Hotel News In Brief

Feb 06, 06 | 8:46 am

DC Wyndham To Become Renaissance After Renovation   Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International's upscale, full-service brand, today announced that the Wyndham City Center Hotel here will become the Renaissance "M" Street Hotel this fall following an $18.5 million renovation. The 355- room hotel, located at the corner of M Street and New Hampshire Avenue, will immediately undergo a comprehensive refurbishment of its guest rooms, meeting space, lobby, restaurant and bar.The property was purchased by a joint venture, comprised of funds managed by Westbrook Partners, and an affiliate of Northview Hotel Group, Inc. The hotel will be managed by Marriott as the M Street Hotel until it is rebranded as a Renaissance in the fall.

Pacifica Promotes Key Area Managers Pacifica Hotel Company, which owns and operates coastal hotels from San Diego to San Francisco, has announced the promotion of several key area managers. Effective Feb. 1, 2006, Kevin Swenink and Todd Moreau have been promoted to directors of operations. Swenink will have responsibility for the company's Best Western Lighthouse in Pacifica, CA; the Best Western Half Moon Bay in Half Moon Bay, CA and Best Western Sunrise in Redondo Beach, CA as well as its Quality Inn & Suites and Hampton Inn & Suites. Moreau will be responsible for the Spyglass Inn, Cottage Inn, and Sandcastle Inn in Pismo Beach, CA; Pacifica's two new hotels in Marina Del Rey, CA the Carlyle Inn in Beverly Hills, CA; Villa Portofino Hotel in Avalon, CA and Hilton Garden Inn in Port St. Lucie, FL. Pacifica also named three new area managers, Ruben Garza, Jamie Wallace and Mary Rosales. Garza will have responsibility for the Blue Sea Lodge and Sommerset Suites in San Diego and the Empress Hotel in LaJolla; Wallace for the Fogcatcher Inn and Best Western Fireside Inn in Cambria, CA and the Holiday Inn Express in San Luis Obispo, CA; and Rosales for the Marina del Rey Holiday Inn Express, Inn at Venice Beach, and Best Western Jamaica Bay Inn.

Four Seasons Silicon Valley Opens   Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts has opened its 70th property and sixth in California, the 200-room Four Seasons Silicon Valley here. The hotel, a five minute drive from Stanford University, is part of East Palo Alto's University Circle redevelopment project. The hotel features a roof-top lap pool, fitness center, full-service spa, gourmet restaurant, and 7,000-square feet of meeting space.

Hostmark Hospitality Garners Five New Contracts     Hostmark Hospitality Group has been awarded five new management contracts totaling 688 rooms. Effective Januray 1, Hostmark assumed management of three Texas properties owned by Rossco Holdings, including the Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Killeen. As of February 1, Hostmark Hospitality will now also manage the Holiday Inn Select City Centre in Lafayette, IN, and the Unversity Inn in West Lafayette, IN. Both properties are owned by True North Management Group, LLC.

Movenpick to build 'biggest heart' in celebration of Valentine's Day On February 14, on its third year, Mr. Michael Nugent, the new General Manager of Mövenpick Hotel Bur Dubai will be leading the building of the Biggest Heart in celebration of Valentine’s Day 2006. A heart consisting of 9,000 balloons will be constructed in front of the hotel on Valentines Day. This heart will be built as a gift of hope to children with special needs. Proceeds are raised by selling of balloons to the general public at AED 5 each. Balloon popping will start from 3pm onwards, winners will find their prize inside the balloon and can be claimed on the day itself. A very lucky person will have the chance to win the grand prize, which is a holiday package for two, including accommodation, sponsored by Thai Airways. Lots of other exciting prizes await the others. Balloon selling will start on the 1st of February so drop by and buy your balloon. If you want a better way to celebrate this Valentines Day, give hope to children with special needs at the hotel with the biggest heart.

Small Luxury Hotels Creates Club Concierge   Members of the Club of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Small Luxury's guest recognition program, will now have access to Club Concierge. The luxury service will provide members with access to leading restaurants, events and clubs. The Club Concierge service will be split into silver and gold levels. Silver membership offers members priority ticketing for fashion, arts and sporting events while Gold membership (for those who have made at least one reservation on www.clubslh.com) features personal shopping, last-minute restaurant reservations and concerts. The service is available in London, Paris and the Cote d'Azur, and added this year will be Venice, Madrid, Barcelona, Sydney and New York. To make a request, e-mail [contact@clubconcierge.com]. Depending on the request, a small fee may be added.

IHG announces new regional vice president of sales and marketing   InterContinental Hotels Group is thrilled to announce the appointment of Tom Rowntree as the Group’s new Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Middle East and Africa region.
Rowntree will be replacing Denis Johnson who has been promoted to Vice President Sales, Europe, Holiday Inn Brands, overlooking over 400 properties. Of British origin, Rowntree brings over 20 years management experience in the hotel industry, having over 7 years experience with the Group. “Rowntree’s dedication and commitment to the continued success of the Group, his resolve in driving the business forward and unrelenting development of relationships with existing guests and partners were attributes that greatly impacted our decision in instating Tom to his new role within the company,” commented Chris Moloney, Chief Operating Officer, InterContinental Hotels Group, Middle East and Africa.  Rowntree began his career with the Group in 1998 as Assistant Director of Sales at the InterContinental Muscat and moved on to be the Director of Sales and Marketing for InterContinental Abu Dhabi where he increased the hotel’s corporate base year on year during 2001 and established the hotel as an undisputed market leader in Abu Dhabi. In his most recent position, as Area Director of Sales and Marketing, InterContinental Hotels Group, UAE and Qatar, Rowntree was recognised for introducing area promotions, client loyalty programs and sales incentive schemes with his teams for the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels and resorts. Whilst in this role, Rowntree was awarded EMEA Sales Person of the year 2004 for market positioning and reestablishing market segmentation, increased growth in RevPar, developing and launching the MEA lead generation.

Hilton Cancun Set To Reopen May 1  The Hilton Cancun Golf & Spa Resort is set to reopen May 1 following a $40 million renovation. The Hilton will be among the first hotels in Cancun to restore its beach and feature more than 150 feet of additional sand. Though all 426 rooms were renovated in mid-2004, those that were damaged by Hurricane Wilma will receive new furnishings. Look for new landscaping, a new state-of-the-art fitness center, refurbished restaurants and bars and a fully-automated business center open 24 hours a day

The Hotel Show extends global reach   Now established as the regional hospitality industry’s meeting place, The Hotel Show is set for a 30 per cent increase this year occupying seven halls at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre when it opens in June.
Companies from 31 countries have already signed up to exhibit at the show, organised by dmg world media Dubai Ltd, including Mexico, Japan and Norway, due to participate in The Hotel Show for the first time this year. A growing number of local firms will also take part to showcase their products in an increasingly quality-driven and competitive market. Gabriel Lopez Morton, Director International Sales, Galerias Chippendale, one of the most highly respected manufacturers and retailers of high-end period furniture in Mexico and the Americas, commented, “We have visited The Hotel Show on a number of occasions and we have followed its impressive growth closely. It has now consolidated itself as the premier event of its type in the Middle East and exhibiting here will be the perfect platform for us to launch our products into this lucrative market.” According to a recent MEED report the GCC region alone, will be home to new projects estimated at nearly US$700bn, with at least 80 hotels and 25,000 rooms currently on the drawing board. This market dynamism has been recognised by overseas suppliers who are now flocking to the region to tap in to the unprecedented hospitality boom. According to The Hotel Show project manager, Maggie Moore, the result has been a spectacular growth in exhibitor interest from around the globe: “Traditional source markets such as Spain, Portugal and France have all increased their presence at the show, but we are also confirming bookings from countries such as Poland, Russia, Tunisia and Turkey, for example, and we are negotiating for more country pavilions which will enhance the international aspect of the show. The addition of Mexico, Japan and Norway for the first time this year will be a testimony to that. “There has been a strong local response too, not only from established players in the United Arab Emirates, but also regional heavyweights from Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, which demonstrates the strength and depth of the regional interiors sector.”