Hotel Industry News In Brief

Sep 20, 12 | 12:09 am

Some current conversation starters…

The Venetian is the latest hotel-casino in Las Vegas to add electric vehicle supply equipment to its parking facility.

It will provide free electrons to drivers of electric cars to refuel their battery packs while visiting the Grand Canal Shoppes. The charging equipment is on the sixth floor of the self-parking garage near the elevators. The two stations can be used to recharge the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i, Fisker Karma, Toyota Prius PHV, Ford Focus EV, CODA sedan or any other plug-in electric vehicles that use the automotive industry's standard connectors. The charging stations are rated at AC Level 2, which means they can supply 240 volts of current to charge these vehicles in three to six hours, depending on battery-pack size. This installation complements three Tesla Motors' high-power charging stations that have been at the valet parking garage of the Palazzo for more than a year, to provide free electrons to owners of the Tesla Roadster and now the 2012 Model S. "The Venetian and the Palazzo have made alternate transportation a priority because we want to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources and lessen dependence on traditional automobiles," said Rishi Tirupari, sustainability project manager for both properties.

Michael A. Leven, president/CEO, Las Vegas Sands Corporation, will be honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit, January 22-24, 2013, in Los Angeles.

Leven is a veteran hospitality executive with more than 50 years in the business who holds a distinguished and well-recognized record of success. Prior to joining the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, he was the president/CEO of U.S. Franchise Systems, Inc., a company he founded in 1995 that developed and franchised the Microtel Suites and Hawthorn Suites hotel brands. Leven has served with many industry organizations throughout his career, including co-founding the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, which started with 12 members in 1989 and now has more than 9,300 members. Additionally, he is the former international president of the Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), and former chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Government Affairs Committee. Leven is a recipient of the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers Lifetime Achievement Award and was previously named to HSMAI’s Hot List of 25 Most Extraordinary Sales & Marketing Minds in Hospitality & Travel. He has also received the American Jewish Committee Selig Distinguished Service Award, UJA Federation of New York Hotel and Hospitality Award, and the Georgia Hospitality & Travel Association Spirit of Hospitality Award.

Four Seasons Resorts Maldives have won the Doing It All and Wildlife Conservation categories for large resorts in the Condé Nast Traveler (US) World Savers Awards 2012 – created to honour the travel companies that are doing the most to help protect the planet and give back to their local communities.

The Resorts also received the runner-up award for the Education category in recognition of a decade of dedication to Four Seasons Hospitality Apprenticeship Programme. Commenting on the Awards, Armando Kraenzlin, regional vice president of Four Seasons Resorts Maldives said: "It's in Four Seasons DNA to take steps to support the local community and environment in every destination where we operate; our social and environmental efforts in the Maldives date back to 1998. We have grown from very humble beginnings to a combination of projects today with the potential to make a real difference to the local community and environment. It's great to have our efforts recognized, but the reality is that every local corporation has a key role to play in the sustainable development of the Maldives." Four Seasons Resorts Maldives environmental efforts began in 1998 – Kuda Huraa's first year of opening – with the coral reef regeneration project, now known as Reefscapers. Developed with local environmental consultancy Seamarc Pvt. Ltd, it is now one of the most successful of its kind in the world. More than 2,400 coral frames have been propagated in the lagoons of Kuda Huraa and Landaa Giraavaru, strengthening the islands' house reefs and providing new habitats for countless species of wildlife. Now in their 14th year of working with Seamarc, the Resorts have adopted additional projects that range from fish breeding to turtle conservation.

Key Appointments in the Industry

Congratulations to these new appointments…

The Angler’s Boutique Resort announces James E. Ayres II as general manager of the 45-suite luxury South Beach property. In this position Ayres leads a team of unrivaled hospitality professionals through the many facets of successful hotel operation. Under his direction, the resort has already received top honors including an unprecedented period of time as TripAdvisor’s #1 Hotel in Miami Beach. With over 15 years of industry experience, Ayres has served in various management capacities with a strong background in Rooms Division as well as significant sales & marketing expertise. Before arriving at the Angler’s, Ayres most recently ran several award-winning boutique properties throughout Florida and Georgia for Coral Hospitality. His work with Coral Hospitality began in 2001 when he accepted the position of general manager at the Vero Beach Hotel and Club. Earlier in his career, Ayres spent time at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, FL and then as an integral member of the Don Cesar Beach Resort & Spa in St. Pete Beach, helping the property to fill their role as VIP Host Hotel during Super Bowl XXXV.

BayStar Hotel Group has hired Christopher Foerst as general manager (GM) of the Holiday Inn — Capitol Center in Tallahassee, Fla. Foerst returns to Tallahassee after serving as multiple brands task force manager for Prism Hotels and Resorts in Dallas, Texas. His duties there included responsibility for taking over and managing hotels under receivership. Previously he was director of sales for the Four Points by Sheraton in Tallahassee. Foerst's 21-year career in the hotel industry started with Amerinns Corp. in Cleveland, Ohio, and he has worked with several Marriott brands in Ohio and Florida, including serving as general manager for the Residence Inn by Marriott in Tallahassee for seven years.

The Latest in Hotel Openings

Bulgari Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with OCT Group to open a new hotel in Shanghai in 2015. The project follows the opening of the Bulgari Hotel London in late May this year. The luxury goods brand has a further two properties – the Bulgari Hotel Milan, which opened in 2004, and the Bulgari Resort Bali, which opened in 2006. The Shanghai hotel will be located in a riverside metropolitan complex development in Suhe Creek, a protected heritage zone in the Zhabei District. The Bulgari Hotel will be located in the 12 upper floors of a 40-storey building designed by architecture team Foster + Partners. The hotel will have 120 rooms and suites - including the 400sqm Bulgari suite – as well as a ballroom, spa, and rooftop Italian restaurant. A Chinese fine dining restaurant will be created in the former Chinese Chamber of Commerce building at the site, which dates back to early 1900. "The new Bulgari Hotel in Shanghai will be another important step for the Bulgari Hotels & Resorts project and a further precious occasion of visibility in such a strategic market for luxury goods," said Francesco Trapani, president and chief executive of Bulgari’s LVMH division.

Marriott International, Inc. has announced the signing of its first AC Hotel by Marriott in Paris, the 166-room AC Hotel Paris Porte Maillot. The hotel will be operated under a franchise agreement with SHEPI SNC. The AC Hotel Paris Porte Maillot will represent Marriott International’s 14th hotel in the capital city and its third AC Hotel by Marriott in France. The joint venture and co-brand, AC Hotels by Marriott, was launched last year, adding over 80 existing AC Hotels throughout Spain, Italy and Portugal to the Marriott global portfolio. In line with ambitious growth plans for the brand, AC Hotels by Marriott opened their first hotel in France earlier this year, the AC Hotel Ambassadeur Antibes Juan Les Pins and recently announced the signing of the AC Hotel Nice, due to open in early 2013. The AC Hotel Paris Porte Maillot will exude the modern comfort and urban style associated with the AC Hotels by Marriott brand. Blending quality, comfort, design and technology, the hotel will boast a fitness centre, stylish guestrooms and signature AC Lounge and Bar offering complimentary Wi-Fi and zones to relax, work or unwind. The hotel’s prime location, just in front of the Palais des Congrès, delivers a host of restaurants and bars to be enjoyed just a short stroll away.

Tune Hotels has opened it first hotel in Thailand's capital city, Bangkok. Owned and operated under a franchise agreement by Red Planet Hotels, the 130-room Tune Hotel Asoke, Bangkok in Sukhumvit Soi 14, is a short walk to the Asoke BTS Skytrain station and Sukhumvit MRT underground train network, which provides easy access to all key shopping, financial and entertainment areas and attractions in the city. Through a recent investment to acquire a 16.05% stake in the Tune brand, Red Planet is now the third largest shareholder in Tune Hotels with ownership interests in 17 hotels located across Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and the United Kingdom as of today. Red Planet also has a funded pipeline for 20 hotels currently under construction.