Hotel News In Brief

Jan 08, 13 | 12:00 am

Some current conversation starters…

Marriott International honoured top select-service and extended-stay owner and franchise partners at a conference held recently at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona.

Approximately 600 executives from organizations that own, franchise or manage Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites and/or TownePlace Suites hotels attended the three-day conference. For years, Marriott has been presenting the Partnership Circle Award to companies that embody Marriott’s Spirit to Serve philosophy, fully embrace Marriott’s brand initiatives, focus on associates to create a well-managed and engaged workforce, invest in hotel product, and provide outstanding customer service as measured through Marriott’s guest satisfaction surveys. This year, eight companies were awarded for their hospitality excellence: Inland American Lodging Advisor, Inc.; Kratsa Properties; Shaner Hotel Group; Stonebridge Companies; Sunridge Hotel Group; Tharaldson Hospitality Management; The North Central Group; and True North Hotel Group, Inc.

Despite difficult global economic conditions, Indonesia looks forward to welcoming between 8.5 million to 9 million tourists in 2013, Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu, asserts.

This is a significant increase of between 7% - 12.5% from the 8 million international arrivals in 2012. This confidence is based on the fact that in 2013, Bali will host the APEC Summit along with 10 other Indonesian cities hosting related ministerial meetings prior to the Summit. There will also be the WTO Ministerial Meeting. Additionally, Bali and Jakarta will host the Miss World Pageant, for which events the airports of Bali and Jakarta and of many destinations are being improved and expanded and many access roads are under construction. Hotel investments and construction has hit a record high with investments across the country, as hotels are built in major cities as well as in remote tourist resorts, said Minister Pangestu. Foreign investments in hotels and restaurants have also hit a record US$ 729.7 million, with US$ 86.1 million in domestic investments, said Yanti Sukamdani, chairperson of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurants Association.

Key Appointments in the Industry

Congratulations to these new appointments…

Officials of New Castle Hotels and Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator and developer, today named Tim Ostrem general manager of the Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews by-the-sea, New Brunswick in Canada. New Castle, along with Halifax-based real estate developer Southwest Properties, purchased the landmark hotel from the provincial government in 2012 and is in the midst of a $20 million, floor-to-ceiling renovation. It will reopen in the second quarter as part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Prior to joining New Castle, Ostrem served as general manager of the Cambridge Suites Hotel, Toronto’s first 4-diamond rated, all-suite, downtown hotel - and recognized with a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award in 2012 as one of the top hotels in Canada. Earlier, he was the general manager for the Mayfield Inn and Suites, an upscale suite hotel, conference centre and dinner theater in Edmonton, Alberta, and as a general manager with Delta Hotels and Resorts, was honored with the Franchise Hotel of the Year award. Ostrem earned his MBA from the University of Alberta and has been an active participant in numerous social and charitable endeavors, including the Salvation Army, Breakfast for Learning, and Elves Special Needs Society.

Ernest (Ernie) Wooden, Jr., a long-time senior hospitality industry executive and Los Angeles-area resident since 1999, has been named President and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LA Tourism). He succeeds Mark Liberman who served in the role since 2003 and announced his retirement this past May. Wooden has spent his entire career in the hospitality industry, including more than a decade in senior leadership positions in both global brand management and operations with Hilton Hotels Corporation. As Executive Vice President, Global Brand Management for Hilton, based in Beverly Hills, Calif., he led all worldwide branding initiatives for the well-known hotel corporation, working with 3,000 properties in 80 countries. His operations roles at Hilton included overseeing territories in Mexico, the Caribbean and across the U.S. In addition, Wooden has also worked with such top hospitality brands as Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree by Hilton and Promus Hotel Corporation. Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Creative Consulting, a hotel consulting practice providing hotel operation, valuation and brand selection and analysis services.

The Latest in Hotel Openings

JW Marriott Panama Golf & Beach Resort is now open, marking the brand’s first entry into Panama. The 1,000-acre resort is in the Buenaventura community on the Pacific coast, about two hours from Panama City by car.

Hilton Worldwide announced on Thursday that it signed a franchise agreement with Martinez Hotels & Resorts to bring its DoubleTree by Hilton brand to Ireland. The deal will see Dublin’s 138-room Morrison Hotel reopen as The Morrison Dublin, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in early February, following a US$9.3 million refurbishment featuring a new interior design from Dublin-based Nikki O'Donnell Architects.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts debuts a new addition to its growing portfolio in the Middle East – Fairmont The Palm. The property is owned by international residential and resort developer IFA Hotels & Resorts (IFA HR).

Interstate Hotels & Resorts opened the Holiday Inn Express The Hague, representing the first Holiday Inn Express to open in The Hague, The Netherlands. The 123-room hotel, located next to the Dutch Parliament and the American Embassy, is the fifth hotel managed by Interstate to open in The Netherlands, and resulted from a partnership between Interstate and The Vincent Hotel Group (TVHG).