Jose, marking the más...
Choice Hotels Scandinavia debuts Comfort Xpress concept
OSLO Choice Hotels Scandinavia has launched the first its new Comfort Hotel Xpress brand, a lifestyle concept targeting price-conscious modern travelers más...
Langham aims for 6 India hotel openings by 2017
INDIA Langham Hotels International has four properties in the pipeline in India, comprising more than 650 guestrooms, with the goal of adding at least más...
Louisiana’s Coushatta Tribe plans new US$60m hotel
KINDER, LOUISIANA The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana is nearly doubling the size of its gaming resort with the upcoming construction of a new US$60 million más...
LaSalle Hotel Properties sells Sheraton Bloomington, Minnesota
BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA LaSalle Hotel Properties has sold the 564-key Sheraton Bloomington Hotel for US$20 million, or US$35,000 per key, to an unnamed más...
International tourism recovering faster in emerging economies
UNITED NATIONS Boosted by improved economic conditions worldwide, international tourism has recovered faster than expected from the impacts of the global más...
Marriott’s Renaissance brand revamps concierge with ‘Navigators’
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Renaissance Hotels is rolling out a new program called Navigator, a rethinking of the concierge concept that offers guests a complete más...
Carlson to open 19 hotels in India this year
INDIA Carlson expects to open 19 hotels in India by the end of 2011 across its Radisson, Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, Park Inn and Park Plaza más...
RBS sells 4 UK Hilton hotels for £100m
UNITED KINGDOM Royal Bank of Scotland has sold four Hilton-branded hotels in the UK for more than £100 million. The four hotels, which comprise más...
Sunstone aims to buy US$1b of upscale hotels this year
ALISO VIEJO, CALIFORNIA Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. is planning to invest as much as US$1 billion this year to acquire upscale hotels in major U.S. más...
Indian Hotels plans 43 hotel openings in India by 2015
INDIA Indian Hotels Company Ltd., parent of Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, anticipates adding some 12,000 guestrooms to its India portfolio across 43 más...
Starwood Capital considers options to sell Louvre Hotels
PARIS Starwood Capital is considering options to sell Louvre Hotels, according to a published report. Daily newspaper Les Echos reports that the firm más...
Lloyds may put Mint Hotel group on market for £550m
EDINBURGH Mint Hotel, the former City Inn brand that relaunched with the new name in November, may be put on the market soon by owner Lloyds Banking Group más...
Pan Pacific brand debuts in Australia with Sheraton Perth reflagging
PERTH, AUSTRALIA Pan Pacific Hotels Group bebuts its Pan Pacific brand in Australia with the relaunch of the 486-key Pan Pacific Perth, formerly Sheraton más...
People on the move, week of January 10, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of January 10, 2011: Richard Baker has been promoted to executive vice president, operations director más...
New York Trump offers royal wedding package
NEW YORK CITY Trump International Hotel & Tower New York is offering a special one-time package, called Trump Royal Wedding Experience, to mark the más...
Accor signs 10 hotels in UK under Mercure flag
ENGLAND Accor has signed a franchise agreement with Focus Hotels Ltd. to add 10 properties and 763 guestrooms to its UK network, with all 10 properties más...
Franchisees sue Choice, Wyndham over loyalty program fees
ORLANDO Franchisees of Wyndham Worldwide Inc. and Choice Hotels International Inc. have filed class-action lawsuits claiming that the hotel groups are más...
Accor sells 49 Europe hotels for €378.4m
PARIS Accor has sold 49 hotels in France, Belgium and Germany in a leaseback agreement valued at €378.4 million. The buyer is a joint venture between más...
Starwood announces 3 projects in Oman
MUSCAT, OMAN Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has three projects under development in Muscat. Hotels are under construction in Muscat under the más...
Colony Capital takes minority stake in SBE
LOS ANGELES Investment firm Colony Capital LLC has invested US$35 million for a minority stake in nightclub and boutique hotel operator SBE. The investment más...
Canada’s hotel pipeline down 7% year over year
CANADA The hotel development pipeline in Canada comprises 206 projects totaling 21,828 guestrooms, according to the December 2010 STR/McGraw Hill Construction más...
Leading Hotels adds free breakfast, Internet for loyalty members
NEW YORK CITY The Leading Hotels of the World Ltd. has announced some updates to its Leaders Club loyalty program, offering daily complimentary breakfast más...
Best Western Premier brand debuts in California
NAPA, CALIFORNIA Best Western International’s boutique-style Premier flag makes its debut in California with the rebranding of the 115-key Ivy Hotel más...
Swissôtel is latest hotel brand to launch online shop
ZÜRICH Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has launched its own online shop, Swissôtel at home, enabling guest to purchase amenities found más...
Starwood cans Pepsi products in favor of Coke
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Coca-Cola beverages are returning to Starwood Hotels & Resorts properties in the United States. Five years after losing Starwood más...
Le Méridien Montparnasse sells, reflags as Pullman hotel
PARIS The 953-key Le Méridien Montparnasse Hotel Paris has been sold and will be rebranded under Accor’s Pullman brand. The property’s más...
Accor sells Lucien Barrière stake for €268m
PARIS Accor has sold its 49% stake in Lucien Barrière Hôtels et Casinos to France-based financial holding company Fimalac for €268 million más...
U.S. year-end hotel pipeline drops 21%
UNITED STATES The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 3,049 projects totaling 317,343 guestrooms, a 20.9% decrease from a year ago más...
Wyndham brand debuts in India with New Delhi hotel
NEW DELHI Wyndham Hotel Group has signed a franchise agreement to open its first Wyndham Hotels and Resorts property in India. The 394-key Wyndham New más...
Marriott Vice Chairman Shaw to retire
BETHESDA, MARYLAND William J. Shaw, a 37-year veteran of Marriott International Inc. and vice chairman of the company since 2009, plans to retire March más...
Boston’s Liberty Hotel joins Luxury Collection, gets new manager
BOSTON The 300-key Liberty Hotel has a new co-owner and manager, as HEI Hotels & Resorts announces the purchase of an ownership interest in a joint más...
Hilton hotel near D.C. sells for US$121m
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA Dallas-based Crow Holdings has acquired the 496-key Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Virginia, for US$121 million, or about US$244 más...
Spain, Amadeus collaborate on developing nations’ tourism
MADRID Spain’s tourism department and travel technology vendor Amadeus will collaborate on implementing sustainable tourism initiatives in developing más...
Liverpool reportedly in running for Waldorf Astoria hotel
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND Developers are planning to convert the historic Martins Bank in Liverpool into what would be the city’s first 5-star hotel, and más...
Caesars expands dog-friendly program to 8 Vegas properties
LAS VEGAS Caesars Entertainment is expanding its PetStay Las Vegas dog-friendly hotel program to eight of its Strip properties. Each resort has a designated más...
Wyndham announces 48-story hotel for Chongqing, China
CHONGQING, CHINA Wyndham Hotel Group announces the signing of a management agreement to open a Wyndham Hotels and Resorts property in the city of Chongqing más...
Mandarin Oriental launches ‘hotel-within-hotel’ for employees
BANGKOK Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, has unveiled a concept for a hotel within a hotel that is exclusively dedicated to serving employees. Dubbed “O-Zone más...
Louvre signs deal for 6 Campanile hotels in Ukraine
UKRAINE Groupe du Louvre has signed an exclusive agreement with Universal Development and Construction Holding to construct and operate at least six new más...
Travel tech buzzwords for 2011: Mobile, Local, Social
WORLDWIDE A flood of innovation involving smartphones, social media and local search will have a massive impact on what travelers do and how they spend más...
Starwood customer service agents use video chat technology
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Preferred Guest members can now connect with the customer service agents using FaceTime, Apple's video calling technology más...
China’s 7 Days Group adds 231 hotels in 2010
GUANGZHOU, CHINA 7 Days Group Holdings Ltd. opened 231 net hotels in 2010, including 85 net leased-and-operated hotels and 146 net managed hotels. The más...
Hilton Da Nang to open in 2013 as brand’s 2nd Vietnam hotel
DA NANG, VIETNAM Hilton Worldwide announces the signing of a management agreement with local property developer Bach Dang Hotel Complex Trading Service más...
Invesco Real Estate hotel fund is fully invested, with 17th purchase
HANNOVER, GERMANY Invesco Real Estate’s first hotel fund is now fully invested following the purchase of its 17th hotel, the 206-key Novotel Hannover más...
Sheraton to open near Philadelphia
KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA PMZ Realty Capital has secured a US$13 million construction loan for Sheraton Valley Forge, a new hotel being developed más...
Hotel design firms Gettys, Blu form alliance
CHICAGO Two hospitality design firms are joining forces to expand their businesses in the Middle East and North Africa. Chicago-based hospitality design más...
Paulson seizes 8 luxury hotels from Morgan Stanley
NEW YORK CITY A lender group led by billionaire John Paulson has reportedly seized control of eight U.S. luxury hotels controlled by Morgan Stanley’s más...
Near-term outlook very promising for London hoteliers
LONDON Hoteliers in London are looking forward to two of their best trading years ever in 2011 and 2012, as the world’s attention focuses on the más...
MGM Resorts offers US$1.1b of private placement notes
LAS VEGAS As part of a plan to refinance its year-old CityCenter Las Vegas project, an MGM Resorts International subsidiary is offering a private placement más...
St. Regis Hotels brand to debut in Jordan
AMMAN, JORDAN Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide plans to launch its luxury St. Regis brand in Jordan. Owned by Al Maabar International Investments más...
Accor in talks to sell Lucien Barrière stake
PARIS Accor is in talks to sell its 49% stake in casino group Lucien Barrière Hôtels et Casinos to France-based financial holding company más...
Jumeirah to operate luxury resort on Anguilla
ANGUILLA Jumeirah has signed a management deal with Conch Bay Development Ltd. to operate a luxury resort hotel and residences on the island of Anguilla más...
André Balazs shows interest in Hotel Chelsea
NEW YORK CITY Boutique hotelier André Balazs may be interested in acquiring the iconic 225-key Hotel Chelsea. Balazs last week met with management más...
MGM’s long-awaited loyalty club revamp goes live
LAS VEGAS M Life, the relaunched loyalty club program from MGM Resorts International, goes live on Tuesday. Unlike most gaming industry loyalty programs más...
Capsule hotel concept debuts in China
SHANGHAI The first capsule hotel in China has opened at Shangai Railway Station. The 68-unit ultra-budget hotel, which only permits men, features capsules más...
Westin, Sheraton enter retail furniture market
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK The Westin and Sheraton brands from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announce the debut of retail home collections featuring más...
Beijing plans US$1.3b copy of Burj Khalifa
BEIJING Saudi Arabia developers and the city of Beijing are partnering on a US$1.3 billion plan to build a "7-star” hotel modeled on Dubai's Burj más...
Home Inns anticipates 260 hotel openings in 2011
SHANGHAI Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. expects to open between 260 and 280 new hotels in 2011, bringing its portfolio to approximately 1,100 más...
Private equity firms in talks over control of Vegas Palms
LAS VEGAS Private equity firms TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners LP are reportedly in negotiations with Palms Casino Resort owner George Maloof más...
U.S. hotel industry recovery slows slightly, index shows
UNITED STATES A leading hotel industry composite indicator has deteriorated somewhat over the past six months, and while the U.S. hotel industry continues más...
SBE strikes loyalty club deal with MGM Resorts
LAS VEGAS SBE, owner of five hotels including the hip SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, is close to sealing a cross-marketing partnership with MGM Resorts International más...
Bankrupt Sè San Diego hotel may hit market at discount
SAN DIEGO The owners of the upper-upscale boutique Sè San Diego, which opened two years ago at a cost of US$150 million, are seeking court permission más...
Alex Stratta’s 2-star restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas to close
LAS VEGAS Wynn Las Vegas is closing its celebrated French restaurant Alex to make way for a special events space. The Michelin 2-starred restaurant by más...
Wyndham launches Ramada Encore brand in Middle East
DOHA Wyndham Hotel Group announces the debut of its Ramada Encore brand in the Middle East with the 111-key Ramada Encore Doha. Situated in the más...
Pebblebrook REIT completes US$31m secured debt financing
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has executed a US$31 million secured loan with UBS Real Estate Securities Inc. that is expected to fund as más...
People on the move, week of January 3, 2011
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of January 3, 2011:John Carns has been appointed as general manager of Waldorf Astoria Orlando más...
Magic Johnson acquires Houston’s Hotel Icon
HOUSTON Weeks after purchasing the debt on the 135-key Hotel Icon in Houston, a joint venture between Magic Johnson’s Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds más...
Massive flooding devastates Australia tourism
AUSTRALIA Flooding from rainfall that officials have described as “biblical” could cost Australia’s gross domestic product US$2.5 billion más...
Rotana to open 7 hotels this year in UAE, Qatar
ABU DHABI Rotana Hotel Management Corp. expects to open seven hotels this year in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, bringing its global portfolio to más...
HEI Hotels defends labor record following Brown U. report
NORWALK, CONNECTICUT Following news last week that a Brown University student-faculty panel has recommended the school cease investing in HEI Hotels & más...
Dolce unveils new name, changes for former Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas
LAKE LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Dolce Hotels & Resorts announces that the former Ritz-Carlton at Lake Las Vegas resort will reopen next month and will be named más...
Timbers Resorts rebrands Vail Plaza Hotel as The Sebastian
VAIL, COLORADO Timbers Resorts has rebranded its 107-key Vail Plaza Hotel & Club as The Sebastian Vail. A member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts más...
India’s Clarion master franchisee aims for gateway cities expansion
INDIA Asian Hotels West, the master franchisee for Choice Hotels International’s Clarion brand in India, is targeting gateway cities in the country más...
Harvard U. owns 6.5% of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
BETHESDA, MARYLAND The investment arm of Harvard University owns 6.5% of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, according to a new Securities and Exchange Commission más...
Hilton names development VP for Mexico
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide has promoted George J. Massa to vice president and managing director of development for Mexico. In this role, Massa más...
Dual-branded Courtyard, Residence Inn set for Central Park
NEW YORK CITY A 67-story hotel tower, dual-branded by Residence Inn and Courtyard by Marriott, is in the plans for a site at Broadway and 54th Street más...
Hoteliers’ top 10 Internet marketing resolutions for 2011
WORLDWIDE While 2010 was not quite the tough year the industry feared it would be, hoteliers still grappled with a number of challenging issues: a slowly más...
Americas hotel transactions to reach US$13b in 2011, JLLH predicts
AMERICAS Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels has upped its outlook and projects that hotel transaction volume will reach US$13 billion in the Americas region in más...
Shangri-La announces 2nd Sri Lanka luxury project
HAMBANTOTA, SRI LANKA A week after news that it will build a 500-key luxury hotel in the capital of Sri Lanka, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts has confirmed más...
UK hoteliers launch midscale alpine hotel brand, ‘Snotels’
LONDON A former snowboard instructor and a group of veteran hoteliers are launching a midscale lodging concept that they are calling the world’s más...
GF Management launches hotel asset management division
PHILADELPHIA Hotel owner-operator GF Management announces the formation of a division focused on asset management, consulting and advisory services. Since más...
‘Gentleman hotelier’ Thomas Crowley dies at 62
LA MARSA, TUNISIA Thomas Crowley, known to his industry colleagues throughout the Middle East as “a true gentleman hotelier,” died on Christmas más...
Developer in talks for Waldorf Astoria in Tel Aviv
TEL AVIV Israel developers are in talks with Hilton Worldwide and the city of Tel Aviv about bringing the luxury Waldorf Astoria brand to the city. It más...
Best Western launches travel-planning iPad app
PHOENIX Best Western International has launched an iPad-specific version of its free Best Western To Go application, which allows users to share travel más...
Jeweler Alexis Bittar debuts collection inspired by St. Regis Hotels
NEW YORK CITY St. Regis Hotels & Resorts is collaborating with jewelry designer Alexis Bittar on a collection of bespoke baubles. The St. Regis Collection más...
Boomerang Hotels reintroducing Shoney’s Inn brand
HENDERSONVILLE, TENNESSEE Boomerang Hotels is planning to reintroduce its scuttled Shoney’s Inn economy brand. Shoney’s Inn, which is not más...
Europeans traveling more often, but trips are shorter, cheaper
EUROPE Europeans are ramping up their frequency of travel heading into 2011, but they are shortening their trips and cutting down on spending, according más...
China developer buys Sheraton Universal Hotel, California
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA The 451-key Sheraton Universal Hotel, one of the most prominent hotels at the Universal Studios entertainment complex outside más...
Expedia partners with hotels to upgrade top customers
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON Online travel agency Expedia has quietly begun rolling out a nifty perk for members of its Elite Plus loyalty program. At designated más...
489-key Orlando Sheraton is sold, renovation planned
ORLANDO Area Property Partners and Winston Harton Holdings LLC announce the purchase and planned US$25 million redevelopment of the 489-key Sheraton Safari más...
Nashville Hotel Indigo owner files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE The owner of the 97-key Hotel Indigo Nashville has defaulted on a US$17.5 million loan, leading 315 Union Street Holdings LLC to más...
Wyndham Garden Hotel opens in Panama City
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA The 70-key Wyndham Garden Hotel Panama City, a new-build hotel, is now open as the second Wyndham-branded property in Panama’s más...
Aston takes over management of Waikiki Beachside Hotel
HONOLULU Aston Hotels & Resorts announces the return of the 79-key Waikiki Beachside Hotel to the Aston portfolio. “This hotel has always been más...
Paris entrepreneur to launch boutique hotel group
PARIS Longtime Paris hotelier Olivier de Geffrier is planning to launch a group of 4-star boutique hotels in Paris later this year. The as-yet unnamed más...
Musselman Hotels buys 252-key Louisville property, will rebrand
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY The 252-key Park Inn Hotel Louisville East has been bought by Musselman Hotels and an affiliate of RockBridge Capital LLC. Terms más...
America’s Best Franchising plans 7 upscale hotels in India
INDIA Atlanta-based America’s Best Franchising Inc. expects to open seven properties under its upscale 3 Palms Hotels & Resorts brand in India más...
Pebblebrook REIT considers US$500m share sale
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Pebblebrook Hotel Trust is preparing the sale of common shares and debt securities that could net the REIT up to US$500 million, according más...
Dubai, comfortable with hotel inventory growth, focuses on classification
DUBAI An expected influx of another 10,000 hotel guestrooms in 2011 will not burden Dubai’s tourism recovery efforts, the Dubai Department of Tourism más...
RevPAR climbs 3.6% during Christmas week in U.S.
UNITED STATES Hotels in the United States saw increases across the key metrics during the week of Christmas, compared to the same period a year ago, according más...
Hilton returns to Mumbai with airport hotel
MUMBAI Hilton Worldwide has opened its third hotel in India, returning to Mumbai with the 171-key Hilton Mumbai International Airport. "We're excited más...
Associated Luxury Hotels acquires competitor Hinton + Grusich
WASHINGTON, D.C. Associated Luxury Hotels International has acquired Hinton + Grusich, merging two of the largest independent national sales organizations más...
Marriott Vacation Club brings points-based program to Latin America
LATIN AMERICA Marriott International is launching its points-based Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program in Mexico, Central America and South America más...
Marriott signs 1st China online travel agent deal
CHINA Marriott International has signed its first deal with an online travel agency based in China, solidifying a distribution cooperation agreement with más...
Plans revived for new-build hotel in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN A 2008 proposal for a new-build hotel in downtown Ann Arbor is being resurrected. First Hospitality Group will submit a revised plan más...
diciembre 2010
Langham to flag new hotel inside Chicago’s IBM Building
CHICAGO Langham Hotels and Resorts is launching its third U.S. property in Chicago, flagging a 330-key luxury hotel inside the landmark IBM Building. más...
Hotel Properties Ltd. acquires Phuket’s luxury Yamu resort
PHUKET, THAILAND The Yamu luxury resort project in Phuket, in doubt after the global economic downturn forced development to be suspended, has been rescued más...
France hotel performance shows steady improvement
FRANCE The hotel industry in France posted modest improvements across all metrics and sectors in November, with the 3-star segment showing especially más...
Hard Rock Vegas pays US$650,000 to settle drug, prostitution allegations
LAS VEGAS Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has agreed to pay US$650,000 to settle allegations that resort employees sold drugs and facilitated illicit sex más...
Owner of 22 budget hotels in bankruptcy
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA A joint venture led by investor Milton Fine that owns 22 budget hotels has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Budget más...
Brown University to cease investing in HEI Hotels over labor complaints
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND A Brown University committee has recommended that the Ivy League school stop investing in HEI Hotels and Resorts, pointing to más...
Kansas City’s Raphael Hotel to join Marriott’s Autograph Collection
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI The 126-key Raphel Hotel, one of the most prestigious properties in Kansas City, will be joining Marriott International’s más...
Sale of London’s Grosvenor House is announced
LONDON A subsidiary of Indian billionaire Subrata Roy’s conglomerate Sahara India Pariwar has acquired London’s landmark Grosvenor House, más...
Park Plaza buys out interests in 3 London hotels
LONDON Park Plaza Hotels Ltd. is buying out the interests in three London hotels that it partially owns from partner Elbit Imaging Ltd., Israel. Park más...
RBS weighs takeover of UK Ramada franchisor Jarvis Hotels
LONDON Jarvis Hotels Ltd., which owns and operates more than 40 hotels in the United Kingdom under the Ramada flag, may soon be taken over by Royal Bank más...
LaSalle Hotel REIT abandons luxury Chicago project
CHICAGO LaSalle Hotel Properties has given up on plans to develop a luxury boutique hotel in a landmark building in downtown Chicago. The Bethesda, Maryland-based más...
Starwood CEO generates US$13.9m from stock sale
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. CEO Frits Van Paasschen sold 230,926 shares of Starwood stock on Monday. At an average más...
Maryland issues US$45m bonds for Baltimore Four Seasons
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND The Maryland Industrial Development Financing Authority has agreed to issue US$45 million worth of tax-exempt bonds to help facilitate más...
Herbst outfits Buffalo Bill’s with Fontainebleau furnishings
PRIMM, NEVADA Pricey designer furnishings meant for the luxurious Fontainebleau Las Vegas have instead been installed at the midscale Buffalo Bill’s más...
LV Sands President Leven to sell 1.75m shares in 2011
LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Sands Corp. President Michael Leven plans to sell about half of his Sands shares of company stock during 2011 as part of a prearranged más...
Brazil Hospitality Group acquires InterContinental Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO Brazil Hospitality Group has acquired Brascan Imobiliaria Hotelaria e Turismo SA, which owns the 418-key InterContinental Rio. Terms más...
Shangri-La acquires land for US$500m hotel in Colombo
COLOMBO Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has formalized plans for a US$500 million “7-star” hotel in the Sri Lanka capital. The más...
Hotusa opens 100th managed hotel, 10,000th guestroom
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, SPAIN The opening of the 132-key Eurostars San Lázaro in Santiago de Compostela marks two important milestones for Grupo más...
Hyatt Hotels to build Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro
RIO DE JANEIRO A Hyatt Hotels Corp. affiliate has acquired a majority interest in a 46,000-sq.-m oceanfront property in Barra da Tijuca, an upscale residential más...
California’s Hotel Maya latest independent to affiliate with DoubleTree
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA The 194-key Hotel Maya in Long Beach has added the DoubleTree Hotels flag, keeping its name and distinctive Latin American design más...
First stage of US$711m Hilton Surfers Paradise opens
SURFERS PARADISE, AUSTRALIA Hilton Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of the first stage of Hilton Surfers Paradise, the brand's first combination más...
Aloft Hotels debuts in New York City with Harlem opening
NEW YORK CITY Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announces the opening of Aloft Harlem, the select-service brand’s first New York City hotel más...
ITC’s Fortune Hotels brand to flag property in Shirdi, India
SHIRDI, INDIA Parsvnath Hotels Ltd. has signed a management contract with Fortune Hotels, the midscale brand of ITC-Welcomgroup, for an upcoming hotel más...
Wynn involved with Monaco-Qatar JV, given Monegasque citizenship
MONACO Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn will serve as an outside director for a joint venture between the governments of Monaco and Qatar, and his role has más...
Mideast hotel metrics see modest improvements in November
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA The Middle East and Africa region reported increases in all three key performance measurements for November, according to data más...
Hawaii hotels post encouraging month in November
HAWAII Average daily rate grew in Hawaii in November, marking just the third month out of the last 29 to post a statewide ADR gain. ADR grew 3.9% in November más...
Ruffin inquires with MGM Resorts about Mirage, Beau Rivage
LAS VEGAS Billionaire Phil Ruffin, who purchased Treasure Island Hotel & Casino from MGM Resorts International in 2008, recently inquired with MGM más...
Starwood Property Trust deploys US$206m loan on 10 hotels
GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT Starwood Property Trust has deployed US$271.9 million of capital through three separate loan originations. A US$206 million first más...
Grupo Carso acquires U.S. hotel ahead of real estate spinoff
MEXICO CITY Grupo Carso SAB is splitting off its real estate and mining units next week, and it has added a Florida property to its hotel portfolio ahead más...
Luxury hotel development continues in Sri Lanka
NILAVELI, SRI LANKA Esna Villas, a subsidiary of Sri Lanka-based consultancy Esna Holdings, is planning to launch a luxury beach resort in Nilaveli, located más...
Hyatt Hotels enters Düsseldorf with Regency
DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY Hyatt Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf, the company’s first property in the city más...
Connecticut Holiday Inn switches to CoCo Key Water Resort flag
WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT Sage Hospitality Resources has launched its fourth Coco Key Water Resort-branded hotel, dropping the Holiday Inn flag from its más...
India’s Kamat Hotels discusses growth efforts
MUMBAI Regional hotel operator Kamat Hotels India Ltd. is in growth mode, and CFO Kurian Chandy is optimistic that the company will continue to see improving más...
St. Regis mobile app lets guests text-message with butlers
NEW YORK CITY The St. Regis New York has launched an innovative smartphone application that lets guests interact directly, in real time, with the hotel’s más...
Europe hotel metrics post strong November gains
EUROPE The hotel industry in Europe posted mostly positive results in year-over-year metrics in November, according to data compiled by STR Global. Istanbul más...
Abu Dhabi increasingly competitive with Dubai for travelers
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Abu Dhabi remains in the shadow of its flashier neighbor in terms of most major hotel metrics, but it is making steady gains on Dubai más...
Hôtel de Crillon sale to Saudi royal becomes official
PARIS L'Hôtel de Crillon has been sold to an unidentified member of the Saudi royal family for an estimated €250 million, although terms of más...
Labor deal paves way for Wilshire Grand hotel demolition, reconstruction
LOS ANGELES Labor leaders and the developers of the Wilshire Grand hotel project have agreed to a US$10 million "closure agreement" to provide benefits más...
Hilton to reflag resort in Seychelles
SILHOUETTE ISLAND, SEYCHELLES Hilton Worldwide will reflag and manage the 111-villa Labriz Silhouette Seychelles under its Hilton Hotels & Resorts más...
Jumeirah Zabeel Saray to debut next week on Palm Jumeirah
DUBAI Jumeirah Group has been appointed by Zabeel Properties to manage Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. The new 5-star hotel, located on the west crescent of Dubai's más...
U.S. steps up security at ‘soft targets,’ including hotels
UNITED STATES A week after reports that al Qaeda terrorists are looking to poison hotel buffets in the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Janet más...
Moody’s analysts expect marginal uptick for gaming in 2011
NEW YORK CITY The U.S. gaming industry should see some marginal performance improvement in 2011, analysts at Moody's Investors Service believe. The firm más...
Judge bars Best Western from eliminating Florida property
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA A U.S. bankruptcy court has sided with Innkeepers USA Trust, which sought to bar Best Western International from stripping Best más...
Wyndham Grand residential resort debuts on Kauai
KAUAI, HAWAII Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has completed the first phase of the 322-unit Koloa Landing at Poipu Beach Wyndham Grand Resort, the brand's más...
London hotels’ range of appeal is key to leading Europe metrics
EUROPE Consistent growth throughout the year has allowed London hoteliers to significantly exceed the headline performance levels of other Europe markets más...
Asia Pacific continues to lead RevPAR recovery
ASIA PACIFIC Hotels in the Asia Pacific region experienced increases in all three key performance metrics for November, according to data from STR Global más...
Flooding forces San Diego hotels to evacuate by boat
SAN DIEGO Rising floodwaters in usually dry Southern California have forced at least three hotels in San Diego to evacuate guests, with one hotel requiring más...
Atlantic City Hilton in court fight to stave off foreclosure
ATLANTIC CITY Owners of the 800-key Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort are engaging in a legal battle to stave off foreclosure on Atlantic City’s más...
DoubleTree by Hilton brand debuts in Bulgaria
VARNA, BULGARIA The DoubleTree by Hilton brand is launching in Bulgaria with DoubleTree by Hilton, Varna-Golden Sands, set to officially open this spring más...
Chennai’s landmark Hotel Dasaprakash to be demolished
MYSORE, INDIA The 90-year-old Hotel Dasaprakash, one of the most renowned hotels in the Chennai area, has been acquired by real estate firm Prince Foundations más...
People on the move, week of December 20, 2010
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of December 20, 2010:Gretta Brooks has been named regional vice president of sales and marketing más...
Starwood, Hilton settle Denizen corporate espionage lawsuit
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA The highest-profile corporate espionage case in hotel industry history has been settled, rivals Hilton Worldwide and Starwood Hotels más...
Social media rivals formal reviews for hotel influence, Cornell finds
UNITED STATES User-generated hotel reviews and suggestions posted on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and TripAdvisor are on par with traditional más...
Americas RevPAR up 11.7% in November
AMERICAS The Americas region recorded positive results in the three key performance metrics in November, including a year-over-year RevPAR spike of 11 más...
Outgoing Morgans CEO Kleisner to stay on 3 extra months
NEW YORK CITY Morgans Hotel Group Co. is retaining CEO Fred Kleisner for three additional months, extending his tenure beyond the previously-announced más...
Rocco Forte sells Geneva’s Richemond Hotel to Cedar Capital
GENEVA Rocco Forte and Family Ltd. has sold the 109-key luxury Le Richemond Hotel, Geneva, to an investment-holding company represented by Cedar Capital más...
IHG signs 5-year integrated marketing partnership with PGA Tour
ATLANTA The world’s premier professional golf tour and the world’s largest hotel company have entered into a five-year integrated marketing más...
Linchris acquires Hilton Scranton, Pennsylvania, will renovate
SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA The 175-key Hilton Scranton & Conference Center has been acquired by Linchris Hotel Corp. for US$13 million, or about US$74 más...
Cambria Suites hotel opens at Pittsburgh hockey arena
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Horizon Properties Group LLC and Choice Hotels International Inc. announce the opening of a 142-key Cambria Suites hotel adjacent más...
Cedar Capital to asset-manage Mandarin Oriental Prague
PRAGUE Cedar Capital Partners has led the restructuring of MSC Hotel Investment Cooperatie U.A., which controls the holding company of the 99-keyMandarin más...
InterContinental is first hotel brand with iPad app
ATLANTA InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has launched its free Concierge Insider Guides app designed specifically for the Apple iPad, making it the más...
Marriott launches sustainable seafood initiative
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Marriott International has quietly rolled out a large-scale sustainable seafood program, dubbed FutureFish. Marriott has created “fish más...
Accor to take over Hyatt Regency Auckland, reflag as Pullman
NEW ZEALAND Accor SA will become New Zealand’s biggest hotel operator after adding two properties, including Hyatt Regency Auckland, and announcing más...
Chartres Lodging acquires Ocean Resort Waikiki, will rebrand
HONOLULU The Chartres Lodging Group LLC has acquired 451-key Ocean Resort Waikiki in a joint venture with a fund managed by Morgan Stanley Real Estate más...
Virginia capital sees America’s largest hotel rate drop this month
NORTH AMERICA Richmond, Virginia, posted a 4% drop in average booked hotel rates on discount online travel agent Hotwire.com in December year over year más...
Qatar World Cup may send Mideast hotel pipeline soaring
WORLDWIDE Hotel development pipelines in most world regions are expected to be relatively stagnant over the next few years, with the notable exceptions más...
World Expo boosts Shanghai hotel performance
SHANGHAI The Shanghai World Expo has had a similar impact on that city’s hotel performance as the 2008 Olympic Games had on Beijing, according to más...
Turkey’s luxe Mardan Palace has power cut off over unpaid bills
ANTALYA, TURKEY The 546-key Mardan Palace, which opened last year as the most expensive resort ever built in Europe at a cost of US$1.4 billion, is currently más...
281-key Marriott hotel planned for Yiwu, China
YIWU, CHINA Marriott International continues its expansion in China with the signing of a management agreement with Sanding Holding Group Co. Ltd. for más...
Duet in talks with international groups for midscale hotels in India
NEW DELHI Duet Hotels is developing three new 3-star properties in India and is currently in talks with several major international hotel companies about más...
Vienna International signs hotel management deal in Belarus
MINSK, BELARUS Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG is entering the Belarus market with a 280-key business hotel in Minsk, set to open in 2014. The más...
Corporate, leisure booking volumes see record growth in November
WORLDWIDE Both the corporate and leisure travel sectors set 2010 growth records over 2009 in November, according to new data from Pegasus Solutions. The más...
1 in 3 hotel workers would prefer to stay with another company
WORLDWIDE While a recent survey of hospitality employees finds that 77% say that their organization is committed to quality service, only 54% feel that más...
U.S. full-service RevPAR to increase 1.6% next year, CBRE predicts
UNITED STATES The recovery in the U.S. hotel sector will continue in 2011 and begin to accelerate in 2012, according to a new analysis from CB Richard más...
UK hoteliers expect metrics to improve in 2011
UNITED KINGDOM A new survey from TRI Hospitality Consulting shows that London hoteliers are more optimistic than their counterparts across the United más...
Terrorists reportedly aiming to poison U.S. hotel F&B operations
UNITED STATES Intelligence officials have reportedly uncovered a terrorist plot to poison hotel buffets and salad bars across the United States. The threat más...
Longtime Beverly Wilshire Hotel executive Helen Chaplin dies at 97
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA Helen Chaplin, a popular senior executive at Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel for more than 40 years, has died at the age of 97 más...
Steigenberger Hotels names Danubius VP to COO role
FRANKFURT Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts has tapped Andreas Schuster to take over the role of chief operating officer, effective March 1. Schuster is más...
Jumeirah signs 6th hotel deal in China, at Qiandao Lake
QIANDAOHU, CHINA Jumeirah Group has signed a management agreement with Liuhe Group to operate Jumeirah Thousand Islands Lake Resort, situated on Qiandao más...
Grace Hotels announces Panama luxury boutique project
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA Athens-based luxury boutique operator Grace Hotels Group announces its third project in the Americas and first in Central America más...
Jin Jiang announces new world’s highest hotel in Shanghai
SHANGHAI Interstate Hotels & Resorts will manage Shanghai Tower J-Hotel, which would become the world’s highest hotel upon its completion in más...
MCR Development acquires 10-hotel portfolio from Briad Lodging
NEW YORK CITY MCR Development LLC has acquired 10 hotels in the northeastern United States from The Briad Lodging Group. The transaction, which comprises más...
Sunstone CEO Buser resigns, Cruse promoted to president
ALISO VIEJO, CALIFORNIA Art Buser is stepping down from his position as CEO of Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc., a move that could signal a shift in strategy más...
China, India continue driving Asia hotel growth, but concerns of bubble grow
ASIA PACIFIC The economic downturn was briefer and the rebound much faster in Asia Pacific compared to the rest of the world, and the region posted double-digit más...
Florida oil spill reimbursements begin trickling in
FLORIDA Tourism businesses that feared they might not be reimbursed for losses incurred during this summer’s Gulf Coast oil spill are beginning más...
Best Western India launches management training center
BHUBANESHWAR, INDIA Best Western India, a division of Best Western International, is launching The Best Western Centre For Hotel Management and Training más...
Tanzania needs 3,000 more guestrooms, government says
TANZANIA Growing tourism will require the opening of 3,000 more hotel guestrooms in the near term, Tanzania tourism officials say. “In order to más...
Emirates Palace distances itself from US$11m tree, Christmas ‘overload’
ABU DHABI As word spread globally that its lobby is hosting what is thought to be the world’s most valuable Christmas tree, Emirates Palace hotel más...
Wyndham hotel opens in historic Baltimore neighborhood
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND Wyndham Hotels and Resorts announces the debut of the 104-key Wyndham Baltimore Peabody Court, located in Baltimore's historic Mount más...
New York’s Surrey hotel in exclusive showcase deal with Padma Lakshmi
NEW YORK CITY The Surrey hotel announces a partnership with “Top Chef” host and model Padma Lakshmi to exclusively showcase her new collection más...
Palace of Versailles outbuilding to become luxury hotel
VERSAILLES, FRANCE An outbuilding at the Palace of Versailles will be converted into a 23-key luxury hotel, set to open late in 2011. The conversion of más...
Business travel costs approach pre-recession levels in North America
NORTH AMERICA Price increases are holding steady as business travel continues to rebound in North America. Pricing power is shifting into the hands of más...
India’s top 10 markets to add 36,000 guestrooms by 2013
INDIA India’s top 10 key markets are expected to add a combined 36,000 guestrooms to their existing inventories by the end of 2013, translating más...
Pan Pacific acquires Hilton Melbourne Airport Hotel, will reflag
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA Pan Pacific Hotels Group has acquired the 276-key Hilton Melbourne Airport Hotel for A$109 million (US$107 million) from owner Mulpha más...
Shangri-La plans hotels in Chennai, Nanchang
HONG KONG Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is progressing with plans for new properties in Chennai, India, and Nanchang, China. Shangri-La has broken ground más...
Royal Orchid to build 7 hotels in India in 8 months
NEW DELHI Royal Orchid Hotels plans to invest US$44 million over the next eight months to build seven new hotels in India. The New Delhi-based company más...
Choice Hotels franchises 33 properties in November
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International Inc. franchised 33 newly-opened properties during November, adding more than 2,500 guestrooms to the más...
Rezidor plans 2 new hotels in England
ENGLAND The Rezidor Hotel Group announces two new hotels in England: the 170-key Radisson Blu Hotel, Newcastle, and the 172-key Park Inn Bournemouth are más...
Emirates Palace hotel unveils Christmas tree valued at US$11m
ABU DHABI Emirates Palace hotel has unveiled what might be the world’s most valuable Christmas tree, a 43-ft.-tall artificial evergreen trimmed más...
People on the move, week of December 13, 2010
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of December 13, 2010: Hotel management company Lungarno Alberghi s.r.l. has appointed Valeriano más...
Schrager to launch 2 new hotel brands, sells Gramercy Park
NEW YORK CITY Legendary hotelier Ian Schrager is set to launch a pair of new hotel chains, acting as an owner-operator, a departure from his history of más...
Hotels should skip Groupon, flash sales, e-commerce consultant advises
WORLDWIDE Emerging as a result of the recession, members-only, flash-sale and group-buying sites have gained traction and paramount growth over the past más...
Alternative Hotel Group rebrands as De Vere Group
LONDON Alternative Hotel Group is rebranding as De Vere Group, reflecting the strong brand identity of its De Vere Hotels brand in the United Kingdom más...
Starwood to open 3 Sheraton hotels in China by mid-January
CHINA Sheraton Hotels & Resorts will open three more hotels in China before the end of January, including its third in Shanghai and first hotel in más...
Hong Kong’s Langham Place hotel offers iPhones in guestrooms
HONG KONG Langham Place is offering the use of an iPhone 4 and a SIM card for free citywide calling across its soon-to-be-launched Essential Place Plus más...
Svenska Hospitality plans 20 boutique hotels in India
INDIA A group of investors from Sweden is launching a chain of 20 or more luxury boutique hotels across India over the next 10 years. Svenska Hospitality más...
Cape Town sees spike in upmarket hotel demand
CAPE TOWN The upmarket hotel segment in South Africa’s legislative capital experienced what one analyst is calling “a phenomenal increase” más...
Emerging economies increase tourism promotion budgets
UNITED NATIONS Recent years have seen some large increases in the budgets of national tourism organizations in emerging economies, a new joint UNWTO and más...
Rapper Jaz-Z out of hotel game with lender settlement
NEW YORK CITY Rap mogul Jay-Z has reached a settlement with lenders over his failed bid to open a boutique hotel in New York City’s High Line area más...
Muslim staff claim discrimination at Mandarin Oriental D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. Mandarin Oriental Washington DC is facing criticism that it discriminated against Muslim employees during a recent visit by Israel Defense más...
Cosmopolitan Vegas opens as last major Strip resort for awhile
LAS VEGAS Today won’t be the last time the Las Vegas Strip hosts a gala grand opening celebration, but it may have to wait several years. The US$3 más...
Ashford REIT may make play for 29-hotel Highland portfolio
DALLAS Ashford Hospitaly Trust is borrowing US$150 million through its US$250 million senior credit facility in a bid to take over the 29-property portfolio más...
HOTELS interview: Consultant talks tech cutbacks, impact on operations
BOSTON The hotel industry is notoriously stingy with technology budgets, even in the best of economic times, so it should come as no surprise that struggling más...
Sofitel opens hotels in Vienna, Mauritius, Phnom Penh
ÉVRY, FRANCE Three new Sofitel Luxury Hotels properties are opening this week: Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom, Sofitel So Mauritius and Sofitel Phnom más...
U.S. hotel pipeline plummets 21% year over year
UNITED STATES The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 3,174 projects totaling 330,920 guestrooms, a 20.7% decline since November 2009 más...
FelCor REIT sells 443-key Sheraton Tysons Corner hotel
VIENNA, VIRGINIA FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. has sold the 443-key Sheraton Premiere Hotel at Tysons Corner in Vienna, Virginia, to The JBG Cos. for US$84 más...
Renaissance Hotel to open in Louisiana capital
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA Work is moving forward on a 256-key Renaissance Hotel that will occupy a previously unfinished building in Baton Rouge, the capital más...
Sheraton reflags former Miami Airport Wyndham
MIAMI Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has reflagged the former Wyndham Miami Airport Hotel as Sheraton Miami Airport Hotel & Executive Meeting más...
Gunman robs Bellagio of US$1.5m worth of gaming chips
LAS VEGAS A daring robbery of a type rarely attempted in the highly securitized Las Vegas gaming industry occurred Tuesday at Bellagio, when a masked más...
Pritzkers to sell Chicago's Hyatt Center
CHICAGO The Pritzker family is close to a deal to sell the 49-story Hyatt Center to The Irvine Co. for about US$625 million. The building, which contains más...
Club Med narrows loss, optimistic for 2011 performance
PARIS Club Méditerranée, which has recently embarked on an upmarket repositioning initiative, is optimistic about its 2011 revenue potential más...
Trump Hotel Collection joins Preferred Hotel Group
NEW YORK CITY Trump Hotel Collection has signed a deal with sales and marketing consortium Preferred Hotel Group, which will represent the brand and will más...
Islamic Shaza Hotels to manage hotels for Range Hospitality
DUBAI Shaza Hotels, a Dubai-based management company with a commitment to upholding Islamic values, has opened its first property, Al Madina Shaza, Saudi más...
Honolulu’s landmark Pagoda gets new owner, joins Aqua Hotels
HONOLULU The 359-key Pagoda Hotel is getting a new owner, management company and flag. The landmark property will be managed by Kai Management Services más...
Crestline Hotels promotes COO Carroll to president & CEO
FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA James Carroll has been promoted to president and CEO of both Crestline Hotels & Resorts and its parent company, Barcelo Crestline más...
Premier Inn’s 9.2% 2010 RevPAR gain boosts Whitbread
LEAGRAVE, ENGLAND Whitbread PLC expects strong year-end numbers, driven by a stronger-than-expected 2010 from budget hotel brand Premier Inn. The hotel más...
Westin Hotels scores shoe deal with New Balance
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK New Balance and Westin Hotels & Resorts have forged an exclusive, worldwide partnership to help hotel guests exercise on the más...
Effects of proposed U.S. payroll tax reduction on hotel industry
UNITED STATES A proposed payroll tax reduction under consideration by the U.S. Congress could net 1.5 million more jobs for Americans, resulting in greater más...
Hotel JAL Tower Dubai soft-opens
DUBAI JAL Hotels opens its second property in the United Arab Emirates, the 471-key Hotel JAL Tower Dubai. The 5-star hotel is in a 51-story glass tower más...
Starwood to open Aloft in Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will debut its select-service Aloft brand in Oklahoma City in 2013. Aloft Oklahoma City más...
Chesapeake REIT buys Le Méridien San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO Chesapeake Lodging Trust is buying the 360-key Le Méridien San Francisco for US$143 million, or about US$397,000 per key. The Annapolis más...
Austerity measures drive Europe’s hotel pipeline downward
EUROPE Concerns about economic contagion are spreading throughout Europe, first in Iceland, Greece, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and now perhaps in más...
New Accor CEO to accelerate asset-light strategy
ÉVRY, FRANCE The incoming CEO of Accor SA plans to accelerate the company’s asset-light strategy when he takes over for Gilles Pélisson más...
Palm Holdings acquires 2 Edinburgh boutique hotels
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND London-based Palm Holdings has acquired two of Scotland’s most prominent boutique hotels and will collectively brand them with más...
Hilton to manage 676-key resort near Hurghada, Egypt
MAKADI BAY, EGYPT Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Afak Co. for Touristic Development Co. for the new-build 676-key Hilton Makadi más...
Legendary NFL player Montana plans luxury hotel at California stadium
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA Joe Montana, one of the most renowned players in the history of the National Football League, is one of the primary investors más...
Mövenpick Hotels expands into Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has secured a management agreement to operate the 180-key Mövenpick Hotel Colombo, which is más...
Proposed boutique hotel would have rooftop farm animals
PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA An agritourism-focused boutique hotel proposed for downtown Petaluma would include live animals in a rooftop garden—a feature más...
BRE/Hospitality Europe restructures debt, extends maturity by 5 years
SCHIPHOL, NETHERLANDS BRE/Hospitality Europe Group, a hotel owner controlled by two Blackstone real estate funds, has restructured €480 million of más...
Music-focused W Austin opens in Texas capital city
AUSTIN, TEXAS W Austin and The Residences at W Austin, owned and developed by Stratus Properties and Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund II, has opened in the Texas más...
Blackstone seizes 14 hotels from Columbia Sussex
NEW YORK CITY Blackstone Group LP has taken ownership of 14 Columbia Sussex Corp. after buying junior debt on the properties and seizing control. Blackstone más...
Unlisted hotel acquisitions more profitable, Cornell study says
ITHACA, NEW YORK Unlisted hotel acquisitions create more value over time than do acquisitions of listed hotel assets, according to a new study released más...
More foreigners visit U.S. for family, friends than previously thought
UNITED STATES A surprisingly high ratio of foreign travelers to the United States do so to visit friends and family, a new survey shows. An overwhelming más...
Trump SoHo lender recapitalizes loan
NEW YORK CITY The lender for the Trump SoHo condo-hotel project announces new financing, paying down about a third of the senior loan and adding a new más...
New lounge at Miami hotel mimics ‘mirrored jewelry box’
MIAMI Arkadia, the new lounge at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach designed by Miami-based Francois Frossard Design Inc., aims to depict a “mirrored más...
Radisson overhaul could see 20% of U.S. portfolio terminated
UNITED STATES As many as 20% of the U.S. portfolio of Radisson Hotels & Resorts could leave the system as part of the brand’s US$2.5 billion más...
Qatar to address World Cup hotel shortage with cruise ships
QATAR The newly named host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is making plans to solve at least part of an estimated 55,000-guestroom shortage by employing cruise más...
Best Western debuts in Tanzania
DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA Best Western International’s presence continues to grow in Africa with the opening of Best Western Coral Beach Hotel, Dar más...
Vice crackdown nets 110 prostitutes at Venetian Macao
MACAU More than 100 alleged prostitutes and 22 others accused of running a prostitution syndicate out of the luxury Venetian Macao Resort Hotel have been más...
Novotel Hong Kong erects Christmas tree made of 3,026 plastic bottles
HONG KONG Novotel Nathan Road Kowloon Hong Kong this year is substituting the traditional live Christmas tree with a 12-ft., 16-tier “green” más...
People on the move, week of December 6, 2010
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of December 6, 2010: Shahab Abbas has returned to Fairmont Hotels & Resorts as director of más...
Swan and Dolphin Hotel unveils 1,200-pound chocolate Santa display
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA Few things are sweeter than receiving the perfect gift from Santa Claus. One thing sweeter is the 1,200-pound life-size chocolate más...
Most hotels should focus on mobile websites, not apps, study says
WORLDWIDE Most hotels, particularly individual properties and independent groups, would be better served to spend time and money developing a mobile website más...
Starwood backs 2010 outlook, to continue property sales
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has reaffirmed its 2010 outlook and expects to accelerate its asset-light strategy más...
IFA readies global launch of Yotel pod-hotel brand
KUWAIT IFA Hotels and Resorts is planning a global expansion for its Yotel pod-hotel brand in the next five years, including a major rollout in the United más...
IHG pilots Google’s prototype Chrome notebooks
ATLANTA IHG is one of the first major companies to participate in a pilot program to test the business applications of Google’s new Chrome notebooks más...
Dubai needs to increase tourism 25% to offset hotel inventory rise
DUBAI Dubai need to draw an additional 2.5 million tourists annually to absorb a projected 60% growth hotel inventory over the next five years, an analyst más...
Nikko Hotels opens Suzhou Qingshan, China
SUZHOU, CHINA Nikko Hotels International announces the opening of a new Nikko Hotels property, Suzhou Qingshan Hotel, China. The 91-key full-service hotel más...
Denver's Brown Palace Hotel fined US$105,000 in discrimination lawsuit
DENVER The Denver Hotel Management Co., owner of Denver’s luxury Brown Palace Hotel, has agreed to pay US$105,000 to settle a sex discrimination más...
Gemstone to manage luxury ski hotel Tivoli Lodge, Vail
VAIL, COLORADO Gemstone Hotels & Resorts has been contracted to manage the luxury 66-key Tivoli Lodge ski resort hotel in Vail, Colorado. "This is más...
Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant opens boutique lodging
CHICAGO Longman & Eagle, a Chicago restaurant that received a Michelin star last month, is launching a tiny boutique European-style inn. The six-guestroom más...
Host Hotels buys 7 Accor hotels in New Zealand
NEW ZEALAND Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. is acquiring seven hotels in New Zealand for a combined US$143 million. The hotels have more than 1,200 guestrooms más...
Tourism to benefit as Baby Boomers reach retirement age
WORLDWIDE When the first of America’s Baby Boomer generation—those born between 1945 and 1964—turn 65 on January 1, they offer an enormous más...
Blackstone taps Interstate to manage 13 newly-acquired hotels
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Interstate Hotels & Resorts has signed agreements to manage 13 hotels recently acquired by affiliates of The Blackstone Group más...
Rani Investment plans US$100m Mozambique resort
SANTA CAROLINA, MOZAMBIQUE Saudi Arabia's Rani Investment Group is planning to break ground next year on a US$100 million resort on Santa Carolina island más...
Venezuela commandeers private hotels to house flood victims
VENEZUELA The Venezuela military has commandeered several privately-owned hotels to house some of the thousands of people who have gone homeless due to más...
Omni Hotels taps marketing firm to rework F&B strategy
HOUSTON Omni Hotels & Resorts has hired Patrick Henry Creative Promotions Inc., a food and beverage marketing agency, to assist with beverage initiatives más...
Berggruen to have 15 Keys Hotels in India by 2013
INDIA Keys Hotels, the midscale brand of New York City-based Berggruen Hotels Pvt. Ltd., plans to invest an additional US$12 million to grow its portfolio más...
IFA Hotels secures US$115m financing for Fairmont Palm Jumeirah
DUBAI A subsidiary of IFA Hotels and Resorts has secured US$115 million in funding to complete Fairmont Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, which is about 60% complete más...
Le Méridien Hotels brand debuts in Taiwan
TAIPEI Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s culture-focused Le Méridien brand is making its debut in Taiwan with the opening of the más...
Hawaii hotel rates rise slightly as occupancy gains in November
HAWAII Occupancy across the Hawaiian islands gained slightly during the Thanksgiving week compared to a year ago, and more demand translated into higher más...
Leading Hotels gets new chairman, logo, marketing scheme
NEW YORK CITY After 20 years helming one of the world’s most prominent hotel sales and marketing consortia, Jean-Jacque Gauer is stepping down as más...
Saudi Arabia hires Paradores to consult on national hotel chain
SAUDI ARABIA Spain’s Paradores de Tourismo SA will assist the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in converting historic buildings into hotels under a historic más...
U.S. hotels see record rise in occupancy this year, 2011 outlook improves
UNITED STATES The recovery of the U.S. lodging industry continues to improve, buoyed by sustained expansion in the demand for hotel rooms across the country más...
Carlson Hotels names new Asia Pacific president
ASIA PACIFIC Simon Barlow has been appointed president of Carlson Hotels, Asia Pacific, responsible for leading the growth of Carlson's hotel business más...
Schrager considers but passes on Hotel Chelsea bid
NEW YORK CITY Ian Schrager considered buying the iconic Hotel Chelsea in New York City last month—even touring the 127-year-old property—but más...
LaSalle REIT buys Chamberlain West Hollywood, Outrigger to manage
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA LaSalle Hotel Properties has acquired the 113-suite Chamberlain West Hollywood for US$38.5 million, or US$341,000 per key, más...
Marshall Hotels takes on 3 receivership assignments
SALISBURY, MARYLAND Marshall Hotels & Resorts Inc. has been appointed receiver for two midscale hotels and will operate a third property already in más...
Aqua Hotels assumes management of Queen Kapiolani Hotel, Waikiki
HONOLULU Aqua Hotels & Resorts announces the addition of the 312-room Queen Kapiolani Hotel to its portfolio. "Aqua's Hawaii-based roots and leadership más...
Best Western debuts in central India, at Indore
INDORE, INDIA Best Western India and Indore-based developers The Horizon Group are launching the 103-key Best Western Hotel Horizon at Indore, the commercial más...
France President Sarkozy honors Mumbai hoteliers for 26/11 heroism
MUMBAI France President Nicolas Sarkozy has presented medals to a pair of Mumbai hoteliers for their heroism during the terrorist attacks of November más...
Qatar aiming for 90,000 hotel guestrooms for 2022 World Cup
QATAR Following last week’s announcement that Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, tourism officials in the small Middle East más...
Palais Stephanie to reflag as JW Marriott Hotel Cannes
CANNES, FRANCE Marriott International is launching its JW Marriott brand in France, rebranding the famous 261-key Palais Stephanie hotel as JW Marriott más...
Climate change could destroy 300 Caribbean resorts, UN says
CARIBBEAN Hundreds of resort destinations in the Caribbean are in danger of being destroyed by rising sea levels within the coming century, a new United más...
US$300m resort project breaks ground in St. Kitts
ST. KITTS The US$300 million Kittitian Hill Resort project has broken ground in St. Kitts, making it one of the largest Caribbean developments to commence más...
Fairmont to launch 6 hotels in India under Swissôtel flag by 2015
INDIA Fairmont Raffles Holdings International is targeting six new hotels in India under its Swissôtel brand within the next five years. Swissôtel más...
Pestana Hotels plans mixed-use golf resort in Argentina
BELLA VISTA, ARGENTINA Pestana Hotels & Resorts is launching its 14th property and third in Argentina, Pestana Buenos Aires Golf Hotel & Residences más...
MGM Resorts confronts CityCenter design issues
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International’s US$8.5 billion CityCenter Las Vegas project has received countless plaudits for its innovative and artistic más...
302-key Hilton Pattaya opens overlooking Gulf of Thailand
PATTAYA, THAILAND Hilton Hotels & Resorts continues the global growth of its leisure portfolio with the opening of Hilton Pattaya. The 302-key new-build más...
Starwood to open 170-key Sheraton Melbourne in 2013
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announces the return of the Sheraton brand back to Melbourne with a 170-key hotel targeted más...
People on the move, week of November 29, 2010
Here is a roundup of people on the move during the week of November 29, 2010: Richfield Hospitality, Denver, has appointed Mobashir "Moby" Ahmed senior más...
More hotel investors reentering marketplace, survey indicates
NORTH AMERICA More than half of hotel investors surveyed by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels indicate a dominant “buy” strategy over the next six más...
Hotel Missoni planned for Turkish Riviera
ANTALYA, TURKEY The Rezidor Hotel Group announces the 138-key Hotel Missoni Belek, Antalya, set to debut in 2013. Rezidor's luxury lifestyle brand Hotel más...
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust acquires Sofitel Philadelphia for US$87m
PHILADELPHIA Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the 306-key Hotel Sofitel Philadelphia for US$87 million, or US$284,000 per key. The transaction includes más...
Accor sells 18 budget hotels in Sweden, will expand in region
SWEDEN Accor has sold its entire Sweden portfolio—14 Ibis hotels and four Formule 1 properties—to a joint venture between private equity firm más...
3 ex-Personality Hotels fall to AEW Capital, will be repositioned
SAN FRANCISCO A trio of boutique hotels in San Francisco’s Union Square district formerly owned and managed by Personality Hotels have been acquired más...
IHG’s Hotel Indigo brand makes Asia Pacific debut
SHANGHAI IHG’s boutique Hotel Indigo brand makes its debut in Asia Pacific with the opening of the 184-key Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund. “I más...
RockResorts to manage Jamaica’s Half Moon resort
BROOMFIELD, COLORADO The famous Half Moon luxury resort in Rose Hall, Jamaica, will be managed by Vail Resorts Inc. subsidiary RockResorts International más...
Orient-Express names Chef Raymond Blanc culinary VP
HAMILTON, BERMUDA Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. has named Raymond Blanc a vice president. Blanc will have a consultancy role throughout the Orient-Express más...
Despite reports, India’s Hotel Leela not up for sale, Nair insists
MUMBAI Luxury operator Hotel Leelaventure is not up for sale and is not seeking additional outside investors, Chairman C.P. Krishnan Nair says, despite más...
Larkspur Hotels reflags Tahoe-area former Best Western
TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA The 100-key Best Western Truckee Tahoe Lodge has been rebranded as Larkspur Hotel Truckee-Tahoe. "We are thrilled to welcome Tahoe-area más...
HOTELS interview: Kohler exec talks St. Andrews restoration, 3rd property
ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND Debbie Taylor, new president of Kohler Co.’s hospitality and real estate group, of sits down with HOTELS to discuss ongoing más...
MGM Resorts targets Q1 for Macau IPO
MACAU MGM Resorts International’s Macau joint venture, MGM China, is tentatively planning to launch an initial public offering on the Hong Kong más...
Foreclosed six-hotel portfolio goes on market
SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS Six select-service hotels in California and Utah, acquired earlier this year in a foreclosure action by lender Massachusetts más...
Starwood’s Four Points brand debuts in Thailand
BANGKOK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has launched its midscale Four Points by Sheraton brand in Thailand with the debut of the 268-key Four más...
India hotels warned to improve security or risk star ratings
INDIA Hotels across India must enhance security measures or risk losing a star or two under official Department of Tourism guidelines, a regional tourism más...
Starwood’s Méridien brand hits RevPAR, pipeline peaks
NEW YORK CITY Five years after being acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Le Méridien has emerged with the strongest portfolio más...
New World Hotels opens 350-key property in Hainan
HAINAN, CHINA New World Hotels announces the 350-key New World Haikou Hotel, slated to open in 2014 in Hainan's fast-growing Haikou area. The ocean-facing más...
Iowa city begrudgingly buys struggling Crowne Plaza Hotel
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA The Cedar Rapids City Council has agreed to buy the struggling Crowne Plaza Five Seasons Hotel for the bargain-basement price US$3 más...
Richfield Hospitality appoints SVP of operations
DENVER Richfield Hospitality announces that Mobashir "Moby" Ahmed has joined the company as senior vice president of operations. He will oversee all hotel más...
Rezidor to manage Poland’s Hotel Rezydent
SOPOT, POLAND The Rezidor Hotel Group has assumed management of the 64-key Hotel Rezydent in Sopot, Poland. The property is under common ownership with más...
Hyatt sells 3 Chicago-area hotels to Aimbridge joint venture
ILLINOIS Hyatt Hotels Corp. has sold three Chicago-area Hyatt-branded hotels to a joint venture of Area Property Partners and Aimbridge Hospitality. The más...
Investor interest increases in D.C. hotel market
WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. capital is seeing a jump in interest from the hotel investment community, climbing to third place in terms of liquidity among más...
Bill Marriott to Obama: Ease inbound traveler restrictions
WASHINGTON, D.C. Marriott International CEO Bill Marriott leveled public criticisms of U.S. travel policy this week, saying hurdles placed on foreign más...
Fairmont Hotels to offer menu for guests with dietary restrictions
TORONTO As of January 1, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will offer Lifestyle Cuisine Plus, a new menu available upon request for guests with specific diet-dependent más...
Morocco to establish formal hotel classification system
MOROCCO The United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Morocco’s Ministry of Tourism and the country’s National Hotel Industry Federation más...
NH Hoteles converts Madrid mansion into 5-star hotel
MADRID NH Hoteles has converted an impressive 19th century mansion in the arts district of Madrid into a 5-star hotel. The renovation of the building más...
Marriott’s SpringHill Suites brand puts new emphasis on art
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Marriott International is hoping to position its SpringHill Suites brand as an arts-friendly lodging option, starting with a December más...
Albuquerque Grand Airport Hotel reflags as Sheraton
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO Albuquerque Grand Airport Hotel has been reflagged as a Sheraton property. The 15-story, 276-key Sheraton Albuquerque Airport más...
Trump Hotel Collection names VP of strategic planning, business development
NEW YORK CITY The Trump Organization has hired Serena Rakhlin to be vice president of strategic planning and hotel business development for Trump Hotel más...
Choice Hotels launches new travel agent commission system
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International has hired Dell Services as the sole source for processing all travel agent commission payments for más...
noviembre 2010
New hotel group Hamak focuses on luxury eco-hotels in Mexico
CANCUN Veteran hoteliers and developers Alberto Remirez, Nicolas Dominguez and Federico Carstens have joined forces to form Hamak, a hotel group aiming más...
Morgans Hotel Group initiates search for new CEO
NEW YORK CITY Although CEO Fred Kleisner remains under contract through the end of the year, Morgans Hotel Group Co. has formally begun the process of más...
RCI unveils transparent timeshare trading market
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Worldwide vacation exchange group RCI has enhanced its RCI Weeks timeshare trading program to allow members to know the más...
5 ways to drive hotel rates in 2011
NEW YORK CITY As the industry rebounds from historical lows in occupancy and ADR, many hoteliers are wondering how to recover the pricing power that was más...
No hotel inventory shortage for 2016 Olympics, Brazil hotels chief says
RIO DE JANEIRO Given that about 9,000 new guestrooms have been announced in the year since Rio de Janeiro was announced as host of the 2016 Summer Olympics más...
Abu Dhabi hotel nights up 15% over 2009
ABU DHABI The number of guests staying in the 118 hotels throughout Abu Dhabi this year is 16% higher than the same period in 2009, and the emirate has más...
Carlson opens Radisson Petra La Dehesa Hotel, Chile
SANTIAGO, CHILE Carlson announces the opening of the 105-key Radisson Petra La Dehesa Hotel, Santiago, marking the brand’s expansion in Chile as más...
Westin Hotels makes Thailand debut with Phuket opening
PHUKET Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s upper-upscale Westin brand has officially launched in Thailand with the opening of the 261-key más...
1,252-key Buffalo Bill's Resort closes for renovations
PRIMM, NEVADA Herbst Gaming’s 1,242-key Buffalo Bill's Resort & Casino is closed until Christmas Eve for a major renovation of its guestrooms más...
Rotana Hotels launches colorblind-friendly booking site
ABU DHABI Rotana Hotel Management Corp. has launched a new technologically-advanced version of Rotana.com. The Abu Dhabi-based chain has redesigned its más...
City Inn rebrands as Mint Hotel ahead of London, Amsterdam openings
EDINBURGH The six hotels of the Scotland-based City Inn chain are being rebranded as Mint Hotel, which executives say is a more memorable name that better más...
Global hotel deals to jump 30-40% in 2011, JLLH predicts
WORLDWIDE Following a strong recovery in global hotel transaction volume this year, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels forecasts that deals will increase a further más...
Kimpton leads hotel brands among gay travelers
UNITED STATES Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants is the lodging brand that has done the best job promoting itself to gay and lesbian American travelers, according más...
London’s upmarket hotels exceed 90% occupancy in October
LONDON Year-on-year profitability levels grew by more than 17% in October as occupancy once again exceeded 90%, according to data from TRI Hospitality más...
Return of business meetings spurs hotel profits in Amsterdam
AMSTERDAM Hotel profitability levels in Amsterdam were second only to London in October across Europe, as rooms revenue was boosted by the city’s más...
Indonesia group buys Park Regis Singapore hotel
SINGAPORE Indonesia investment company Merukh Enterprises has acquired the 203-key Park Regis Singapore hotel and office building from Royal Brothers más...
London hotel management salaries exceed 2008 levels
LONDON The average salary for hotel managers in London increased 6% from 2009 to 2010, exceeding the median seen prior to the global economic downturn más...
Westin to be first hotel to open in new Singapore financial district
SINGAPORE The Westin Hotels & Resorts brand will be the first to open at Marina Bay’s Asia Square, located at Singapore's newest financial district más...
Vienna International signs 7th for Angelo Designhotels brand
MUNICH Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG is launching the seventh property under its boutique-style Angelo Designhotels brand, a 207-key hotel set más...
RLJ fund buys Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn in Florida
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA RLJ Real Estate Fund III has acquired a pair of midscale properties in West Palm Beach. Hotel Assets Group LLC negotiated the más...
Jumeirah signs 2nd hotel for new lifestyle brand Venu
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN Jumeirah Group announces the second property under its new Venu Hotels lifestyle brand. The 190-key Venu Bilgah Hotel will open on the más...
Resort planned on site of former Florida phosphate mine
AUBURNDALE, FLORIDA A company that specializes in the mining of phosphate ore is planning to build a 140-key resort on the site of a former mine. The más...
Hyatt Regency Auckland sale beats receiver expectations
AUCKLAND The 347-key Hyatt Regency Auckland has been sold out of receivership, beating expectations by selling for more than NZ$50 million (US$39 million) más...
Tourism to play key role in employment recovery, UNWTO says
GENEVA The United Nations World Tourism Organisation and the International Labour Organization are working together towards the common objectives of job más...
Downtown Cleveland sees rash of hotel project proposals
CLEVELAND, OHIO Plans for a new convention center and casino in downtown Cleveland have sparked a rush of new hotel proposals for the struggling Rust más...
35-year-old Dubai hotel earns Green Globe status
DUBAI Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, has been awarded Green Globe certification. The property, which originally opened in 1975, has been officially más...
Armani Hotel waiter accused of stealing from guests’ rooms
DUBAI A waiter at Burj Khalifa's Armani Hotel is accused of possessing more than 300,000 dirhams (US$82,000) in stolen cash and goods from guests’ más...
People on the move, week of November 22, 2010
Here is a roundup of hotel people on the move the week of November 22, 2010… Debbie Taylor has been elected president of the Hospitality & más...
Jumeirah to make Maldives debut next year with 2 resorts
MALÉ, MALDIVES Jumeirah Group has revealed the new brand name of its first resort currently under development in the Maldives: Jumeirah Dhevanafushi más...
Outrigger Hotels tops latest Market Metrix guest satisfaction survey
WORLDWIDE Outrigger Hotels & Resorts received the hotel industry’s top score in the latest Market Metrix survey of guest satisfaction. Outrigger más...
Israel hotel industry breaks occupancy record in October
ISRAEL The hotel industry in Israel posted its best month on record in October, recording 1.21 million overnights and setting an average occupancy record más...
RevPAR gains belie troublesome October for UK hoteliers
UNITED KINGDOM Growth in RevPAR during October masked the reality of hotels in the UK provinces, which suffered the biggest drop in year-on-year profitability más...
MGM Resorts to extend resort fees to all wholly-owned Vegas properties
LAS VEGAS Despite a highly publicized counter-marketing campaign by rival Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International is moving ahead with plans más...
Former Hilton Pittsburgh officially joins Wyndham Grand Collection
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Wyndham Hotels and Resorts announces the addition of Pittsburgh’s largest hotel to the brand’s Wyndham Grand Collection más...
Accor developing 8 Ibis hotels throughout Vietnam
VIETNAM Accor is moving ahead with plans to expand its Ibis economy hotel brand in Vietnam, announcing plans for eight properties in conjunction with más...
New Hampshire hotels tout lack of sales tax for Black Friday packages
NEW HAMPSHIRE With tomorrow being the biggest shopping day of the year in North America, hoteliers in sales tax-free New Hampshire are hoping to draw más...
Geolocation social media firm Topguest partners with Voila Hotel Rewards
NEW YORK CITY Geolocation social media firm Topguest is partnering with Voila Hotel Rewards, a prominent loyalty program for independent hotels. Topguest más...
China to be IHG’s top hotel market by 2025
CHINA The world’s largest hotel company expects that China will become its largest hotel market within 15 years. IHG believes China will overtake más...
U.S. RevPAR up 8.2% in October, other metrics also rise
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry posted increases in all three key performance measurements during October, according to data from STR. In year-over-year más...
U.S. hotel recovery continues despite inconsistent economy
UNITED STATES A composite indicator measuring hotel industry metrics has deteriorated slightly in the past six months, but the recovery is expected to más...
STR again ups 2011 U.S. hotel metrics forecasts
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry is projected to end 2010 with increases in two of the three key performance measurements, according to STR's latest más...
Atlantic City, Toronto among November's top hotel rate-gainers
NORTH AMERICA Hotels in Atlantic City and Toronto have seen hotel rates spike this month, according to data from discount online travel agency Hotwire más...
Hotel revenue managers expect revenue gains to come from rising rates
WORLDWIDE Hotel revenue managers are generally optimistic for success in 2010, according to a survey by vendor IDeaS Revenue Optimization. IDeaS polled más...
Rezidor to convert Cannes hotel to Radisson Blu
CANNES, FRANCE The Rezidor Hotel Group announces Radisson Blu 1835 Hotel & Thalasso, Cannes. The 134-key property, formerly known as 1835 White Palm más...
Trump Hotel Collection sets debut for first international project
PUNTA PACIFICA, PANAMA Trump Ocean Club International Hotel & Tower, the first property beyond the United States for Trump Hotel Collection, will más...
Roberts Hotel Group proposes plan for shuttered Detroit Omni
DETROIT Omni Detroit Hotel at River Place, closed for more than a month, could reopen as soon as April, under a proposal from Roberts Hotel Group of St más...
Accor’s Mercure to flag gaming hotel at Manila racetrack
MANILA Accor’s Mercure brand will fly at a planned gaming hotel on the site of the former San Lazaro Hippodrome racetrack in the Philippines capital más...
Harrah’s name change to Caesars Entertainment becomes official
LAS VEGAS Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. has officially changed its name to Caesars Entertainment Corp., less than a week after cancelling an initial más...
New hotel development cycle begins in Latin America
LATIN AMERICA Many economies throughout Latin America have shown great resilience and, with the exception of the Caribbean, have rebounded relatively más...
Hotel metrics continue signaling recovery across Europe
EUROPE A majority of Europe’s markets are now showing growth, although a few are still declining, particularly if their national economic climate más...
Pre-holiday shopping boosts hotel leisure travel revenue by 15%
WORLDWIDE Leisure travel figures rallied in October after a slight dip in September, according to booking data from Pegasus Solutions. Pre-holiday travel más...
Pebblebrook REIT buys Sheraton Delfina Santa Monica Hotel
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the 310-key Sheraton Delfina Santa Monica Hotel, California, for US$102.8 million, or US$332 más...
Owner of two Westin resorts files for bankruptcy protection
TUCSON, ARIZONA Transwest Resort Properties Inc., owner of The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, Arizona, and The Westin Hilton Head, South Carolina más...
Four Seasons Nevis to reopen December 15 after 2 years of repairs
NEVIS After a two-year closure due to hurricane damage, the 196-key Four Seasons Resort Nevis is set to reopen as of December 15. “As we count down más...
Wyndham signs long-term hotel distribution deal with Expedia
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Hotel Group has signed a long-term global agreement with Expedia Inc. Under this renewed agreement, properties within the más...
Tulsa Crowne Plaza to become Hyatt Regency
TULSA, OKLAHOMA The 455-key Crowne Plaza Tulsa, acquired at an August foreclosure auction for US$11 million, is getting a renovation that will convert más...
London’s Hoxton Hotel goes on market for £67.5m
LONDON Bridges Ventures Ltd., owner of the London’s Hoxton Hotel, have placed the property on the market with an asking price of £67.5 million más...
Von Essen Hotels acquires luxury Wales hotel Llangoed Hall
WYE VALLEY, WALES Christie & Co. has sold the freehold of Llangoed Hall Hotel in Wye Valley, Wales, to von Essen Hotels on behalf of the estate of más...
Northview Hotel Group acquires 3 Jeld-Wen resorts
OREGON Jeld-Wen Inc. announces the sale of three resorts in Oregon to a new partnership comprising Northview Hotel Group and funds managed by Oaktree más...
New investor group backs launch of 15 Tune Hotels in London
LONDON Raag Hotels Ltd., a newly formed investment group with committed initial equity capital of £38 million, has acquired exclusive franchising más...
Greece’s Grace Hotels to expand into Americas with Argentina project
CALCHAQUI VALLEY, ARGENTINA The Grace Hotels Group, Athens, has begun its expansion into the Americas with the announcement of the Grace Cafayate hotel más...
Penn National CFO: ‘We feared CityCenter more than we should have’
LAS VEGAS The anticipated impact of MGM Resorts International’s mammoth CityCenter development intimidated Penn National Gaming into undervaluing más...
Trump SoHo offers refunds to disgruntled condo buyers
NEW YORK CITY Owners of the new 46-story Trump SoHo are making an unusual offer to disgruntled condo buyers: accept a partial refund of the deposit in más...
Homewood Suites relaunches SuiteLiving.com as business travel resource
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Homewood Suites by Hilton has relaunched SuiteLiving.com as a new go-to resource to help business travelers make the most of their extended-stay más...
Great Hotels of the World launches 'niche lifestyle’ websites
LONDON Hotel sales and marketing consortium Great Hotels of the World is launching a series of community-based and highly-targeted niche leisure travel más...
Christie + Co markets London’s Ventures & Camelot Hotel
LONDON Acting on behalf of private owners, Christie & Co. is marketing the freehold of the 79-key Ventures & Camelot Hotel in London’s Paddington más...
Wyndham among travel companies researching drive-to tourism
UNITED STATES Wyndham Hotel Group is partnering with car rental company AvisBudget Group, the American Society of Travel Agents and AOL to develop más...
Harrah’s scraps US$500m IPO, delays name change
LAS VEGAS Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. has canceled its US$500 million initial public offering “due to market conditions.” The company más...
Hilton Worldwide bond offering slashed as Goldman Sachs withdraws
NEW YORK CITY Goldman Sachs has left a two-member underwriting group originally hired to place US$2.66 billion worth of bonds by Hilton Worldwide. The más...
Jumeirah to operate 5-star hotel in Syria
DAMASCUS Jumeirah Group has signed a deal with Souria Holding to manage Jumeirah Abraj Souria, a newly planned 5-star hotel development located in the más...
Hotels losing bookings from unsatisfactory loyalty websites
WORLDWIDE Leisure travelers tend to have more satisfactory loyalty website experiences than business travelers, and it could be resulting in lost business más...
Invesco refinances 4 hotels, to launch second hotel fund
LONDON The real estate arm of Invesco has secured a €109 million loan to refinance properties in its first hotel fund, and it is planning to launch más...
Asia Pacific’s hotel development pipeline dwarfs other regions
WORLDWIDE The Asia Pacific hotel development pipeline is more than twice as large as the next closest region, as unrivaled expansion in China and India más...
Macdonald Hotels secures £340m debt facility
WEST LOTHIAN, SCOTLAND Macdonald Hotels PLC has secured a new £340 million debt facility with Lloyds Banking Group, a development that Chairman más...
Starwood’s green Element Hotels brand debuts in New York City
NEW YORK CITY Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announces the opening of Element New York Times Square West. The first Element hotel to open in más...
Choice Hotels loyalty program adds Airberlin as rewards partner
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International announces that Airberlin is now a partner for its Choice Privileges rewards program. Members of Airberlin’s más...
Four Seasons to flag new Shanghai hotel development
SHANGHAI Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts will team with a local developer to open a new luxury hotel in Shanghai’s Lujazui Financial District. Shui más...
Aimbridge Hospitality purchases 2 Sheraton properties
DALLAS In two separate joint ventures, affiliates of Aimbridge Hospitality have acquired Sheraton Metairie and Sheraton Jacksonville. Dallas-based Aimbridge más...
Shangri-La Hotels sets opening date for first Europe property
PARIS Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts announces that Shangri-La Hotel, Paris, will open December 17 as the group's first property in Europe. Built in 1896 más...
Hotel revenues up in Atlantic City, but overall picture gloomy
ATLANTIC CITY Nongaming revenues continue trending upward in America’s second largest gaming destination. New Jersey gaming regulators report that más...
Chatham Lodging delays 7m share offering
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Chatham Lodging Trust has postponed a planned public offering of 7 million common shares due to unfavorable market conditions. The más...
Morgans says Hard Rock Vegas lawsuit violates contract
LAS VEGAS Morgans Hotel Group says the lawsuit filed against its Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, by Hard Rock Café International Inc. más...
Actor Richard Gere to be ambassador for Relais & Châteaux
PARIS Renowned actor Richard Gere will serve as a brand ambassador for the Paris-based hotel sales and marketing consortium Relais & Châteaux más...
IHG donates 1,500 free nights to British Olympic athletes
GREAT BRITAIN Up to 50 British athletes will benefit from an IHG program that offers 1,500 free nights over the next two years to help them train for más...
Sonesta Hotels posts Q3 loss in line with expectations
BOSTON Sonesta International Hotels Corp. posted a third quarter loss, the result of a charge associated with a recently acquired property, but its results más...
Tata’s Ginger Hotels to add 7 hotels, 1,000 guestrooms in next 18 months
NEW DELHI Ginger Hotels, the budget brand from Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., is planning to add seven hotels totaling 1,000 guestrooms to its portfolio over más...
Marriott signs development deal for 50 Fairfield Inns in Brazil
BRAZIL Marriott International has signed a preferred partnership agreement with PDG Realty for the development of 50 Fairfield by Marriott hotels throughout más...
Starwood to increase global spa portfolio by 50% in 2011
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide plans to expand its portfolio of hotel spas by more than 50% in the coming year. More than más...
Asia Pacific visitor growth remains robust through summer
ASIA PACIFIC Statistics released by Pacific Asia Travel Association for international arrivals to Asia Pacific for the month of August indicate year-on-year más...
Wyndham Rewards latest to offer points for virtual ‘check-ins’
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Rewards members can earn 50 loyalty points when they virtually check in at any of the 165 Wingate by Wyndham hotels. Wyndham más...
2 hotel restaurants earn 2 Michelin stars in Chicago’s inaugural guidebook
CHICAGO Two Chicago hotels each boast two Michelin stars in the first-ever Michelin Travel Guide for America’s third largest city. Avenues at The más...
Hong Kong’s Kosmopolito boutique hotels debut in mainland China
SHANGHAI Kosmopolito Hotels International Ltd., Hong Kong, announces the launch of Yue @ Century Park, Shanghai. The 264-key design-led hotel is the first más...
Chesapeake REIT acquires Homewood Suites at Seattle Convention Center
SEATTLE Chesapeake Lodging Trust has agreed to acquire the 195-key Homewood Suites by Hilton Seattle Convention Center for US$53 million, or approximately más...
TripAdvisor seminar for UK hoteliers turns argumentative
LONDON A “masterclass” sponsored by TripAdvisor for UK hoteliers, intended to help hoteliers better understand how to use the user-generated más...
Micros iPhone app wins top tech award at New York hotel show
NEW YORK CITY A new iPhone application launched by Micros Systems that lets guests customize their stay preferences is the winning technology at this más...
IHG becomes first foreign hotel group to list on Japanese travel site
JAPAN Rakuten Travel Inc. has signed with IHG to offer the company’s hotel inventory on its websites, the first such agreement between a Japanese más...
2010 Gold Key hotel design awards winners
NEW YORK CITY The International Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Show announces winners of the 30th annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality más...
PwC forecasts strong rate-based growth in 2011 for U.S. hotels
UNITED STATES PricewaterhouseCoopers’ updated lodging forecast expects the focus to shift from demand growth to ADR gains, as pricing power returns más...
Design tips for adaptive reuse hotel projects
WORLDWIDE The hotel industry today is facing an economic situation in which it does not make sense to construct new hotels in urban environments. Instead más...
New Forbes Travel Guide awards 5 stars to 54 hotels worldwide
WORLDWIDE Two hotels have gained new 5-star status in the 2011 Forbes Travel Guide, joining 52 other 5-star hotels worldwide. The two new 5-star hotels más...
Flood-stricken Gaylord Opryland Resort reopens after 6 months
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE The 2,881-key Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, the largest hotel in the United States outside of Las Vegas, has reopened más...
Starwood to manage Chile hotel under Luxury Collection flag
VILLARICA, CHILE Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Grupo Hotelera Aguas Verdes SA to manage Villarrica Park más...
Hawaii hotels seeing improved demand, but rate still way off
HAWAII Hotels in America’s tropical paradise are increasingly full, but ADR is recovering much more slowly, according to a new report. Statewide más...
Orient-Express Hotels raises US$117.2m in share offering
HAMILTON, BERMUDA Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. has raised approximately US$117.2 million from a public offering of 10 million Class A common shares. The más...
Interstate Hotels names new development & acquisitions executive
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Interstate Hotels & Resorts announces the appointment of Edward J. Blum to the position of executive vice president of development más...
India firm reportedly acquires London’s Grosvenor House for £470m
LONDON Indian billionaire Subrata Roy’s conglomerate Sahara India Pariwar has reportedly reached an agreement to acquire London’s landmark más...
7 killed in gas explosion at Riviera Maya hotel
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO An explosion at a luxury Riviera Maya resort on Sunday has left seven people dead and several others injured. The explosion at más...
Nylo founders team with Auromatrix to launch new hotel group
NEW YORK CITY A former chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association AH&LA chairman is partnering with India’s Auromatrix Group to más...
Chinese travelers present huge opportunities, challenges
NEW YORK — China is the fastest-growing travel market in the world, with the potential to generate 100 million international travelers by 2020, más...
Anantara plans 7 new resort openings in 2011
BANGKOK Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas expects to add seven new resorts to its portfolio of 12 open properties next year, with openings scheduled más...
HOTELS interview: Part 2 with AMResorts President Alex Zozaya
PHILADELPHIA In part two of our interview with AMResorts President Alex Zozaya shares his outlook for Mexico and the Caribbean and discusses his company’s más...
Unfinished Harmon Hotel at MGM CityCenter may never open
LAS VEGAS The troubled Harmon Hotel & Spa at MGM Resorts International’s CityCenter Las Vegas is unlikely to ever open, and company executives más...
Brack Capital announces new Times Square hotel project
NEW YORK CITY Brack Capital Real Estate has entered into a 99-year ground lease with an unidentified Europe hotel partner to develop a 78,000-sq.-ft. más...
15-story China hotel built in 6 days
CHANGSHA, CHINA A hotel in Changsha, China, was built from foundation to completion in only six days. The Ark Hotel was constructed almost entirely with más...
HOTELS interview: AMResorts President Alex Zozaya
PHILADELPHIA Alex Zozaya, president of AMResorts, has a lot going on. Between the Dreams, Secrets, Zoëtry and Now brands, AMResorts’ properties más...
UK hotels to see moderate improvement in 2011
UNITED KINGDOM Tough market conditions will continue to constrain growth for hotels throughout the United Kingdom in 2011, although the story is much más...
Flagship Marriott Hotels brand opens 500th property
PUNE, INDIA Half a century after opening its first hotel, the 365-key Twin Bridges Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, Marriott International has opened más...
Sol Meliá revenue up 8% through first 9 months of 2010
PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN Sol Meliá SA’s results for the first nine months of 2010 show a profit of €71.7 million compared to €47 más...
42 hotels in Lebanon pipeline, but projects depend on security
LEBANON The head of Lebanon’s hotel association says that 42 hotels at a combined cost of US$2.4 billion have received project permits in the country más...
Sandals Resorts CEO: Sustainability efforts can come in many forms
LONDON Sandals Resorts International CEO Adam Stewart told an audience at this week’s World Travel Market in London that he does not know what his más...
11 Sol Meliá properties join Preferred Hotel Group
PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts has added 11 hotels to sales and marketing consortium Preferred Hotel Group. más...
Choice Hotels, Address Hotels sign distribution deals with Travelport
ATLANTA GTA by Travelport announces separate enhanced distribution deals with Choice Hotels International and The Address Hotels + Resorts. The first más...
Chatham Lodging Trust to offer 7 million common shares
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Chatham Lodging Trust, a hotel REIT focused on upscale extended-stay hotels and premium-branded select-service hotels, is commencing más...
People on the move, week of November 8, 2010
Here is a roundup of hotel people on the move the week of November 7, 2010… The Mystic Marriott Hotels & Spa has appointed Margaret Rosen as más...
Capella-managed Setai Fifth Avenue opens in Manhattan
NEW YORK CITY The Setai Fifth Avenue, managed by Capella Hotels and Resorts, is now open in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The new 214-key hotel boasts más...
Marriott to grow India portfolio from 11 to 100 by 2015
INDIA Marriott International plans to exponentially expand its portfolio from its current 11 hotels in India to 100 within the next five years. The expansion más...
Hilton Worldwide settles with U.S. over disabilities complaints
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide has agreed to settle charges leveled by the U.S. Department of Justice that the company failed to provide an adequate más...
China’s Home Inns to enter upscale business hotels segment
SHANGHAI Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. is preparing to enter the upscale business hotels market. The rapidly expanding company, which operates más...
Marriott Rewards dominates 2010 Frequent Traveler Awards
HOUSTON Marriott Rewards was the big winner at the inaugural Frequent Traveler Awards, sponsored by the Frequent Travel Educational Association. Marriott más...
Loews Hotels names Troy Furbay EVP of acquisitions
NEW YORK CITY Loews Hotels announces the appointment of Troy Furbay as executive vice president of acquisitions and developments. Bringing more than 15 más...
Hilton Worldwide names 2 development vice presidents
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide announces the promotions of Matt Wehling and Ted Ent as vice presidents and managing directors of development for the más...
Wyndham Grand Collection adds luxury Colorado hotel
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO Wyndham Grand Collection has added the 119-key Mining Exchange, a new luxury hotel in downtown Colorado Springs, to its portfolio más...
Myrtle Beach sues 11 hotels to remove pool enclosures
MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA The city of Myrtle Beach is suing 11 hotels, contending that their swimming pool enclosures violate federal rules and could más...
Hyatt housekeepers file safety complaints with U.S.
UNITED STATES Backed by the Unite Here labor union, housekeepers working at 12 Hyatt-managed hotels in eight cities have filed a complaint with the U más...
More people to travel in 2011, and other trends to watch
UNITED STATES Most Americans expect to travel as much or more in 2011, with 90% planning to take at least two leisure trips next year. TripAdvisor surveyed más...
IHG plans 37 new hotels for UK as Q3 profit dips 7%
UNITED KINGDOM IHG will invest about £500 million to open an additional 37 hotels across the United Kingdom. Ten of the new hotels will be in London más...
The changing face of the global hotel guest
WORLDWIDE Hotel guests will increasingly come to expect the ability to completely customize every aspect of the hotel experience, a new study by Amadeus más...
Abu Dhabi aims for 15% increase in hotel guests in 2011
ABU DHABI The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority is targeting an increase of 15% in the number of hotel guests in the emirate in 2011, aiming for 1.9 million más...
Dominion Grand Hotel Group signs first 3 management deals
CANADA The newly formed Dominion Grand Hotel Group Inc. has signed its first three hotel management agreements. Dominion Grand will provide strategic más...
Wyndham flags Regal Sun Resort at Disney World
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA The 38-year-old Regal Sun Resort at Walt Disney World’s hotel plaza is being reflagged by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts más...
Choice Hotels adds 24 franchise properties in October
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International Inc. added 24 newly-opened franchised properties during the month of October. The openings include más...
Hersha Hospitality Trust increases credit access by US$115m
PHILADELPHIA Hersha Hospitality Trust has entered into a new US$250 million senior secured revolving credit facility, which replaced the company's prior más...
Independent loyalty program Stash passes 100 hotels
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA Stash Hotel Rewards has more than 100 participating hotels, six months after launching, making it the largest points-based rewards más...
Marriott to convert historic Berners Hotel into London Edition
LONDON Just weeks after the grand opening of the first Edition hotel, in Hawaii, Marriott International has acquired the historic Berners Hotel in London más...
IHG posts Q3 RevPAR growth of 8.1% on higher occupancy
DENHAM, ENGLAND The world’s largest hotel company reports gains in all three key metrics for the third quarter year over year, improving RevPAR más...
London’s Dukes Hotel ends CampbellGray affiliation, plans international expansion
LONDON Seven Tides, owners of London’s 5-star Dukes Hotel, has opted to cease its affiliation with CampbellGray Hotels and is exploring the possibility más...
Hyatt sells Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay for US$58.5m
TAMPA, FLORIDA Hyatt Hotels Corp. has sold the 445-key Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay for US$58.5 million, or US$131,000 per key. Hyatt will continue to operate más...
Southeast Asia’s largest Holiday Inn Express set for Singapore
SINGAPORE IHG has signed a management agreement for the largest Holiday Inn Express hotel in Southeast Asia with RB Capital Hotels Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based más...
15 bids for New York Helmsley Hotel, price may top US$300m
NEW YORK CITY More than a dozen bids have been recorded for the 773-key New York Helmsley Hotel, with some proposals reportedly topping US$300 million más...
Beverly Hilton owners consider sale of iconic hotel
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA Oasis West Realty, owners of the landmark Beverly Hilton, are exploring a possible sale of the 569-key hotel. The ownership más...
Four Points by Sheraton becomes official hotel of Major League Soccer
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Four Points by Sheraton, the midscale brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, announces a sponsorship deal with Major más...
Interstate Hotels names new head of development & acquisitions
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Interstate Hotels & Resorts has named Martin Reid executive vice president of development and acquisitions. Reid joins Interstate más...
Kessler’s Castle Hotel Orlando rebranded as Holiday Inn Resort
ORLANDO The Kessler Collection and IHG announce the reflagging of The Castle Hotel as a Holiday Inn Resort. Located on Orlando’s famed International más...
Soon-to-open Dubai Ritz-Carlton sells for US$300m
DUBAI Union Properties PJSC has sold The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre, for 1.1 billion dirhams (US$300 million) to an unidentified más...
Hotel openings forecast revised downward, project starts hit bottom
WORLDWIDE Lodging Econometrics has revised its forecast for new hotel openings downward for 2011 and 2012 as the ongoing banking crisis continues to curtail más...
6 more Fairmont Raffles hotels targeted for Saudi Arabia by 2012
SAUDI ARABIA As many as six additional hotels could be under development in Saudi Arabia by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International by 2012, a regional más...
Hyatt’s RevPAR up 7% on increased demand in Q3
CHICAGO RevPAR across Hyatt Hotels Corp.’s owned and leased portfolio improved by 6.9% in the third quarter as demand from business travelers bounced más...
Holloway Lodging COO Jackson takes over Dominion Grand Hotel Group
TORONTO Dominion Grand Development Group Inc. has named Michael L. Jackson president and chief operating officer of its newly formed division, Dominion más...
Paddy McKillen fails in bid to reclaim London luxury hotels from NAMA
DUBLIN Hotelier Paddy McKillen, owner of three of London’s top hotels, has been rebuffed by a Dublin court in his attempt to reclaim control of más...
Denihan to manage Sunstone’s Royal Palm Hotel, Miami Beach
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA Denihan Hospitality Group will manage the 409-key Royal Palm Hotel in Miami Beach, new owner Sunstone Hotel Investors says. The hotel más...
Pornographer plans turn as hotelier—with free rooms for exhibitionists
BARCELONA A longtime publisher of pornographic films sees is planning a foray into the hotel industry. But his business plan comes with an eye-raising más...
Spinnaker Resorts affiliates 3 resorts with Interval International
MIAMI Timeshare exchange company Interval International is expanding its relationship with Spinnaker Resorts, renewing the affiliation of several existing más...
Saudis reportedly buy Paris’ Hôtel de Crillon, Kempinski to manage
PARIS Owner Starwood Capital Group is reportedly selling Paris landmark L'Hôtel de Crillon to Saudi investors with ties to the royal family for más...
Hotel loans best positioned to recover quickly, Fitch Ratings says
UNITED STATES For the first time in 33 months, loan delinquencies declined on U.S. commercial mortgage-backed securities, with a large assist from hotels más...
Lane Hospitality leaders acquire minority interest in company
NORTHBROOK, ILLINOIS Hotel owner-operator Lane Hospitality announces a new ownership structure, with the leadership team including CEO Bill DeForrest más...
Rezidor announces first safari resort development
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA The Rezidor Hotel Group is developing its first safari resort, a Radisson Blu-branded project slated for South Africa’s más...
Pebblebrook REIT acquires Skamania Lodge from Lowe Enterprises
STEVENSON, WASHINGTON Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the 254-key Skamania Lodge from Lowe Enterprises Investors for US$55.8 million, funded entirely más...
Great Wolf Resorts may surrender two properties
MADISON, WISCONSIN Waterpark resort operator Great Wolf Resorts Inc. is working to modify a US$67 million loan on its properties in Traverse City, Michigan más...
Park Hyatt New York to be city’s most expensive hotel per key
NEW YORK CITY The Park Hyatt New York project, announced this week by Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Extell Development Corp., will be the most expensive hotel más...
Red Lion Hotels ups RevPAR 8%, hires new CFO
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON Red Lion Hotels Corp. has posted an 8.3% increase in RevPAR year-over-year, increasing ADR by 5.8%. The company also has a new chief más...
Jones Lang LaSalle facilitates US$92.5m loan for Hilton Times Square
NEW YORK CITY Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels announces the closing of a US$92.5 million senior loan for Hilton Times Square, a 460-key trophy asset New York más...
Hoteliers on the move, week of November 1
Christian Grage has been named vice president of operations for Hilton Worldwide Egypt & Levant, based in Cairo. InterContinental Paris Le Grand has más...
Apple REIT buys 16 Marriott, Hilton hotels from White Lodging
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA White Lodging Services Corp. has sold 16 of its Marriott- and Hilton-affiliated hotels in seven states to Apple REIT. White Lodging más...
Average U.S. hotel transaction value jumps 86% this year
UNITED STATES The average selling price per guestroom in the United States accelerated 86% to US$107,988 for the first nine months of 2010, compared to más...
FelCor to sell 30 hotels, focus on NYC and Washington markets
IRVING, TEXAS FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. is planning to sell about 30 of the 84 hotels it owns, repositioning its portfolio with an emphasis on the quickly más...
Nordic hotels outperform rest of Europe, led by Sweden
NORDICS The Nordic countries' hotel industries, led by Sweden, outperformed Europe as a whole during the first nine months of 2010, according to data más...
Mövenpick opens as Ramallah’s first luxury hotel
RAMALLAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has opened the 171-key Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah, considered the war-torn city’s más...
Chicago's first JW Marriott opens in historic Burnham building
CHICAGO Occupying legendary Chicago architect Daniel Burnham's historic Continental & Commercial National Bank Building in Chicago's bustling Financial más...
Morgans warns of possible foreclosure of Hard Rock Vegas
LAS VEGAS Morgans Hotel Group is warning investors that its Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas is in danger of being foreclosed on, saying the property’s más...
Rosewood to operate Bermuda’s Tucker’s Point resort
HAMILTON PARISH, BERMUDA Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is taking over operations at Tucker’s Point Hotel & Spa in Bermuda. The hotel is being más...
Developers, city grapple over proposed Marriott hotel in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN Developers of a proposed 200-key Marriott-branded hotel in downtown Milwaukee are attempting to persuade city officials to demolish más...
IHG offers US$50 air discounts to Twitter followers
ATLANTA For the past several years, Black Friday has ranked as the largest shopping day of the year in North America. This season, each of the more than más...
Accor ousts CEO Pélisson, taps head of McDonald’s Europe
PARIS The demerger between its hotels and services division complete, Accor is replacing longtime CEO Gilles Pélisson, replacing him with the head más...
Hyatt to open flagship Park Hyatt in New York City
NEW YORK CITY Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Extell Development Corp. will introduce the legendary Park Hyatt luxury brand to New York City with a newly-constructed más...
HOTELS interview: Starwood EMEA development exec talks recovery
BRUSSELS Bart Carnahan, senior vice president of acquisition and development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in Europe, the Middle East and más...
Hyatt RevPAR up 7.3% in Q3, improved 15.1% internationally
CHICAGO Hyatt Hotels Corp. posted a RevPAR increase of 7.3% in the third quarter compared to a year ago, and its results were even better beyond North más...
U.S. election hotel parties down by half this year
UNITED STATES Fewer than half the number of U.S. hotels that normally host election night parties did so this year, according to a survey by The Knowland más...
Amman leads Mideast hotel metrics boost in September
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA The Middle East and Africa region reported increases in all three key performance measurements for September, according to STR más...
Harrah’s to install digital advertising screens in guestrooms
LAS VEGAS Harrah’s Entertainment is launching a new location-based digital advertising network that will feature installation of 75,000 screens más...
Disney reverses course, will offer hotel inventory on Priceline
ORLANDO Walt Disney Parks & Resorts will begin offering hotel guestrooms on Priceline.com later this month, reversing a longstanding refusal to work más...
Sri Lanka seeks international group to manage colonial-era hotel
COLOMBO Sri Lanka's state-owned Bank of Ceylon is seeking an international hotel chain to manage its 173-year-old Grand Oriental Hotel, a 200-key landmark más...
Starwood launches global sale up to 30% off
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is launching a two-week global sale, with up to 30% off best available rates. The offer más...
Taj hotel opens in former Hyderabad royal palace
HYDERABAD, INDIA Newly resplendent after 10 years of sensitive renovation, the former royal residence of Nizam Mehboob Ali Khan has opened in Hyderabad más...
HOTELS interview: Wyndham CEO Danziger talks Planet Hollywood
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Planet Hollywood Hotels will not be a “themed” brand under Wyndham Hotel Group, but will instead be an upscale hotel más...
World’s 1st NFC mobile phone locking system debuts in Sweden
STOCKHOLM The world's first pilot of a near-field communication-enabled mobile phone check-in system is starting at Clarion Hotel Stockholm. Choice Hotels más...
Marriott to open 2 Renaissance Hotels in France, 1 in Switzerland
EUROPE Marriott International has signed franchise agreements for three Renaissance Hotels in Europe. The 87-key Renaissance Lucerne Hotel, Switzerland más...
Shangri-La acquires Maldives Holiday Inn, will reflag as Traders
MALE, MALDIVES Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts has purchased the 117-key Holiday Inn Male and will convert the hotel to its upscale Traders Hotels by más...
U.S. RevPAR up 8.4% in Q3
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry reported increases in all three key performance metrics for third quarter 2010 in year-over-year measurements, according más...
Wyndham to manage hotel in China’s Xixi National Wetland Park
HANGZHOU, CHINA Wyndham Hotel Group announces the signing of a management agreement to open a luxury Wyndham Hotels and Resorts property in Hangzhou’s más...
HEI Hotels sells Embassy Suites at Orange County Airport
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA HEI Hotels & Resorts has sold the 293-key Embassy Suites Irvine-Orange County Airport for an undisclosed price. HEI will maintain más...
Hotel contest calls for meeting planners to tweet amenity requests
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA In celebration of its newly redesigned event spaces, Wyndham Orange County announces the “Make Your Own Meeting” Twitter más...
Holiday Inn to convert bars to ‘social hubs,’ offer pancake machines
ATLANTA With the two-year global brand relaunch effort nearly complete, executives with IHG’s Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands are turning más...
John Q. Hammons in nursing home, new CEO takes over
SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI Ailing legendary hotelier John Q. Hammons, the 91-year-old founder and CEO of John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, is being secluded más...
IHG targets 33 new hotels in India by 2015
INDIA IHG plans to nearly quadruple its presence in India within the next five years, targeting 33 new hotels to complement the 12 already open in the más...
Hyatt to manage 2 in Manhattan, including ‘design-forward’ hotel
NEW YORK CITY Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Hersha Development Corp. have signed long-term franchise agreements for two newly built hotels in Manhattan. The más...
W Hotels makes Southeast Asia debut with Koh Samui opening
KOH SAMUI, THAILAND W Hotels Worldwide makes its debut in Southeast Asia today with the opening of the 75-villa W Retreat Koh Samui, a beachfront resort más...
Al Maha Desert Resort Dubai joins Starwood’s Luxury Collection
DUBAI Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai has joined Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s Luxury Collection portfolio. The 42-suite resort más...
September is Europe hotels’ best month this year
EUROPE The Europe hotel industry posted positive results in year-over-year metrics, posting the highest monthly occupancy and ADR recorded so far this más...
Delaware North inquires about prospective Ireland hotel acquisitions
IRELAND Executives from Buffalo, New York-based Delaware North Companies have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring some of the many hotels that más...
The Resort Co. acquires Western Seasons Management
BEAVER CREEK, COLORADO The Resort Company LLC, a mountain resort property management company, has acquired Western Seasons Management and its portfolio más...
octubre 2010
HOTELS interview: Accor COO talks Europe recovery
PARIS Yann Caillère, chief operating officer for Accor Hospitality Europe, talks with HOTELS magazine about Europe’s ongoing industry recovery más...
Global hotel investment levels up 60% in Q3
WORLDWIDE The global hotel investment market experienced a strong first three quarters, with transaction volumes reaching US$12 billion, a 60% increase más...
Strong trading returns to most Europe hotel markets in September
EUROPE Following the mixed performance across Europe during August, September marked a return to strong growth across key performance metrics for most más...
Caribbean hotel assets show gradual recovery, further upside
CARIBBEAN The impact of the recent world recession still reverberates around the Caribbean’s hotels and resorts, even as a weak recovery continues más...
Marriott to add 2,900 midscale guestrooms in New York City by 2013
NEW YORK CITY Over the next three years, Marriott International plans to double its budget and midscale presence in New York City, adding an additional más...
Starwood’s top 100 global executives convene in China
BEIJING Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. hosted its top 100 global executives in Beijing this week, marking the first time Starwood’s más...
Hyatt, Omni submit proposals for Pittsburgh convention hotel
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Omni Hotels & Resorts each submitted proposals to build a 500-key hotel adjacent to the convention más...
People in the news the week of October 24, 2010
DoubleTree Hotels has appointed Jayne Barrett general manager of the 267-key DoubleTree Hotel Boston Downtown. A native of Ireland, she succeeds más...
Four Seasons to host global wine tasting… on Twitter
TORONTO Wine tastings are commonplace throughout the luxury hotel industry, but Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has found a way to make the staple event más...
Shanghai leads strong Asia Pacific hotel metrics growth
ASIA PACIFIC Hotels in the Asia Pacific region experienced increases in all three key performance metrics for September, according to STR Global. In year-over-year más...
Starwood posts 10% RevPAR gains in Q3
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK RevPAR increased 10% in the third quarter, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide reports, but the company still posted a net más...
HOTELS interview: Mideast hotel consultant talks outlook, opportunities
MIDDLE EAST Peter Goddard, managing director of TRI Hospitality Consulting Middle East, talks with HOTELS magazine about the outlook for the region's más...
Hotel industry recovery continues to beat expectations
UNITED STATES Mark Woodworth, president of Colliers PKF Hospitality Research, summarizes the performance of the U.S. lodging industry during the third más...
Wynn Resorts files to sell additional shares
LAS VEGAS Wynn Resorts Ltd. has filed paperwork with federal regulators to sell additional stock. The prospectus does not indicate how many shares will más...
India’s Parsvnath Hotels to enter budget hotel segment
NEW DELHI Parsvnath Hotels is planning to venture into the budget hotel segment, targeting 20 or more hotels open within a year across India. Parsvnath más...
Bangkok-based U Hotels to debut in Mideast with Doha project
DOHA U Le Mirage Doha hotel, scheduled to open in August 2011, will mark the debut of Bangkok-based U Hotels & Resorts in the Middle East. U Hotels más...
Costa Rica’s DayStar launches condo-hotels brand Oceans
JACO BEACH, COSTA RICA DayStar Hotel Group, a division of DayStar Properties in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica, launches new brand of condo-hotels under the flag más...
Inside the world’s new highest hotel, Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
HONG KONG The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong will be the world’s highest hotel when the brand returns to the city in March. Occupying floors 102 to 118 más...
Americas hotel performance gains in September
AMERICAS The Americas region posted another month of improved performance across the three primary metrics in September, making gains in occupancy, ADR más...
Marriott outlines plans for ambitious growth
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Assuming RevPAR growth of 5% to 9% compounded annually over the next three years, Marriott International projects that its diluted más...
New World Hospitality EVP talks expansion, brand identity
HONG KONG New World Hospitality is relaunching its flagship New World Hotels brand, announcing expansion plans across Asia Pacific. Executive Vice Chairman más...
China becomes No. 2 market for Starwood Preferred Guest membership
CHINA China continues to be the richest source of new members for Starwood Preferred Guest, according to an analysis of the loyalty program’s enrollment más...
Hilton signs deals for 3 hotels in Russia, including 2nd in Moscow
RUSSIA Hilton Worldwide has signed deals to open three new hotels in Russia, including its second property in Moscow. Along with a new DoubleTree by Hilton-branded más...
Subscription database helps UK hotels avoid bad guests
UNITED KINGDOM User-generated reviews are not simply for advising other guests about hotels anymore. Now, thanks to technology from UK-based Guestscan más...
Beverly Hills Hotel unveils Southern California’s largest suites
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA The Beverly Hills Hotel will debut two ultra-luxe, residential-style Presidential Bungalows, offering the ultimate accommodations más...
Golden Tulip launches updates to Goldres reservation system
PARIS Golden Tulip Hotel Group has launched its next-generation central reservations and distribution platform, known as Goldres3. The scalable latest más...
Venetian, Palazzo Vegas affiliate with InterContinental
LAS VEGAS The Venetian and The Palazzo, two of the most luxurious properties on the Las Vegas Strip, will be affiliated with InterContinental Hotels & más...
Hilton signs deal for 8 new hotels across China
CHINA Hilton Worldwide has signed its largest multi-hotel management deal in China, opening eight properties under the Hilton and Conrad flags between más...
HOTELS interview: Turkey holds promise for hotel developers
TURKEY The geographical and cultural buffer between Europe and the Middle East, Turkey has emerged in recent years as a booming hotel development market más...
Choice Hotels to relocate headquarters to Rockville, Maryland
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International will relocate its global headquarters from Silver Spring, Maryland, about 10 miles west to Rockville más...
Procacianti Group to manage 8 hotels for Lodgian
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND TPG Hospitality Inc., a Procaccianti Group company, will manage eight hotels comprising about 2,000 guestrooms on behalf of Lodgian más...
Boyd Gaming declines option to buy other Borgata half
ATLANTIC CITY Boyd Gaming Corp. has declined its right of first refusal option to acquire the 50% stake of Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa that is being más...
Vail Resorts acquires Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort
NORTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA Vail Resorts Inc. has closed on the acquisition of Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort in North Lake Tahoe, California. Vail Resorts más...
U.S. books all 570 guestrooms at Taj Palace for Obama visit
MUMBAI U.S. President Barack Obama and his delegation will have Taj Mahal Palace & Tower all to themselves when they visit Mumbai next week. The U más...
Expedia, Sabre among companies fighting Google-ITA deal
UNITED STATES Expedia Inc. and Sabre Holdings are part of a group of online travel heavyweights that have aligned in an attempt to block Google Inc.’s más...
Hyatt, Starwood Capital to launch Andaz Resort in Maui
MAUI, HAWAII Hyatt Hotels Corp. and an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group have formed a joint venture to acquire an existing property and redevelop it más...
3 hotel companies merge, become Brazil’s 3rd largest group
BRAZIL Three regional hotel groups in Brazil are merging, creating the country’s third largest hotel company by number of properties. Bristol Hotels más...
15 hotel F&B trends for 2011
UNITED STATES Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Co. creates high-profile restaurants around the world. The company offers 15 F&B trends to watch más...
IHG’s RevPAR jumps 7% in Americas in Q3
AMERICAS IHG reports that RevPAR growth in the Americas region accelerated through the third quarter to 6.7%, driven by occupancy growth of 3.8 percentage más...
New World relaunches flagship hotel brand, to expand
HONG KONG New World Hospitality is relaunching its flagship New World Hotels brand, announcing expansion plans across Asia Pacific and launching a comprehensive más...
1 in 3 Starwood hotel openings through 2011 to be in China
CHINA Through next year, one out of every three new hotels entering the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide portfolio will be opening in China, including más...
Aston Kauai Beach hotel sells, to convert to Courtyard
KAUAI, HAWAII Investment firms Behringer Harvard and JMI Realty have jointly acquired the 311-key Aston Kauai Beach at Makaiwa, an oceanfront hotel on más...
Dusit Thani sets up US$134m fund for 3 hotels
BANGKOK Shareholders of Dusit Thani PLC have approved a major property management project to have three of its luxury hotels—Dusit Thani Laguna más...
Carlson targets 100 Radisson hotels for Asia Pacific by 2015
ASIA PACIFIC Carlson plans to increase the number of Radisson hotels in Asia Pacific to more than 100 by 2015. The company is also commencing the launch más...
Opaque hotel booking comes to Expedia.com
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON Expedia Inc. is extending its Hotwire opaque model to Expedia.com, offering “unpublished rate” hotels throughout North más...
Groupe du Louvre to add 20 hotels in Morocco in 5 years
MOROCCO Groupe du Louvre, the Starwood Capital Group-owned company that controls the Louvre Hôtels and Golden Tulip Hotels brands, announces plans más...
AmEx projects higher airfare, hotel rates worldwide in 2011
WORLDWIDE Increases of up to 10% are expected for airfare and hotel rates in key markets around the world in 2011, according to the latest projections más...
Fattal to reflag 2 Leonardo Plaza hotels as Herods Palace
ISRAEL Fattal Hotel Management Ltd. is turning its famed Herods Palace Hotel in Eilat into a luxury brand. The company plans to turn a pair of Leonardo más...
Davidson to manage inaugural B Hotel
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA Davidson Hotel Co. has been selected to manage the 240-key B Ocean Fort Lauderdale, the first property in the recently launched más...
Vegas Cosmopolitan lets famed artists decorate parking garage
LAS VEGAS The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has given its underground parking garage over to four renowned artists, inviting them to decorate the drab concrete más...
2 long-delayed Milwaukee hotel projects to resume
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN A pair of hotel projects, proposed two years ago for the Milwaukee area but on hold due to the recession, are resuming. An as-yet-unflagged más...
Trump Entertainment hires David Hughes as new CFO
ATLANTIC CITY Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. has named David R. Hughes its new chief financial officer, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission más...
For Asia travel agents, ease of booking as important as hotel rates
ASIA PACIFIC According to a survey of travel agents in Asia Pacific conducted by Amadeus, travel agents continue to view price as a key consideration más...
Hilton Hotels launches new spa concept, Eforea
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Hotels & Resorts unveils Eforea: Spa at Hilton, a new global turnkey spa concept. In conceptualizing Eforea, Hilton culled más...
Costa Rica Westin to be Starwood’s first all-inclusive resort
CABO VELAS, COSTA RICA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announces its return to Costa Rica with the opening of The Westin Playa Conchal Resort más...
43% of select-service hotel investors in ‘buying mode’
UNITED STATES Marking a definite turnaround, U.S. select-service hotel investors have a more optimistic outlook today than they did six months ago. According más...
Guest service ratings drop in Europe, J.D. Power survey finds
EUROPE Overall satisfaction among Europe hotel guests has remained stable after achieving a five-year high in 2009, backed by increased contentment with más...
Wyndham to launch Tryp brand in North America
NEW YORK CITY Wyndham Hotel Group has signed an agreement to open its first Tryp by Wyndham property in North America, the 173-key Tryp New York City-Times más...
China, India continue to dominate global hotel pipeline
WORLDWIDE China ended September with a hotel development pipeline about three times larger than the next closest country, India. The two emerging economies más...
Accor revenues spike 10% in Q3
PARIS Accor’s hotel revenue is up 6.8% on a like-for-like basis in the first nine months of 2010, including 9.8% growth in the third quarter, the más...
HVS examines hotel development bottlenecks in Russia
RUSSIA There are a number of bottlenecks facing potential hotel investors in Russia. Advisory firm HVS examines the most critical of them as the industry más...
Loews Hotels’ meetings guarantee includes president’s phone number
NEW YORK CITY Loews Hotels is rolling out a service guarantee for meeting planners, offering the direct phone number to President and Chief Operating más...
Construction begins on ‘6-star’ boutique hotel in Dominican
JUANILLO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Cap Cana SA and Solaya Hotels announce the start of construction of Eden Roc Cap Cana, a “6-star” luxury boutique más...
Whitbread profit soars 58% in H1 on stronger hotel bookings
LEAGRAVE, ENGLAND Shares of Whitbread PLC have reached a three-year high following a 21% gain in operating profit from its Premier Inn budget hotel division más...
6 ‘points of vulnerability’ for struggling hoteliers to avoid
WORLDWIDE The bevy of hotel investors who purchased assets at the peak of the market with the intent of repositioning are now the most vulnerable in today’s más...
Onyx Hospitality acquires serviced-apartment provider Sharma
BANGKOK Onyx Hospitality Group, a Thailand-based hotel management company, has acquired Shama, a provider of luxury boutique serviced apartments. Onyx’s más...
Shangri-La Hotels opens Golden Circle loyalty club to public
HONG KONG Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has made substantial modifications to its Golden Circle loyalty program, opening membership to the public and más...
Jamaica loosens gaming laws, resort developers take notice
JAMAICA Faced with increased gaming competition from fellow Caribbean nations, as well as several areas of the United States, Jamaica is in the process más...
Best Western to offer hotel inventory on local tourism websites
PHOENIX A new direct booking integration will allow Best Western International to feed up-to-date rates and availability into a larger travel database más...
Kimpton plans Hotel Monaco inside historic Philadelphia building
PHILADELPHIA Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants has proposed to convert Philadelphia’s historic Lafayette Building into a 270-key Hotel Monaco. Kimpton más...
Marriott hotels attempt ‘world’s largest Thai dinner party’ record
WORLDWIDE From Poland to China, Thailand to the United Kingdom, Marriott International hotels around the globe are serving up tangy Tom Yum Goong (lemongrass más...
Langham Hotels expands into Middle East
DOHA Langham Hotels International announces its debut in the Middle East with the 290-key Langham Place, Doha, slated to open in late 2012. Located in más...
Hotel rates expected to rise in NYC in 2011, but occupancy to stay flat
NEW YORK CITY Online travel agency Expedia Inc. expects hotel occupancy to stay mostly flat in New York City next year due to increased inventory. However más...
Hersha Hospitality Trust to raise US$166m with share offer
PHILADELPHIA Hersha Hospitality Trust is pricing its upcoming public stock offering of 25 million common shares at US$5.80 per share. Hersha will grant más...
Concorde targets Green Globe certification for all hotels
PARIS Starwood Capital Group’s Concorde Hotels & Resorts brand has launched a new corporate social responsibility program, centered on the pillars más...
Traditional methods undervalue hotels by 15% or more, HVS says
WORLDWIDE Hotels valued using traditional valuation methods that do not account for an upturn in the market and an owner’s ability to refinance más...
Hyatt to manage Baha Mar convention hotel, act as timeshare partner
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Baha Mar Ltd. has tapped Hyatt Hotels Corp. to operate and manage the planned 700-key Grand Hyatt to be included as within Baha Mar Resort más...
Mecca hotel rates jump 31% for Ramadan
MECCA Average hotel rates in Mecca were up 31% during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, compared to 2009, according to meta search engine HotelsCombined más...
NYC’s Hotel Chelsea is put up for sale
NEW YORK CITY The legendary Hotel Chelsea has been put up for sale. An asking price has not been announced. The building's board on Tuesday announced más...
Protea Hotels to open 4th property in Zambia
CHIPATA, ZAMBIA Protea Hotels continues to expand its footprint in Zambia with the launch of Protea Hotel Chipata, set to open in December. Protea Hotel más...
Host Hotels to raise US$500m through private placement
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. is planning a private placement of US$500 million worth of senior notes due in 2020. The notes will más...
Harrah's Entertainment files for US$500m IPO
LAS VEGAS Harrah's Entertainment has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to make an initial public offering that would raise at least más...
Kempinski Hotels to make Israel debut
TEL AVIV Nahal Group has signed a deal with Kempinski Hotels AG to open the luxury brand’s first hotel in Israel, a 220-key property in Tel Aviv más...
Qataris consider opening hotel atop London’s Harrods store
LONDON The Qatar royal family, which acquired London’s iconic Harrods department store back in May for £1.5 billion, is considering converting más...
Barclays forecloses on St. Regis Washington, to auction
WASHINGTON, D.C. Barclays Capital has foreclosed on the 182-key St. Regis Washington, D.C., taking the property from Dublin-based owner Claret Capital más...
U.S. hotels post big year-over-year gains in early October
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry reported significant year-over-year increases in the three key performance metrics during the week of October 3 más...
Hilton Worldwide opens sales offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Hilton Worldwide has opened national sales offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to support the company's nine hotels across the UAE. The más...
Artist Banksy tags Grosvenor Hotel, Torquay
TORQUAY, ENGLAND The renowned graffiti artist known as Banksy has apparently left his mark on a hotel in Torquay. Artwork showing a young boy painting más...
Cosmopolitan Vegas debuts first TV ad
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas debuted its first television ad Sunday in advance of its anticipated December opening. más...
Pegasus Solutions, Amadeus sign marketing deal
DALLAS Pegasus Solutions has extended its marketing capabilities to include travel agency advertising through a new agreement with Amadeus. Pegasus and más...
JW Marriott Hotels trains associates to be ‘wine ambassadors’
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Helping to heighten the wine-tasting experience for its guests, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts has introduced a Wine Ambassador program más...
Indigo, Holiday Inn Express hotels set for Taipei, Hong Kong, Xiamen
GREATER CHINA IHG has signed four contracts to open hotels in Taipei, Hong Kong and Xiamen, adding more than 700 guestrooms to its pipeline in Greater más...
Kerzner rejects US$3.4b bid from BMB Group
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Kerzner International has rejected an unsolicited bid by investment company BMB Group valued at US$3.4 billion cash. A Kerzner spokesperson más...
Mandarin Oriental to manage luxury hotel in Shanghai
SHANGHAI Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has signed an agreement to manage a luxury hotel currently under construction in Pudong, Shanghai. The hotel is más...
Morgans to manage lifestyle hotel within Baha Mar Resort
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Morgans Hotel Group will manage the planned 300-key lifestyle hotel within the destination resort metropolis, Baha Mar Resort. The partnership más...
Brazil Hospitality Group plans 4,000 guestrooms across 30 cities
ITAGUAI, BRAZIL Brazil Hospitality Group is building a Hotel Tulip Inn in Itaguai, near Rio de Janeiro. The hotel will provide standard 3-star limited más...
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo aims for most expensive hotel rental ever
TOKYO The Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is advertising one of the more expensive hotel rates ever posted: US$671,000 per night. The figure includes use of the más...
Indiana Ramada to reflag as Hotel Indigo
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA A developer plans to convert South Bend’s tallest building, Ramada Plaza Downtown South Bend, into a Hotel Indigo. Developer más...
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group launches iPhone application
HONG KONG Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has launched MO Hotels, a travel application available for download on the iTunes App Store. Designed for iPhone más...
Hilton unveils new name, logo for DoubleTree brand
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide’s upscale DoubleTree brand is getting a new logo and a tweak to its name. The new brown logo features a silhouette más...
Hyatt adds 11 projects to China hotel pipeline
CHINA Hyatt Hotels Corp. has signed management agreements for 11 new Hyatt-branded hotels in emerging cities and resort destinations across China. The más...
U.S. hotel pipeline down 22% since year ago
UNITED STATES The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 3,362 projects totaling 352,356 guestrooms, according to the latest data from más...
Fairmont San Francisco unveils ‘Intersect’ media lounge
SAN FRANCISCO The Fairmont San Francisco introduces Intersect: A Fairmont Media Lounge, a 2,400-sq.-ft. high-tech space for travelers to relax with interactive más...
Mövenpick Hotels plans 3 more Thailand projects
THAILAND Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts plans new properties in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui during the next three years, signaling a period más...
Langham Hotels signs luxury property in Shenzhen
SHENZHEN, CHINA The Langham, Shenzhen, will open in Futian, the city’s new business and commercial district in 2012, under a management deal between más...
Netherlands law may force hotels to register as Internet service providers
NETHERLANDS Hotels that provide guest Internet access could be required to register as Internet service providers in the Netherlands, the country’s más...
Starwood’s Méridien brand to make Turkey debut in Istanbul
ISTANBUL Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will open its first Le Méridien hotel in Turkey, debuting the new 260-key Le Méridien Istanbul más...
South Africa’s World Cup visitation exceeds projections
SOUTH AFRICA The total number of overnight visitors to South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup is estimated at 400,000, higher than the 373,000 predicted más...
Host Hotels acquires JW Marriott Rio de Janeiro for US$48m
RIO DE JANEIRO Host Hotels & Resorts has acquired the 245-key JW Marriott Hotel Rio de Janeiro for a total of US$47.5 million, or about US$194,000 más...
JLLH ups U.S. hotel transaction volume forecast by 44%
UNITED STATES Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels has upgraded its 2010 U.S. hotel transaction forecast, increasing its volume projection from US$4.5 billion to más...
HotelRez launches gay-friendly hotel collection for GDS
LONDON Never before have agencies and corporate bookers been able to search on the global distribution systems for hotels that cater to gay, lesbian, más...
Wyndham announces 3 more upscale hotel projects in China
CHINA Following the recent opening of luxury hotels in the cities of Shanghai and Chengdu, Wyndham Hotel Group announces its continued expansion in China más...
Carlson expects to add 15 India hotels next year
INDIA Carlson plans to open at least 15 hotels in India next year, a step toward its expectation of having more than 100 hotels in operation in the country más...
Host Hotels posts Q3 loss despite revenue gains
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Host Hotels & Resorts reports that total revenue rose 11% in the third quarter to US$1 billion, from US$903 million a year ago más...
MGM Resorts considers offer for Borgata stake
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International is considering an offer of about US$250 million for its 50% stake in Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & más...
Hersha Hospitality Management names Ade EVP of operations
PHILADELPHIA Hersha Hospitality Management has named Gregory Ade its new executive vice president of operations, reporting to Chief Operating Officer más...
Fairmont Hotels debuts Gold VIP services in China
CHINA Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has introduced Fairmont Gold across its collection of hotels in China, including Fairmont Beijing, Fairmont Yangcheng más...
New guestroom designs for Westin, Sheraton brands
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK The two largest brands in the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide portfolio are getting a makeover. Starwood is touting the más...
Hyatt plans 2,000 hypoallergenic guestrooms at 125 North America hotels
NORTH AMERICA Hyatt Hotels & Resorts plans to launch approximately 2,000 hypoallergenic guestrooms across 125 properties. The program, dubbed Respire más...
Hoteliers’ guide to 2011 Internet marketing budgeting
WORLDWIDE Max Starkov, chief e-business strategist at New York City-based Hospitality eBusiness Strategies, and his colleague Mariana Mechoso Safer, senior más...
Vietnam leads Asia Pacific’s hotel demand recovery
ASIA PACIFIC Demand for guestrooms rose 51% in Vietnam in July year over year, leading a strong month of hotel industry recovery across Asia Pacific. más...
Florida to hold virtual ‘beach walk’ to counter oil spill misperceptions
FLORIDA Visit Florida, the official tourism marketing corporation for the state of Florida, will host a real-time virtual tour of the state’s beaches más...
Hilton Worldwide adopts Microsoft collaboration systems
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide is adopting Microsoft Corp.’s collaboration and productivity tools as part of the company’s Innovation Collaborative más...
Loews Hotels tries pairing bourbon, gourmet bacon chocolate
NEW YORK CITY Loews Hotels is combining the deep aroma of bourbon with the rich flavors of chocolate to create a remarkably “Dark and Decadent” más...
Caesars Palace Las Vegas becomes dog-friendly
LAS VEGAS Harrah’s Entertainment properties Caesars Palace, Imperial Palace and Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino are launching “PetStay Las más...
UK’s 7th Hampton by Hilton hotel opens near Newport
MAGOR, WALES Hilton Worldwide announces the opening of its seventh hotel in the United Kingdom, the 127-key Hampton by Hilton Newport/East, located at más...
Extended Stay Hotels emerges from bankruptcy after Centerbridge buyout
SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA Extended Stay Inc. has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, months after the 685-property group was acquired for más...
Blackstone buys Columbia Sussex debt, may seize 14 hotels
NEW YORK CITY Blackstone Group LP may attempt to take control of 14 hotels owned by Columbia Sussex Corp. after the private equity giant bought junior más...
Penn National acquires M Resort Las Vegas at huge discount
LAS VEGAS Penn National Gaming Inc. has purchased all of the debt on the 390-key M Resort, effectively giving it control over the 19-month-old property más...
Maybourne Hotel Group denies report that it is for sale
LONDON Maybourne Hotel Group is “categorically not for sale,” a declaration it felt was necessary after a report in The Sunday Times of London más...
Marriott International’s energy use, emissions down 11% since 2007
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Since 2007, Marriott International has reduced its energy consumption by 11%, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 10.7% and is on track más...
Hotel development conference to focus on Egypt’s opportunities
CAIRO Egypt is experiencing a boom in tourism, up 40% in the past four years, spurring a corresponding increase in foreign investment into hotels to accommodate más...
Radisson Blu hotel announced for downtown Dubai
DUBAI The Rezidor Hotel Group announces Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Downtown. The 220-key property, scheduled to open in early 2011, will be the fourth más...
Carrier Finnair joins Rezidor Hotel Group’s loyalty program lineup
BRUSSELS The Rezidor Hotel Group has joined Finnair Plus, the loyalty program of Finland’s national carrier, Finnair. Members of Finnair Plus can más...
Resorts Atlantic City to adopt 'Boardwalk Empire' theme
ATLANTIC CITY America’s oldest casino beyond Nevada is turning back the clock in a bid to regain relevance. The 942-key Resorts Atlantic City, which más...
France considers converting royal chateaux into hotels
PARIS Cash-strapped France is considering turning some of its royal chateaux into luxury hotels as a way to generate additional income. French President más...
Lightstone learns from Extended Stay debacle, back to hotel investing
NEW YORK CITY Its 2007 deal for Extended Stay Hotels proved to be perhaps the lodging industry’s worst investment of the past cycle, but The Lightstone más...
Pent-up demand for vacation ownership, Interval says
ORLANDO Nearly seven in 10 leisure travelers who are familiar with the concept of shared ownership plan to stay at a condominium-style resort during the más...
Buddha-Bar Hotels founder Visan dies at 60
NEW YORK CITY Raymond Visan, founder of The George V Eatertainment Group, has died following a long battle with an undisclosed illness. He was 60. Friends más...
Hilton Melbourne Airport hotel on market for US$118m
MELBOURNE The 276-key Hilton Melbourne Airport has been put on the market by its owner, Sydney-based Mulpha Australia Ltd. CB Richard Ellis Hotels and más...
Holiday Inn hotel to open in Cartagena
CARTEGENA, COLOMBIA IHG has signed a 15-year management agreement for a new-build, full-service Holiday Inn in Cartagena, Colombia. Holiday Inn Cartagena más...
Northwood Investors buys 358-key Radisson Hotel Boston
BOSTON The 358-key Radisson Hotel Boston has been acquired by Northwood Investors LLC for an undisclosed amount. The 40-year-old business hotel is located más...
Chicago Hotel Indigo in foreclosure
CHICAGO Hotel Indigo Chicago Downtown Gold Coast is being foreclosed on. The 165-key property, owned by affiliates of Chicago-based Neighborhood Development más...
Resort uses Twitter to tout its tech-unfriendliness
WILBUR SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA There is perhaps something ironic about a resort that uses Twitter and Facebook to market itself as being “100% off the más...
London’s famed Savoy reopens in crowded luxury market
LONDON The Savoy will officially reopen on Sunday, following a 35-month, £220 million renovation by its new management company, Fairmont Hotels más...
Marriott, AC Hotels in co-branding joint venture
MADRID AC Hotels and Marriott International Inc. have agreed to form a joint venture to manage and franchise co-branded hotels across Europe and Latin más...
Marriott’s Q3 results meet expectations, but forecast disappoints
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Marriott International Inc. posted a third quarter net income of US$83 million, or 22 cents per share, compared to a loss of US$466 más...
LaSalle Hotel Properties acquires Hotel Roger Williams in New York City
NEW YORK CITY LaSalle Hotel Properties has acquired the leasehold interest in the 193-key Hotel Roger Williams, located in Midtown Manhattan, for US$94 más...
Ritz-Carlton sues owner of St. Louis hotel
ST. LOUIS The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has filed a lawsuit against the owner of The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, after the owner threatened to terminate its más...
Doubletree to reflag Mexico City airport hotel, brand's 2nd in country
MEXICO CITY Hotel ITER Internacional Aeropuerto Terminal 2 will reopen next year as Doubletree by Hilton Mexico City Airport Area, marking the Hilton más...
W Atlanta-Downtown foreclosed, will remain open
ATLANTA The 230-key W Atlanta-Downtown has been taken back by its lender, but it remains open and its financial troubles are not impacting operations más...
Hilton Hotels hires ‘Pavement Picasso’ to create chalk murals
SINGAPORE Hilton Hotels & Resorts has commissioned renowned British pavement artist Julian Beever to create a chalk mural of a Hilton property on más...
Hilton Garden Inn floods, angry football fan reportedly to blame
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA The 115-key Hilton Garden Inn Jacksonville Downtown Southbank is completely closed due to flooding, and a disgruntled Indianapolis más...
Iberostar adds 2 hotels, upgrades 3 in Tunisia, Spain
PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has added a pair of resorts to its portfolio and announces the renovations of three other properties más...
Sol Meliá announces ME London, lifestyle hotel brand's 6th property
LONDON Sol Meliá announces the sixth property under its lifestyle ME Hotels brand, a London hotel slated to open in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics más...
Failed TripAdvisor lawsuit illustrates challenges policing user reviews
DETROIT A withdrawn 2009 lawsuit against TripAdvisor highlights the challenges facing the hundreds of U.S. hotels that are poised to file legal action más...
Chatham REIT acquires 12th hotel since April
NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK Chatham Lodging Trust has completed the acquisition of the Residence Inn by Marriott in New Rochelle, New York, an all-cash transaction más...
Hersha Hospitality Trust secures credit line up to US$250m
PHILADELPHIA Hersha Hospitality Trust announces commitments to borrow up to US$250 million under a secured credit facility. The line of credit, which más...
Starwood Capital enters bidding for Sea Island resort
SEA ISLAND, GEORGIA Starwood Capital Group has filed paperwork to be a certified bidder when Sea Island Co., owner of a pair of 5-star golf resorts, goes más...
Ex-Marriott executive Marvin named Host Hotels’ acquisitions SVP
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. announces the appointment of Timothy Marvin as senior vice president of acquisitions. Marvin will focus más...
Former Philadelphia Waldorf Astoria site sells for US$12m
PHILADELPHIA A half-acre site in downtown Philadelphia that two years ago was slated to be home to a Waldorf Astoria property sold at auction this week más...
IHG adds carrier AirTran to Priority Club lineup
ATLANTA IHG has added Orlando-based discount carrier AirTran Airways to its lineup of loyalty partners. The two-way partnership benefits members of AirTran’s más...
Europe terrorism alerts from U.S., UK could hamper tourism
EUROPE The United States and the UK are among numerous Western governments to have issued travel alerts in recent days warning of nonspecific threats más...
Future hotel bookings show double-digit increases into 2011
WORLDWIDE Average hotel ADR for both business and leisure travel has increased for all regions of the world, according to August year-over-year data from más...
Budget segment to dominate Europe’s new hotel development
EUROPE As the hotel market starts to recover across Europe but credit for new development remains scarce, budget and limited-service hotels will continue más...
Great Hotels Organisation consolidates sub-brands, changes name
LONDON Sales and marketing consortium Great Hotels Organisation is consolidating its hotel brands to create a single global hotel marketing alliance, más...
Golden Nugget owner Landry’s taken private by CEO
HOUSTON The stockholders of Landry's Restaurants Inc., owner of Downtown Las Vegas icon Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino and six other hotels, have approved más...
Marriott to launch Residence Inn brand in Middle East
JIZAN CITY, SAUDI ARABIA Marriott International will introduce its extended-stay Residence Inn by Marriott brand to the Middle East in 2012 with the opening más...
Schrager cashes out of Gramercy Park Hotel
NEW YORK CITY Ian Schrager is selling his stake in the famed Gramercy Park Hotel to business partners Aby Rosen and Michael Fuchs. Schrager will receive más...
Bajaj Group to expand Le Sutra art hotels brand across India
MUMBAI The Bajaj Group of Hotels, which owns a Mumbai art hotel called Le Sutra, is planning to turn the boutique concept into a chain across India. Bajaj más...
London Holiday Inn could become UK’s largest Crowne Plaza
LONDON The owner of the 405-key Holiday Inn London Kings Cross/Bloomsbury is in talks with IHG about converting the property into what would be the largest más...
Morgans Hotel Group extends loans on Los Angeles properties
LOS ANGELES Morgans Hotel Group Co. has extended the first mortgage loans secured by the group’s Hudson and Mondrian hotels in Los Angeles until más...
John Pritzker buys Custom Hotel in L.A.; Joie de Vivre to manage
LOS ANGELES Geolo Capital, the private equity arm of the John A. Pritzker family, has acquired the 250-key Custom Hotel in Los Angeles from an affiliate más...
Dynamic pricing could lead hotel rate revolution
WORLDWIDE Although dynamic pricing was first introduced to the hotel industry by the big brands nearly a decade ago, it seems most of the industry is más...
Emaar eyes Paris for third Armani Hotel
PARIS Emaar Hotels & Resorts is planning to build a third Armani Hotel, with Paris the leading contender to host the luxurious resort project. New más...
UAE considers banning smoking in hotels
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Officials are considering extending a ban on smoking in public places across the UAE to hotel restaurants and guestrooms. If enacted más...
Crowne Plaza to debut in Bangkok with reflagging of Pan Pacific hotel
BANGKOK IHG’s upscale Crowne Plaza brand will debut in Thailand’s largest city in January when it reflags the 241-key Pan Pacific Bangkok más...
Phoenix’s first Westin to open in February
PHOENIX Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. announces plans to open its first Westin-branded hotel in Phoenix in February. The 242-key Westin más...
Rezidor announces Radisson Blu Sortland, Norway
SORTLAND, NORWAY The Rezidor Hotel Group announces a new-build Radisson Blu project in Sortland, Norway, scheduled to open in 2013. The 168-key Radisson más...
Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana to launch 3 nightspots, special Rockstar Suites
PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana is set to unveil a trio of new nightspots, designed by 555 International, on November más...
July RevPAR is 11-year high for London hoteliers
LONDON While the rest of the world's hotels have struggled to rebound from the global economic downturn, London hotels have defied expectations as rates más...
Kerzner eyes China, Brazil for Atlantis resorts
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Sol Kerzner believes the Atlantis mega-resort brand could succeed in China and Brazil, and he is also looking to establish the One&Only más...
Latest space race pits would-be hoteliers
MOSCOW Fresh on the heels of billionaire Richard Branson’s announcement the he hopes to take Virgin Hotels to the moon, a Russia company says it más...
Marriott brand makes downtown Dallas debut with reflagging of Westin
DALLAS Marriott Hotels & Resorts arrives in downtown Dallas today as the former Westin City Center becomes Dallas Marriott City Center. Located on más...
Kimpton to manage Grand Hotel Minneapolis for Pebblebrook
MINNEAPOLIS Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants will manage the 140-key Grand Hotel Minneapolis, marking the boutique brand’s entry into Minnesota. The más...
Groupe Germain plans 10 ALT-branded hotels across Canada
CANADA Québec City-based Groupe Germain, have announced plans to more than double the small hotel company’s portfolio. Germain will invest más...
Carlson’s Park Inn Hotel brand launches in Oklahoma
TULSA, OKLAHOMA Carlson announces the opening of its first Park Inn in Oklahoma at Tulsa International Airport. The opening of the 172-key Park Inn Tulsa más...
Top 10 travel trends to watch in 2011
WORLDWIDE Thomas Stanley, chief operating officer of travel agency Cox & Kings, offers his list of the 10 travel trends to watch in 2011. 1. Multi-Destination más...
New York’s Pierre Hotel celebrates 80 years
NEW YORK CITY The Pierre, a Taj hotel on New York's Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park, marks its 80th anniversary today with a masterpiece of an anniversary más...
septiembre 2010
HOTELS interview: Choice CEO Joyce talks ‘Undercover Boss’ appearance
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Steve Joyce admits there was a little trepidation within Choice Hotels International headquarters when the reality show “Undercover más...
U.S. hotels post gains across all metrics for summer
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry reported increases in all three key performance metrics during summer 2010, according to data from STR. Overall más...
Sheraton Hotels launches new brandwide fitness program
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Sheraton Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and its owners are investing US$120 million to rollout its new fitness program that lets más...
Common mistakes of hotel fitness centers and how to avoid them
WORLDWIDE As fitness centers continue to be a must-have amenity for so many travelers, the hotel industry has responded by developing brand standards más...
MGM Resorts CEO anticipates ‘very solid’ October
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International projects a “very solid” October in Las Vegas, helped along by improved convention attendance and leisure más...
BlackRock blocks conversion of Pittsburgh Hilton to Wyndham Grand
PITTSBURGH BlackRock Financial Management Inc., which holds the primary mortgage on the former Hilton Pittsburgh, is attempting to block a proposed reflagging más...
Wyndham opens first managed Ramada hotel in Asia Pacific
BANGKOK Wyndham Hotel Group announces the opening of Ramada Hotel & Suites Bangkok, the company’s first managed Ramada hotel in the Asia Pacific más...
Top 10 domestic destinations for Americans, according to Hotels.com
UNITED STATES The U.S. hotel industry posted the first quarterly increase in average hotel guestroom price earlier this year, according to Hotels.com más...
Oberoi Hotels, carrier Lufthansa announce loyalty programs tie-up
NEW DELHI Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and Lufthansa have entered into a long-term strategic partnership, beginning with Oberoi joining Miles & More más...
Carlson’s Americas COO Kirschke promoted to global role
MINNEAPOLIS Thorsten Kirschke will assume the role of chief operating officer for Carlson Hotels, a global promotion from his previous position as COO más...
Carlyle Group closes on acquisition of B&B Hotels
WASHINGTON, D.C. The Carlyle Group has finalized its acquisition of France’s third largest budget lodging chain, B&B Hotels Group, from Eurazeo más...
Accor cancels sale of Groupe Lucien Barrière stake
PARIS The initial public offering of Groupe Lucien Barrière, which valued the company at €575 million to €700 million based on an issue más...
Occupancy, RevPAR down in Mideast and Africa, but room rates rise
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA Hoteliers across the Middle East and Africa region report mixed results in the three key performance measurements for August. Occupancy más...
Hilton Worldwide buys Walt Disney Hilton for US$127m
ORLANDO Tishman Hotel & Realty LP has sold its 814-key Hilton Walt Disney World Resort, which it has owned for nearly 30 years, to Hilton Worldwide más...
Trump Entertainment Resorts names new CEO
ATLANTIC CITY Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. announces the appointment of gaming and hospitality industry veteran Robert F. Griffin as CEO. He has also más...
Concord Hospitality adds record 18 hotels year-to-date
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA Concord Hospitality Enterprises has signed contracts to manage a record 18 hotels year-to-date on the way to its goal of being más...
Chatham Lodging Trust announces first dividend
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Chatham Lodging Trust, a hotel REIT focused on upscale extended-stay hotels and premium branded select-service hotels, has declared más...
InterContinental Hotels to host ‘world’s largest Twitter travel chat’
WORLDWIDE InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is sponsoring Travelers' Night In, known as “a guided spirited travel exchange” on Twitter más...
SkyCity Marriott is first Hong Kong hotel with halal food certification
HONG KONG SkyCity Marriott Hotel is Hong Kong’s first hotel to earn halal certification for its foodservice operations. The hotel is not the city’s más...
Accor adds TripAdvisor feed to its hotel sites
PARIS Even as more than 700 hoteliers prepare to file defamation lawsuits against user-generated review site TripAdvisor.com, one major hotel company más...
4 South America hotel investment markets to watch in 2011
SOUTH AMERICA Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Lima and Santiago have emerged as key strategic markets for hotel investors to watch in 2011, based on the más...
HVS now expects U.S. hotel industry to recover more quickly
UNITED STATES Hospitality consulting firm HVS has improved its performance forecast for the U.S. hotel industry. The outlook for 2010 is for greater strength más...
Stockholm, Frankfurt lead Europe’s hotel performers in August
EUROPE The European hotel industry posted mixed results in year-over-year metrics in August, according to data compiled by STR Global. "The recovery in más...
Panama’s first two Westin Hotels deals announced
PANAMA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. will debut its Westin Hotels brand in Panama with two new properties slated to open in the next two más...
Icahn begins furnishings selloff at Fontainebleau Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS Carl Icahn, who acquired the Strip’s partially-finished megaresort Fontainebleau Las Vegas earlier this year at a massive discount, has más...
Hilton marks return to Tunisia with hotel reflagging
GAMMARTH, TUNISIA Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Société Touristique Tunisie Golfe for a Hilton Hotels & Resorts-branded más...
Guests complain of sun-fueled ‘death ray’ at MGM’s Vdara hotel
LAS VEGAS Some guests of Vdara Hotel & Spa at MGM Resorts International’s Las Vegas CityCenter have complained about a so-called “death más...
First LEED-designed Courtyard by Marriott debuts
SETTLERS RIDGE, PENNSYLVANIA The first LEED-designed Courtyard by Marriott property is open in suburban Pittsburgh. Developed by Concord Hospitality Enterprises más...
RevPAR jumps 16.5% across Asia Pacific in August
ASIA PACIFC Hotels in the Asia Pacific region experienced increases in all three key performance metrics for August when reported in U.S. dollars, according más...
Strategic Hotels sells InterContinental Prague for €110.6m
PRAGUE Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. has agreed to sell the 372-guestroom InterContinental Prague to an investment group led by an affiliate of más...
Marshall Management adds 5 New York-area hotels
NEW YORK CITY Marshall Hotels & Resorts Inc. has signed five management contracts in the greater metropolitan New York area. The properties, owned más...
IHG commissions photography for 3,500 hotels
THE AMERICAS In what is being called the most ambitious photography assignment in hotel industry history, IHG has commissioned PhotoWeb to photograph más...
Branson wants Virgin Hotels in Asia, on moon
ASIA PACIFIC Fresh on the heels of last week’s launch of Virgin Hotels, Richard Branson says he has plans to establish the brand in Asia in addition más...
Brussels hotels’ profit drops to negative during Parliament recess
BRUSSELS Hotels in Belgium’s capital city is hoping September’s operating results are a bit stronger, following an August in which profitability más...
Former Conrad GM launches Spectrum luxury hospitality management
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA A group of hospitality veterans, led by the former general manager of Conrad Cairo Hotel, is launching Spectrum Hospitality más...
Creative Hotel Associates signs first third-party hotel managing
ASPEN, COLORADO Creative Hotel Associates Management, led by hotel industry veterans Jerry Petitt and Tony Rothwell, announces the formation of a new más...
Latest Oberoi Hotels share offer could trigger new direction for company
MUMBAI EIH Ltd., parent company of Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, is set to raise approximately 13 billion rupees (US$287 million) through a rights issue más...
Occupancy, rate, RevPAR up in Americas in August
THE AMERICAS The Americas recorded positive results in the three key performance metrics in August, according to data compiled by STR Global. The region's más...
Hotel insolvencies continue declining in UK
UNITED KINGDOM The number of UK hotel and leisure businesses going bust continues to fall, dropping substantially in August in both monthly and yearly más...
Omni Detroit Hotel to close next month
DETROIT The Omni Detroit Hotel at River Place will close next month, and the 108-key property is being shopped to potential buyers. Irving, Texas-based más...
Midscale Spirit Inn brand to launch in Netherlands
GLAND, SWITZERLAND Heal & Partners Sàrl, a Switzerland-based hospitality advisory group, is launching a new midscale hotel brand called Spirit más...
Harrah’s Vegas Strip sports arena petition valid, judge rules
LAS VEGAS A Nevada judge has allowed Harrah’s Entertainment to proceed with circulating an initiative petition that could allow it to build a 20 más...
Doubletree by Hilton to open in Bucharest
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA Hilton Worldwide has signed a franchise license agreement with VIS 7 Import Export SRL to open a Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Bucharest más...
Hilton’s Home2 Suites brand announces first Texas project
SAN ANTONIO Home2 Suites by Hilton has announced its third U.S. project, in San Antonio, days after announcing a project in Jacksonville, North Carolina más...
Hilton Worldwide relaunches website aimed at hotel developers
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide announces a new initiative designed to bolster its management arm, relaunching a website aimed at hotel owners and developers más...
Wyndham Worldwide acquires ResortQuest vacation rentals company
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Worldwide’s Exchange & Rentals division has agreed to acquire ResortQuest, a provider of full-service vacation más...
Hard Rock International sues Vegas resort over image
LAS VEGAS Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has nurtured a reputation as one of the premier party spots in Sin City, but the owner of the Hard Rock brand believes más...
Radisson Blu brand makes Asia Pacific debut with Philippines hotel
CEBU Carlson Hotels Worldwide and SM Hotels and Conventions Corp., next week will open the first Radisson Blu hotel in Asia Pacific. The 400-key Radisson más...
Actus adds US$600m to fund U.S. Army private lodging program
UNITED STATES Lend Lease Corp. Limited Ltd. is beginning the second phase of a program to renovate, develop and sustain on-post lodging facilities at más...
‘Hell’s Kitchen’ contestants vie for chef job at JW Marriott Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES The winner of the eighth season of “Hell’s Kitchen,” the bombastic reality competition starring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey más...
New York Helmsley hotel goes on market for US$300m
NEW YORK CITY The 788-key New York Helmsley hotel is reportedly being listed by CB Richard Ellis with an asking price of US$300 million. Neither Helmsley más...
New B Hotels brand to launch in Fort Lauderdale
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA B Hotels & Resorts, a new independent lifestyle hotel brand, will make its debut in December in Fort Lauderdale. Headquartered más...
Travelodge boosts Ireland room sales with YouTube ad campaign
IRELAND The UK-based budget hotel chain Travelodge Ltd. has found success boosting its brand recognition in neighboring Ireland with a coordinated YouTube más...
Upper House replaces guestroom compendia with iPads, iPods
HONG KONG The Upper House is integrating the Apple iPad at guest check-in and in all guestrooms, touting the trendy technology as a green initiative. más...
Wyndham to franchise Planet Hollywood Hotels
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Hotel Group has signed a license agreement with Planet Hollywood Resorts International LLC to franchise the Planet Hollywood más...
Richard Branson’s Virgin Group launches hotel brand
NORTH AMERICA Richard Branson is making his long-awaited entry into the hotel industry, with his Virgin Group announcing the launch of the Virgin Hotels más...
Renaissance Hotels in exclusive partnership with Blue Ribbon Restaurants
NORTH AMERICA New York City’s Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Restaurants Group will offer its comfort cuisine at 20 Renaissance Hotels in North America más...
Wyndham unveils new logos, will redesign brand websites
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Hotel Group announces a portfolio-wide redesign of its brand websites, and the company plans to hire additional “expert más...
Mall of America hotel to be 2nd Radisson Blu in U.S.
BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA Carlson Hotels Worldwide has signed an agreement to develop a US$130 million Radisson Blu hotel with Mortenson Development Inc más...
Brazil’s hotel industry remains buoyant, STR data show
BRAZIL South America’s leading economy has emerged relatively unscathed from the global financial crisis, and the same can be said for Brazil’s más...
IHG’s mobile phone locking system pilot goes live at 2 hotels
HOUSTON A pilot of the OpenWays mobile phone locking system, which uses encrypted ringtones to unlock guestroom doors, has gone live at two IHG properties más...
London’s historic Midland Grand Hotel to reopen with Renaissance flag
LONDON The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London will open in London’s Kings Cross in May following a £150 million renovation by Manhattan Loft más...
Best Western’s pipeline in Asia, Middle East tops 40 hotels
ASIA Best Western International has more than 40 new hotels in Asia and the Middle East in various stages of development. By the end of 2011, the chain más...
Joie de Vivre elevates Conley to executive chairman, names interim CEO
SAN FRANCISCO Joie de Vivre Hospitality announces the appointment of Gary M. Beasley as interim chief executive officer. Founder and former CEO Chip Conley más...
Los Angeles holds great hotel investment opportunty, JLL says
LOS ANGELES The outlook for hotel investors in Los Angeles is positive, as demand fundamentals—particularly in key group and corporate segments—continue más...
Terra Resort Group, MetWest Ventures form management company
JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING Hotel management firm Terra Resort Group and investment house MetWest Ventures have formed a new company, MetWest Terra Hospitality más...
Leela Hotels taps Elysian COO as new operations VP
MUMBAI The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts has named Thomas Lind as its new vice president of operations. With more than 25 years of international más...
Authorities suspect arson in Hitching Post Inn fire
CHEYENNE, WYOMING The blaze that badly damaged Wyoming's historic Hitching Post Inn and Conference Center was intentionally set, fire officials believe más...
Dolce Hotels to reopen former Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas
LAKE LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Dolce Hotels and Resorts has been selected by Village Hospitality LLC to rebrand and manage the former Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas más...
Dallas Westin to change flags, possibly to Marriott
DALLAS The Westin City Center Dallas is leaving the Starwood Hotels & Resorts portfolio next month. The 407-key hotel will be dropping the Westin más...
Homewood Suites opens 300th hotel, in Texas
ROUND ROCK, TEXAS Homewood Suites by Hilton announces the opening of its 300th North America property in the Austin suburb of Round Rock. The four-story más...
Survey measures average vacation time for hospitality employees
UNITED STATES Even as a very slow and modest upturn in the U.S. economy is becoming evident, hospitality organizations across the country continue to más...
Impact on hospitality of international social responsibility standards
WORLDWIDE Last week, the International Standards Organization approved ISO26000, which gives organizations guidance on implementing social responsibility más...
IHG signs 18 new hotels in Europe
EUROPE IHG reports having had one of its most successful periods for hotel signings in Europe, adding 18 hotels to its regional pipeline over the summer más...
Hilton Hotels brand signs first property in Peru
LIMA Hilton Worldwide has entered into a franchise agreement with J.G.J. Proyectistas S.A.C. to introduce the Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand to the más...
Mandarin Oriental unveils new global celebrity ads
HONG KONG Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is launching a series of new global print ads featuring a trio of celebrities: Harry Connick Jr., Hélène más...
China leads global hotel pipeline with 134,832 guestrooms
WORLDWIDE China’s active hotel development pipeline is the largest in the world, exceeding the respective pipelines of the entire regions of Europe más...
Dublin Four Seasons hotel posts loss, goes on market
DUBLIN Four Seasons Hotel Dublin is on the market following a second consecutive year posting nearly £2 million in losses. A sustained drop in American más...
Magnuson Hotels enhances visibility on Expedia websites
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON Magnuson Hotels has signed a long-term agreement with Expedia Inc. to increase its visibility on Expedia’s various consumer más...
Jamaica hotel pioneers island’s use of Twitter, boosting sales and exposure
KINGSTON, JAMAICA The Sunday brunch at the 127-key Jamaica Pegasus Hotel has long been a popular event for Kingston businesspeople to meet and mingle más...
Hotel accuses guests of negative TripAdvisor post, evicts them
BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND A couple was evicted from a Blackpool hotel after management accused them of posting a negative review on TripAdvisor. Adrian Healey más...
Disney unveils details for 1,120-key animation-themed resort
ORLANDO Disney Parks & Resorts has unveiled new details about its recently announced Disney's Art of Animation Resort, which will draw its inspiration más...
Opportunities emerge for international hotel operators in Spain
SPAIN International hotel brands including Conrad, Four Seasons, Park Hyatt, Sheraton, Marriott Courtyard by Marriott or Mövenpick can be found in más...
Global hotel room rate up 2% year over year
WORLDWIDE The average price of a hotel room around the world rose 2% in the second quarter compared to the same period a year earlier, according to new más...
Las Vegas Sands may drop city from name
LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Sands Corp. is considering removing Las Vegas from its company name, changing to a moniker reflective of Sands’ international más...
Holiday Inn Express brand to make Singapore debut
SINGAPORE IHG announces the signing of the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Singapore, expected to open by 2013. The Wellington Building at Bideford más...
Full House Resorts acquires Indiana casino resort
RISING SUN, INDIANA Full House Resorts has agreed to acquire the operating assets of Grand Victoria Casino & Resort in Rising Sun, Indiana. The purchase más...
InterContinental Hotels tests tiered WiFi offering
UNITED STATES At least three properties in the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts chain are experimenting with a system of tiered WiFi. Guests at InterContinental más...
Taj Boston’s US$6m package includes theater naming rights
BOSTON Are you a patron of the arts seeking a unique legacy opportunity in Boston? By booking the 6 Million Dollar Suite package at Taj Boston for the más...
Tibet’s first internationally-branded luxury hotel to be St. Regis
LHASA, TIBET The St. Regis Lhasa Resort is scheduled to open in November as the first internationally-branded luxury hotel in Tibet. Situated on the "Roof más...
Oil spill czar invites hoteliers to send in compensation claims
GULF COAST The man responsible for compensating victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is encouraging hoteliers to submit claims—even for properties más...
UK investigates alleged hotel price-fixing
UNITED KINGDOM The UK Office of Fair Trading is investigating claims by an online travel agency that hotel companies are pressuring it to sell guestrooms más...
Wyoming’s landmark Hitching Post Inn badly damaged by fire
CHEYENNE, WYOMING A large fire has left the historic Hitching Post Inn and Conference Center in Wyoming's capital of Cheyenne badly damaged. Flames 20 más...
New CEO for MGM Hospitality, new COO for MGM Resorts
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International has named Corey Sanders its new chief operating officer and has promoted Gamal Aziz to president and CEO of its MGM más...
Luxury lifestyle hotel project announced for Midtown Manhattan
NEW YORK CITY Ark Partners announces the start of construction on a new hotel at Sixth Avenue and 57th Street in New York City. This Midtown Manhattan más...
Wyndham plans to renovate, flag former Hilton Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH The former Pittsburgh Hilton will become a Wyndham Grand hotel, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts confirms. Hilton Hotels & Resorts removed its más...
Hilton Hotels adds another reality show tie-up with ‘Amazing Race’
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Hotels & Resorts is joining forces with the reality competition series “The Amazing Race Asia,” which is airs más...
Hard Rock promotes annual ‘Pinktober’ breast cancer fundraisers
ORLANDO Hard Rock International and five-time Pinktober artist ambassador Melissa Etheridge invite guests to join with music superstars and rock out, más...
Vegas’ 1,037-key Plaza Hotel to close for year-long renovation
LAS VEGAS The 1,037-key Plaza Hotel & Casino, one of the largest hotels in Downtown Las Vegas, will be closing for a year to complete a top-to-bottom más...
Encore Hospitality, Sage in joint venture to acquire, manage hotels
DALLAS Encore Hospitality has formed a joint venture with Sage Hospitality to acquire and manage premium branded hotel assets. The joint venture combines más...
Asia Pacific arrivals up 11% in first half
ASIA PACIFIC For the first half of 2010, international visitor arrivals to Asia Pacific grew by a robust 11% compared to the same period last year. The más...
Lebanon offers tourism opportunity near-term and long-term
LEBANON The post-conflict period in Lebanon has seen the region witness a surge in tourists, boosting occupancy at hotels across the country, a report más...
Istanbul ADR growth stays strong even through recession
ISTANBUL Istanbul's designation as one of Europe's Capitals of Culture during 2010 has given an additional promotional boost to the city's remarkably más...
Best Western adds 6 UK hotels to portfolio
UNITED KINGDOM Best Western International has added six new hotels to its UK portfolio over the past two months—two in Scotland, one in London, más...
Peachtree Hotel Group adds 3 properties to portfolio
ATLANTA Peachtree Hotel Group, which operates and invests in premium select-service and extended-stay hotels, has added two first mortgage note purchases más...
Morocco Ritz-Carlton resort project wins approval
TAMUDA BAY, MOROCCO A master plan for a 129-ha resort along Tamuda Bay on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast has gained planning consent by royal approval más...
Choice, Great Wolf CEOs to star on 'Undercover Boss'
UNITED STATES Stephen Joyce, president and CEO of Choice Hotels International, will be the featured boss on the season two premier of the CBS reality más...
16 Taj Hotels reflag as Vivanta by Taj properties
MUMBAI Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces announces the conversion of 16 hotels to its new upper-upscale Vivanta by Taj Hotels & Resorts brand. The más...
Ritz-Carlton rolls out new rewards program
CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. announces the debut of The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, a guest loyalty program that “goes far beyond más...
Captain Nair establishes succession plan for Leela Hotels leadership
MUMBAI Hotel Leelaventure Chairman Krishnan “Captain” Nair has convinced his sons to offer right of first refusal to one another before selling más...
Global cross-border commercial real estate investment recovers
WORLDWIDE The near doubling of global commercial real estate transactions in the first half of 2010 compared to the same period a year ago was underpinned más...
UN seeks conservation cooperation between scientists, luxury hoteliers
UNITED NATIONS An international effort to join environmental conservation and scientific research with luxury tourism to empower nations to create wealth más...
Boutique hotels leaving e-marketing revenue on table, JLLH says
WORLDWIDE Many independent hotels may be losing significant revenue by continuing to operate with outdated or undeveloped strategies, particularly with más...
Americans unable to take needed vacation time, Westin survey finds
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Use vacation time or lose it, companies say. But with jobs at risk and economic woes lingering, more than half of American workers más...
Fairmont to open hotel in Fujairah next year
FUJAIRAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Fairmont Mina Al Fajer will debut in the latter part of 2011 along the coast of the Gulf of Oman. The project, under development más...
Boston-area Doubletree to reflag as Embassy Suites
WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS HEI Hotels & Resorts plans to spend US$14 million to renovate and reposition the 275-key Doubletree Guest Suites Boston/Waltham más...
HOTELS Interview: 5 minutes with Anantara’s new marketing vice president
BANGKOK Minor International, owner of the Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas brand, recently appointed Eve Weatherburn vice president of marketing. She más...
Caribbean hotels hurt by recession, but less than U.S. counterparts
CARIBBEAN The Caribbean lodging industry felt the full negative impact of the global recession in 2009, posting double-digit declines in revenues and más...
Plans unveiled for Haiti’s first airport hotel
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI An Argentine entrepreneur announces plans for a US$33 million hotel adjacent to Port-Au-Prince’s Toussaint L’Osuverture más...
Marriott extends free Internet for VIPs to more brands, globally
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Effective in January, Gold and Platinum Elite members of Marriott Rewards will have free Internet access at all JW Marriott Hotels más...
Copenhagen hotel bombing attempt may be terrorism, authorities say
COPENHAGEN Denmark authorities believe a small explosion Friday at a Copenhagen hotel could be terror-related, prompting officials to “slightly” más...
DiamondRock buys NYC Hilton Garden Inn Chelsea for US$68m
NEW YORK CITY DiamondRock Hospitality Co. has acquired the 169-key Hilton Garden Inn Chelsea hotel in New York City for US$68.4 million, its third hotel más...
Churchill Downs Inc. acquires Mississippi gaming resort
GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI Churchill Downs Inc. has agreed to acquire Harlow's Casino Resort & Hotel in Greenville, Mississippi, in a transaction valued más...
NH Hoteles is 1st Spain hotel group to launch iPhone app
MADRID NH Hoteles has become the first Spain-based hotel chain to develop an information and booking application for the iPhone. The complimentary app más...
Macdonald Hotels opens 120-key Windsor property
WINDSOR, ENGLAND Macdonald Hotels announces the opening of its new Windsor hotel. Macdonald Windsor Hotel offers 120 luxury guestrooms in the heart of más...
300 hotels join potential defamation lawsuit against TripAdvisor
POOLE, ENGLAND More than 300 hotels have expressed interest in pursuing legal action against TripAdvisor, accusing the user-generated review site of defamation más...
Hotel stock index falls 6.7% in August, up 14% year to date
UNITED STATES The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index ended August at 1,828, a 6.7% decrease for the month but up 14% year to date. The Index ended 2009 at 1 más...
Four Seasons Hotels offers hotel credits for check-ins on Gowalla
CALIFORNIA A new promotion from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts leverages the location-based social network Gowalla as a sort of on-the-go virtual concierge más...
Guoman Hotels debuts in China with 442-key Shanghai property
SHANGHAI London-based Guoman Hotels Group continues its expansion into Asia Pacific with the opening of the 442-key Guoman Hotel Shanghai, marking the más...
Delaware North acquires Illinois hotel-casino
ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS Delaware North Cos. is acquiring the 205-key Jumer’s Casino & Hotel for US$180 million, pending regulatory approval. Since más...
Man arrested after attempted bombing at Copenhagen hotel
COPENHAGEN Police are detaining a man who reportedly tried to blow himself up in a hotel lavatory in central Copenhagen. Police have confirmed that there más...
Accor’s Pullman Hotels brand makes Mideast debut
DUBAI Accor has launched its upscale Pullman Hotels brand in the Middle East with the opening of Pullman Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel. The 24-story más...
HEI Hotels reports guest data security breach at 11 properties
NORWALK, CONNECTICUT HEI Hotels & Resorts has confirmed that guest data may have been illegally accessed, including credit card information, during más...
Accor rolls out enhancements to iPhone app
PARIS A new version of Accor’s iPhone application for iPhone has gone live, featuring more precise search criteria and real-time rate availability más...
U.S. hotel transaction pace more than doubles in first half
UNITED STATES Hotel transactions of at least US$3 million grew by 150% in the United States in the first half, jumping to 73 sales compared to just 29 más...
Tourism spending shows consistent improvement in U.S.
UNITED STATES Most districts within the United States Federal Reserve system report consistent gains in travel and tourist activity across the country más...
Peninsula Hotels exec: Chinese upper class emergence ‘phenomenal’
ASIA PACIFIC The emergence of the Chinese upper class is already making a huge impact on the growth plans for luxury hotel companies in Asia Pacific, más...
Best Western adds web icon denoting green hotels
PHOENIX An enhancement to Best Western International’s website denotes the chain’s most environmentally-friendly hotels. Hotels that comply más...
Chartwell Hospitality raises US$200m for hotel acquisition fund
FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE Chartwell Hospitality has raised US$200 million in equity for the Chartwell Hospitality Fund I, which is targeting acquisitions of más...
W Hotels to collaborate with featured Fashion Week designers
NEW YORK CITY W Hotels Worldwide is taking on a prominent role at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, hosting a center-stage presentation of emerging designers más...
Cornell report offers hoteliers tips for opaque distribution channels
ITHACA, NEW YORK Many hotels make inventory available at reduced rates through opaque channels like Priceline.com. While this approach fills rooms, it más...
Rezidor announces Radisson Hotel Zavidovo, Russia
ZAVIDOVO, RUSSIA The Rezidor Hotel Group announces plans to open the 230-key Radisson Hotel Zavidovo in 2014. The hotel will be located in one of the más...
Premier Hotels launches online loyalty account management
KIEV Members of Premier Club, the loyalty program of Ukraine hotel company Premier International Ltd., can now access their accounts online. Additionally más...
Lehman Brothers successor forecloses on Ritz-Carlton Kapalua
LAHAINA, HAWAII The estate of bankrupt Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. has filed court papers to foreclose on The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, with the joint más...
Choice offers incentives for hoteliers to switch brands
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International is offering some noteworthy incentives to entice hoteliers with competing companies to change flags más...
Manila hostage incident spurs area hotels to slash rates up to 70%
PHILIPPINES Some hotels in the Philippines have slashed room rates by up to 70% in an effort to lure back tourists following a high-profile hostage crisis más...
Starwood sells St. Regis Aspen Resort
ASPEN, COLORADO Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. is selling The St. Regis Aspen Resort to 315 East Dean Associates Inc., which is being represented más...
John Legend performs in replica Courtyard hotel lobby at Grand Central Terminal
NEW YORK CITY In front of throngs of surprised New Yorkers passing through Grand Central Terminal, Grammy-winning artist John Legend performed inside más...
Minnesota county mandates porn-free hotels for employees
WINONA COUNTY, MINNESOTA The Winona County Board has voted to ban county employees from staying at hotels where pay-per-view pornography is available más...
Concord Hospitality signs 3 Courtyard management contracts
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA Concord Hospitality Enterprises Co. has signed contracts to manage Courtyard by Marriott Lynchburg, Virginia; Courtyard by Marriott más...
The Pierre’s hotel bartenders offer up bevy of new libations
NEW YORK CITY At The Pierre hotel's two newly reopened bars, Two E and Le Caprice, guests linger over some of the season's best new libations created más...
Hilton becomes first large hotel brand with 50,000 Facebook fans
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Hotels & Resorts is the first major hotel brand to cross the 50,000 Facebook fans milestone. As of Wednesday, Hilton’s más...
Hilton Hotels tops major Asian consumer brand survey
ASIA PACIFIC A pair of Asia-based hotel companies cracked the top five, but it is a U.S. group that captured the top spot in a major brand survey of Asian más...
Sheraton Hotels launches new signature spa concept, Shine
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK On the heels of the brand's US$6 billion brand revitalization effort, a new spa concept called Shine for Sheraton will debut in más...
Langham Hotels posts 20% RevPAR gains, to double portfolio
MONGKOK, CHINA Langham Hotels International is planning to double its global portfolio within the next five years. Meanwhile, operating results at its más...
Premier Inn reports increased trade-down, bullish for rest of 2010
LEAGRAVE, ENGLAND Whitbread PLC reports that its hotel division, the budget Premier Inn chain, has seen a significant uptick in trade-down among business más...
Pandox acquires Brussels Hilton for €29m
BRUSSELS Stockholm-based Pandox AB has acquired the 432-guestroom Brussels Hilton for €29 million, or €67,000 per key. Pandox plans a €25 más...
U.S. investigating Google’s ITA acquisition
UNITED STATES The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether Google Inc.'s acquisition of airline ticketing software firm ITA Software Inc. would más...
Expedia spends US$9m per month on Google Adwords, leaked document says
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA A leaked internal document indicates that Expedia Inc. is among the largest spenders on ads in Google search results, dropping más...
Four Seasons offers flexible ‘Meetings Made Yours’ package
TORONTO Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has seen an increase in group room nights this year of more than 26% compared to 2009. Taking advantage of that más...
Leisure travel ADR grows for 1st time since global downturn
WORLDWIDE Leisure travel ADR has shown positive growth for the first time globally since the recession hit, increasing just over 1%, according to July más...
Accor details plans for Mexico expansion
MEXICO Paris-based Accor has opened its 10th hotel in Mexico, Ibis Hermosillo, growing its portfolio in the country to more than 1,400 guestrooms. Accor más...
Alabama Radisson sells for US$20,600 per key, flag is dropped
MOBILE, ALABAMA Radisson Admiral Semmes Hotel in Mobile has been sold for US$3.5 million, or US$20,600 per key. Its franchise agreement with Radisson más...
Marriott bellmen star in new global ad for Xerox
NORWALK, CONNECTICUT Xerox Corp. has launched a new global marketing campaign that explores how Xerox helps iconic brands, including Marriott Hotels & más...
Starwood launches SPG app for BlackBerry smartphones
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has launched a Starwood Preferred Guest application for BlackBerry smartphones. SPG más...
Trump Taj Mahal in talks to lease space for strip club
ATLANTIC CITY Trump Entertainment Resorts is negotiating with a strip club operator to lease space at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort. Starlight Events más...
Arizona’s Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort heads to auction
PHOENIX Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort and an adjoining golf club in Phoenix will go on auction in November. The owner of the 584-key resort is an más...
Marriott’s TownePlace Suites launches Facebook fundraising campaign
BETHESDA, MARYLAND TownePlace Suites by Marriott is inviting its Facebook fans to virtually “make a bed,” promising to donate US$2 to the más...
Sunstone’s US$580m acquisition of Manchester Grand Hyatt falls through
SAN DIEGO The previously announced acquisition of the 1,625-key Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego has been cancelled. An attorney representing hotel más...
Union goes on strike at select Hyatt properties
NORTH AMERICA Several branches of the Unite Here hotel workers union have gone on strike at select Hyatt Hotels Corp. properties in the United States más...
Hilton terminates Pittsburgh flag, but hotel still using name
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Hilton Hotels & Resorts has terminated its franchise agreement with the owner of Hilton Pittsburgh, but the hotel says it más...
Reven Capital buys 316-key Mission Plaza Hotel, San Diego
SAN DIEGO Atlas Hospitality Group has sold the lender-owned Mission Plaza Hotel & Suites by SeaWorld in San Diego. Atlas Senior Vice Presidents Tim más...
Phuket’s Serenity Resort drops Outrigger flag
PHUKET, THAILAND Formerly known as Outrigger Serenity Terraces Resort, the property has rebranded itself as Serenity Resort & Residences, replacing más...
Air travel to Mexico up 35% in June
MEXICO The number of international tourists reaching Mexico by air grew by 35.2% increase in June compared with the same month last year, according to más...
WiFi fees are most annoying charges among UK travelers, survey says
UNITED KINGDOM No hotel charge these days generates greater angst among guests than wireless Internet, at least among UK travelers, a new study finds más...
Bedbug mentions increase 11% this year on TripAdvisor
UNITED STATES Bedbugs are showing up with increasing frequency in hotels of all stripes, and guests are noticing. In user-generated reviews posted on más...
LaSalle REIT spends US$292.5m to acquire 3 hotels
BETHESDA, MARYLAND In four separate transactions, LaSalle Hotel Properties has acquired Hotel Monaco San Francisco, The Westin Philadelphia and Embassy más...
Condo owners sue Westin Auckland, 110 guestrooms decommissioned
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND About two-thirds of the guestrooms at The Westin Auckland Lighter Quay have been taken out of service after condo owners sued the más...
Hotel union disrupting business in San Francisco, Chicago
SAN FRANCISCO A union representing thousands of hotel workers in San Francisco is attempting to dissuade businesses from holding events at several hotels más...
Hersha REIT pays US$73m for D.C. Hampton Inn
WASHINGTON, D.C. Hersha Hospitality Trust has purchased the 228-key Hampton Inn, Washington, D.C., for approximately US$73 million, or US$320,000 per más...
4-star Regal Hotel to open in Suzhou
SUZHOU, CHINA Regal Hotels International has signed an agreement with Suzhou Sicheng Real Estate Co. to open a 4-star business hotel in Suzhou, to be más...
Sale values Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at US$332m
CAIRO A subsidiary of Egypt's Talaat Moustafa Group Holding has acquired the remaining 43.7% stake in Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza from Prince más...
New Trump Entertainment ownership buys out 6 senior executives
ATLANTIC CITY The new ownership group in charge of Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. is removing six senior executives as part of the company’s transition más...
Hyatt Hotels launches first branded credit card
CHICAGO Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Chase Card Services announce the launch of Hyatt Card, a “simple and rewarding” Visa credit card. After the más...
Starwood Capital names Steven Goldman CEO of Group du Lovre
PARIS Starwood Capital Group has named Steven R. Goldman the new CEO of Groupe du Louvre, which controls the bulk of Starwood Capital’s hotel portfolio más...
International visitor spending in U.S. spikes in first half of 2010
UNITED STATES Spending by international visitors to the United States rose about 20% in the first half of the this year, according to purchase data from más...
Taj Cape Town opens with contemporary luxury in historical setting
CAPE TOWN A year ago, perhaps few people might have imagined that two historic buildings in the Cape Town city center would host international investors más...
Aloft brand debuts in Europe with Brussels hotel opening
BRUSSELS Aloft Brussels Schuman has opened in the Belgium capital, marketing the debut of the select-service Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide brand más...
Judge blocks auction of InterContinental Chicago O'Hare Hotel
ROSEMONT, ILLINOIS A bankruptcy judge has blocked the planned auction of the 556-key InterContinental Chicago O’Hare Hotel, agreeing with lenders más...
Choice Hotels Scandinavia relaunches loyalty program
OSLO Choice Hotels Scandinavia AS has given its frequent guest program a facelift, relaunching it under the name Nordic Choice Club. The revamped program más...
Montcalm Hotels to open luxury property in London
LONDON Montcalm Hotels is planning its second hotel in the UK capital, a 235-key luxury property on Chiswell Street in the unfinished building formerly más...
Landmark Hotels takes over management of Maui’s Makena resort
MAUI The Landmark Hotels Group has been appointed as the new operator and management company for Makena Beach & Golf Resort. Landmark has a long history más...
Tokyo’s Washington Hotel features guestroom with model train set
TOKYO The Washington Hotel in Tokyo's Akihabara district, which is famous for electronics shops, has installed an intricate model train set in a 13th-floor más...
agosto 2010
8 more Sheraton hotels to open in China this year
CHINA Sheraton Hotels & Resorts plans to open eight more hotels in China before the end of 2010, and another 18 by 2015. The Starwood Hotels & más...
Riu to double Morocco portfolio to 6 hotels
MOROCCO Riu Hotels & Resorts will grow its Morocco portfolio with two hotels in the seaside town of Agadir and one hotel in the city of Marrakech más...
Group hotel business turns corner in Miami Beach
MIAMI BEACH The hotel market in Miami Beach is turning a corner, according to a market analysis from Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels' strategic advisory experts más...
Sage Hospitality latest to offer opt-in housekeeping services
DENVER Touting it as an environmentally friendly option, Denver-based Sage Hospitality has begun offering an opt-in housekeeping program at 18 hotels más...
New 456-key Courtyard by Marriott Shanghai Puxi is brand’s third-largest
SHANGHAI Nestled in the cultural and entertainment center of Shanghai, Courtyard by Marriott Shanghai Puxi is ideal for both business and leisure guests más...
Sheraton shows early interest in Mississippi convention center hotel
BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI Representatives for a new convention center in Biloxi are lobbying local officials to enact tax incentives to lure a major hotel to más...
London’s unfinished Berners Hotel to go on market
LONDON The partially completed 193-key Berners Hotel in London’s West End is being shopped by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, which has been appointed más...
Homewood Suites is 1st hotelier with float in Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
NEW YORK CITY A colorful family of the “quacking” variety gets set for a Thanksgiving trip they’ll never forget, as Homewood Suites’ más...
Harrah’s, Victor Drai reportedly in talks for Strip hotel-casino
LAS VEGAS Nightclub impresario Victor Drai is reportedly in talks with Harrah’s Entertainment about launching an eponymous hotel-casino on the Las más...
Hotel sommelier identifies top 10 beverage trends of year
WORLDWIDE Hotel management company Benchmark Hospitality International has released its Top Ten Beverage Trends for 2010. “This is an exciting time más...
Arabella parent dissolves joint venture with Starwood Hotels
MUNICH The parent company of Arabella Hospitality Group has dissolved the joint-venture deal with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, ending the más...
Hotels’ pricing power returns in Middle East, Africa
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA Hoteliers across the Middle East and Africa region are seeing pricing power return, as ADR and RevPAR both grow 11.8% in July despite más...
Hotel pipeline in EMEA hits cyclical low
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA The topping-off period for new hotel openings in Europe, the Middle East and Africa has mostly been completed, as Lodging más...
Energy company buys 14% stake in Oberoi Hotels operator
MUMBAI India energy conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd. has acquired a 14.1% stake in EIH Ltd., the company that operate Oberoi Hotels & Resorts más...
Area Property Partners assumes ownership of Hawaii’s Makena Resort
MAUI Area Property Partners has assumed ownership of Hawaii’s Makena Beach and Golf Resort from the lender, completing the foreclosure process. más...
Summit Capital allocates US$100m for hotel-asset lending
CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA Summit Capital will be placing a US$100 million lending allocation for hotel projects that meet specific criteria of its premier más...
Social media spending higher for customer loyalty initiatives, survey finds
UNITED STATES U.S. companies that use social media primarily to deepen customer loyalty spend almost twice as much on this emerging channel as competitors más...
Maldives Conrad resort converts restaurant into undersea honeymoon suite
RANGALI ISLANDS, MALDIVES The Ithaa restaurant at Conrad Maldives Resort & Spa normally features a “reverse-aquarium” room that seats más...
HOTELS Clarification
Last week, HOTELS posted an article about The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd. acquiring a credit facility valued at US$158 million. That article was más...
Four Points by Sheraton opens 4 properties, tops 150 hotels milestone
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK With the opening of four new hotels across the globe, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's Four Points by Sheraton brand has más...
Europe hotels post mixed results in July, but overall trends positive
EUROPE The hotel industry across Europe posted mixed results in year-over-year metrics for July, with several city markets reporting double-digit RevPAR más...
5 years after Katrina, New Orleans tourism steadily rebounding
NEW ORLEANS Travel to New Orleans plummeted about 70% in the year following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, but since 2006 the city continues to más...
Istanbul hotels scramble to find oversized beds for basketball tournament
ISTANBUL Nearly 300 world-class basketball players are descending on Turkey’s largest city for the FIBA World Championships, and it seems that some más...
Manhattan’s Algonquin Hotel to join Marriott’s Autograph Collection
NEW YORK CITY The Algonquin Hotel near Times Square will be joining Marriott International’s Autograph Collection sales and marketing brand. The más...
Poland hotel group Orbis to resume growth strategy
WARSAW Orbis SA, Poland’s largest hotel company, forecasts revenue growth forecast for the second half of this year amid some of the first signs más...
Upscale hotel at center of college football rules controversy
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA An upscale hotel in South Carolina’s capital finds itself at the center of a controversy in which college football players más...
Marriott enters Vegas Strip with Cosmopolitan’s Autograph signing
LAS VEGAS One of the most expensive hotels ever built is joining Marriott International’s Autograph Collection. The US$3.9 billion Cosmopolitan más...
RevPAR across Asia Pacific soars 23% in July
ASIA PACIFIC Hotels in Asia Pacific experienced increases in three key performance metrics for July compared to a year ago, including a RevPAR spike of más...
Accor ups guidance as CEO Pelisson says trends ‘rather good’
PARIS Accor reports a doubling of core profit in the first half, upping its full-year earnings forecast beyond analyst expectations. The world's fourth más...
Labor Day travel expected to climb 10%
UNITED STATES More Americans will take to the roads this Labor Day weekend, the American Automobile Association predicts, but daytrips are expected to más...
Third of Switzerland hotels may close in near future, hotel association head says
SWITZERLAND More than a thousand hotels in Switzerland are doomed to fail within 10 years, the head of the Swiss Hotel Association believes. Hotelleriesuisse más...
Omni Hotels owner quits Gaylord board as companies go head-to-head
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE The primary owner of Omni Hotels & Resorts’ parent company has resigned from the board of directors of Gaylord Entertainment más...
Raffles to launch in Seychelles early next year
PRASLIN ISLAND, SEYCHELLES Raffles Hotels & Resorts sails into the Indian Ocean with its first ultra-luxury resort in the Seychelles, on course for más...
Choice Hotels launches music initiative to support nonprofit causes, artists
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International Inc. is launching Choice Hotels Music, designed to give artists the opportunity to deliver their music más...
Oklahoma Crowne Plaza sells at auction for US$11m
TULSA, OKLAHOMA Crowne Plaza Tulsa has been acquired in a foreclosure auction for US$11 million by Sorin Real Estate. The 462-key property had been controlled más...
Omni Hotels buys Amelia Island Plantation, will reflag and expand
FERNANDINA BEACH, FLORIDA The parent company of Omni Hotels & Resorts has won a bidding war in bankruptcy court to purchase Florida’s Amelia más...
RevPAR, ADR, occupancy each grow in Americas in July
AMERICAS The Americas region has recorded positive results in the three key performance metrics for July when reported in U.S. dollars. Occupancy in the más...
Dubai World mulls major divestment, including MGM Resorts stake
DUBAI Debt-burdened Dubai World is in “urgent” need of a cash infusion of US$19.4 billion to pay creditors, and the company is preparing to más...
Omni Hotels unveils plans for convention center hotel in Nashville
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE Omni Hotels & Resorts has unveiled detailed plans for an 800-key convention center hotel in Nashville, which has received preliminary más...
Carlson sues IBM for US$76m, alleges breach of contract
MINNEAPOLIS Carlson Inc., parent company of Carlson Hotels Worldwide, is suing IBM Corp. for US$75.8 million related to a master services agreement between más...
Westin’s Heavenly Spa brand plans 28 more openings by 2011
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Westin Hotels & Resorts continues the global expansion of its signature spa brand, Heavenly Spa by Westin, with the debut of más...
Paolo De Pol, former Georges V hotelier, dies at 70
IPSWICH, ENGLAND Renowned hotelier Paolo De Pol, former manager of the Georges V hotel in Paris, has died. He was 70. De Pol managed the legendary Georges más...
Hyatt removes Penny Pritzker’s ‘independent’ director designation
CHICAGO Penny Pritzker is no longer considered an independent director of Hyatt Hotels Corp., the publicly traded company that her family controls. Pritzker más...
Chatham Lodging REIT acquires Pennsylvania SpringHill, Courtyard hotels
PENNSYLVANIA Chatham Lodging Trust, a hotel REIT focused on upscale extended-stay hotels and premium-branded select-service hotels, has completed the más...
Accor sells 48 Europe hotels for €367m
EUROPE Accor has agreed to sell 48 hotels in Europe for €367 million, continuing its strategy of trimming debt to foment future growth over the next más...
U.S. hotel profit growth returns, but economic headwinds cloud future
UNITED STATES Based on the strong surge in lodging demand that occurred during the first half of 2010, Colliers PKF Hospitality Research forecasts that más...
JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton hotels announced for Quy Nhon, Vietnam
QUY NHON, VIETNAM Marriott International in 2014 will open properties under two of its luxury hotel brands in Quy Nhon, Vietnam, under a management agreement más...
Spa Chakra brand ceases, 15 upscale hotels left in lurch
WORLDWIDE The Spa Chakra brand that operated spas at several upscale and luxury hotels worldwide abruptly ceased operations last week, offering hotel más...
Dennis Gomes buys Atlantic City’s 942-key Resorts Casino Hotel
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY One of the gaming industry’s most famous leaders, Dennis Gomes, is back in Atlantic City with the purchase of Resorts más...
Meetings industry stabilizing as event spaces harder to find
WORLDWIDE A mild recovery is evident in the meetings and events segment, as travel buyers say they are having a harder time finding available venues compared más...
5-star Corinthia London to open early next year
LONDON The ninth Corinthia Hotels property from Malta-based CHI Hotels & Resorts will open early next year in London. The 5-star Corinthia Hotel London más...
ITC to open 60 new hotels in India by 2014
INDIA ITC Ltd. expects to have up to 60 new hotel properties operational within four years across India. The company, which has about 40 hotels under más...
Worldhotels adds 5 Hotéis Othon properties
BRAZIL Sales and marketing consortia Worldhotels has signed an agreement with Hotéis Othon of Brazil for five new affiliate hotels in Rio de Janeiro más...
4 hurt by pipe bomb at Spain resort hotel
MARBELLA, SPAIN At least four tourists were injured when a pipe bomb exploded Monday at a 3-star hotel in the Spain resort region of Costa del Sol. The más...
‘Budget boutique’ Peppermint Hotels brand opens first property, in Gurgaon
GURGAON, INDIA Peppermint Hotels, a New Delhi-based group that offers creatively designed hotels at value price-points, has opened its first hotel, in más...
Gunmen take hostages at InterContinental Rio, passerby killed
RIO DE JANEIRO Gunmen took 30 people hostage on Saturday at the InterContinental Rio hotel—including five guests. The gunmen engaged in a firefight más...
Florida visitation jumps in Q2, despite oil spill
FLORIDA Overseas inbound tourism to Florida spiked 11.9% in the second quarter, despite widespread uncertainty about the cleanliness of some of the state’s más...
New Jersey mulls rebranding Atlantic City as family destination
ATLANTIC CITY America’s number two gaming destination should be rebranded as a family-friendly vacation resort, according to a poll of New Jersey más...
Hawaii occupancy up, but hotel rates lower
HAWAII While occupancy for Hawaii’s hotels improved 9.6% in June year-over-year, the demand was spurred on by room rates that were actually 1.5% más...
Starwood signs deal with JHM Interstate for Four Points in India
INDIA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has signed a development deal with an affiliate of Duet India Hotels Ltd. and JHM Interstate Hotels más...
Men-only Australia resort promises sexy female employees, ‘manly sports’
LAKE MACQUARIE, AUSTRALIA A resort under development in Australia will cater exclusively to men, but with a decidedly heterosexual attitude. The Lynx más...
Starwood’s Luxury Collection teams with specialty tour operator
NEW YORK CITY The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts is launching a series of expertly curated itineraries aimed at giving guests the most authentic más...
Maryland resort city launches Hotel Week of discounts
OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND Restaurant weeks have become a staple in many cities over the past decade, with restaurateurs banding together to offer substantially más...
Starwood Preferred Guest teams with Southwest Airlines
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has added leading U.S. budget carrier Southwest Airlines to the list of partner airlines más...
China architecture veteran reflects on country's hotel evolution
CHINA The architecture firm is marking its 30th year in China, which is being celebrated with an exhibit at the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition más...
Major Ireland hotel lender ceases operations, local hoteliers panic
IRELAND A major Ireland bank that provides cash-flow lending to about 20% of the country’s hotels has closed, leaving as many as 150 hotels at risk más...
Host Hotels to sell US$400m in stock for future acquisitions
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. plans to sell up to US$400 million of stock to raise funds for future acquisitions, the REIT says in más...
China leads global hotel pipeline with 139,193 guestrooms
WORLDWIDE China’s active hotel development pipeline is the largest in the world, exceeding the respective pipelines of the entire regions of Europe más...
Wynn Las Vegas courts los vegans
LAS VEGAS Steve Wynn has issued an edict to the many chefs at his Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas, directing them to begin offering vegan options más...
Royal Group plans ‘next Asian Riviera’ in Cambodia
KOH RONG, CAMBODIA A massive development on Cambodia’s Koh Rong island carries a pair of attention-grabbing labels: Asia’s first environmentally más...
Chicago Hilton workers join Hyatt, Starwood counterparts in authorizing strike
CHICAGO Union members employed by Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Chicago have voted to authorize a strike, according to Unite Here Local 1 and Local 450 más...
Resort on Marlon Brando’s island sets 2012 opening target
TETIAROA, FRENCH POLYNESIA Located on the French Polynesia island of Tetiaroa and a product of late actor Marlon Brando’s vision, construction on más...
Las Ventanas guest booklet explains symbolism behind staff uniforms
LOS CABOS, MEXICO At Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort, even something as basic as the resort’s uniforms plays a role in enhancing más...
Royal Orchid Hotels to double room capacity by next year
BANGALORE, INDIA Royal Orchid Hotels is looking to raise up to Rs1.5 billion (US$32 million) to fund new projects, with the aim of doubling the company’s más...
Brazil hotels saw ADR growth of 10.4% in second half of 2009
BRAZIL Brazil’s quick rebound in economic fundamentals in the second half of 2009 resulted in ADR growth of 10.4% for the year, one of the highest más...
Starwood Hotels eager to resume asset-light strategy
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK The market for large-scale hotel transactions remains cool due to credit markets that remain tight, but a Starwood Hotels & más...
Disneyland hotel hostess, barred from wearing headscarf, sues
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA A restaurant hostess at Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel has filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity más...
Istanbul hotels outperformed Europe during downturn
TURKEY Instanbul hotels proved more resilient to the global financial crisis than its counterparts elsewhere in Europe, a new report from Deloitte finds más...
Las Vegas Sands to pay down more than US$1b debt
LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Sands Corp. will pay down more than US$1 billion in outstanding debt in conjunction with a previously announced proposed amendment más...
Shangri-La Hotels CEO to scout locations in Sri Lanka
SRI LANKA The chairman and CEO of Shangri-La Asia is slated to visit Sri Lanka this week to scout several possible locations across the island nation más...
Hilton Worldwide becomes official hotel partner of Little League Baseball
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide announces a three-year commitment to be the official hotel partner of Little League Baseball and Softball. Little League más...
Newcastle’s Eagle Star House to be renovated into Hotel Indigo
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND The former Eagle Star House in Newcastle’s city center will be converted into a Hotel Indigo following a £20 más...
Icahn’s Tropicana Entertainment sues Vegas Strip hotel over name
LAS VEGAS Carl Icahn's Tropicana Entertainment Inc. has filed a lawsuit against the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort on the Strip, claiming the 52-year-old más...
Highland Hospitality may be close to filing bankruptcy
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Highland Hospitality Corp. is weighing a potential bankruptcy filing, spurring several creditors to maneuver for control of the 27-property más...
JW Marriott Marquis Miami to feature basketball arena, lifestyle complex
MIAMI An NBA-approved basketball arena is just one of the components of the 50,000-sq.-ft. sports, lifestyle and entertainment complex available that más...
Nazarian discusses plans for SLS Hotels, Redbury expansion
LOS ANGELES Sam Nazarian, the entrepreneur behind SBE and its SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, says he has plans in the works to open SLS outposts across North más...
Paulson becomes MGM Resorts’ second-largest owner
LAS VEGAS Billionaire John Paulson has upped his stake in MGM Resorts International, becoming the gaming company’s number two shareholder, behind más...
Rotana hotel tower to be Jordan's tallest building
AMMAN A 425-key Rotana hotel development in Amman will become Jordan’s tallest building once it is completed in 2013. Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Tourism más...
Hotel spa bookings, revenue on upswing in Middle East
DUBAI Revenues for hotel spas in Dubai are rapidly increasing and have risen by 45.5% in the first quarter, a new report by Ernst & Young says. Confirming más...
Choice Hotels to raise US$250m in notes offering
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International Inc. expects to raise US$250 million from the sale of senior unsecured notes, to become due más...
Sunstone buys Miami’s Royal Palm Hotel for US$126m
MIAMI BEACH Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. has acquired Royal Palm Hotel in Miami Beach for US$126.1 million at foreclosure auction. Prior to the auction más...
Genting wins only New York City gaming license, to build 3 hotels
NEW YORK CITY Kuala Lumpur-based Genting Malaysia Bhd is planning to invest US$1.3 billion on a gaming facility at New York City’s Aqueduct racetrack más...
Ownership stake in Vegas M Resort being shopped
LAS VEGAS The bank controlling US$700 million of M Resort’s debt put its stake up for a private auction sale last month. Lloyds Banking Group began más...
Anticipating industry recovery, Best Western begins hiring salespeople
PHOENIX A hotel industry recovery is under way in the United States, Best Western International CEO David Kong believes, and his company has begun hiring más...
Raffles Hotels debuts in Saudi Arabia with Mecca opening
MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA The 213-key Raffles Makkah Palace is now open in Mecca’s new Abraj Al Bait complex, a seven-tower community directly adjoining más...
Vegas Cosmopolitan resort to spend US$890m on pre-opening
LAS VEGAS Deutsche Bank’s 3,000-key Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas casino resort expects to spend at least US$890 million on pre-opening expenses in más...
‘Normalized’ hotel rates to return in 2011, Disney execs say
ORLANDO The Walt Disney Co. will continue offering steep discounts on lodging well into 2011, but the company is reigning in the frequency of promotions más...
Radisson Blu Resort Split opens along Croatia’s Adriatic coast
SPLIT, CROATIA The Rezidor Hotel Group has opened Radisson Blu Resort Split following an extensive renovation to the 50 year-old former Hotel Split. The más...
Hilton to close California call center, 325 affected
HEMET, CALIFORNIA Hilton Worldwide on October 6 will close a reservations call center that employs 325 people at a facility in Hemet, California. Some más...
Hilton Hotels adds ‘Resorts’ to name, amends logo
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide announces a new identity for its flagship brand, adding “& Resorts” to the name and updating its logo más...
Jin Jiang Hotels acquires travel agencies, transportation companies
SHANGHAI Asia’s largest lodging company, Jin Jiang International Hotels, is spending 2.69 billion yuan (US$395 million) to acquire a variety of más...
UK Crowne Plaza hotels install real grass floors in meeting rooms
UNITED KINGDOM In a bid to inject some creativity into sometimes mundane business meetings, IHG’s Crowne Plaza brand is laying fresh green grass más...
HOTELS interview: Alvaro Diago, IHG’s Latin America COO
With the World Cup coming to Brazil in 2014 and the Olympics following shortly after, combined with numerous emerging economies beginning to flex their más...
Cosmopolitan Vegas opening to damage Strip competitors, research concludes
LAS VEGAS The long-awaited December opening of the US$3.9 billion Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is expected to have a substantial negative impact on other más...
Starwood Hotels launches websites in Portuguese
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has launched versions of each of its branded websites in Portuguese, including the más...
Sonesta Hotels swings to profit on improved demand
BOSTON Sonesta International Hotels Corp. reports second-quarter net income of US$657,000, or 18 cents per share, compared to a net loss of US$109,000 más...
5 qualities that employees want in a general manager
Author, executive and motivational speaker Peter Burwash spends about two-thirds of the year staying in hotels and traveling around the world. Over 35 más...
Terror-hit Taj Mahal Palace to fully reopen Sunday
MUMBAI The historic heritage wing of Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palace's 1903 flagship property will reopen Sunday—India's Independence Day—following más...
Sol Meliá debuts in U.S. with reflagging of Atlanta Renaissance
ATLANTA Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts will manage the 502-key Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown upon reflagging it on September 30. The deal más...
New York City projects 4.5% tourism growth this year
NEW YORK CITY America’s largest city expects to host some 47.5 million visitors this year, which would be a record figure and would top last year’s más...
Radisson Blu, Sheraton in running for Mall of America hotel flag
BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA A 501-key hotel to be developed at Mall of America will not be branded as a Renaissance as planners originally announced, with más...
Harrah's registers to trade public shares
LAS VEGAS Harrah's Entertainment Inc. has filed paperwork with federal regulators to publicly trade shares owned by a hedge fund controlled by billionaire más...
U.S. orders Westgate Resorts to pay US$868,000 in back wages
ORLANDO Central Florida Investments, the timeshare operator that does business as Westgate Resorts, owes more than US$868,000 in back wages, the federal más...
Spain hoteliers seek end to fad of diving from balconies
BALEARIC ISLANDS Hoteliers in Spain’s Balearic Islands resort region are cracking down on an alarming trend in which hotel guests are diving into más...
Four Seasons caters to new breed of themed weddings
WORLDWIDE Brides are getting increasingly creative with their requests for themed weddings, according to Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. Four Seasons más...
2 Illinois hotels refuse to rent to locals, corporate officials outraged
GALESBURG, ILLINOIS A pair of budget hotels are under scrutiny from corporate officials and state authorities after refusing to rent rooms to local residents más...
Ritz-Carlton names Herve Humler president & COO
CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has named Herve Humler president and chief operations officer. Humler replaces Simon F. Cooper, who has más...
BP denies oil spill compensation claims of Florida hotels
FLORIDA BP has denied compensation to at least a dozen Florida hotels for lost income, a state trade organization official says, raising the ire of local más...
Outrigger reflags Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber as Holiday Inn
HONOLULU The Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber hotel has been rebranded as Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber Resort, IHG and Outrigger Enterprises Group announce más...
Trump Entertainment seeks hotel partner for Atlantic City rehab
ATLANTIC CITY Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. may reach out to another hotel company to partner on a renovation of its Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino más...
Lance Armstrong deems France hotels ‘horrible’
HOUSTON Lance Armstrong, he of the seven Tour de France cycling championships, nevertheless has an infamously hostile relationship with virtually all más...
Dusit acquires its managed resort in Phuket
PHUKET Dusit Thani Public Co. Ltd. has acquired a resort it operates in Phuket, the 226-key Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket. Dusit purchased the 23-year-old más...
Westin Hotels returns to Mexico City
MEXICO CITY Westin Hotels marks its return to Mexico City with the opening of The Westin Santa Fe. Managed under an agreement between Starwood and Heldan más...
W Hotels holds V-J Day kiss reenactment contest
NEW YORK CITY The five W Hotels of New York City are marking the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II on Saturday with a contest to reenact the más...
William Shatner devotes TV episode to new green hotel brand
DENVER Adoba Eco Hotel & Suites, a LEED-designed independent hotel brand concept from Atmosphere Hospitality Management Services LLC, will be featured más...
CHI Hotels adds 2nd management deal in Sharm El Sheikh
SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT CHI Hotels & Resorts will be operating its second hotel in the popular Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt: Ramada Plaza-Naama más...
More business travelers blend work with personal lives, Hilton survey finds
NORTH AMERICA The division between business travelers’ professional and personal lives has eroded over the past decade, a new survey commissioned más...
Summit Hotel Properties files for US$325m IPO
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA Summit Hotel Properties Inc. has filed with U.S. securities regulators to raise up to US$325.5 million via common stock IPO más...
Florida’s Colony Resort suspends operations
LONGBOAT KEY, FLORIDA The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort along Florida’s Gulf Coast is suspending operations effective Sunday, including the Restaurant más...
Joint venture acquires Georgia’s 5-star Sea Island Resorts
SEA ISLAND, GEORGIA Sea Island Co., a private resort and real estate development company, is selling all of its assets to a partnership between Oaktree más...
St. Regis to open in November as Puerto Rico’s 1st new luxury hotel since 1997
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. announces a November opening for The St. Regis Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico, touted as más...
Former Sandals Dunn’s River Resort to reopen under Aimbridge management
OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA Sandals Dunn’s River Resort will reopen next month following an extensive renovation and with a new name and management company más...
Hilton Worldwide portfolio added to Expedia’s Green Hotel Program
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON Online travel agency Expedia.com has added a first wave of 300-plus properties using LightStay within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio más...
SBE debuts upscale ‘bohemian-style’ extended-stay hotel concept
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA SBE has unveiled The Redbury, a contemporary suite experience that combines a bohemian counter-culture vibe with the trappings of más...
IHG posts Q2 profit on 7.4% RevPAR jump
WINDSOR, ENGLAND InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has posted a second-quarter net profit of US$87 million from a loss of US$56 million a year earlier más...
Travelers think Gulf Coast oil spill more widespread than it is
GULF COAST Though there seems to be progress in stopping the leak in the Gulf of Mexico, the misperceptions about oil on beaches may take far longer for más...
2011 meetings demand to return pricing power: Amex
NORTH AMERICA Gradual rate upticks over the first half of the year combined with further increases in demand indicate that hotel price declines will likely más...
Hilton signs 2 hotel management deals in Riyadh
RIYADH Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Saudi Arabia's King Saud University Endowment for the 241-key Hilton Riyadh King Saud University más...
D.C. Edition Hotel slated for church, 2014 debut
WASHINGTON, D.C. The District of Columbia is proposing a 15-year tax abatement as an incentive for Marriott International to move forward with a planned más...
22-year-old executive chef offers career advice
MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE RGH Hospitality has appointed 22-year-old Jason Jette as the new executive chef of Hilton Garden Inn Manchester Downtown. “Jason’s más...
Poker stars slam Cosmopolitan Vegas for false condo advertising
LAS VEGAS Three of the world’s most famous poker players are publicly criticizing The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas resort and its owner, Deutsche Bank más...
Chesapeake REIT acquires 2 Marriott-affiliated hotels
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND Chesapeake Lodging Trust has acquired a pair of Marriott International-branded hotels: the 153-room Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim más...
Radisson, Country Inn brands launch new breakfast offerings
MINNEAPOLIS Carlson Hotels Worldwide is launching a set of hospitality offerings around the concept of “travel empathy,” including new services más...
Alrov closes on Le Lutetia acquisition from Starwood Capital
PARIS Alrov Properties & Lodgings Ltd. has finalized a deal to buy Le Lutetia, Paris, from Starwood Capital Group. Israel-based Alrov will spend €80 más...
Ad campaign boosts Best Western UK sales by 30%
YORK, ENGLAND Following its “Hotels with Personality” relaunch campaign this spring, Best Western Great Britain has seen a sales increase más...
Waldorf Astoria iPhone app enables advance check-in
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA A new iPhone application launched by Hilton Worldwide’s luxury Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand allows elite Hilton HHonors más...
India’s Pride Hotels aims to add 10 properties by 2015
MUMBAI The Pride Hotels plans to invest 10 billion rupees (US$22 million) in the next five years to open 10 new properties across India and expand existing más...
Orbitz unveils new hotel comparison tools
CHICAGO Online travel agency Orbitz Worldwide Inc. is rolling out a new hotel search experience on its Orbitz.com. The enhancements give consumers additional más...
Portfolio Hotels to manage Hilton Greenville, S.C.
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA Portfolio Hotels & Resorts has added Hilton Greenville to its management portfolio, bringing the company’s total más...
Corporate RFPs up almost double over 2009, vendor says
WORLDWIDE Corporate requests for proposals were up 82% for the first five months of 2009 in the global online marketplace of StarCite Inc., the company más...
Disney weighs Haunted Mansion-themed hotel guestrooms
ORLANDO Guests at the Walt Disney World Resort may soon have the option of sleeping with ghosts. Disney recently surveyed some frequent guests about their más...
Hotel Okura becomes majority owner of JAL Hotels
TOKYO Hotel Okura Co. Ltd. has acquired 79.6% of the issued shares of JAL Hotels Co. Ltd. from Japan Airlines International Co. Ltd. Hotel Okura hopes más...
Hilton’s Doubletree brand debuts in Southeast Asia
KUALA LUMPUR The first Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Southeast Asia is now open in Kuala Lumpur. The 540-guestroom, 34-story Doubletree by Hilton, Kuala más...
Thailand hoteliers lament overdevelopment, rate drops
THAILAND Dropping rates to fight Bangkok’s low hotel occupancies and airline load factors is a failed strategy, but Thailand seems doomed to repeat más...
Morgans Hotel Group ‘re-concepting’ F&B to improve profitability
NEW YORK CITY Morgans Hotel Group is in the process of “re-concepting” several food and beverage venues to improve profitability. Morgans más...
Westin becomes exclusive hotel sponsor of US Open tennis
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK As part of a new partnership with the US Open, Starwood Preferred Guest is giving members a chance to win Tickets to the semifinals más...
Steigenberger to open Grandhotels in Leipzig, Usedom
FRANKFURT The Steigenberger Hotel Group announces plans to open Steigenberger Grandhotels in Leipzig, Germany, and on the Baltic island of Usedom in the más...
4 Orient-Express Hotels join Leading Hotels of the World
PERU Orient-Express Hotels’ four Peru properties have joined The Leading Hotels of the World Ltd. Orient-Express Peru accepted the invitation más...
Anantara to open hotel in Sri Lanka
SRI LANKA Minor International is acquiring 80% of a small hotel company in Sri Lanka with the aim of expanding into the suddenly hot tourism market in más...
Bellagio hotel sues mattress maker over trademark
LAS VEGAS Bellagio is suing an Italian mattress maker for trademark infringement, protesting a mattress being sold under the brand name Bellagio. The más...
NYC, LA in near-term plans for Regent Hotels expansion
TAIPEI The new owner of the Regent Hotels & Resorts brand has America’s two biggest cities atop its list for expansion. In an interview with más...
Global hotel market stabilizing, Hogg Robinson study finds
WORLDWIDE The global hotel industry has shown signs of recovery in the first half of 2010, according to the biannual hotel survey conducted by corporate más...
Hyatt’s Q2 earnings double analyst expectations
CHICAGO Hyatt Hotels Corp. turned a profit in the second quarter, a marked improvement over its performance a year ago, driven by increased demand among más...
Grupo Posadas results encouraging for Latin America
MEXICO CITY Grupo Posadas, Mexico’s largest hotel company, posted impressive gains in RevPAR across its Latin America portfolio in the second quarter más...
Atlanta Renaissance hotel to lose flag
ATLANTA The 502-key Renaissance Atlanta Downtown Hotel has begun reassigning workers in advance of its conversion to another brand later this year. Marriott más...
M&C profits rise, responds to ‘record land deal’ report
LONDON Millennium & Copthorne Hotels PLC says it will proceed with caution in potentially selling a plot of land in Kuala Lumpur, following a published más...
LA hoteliers push for lodging tax to promote tourism
LOS ANGELES Some hoteliers in America’s second-largest city are pushing local officials to enact a 1.5% lodging tax, with revenues to be used to más...
MGM Resorts wins cybersquatting lawsuit
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International has won a trademark infringement lawsuit involving its 2,024-key New York-New York gaming resort on the Las Vegas más...
Shuaa sells stake to Rotana Hotels chairman Al Nowais
DUBAI Shuaa Partners has sold its stake in Rotana Hotel Management Corp. to Rotana Chairman Nasser Al Nowais. Terms of the sale have not been disclosed más...
Europe hotel transactions to pick up in 2nd half, JLLH says
EUROPE The first half of 2010 has demonstrated that the hotel investment market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa is starting to pick up, with growth más...
Sunstone in talks to acquire 1,625-key San Diego Grand Hyatt
SAN DIEGO Sunstone Hotel Investors is in the process of finalizing the purchase of the 1,625-key Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, according to a letter más...
Sheraton unveils virtual concierge system customized by Bing
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has unveiled a new online experience for guests designed by Microsoft search engine Bing, featuring más...
MGM Resorts to expand presence in Macau
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International plans to build multiple properties in Macau, CEO Jim Murren says. Following on the release of second quarter results más...
Pestana announces its expansion into Morocco
CASABLANCA Pestana Hotels & Resorts will manage a new luxury condo-hotel in Casablanca, marking the debut of Portugal’s largest hotel company más...
45-story Delta hotel announced for downtown Toronto
TORONTO Standing at 45 stories and connected to the two office towers of Southcore Financial Center, the new 566-key Delta Toronto will be a showpiece más...
Langham Hotels to launch 2nd Shanghai property
SHANGHAI Langham Hotels International announces plans to open The Langham, Xintiandi, Shanghai, in October, marking the debut of its second property in más...
309-key Bangkok hotel reports 100% occupancy for 35 straight days
BANGKOK Amari Boulevard Bangkok, a 309-guestroom upscale hotel in downtown Bangkok, posted 35 consecutive days—including the entire month of July—without más...
Scandic Hotels names new president & CEO
STOCKHOLM Scandic Hotels has named Anders Ehrling, former CEO of SAS Sweden, as its new president and CEO, effective September 1. Ehrling will take over más...
Premier Inn signs JV to further Mideast expansion
DOHA, QATAR UK-based budget hotel operator Premier Inn has signed a joint-venture agreement with Dohaland Hospitality to introduce Premier Inn’s más...
Europe hotel market recovery under threat, Otus warns
EUROPE London-based hotel advisory firm Otus & Co. warns that occupancy rates across Europe could plummet in 2011 and beyond, the result of public más...
MGM Resorts slides to wider loss in Q2
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International has posted disappointing second quarter results, held back by massive charges related to its Las Vegas CityCenter más...
Morgans secures financing for Mondrian SoHo, opening delayed
NEW YORK CITY Morgans Hotel Group Co. has procured the additional funding needed to complete development of Mondrian in SoHo, but the opening of the much-anticipated más...
Gaylord posts Q2 loss, ups 2010 RevPAR outlook
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE Gaylord Entertainment Co. posted a second-quarter loss, due in large part to the closure of its flooded Nashville Opreyland convention más...
Leading Wales hotelier fears market decline permanent
CARDIFF, WALES The chairman of the Cardiff Hoteliers’ Association warns that the steep decline in occupancy and RevPAR in Wales’ largest city más...
Starwood signs first Sheraton management deal in India
UDAIPUR, INDIA Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with Rockwood Hotels & Resorts Ltd. to launch the Sheraton brand in Udaipur. más...
RCI adds 22 resorts to affiliated portfolio
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Worldwide’s vacation exchange company, RCI, has added 22 new resorts to its network in the second quarter, bringing más...
Carlyle in talks to acquire Eurazeo's B&B Hotels chain
PARIS Private equity firm Eurazeo is in exclusive talks to sell its B&B Hotels Ltd. chain to rival Carlyle Group for approximately €485 million más...
Ascott serviced residences chain unveils global growth plans (updated 8/3/10)
(Update: Ascott is also investing S$50 million (US$37 million) to refurbish existing properties.) SINGAPORE CapitaLand’s serviced-residences más...
FelCor acquires Boston’s Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel
BOSTON FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. has acquired The Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel in Boston for US$98.5 million from an affiliate of Fairmont Hotels & más...
MGM restructures US$950m in Macau loans
MGM restructures US$950m in Macau loans MACAU MGM Resorts International has restructured US$950 million in loans to its MGM Macau resort, a step toward más...
Hilton makes Internet access free for elite HHonors members
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide will offer complimentary high-speed Internet access to all Gold and Diamond Hilton HHonors members beginning September más...
Starwood’s Element Hotels brand earns LEED ‘volume precertification’
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Element Hotels, which is the first major hotel brand to mandate that all its properties pursue LEED certification, has achieved más...
Rocket strikes outside Jordan InterContinental hotel
AQABA, JORDAN A rocket that was apparently targeted at Israel’s Eilat resort area on Monday instead struck outside InterContinental Aqaba hotel más...
Aloft Hotels makes India debut with Chennai, Bangalore openings
CHENNAI, INDIA The opening of Aloft Chennai OMR-IT Expressway marks debut of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s select-service hotel brand más...
Latino Hotel Association partners with Asociación Mexicana Hoteles y Moteles
MEXICO CITY The Latino Hotel Association, a newly formed global organization dedicated to expanding the involvement of Latinos in the hotel industry, más...
Four Seasons Austin owner refinances US$56m mortgage
AUSTIN, TEXAS Lodging Capital Partners and Syndicated Equities Group have secured a US$56 million first mortgage loan to refinance their existing mortgage más...
IHG opens 1st Holiday Inn Express hotel on U.S. military base
FORT POLK, LOUISIANA IHG, the hotel operator for the U.S. military’s Privatization of Army Lodging program, announces the branding of the first más...
julio 2010
Sofitel swaps newspapers for iPads at select hotels
PARIS Accor’s Sofitel Luxury Hotels brand debuts is offering some of its guests access to Apple iPads that come preloaded with 36 news sources from más...
Rocco Forte appoints new managing director
LONDON The Rocco Forte Collection has promoted consultant Karim Naffah to managing director, a move that will allow executive chairman Rocco Forte to más...
Europe hotel industry recovery to continue, Fitch Ratings says
EUROPE Signs of recovery are becoming evident in Europe's hotel industry, a new Fitch Ratings report says, citing improvements in occupancy and RevPAR más...
Taj Hotels parent posts 80% drop in Q2 profit
MUMBAI Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. has reported its biggest drop in profit in almost eight years, with net income plunging 80% in the second quarter compared más...
Hilton CEO Nassetta: Occupancy picking up worldwide
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide is seeing stronger demand in many global markets in recent months, and some cities are also experiencing gains in rate más...
Chicago Hyatt hotel union workers authorize strike
CHICAGO Members of Unite Here Local 1, the union representing workers at four Chicago-area hotels managed by Hyatt Hotels Corp., on Thursday voted to más...
JW Marriott Bogota opens as Marriott’s first luxury hotel in Colombia
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA The 264-key JW Marriott Bogota is open in the Colombia capital, marking the first luxury hotel for Marriott International in the country más...
Legendary Pera Palace Hotel to reopen with Ataturk museum
ISTANBUL The grand Pera Palace Hotel, once the last stop on the Orient Express, is set to reopen September 1 following a €23 million renovation. más...
InterContinental Hotels brand to make Osaka debut
OSAKA, JAPAN IHG will open an InterContinental luxury hotel and high-end residences within the Osaka Station North Yard Development Project, marking the más...
High Court bars use of Hilton Hotels name in India
INDIA The Rajasthan High Court has barred Hilton Worldwide from using the Hilton name on its hotels in India, declaring that it infringes on the trade más...
Choice Hotels grows RevPAR for 1st time since 2008
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND Choice Hotels International Inc. has reported positive RevPAR growth for the first time in two years as its second-quarter results más...
Cambodia gaming resort developer courts Harrah’s, MGM
ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA The developer of a US$400 million gaming resort near Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temples has reached out to Harrah’s Entertainment más...
Harrah’s, Starwood launch loyalty program alliance
LAS VEGAS The loyalty programs of Harrah’s Entertainment and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide have quietly begun a cross-promotional effort más...
Sol Meliá takes urban-chic Innside hotel brand beyond Germany
L’HOSPITALET DE LLOBREGAT, SPAIN Sol Meliá is taking its avante-garde hotel brand, Innside by Meliá, beyond Germany with the signing más...
Barceló Hotels unveils U Spa brand
PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN Barceló Hotels and Resorts announces the international debut of U Spa, an innovative spa concept providing specialized más...
RevPAR soars 24% in Thailand's Koh Samui
KOH SAMUI, THAILAND A sharp upswing in visitor arrivals to the resort island of Koh Samui has translated into a US$25.5 million increase in hotel room más...
Doubletree resort slated for Tuscany
SIENA, ITALY Hilton Worldwide has signed a franchise license agreement with Edilgest Srl for a new Doubletree by Hilton resort in Tuscany. The new-build más...
Mandalay Bay installs self-serve beer taps
LAS VEGAS Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino is among several properties on the Las Vegas Strip this month to install pour-your-own-pint DraftMaster beer más...
HOTELS exclusive: Best Western UK CEO talks outlook, ‘Undercover Boss’
LONDON Earlier this month, David Clarke, chief executive officer for Best Western Great Britain, grew out his beard and went incognito as a line employee más...
Wyndham Q2 earnings impress analysts, 2010 outlook improves
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Worldwide Corp reports higher-than-expected earnings and sales for the second quarter and is boosting its 2010 earnings más...
China backs stalled Baha Mar Resort project in Nassau
NASSAU, BAHAMAS China will finance and build a stalled mega-resort in the Bahamas capital, breathing new life into the 1,000-acre development that has más...
Shanghai's Peace Hotel reopens after 3-year renovation
SHANGHAI Shanghai's Peace Hotel has reopened following a three-year, US$64 million renovation meant to restore the property to its 1930s glory days, when más...
MGM Resorts sells Atlantic City land for US$73m
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY MGM Resorts International has sold some 11 acres of property holdings in New Jersey, including some land under Atlantic City's más...
Luxury Collection resort employs cow manure power
MANCHESTER VILLAGE, VERMONT The Equinox resort is taking its green commitment to new pastures, as the 5-star Luxury Collection resort has become part más...
Mahindra plans to enter budget resorts sector
CHENNAI, INDIA Mahindra Holidays & Resorts Ltd. is planning to enter the budget resorts sector. The timeshare company, which to date has targeted más...
London Taj hotel partners with toy store Hamleys for promo
LONDON Famed toy store Hamleys is partnering with 51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites & Residences, to offer a special package just for kids. The package más...
Hilton Hotels converts property near Chicago O’Hare airport
ROSEMONT, ILLINOIS Hilton Hotels has reflagged the former Rosemont Hotel at O’Hare as Hilton Rosemont/Chicago O’Hare. More than US$15 million más...
Location-based social media not worth effort, Forrester says
UNITED STATES A new study from Forrester Research finds that only 4% of American web-using adults have ever used location-based mobile applications like más...
Joie de Vivre property is official ‘Endless Summer’ hotel
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA The newly renovated Pacific Edge Hotel from Joie de Vivre Hotels is embracing Southern California’s renowned surf culture más...
‘Design hotels’ outperform competitors in occupancy, rate
EUROPE New research finds that hotels marketed as “design hotels” achieve higher room rates and occupancy than their traditional counterparts más...
Hotel guest satisfaction improves notably, J.D. Power reports
NORTH AMERICA As the hotel industry begins to recover from the economic downturn, overall satisfaction among hotel guests has improved considerably from más...
Barclay brothers sell 10% stake in IHG
LONDON The billionaire Barclay brothers have sold their 10% stake in InterContinental Hotels Group Plc for about £335 million. IHG’s shares más...
Starwood Hotels discusses Africa expansion plans
AFRICA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide plans to expand in South Africa and is eyeing several other markets across the continent for future growth más...
Dow Hotel Co. names new president and COO
SEATTLE The Dow Hotel Co. LLC has appointed C.A. Anderson, a former executive with Interstate Hotels & Resorts, as its new president and chief operating más...
Golf legend Arnold Palmer becomes hotelier with SpringHill project
LATROBE, PENNSYLVANIA Golf legend Arnold Palmer is partnering with Concord Hospitality Enterprises and another investor to build a 109-key SpringHill más...
Carlson opens 30th hotel in India
INDORE, INDIA Carlson Hotels Worldwide continues its expansion in India with the opening of its 30th property in the country, the 201-key Radisson Hotel más...
Southern Sun rebrands Nairobi Holiday Inn
NAIROBI Southern Sun Hotels has signed a 10-year management deal to rebrand Holiday Inn Nairobi. The hotel will become Southern Sun Mayfair Nairobi on más...
JAL Hotels opens Hotel Nikko Shanghai
SHANGHAI JAL Hotels Co. Ltd. announces the opening of the 382-key, 25-story Hotel Nikko Shanghai, located in the Hongqiao Development Zone. The 5-star más...
RBS brings 6 UK Hilton hotels to market, seeks £200m
UNITED KINGDOM Royal Bank of Scotland is placing the six remaining Hilton Hotels properties in its UK portfolio on the market with a total asking price más...
Starwood plans 7 NYC hotel openings this year
NEW YORK CITY Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. plans to grow its New York City portfolio by 50% this year and open more hotels this year in más...
LV Sands fires Macau CEO Jacobs
MACAU Las Vegas Sands Corp. on Friday announced the termination of Steve Jacobs, the CEO of its Macau operating division, Sands China Ltd. Las Vegas Sands más...
Aimbridge Hospitality launches resorts division
DALLAS Aimbridge Hospitality announces its entrance into the resorts sector with the addition of a management contract for The Jewel Beach Resort and más...
Updated classics lead fall hotel uniform design trends
WORLDWIDE Hotel uniforms are taking inspiration from the past but with a modern twist, while edgier hoteliers are dabbling with some eye-popping prints más...
Georgia seizes, shuts 5 hotels over back taxes
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA Tax agents from the Georgia Department of Revenue seized and shut five Augusta hotels this morning, citing failure to pay sales taxes más...
Moscow invests in development of Crimea resort industry
CRIMEA The Moscow city government plans to invest in developing the resort industry of Crimea, an autonomous island republic controlled by Ukraine. Moscow más...
Chinese Hilton hotelier arrested for alleged crime ties
CHONGQING, CHINA The owner of a development company with a controlling interest in Hilton Chongqing hotel is among 46 people arrested last week in connection más...
Kimpton waives corkage fee for guests who bring own wine
SAN FRANCISCO Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants is appealing to wine-loving travelers with a summer offer that invites guests to bring in two bottles of más...
IHG offers loyalty points on location-based social networks
ATLANTA IHG is the first major hotel company to offer bonus loyalty points to customers who “check in” at IHG hotels on one of several location-based más...
1st project using Marriott's green prototype announced
SUMMERVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA The first hotel to be built using Marriott International’s green prototype will be Courtyard Charleston/Summerville más...
Puerto Rico to help finance US$1.2b Ritz-Carlton resort
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO The Puerto Rico government has pledged a US$231 million loan to help finance a Ritz-Carlton resort project on the north coast of más...
Gucci descendant barred from using name on hotels
FLORENCE The daughter of legendary designer Paolo Gucci will not be permitted to launch a hotel brand using the Gucci moniker, a court in Italy has ruled más...
AH&LA slams union’s civil disobedience scheme
WASHINGTON, D.C. The American Hotel & Lodging Association has come out against the multicity civil disobedience actions held Thursday by the hotel más...
SriLankan Airlines to enter hotel industry
KATUNAYAKE, SRI LANKA SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of the island country south of India, is planning to enter the hotel industry with an airport más...
2 Baltimore IHG hotels go to auction
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND A pair of office buildings in downtown Baltimore that are undergoing conversions into IHG-branded hotels are going on the auction más...
Pebblebrook Hotel REIT prices public share offering
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has priced its public offering of 17 million common shares of beneficial interest at a public offering price más...
MGM Resorts to host 4-day gay event on Vegas Strip
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International is planning a “fabulous” party weekend next month at most of its Las Vegas properties, targeting lesbian más...
Hotel Gansevoort converts lobby into 24-hour lounge
NEW YORK CITY Hotel Gansevoort is breathing fresh life into its lobby, transforming it into an inviting social hub with a relaxed vibe. The redesign transforms más...
Starwood beats Q2 expectations, grows RevPAR 13%
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has topped analyst expectations with its second-quarter results, and CEO Frits van más...
Host adds 3rd hotel in week: Le Méridien Piccadilly, London
LONDON In its third hotel acquisition in a week, Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. has purchased the 266-key Le Méridien Piccadilly, London, for £64 más...
Premier Inn signs global distribution deal with Amadeus
LEAGRAVE, ENGLAND Premier Inn has signed a global distribution deal with Amadeus to supply room inventory for all of its 580 budget hotels. The deal helps más...
Finalists announced for 2010 Gold Key Hotel Design Awards
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK The International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) has named finalists for the 30th annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence más...
Hotel union targets Hyatt with multicity ‘civil disobedience'
NORTH AMERICA A union representing disgruntled hotel workers in the United States and Canada is conducting demonstrations in 14 cities today, protesting más...
Best Western debuts in Ghana, Nigeria
AFRICA Best Western International announces the opening of two new hotels in Africa, including the first Best Western Premier on the continent. The openings más...
Hampton announces brand’s first LEED-certified hotel
SARASOTA, FLORIDA Hampton Inn and Suites Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport has achieved LEED Silver certification, making it the first Hampton más...
Alien robots fight at Hotel 71, promotional package follows
CHICAGO Hotel 71 is taking full promotional advantage of the controlled chaos taking place on its front doorstep this week, as the third installment of más...
Host Hotels Grows Q2 RevPAR, Buys Chicago Westin
BETHESDA, MARYLAND America’s largest hotel REIT reports encouraging second-quarter results, growing its RevPAR 8.1% for the period while increasing más...
Accor Joint Venture Brings Ibis, Novotel, Pullman To India
INDIA A joint venture between Accor and InterGlobe Enterprises will invest in and develop at least 25 Ibis-branded economy hotels across India and elsewhere más...
Asia Pacific Visitor Arrivals Up 10% In First 5 Months
ASIA PACIFIC For the first five months of 2010, international visitor arrivals to the Asia Pacific region grew by a robust 10% compared to the same period más...
Social Media Gains With Corporate Travel Professionals
WORLDWIDE Corporate travel professionals are increasingly using social media to communicate with travelers and to stay on top of latest travel industry más...
IHG Signs First Hotel Indigo In Continental Europe
MADRID IHG has signed a franchise agreement to open a Hotel Indigo in Madrid, the first Hotel Indigo signing in Continental Europe. Hotel Indigo Madrid más...
Royal Orchid Hotels Resumes International Expansion Plan
BANGALORE The international expansion efforts of Bangalore-based Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd. are back on the table, with the company announcing plans for más...
Associated Luxury Hotels International Unveils Historic Collection
WASHINGTON, D.C. Meeting planners looking to hold an event at a hotel or resort with historical significance can now check out the newly launched ALHI más...
HOTELS Interview: Hilton’s Restaurants VP Talks Brand Goals, ‘Top Chef’
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Beth Scott has some big goals for the food and beverage concepts of Hilton Hotels. Scott, vice president of restaurant concepts for full-service más...
Ritz-Carlton May Launch Own Loyalty Program
CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. is weighing the possibility of launching its own loyalty program, possibly as soon as this year, President más...
Renaissance Syracuse Hotel Sells, To Become Crowne Plaza
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK Richfield Hospitality has acquired of the 279-key Renaissance Syracuse Hotel in a 50-50 joint venture with Shelbourne Falcon Investors más...
Trump Chicago Is 1st U.S. Hotel With Certified Organic Room-Service Menu
CHICAGO Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago debuts an in-room dining menu that is certified organic by Oregon Tilth, an international organic más...
Hilton Anatole Dallas Reinvents Iconic Atrium
DALLAS Hilton Anatole approached EDG Interior Architecture + Design in 2008 about remodeling seven food and beverage outlets within the 1,606-key convention más...
Amara Hotels Expands Beyond Singapore With Bangkok Project
SINGAPORE Singapore-based Amara Hotels & Resorts is set to launch its third hotel and first outside the citystate with the development of a 272-key más...
Crowne Plaza Hotels Announces BMW Motorsport Partnership
WINDSOR, ENGLAND IHG’s Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand announces a global partnership with BMW Motorsport, building on their existing sponsorship más...
Restaurant At Portland’s Nines Hotel Bottles Own Artisanal Whiskey
PORTLAND, OREGON Urban Farmer, the modern steakhouse concept inside The Nines hotel, has released its second bottling of barrel-aged Urban Farmer Whiskey más...
Disney Resort Personalizes Guests’ Minibars
ORLANDO The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, Orlando, has introduced a 24-hour Personal Pantry service, inviting guests to place customized más...
HOTELS Exclusive: Wit Hotel Chicago Aims For Multi-City Expansion
CHICAGO It is the hottest hotel to open in the Windy City in recent memory, and soon versions of The Wit may be popping up in other destinations across más...
Hotel REIT Innkeepers USA Files For Banktruptcy
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Innkeepers USA Trust, a hotel REIT majority-owned by Apollo Investment Corp., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Innkeepers más...
BMB Group Denies Reported Club Med Bid
CAYMAN ISLANDS A report in The Sunday Times of London claims The BMB Group, an investment company founded by the sultan of Brunei, has made a bid for más...
DLF, Banyan Tree Deny Report Of Aman Resorts Deal
SINGAPORE DLF Ltd., the majority shareholder of Singapore-based Aman Resorts, is not in talks with Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd. to sell its stake in the más...
Marriott’s Sorenson: ‘Demand Is Growing Across The Board’
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Following on news that Marriott International Inc. tripled its second-quarter earnings and beat analyst expectations by a significant más...
Global Q2 Real Estate Investment Doubles
WORLDWIDE Global direct commercial real estate investment volumes reached US$66 billion in the second quarter of 2010, nearly doubling the levels seen más...
Hilton Announces 2nd Waldorf Astoria For London
WEST LONDON, ENGLAND Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement with the Ability Group to open a new Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts hotel in West más...
Hilton Taps AT&T To Manage Guest Internet Services
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA Hilton Worldwide has hired AT&T to deploy a fully-managed suite of WiFi and Internet across its more than 3,200 properties in the más...
Erin Andrews Sues Marriott, Radisson, Preferred, Other Hotel Companies
CHICAGO Erin Andrews, the reporter for ESPN who was victimized last year by a stalker who secretly taped her nude in several hotel rooms and subsequently más...
Marriott Announces Plans For South Beach Edition Hotel
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA Marriott International plans to launch its Edition brand in South Beach, converting the shuttered Seville Beach Hotel. It is the más...
Harrah's Stock May Hit Exchanges Soon
LAS VEGAS Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. expects to list some shares publicly soon thanks to a deal with billionaire John Paulson. Harrah’s owners más...
CityCenter Las Vegas Earns Highest Green Key Rating
LAS VEGAS Disproving the notion that a massive resort in the middle of a desert cannot be eco-friendly, MGM Resorts International announces that its CityCenter más...
Morgans Hotel Group Refinances £100m London Debt
NEW YORK CITY Morgans Hotel Group Co. has fully refinanced its mortgage debt related to its London joint venture. Morgans, which operates the 5-star Sanderson más...
Florida Boutique Hotel Duval Signs As Marriott’s 11th Autograph
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA Hotel Duval has joined Marriott International’s Autograph Collection. It will continue to operate autonomously, keeping its más...
Beijing Boutique Hotel Provides Tools To Create Short Films
BEIJING The Opposite House’s new Suitcase Cinema package provides guests with use of a Canon camcorder and an iMac, inviting them to shoot and edit más...
Fairmont Provides BMW Cruise Bikes At U.S. Hotels
UNITED STATES Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announces an extension of its partnership with automaker BMW to provide a complimentary hotel bicycle service más...
Travelodge To Manage 52 UK Mitchells & Butlers Hotels
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND Mitchells & Butlers PLC has sold the bulk of its hotels business to property investment group Prupim, which is in turn leasing más...
Louvre Hotels Puts UK Portfolio On Market
LONDON Acting on behalf of Starwood Capital Group’s Louvre Hotels, investment advisory firm Christie + Co is marketing the company’s 18-property más...
Marriott Triples Q2 Earnings, Beats Expectations
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Second-quarter earnings for Marriott International Inc. have topped consensus expectations by a relatively significant margin, reinforcing más...
220 Condo Buyers Sue Las Vegas Cosmopolitan
LAS VEGAS Deutsche Bank and affiliated development companies are the target of a lawsuit filed July 14 by 220 people who purchased residential condominiums más...
Host, Istithmar Partner On Purchase Of W Union Square Hotel
NEW YORK CITY W Union Square hotel is being acquired by a joint venture between Host Hotels & Resorts and Istithmar World. Current owner LEM Mezzanine más...
Meetings Stigma Impacts Conference Centers
UNITED STATES All segments of the lodging industry struggled in 2009, but the combined impact of the economic recession and the demonizing of corporate más...
Steve Wynn Buys US$23m Penthouse In NYC Plaza Hotel
NEW YORK CITY Steve Wynn has purchased a lavish four-bedroom, nine-room penthouse inside New York City’s luxurious Plaza Hotel, owner El-Ad Properties más...
Motel 6 Is First LEED-Certified Economy Lodging Property
NORTHLAKE, TEXAS Accor’s Motel 6 brand is the first to boast a LEED-certified property in the economy lodging segment. The newest Motel 6, located más...
Amelia Island Plantation Resort To Go On Auction
AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA The luxury Amelia Island Plantation resort, one of Florida's most famous golf destinations, will go to bankruptcy auction on August más...
Summer Hotel Industry Forecast Is Partly Sunny
LOS ANGELES Hotel industry leaders are expressing renewed optimism for the rest of the year and into 2011, with performance expectations and mergers and más...
Swissôtel Debuts In India, Signs Two More Projects
CALCUTTA The 29th property in the Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts portfolio has opened in Calcutta. Swissôtel Kolkata is the brand’s más...
Unfinished California Ritz-Carlton Sells For US$312m
RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA A partially completed Ritz-Carlton hotel project in California has been purchased in a foreclosure sale. Miami-based investment más...
Whitbread Spends £7m To Boost Sustainability Programs
LUTON, ENGLAND Whitbread PLC is spending more than £7 million this year to boost the environmental performance of its hotels, restaurants and coffee más...
Davidson To Manage L'Enfant Plaza Hotel In Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. Davidson Hotel Co. has signed a long-term contract to manage L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in downtown Washington. The 372-key property is the más...
MGM Resorts Reads TripAdvisor Reviews, Responds Accordingly
LAS VEGAS Perhaps no resort has ever opened with the level of fanfare that met the December debut of MGM Resorts International’s CityCenter Las más...
Green Hotels Draw Better Guest Reviews, OTA Says
SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS Travelers tend to give higher ratings to eco-friendly hotels than hotels that do not boast green credentials, online travel agent Travelocity más...
Riviera Las Vegas Parent Files For Bankruptcy
LAS VEGAS Riviera Holdings Corp., parent company of the 2,075-key Riviera Hotel & Resort on the Las Vegas Strip, has filed for bankruptcy. It is the más...
ROI Not Primary Concern For Some Hotel Companies’ Mobile Sites
WORLDWIDE For most hotel companies, the question of whether mobile websites and applications are worthwhile has been answered. The challenge is implementing más...
Xanterra Acquires Kingsmill Resort In Virginia
WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA Xanterra Parks & Resorts Inc. has agreed to purchase the 422-key Kingsmill Resort & Spa in Williamsburg, Virginia, from más...
Pebblebrook Adds 2 More Hotels, Will Sell More Stock
BETHESDA, MARYLAND Pebblebrook Hotel Trust plans to acquire the 183-key Hotel Monaco in Washington, D.C., for US$74 million, in addition to The Grand más...
Noted Green Hotel Gaia Napa Valley To Fly Doubletree Flag
AMERICAN CANYON, CALIFORNIA Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa will join the Doubletree Hotels & Resorts portfolio later this year. The new affiliation más...
Noble Acquires Holiday Inn Charleston Hotel, To Reflag As Courtyard
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA Noble Investment Group has acquired the 126-key Holiday Inn Charleston Historic District, along with an adjacent parcel, and más...
Water-Themed h2hotel Opens On Former Gas Station Site
HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA The new water-themed h2hotel in Sonoma Wine Country sold out during its opening weekend, Green Lodging News reports. The 36-key más...
Sam Nazarian’s SBE To Launch New Hotel Brand
LOS ANGELES SBE Entertainment, the lifestyle conglomerate from noted nightclub impresario Sam Nazarian, has taken over the stalled Palihouse hotel project más...
To Generate Online Hotel Bookings, Provide Reasons To Link
WORLDWIDE Hotels should consider creative online promotions and publish “buzz-worthy” content to generate inbound links, a major component más...
Stein Group CEO To Head MGM Hospitality’s Asia Expansion
LAS VEGAS Stein Group International CEO and former Minor Hotels & Resorts COO Michael Sagild will head up the Asia expansion efforts of MGM Hospitality más...
U.S. RevPAR Hit Record Low In 2009
HENDERSONVILLE, TENNESSEE The U.S. hotel industry ended 2009 with US$92.41 billion in room revenue, the lowest year-end room revenue since 2004 (US$85 más...
Largest, Highest Rooftop Pool Opens At Marina Bay Sands Hotel
SINGAPORE A 150-m infinity pool overlooking Singapore from 200 m (656 ft.) in the air is the focal point of Sands SkyPark atop Marina Bay Sands, the recently más...
Optimism Grows Among Australia Hoteliers
AUSTRALIA Optimism among some leading Australian hoteliers is on the rise again after two years of declining demand, falling revenues and stagnant investor más...
Starwood Hotels Targets 30% Energy Reduction By 2020
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Starwood Hotels and Resorts aims to reduce energy use across its global portfolio by 30% over the next decade, part of a new partnership más...
Hilton Orlando Offers 30-Hour Room Nights
ORLANDO The 1,400-key Hilton Orlando is offering a special package that enables guests to check in at 10 a.m. and check out at 4 p.m. the following day más...
New Owner Formosa Outlines Path For Regent Hotels Brand
TAIPEI, TAIWAN After topping 20 other bidders to acquire the Regent Hotels & Resorts brand from Carlson Hotels Worldwide and The Rezidor Hotel Group más...
Some Hotels Dole Out Extra Perks To Social Media-Savvy Guests
WORLDWIDE More hotels are taking stock of guest gripes and plaudits on Twitter and Facebook, and that could mean extra perks for the social media-savvy más...
Plaza Hotel Provides iPads For All Guests
NEW YORK CITY Beginning in September, all guestrooms at The Plaza hotel will be equipped with Apple iPads, marking the next evolution in digital concierge más...
MGM Resorts Brings Hotel Pool Parties Out Of Closet
LAS VEGAS A pair of MGM Resorts International properties on the Las Vegas Strip, Luxor and The Mirage, have opened up the pool party scene to a new demographic—the más...
Hyatt Hotels Launches Green Meetings Initiative
CHICAGO Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has launched Meet and Be Green, a program that encourages guests and planners to take 10 steps to holding environmentally más...
More Consumers Scouring Web For Hotel Package Deals, All-Inclusive Offers
WORLDWIDE Google searches for hotel package deals have shot up 20% in the past year, the Web search engine leader reports, and queries for all-inclusive más...
Australia’s StayWell Hospitality Targets Asia, Mideast For Expansion
SYDNEY StayWell Hospitality Group is expanding beyond its home base of Australia, launching its Leisure Inn and Park Regis hotel brands in Singapore, más...
Great Hotels Organisation’s Top 10 MICE Trends For 2010
LONDON Sales and marketing consortium Great Hotels Organisation has listed its top 10 meeting and incentive tips and trends for hoteliers for summer 2010 más...
NYC Andaz Hotel Opens Farmer’s Market
NEW YORK CITY Andaz Wall Street is playing host to a weekly outdoor farmer’s market, The New York Times reports. The brainchild of Executive Chef más...
Accor Steps Up North America Branding Efforts With Online Contest
PARIS In an effort to increase brand awareness among North America travelers, Accor is teaming with US Airways on an online game called Around the World más...
Arizona Tourism Looks To Counter State’s Negative Image
ARIZONA Concerned about a dramatic hit to the state’s image in the wake of a new law aimed at curbing illegal immigration, Arizona tourism officials más...
Starwood Hotels Launches One-Stop Travel Website
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK A new Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide website aims to be a one-stop travel shop for loyal Starwood guests, letting them más...
Lower Manhattan Hotel Inventory Triples Since 9/11
NEW YORK CITY The number of hotels in Lower Manhattan has tripled since September 11, 2001, and the number of rooms in the district has increased by more más...
Accor’s Suitehotel Brand Relaunches As Novotel Offshoot
PARIS Accor has relaunched its Suitehotel midscale brand as Suite Novotel, repositioning it upmarket on the back of the more established Novotel upper-midscale más...
Marriott Opens Its 1st Hotels In Sweden
STOCKHOLM Marriott International Inc. has launched its first two hotels in Sweden, Courtyard Stockholm Kungsholmen and Renaissance Malmo Hotel. The properties más...
Wyndham Acquires Tryp Hotel Brand From Sol Meliá
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY Wyndham Hotel Group has acquired the Tryp hotel brand from Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts, including franchise agreements más...
IHG Sells InterContinental Buckhead To Pebblebrook
ATLANTA Maryland-based Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the 422-key InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta hotel from IHG for US$105 million in cash, the más...
Aloft Hotels Holds Online Contest To Discover Next Music Star
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK Touted as the first-ever musical artist discovery program created by a hotel brand, Aloft Hotels is launching "Project Aloft Star más...
Sonesta Buys Miami Condo Hotel
COCONUT GROVE, FLORIDA Sonesta International Hotels Corp. has purchased Sonesta Bayfront Hotel Coconut Grove, located in suburban Miami. Sonesta has been más...
Auckland Westin In Receivership
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND The 172-key Westin Lighter Quay, one of Auckland’s premier hotels, has gone into receivership, The New Zealand Herald reports más...
junio 2010
21c Museum Hotel Expands In Walmart's Home Town
21c Musem Hotels Plans Property In Bentonville, Arkansas BENTONVILLE, Ark. June 8, 2010 – 21c Museum Hotels, a growing brand of properties that más...