Hotel News In Brief

Sep 01, 05 | 7:46 am

The Westin Seattle Names New Hotel Manager   The Westin Seattle, Seattle's premier convention, business, and leisure hotel featuring 891 upscale rooms, announced today the appointment of Andrea Norton as Hotel Manager.Norton brings nearly fifteen years of experience in the hotel industry to her new position where she is tasked with overseeing the hotel's dozens of operations managers and ensuring all aspects of the day-to-day operations run smoothly and efficiently.She has worked in management roles for several properties owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, which owns The Westin Seattle. Norton has served in such notable positions as Director of Six Sigma for the Westin Century Plaza Hotel & Spa and St. Regis LA as well as Director of Rooms for the Westin Century Plaza Hotel & Spa. She has also served as Director of Rooms/Director of Operations at the W Hotel Westwood and Director of Rooms for the Wyndham Bel Age Hotel."We are delighted to have Andrea onboard here in Seattle", said Elisabeth James, general manger, The Westin Seattle. "Her solid background in hotel operations combined with her ability to motivate employees and communicate effectively with guests made her the ideal person to serve as our hotel manager." Norton has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career including being named Manager of the Year, Manager of the Quarter, and a Certified Master Trainer.

Two Extended-Stay Hotels Reflagged  VM LLC has reflagged two Orlando-area hotels, formerly Sierra Suites Hotels, to its extended-stay hotel brand. The 137-room Extended Stay Deluxe Orlando-Convention Center is located at 6451 Westwood Blvd., and the 125-room Extended Stay Deluxe Orlando-Lake Buena Vista is located at 8100 Palm Parkway. The HVM LLC has reflagged two Orlando-area hotels, formerly Sierra Suites Hotels, to its extended-stay hotel brand. The 137-room Extended Stay Deluxe Orlando-Convention Center is located at 6451 Westwood Blvd., and the 125-room Extended Stay Deluxe Orlando-Lake Buena Vista is located at 8100 Palm Parkway. The company, based in Spartanburg, S.C., owns and operates more than 670 all-suite properties in 43 states, including 13 other hotels in the Orlando area.

Le Meridien Opens Second Hotel In Malaysia  Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts will open its second hotel in Malaysia, the new five-star Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu in the capital city of Malaysian Borneo, on September 1, 2005. The hotel is located close to the heart of the city's business, entertainment and cultural districts and only 15 minutes from the international airport. The majority of its 306 luxury bedrooms, including the Executive Floors and Le Royal Club have views of the South China Sea or Mount Kinabalu.  The hotel's spacious guest rooms are designed for comfort and convenience offering IT/broadband-friendly work stations, mini bar with tea and coffee making facilities, a LCD 73cm flat screen television and DVD player. The luxury bathroom has a separate bath and shower area.  Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu offers a number of relaxation and entertainment opportunities. There is a lounge bar and an all-day dining restaurant with live Jazz and Blues in the evening. There are sea views from the third floor pool, spa and pool bar. A state-of-the-art conference and meetings area, business centre and fully equipped gymnasium complete the hotel's comprehensive facilities.

Dow Hotel Company Purchasea 272-room Hilton Atlanta Northeast The Dow Hotel Company, LLC (DHC), a hotel ownership investment and management company, today announced that it has purchased the 272-room Hilton Atlanta Northeast in a joint venture with AEW Partners V, L.P., a real estate opportunity fund managed by AEW Capital Management, L.P. DHC, which previously operated the hotel, will continue to manage the property under a long-term agreement.  Located at 5993 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., in Norcross, an Atlanta suburb, the hotel will undergo a several million dollar renovation and upgrade program and remain under the Hilton brand. With more than 22,000 square feet of meeting space, the hotel offers the largest meeting facilities in Gwinnett County. 'While many of our recent acquisitions have been on the West Coast, we operate nationally and pursue opportunities throughout the U.S.,' said Murray L. Dow II, DHC founder and president. 'We have managed this property for more than three years and seized the opportunity to team up with AEW for the first time. The hotel is a great fit for our company's portfolio, with extensive meeting space, a great location and considerable upside potential. The Hilton presents a commanding presence on a hilltop in Norcross and truly stands above all of the other hotels in the marketplace both physically and figuratively.' 'This property is a great addition to our growing portfolio, and we look forward to a long, prosperous relationship with The Dow Hotel Company,' said Jim Luchars, vice president of AEW Capital Management, L.P.

Cromwell Management Buys Chateau Royal Cromwell Management, based here, has purchased the Chateau Royal and the 124-suite property will be converted into apartments, according to the company.  Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels arranged the sale on behalf of Philadelphia-based equity investor Lubert Adler Real Estate Funds.

$1.2M Facelift Underway At Ocean Place Resort Ocean Place Resort & Spa is currently undergoing a $1.2 million renovation that began in early June and is slated for completion this week. The renovation includes a complete soft goods upgrade of the resort's 254 guestrooms with the installation of new headboards, queen-size mattresses and box springs, bedspreads and duvets, dust ruffles and accent pillows. All beds feature 200-thread-count, 100% Egyptian cotton sheets. Additional enhancements include lamps and nightstands, lounge chairs, drapes and shower curtains. The rooms are also being repainted and new carpeting is being installed. All hallways have been repainted as well. The resort’s outdoor market-style patio café overlooking the boardwalk is also being spruced up with oversized rattan chaise lounges, couches and chairs, red canvas umbrellas and teak furniture for dining. Additionally, the sunken patio adjacent to the café was redesigned to have 1,500 square feet of outdoor special event and function space. Ocean Place Resort features a full-service European style spa, two restaurants, health club, an indoor and outdoor pool, two tennis courts, and more than 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

RIU's first resort in Cape Verde will open in October  RIU Hotels & Resorts will be opening its first establishment on the island of Sal in the archipelago of Cape Verde (western Africa). It will be a major all-inclusive hotel resort (5 stars, according to the country's classification system) with 500 rooms and 40,000 square metres of garden, conceived to be an oasis of comfort next to one of Africa's finest beaches. RIU Hotels & Resorts has 110 properties with 34,000 rooms and is the world's 26th largest hotel group, according to the magazine 'Hotels'.

Hilton International Opens Its Second Hotel In Barcelona The Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona will be Hilton International's second hotel in Barcelona and two more properties are scheduled to open in Spain over the next two years in Valencia and Madrid. The 21 storey Hilton is situated next to the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB) and joins the Arquitetonic complex a visual icon of Barcelona from the 21st century.  Overlooking the Mediterranean, the five-star hotel offers 433 rooms and includes a "LivingWell Express", an open-air swimming pool and several dining amenities including The Indigo restaurant, The Pistaccio Lobby Bar & Lounge and the Brisa Pool Bar.  Business travellers can take advantage of 1,500 m² of meeting space, nine meeting rooms and a ballroom with a capacity of 1,000 persons. Parking is also available for 250 cars. The hotel is situated approximately 10 minutes from downtown Barcelona, 20-km from Barcelona International Airport and is next to Barcelona's most important transport routes, including Diagonal Avenue, Ronda Litoral and Rambla Prim. "Hilton International believes in creating new hotels in the most important business cities and covering the necessities of the business segment," explained Theodor Kreutzer, Vice President for the Mediterranean.

InterContinental Hotels Group announced today that a new 102-room Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Bloomington, Ind., recently opened, representing another addition to the mid-scale brand's portfolio of limited-service hotels.  There are now more than 50 Holiday Inn Express hotels with more than 3,700 guestrooms in the state of Indiana with the addition of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Bloomington. The InterContinental Hotels Group portfolio in Indiana is represented by five of its brands, including the upscale, full service, limited service, upscale extended stay and mid-scale extended stay segments with more than 70 hotels and over 7,800 rooms. Guests of the $8 million Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Bloomington will be able to take advantage of the Stay Smart experience which is unique to the Holiday Inn Express brand of hotels.  The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Bloomington will offer the brand's hallmark features including the Express Start breakfast bar, which has re-defined the meaning of "free" breakfast bars, Smart Roast® In-Room Coffee, Smart Connect^SM Telecommunications, Priority Club Rewards and the SimplySmart shower, which is raising the bar on guest expectations of a hotel shower experience. The revamped Express Start breakfast bar sports a modern branded look-and-feel that delivers a complete breakfast experience similar to that of a breakfast café.  A standard at all Holiday Inn Express hotels, the breakfast bar offers Smart Roast 100% Arabica coffee and warm indulgent cinnamon rolls prepared with an exclusive recipe developed especially for the Holiday Inn Express brand--as well as traditional morning favorites including fruits, juices, cereals, selected low-carb and protein options and more.  Additionally, guests of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Bloomington will experience the new SimplySmart shower which delivers a clean, simple and more functional bath experience.  Guests will enjoy an exclusive multi-function showerhead by Kohler^® designed to compensate for all sorts of water pressure challenges; larger, fluffier 100% cotton towels, curved shower rods for more space, and white, hookless shower curtains along with new amenities.