Hotel News In Brief

Jan 19, 06 | 8:46 am

Jumeirah To Build Hotels In U.S. Jumeirah, part of Dubai Holding, the Dubai-based real estate firm, in a move to expand its real estate portfolio will open up to five luxury hotels in North America as part of its 40-hotel rollout plan for the next four years, according to a report in Dubai Real Estate News. The Dubai-based company formally took over the management of the famous Essex House hotel in New York recently, rebranding it Jumeirah Essex House, following a $500 million buyout by Dubai Investment Group from Strategic Hotel Capital in September last year. Jumeirah replaces Starwood as operator of the 605-room hotel bearing two brands Westin and St. Regis. Jumeirah is part of Dubai Holding, Dubai Government's investment arm. Jumeirah's future growth plan is in tandem with Dubai Holding's future acquisition and expansion through its various development units Dubai Properties, Dubai International Properties, Dubai Investment Group and Dubai International Capital.

Willard Hotel Marks 20 Years Since Reopening   This week, the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., begins a year-long celebration marking 20 years since the legendary hotel reopened. The hotel has housed generations of Washington politicians, including Abraham Lincoln. Liane Hansen speaks with Barbara Bahny, the hotel's public relations director.

Guedouar Named GM Of KC InterContinental The Procaccianti Group has hired Sam Guedouar as general manager of the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza, formerly The Fairmont Kansas City at the Plaza.  Guedouar started as general manager last week, when the Procaccianti Group closed on its purchase of the hotel, Robert Coe, the hotel's director of special events, said Friday. Guedouar formerly was general manager of Lake Lawn Resort, a luxury hotel and resort in Lake Geneva, WI. The Procaccianti Group, based in Cranston, R.I., has said it plans to spend $7 million to $8 million renovating the hotel at 401 Ward Parkway.

Philippe Perd Announced As General Manager Of Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc  Patrice Arnaud Takes Over The Helm From Him At Le Chateau Du Domaine St Martin Philippe Perd has been appointed General Manager of the legendary Hotel du Cap Eden Roc in Antibes. Taking over his former role as General Manager at Le Château du Domaine St Martin in Vence on the French Riviera is Patrice Arnaud. Philippe Perd was General Manager of Le Château du Domaine St Martin since January 2002. Previous to that he was Hotel Manager of Paris' Hôtel de Crillon and has also spent much of his career with London's renowned Savoy Group. Prior to joining Le Château du Domaine St Martin, Patrice Arnaud was Managing Director at the Hotel Pont Royal in Paris. Previous to that he was with the Concorde Hotel Group leaving them in January 2001 to become Manager of the Sofitel Château de Versailles. Hotel du Cap was built in 1870 and is set in 20 acres of ornamental gardens in a stunning Mediterranean pine forest resting at the edge of the Mediterranean, midway between Cannes and Nice. The hotel has long exuded glamour - princes and kings, dukes and duchesses and film stars were regular guests as a well as names from the literary and art world such as Hemingway, Picasso, Scott Fitzgerald, together with eminent politicians such as de Gaulle, Churchill, Eisenhower, JFK, Mitterrand and Kissinger. It is considered by many to be the most lavish and spectacular resort hotel in the world.  The hotel is composed of a main building, the Hotel du Cap, reminiscent of the French Châteaux of the 19th Century, the Eden-Roc which opened in 1914 and Villa des Cèdres and Villa Olga, both Provencal style cottages situated in the gardens. The Hotel du Cap's rooms are where the A-list flock to while the Eden-Roc, accessed via limestone steps and a wide path through scented gardens, is best described as the world's most exclusive annexe with truly spectacular views of the Mediterranean.

Beach Hilton changes brand  There's a new Doubletree Hotel on North Redington Beach. The 20-year-old hotel, formerly a Hilton hotel, spent $2.1 million on renovating its 125 guest rooms, meeting spaces and dining areas and changed its flag to Doubletree.  The Doubletree Beach Resort Tampa Bay/North Redington Beach is owned by North Redington Beach Associates Ltd. It is operated under a franchise agreement with Doubletree Hotel Systems Inc., a subsidiary of Hilton Hotels Corp. and managed by American International Hotel Corp. Doubletree has three other properties in Tampa Bay, all in Tampa. The renovation at the Doubletree coincides with a $28 million beach renourishment project underway on adjacent beaches.

Huvafen Fushi in the Maldives to host Original Buddha Bar  DJ Claude Challe On 31st January, Huvafen Fushi in the Maldives will be playing host to one of the world’s leading DJ’s, the iconic Claude Challe founder of the infamous Buddha Bar music scene. France’s most celebrated nightclub entrepreneur and DJ to the stars, Claude Challe is a visionary when it comes to mixing sounds from around the world. Amongst those he has sampled include Arabic, French, North African and Asian beats, creating mellow sounds, chill out classics, and in his own words, "music to make the body resonate, to go straight to the heart and the emotions, thus expanding the mind.” On the evening of the 31st January, an extravagant buffet will be served on Fogliani’s beach and around the pool next to UMbar. Here guests will be able to dine under the stars before experiencing the blissful sounds of original mixes from one of the world’s most inventive and ingenious musicians. Claude Challe’s decks will be set up by the pool where he will be surrounded by a chill out zone for guests to recline on oversized day beds, bean bags and orbit love seats. To celebrate this once in a lifetime event, Huvafen Fushi will also be opening its doors to guests from nearby islands. Those who wish to dine at Huvafen Fushi on the 31st January and hear Claude Challe play should contact reservations by email at info@huvafenfushi.com. All bookings must be made in advance. Claude Challe is an all round entrepreneur who became involved in the nightclub scene in 1974 when he opened Le Privé, an upmarket yet bohemian venue. Following its successful launch he turned his attention to Les Bains Douches, an out of favour punk venue which became Paris’s premier night spot under his direction. In 1996 he became the resident DJ at Buddha Bar and set up his own record label Chall’OMusic. At Buddha Bar Claude Challe blended his many musical influences to create mellow sounds that captured the imagination of famous patrons such as Madonna and Princess Diana. He issued his first double CD Buddha Bar in 1999 and its instant success has catapulted him into the ranks of the leading DJ’s of the world where he is an inspiration to many and an iconic figure on the club scene.

University Inn getting Ramada name     The Ramada Inn brand name, absent from the local hotel scene for a number of years, is poised to make its return in early spring. Officials from the University Inn & Conference Center in Amherst have confirmed that they are shifting from an independent brand name to the Ramada affiliation on April 1. The change restores the full-service Ramada brand in the region. While there has been a Ramada Limited hotel on Freeman Road in Lancaster for more than a decade and until last year, a Ramada Inn was in operation in Niagara Falls, the last time a full-service Ramada operated in Erie County was in the early 1990s. Richard DiVita Jr., whose family built and has operated the University Inn & Conference Center since 1992, said the switch to a national brand was something they had been considering for a number of years. "It's tough competing against franchises that have name recognition and a national reservation system," DiVita said. The 120-room hotel, located on North Forest Road just north of the University at Buffalo campus, will be the second Ramada operated by the DiVita family. The DiVitas also own a Ramada in Watertown.

Starwood signs Management Contract for New Hotel in China   Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Zhongshan Garden Hotel Company Limited have signed an agreement whereby Starwood will manage the Sheraton Zhongshan Hotel in the Guangdong province of China. The newly built 350-room Sheraton Zhongshan Hotel is scheduled to open in January 2009. Starwood Hotels & Resorts has expanded its portfolio in China significantly in the last two years with the opening of Sheraton hotels in Haikou on Hainan Island and Dongguan, Le Meridien She Shan, Shanghai, and Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhen. In the past 24 months, the company also signed agreements to manage new hotels in Shenzhen, Xiamen, Beijing, Changsha, Haikou, Guiyang, Hong Kong, Dameisha, Urumqi, Changshu and Shanghai  With the signing of Sheraton Zhongshan Hotel, Starwood now has 20 hotels and resorts under construction in Greater China under its Westin, Sheraton, W Hotels, Le Meridien and Four Points by Sheraton brands. Zhongshan is centrally located in the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong Province, 33 miles south of Guangzhou and approximately 75 minutes by ferry from Hong Kong and within a two-hour’s drive from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Macau. Zhongshan city is well known for its cuisine, cultural heritage such as the Dr. Sun Yet-Sun Museum (Dr. Sun is the founding father of modern China), scenic sights and hot spring resorts. The city is ranked the fifth largest city in foreign trade volume within Guangdong Province. Zhongshan has witnessed rapid industrial development in recent years and is a fast emerging as the main production base in the Pearl River Delta.

Osaka's Toyo Hotel Re-Born As Ramada Osaka   Following a comprehensive renovation program, the Toyo Hotel, Osaka has been rebranded as Ramada Osaka and will operate under a franchise agreement with Ramada Worldwide commencing on January 15, 2006. The well-known hotel has been significantly updated and upgraded. A new concept Italian themed restaurant "Lampada" opened last September, followed by opening of "Neuf Neuf" the hotel's all day dining restaurant and lobby lounge and "Tres Tres Bon" a new concept deli and patisserie in December. A new Japanese restaurant "Yamato-ya Rinsen" has just opened this January. All guest rooms and banquet rooms will be completely renovated by March 2006. The hotel will have 548 rooms after renovation. At the Ramada Osaka launch ceremony on 16th of January 2006, Robert Wilson, President of Panorama Hospitality K.K. said, "This is more than a milestone in this fine hotel's history, it is a new beginning. We are confident our customers and guests will be delighted by the changes and new amenities they will discover at Ramada Osaka. We are also very happy to be commencing a relationship with Ramada Worldwide with this hotel." "We are very proud of the efforts of our associates who have worked very hard to transform the Toyo Hotel and give it a name face and a new character. We all look forward to welcoming guests from across Japan and around the world to our reborn hotel." Said Teruo Ishibiki, Director / Assistant General Manager of Ramada Osaka.