Global Hospitality News - ARCHIVE 2003

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News Archive , April 2003

April  16- 30, 2003

April 16, 2003

6 Months After Bombings, Bali Optimistic About Recovery  

According to official statistics, nearly a third of employees on the island have lost their jobs since October. Visitor spending in Bali, which accounts for about half of the US$4.5 billion that Indonesia earns annually from tourism, dropped to almost nothing before starting slow growth again in early 2003. Fortunately, growth has continued unabated, despite the war in Iraq, the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Southeast Asia, and the January-May rainy season, which always draws the fewest tourists. Australians, who had accounted for at least two-thirds of Bali's guests, have mainly stayed away. But Singaporeans, Taiwanese, Japanese, South Koreans, Germans, Russians, and other Europeans have been taking up some of the slack, attracted by special package promotions.

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Hilton enlists Expedia's help to cut Internet-lodging discounting

Hilton Hotels Corp., striking back at discount hotel Internet sites, said Monday it agreed to give online travel-service Expedia Inc. access to its central reservation system. The two-year partnership is part of a strategy aimed at eliminating deeply discounted Hilton hotel rooms on the World Wide Web. In return, Expedia has pledged not to undercut Hilton's own prices and agreed to significantly cut its commissions to the hotel operator.  

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Putting on the Ritz

Spain's  richest woman, Alicia Koplowitz, is believed to be in advanced negotiations to add part of the old Forte hotel empire to her burgeoning interests in the world of finance and property. A renowned collector of old masters and modern art, Koplowitz is said to have joined forces with her sister, Esther, to buy the historic Ritz in Madrid from Le M?ridien Hotels for an estimated ?82 million. The duo have apparently lined up Orient-Express Hotels to manage the hotel for them once the deal goes through.  

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Taiwan:  Local hotels offer big discounts due to SARS

More and more high-end hotels are offering room discounts and special promotions amid sharp business decline triggered by the spread of a deadly flu-like pneumonia across Asia. The wave of price cuts has been called the worst cut-throat price war in the history of the local hospitality industry, as some five-star hotels have slashed their prices by nearly 70 percent and more hotels are expected to follow.  

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Six Continents splits

Six Continents Plc's split this week into two companies, one owning hotels including InterContinental and Holiday Inn and the other with 2,000 pubs. Companies ranging from Strategic Hotel Capital, owner of hotels such as New York's Essex House, to BC Partners Ltd., a UK private-equity firm, may be making offers. Six Continents last month rejected as too low a GBP 2.8bn (USD 4.4bn) bid from BC Partners for the pubs division.

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World Tourism Organization optimistic of China's future tourism

The World Tourism Organization ( WTO) supports China's efforts in building up tourists' confidence when traveling there and holds an optimistic attitude towards China's future tourism, said Francesco Frangialli, secretary- general of WTO.

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India targets China's booming outbound tourism market

India is targeting China's booming outbound tourism market for the first time with its unique cultural and tourism resources at a time when Chinese tourists are increasingly looking for exotic foreign locations to spend their vacations. "I am very confident of the emerging outbound tourism market of China and we plan to focus our attention to woo Chinese tourists with exclusive tour packages," honorary secretary of the Indian Association of Tour Operators Vijay Thakur said here. Thakur said that some of the leading Indian tour operators have already started receiving small number of Chinese tourists.

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Rosewood Hotels & Resorts announces the resignation of James F. Brown and the election of John M. Scott III as its new President & CEO. 

Lewis N. Wolff, Vice Chairman of Rosewood, praised Mr. Brown for his "strong operational contributions over the past five years which have enabled the company to set the benchmark for the 5-star luxury hotel category experience." Schuyler B. Marshall, a Director of Rosewood, added "Jim's decision to resign after five years with Rosewood was accepted with the understanding that he desired to pursue other opportunities in the hotel management business, and with appreciation for his energetic effort and positive contributions on behalf of Rosewood."  

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PATA Conference opened in Bali

The 52nd Annual Pacific Asia Travelers Association (PATA) Conference commenced on Monday amid current tourism challenges and concerns. The atmosphere is somber but the overall attitude is optimistic. There were four speakers, which included Mr. Setyanto Sentosa, chairman of PATA 2003 Indonesian Organizing Committee and Chairman of Indonesia Culture and Promotion Board. The conference themed "Culture and Tourism: From Heritage to Legacy" is perched to address cultural and environmental sustainability.  

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Thistle Hotels still in talks with third parties

Thistle Hotels PLC said it is still in talks with a number of third parties which may lead to a competing offer for the group as it posted its official defence documents against the outstanding bid from BIL International Ltd. While reiterating that the BIL offer "is opportunistic and at a wholly inadequate price," the group said it is continuing to review options to maximise value for the benefit of all its shareholders, and this includes considering possible competing offers.

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Boutique Hotels & Resorts adds Spain

Boutique Hotels & Resorts International announces its first member hotel in Mallorca, Spain's most popular resort island. This is the alliance's second hotel in Europe. "Unlike many of the existing hotel associations, Boutique Hotels & Resorts International offers small boutique hotels such as Scott's an affordable and effective way of increasing exposure and becoming part of an international brand. We're delighted to be part of it." says Proprietor and author, George Scott.   

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Non-Business Conferences popular with Americans

Traditional business and convention travel may be suffering but a Travel Poll by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) shows that leisure travelers aren't shying away from attending non-business conferences. The TIA Travel Poll found that more than one-third (36%) of Americans have traveled to attend a non-business conference for personal, social, or civic reasons in the past three years. This translates to nearly 75 million U.S. adults who have taken a trip of 50 miles or more one-way, away from home in the U.S. in order to attend such events. A non-business conference is defined as a conference, meeting or special event unrelated to job or occupation.

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April 17, 2003

Asia tourism chiefs seek ways to beat SARS  fallout

Asia-Pacific tourism chiefs put a brave face on the deadly Sars virus yesterday, saying the outbreak could cut reliance on long-haul tourists and strengthen a trend toward geographic diversification. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus, spread by travellers, has savaged key Asian tourist destinations such as Hong Kong and also airlines in recent weeks. "It has had an impact on our business and we have to learn to react and to live with it, to find ways to market different places," said Geoff Garside, senior vice president Asia Pacific and Australia for Marriott International Inc.  

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Germany: Luxury hotels in Berlin struggle to lure guests

Luxury hotels of the German capital, struggling with empty rooms and a drop in the number of visitors, are trying to lure possible customers with designer restaurants, secretaries and discounts. When the Ritz-Carlton hotel opens in December this year, guests will dine at a 150-year-old French brasserie imported from the south of Paris. Hotel personnel will schedule appointments.

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Hong Kong PATA Chapter ready to unite trade against SARS

The Hong Kong PATA Chapter will take on an advocacy role to help deal with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis. "Using the PATA network means that we can bring outside expertise into a local situation, while also building up the archives of experience that can benefit others in the future," said the chapter's chairman, Ted Theobald.  

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Dubai's visitors numbers rise again

Britain and Ireland together were yet again the strongest European source markets to Dubai in 2002 with 454,378 visitors recorded by hotels and hotel apartments.  The year on year growth in visitors from the UK & Ireland was 27.8 per cent in 2002, which is a significant increase when compared with the 15.6 per cent rise seen in 2001.   The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing's latest worldwide visitor statistics for 2002 demonstrate a staggering 31.1 per cent growth to exceed 4.7 million. 

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Hong Kong  Peninsula quells temporary shut-down rumour

Rumours that The Peninsula Hong Kong might shut down for a month to cope with expensive operations costs are unfounded, said its director of marketing, Arthur Kiong. "It's not so," he told TravelWeekly today. In fact, the Peninsula is taking the time now, while business is slow, to do refurbishments. "Life has to go on. We still have guests. What we have decided, and this may have sparked the rumours, is to take the time to do refurbishments now. We originally intended to start in the summer, but we have brought it forward. In doing so we have to close floors, so right now we are refurbishing two floors simultaneously. We are doing this to capitalise on the downturn in business and to take care of renovations immediately," said Kiong.

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Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina's first hotel, is on a mission to re-design the meaning of 'hospitality'

As ground is broken at the first hotel complex on the Dubai Marina, to be named Grosvenor House Hotel and Apartments, West Marina Beach Resort by Le Meridien, the word on the streets of Dubai is that new records of product and service excellence in the hospitality sector are set to be smashed too. According to Pam Wilby, locally a known 'connoisseur of Royal Living' and the general manager entrusted to turn vision to reality, the grand-deluxe Grosvenor House is set to be the exclusive address in the upcoming Dubai Marina - echoing the global standing of its London-based namesake.  

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PATA and SPTO sign memorandum of understanding

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the 52nd PATA Annual Conference. The MOU's objective is to pave the way for streamlined communications between the two organisations, ensuring that they work together as much as possible to deliver maximum benefits to their respective members.  

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Economy, SARS to blight hotels despite war end

Peace may slowly be returning to Iraq, but Europe's hotels and leisure sector looks set to remain blighted by the aftershocks of war, the SARS epidemic in Asia and weak corporate profitability. No-one in Europe is expecting a blow to hotels and tour operators on the scale seen in Hong Kong, where fear of the deadly SARS virus has reduced some hotels' occupancy rates to just 10 percent when they would normally be fully booked.  

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HVS International announces Hotel Management Division

HVS International has welcomed the Six Hats management company of Boulder, Colorado, into the HVS family, and is pleased to announce the launch of HVS Hotel Management, a new division of the firm, providing worldwide hotel and resort management capabilities.

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Gulf Air CEO says tourism industry must change to counter effects of global downturn

James Hogan, president and chief executive of Gulf Air, urged the tourism and hospitality sector in Dubai that change and reaction to altered consumer needs is critical for success. Hogan was addressing industry leaders at the Dubai chapter of Skal, and admitted that the airline industry was facing its worst-ever spell, following on from the war in Iraq and the SARS crisis.  

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IH&RA 40th Annual Congress Rescheduled for 5-9 December 2003 

The International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) 40th Annual Congress has been rescheduled to take place in Cairo, Egypt 5-9 December 2003, instead of the previously announced dates of 3-7 October 2003.
This decision was made in response to the impact of recent world events on hospitality and tourism, the notable shifts in tourism supply and demand and the current trend of travellers postponing or delaying business and leisure travel due to economic factors. 

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April 18, 2003

Asian Hotel Market:  A Very Fragile Recovery Process

HotelBenchmark Special Report - April 2003

Whilst the performance of the Asian hotel industry mirrored that of the rest of the world during 2001, the region responded with some different tactics during 2002, which appear to have stimulated performance. At the end of 2002 it appeared as though the region may well have reached the bottom of the cycle and recovery was looming on the horizon. However, the conflict in Iraq and the recent SARS virus will undoubtedly have hindered the fragile recovery process.  

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Coronavirus never before seen in humans is the cause of SARS

Unprecedented collaboration identifies new pathogen in record time --  Today, the World Health Organization announced that a new pathogen, a member of the coronavirus family never before seen in humans, is the cause of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The speed at which this virus was identified is the result of the close international collaboration of 13 laboratories from 10 countries. While many lines of evidence have found strong associations between this virus and the disease over the last weeks, final confirmation came today.

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Singapore Visitor Arrivals 1 - 7 April 2003

AsiaTravelTips.com  -  The first seven days of April saw a decline of 78,000 (-56%) in visitor arrivals to Singapore, largely due STB said to weak travel sentiments as a result of SARS and war. All major markets registered double-digit decreases in arrivals, with Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia recording the largest absolute declines. Visitor arrivals from Japan dropped by 58% or 7,300, contributed by a reduction in seat capacity by airlines and the widespread media coverage on SARS in affected areas, including Singapore.  

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Carlson Hotels Worldwide Seeks to Add Two Brands to Canada; Regent International Hotels and Park Inn

Carlson Hotels Worldwide, announced an aggressive plan to grow the company's five hotel brands in Canada to more than 100 hotel locations during the next five years.  Samuel Winterbottom, executive vice president of development for Carlson Hotels Worldwide, is leading the development initiative that will expand the presence in Canada for all of the company's hotel brands: Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza hotels, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson and Park Inn hotels.  

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Mueller: A young traditionalist

By Yeoh Siew Hoon TravelWeeklyEast.com

On checking into the new Horizon Club room in the newly-upgraded Shangri-La Bangkok, I noted a welcome card on the fruit basket. Usually I pass no more than a cursory glance at such cards. In my experience, most come across as more impersonal than personal, despite valiant attempts by general managers to appear the latter. This one was different. It was handwritten. It had three words. "Welcome. Enjoy. Have Fun." And the signature was a smiling face. It is in such personal trademarks that general manager Adrian Mueller wants to make his mark on a hotel that has just emerged from two years of major renovation work - work which has cost it market share in the highly competitive Bangkok market. But now Shangri-La Bangkok is back, with a clear mission - to regain business lost, win new business and regain its position as one of Bangkok's leading business and leisure addresses. Yeoh Siew Hoon talks to Mueller, the 38-year-old hotelier who has been picked for one of the Shangri-La group's most challenging and potentially rewarding jobs.

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Ameritrade and Starwood Launch Marketing Partnership

Ameritrade Holding Corporation  and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced a marketing partnership designed to promote Ameritrade to Starwood Preferred Guest? members and to reward existing Ameritrade clients with Starpoint offers.

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Interview: Dubai hotels bank on post-war boom

Shujaat Yar, Business Development Director, Le Meridien Dubai, speaks to Gulf News in an interview on post-war boom.  -  While occupancy levels in most of Dubai's 272 hotels still remain low, some have already made plans to cash in on the post-war reconstruction in Iraq that is expected to bring increased business to Dubai, including the hotel sector As expected, engineers, planners, businessmen and decision-makers are expected to travel to Iraq via Dubai and Kuwait, which comes as welcome news to the region's aviation and hotel industries.

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106 countries participated at MITTE

The Moscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (MITTE) occupied over 36,000 square metre gross and attracted exhibitors from 106 countries, 60 per cent of whom were internationals. MITTE had 125,000 visitors from all regions of Russia and neighbouring countries and 2,500 exhibitors. The exhibition celebrated its tenth anniversary recently in Moscow. Bobby T Koshy, senior executive of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority said that select companies signed contracts in the area of USD 200,000 on-site.  

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Kerzner International taps distinguished hotelier Edward Steiner to top position at company's One&Only Palmilla

Kerzner International Limited has named Edward T. Steiner to the position of Managing Director One&Only Palmilla and Regional Vice President, Mexico for the company's new operation in Los Cabos, Mexico.  Internationally recognized as one of the most distinguished hoteliers in the industry, Steiner comes to Palmilla having most previously served as Managing Director for Las Ventanas al Paraiso resort in Los Cabos.  Steiner takes charge at Palmilla as the property undergoes a $75-million transformation and expansion reflective of the company's dynamic approach to creating distinctive resorts that quickly become market leaders.  The One&Only Palmilla will reopen January 2004  

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Radisson Hotels & Resorts adds 11 hotels to its portfolio in the first Quarter of 2003

Hotels Open in the United States, Mexico, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia -  Radisson Hotels & Resorts,continuing its global expansion, today announced it has added 11 newhotels and resorts during the first quarter of 2003, spanning eight countries around the world and encompassing more than 2,800 rooms. The brand's growth includes the introduction of the Radisson brand in Lebanon and expansion in Saudi Arabia, Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden.  In North America, Radisson added four hotels with over 850 rooms in Clearwater, Fla; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; San Mateo, Calif.; and Cancun, Mexico.  

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April 21, 2003

European hotel industry trends, the outlook for 2003, cycles and hotel products… all on the menu at PKF hotelexperts annual breakfast debate

Every year, PKF hotelexperts reviews the French and European hotel industry, with the aid of its statistical indicator and the participation of the London and Munich offices.  Moderated by Patricia Le Naour, Editor-in-Chief of PKF's partner L'h?tellerie, this year's roundtable of hotel and tourism professionals tackled the theme 'Cycles in the Hospitality Industry'.   Although the cycles theme is somewhat controversial, PKF hotelexperts' observations prove that the hospitality industry is indeed subject to this phenomenon:  whilst occupancy rates are subject to short cycles (short periods of growth and recession) due to their sensitive nature, average rates tend to vary over a much longer period.  

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SARS impacts Asian hotel performance in March

How bad will it get? This is the burning question for many Asian hoteliers in light of the recent combination of events namely SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), the war in Iraq and the continued depressed global economic conditions. 'Pretty gloomy' appears to be the answer as preliminary figures from the March 2003 Deloitte & Touche HotelBenchmark Survey reveal. Across Asia all hotels experienced a 4.6 percent decline in revPAR (revenue per available room) when measured in US dollars.  

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Hyatt hotel flag could soon fly over Boston's Swissotel

A major revamp could be in the cards for Boston's Swissotel, the successful but architecturally challenged Downtown Crossing hotel long known for its dark, fortress-like exterior and a jumbled internal layout. Hotel owner Host Marriott is eyeing plans to turn over management of the 501-room high-rise to the Hyatt hotel chain controlled by the deep-pocketed Pritzker family of Chicago, sources say. Under this plan, Hyatt would run the hotel while Host Marriott, which owns other downtown hotels, would own it.  

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Heartbreak hotels: Langham eyes owners on brink of "divorce"

Hotel owners of properties which may be coming to the end of their management contracts with multinational brands and are thinking of rebranding, should look no further than the newly-named Langham Hotels International (LHI). At least that is what Kevin Murphy, vice president-marketing and development of the formerly-named Great Eagle Hotels, wants them to do. He believes the company understands hotels from an owner's perspective and has succeeded in independently managing its own luxury hotels, namely the Great Eagle Hotel Hong Kong, which will be renamed Langham Hotel on October 1.  

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Hotels 'need Not Worry'

Roland Jaegge, vice president for Asia-Pacific at SRS-Worldhotels, is optimistic about the future of the region's tourism industry. He notes that bookings are down by just 10 per cent from last year. "People don't cancel their travel plans - they just put them on hold for awhile. That's been the case for us: more than 80 per cent of our clients have merely postponed. When the world crises like the Iraq War and Sars have faded away, I believe things will get back to normal," Jaegge says.  

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Hotel occupancy rates in Kuala Lumpur down to 33%

The occupancy rate of hotels in Kuala Lumpur has fallen to 33 per cent currently from the 65 per cent before the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), says Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn. Preliminary figures compiled by the ministry also found the hotels in Langkawi were recording occupancy rates of 20 per cent while in some hotels in Kuala Lumpur, the occupancy level had fallen to as low as five per cent, he said on April 17.

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Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc. Reports First Quarter Results

 Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc. announced its unaudited  financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2003. All amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars. "Despite the current environment, we are pleased to report EBITDA(1) of $42.2 million, which met our expectations and represented an increase of 10.8% over the prior year," said William R. Fatt, chief executive officer of FHR. "Our owned portfolio continues to benefit from our strength in the leisure market and a considerable Canadian component. Favorable exchange rate movements also contributed to an improvement in results. On a comparable basis, revenue per available room ("RevPAR") for our owned portfolio was about flat, down 0.5%, and RevPAR at all of our Fairmont managed hotels declined 4.1%."

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Le Meridien managers develop intra-regional travel initiatives

Latest move in luxury hotel group's destination drive in Middle East  In a move to share best practices and develop intra-regional travel, the general managers of Al Sondos Suites by Le M?ridien and Le Meridien Kuwait met in Dubai recently.  "Thanks to the profile of Al Sondos Suites, an all-suite 'dry' property, it has a natural synergy with the Kuwaiti market," said Naif Zureikat, general manager of the Dubai property. "Regional travel has always been a key market for us, but more now than ever, during the current global downturn in travel."   

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Singapore unveils SARS relief package

Singapore unveiled Thursday a $160 million relief package targeted at helping its tourism and transport-related industries most affected by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS. Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the package will help offset the impact of the deadly virus on the tourism industry and help save some jobs.  

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Owners of Hyatt Chain Must Reveal Breakup Plan, Judge Says

Members of the Pritzker family, which owns the Hyatt Corporation hotel chain, must turn over an agreement to break up their $15 billion empire to a judge, who will decide whether to give it to lawyers for a teenage heir.

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SARS - Hong Kong hotel owners asks for rates, MPF suspensions

The Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners chairman Michael Lee said he has put forward a proposal to the government for land rates and MPF contributions to be suspended for one year for hotels to help the industry survive the slump in demand as a result of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome crisis.Lee also asked the government to refund rates paid by hotels in 2002. He estimates the whole package will cost the government 300 mln hkd to 400 hkd. He said financial secretary Antony Leung has promised to consider the proposal, but is yet to give a firm response

April 22, 2003

The Worldwide Ranking of Hotel Groups 2003
The World's Top Ten international groups increase their supply by 2.6%.

An MKG exclusive: the worldwide ranking of hotel groups 2003   -  MKG Consulting has the largest hotel database in the world, outside the United States, with the best coverage of all the hotel segments. The MKG Consulting Database contains more than 40,000 hotels, representing over 2.2 million rooms. The activity results in the MKG Database are based on a sample of 9,000 corporate operated hotel chains worldwide, representing 900,000 rooms. 

For detailed report and worldwide ranking Click Here

U.S. Hotel Profits Decline Again In 2002 

Turnaround Expected in 2003  -  The average U.S. hotel suffered a second consecutive year of declining profits in 2002, according to the 2003 edition of Trends in the Hotel Industry-USA, published by PKF Consulting and the Hospitality Research Group (HRG). PKF Consulting and HRG announced the availability of the latest annual Trends report today (www.hrgonline.com).  According to the Trends report, the operating profit for the average U.S. hotel dropped 9.6 percent in 2002, this after a 19.4 percent decline in profits in 2001. This marks the first consecutive year decline in hotel profitability since the years 1982 and 1983.

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Le Meridien to cease to operate two hotels in Bangkok - InterContinental Hotels to take over?

AsiaTravelTips.com  -  The Owner of Le Royal M?ridien and Le M?ridien President, Bangkok, has confirmed its agreement with Le M?ridien Hotels & Resorts that the two hotels would ceased to be operated by Le M?ridien from 18th July 2003. According to industry sources, Inter.Continental Hotels & Resorts will take over management  from Le Meridien.

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March - double-digit revpar declines in the UK capital

London Mayor, Ken Livingstone recently announced that 17 May to 15 June will be a "Totally London" month, during which time the capital will present the very best it has to offer through a series of special promotions. This announcement must have come as a welcome relief to the capital's hoteliers who, still reeling from the fall in demand following the events of September 11, are now coping with the repercussions of the conflict in Iraq. Preliminary March data from the HotelBenchmark Survey by Deloitte & Touche indicates that the capital experienced its first month of double-digit revPAR decline since June 2002 with revPAR falling 11.8% to reach ?64.   

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Going West - and Berlin's Swissotel is delighted

Once the West ruled Berlin. Then, with the collapse of the Wall, the East started taking over. New developments started taking shape. Investments were poured into rebuilding the eastern part with new five star hotels, fancy restaurants, hip cafes, so much so that the "happening" heart of Berlin moved from the West - the Ku'damm area - to the East. But now, general manager of Swissotel Berlin, Gerhard Struger, believes the pendulum is swinging back towards the Ku'damm area.  

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102 Major Transactions Close in 2002

HVS Research Department has completed its 2002 Hotel Transactions Survey where major hotel transactions for 2002 are listed and discussed.  HVS describes a major transaction as a sale where the individual hotel sale's price is allocated at $10 million or greater. The number of major transactions in 2002 reached 102, comparable to the number of sales in 2001 but considerably less than the number of sales since 1995.  Below is a table which summarizes the major hotel transactions since 1990.  

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Hilton International secures future in Beijing

Hilton International announced that it has secured an extension of the Hilton Beijing's management contract for a further 10-year period. The existing contract was due for renewal between Hilton International (HI) and Oriental Arts Building Company Limited (OAB), which is a sino-foreign joint venture of China Travel Service (Holdings) Corporation of China and Chinese Estates Holdings Limited of Hong Kong, in the end of the year. However, both parties are eager to move forward ahead of the forthcoming hotel renovation, planned to begin later this year, encompassing guestrooms, restaurants, banquet facilities and public areas.  

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Iraq war and Sars take toll of Raffles

Raffles Holdings, the company that owns the eponymous hotel famous for the Singapore sling, admitted yesterday that the Iraq war and the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak had taken their toll of its first-quarter results and could have an even worse impact on second-quarter figures. Profits for the company, which is the hotel arm of CapitaLand, the Singaporean property group, fell from S$ 4.3 million (Pounds 1.5 million) to S$ 141,000 in the first three months of the year, although the 2002 performance was boosted by a large write-back of provisions.

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Downturn in Thai Hotel Industry Could Force Mass Layoffs

The troubled Thai hotel industry would have to lay off a significant number of its employees if the financial woes triggered by the Sars epidemic are not resolved in the next three to four months, an industry executive has warned. Prakit Chinamornpong, secretary-general of the 400-member Thai Hotels Association (THA), said "quite a few" hotel jobs would be axed as a result of the downturn caused by travel fears.  

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Hotels Manage, Despite Slump

The same forces that are mauling the airlines are taking a heavy toll on the hotel business. "We're seeing an unprecedented drop in demand," said Paul Whetsell, chief executive of Interstate Hotels and Resorts, the largest independent operator of hotels in the United States and Canada "This is the worst I've seen in 30 years." There is a big difference between the industries, though: while the sour economy, the terrorist attacks, the war in Iraq and now severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, have pushed some airlines to the brink of insolvency, hotels are, comparatively, thriving.  

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April 23, 2003

Measuring and Understanding Hotel Profits;  Profit and ProfPAR Defined

by Kristin Rohlfs, Hospitality Research Group of PKF Consulting

An issue developing within the lodging industry is whether or not Profit Per Available Room (ProfPAR) is a better way to measure hotel performance than the well-known Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) statistic.  Specifically, the main question is - Does RevPAR miss some important economic phenomena that ProfPAR reveals?  Arguably, the first steps in gaining insight about the ProfPAR vs. RevPAR debate are to clarify the definition and measurement of profit and to obtain a better understanding of how historical revenue and profit movements differ.  

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Airlines slump, but hotel chains still making profits

The same forces that are mauling the airlines are taking a heavy toll on the hotel business. "We're seeing an unprecedented drop in demand," said Paul Whetsell, chief executive of Interstate Hotels and Resorts, the largest independent operator of hotels in the United States and Canada. "This is the worst I've seen in 30 years." There is a big difference between the industries, though: While the sour economy, the terrorist attacks, the war in Iraq and now severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) have pushed some airlines to the brink of insolvency, hotels are, comparatively, thriving.  

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InterContinental Hotels Group Adds Two New Hotels in Thailand  Through Relationship with President Hotel and Tower

In a major boost to its long-established presence in Thailand, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced that it will assume the management  of two hotels in central Bangkok, to join its InterContinental and Holiday Inn brands as InterContinental Bangkok and Holiday Inn Bangkok. IHG will commence management of both hotels from July 2003. The 381-room Le Royal Meridien Bangkok will then be rebranded to become InterContinental Bangkok. The second hotel with 377 rooms, Le Meridien President Bangkok, will undergo a US$13 million renovation and reopen as Holiday Inn Bangkok in early 2005.

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News @ PATA

PATA AND INDONESIA CELEBRATE WELL-ATTENDED CONFERENCE Despite the impact on travel of the SARS virus and conflict in Iraq, PATA Annual Conference delegates celebrated a highly successful 52nd PATA Annual Conference in Bali, Indonesia. The Conference, April 13-17, attracted 971 delegates (including 74 spouses). There were 572 international delegates (64 percent of total) and 325 local (36 percent). Delegates represented 486 organisations from 42 countries. In his opening presidential address, PATA President and CEO, Mr. Peter de Jong, acknowledged the exceptional circumstances which kept some delegates away. 

For the rest of this week's PATA news and update, Click Here

Travel Slump Drives Cendant's 1st-Quarter Profit Down 9.6%

The Cendant Corporation , the travel and real estate services company, said first-quarter profit fell 9.6 percent as a slowing economy and looming war in Iraq led to a drop in its travel businesses. The company also cut its profit forecast for 2003.
Net income fell to $309 million, or 30 cents a share, from $342 million, or 34 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 56 percent, to $4.1 billion from $2.6 billion. The drop in profit was tempered by a decline in interest expenses and higher earnings from Cendant's real estate-related businesses.

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SARS survey

In an email survey of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific subscribers, more than four out of five respondents have said that the Sars outbreak has affected their travel. The survey was emailed to 912 selected subscribers on April 11, with 182 responses received by April 17. Several respondents added a personal note. One California-based reader said: "My work is starting to get backlogged because of Sars. But I will not travel [to Asia] until health officials have a test for Sars and a vaccine is found. Believe me, the risk is much greater than the reward."  

For further details and Survey, Click Here

NZ Hotels catch chill over Sars scare

Hotels are feeling the pinch as hundreds of Asian visitors cancel trips to New Zealand because of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) scare. Bookings for April and May are down, with major tour groups too scared to travel for fear of catching the deadly Sars which has killed more than 200 people and infected nearly 4000 worldwide. Future group bookings are also slowing, with overseas markets wary of planning too far ahead.  

For details,Click Here

Malaysia lifts ban on tourists from three countries

Malaysia has lifted its ban on visa issuance on three SARS-hit countries with immediate effect following strong criticisms and protests from Hong Kong and Taiwan, slamming the curbs as "unnecessary" and harmful to bilateral and tourism links. China previously retaliated to the original move, by banning all organised tours to Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.  

For details,Click Here

Compensation & Corporate Governance in East Asia

Written By:  Keith Kefgen  & Mark Keith,   HVS International

Not to long ago Eastern Asia's economy was lauded as a financial miracle. Foreign business leaders and academic's admired and studied the concept of Guanxi, (cooperation through personal networking). Then came the crash, the revered guanxi revealed itself as crony capitalism. Poor credit decisions and inadequate banking supervision was seen as the root of the crisis.  According to the World Bank, the crisis was a direct result of excessive borrowing to finance an unsustainable buildup of poorly performing investments. The Bank concluded that an obvious conflict of interest existed and began to speak out on the issue of corporate governance.  

For detailed report,Click Here

EuroTulip Hospitality acquires 6 hotels in the Netherlands 

Golden Tulip is proud to announce its participation in the shareholding of a new company called "EuroTulip Hospitality Management BV". The first acquisition of the company, represented by the takeover of the lease agreements of the former "Euroase" hotels, was finalised on 17th April 2003. All six hotels are located in The Netherlands and have been associated with Golden Tulip Hotels, Inns & Resorts since 1st January 1994. 

For details,Click Here

HFTP's Club and Hotel Controllers Conference to feature an Important Session on the Recently-published Uniform System of Financial Reporting for Clubs, 6th Edition

To emphasize the important changes to the newest edition of the Uniform System of Financial Reporting for Clubs, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals' (HFTP) Club and Hotel Controllers Conference will feature a session that exclusively covers the amendments and expansion to this important reference text. The book was released in mid-February, and was the result of a joint effort between HFTP and the Club Manager's Association of America (CMAA). Ian D.N. Fetigan, CCM, the sub-committee chair representing CMAA, will lead the session at the conference being held April 28-29 at Marriott San Diego Mission Valley in San Diego, Calif.

For details,Click Here

Queensland  tourism looks to locals

The Mercury  -  Queensland (Australia)  tourism operators are relying on domestic holiday-makers this Easter to fill a void left by a drastic drop in international visitors. Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive officer Daniel Gschwind said international arrival figures had dropped by between 25 and 30 per cent recently.  

For details,Click Here

Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research Partners with TravelCLICK to help Hoteliers Improve Revenue Management Strategies

Soon hoteliers will get answers to key questions affecting reservation booking performance thanks to a new strategic data alliance between The Center for Hospitality Research and TravelCLICK, a firm that provides exclusive knowledge and tools to effectively benchmark hotel booking performance in the electronic marketplace. The new alliance between The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and TravelCLICK is an opportunity for researchers to have access to a comprehensive database for study.  

For details,Click Here

Vietnam: New company licensed to develop and implement master plan for Lang Co Peninsula and Lap An Lagoon in Thu Thien Hue province

The Vietnamese Central Government and the Provincial authorities of Thu Thien Hue Province recently licensed the Lang Co Master Planning Management and Infrastructure Development Corporation (" Lang Co"),a Vietnamese joint stock company which will be 70% owned by the province and local investors and 30% by foreign interests. Lang Co has been entrusted to prepare and implement a master plan for the whole of the Lang Co peninsula and the adjoining Lap An lagoon.  

For details,Click Here

William "Bill" Otto Elected Chairman of the Advisory Board for Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

The Advisory Board of Preferred Hotels? & Resorts Worldwide, a prestigious brand of more than 116 distinctive, independent luxury hotels and resorts, announced today it has elected Mr. William "Bill" Otto as Chairman.  Mr. Otto serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Marcus Hotels and Resorts, the full-service lodging division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS) based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Following the resignation of Mr. David Benton, Vice President and General Manager of The Rittenhouse Hotel and Condominium Residences in Philadelphia and Preferred's Chairman of the Board for two years, Mr. Otto's new appointment is effective immediately.  

For details,Click Here

Australia: Takeover activity ahead as hotels face empty beds

Hotel and resort owners are hoping the SARS virus, Iraq worries and general economic unease will be enough to convince Australians to holiday at home this year and help offset the slump in inbound tourists. The sudden slide in international visitors is already affecting occupancy rates at hotels - adding further pressure to revenues hard hit by a sluggish global economy and a world-wide drop in international tourist numbers.  

For details,Click Here

April 24, 2003

In the firing line

This article first appeared in HOTEL Asia Pacific

As hotels continue to cut back on staff, your head could be next on the chopping block - but are you fully prepared to cope if you get your marching orders? Human resources expert and HOTEL Asia Pacific columnist Mark Keith gives some timely advice on how to prepare for the worst-case scenario .

For full article,Click Here

WHO extends SARS travel warnings to Toronto, Beijing, Shanxi

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Wednesday against travel to Beijing, China's Shanxi province and Canada's business capital Toronto to try to halt the global spread of the deadly SARS virus. The recommendation to postpone non-essential travel to the three areas will be in effect for at least three weeks, twice the maximum incubation period, David Heymann, WHO director of communicable diseases, told reporters.On April 4, the United Nations agency warned international travelers against going to the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, where SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, is believed to have begun, and Hong Kong.

For details,Click Here

Hilton Reports First Quarter 2003 Results

Hilton Hotels Corporation today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2003.  As announced previously by the company on March 27, business declines related principally to the conflict in Iraq contributed to generally soft results in the first quarter compared to the year-ago period. Room rate pressure owing to weakness in business and group travel, along with increased insurance costs, also adversely impacted the quarter's results.

For detailed report,Click Here

New dates for the IH&RA 40th Annual Congress

The International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) 40th Annual Congress has been rescheduled to take place in Cairo, Egypt 5-9 December 2003, instead of  the previously announced dates of 3-7 October 2003. This decision was made in response to the impact of recent world events on hospitality and tourism, the notable shifts in tourism supply and demand and the current trend of travellers postponing or delaying business and leisure travel due to economic factors. 

For details,Click Here

Asian Govts Offer Packages to SARS-hit Businesses

Asian governments are starting to respond to the cries of anguish from businesses decimated by the deadly SARS outbreak with emergency packages to help the worst affected sectors. Singapore announced relief measures worth 230 million Singapore dollars (130 million US) on Thursday. The other most badly affected economy in the region, Hong Kong, is expected to follow suit as soon as this coming week and Taiwan has stepped in to offer support to local airlines and tourism firms. 

For details,Click Here

Zurich's 'Dolder' to get Grand facelift

With Einstein, Winston Churchill, Arturo Toscanini and Henry Kissinger on its guest list, Zurich's century-old Dolder Grand Hotel used to be one of the grandest hotels in Europe -- but that was some time ago. New Swiss owners have retained British star architect Norman Foster in a bid to restore the Dolder to its former glory, at a cost they estimate at 140-160 million Swiss francs (93-106 million euros, 101-115 million dollars) "We want the Dolder to rank among the world's top ten most beautiful hotels," said Beat Sigg, executive director of Dolder AG.  

For details,Click Here

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts Offers the World at Half Off

Travelers Can Now Indulge in Luxury at Locations They Have Only Dreamed about Throughout Latin America and the Globe InterContinental Hotels Group Latin America announced  the re-launch of the "Whole World Half Off" promotion offering prices as low as (US) $55 per room night, including a full-breakfast for two. The program, which runs from April 14 until September 21, 2003, will once again allow travelers from around the world to visit locations throughout Latin America as well as around the globe, places that they have dreamed of at prices too good to pass up.  

For details,Click Here

Representatives from 22 Hilton properties from Munich to Mauritius to attend ATM

Hilton International, the world's leading hotel brand, has confirmed an increased level of participation from its global portfolio at the forthcoming Arabian Travel Market 2003 A number of senior sales and marketing representatives, as well as personnel from 22 properties worldwide, will travel to Dubai especially for the event. "This increased level of international participation is indicative of a resurgence in consumer confidence in the travel sector both regionally and worldwide.

For details,Click Here

China cancels May holiday: shock in Beijing

Inbound China travel agents in Hong Kong were not surprised by the decision over the weekend to cancel the week-long holiday to help contain SARS, but agents on the mainland are left scrambling to handle floods of cancellations. Yang Wu, deputy general manager for China Youth Travel Service (CYTS) handling inbound travel into Hong Kong, said May forecasts were already very bleak.

For details,Click Here

Careers UAE 2003: Students ready to work in tourism, hospitality sector

UAE national students and graduates are today willing to work in the tourism and hospitality industry, but face only one problem - acceptance by family.
These graduates are now trying to convince their families that they are not going against social mores, and nor are they violating traditions. The hospitality and tourism graduates argue that this field provides them with a bright career and reflects the culture of the country. This is a marked change from earlier when graduates were unwilling to take up the challenges of the tourism and hospitality industry.  

For details,Click Here

Businesses cut travel due to SARS

Businesses continue to ban travel to Asia because of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) illness. Sixty-one percent are banning travel as of April 16, up from 58 percent last week, according to a survey by the Business Travel Coalition. The group said that, "at least for now, corporate travel policy changes have stabilized" in terms of banning travel to Asia.  

For details,Click Here

Starwood Continues Its Expansion in China with Signing of Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Hotel; Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Hotel Brings Starwood's Number of Properties in China To 21

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) and Sichuan Xinchengxin Industrial Co. Ltd. announced an agreement appointing Starwood as the operator and manager of the 492-room Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Hotel. This agreement places Starwood as one of the largest international operators of upscale hotels and resorts in China.  

For details,Click Here

April 25, 2003

Alex Kyriakidis: "We are on the verge of a dramatic restructuring of the whole Travel & Tourism sector"

In a statement about the breakout session he will moderate at the 3rd Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Vilamoura on May 15 - 17, Alex Kyriakidis , Managing Partner, Travel, Tourism & Leisure, Deloitte & Touche, said: "I can`t remember when the Travel & Tourism sector had faced so many challenges - with war, terrorism, economic slowdown and now SARS. As a consequence, many highly leveraged players are in difficulty and share prices of publicly quoted companies are trading at substantial discounts to asset values. In this situation, opportunities are bound to arise and I would expect a wave of re-structuring and consolidation activity. 

For detailed report,Click Here

InterContinental Hotels Group to shed 800 jobs

The Iraq war and the deadly Sars virus have hit profits at Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), the company said. It warned that profits during the January to March quarter would be "substantially lower than last year". The group - which includes the Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza chains - said it was cutting 800 jobs worldwide from its 2,600-strong back office workforce. In a trading update, chief executive Richard North said the company had faced "some of the worst conditions the industry has ever encountered". The conflict in Iraq and continued weakness in the global economy have hit both tourist and business travel.

For details, Click Here

InterContinental Hotels says SARS 'adversely affecting' Far East ops

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, the recently demerged hotels arm of Six Continents, today warned that the current SARS outbreak was "adversely affecting" its Far East and Asia Pacific hotel operations, although little impact had so far been felt in Europe or North America. "It [SARS) is clearly having an impact, especially in Hong Kong where occupancies have been severely affected," group chief executive Richard North told AFX News in a telephone interview this morning,

For details,Click Here

London hotels are `A Casualty of War`

The full effect of the build up to, and early stages of, the war in Iraq on the UK`s hotel market was quantified in figures from  PKF that reveal particularly dramatic losses for London hoteliers. Occupancy dropped 10.3% to 67.1% in London during March, while average room rate fell 4.1% to ?88.22. The combined effect of these decreases - largely due to reduced international trade - was to push the capital`s rooms yield down to ?59.22, a drop of 14% compared to March 2002. 

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Promotions fuel guessing on next Marriott chief

Two important promotions this year have fanned conjecture over who will eventually run Marriott International Inc., one of the world's largest hotel companies. The succession speculation began in January, when the hotel chain promoted John W. Marriott 3d, son of the chairman and chief executive, J.W. Marriott Jr. John Marriott, as the son is known, is now in charge of global sales and marketing and of managing Marriott's nine hotel brands and its North American lodging operations. The day his new duties were announced, the company, based in Bethesda, Maryland, also expanded the job of the chief financial officer, Arne Sorenson, to include hotel operations in continental Europe.

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Canada lashes out at WHO advisory

Canadian health and tourism officials have lashed out at the World Health Organisation travel advisory placed against Toronto due to the SARS outbreak. The new WHO warning against "all but essential" travel to Toronto puts Canada at the same level of alarm as parts of China. Health Canada officially disputed the travel advisory in a letter to WHO, asking that the warning be removed and saying they disagreed with the recommendation. "There are no cases of casual contact in Toronto," said Dr Paul Gully with Health Canada, in a Globe & Mail Report. Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman said, "I have never been so angry in my life." And he challenged WHO officials to visit Toronto and see the situation for themselves.

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HK's Regal Hotels 2002 net loss 765 mln hkd vs loss 514.2 mln

Regal Hotels International Holdings Ltd (78.HK) said its net loss widened to 765 mln hkd in 2002, from a loss of 514.2 mln a year earlier.  Sales dropped to 988.6 mln from 1.057 bln It reported a loss of 437 mln related to impairment arising from the sale of the Regal Constellation Hotel in Toronto. It also booked an asset impairment provision of 181.9 mln for other hotel properties, it said in a statement. Operating loss widened to 569.6 mln hkd from a loss of 173.3 mln. Loss per share also broadened to 0.17 hkd from a loss of 0.13. The company did not pay a final dividend, the same as a year earlier.

International Confex 2003 delivers quality visitors

International Confex, Europe`s leading annual forum for the meetings, events and corporate hospitality industry has  once again delivered a quality visitor audience for the 2003 show - 76 percent of visitors were of managerial level or above which is a 14 percent increase when compared to 61 percent at the 2002 show. Visitor profile improved because 25 percent of those attending hold an annual events budget of over half a million pounds - an increase on the 22 percent that held budgets of that size last year, and 80 percent of visitors approve or influence that budget - compared to 71 percent last year.

For details,Click Here

Hong Kong:  HKTB and HKHA welcome billion-dollar government relief package

The Hong Kong government has unveiled an HK$11.8 (US$1.5 billion) package in an effort to rescue the economy from the SARS crisis. Of this, the travel trade will receive HK$1 billion (US$12.8 million) in funding for travel promotion, exhibitions and commerce. Both the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Hong Kong Hotel Association have voiced their support for the move. "The Hong Kong Tourism Board warmly welcomes and supports the measures announced by the government in a bid to relieve pressure caused by atypical pneumonia on travel-related industries," the board said in a release.  

For details,Click Here

Bali sees 'substantial' pickup from Australia

Australian travellers are beginning to look at Bali as their holiday destination again, and Legian and Seminyak areas are the "flavours of the month", while the traditionally preferred areas such as Tuban and Kuta are trailing, according to Garuda Orient Holidays (GOH). Its product manager, Mr Nick Deacock, said: "We have seen a substantial and encouraging turnaround in enquiry and booking levels to Bali which, though still well below historical levels, augers well for the future." Following the release of a new promotional air fare initiative by Garuda Indonesia, GOH released a new Super Specials flyer last week.  

For details,Click Here

Sydney continues to win big events

Sydney has defied weak global conditions to confirm 12 new conventions won in the first quarter of this year, amounting to over A$120 million (US$75 million) in meetings business. The Sydney Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) said it's seen a huge 200 percent jump from the same period last year. The new international meetings are estimated to attract 33,000 delegates.  

For details,Click Here

April 28, 2003

Luxury hotels in Asia languish   

Occupancy sinks as low as 5 percent as SARS deters visitors -   Fernando Bensuaski has stayed at Hong Kong's five-star Conrad Hotel many times. But never before has he enjoyed such attentive service. "It was like a one-on-one personal service," said Bensuaski, the Taipei-based chief financial officer for Sinolinks Investment Corp. "It was so empty I felt like I was the only one at the hotel." That may be close to the truth. Hong Kong's luxury hotel occupancy has plunged to about 5 percent as a deadly respiratory disease grounds businessmen and deters tourists. That would leave a 500-room hotel with guests in just 25 rooms.

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RevPAR vs. GOPPAR: There Are Times When  RevPAR Just Doesn't Reveal Enough;

How One Hotel Company Gets Down Into the Numbers -   When it comes to providing a quick snapshot of how a hotel, or a chain of hotels, or a hotel segment is doing financially, the measurement of choice is RevPAR - Revenue Per Available Room - the standard measure of top line performance.  Sometimes, however, RevPAR just doesn't reveal enough, and you have to take a hard look at the bottom line.  This is particulary true when the economy turns south, and managers need to get further inside the numbers, searching for anything that might give them an edge on the competition.  At times like these, it is ProfPAR, or Profit Per Available Room, that is a more accurate indicator of an operator's effectiveness and an owner's wealth.  ProfPAR, or GOPPAR (Gross Operating Profit Per Available Room) as it is sometimes called, provides a clearer picture of a hotel's operating performance and bottom line.  

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InterContinental Hotels Group Shapes New Organisation for Asia Pacific

More Focused, Customer-centric and Efficient Group Prepares Company for Long-term Growth and Solid Return on Investment -   InterContinental Hotels Group has unveiled the shape of the new organization in Asia Pacific following the company's global demerger and rebranding from Six Continents Hotels, which became effective last week. The new streamlined organization, which has in its portfolio leading brands including InterContinental Hotels, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn, is underpinned by more efficient use of regional and global resources and a structure that will drive greater innovation, customer focus and revenues by moving key resources closer to customers, partners and key growth markets.  

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2002 - Ten Largest Sales by Price per Room

Written By:  Antonia G. Viens -  HVS International

HVS Research Department has analyzed those hotels that sold in 2002, which had the highest sale prices per room.  Typically properties that sell in excess of $200,000 a room are in top tier cities or resort areas. These hotels come with luxury accommodations, are uniquely decorated and maintain first class service. In 2002, the top ten hotel sales by price per room matched all the preceding criteria.  

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HITEC 2003 Pre-registration is up more than 8 percent

The attendance for the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) is up more than 8 percent over  last year's numbers as of April 15, 2003. The technology show, produced by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), features companies displaying the latest technology products and services geared to the hospitality industry. The event also features an exceptional educational conference with experts from all segments of the industry, including hotels, restaurants, resorts and clubs.

For details,Click Here

Leading futurist, DR. Marvin Cetron, forecasts trends shaping the hospitality industry in HSMAI Marketing Review

In an insightful and often harrowing, yet optimistic article by futurist, Dr. Marvin Cetron, 10 global trends and their implications on  the hospitality industry are reported in the cover story of the spring 2003 issue of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Marketing Review magazine.
In "Forecasting Trends Shaping the Future of the Hospitality Industry," Dr. Cetron of Forecasting International, Ltd., discusses in-depth  10 trends and their implications on the hospitality industry.

For details,Click Here

Travel Intentions Remain High But Americans Continue To Delay Booking Trips 

The second wave of the War Impact Survey produced by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) shows that war came and went without devastating the travel and tourism industry. The survey did show that certain sectors such as airlines and outbound travel continue to be severely affected but overall travel intentions remained stable. Currently, 82 percent of Americans plan to take at least one trip this spring or summer.

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Moat House bids to buy managed hotels

Caterer.com - Moat House Hotels, the UK arm of Queens Moat Houses (QMH), is hoping to buy five hotels that it manages from the Bank of Scotland early next year. The group has been managing the hotels for the last 10 years, but the agreement expires in January and the bank has told the group it intends to put them on the open market rather than agree a private sale. "These hotels are not critical but we would prefer to keep them. While the property market is depressed, individual hotel values have remained high," said Tim Scoble, managing director of QMH.

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AH&LA's President Joe McInerney Updates - April 22, 2003

Dear Friends & Colleagues:  -  After a long, cold season full of snowstorms and falling occupancy rates, spring has finally arrived - hopefully bringing the return of business travelers and a barrage of leisure guests to our hotels.In the midst of anticipating an upturn in our industry this season, AH&LA is gearing up for several upcoming travel and tourism meetings and events.

For the rest of the update,Click Here

London Congestion Charge has little effect on meetings industry says survey

United Kingdom, 25th April 2003: In a recent survey carried out by the Meetings Industry Association (MIA) into the effects of congestion charging on the meetings industry in central London, the vast majority of those surveyed felt the recently introduced charge was having no effect on their business. The on-line survey of MIA members based in London, which includes Hotels, Conference Centres and Exhibition Venues, revealed that 78% believed the charge was making no difference to their business, with just 11% saying it would have a negative effect and the same number voting that the prospects of reduced traffic would improve business.  

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Some hotel perks, amenities do a disappearing act

Next time you check in, check out the towels in the hotel bathroom. The racks may not be as stacked. Or the freebie toiletries may be skimpier. (Body lotion is often the first to go.) And bellhops might not hop to it, because there are fewer now to answer guests' calls. ''Across the board, things are being cut'' as lodgings confront rising costs and lower occupancy levels, says hospitality consultant John Fareed of Resort Marketing Partners.  

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Thailand to host PATA Travel Mart 2004

AsiaTravelTips.com  -   Bangkok, Thailand has won the bid to host the 2004 PATA Travel Mart, and Kuala  Lumpur, Malaysia has been confirmed as the host of the 2005 event.  PATA President and CEO, Mr. Peter de Jong, said: "Both destinations put in excellent package bids which covered all the fundamentals necessary to host a prosperous and exciting Mart. PATA's aim now is to continue the great momentum of our Conference in Bali and make this year's Mart in Singapore a resounding success." The PATA Travel Mart 2003 takes place in Singapore between 1 - 3 October.

SRS-WORLDHOTELS appoints new Vice President of Sales & Marketing for EMEA

SRS-WORLDHOTELS, one of the leading global hotel sales, marketing and reservation consortia for independent hotels, has today announced the appointment of Christian Fiederer to the role of Vice President Sales and Marketing EMEA.  Reporting directly to the Company's Chief Executive Officer Michael Ball, Mr Fiederer will be assume responsibility for SRS-WORLDHOTELS European sales office network, with main offices based in London, Madrid, Paris, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Milan, Johannesburg and the headquarters based in Frankfurt. 

For details,Click Here

April 29, 2003

Hopes rise over fight against SARS

The World Heath Organization has congratulated Vietnam for being the first country to contain SARS. And it says the situation has "stabilized" in Hong Kong, Singapore and Toronto, among the areas hit hardest by the deadly virus. In a bright spot after weeks of bleak medical news from Asia, WHO officials said Monday there had not been any SARS cases identified in Vietnam since April 8 -- meaning 20 days had passed since the last recorded infection. However, the organization said it was essential to remain vigilant and monitor the situation closely for any new cases entering Vietnam. The WHO says the 20-day timescale -- twice the incubation period for the disease -- is the limit required to confirm containment of the virus.  

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Hong Kong remains safe place to live: Medical expert

TravelWeeklyEast.com  -  Special Report from the "Fearbusters" workshop in Hong Kong, held at the Island Shangri-La, April 26. More than 130 people from Hong Kong's community and tourism industry attended the "Fearbusters" workshop, organised jointly by the Civic Exchange, TravelWeekly and Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, on Saturday. The objective of the workshop themed "A Turning Point in the SARS Outbreak" was to create a community of practice of Hong Kong residents to rebuild trust in the "safety" of the city after the outbreak. The majority of participants did not wear masks. TravelWeekly reports.  

For report,Click Here

Winston Hotels to Transfer 33 Management Contracts to New Management Company

Winston Hotels, Inc. a real estate investment trust (REIT) and owner of premium limited-service, upscale extended-stay and full-service hotels, today announced that it intends to terminate its 33 management contracts with Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc. effective July 1, 2003. These properties along with the hotels' management and employees will transfer to Alliance Hospitality Management, LLC, a newly created hotel management company that is owned by Atlanta-based Noble Investment Group, Ltd., a nationally respected hospitality company and hotel industry veteran Dale M. Turner, CHA.

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Just what Australia needed: another blow for tourism

Australians may think they are far removed from the SARS outbreak. But there is no doubt SARS will have a significant effect on our economy This week, after the mayor of Beijing stopped pretending all was well while his people were dying, the capital's schools were closed, holidays cancelled and around 100 new cases added to the infection tally each day.  

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David Michaels takes over Hilton Hotel Division

Following the untimely death of Anthony Harris, formally Chief Executive of
Hilton International, the hotel division of Hilton Group plc, it has been
announced today that David Michels will assume responsibility for the hotel
division in addition to his role of Group Chief Executive.  Brian Wallace,
Deputy Group Chief Executive and Group Finance Director, and Jurgen Fisher,
President Hilton International, Europe and Africa will also assume additional
responsibilities for the hotel division.  These changes take effect on 1 May

Rotana poised for major Middle East expansion, with new hotels and refurbishments on the way

Rotana Hotels, Suites & Resorts is set to launch a major new phase of development in the Middle East, and is at the same time  going ahead with significant refurbishments of existing properties in the region. Rotana, currently operating 18 Middle East properties, is in the process of finalising management agreements for nine new hotels, while three more new projects are under serious consideration. The new additions include resort hotels in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, a hotel suites development on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, four or five star hotels in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Fujairah in the UAE, and two hotels in Egypt. Details will be announced by the company to the travel trade at next month`s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, while Rotana will also highlight its plans for hotel suppliers at The Hotel Show, also taking place in Dubai, later in May. 

For details, Click Here

Amari Hotels chairman, Adisorn Charanachitta, dies

Prominent Thai hotel businessman, Mr Adisorn Charanachitta, died in a plane crash on Saturday during heavy rain in Lop Buri while on the way to Chiang Mai. A son-in-law of business tycoon Mr Chaiyudh Karnasuta, Mr Adisorn was director of the Royal Orchid Sheraton and The Oriental Hotel, Bangkok. He was also chairman of Amari Hotels & Resorts. Mr Adisorn was in a single-prop plane owned and piloted by Mr KenSarasin, who was elected chairman of the board of The Oriental Hotel Bangkok only last Thursday. 

UK Hotel property prices ride trading gloom

Caterer.com  -   Hotel property prices are holding firm but could fall if poor trading continues in the long term, forcing companies to adjust the asset value of their portfolios. With demand outstripping supply, there are few real bargains to be had, and current values show no signs of decline, say hotel property agents. Hotel values are based partly on the profitability of the business but the current climate of poor trading, particularly in London, has led to fewer hotels coming on to the market.

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EuroTulip Hospitality acquires 6 hotels in the Netherlands

Golden Tulip announceed its participation in the shareholding of a new company called "EuroTulip Hospitality Management BV" . The first acquisition of the company, represented by the takeover of the lease agreements of the former "Euroase" hotels, was finalised on 17th April 2003. All six hotels are located in The Netherlands and have been associated with Golden Tulip Hotels, Inns & Resorts since 1st January 1994.

For detailsClick Here

Virtual meetings in SARS-hit Asia

Virtual meetings may be the future blueprint for the way Asia does business as it struggles to deal with the deadly SARS virus. Responding to investors' concerns about travellers from countries hit by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), investment bank JP Morgan in Hong Kong used audio and video conferencing to pitch a stock sale of $28.2 million on Wednesday rather than meeting clients.

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Hotel rebels threaten to sack Hands  

Furious  timeshare owners are threatening to kick out a management company owned by the wife of top City financier Guy Hands. Julia Hands faces a vote of no confidence over the way her Hand Picked Hotels runs a timeshare at the plush Rhinefield House in the New Forest, Hampshire. Timeshare owners have been at loggerheads with her management company for several months following a demand for an upfront payment from them for 'exceptional' refurbishment work at the historic mansion, which the timeshare owners do not believe is justified.  

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Hotel chain woe may hit Royal Bank for ?100m

Royal Bank of Scotland, Scotland's largest company, is facing losses of ?100m on its investment in Le Meridien luxury hotel chain, which has been hit by the collapse in air travel. The hotels group, which includes the Waldorf in London, is now controlled by a consortium of 12 banks after the chain's shareholders, including Abbey National and Alchemy Partners, decided to hand control to the lenders. Le Meridien was bought for ?1.9bn two years ago by a consortium put together by arch-deal maker Guy Hands, when he was head of Nomura's principle finance operation.  

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Toronto unveils tourism campaign

Despite rising SARS toll, officials say outbreak under control - Canada's biggest city, its reputation blackened by an international advisory telling people to stay away because of SARS, began to woo back tourists Saturday with a multilingual television campaign. The campaign comes after Toronto announced another death on Saturday from SARS and three additional deaths the day before, for a toll of 20.

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Bangkok Luxury Hotels: Five-star health scare

Occupancy rates down to 40% this month, heading to 25% -  Even the grand dame of the Chao Phya river - the Oriental Bangkok - has been forced to cut costs as its mainstay |foreign guests are avoiding Asian trips. "To prevent massive lay-offs |of the hotel's full-time staff, the management of the hotel has tried to trim expenditures on extrava-gant activities," a source said last week. The five-star hotel has had to lay off temporary staff in the food and beverage, housekeeping and engineering departments, said the source, who requested anonymity.  

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April 30, 2003

Starwood Hotels posts quarterly loss

Chain warns future profits will fall short -  The company, which like the rest of the travel industry is also being hurt by the outbreak of the SARS virus, warned its future profit would fall below Wall Street forecasts. White Plains, New York,-based Starwood reported a loss of $117 million, or 58 cents per share, in the first quarter, compared with a profit of $32 million, or 16 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding impairment charges from the expected sale of some hotels, the company said its quarterly loss was 8 cents a share. Hit by a travel downturn which also led rivals to slash outlooks, Starwood on March 24 withdrew its forecast of about a 4-cent per share profit. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had seen anywhere from a 10-cent loss to a profit of 2 cents per share, with an average estimate of a loss of 2 cents.

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France, March 2003:  The crisis continues!

The difficult international context and the breakdown in the worldwide economy - the crisis evident in the Parisian upscale industry is now spreading throughout France. In Paris, occupancy was not the only indicator to suffer last month (-19%), since even ARR was down by -5%.  This is particularly worrying and could indicate the risk of a price war - not seen since the last Iraqi conflict.  In March, only Large Capacity hotels managed to increase ARR, with a modest rise of 2%.  Other categories experienced stagnating (deluxe hotels) or declining ARR (-7% for boutique hotels). This drop in ARR would not be so dramatic if it wasn't for the simultaneous decline in occupancy. 

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News@PATA

DE JONG AND TRAVEL INDUSTRY TO MEET WHO DIRECTOR -   PATA President and CEO, Mr. Peter de Jong, and other travel industry leaders, will meet with the WHO Executive Director Mr. David L. Heymann at a press briefing at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand in Bangkok. Mr. Heymann will meet with ASEAN leaders at the emergency summit on SARS in Bangkok tomorrow (29th). Mr. de Jong said: "It will be a good chance for PATA and the travel industry to request that countries which have made progress containing SARS should be removed from the WHO's advisory list. It is important we make the WHO understand the severe economic hardship which our members are experiencing as a result of its advisories."  

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Sharp rise in SA hotel investment

As part of the growing interest in South Africa's tourism and leisure industry, particularly on the part of offshore investors, Golding Hotel Investment Consultants (GHIC), part of Pam Golding Properties, South Africa's largest unlisted residential property group, has concluded deals in excess of R220 million for the financial year ended February 2003, the group said on Tuesday. This represents an increase of 76% over the previous year.

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Hotel searches a tricky Web process

Consumer group calls travel Internet sites 'confusing' -  Independent Study Reveals Pros and Cons of Wide Variety of Travel Sites and Reveals Potential for More Complexity and Bias  -  Consumer WebWatch, a project of Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, unveiled a study that shows the number of unregulated, integrated travel sites on the Internet has grown, and the complexity of booking rooms and subjectivity of information has similarly increased. The study on hotel-booking Web sites compares and contrasts rates and services available through a variety of popular travel sites.

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IT&CMA 2003 Gets Strong Support From ICCA

The International Congress and Conventions Association (ICCA) will be holding the 7th ICCA Congress & Exhibition in the city of Busan, Korea on 26 - 29 October 2003. As one of IT&CMA's Endorsing Association, ICCA has declared its strong support for IT&CMA 2003 by ensuring that the dates of ICCA Congress does not clash with those of IT&CMA 2003. Delegates of the Congress will hence be able to attend IT&CMA 2003 the following week, 4 - 6 November 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand.  

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Travel trade launches 'We love HK' campaign to boost spending

Cathay Pacific Airways, Dragonair, and five other carriers are participating in a "We love HK" campaign to encourage consumer spending at home, and instilling confidence in the community. The campaign, to be launched on May 1, has also generated interest from all sectors of the travel trade and the community at large, including Ocean Park, Star Cruises, hotels, restaurants, and taxi drivers, as no registration is required for participation. Anyone can join, anytime.

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Forrester: Don't Ignore The Small Business Traveller

Opportunity knocks in the small business travel sector but many of the larger travel companies aren't listening -   On the whole, much of the travel industry ignores what it considers "small" accounts - companies that spend less than $1 million annually on business travel. Forrester Research, in a recently published brief entitled Exploiting Small Firms' Focused Travel Tech Needs, concludes that this is a market that deserves more attention.  

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Le Méridien's Madrid Ritz sold to Orient-Express JV

Orient-Express Hotels and Spanish investment group Omega Capital have agreed a €125m (?86.5m) deal to purchase the Hotel Ritz in Madrid from Le M?ridien. The 167-room hotel will be operated by Orient-Express under a long-term management contract. Commenting on the acquisition Simon Sherwood, president of Orient-Express Hotels, said: 'We are proud to have been able to acquire this world-famous landmark property together with Omega and to manage it within Orient-Express Hotels.

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