Hotel News In Brief

Dec 15, 05 | 8:46 am

Vantage Hospitality introduces The Lexington Collection  Vantage Hospitality Group, the company that brought you Americas Best Value Inn, the "Fastest Growing Hotel Chain in America," announces its newest venture into the upper-mid to upscale lodging segments, The Lexington Collection. The Lexington Collection is comprised of four distinguished product lines - Lexington Hotels, Lexington Plaza, Lexington Suites, and Lexington Resorts and Villas. Officially announced on December 6, 2005 at Americas Best Value Inn's National Education Conference and Tradeshow in Las Vegas, this new national brand already has 12 Lexington Collection hotels in its portfolio. "The Lexington Collection is a winner right out of the gate," stated Roger Bloss, CEO of Vantage Hospitality and Americas Best Value Inn. "Americas Best Value Inn has a proven track record with a strong foundation of established programs and opportunities to allow hotel owners to be in business for themselves, not by themselves. Owners are looking for an affordable alternative to franchising in the upper-mid to upscale hotel segments and The Lexington Collection is strategically positioned to offer the opportunity for a higher ROI."Vantage Hospitality has become an innovator in national brand affiliation with its unique "one size does not fit all" membership structure. Termed the "Freestyle Lodging Membership Model," a key component of the model is the opportunity for Lexington owners to choose the lodging style, price points, and amenities that are appropriate for their market niche. By assessing consumer profiles for their region, owners are able to meet the specific needs of their guests while increasing their own ROI.

New Hilton Garden Inn opens in Houston   Houston's newest Hilton Garden Inn has opened in the heart of the city's famed Galleria area, just steps from the best names in retailing including Neiman Marcus, Cartier, Gucci, Macy's, Tiffany & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, The Sharper Image, Ralph Lauren Collection, Louis Vuitton, a flagship Foley's and Houston's only Nordstrom. The Hilton Garden Inn Houston/Galleria Area is located at 3201 Sage Road between Richmond and Westheimer with quick access to the Galleria, Uptown Houston and hundreds of neighboring boutiques, national retailers and award-winning restaurants. The hotel's 182 spacious guestrooms, including 30 suites, are furnished with a large work desk, a microwave oven, refrigerator and coffee maker. The mid-priced property offers complimentary high-speed Internet as well as wireless Internet access throughout the hotel; a 24-hour business center and fitness facility; an outdoor heated pool; and complimentary transportation to and from the Galleria, surrounding businesses and attractions.

Westin brand continues its expansion in the Caribbean with the recent groundbreaking of The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort & Spa and the adjacent Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Residences on the scenic island of St. Maarten. Slated to open Fall 2006, The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort & Spa will offer 310 luxurious guest rooms, suites, oceanfront dining, a full-service spa, casino, a wide array of amenities and expansive meeting and event venues. The 99-unit Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Residences will be located on the resort grounds offering owners full access to the resort's services and amenities. The property will fly the Westin flag under a license agreement and is owned and managed by Columbia Sussex, owner, developer and operator of more than 85 hotels around the world. "This hotel will be a welcome addition to Westin's Caribbean resort expansion in choice destinations and we are thrilled to have a presence on St. Maarten, one of the world's most popular tropical vacation spots," said Sue Brush, Senior Vice President, Westin Hotels & Resorts. "St. Maarten, like Westin, carries a rich history and we're delighted to be able to offer our guests the Westin experience on this lovely island."

Hilton Washington Dulles Airport completes $40-million expansion and remodel  The Hilton Washington Dulles Airport recently completed an 18-month, $40 million addition and renovation, making the full-service hotel the premier Northern Virginia destination for business and leisure travelers. The property now boasts an expanded state-of-the-art conference and meeting facility along with an additional 155 technologically-advanced guestrooms featuring the GuestLink system. "The expansion and renovation reflects The Dulles Corridor's strong economy, in some part fueled by the federal government which has continued to lease additional space for expanding intelligence agencies over the past few years," stated Greg Langweg, general manager of the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport Hotel. "Conveniently situated near the National Air and Space Museum's new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, our newly expanded property is ideally positioned to service the needs of our growing customer base." The renovation includes the addition of 155 new guestrooms, bringing the total to 449. All new rooms feature the state-of-the-art GuestLink system, which includes a 42" HDTV multi-media monitor that travelers can use with a laptop computer, game station console, video/camera or mp3 player (in addition to cable television and pay per view movie and sports programming). The Hilton Washington Dulles Airport Hotel is the first hotel in the U.S. to incorporate the sophisticated GuestLink system into its rooms. These impressive guestrooms showcase The Hilton Serenity Bed, complete with the Hilton Serenity Collection including the Serta Suite Dreams® Mattress and Pacific Coast® Down Duvet and Touch of Down Pillows. The luxuriously designed bathrooms offer walk-in marble showers with two showerheads.

Desires Hotels selected to manage The Strand Ocean Drive in Miami Beach     Desires Hotels, the boutique division of Tecton Hospitality, announced that it has signed a contract to manage The Strand Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Fla., which is scheduled to open in January 2006. The property is the first condo hotel in Tecton's boutique hotel portfolio. Located at 1052 Ocean Drive, The Strand Ocean Drive encompasses four historical structures and one new building. Each of the 87-room condo-hotel units are furnished by European design manufacturer Luminaire and features a unique design theme, ranging from Tropical and Contemporary to Art Deco and Retro. Each unit, which ranges from 467 to 800 square feet, comes equipped with full stainless steel kitchens, granite top bathrooms and spectacular views of Ocean Drive and the beach."The Strand Ocean Drive is the first condo hotel in our portfolio, and it's one of the "More consumers are recognizing the value of these properties, not only as a vacation home, but for their potential for appreciation down the road. As a result, there is a great demand for more inventory of this kind in the market, and we plan to be at the forefront of this unique concept." The Strand Ocean Drive will offer two distinct food and beverage options for the more sophisticated to the more casual palate. From well-known international restaurateur Stephano Fritella, comes Atlantic Grill & Bar, which will serve international cuisine specializing in seafood, pasta and steak. For the more casual but discerning diner comes Cheeseburger South Beach. "Its premier location on South Beach is perfect for the vacationer that really wants to experience all of what South Beach is internationally famous for," said Doug Carrillo, vice president of sales and marketing for Tecton Hospitality.

Crowne Plaza to be established in Melbourne   Holiday Inn Melbourne to become The Place To Meet as the city's first Crowne Plaza hotel  InterContinental Hotels Group is set to open its first Crowne Plaza hotel in Melbourne with the re-branding of Holiday Inn Melbourne, scheduled for March 2006.  The re-branding to Crowne Plaza Melbourne is a crucial step in the Group's strategy to establish its international upscale brand in primary business and meeting locations across Australia and New Zealand. The 384-room hotel is already managed by InterContinental Hotels Group, which has refurbished the property over the last 18 months in a programme that has included the establishment of three floors of executive rooms, new soft furnishings in most rooms, introduction of broadband to all guest rooms and wireless access in public areas, and upgrading of the lobby, bar and banquet rooms "We have invested heavily in upgrading this hotel to Crowne Plaza standards, and are excited at the prospect that its re-branding will fill a gap in our regional network of Crowne Plaza hotels.  It has always been our intention to re-establish this hotel as a Crowne Plaza, capitalising on its location in the CBD, right on the banks of the Yarra and adjacent to the Melbourne Convention Centre, to introduce our upscale business brand to Victoria," said InterContinental Hotels Group Chief Operating Officer Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, Phil Lee.  "Positioned as being The Place To Meet, Crowne Plaza is primarily a brand that has been developed to appeal to business travellers and professional meeting organisers and delegates.  Our meeting and residential guests will soon have a hotel in Melbourne offering the unique products and services they have come to appreciate from Crowne Plaza - and the timing couldn't be better  considering the international attention that will be on Melbourne in 2006," Mr Lee added.

Imperial Hotel New Delhi bags World Travel award   The Imperial Hotel New Delhi  has been awarded the World Travel Award for being the `Leading hotel in India for 2005'. The recognition was conferred upon the hotel at the gala awards ceremony in London. Mr Pierre Jochem, Vice-President and General Manager, said, "It's not just a moment of immense pride; it's also hugely motivational for the staff who will collectively continue to work towards maintaining the high standards at all times."

Tenor Ronan Tynan sues US hotel for $8m, settles out of court  Tenor Ronan Tynan was in a US court on Monday suing a Colorado hotel for $8m. The singer, who has two artificial legs, was injured when a shower seat designed for disabled people collapsed under him during a 2002 stay in the five-star Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. Mr Tynan's claim included $5m for loss of earnings. Before the week was out the matter was settled out of court but no details of the amount involved were released.

Trump plans hotel for Israeli coastal city   The mayor of the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, which was hit by a suicide bombing this week, said Thursday that billionaire Donald Trump is planning to help build a huge beachfront hotel complex there. Miriam Fireberg-Ikar said a top Trump business associate has visited the city three times on his private jet and was planning to build a number of hotels on 38 acres of empty seaside real estate. Netanya has been among the Israeli cities hardest hit by terrorism, severely damaging its tourism industry. The Trump associate, Michael Dezer, said plans for the $500 million hotel complex were still on track even after a suicide bomber killed himself and five others at the city's main mall on Monday. "The bombings are a part of life in Israel. We are used to it, and it doesn't change a thing," said Dezer, an Israeli-born real estate tycoon in the U.S., speaking by phone from Miami. Dezer came up with the hotel idea six months ago when Fireberg-Ikar was visiting Miami. He said he contacted Trump, who agreed to join the project. The leading Israeli daily Maariv ran a front-page headline Thursday reading, "Coming Soon: Trump Hotels in Netanya." Trump spokeswoman Norma Foerderer would not confirm the involvement of the star of NBC's hit reality show "The Apprentice," saying it was "premature" to talk about the Netanya project.

Airport Ramada now Days Inn IBAC Corp., owner of the Memphis Airport Ramada, announced Wednesday the property's franchise is now officially Days Inn.  BAC Corp. first announced its intentions to convert the Airport Ramada last month. The Days Inn will include a new restaurant, either a Denny's or Country Kitchen. IBAC (other OTC: ICAN.PK) purchased the hotel earlier this year, and according to the company's review of the property, it has determined the property would serve guests better as a Days Inn Worldwide franchise. Garry Becker, president of the Southern Hospitality Division of IBAC, said in a statement the company wants to increase the property's value and this conversion seems to be the best fit. "This is just one aspect of our overall strategy to maximize asset value and revenues at this property," Becker said. "We are currently considering additional hotel/restaurant properties to purchase and will announce them upon completion of a deal."