Hotel News in Brief

Feb 25, 08 | 1:46 am

HVS and Beijing International Studies University (BISU) will co-host the China Hotel Investment Summit (CHIS) for the fourth time from 16 to 18 April 2008. The Summit will be organised jointly by HVS and Phoenix Consulting. It will be held at the Grand Hyatt Shanghai. The summit will witness a gathering of hospitality captains, business leaders and hotel investors from China and around the world. The summit will discuss the latest hotel investment trends and market developments in Greater China and the rest of Asia. The theme of the 2008 Conference is "Investing in the Fastest Growing Hotel Markets". CHIS will provide insights to the vast opportunities for hospitality investments in the Chinese market as well as in the economies of Asian countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Korea and Japan. All these economies are on an upswing cycle, which will provide growth to the hotel real estate and tourism sectors. The summit has invited leading expert speakers and panelists. The summit will also organise social events to maximise networking opportunities. Source: Hospitalitybizindia

Both Choice Hotels and Wyndham Worldwide this week reported double-digit percentage growth in earnings during the fourth quarter of 2007, boosted by higher lodging revenues. Choice beat analyst expectations by reporting 13 percent earnings growth for the quarter to $27.9 million, compared with $24.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2006. Revenues were up 18.6 percent to $142.5 million, and systemwide revenue per available room was up 4.6 percent for the quarter. Wyndham also reported 13 percent growth in its fourth-quarter earnings to $104 million, compared with $92 million in the fourth quarter of 2006. Revenues were up 16 percent to $176 million, and systemwide RevPAR was up 5.9 percent. Both hotel companies maintained optimistic forecasts for the coming quarters, although some analysts warned that such economic factors as rising fuel costs and housing market woes could indicate a few difficult quarters ahead. Source: BTonline

 
Benchmark Hospitality International opened The Hotel at Naples Bay Resort this morning with a ribbon cutting led by the Honorable Bill Barnett, mayor of the City of Naples, Florida.  The resort is located on the waterfront in Naples. "We are delighted to welcome The Hotel at Naples Bay Resort to Naples' thriving tourism community," said Mayor Barnett. "For decades Naples and Collier County have tempted vacationers seeking a tropical getaway. The entire hospitality industry here works very hard to keep visitors coming back year after year." Roy Young, Benchmark's managing director at Naples Bay Resort, who also participated in the ribbon cutting, stated, "We are just thrilled to open this remarkable and luxurious hotel at what is sure to become a major destination resort for leisure and business travelers.  We are also so pleased to be an active part of this exquisite piece of Florida's gulf coast - Naples."

 
Park Plaza Hotels acquire Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel. With the construction of Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London's largest hotel to open in the city for decades well underway, Park Plaza Hotels now declare full ownership of the hotel.  Agreement to increase its ownership of the development from 33% to 100% was announced to the London Stock Exchange yesterday. The prestigious Park Plaza Westminster Bridge apart-hotel will also be operated by Park Plaza Hotels when open in 2010.  The extensive £221 million development is situated at the southern end of Westminster Bridge close to the recently opened 398-room Park Plaza County Hall and Waterloo Station. As planning permission was recently granted to add another floor to the development, the hotel will now feature 1,037 apartments, each with kitchenette and ample living space.  Accommodation will range from studio rooms to magnificent penthouse suites with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the River Thames, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.

 
Inaugurated last September and after just a few months in business, Senzone Restaurant at Madrid's brand-new Hospes Madrid luxury & boutique hotel, has made a major name for itself on the gastronomic scene of the capital of Spain. One good indication of this fame is the Restaurant Revelation of the Year 2007 award that it picked up on 18th February last during the fifth Metrópoli Awards gala ceremony. This was not the only title scooped by the restaurant. It also received the Best Sommelier prize, awarded to Rut Cotroneo, who is in charge of the surprising and very complete wine selection at Senzone, boasting labels from all over the world. Managed by the young, yet experienced hands of chef Francisco Morales, who was recently awarded the "21st Century Chef" prize as the revelation young Spanish chef,  Senzone Madrid opts for healthy, natural fare. Customers enjoy a balanced combination between local ingredients and the freshest and most suggestive dishes, in an idyllic setting with views onto the hotel's indoor courtyard.

 
Aqua Hotels & Resorts announced that Aqua Coconut Plaza, located at 450 Lewers Street, will close for renovations on February 23. "The decision to close the hotel for planned upgrades and refurbishments makes it possible to accelerate the pace of work and meet a June 1 reopening date," said Elizabeth Churchill, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Aqua Hotels & Resorts.  "All of our travel partners have been notified and bookings have been accommodated at other Aqua hotels in Waikiki." On June 1, when the hotel re-opens, it will be marketed as the Coconut Waikiki Hotel.  It will also be upgraded to the Aqua Boutique Collection.

 
Banyan Tree Sanya brings a new level of seclusion to China's South Sea Island. Singapore-based Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts is pioneering a brand new sub-tropical hideaway on China's Hainan Island, one hour's flight south of Hong Kong. Scheduled for soft opening in April 2008, the exclusive Banyan Tree Sanya Resort and Spa, located at Luhuitou Bay, on the southern coast of Hainan Island, will be the first all-pool villa resort in China and will complement the Group's two highly-acclaimed properties located in the depths of China's Yunnan province. With 49 secluded pool villas set amidst a sculpted tropical lagoon, the resort is designed as an exclusive hideaway; a lavish escape from urban sprawl. It comes with a Banyan Tree Spa and hydrotherapy complex, signature dining outlets, and extensive conference facilities making it an ideal venue for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) events. The highlight however, is the resort's two Presidential Villa Complexes. Unprecedented in both scale and luxury, these will accommodate heads of state and their entourages, and cater to groups of up to 50 in each private compound.

 
Outrigger Enterprises Group announced that it has been selected to manage a new luxury  400-room full service hotel in an exciting new, mixed use resort being built on the island of Phuket in Thailand. The resort, located on Mai Khao Beach along the unspoiled northwest coast of Phuket, will be called the West Sands Resort, Phuket and will feature the new West Sands Outrigger Resort, Phuket hotel, 98 villas and 336 condominiums, along with stand-alone restaurants and a world class water park. Central & City Developments Limited, whose principals include Sir Terry Leahy, a former European Business Leader of the year, and Paul Mercer, well-known developer and president of Central & City Developments, is the developer of West Sands, which is the first in a series of lifestyle resorts to be developed by Central & City Developments. "This is an exciting opportunity for Outrigger," said David Carey, president and CEO of Outrigger Enterprises Group. "We've had our sights set on Thailand -- Phuket in particular -- for some time now; and we're thrilled to be associated with such a prestigious project and a team of experienced developers known for their high standards and quality projects."