Hotel News in Brief
Jan 08, 09 | 1:45 am 
Sol Melia to Manage 5-Star Hotel in Sicily. Sol Melia will manage a 5-star beachfront hotel in Sicily that includes 209 guestrooms, 246 apartments, three swimming pools, two restaurants, a lounge, a convention center, and sports facilities such as tennis and volleyball courts. The hotel's spa will be operated under the Sol Melia luxury spa brand, Yhi Spa. The hotel is part of a luxury resort that features another hotel and two golf courses. Source: hospitalitydesign
Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat has announced today its official reopening, following extensive renovations to the entire property. The scope of the hotel's restoration work encompassed a comprehensive upgrade of the property which included the lobby, beach and garden area, sports facilities and the majority of its guest rooms and suites. In addition, the hotel will house an international concept restaurant VUE by Shannon Bennett, the first restaurant outside Australia for the worldwide acclaimed chef. "This is the result of a great deal of hard work, incredible craftsmanship and fastidious planning. Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat is an icon in luxury accommodation and this reopening is a major milestone in the hotels 23 year history," said Tony Zamora Director of Operations IHG Oman and General Manager, Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat. "Each aspect of this reformation has been carefully coordinated and observed to ensure guests are in-awe from the moment they walk through the door."Over 97 percent of the original employees have returned to the hotel after fulfilling roles at other IHG properties throughout the Middle East, Asia and Europe during the renovation period. An additional 278 jobs have also been created, providing employment to over 24 nationalities, the majority of these Omani nationals.
AVANA Properties, a firm set up to find international investment opportunities, is looking for buildings with the potential to be converted into hotels in the UK. The company was established by oil entrepreneur Sam Malin, who built his career through Madagascar Oil, which is now 60% owned by Total Oil. After putting a project management team in place at Madagascar, which explores for oil around that island and in the Seychelles, in 2006, Malin launched the Avana group of businesses. Until now Avana Properties has focused on Madagascar, but Malin is looking for investment opportunities in Scotland and England, to take advantage of the economic downturn. Malin said: "Our focus is on hotels and offices. Given the fact prices in the UK are depressed at the moment, there is an opportunity to buy attractive properties. We are looking at newbuilds or revamping rundown buildings." Avana has not yet purchased any properties in the UK, but has seen several listed buildings in disrepair which have the potential to be converted into hotels. Source: Business.Scotmans.com
Rosen Hotels & Resorts is proud to announce that its three Orlando convention properties, Rosen Plaza, Rosen Centre and Rosen Shingle Creek, are the first hotels in Central Florida to achieve Two Palm status in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Green Lodging Program and are among only 11 total Two Palm hotels in the state of Florida. The three properties were among the first 50 properties (the top one percent in Florida) to receive the One Palm designation in 2007. The newly achieved Two Palm designation certifies that the hotels have increased energy conservation and pollution prevention measures since their One Palm certification just over a year ago. The voluntary state initiative provides the lodging industry with free technical assistance, encouraging hotels and motels to adopt cost-saving "green" practices that reduce waste, conserve natural resources and improve the bottom line. Facilities can achieve up to three levels of green within the Florida Green Lodging Program ranging from One Palm to Three Palm based on increased reductions in waste, water and energy consumption.
The mixed-use W Hotel project, one of a number of major commercial real estate developments still under way in the Southland despite the recession, is on track to open in the fourth quarter of this year, according to its developers, Gatehouse Capital Corp. and Legacy Partners. The project at the corner of Hollywood and Vine will feature a 305-room W Hotel, 143 W Residences, a 375-room apartment complex and 50,000 square feet of retail space. Dallas-based Gatehouse and Foster City, CA-based Legacy topped out in December on the project, which is a public-private partnership including the City of Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. In addition to the all-new construction, the project will include transit plaza improvements at the Hollywood/Vine Metro Red Line Station. Source: GlobeSt.com
The Lexington Collection of fine Hotels, Plaza Hotels, and Resorts Worldwide is pleased to announce the opening of its newest property today located in the heart of the premier college town of Alabama - Auburn. The Lexington Hotel University Convention Center offers guests three diamond accommodations. It also features the largest ballroom in town and a combined meeting space totaling over 9,000 square feet that is easily dividable to accommodate functions of all sizes.
The Atria Hotel at the Palace Road in Bangalore is in the process of upgrading its facilities from four-star category to five-star. The property will be fully functional this year, post the partial renovation and refurbishment which is currently in progress. Satish Amblee, CEO, Atria Hospitality Management Services (AHMS) informed, "The hotel rooms are currently being upgraded to enhance the service levels on par with the five-star category. Moreover there will also be a health club and spa facility. About 50 per cent of the work has already been completed and we hope to finish the rest in the course of the next year." AHMS will also be commissioning the Atria Grand (270 room luxury boutique hotel) in Whitefield, Bangalore this year. Recently, the company also affiliated The Atria Hotel at the Palace Road in Bangalore with WORLDHOTELS to widen their global network. Source: TravelBiz Monitor
Quake topples tourist hotel. A 7.6-magnitude quake hit before dawn about 150km northwest of Manokwari, the main city in the province of West Papua, which lies on the Pacific Ocean in the far east of Indonesia's island chain. A 7.5-magnitude aftershock and a procession of smaller quakes, one as strong as magnitude 6.1, later rattled the region, according to US and Indonesian seismological authorities. One of the main tourist hotels in Manokwari was toppled and at least three people were pulled out of the rubble alive. An employee said Manokwari's Mutiara hotel was toppled by the second of the quakes, which hit around three hours after the first. "Three hotel guests returned to their room after the first big quake. They failed to evacuate after the second powerful quake struck and got trapped in the hotel rubble," said the staffer, who gave his name as Harun. The three were pulled from the rubble and treated in hospital for light injuries, he said. Source: News24
