Hotel Industry News In Brief

Aug 13, 12 | 12:09 am

Some current conversation starters…

Taking the expression “get a room” literally, Public Chicago plans to give gift certificates to couples engaged in public displays of affection.

According to HotelChatter, Public plans to send a video crew to noteworthy Chicago locations on August 11 to capture people showing signs of “PDA” and reward them with overnight stays at the hotel as well as dinners and cocktails at the property. The crew, which will be accompanied by comedian Michael McNamara, will start at the Lagoon in Lincoln Park and reveal subsequent locations via Twitter, HotelChatter reported.

Following the revamp of its website www.warwickhotels.com in November 2011, Warwick International Hotels has been awarded Best in Class by the Interactive Media Council (IMC).

The IMC, a nonprofit organization of web designers, developers, programmers, advertisers and other web-related professionals, created this top award to elevate the standards of excellence on the Internet, especially in regards to website design and development. The Best in Class award represents the highest standards of professionalism, standards compliance, and planning and execution of web-driven communications. "We placed an emphasis on improving usability, aesthetics and content, and visibility on search engines, all of which will increase the level of the hotel's respective relevancy in search results," said Warren Chiu, Director of Project Development for Warwick International Hotels. "This, in time, will translate into an increase in visibility of our hotels and resorts in the world of search engines and higher online revenue." Designed by Milestone Internet Marketing, Inc, a leading provider of Internet marketing and social media solutions for the lodging industry, Warwick's site was developed to enhance the users' experience when browsing or making a hotel reservation, as well as to enhance the search engine visibility, explained Anil Aggarwal, CEO of Milestone Internet Marketing.

Steve Hood, senior VP of research at STR, received the ICHRIE Industry Recognition award at the 2012 Annual ICHRIE Summer Conference last week.

This special award is given by ICHRIE, the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education, to a hospitality and tourism industry professional and/or organization in recognition of a pattern of demonstrated commitment to advance hospitality and tourism education as a discipline. "The education community is an important component of STR's reach in the industry," said Amanda Hite, president of STR. "Having ICHRIE recognize Steve in this capacity is a testament to his commitment to further solidifying that relationship." Past winners have included: Nina Madoo, Marriott International, Steve O'Connor, Marriott International; Bill Cohen, Haworth Press, Mary Jo Dolasinski, White Lodging Services; American Hotel & Lodging Foundation; Wendy Swedlove, Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council; Otmar Sorgenfrei, Nestle Gastronomia Foundation; John Wiley & Sons Inc.; Gilles Honegger, Accor; Robin Baliszewski, Prentice Hall Publishers; Van Nostrand Reinhold; Vince Feehan, Ecolab Inc.; Phil T. Belanger, Holiday Inn Worldwide; James Singerling, Club Managers Association of America; Faye Gayes, The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute; Philippe Rossiter, Institute of Hospitality; and Phillip Charlton, Hospitality Training Association Inc.

Key Appointments in the Industry

Congratulations to these new appointments…

Halekulani Corporation, which owns and manages both Halekulani and the Waikiki Parc Hotel on Oahu, Hawaii, has appointed Ulrich Krauer to the position of General Manager of Halekulani. Mr. Krauer, who has helmed several of the world’s most iconic hotels during the course of his career, will join Halekulani on August 27, 2012 and will be responsible for directing all aspects of day-to-day management and operations of the legendary 453-room property. Mr. Krauer most recently served as Asset Manager to Somerset Grace Bay in the Caribbean and, previously, as General Manager of Kona Village Resort on the Big Island. In addition, he has held the position of Manager Director and General Manager at the St. Regis Monarch Beach and Sonoma Mission Inn in California; Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas, Texas; Hotel La Samanna in St. Martin, French West Indies and the legendary Hotel Bel Air in Beverly Hills. He also served as Resident Manager at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas and the Grand Bay Hotel Miami. Mr. Krauer’s international experience includes management positions in five-star properties in Bern, Davos, Locarno, St. Moritz and Vevey in Switzerland; Megeve, France; St. Andrews, Scotland; Costa Smeralda in Sardinia and the luxury cruise ship MS Vistafjord of Norwegian America Lines.

Timothy Wright, an international hotel veteran with more than 25 years’ work experience in the travel and hospitality industry, has been appointed general manager of the deluxe harbour-front Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong. Prior to this, he was general manager of Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. Before moving to Malaysia, Mr. Wright was general manager at Traders Hotel, Singapore, a post he assumed in 2002. He has held positions at a number of different Shangri-La properties, including hotel manager at Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore; executive assistant manager, food and beverage at Shangri-La Hotel, Surabaya, Indonesia and director of food and beverage at Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta. Mr. Wright joined the Shangri-La group in 1993 as banqueting manager at Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta. An international hotel veteran, Mr. Wright has worked in major cities such as New Delhi, Cebu, Bangkok and Kota Kinabalu. In 1990, Mr. Wright accepted his first overseas hotel assignment as restaurant manager of The Grill at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, prior to which he was the assistant reception manager at Claridge’s hotel, London.

The Latest in Hotel Openings

InterContinental Hotels Group is gaining momentum with the development of its new brand - Hualuxe Hotels and Resorts - aimed at the Chinese traveller. Eight management contracts have now been signed since the brand launch earlier this year, including hotels in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as six emerging business and leisure destinations across the country. The eight hotels bring a combined total of nearly 2,800 rooms to the Hualuxe brand pipeline, which is a significant achievement in less than five months since the brand launch. "Since we entered this market in 1984, we've been evolving our operating standards and services to ensure all our Chinese guests feel welcome and comfortable," said Keith Barr, chief executive officer, IHG Greater China. "Hualuxe Hotels and Resorts marks an innovation in this industry. Our three decades of experience has given us deep consumer insight that we've now used to create a brand where every element has been fashioned to suit the tastes and sensibilities of our Chinese guests. This has never been done before and it's immensely rewarding to see so many owners and business partners understand, support and sign up to our vision." The first eight Hualuxe Hotels and Resort signings are all in cities where IHG already has an open hotel or a hotel in the pipeline and they will greatly complement other IHG hotels in these markets. Hualuxe will initially launch in Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities and resort locations and IHG sees the opportunity for this brand to be in over 100 cities in China over the next 15 - 20 years. The eight newly signed hotels and resorts are expected to open between 2014 and 2016, and all of these are signed with new owners who are working with IHG for the first time.

Langham Hospitality Group has arrived in Sydney with the acquisition of The Observatory Hotel which becomes The Langham, Sydney today. Langham Hospitality Group has arrived in Sydney with the acquisition of The Observatory Hotel which becomes The Langham, Sydney today. Located near Sydney's historical Rocks district and the Central Business District, the hotel is the ideal luxury base from which to conduct business and to explore the city. The hotel is nestled near the vibrant harbour and the world-famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, close to the bustling heart of the city with its fine selection of shops, museums, galleries and restaurants. "The Langham represents a true legend in the history of luxury hotels since 1865. We are delighted to bring The Langham's enchanting hospitality to Sydney," said Brett Butcher, Chief Executive Officer of Langham Hospitality Group. "This acquisition signifies the group's plans for a long-term strategic expansion and be a major player in the quality end of the market in the Pacific region. We will be investing in progressive refurbishment to position this hotel at the very top of the luxury hospitality sector in Sydney," continued Brett Butcher.

Morgans Hotel Group will open the 71-room Delano Marrakech next month in partnership with Ahmed Bennani and Hivernage Collection. The property, designed by Jacques Garcia, has an interior decorated with marbles, velvet and other textiles. The lobby’s ceilings are hand-carved. The guest accommodations consist of 30 suites and 41 guestrooms. On the food and beverage side, Delano Marrakech will offer Bon R, with fine French cuisine from Executive Chef Michel Rostang; Giancarlo Morelli’s Mediterranean Italian concept; sushi and sake; and Galerie, a café and bar under the rotunda in the lobby. The property will also offer a 20,000-sq-ft (1,858-sq-m) spa, boutiques, a rooftop lounge and, early next year, will open a nightclub under the lobby level. Morgans will operate the property, which will be followed by another under the Mondrian flag which will open in late 2013.