Hotel News in Brief
May 01, 12 | 12:09 am 
Some current conversation starters...
For travelers more accustomed to stratospheric thread counts than high fill-power sleeping bags, upscale options are still available.
The travel service Lloyd and Townsend Rose rents high-end homes and, well, castles throughout Britain at rates starting at roughly £25,000 (about $39,500) a week. The price not only covers an estate that would work as the setting for Mr. Darcy's Pemberley in the next "Pride and Prejudice" remake - if you edit out the modern conveniences and renovations - but also includes a fully catered experience, according to Andrew Lloyd, the firm's director. That means a staff that may include housekeepers, chefs, waiters, groundskeepers and anybody else essential to making sure that as a guest you don't lift a finger, not even to whip out your credit card. "It's completely different from a hotel - you don't have to pay as you go," Mr. Lloyd said. He added that the company also organizes your activities based on your interests, so that people who want to look at Georgian architecture come away as content as those who want to "just flop and watch the telly for a week." For many visitors, the Olympic Games are the activity of interest this summer, and Lloyd and Townsend Rose has a portfolio of properties just for them. Its "London Olympics Accommodation" promises properties within an hour of where the Games take place, in Stratford, or in London. One, on Ladbroke Road, could be considered a bargain. This four-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Notting Hill includes a live-in maid and two parking spaces at a price of £20,000 a week. Don't expect to see anybody camping in this garden.
With just three months until the London 2012 Olympics hotel prices across the capital are an average 65% higher than last year.
In the most accurate snapshot of actual room rates undertaken so far, leading hotel market intelligence provider TravelClick has revealed demand for accommodation and prices over the two week Games period (Jul 27-Aug 12) continue to creep upwards. Demand for rooms is currently around two-and-a-half times more than hoteliers would expect during a traditional summer season. However, anyone who still hasn't booked their hotel room can still find somewhere to stay - committed occupancy during the Olympics (actual rooms reserved so far) stands at 55.4%. The busiest day in the Capital so far during the Olympics is the night of August 3 - that Friday sees a number swimming finals and is followed on the Saturday by a big day of athletics including the women's 100m sprint final. Even then, occupancy sold stands at 58.6% so rooms are still available. Hoteliers, meanwhile, should manage their rates with market awareness and be careful to not overprice their rooms so they provide the most value to their guests. On the night of the closing ceremony (Aug 12) average London rates are almost double what they were in 2011 but occupancy currently stands 43.3%.
A two-foot long snake found in the handbag of a woman tourist from Kerala, created a flutter in the lobby and reception hall of a hotel today.
A couple from Kochi had come to tour Nilgiris district and were at a resort in Mudumalai last night. They came to the hotel where they booked their room on Thursday. As the woman opened her hand bag, a snake, later identified as non-venomous 'wolf' peeped out from it, creating panic in the reception. As the staff behind the counter started screaming, panic spread to the lobby and verandah, they said. Hearing about the incident, two volunteers from Save Snake, a service organisation arrived at the spot, and managed to catch the reptile. It was not known how the snake came in the bag. The reptile will be handed over to the zoo or released in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, police said.
Key Appointments in the Industry
Congratulations to these new appointments...
Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading US-based hospitality management company, has appointed Stacy Martin general manager for The Heldrich Hotel and Conference Center, located in heart of revitalized New Brunswick, New Jersey. Stacy Martin was previously general manager of The Ellis Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, a property that achieved a Top 10 rating during her tenure there. Prior to this, Ms. Martin served as general manager for a number of hotels in markets across the country, including Daytona Beach, Naples, Seattle, Dallas, and Boston.
For Ankush Sharma, the new general manager at the Courtyard Chennai, India, life's pleasures can be found in both the finer things and the everyday, an idea that he incorporates into the guest experience at this hotel in Chennai Anna Salai. A passionate wine lover and foodie, Sharma brings more than 15 years of experience to this business hotel in Chennai, where he works closely with his team to help them reach their true potential and uphold the company's Spirit to Serve ethos. After graduating from IHM Aurangabad, Sharma started his hospitality career with the Taj Group. While working in various locations in Delhi, Mumbai, Goa and Bangalore, he received hands-on experience with catering sales, front office and food and beverage before taking his skills to Hyatt International. He then spent 6 years as operations manager with Universal Resorts Maldives before joining the Marriott family. Prior to joining this Chennai hotel near the airport, he was director of operations at the Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre and Courtyard by Marriott. Sharma is trained in a variety of areas, including leadership, human resources, information technology and finance, and brings his passion for travel and meeting new people to his general manager position.
The Latest in Hotel Openings
Singapore Marriott Hotel, best known for its iconic green pagoda roof at the corner of Scotts Road and Orchard Road has completed a SGD 35 million refurbishment, bringing a new level of luxury to one of the city's best loved properties. As the most extensive project of its kind in the hotel's 17-year history, all guest rooms have been overhauled to offer guests more efficient use of space with newly installed bathrooms and ergonomically optimized furniture. Most notably two new room categories have been introduced for the discerning business and leisure traveller: Premier Deluxe Rooms and Studio Rooms. The once traditional hotel lobby has been converted into a warm and welcoming open plan zone while Marriott Cafe boasts a sophisticated new ambience, extended seating and open kitchen block. A brand new F&B concept, Java+ completes the refurbishment. "We are extremely pleased with the results of six months of hard work," said Mr. Thoo Kah Fah, Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director of Tang Holdings who funded the project.
Hilton Worldwide's Hilton Garden Inn brand has opened its second hotel in Rome, the 93-room Hilton Garden Inn Rome Claridge. The hotel is a conversion of the former Claridge Hotel and is located within walking distance to such popular tourist attractions as the Via Veneto and the Villa Borghese. The hotel joins its sister property, the Hilton Garden Inn Rome Airport, representing the upper-end, select-service brand in the city.
Marriott and the Galaxy Entertainment Group have signed long-term management agreements for more than 1,300 rooms, suites and floating villas at two luxury hotels to be operated by Marriott International brands to anchor the second phase of the Galaxy Macau: The Ritz-Carlton, Macau and the JW Marriott Hotel Macau. The two hotels, scheduled to open in 2015, are expected to be Marriott International's first in Macau. The company expects to open a hotel a month in China over the next three years. At the end of the first quarter, Marriott's pipeline of hotels either under or approved for construction in China was 54 hotels and 17,000 rooms.
