Hotel News in Brief

Aug 31, 09 | 1:45 am

Overnight stays in Spain's hotels dropped 5.5 percent in July from the same month in 2008, compared with a 6.4 percent fall in June, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said on Monday. The decline in hotel rates also eased in July, to 6 percent year on year compared with a 6.5 percent reduction in June. Overnight stays in July fell 0.1 percent among residents of Spain and 9.0 percent among non-residents. The number of foreign tourists visiting Spain in July fell 6.1 percent from a year earlier, with British arrivals, a prime market, undermined by recession and the weak pound.


GUESTS at a US hotel can be left with a permanent reminder of their stay with the hotel's new room and tattoo package. The Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach is offering guests a $119 voucher to get inked by the hotel's in-house tattoo and graffiti artist, Norm. Costing $476, the "Ink & Stay" package includes a room, moisturising lotion, an icepack for healing and a bottle of tequila to numb the pain. For those that can't decide what to have, the hotel is offering a $596 bonus to anyone who has "I Heart Hotel Erwin" etched into their skin. Others can take ideas from Norm's artwork, which can be found all around the funky Los Angeles hotel. Temporary tattoos will also be available for those looking for something less painful and permanent.


Four Points by Sheraton Bangor Airport boasts a whole new look following the completion of a $9 million renovation in April 2009. Located in Bangor, Maine, the property made significant upgrades to its lobby, restaurant, guest rooms and exterior as part of the Four Points by Sheraton global revitalization campaign. In the past five years, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) and its licensees have invested more than $1 billion in Four Points by Sheraton hotels with major property renovations, conversion and new-build hotels. 70 percent of the Four Points portfolio has turned over in the last five years due to strategic efforts to improve the quality and consistency of the hotels.


At a recent all associate meeting for worldwide lodging franchisor Choice Hotels International, Inc. a select number of associates were named among the company's best of the best for their various contributions to the organization. Among these honorees was Todd Davis, chief technology officer, who was given the highest honor, the Choice Hotels CEO's Best of the Best award for his strong leadership and management practices by living the company's cultural values and performance principles. The award recognizes leaders who, through their relationships and endeavors, embody respect, customer focus, integrity and inclusion diversity; and Choice Hotels performance principles: collaboration, performance excellence, sense of urgency and openness. Davis was nominated by numerous colleagues from across the organization, saying, among many things, "[Davis] brings a spirit of performance excellence by setting high standards for himself and his team and encouraging open and honest discussion. He is constantly gathering diverse groups of associates together to facilitate discussion and find ways to better serve IT's internal and external customers.Todd's has played a key role in several very successful projects in his tenure at Choice Hotels," said Stephen P. Joyce, president and CEO of Choice Hotels International. "His energy, enthusiasm, hard work and attention to detail have been a tremendous asset." Choice Hotels is pleased to recognize Todd Davis for the tremendous job he does everyday and the continued dedication he shows to driving agility in operations and corporate IT.


The 99-room historic Jefferson Hotel is slated to reopen next week, having been closed for extensive renovations. The Beaux Arts-style hotel, located four blocks from the White House, features a private cellar dining room and a full-service spa.


Recently released global statistics show that Macau is growing in popularity as a MICE destination, in spite of current market conditions. In 2008, the total number of events held in Macau was 1,240, up by 5.35% on 2007. Of these events, corporate meetings grew by 11.83% and trade shows and exhibitions grew by a massive 53.85%. Overall, the number of participants in events in Macau grew last year by 20.64%, with participants in trade shows and exhibitions up a staggering 76.17%. Macau has been a key meeting venue for travellers and traders since the 16th century, when it became a crossroads for cultures and commerce. The harmony of Portuguese and Chinese heritage is now overlaid with an exciting range of new hotels and attractions, including a dramatic increase in the number and diversity of high quality meetings and events space such as the forthcoming Macau Science Centre, due to open in December 2009 and the recently opened integrated resort City of Dreams, which includes three international hotel brands: Crown Towers, Hard Rock Hotel and Grand Hyatt.


"Cut-backs" and "budgeting" might be the buzz words for this summer, but the rough economy does have its advantages, luxury is now available for much less, according to cruise reviews and news Web site, CruiseCritic.co.uk. Cruise travellers are finding that luxury packages and the best cabins are much more affordable, and they can get much more for their money than in previous years. Anticipating a tough year for luxury sales, cruise lines are offering significant discounts on their best cabins, suites and members-only facilities. It is a tactic that appears to be working -- many luxury agents have reported record sales inquiries in the past few months, likely stimulated by the generous discounts being offered. In response to demand for more information on high-end cruise travel, Cruise Critic has re-launched its dedicated luxury cruise section, which provides comprehensive information on luxury cruise lines and ships, exotic ports of call and tips for travellers considering their first upscale cruises. "High-end cruise ships are one of the few places you can still find real luxury, and -- crazy as it might seem -- this year may actually be the right time to take that exotic trip or luxury cruise you have always dreamed of," says Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief, Cruise Critic. "Decide on a budget, and see what you can get for your money."


TAIWAN is introducing new products to the Singapore market in an effort to arrest the 10 per cent decline in arrivals from the Lion City in the first seven months of the year. Farm stays, hot springs and homestays are among the attractions Taiwan Visitors Association (TVA) director Singapore office Joseph Cheng hoped would grab the attention of Singaporean families and FITs. Cheng said: "We expect business to be better in the next few months, especially in the last quarter. Hopefully, with the new products, we can maintain last year's numbers from Singapore of around 205,000 visitors." Richmond Tours inbound tours department vice general manager Carey Chiu's business from Singapore fell 20 per cent in the first half of the year. He is thus pushing farm stays, theme parks and shopping tours for family travel during the October to January peak season. Typhoon Morakat, which devastated central-south Taiwan in early August, brought along a deluge of FIT cancellations for Richmond Tours but Chiu said bookings were now slowly picking up.