Hotel News in Brief

Jun 28, 10 | 1:45 am

HOTEL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Located in the heart of the Upper East Side in New York City, The Mark is an upscale hotel that features 150 rooms and suites, as well as a signature Jean-Georges Vongerichten Restaurant and a Frederic Fekkai salon. The hotel recently reopened after a two-year makeover and was redesigned by famous French interior designer, Jacques Grange who collaborated with the most recognizable names in design. The unique interiors  feature pieces by Ron Arad, Mattia Bonetti and Vladimir Kagan just to name a few.

IHG signed a management agreement with Piyasombat Property Co. Ltd. for the first Hotel Indigo in Southeast Asia. This marks another strategic step to expand the presence of this upscale boutique brand in the Asia Pacific. Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road takes its name from one of Bangkok's premier and prominent districts. A new development, the hotel is to be located along Wireless Road, home to the diplomatic district as well as high-end residences, retail and office spaces, restaurants and entertainment outlets. The hotel is ideally situated with guests enjoying the convenience of public transportation offered by the BTS Ploenchit Station. Lumpini Central Park, along with ample dining, shopping and entertainment are also easily accessible at the Wireless Road district. The hotel is expected to be completed by end of 2012.

Tourism Asset Holdings, has sold two-thirds of the 90 units in its Grand Mercure apartment-hotel at Sydney's Darling Harbour. The country's largest hotel owner made these sales amid a solid residential investment market in the NSW capital. The group chose to sell apartments in the hotel individually as residences last year, with the market value for residential property higher than it is for hotels. The one-, two- and three-bedroom units sold for between $600,000 and $800,000, while the penthouses changed hands for about $1m. The apartments were marketed in December and the property will stop trading as a hotel by the end of the year. TAHL chief executive Matthew Eady said it was a strategic decision, focusing on the highest and best use of the asset. He said moves by other operators to sell off hotels as residential plays was supporting the hotel industry, with few hotel developments in the pipeline limiting supply.

Homewood Park, part of the von Essen hotel Collection, is proud to announce the opening of The Spa at Homewood Park. Set in acres of mature parklands and award-winning gardens on the edge of the beautiful Limpley Stoke Valley, near Bath, the spa completes the hotels full renovation, following the refurbishment of the public rooms and bedrooms in 2009. Opening officially in July, the Spa at Homewood Park is the first spa of 5 to be completed this year following the extensive multi-million pound investment across the collection to enhance von Essen's luxury offering in 2010.

The Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts portfolio continues to grow: a new deluxe hotel is currently under construction in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and is scheduled to open in mid 2012. A management agreement was recently signed between Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts and the KDD Group, one of the leading property and investment companies in the Ukraine.

GLOBAL STAFF MOVEMENT:

Paul Horner, general manager of Keauhou Beach Resort, Hawaii, is proud to announce the appointment of Deaner Snively as sales manager - culture and education.  In this newly created position, Snively will be responsible for promoting, coordinating and marketing the hotel's unique educational and cultural programs, providing direction in order to optimize sales and revenue.

The Orion Group is pleased to announce that Franz Gmeiner, founder and CEO of the Orion Group in South Africa, has been appointed as Chairman of Orion Hotels Inc_^TM®, a company based in Houston, USA. Gmeiner has an innate ability to maximise opportunities.  As the founder of Johannesburg-based Orion Hotels and Resorts, Gmeiner has developed a dynamic portfolio of unique, innovative and highly respected quality properties, renowned for meeting the demands of international travellers, local tourists and business people. 

Bill Black, Managing Director of Ativa Hospitality, Bangkok, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Kanchana Ruangsiriwichayakul as Hotel Manager of their chic boutique hotel, SilQ Bangkok. Kanchana has over 10 years experience in the hospitality industry, with a strong background in Front Office and Operations, primarily with Novotel and Sofitel properties in Hatyai and Bangkok.  Originally from Bangkok, she is a dedicated and passionate hotelier whose focus is to ensure that all guests are taken care of and have a wonderful and memorable stay at the hotel.

OTHER RELATED NEWS:

Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort in Arenal, Costa Rica, has achieved the Luxury Eco Certification Standard (LECS),  becoming the first luxury hotel in that country and the second luxury hotel in the world to pass the intensive desk audit and on-site inspections required for certification.  The innovative program, developed by The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. in partnership with Sustainable Travel International, awards LECS based on high marks in policy and documentation, energy conservation, water conservation, recycling and community. Tabacón was certified 100% carbon neutral in May 2009.

Aqua Hotels & Resorts is proud to announce that Leticia Gamiao, a housekeeper at Aqua Waikiki Wave Hotel, captured the award for "Outstanding Lodging Employee of the Year" - medium-size property in the nation-wide competition held by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA).  Gamiao won the award after a 50-state competition which included hundreds of thousands of hotel employee nominations.  She is the first Aqua recipient and a 12-year Aqua employee. As the country's only association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the U.S. lodging industry, AHLA's coveted award was presented to Gamiao during the annual Stars of the Industry recognition ceremony at the Arizona Biltmore hotel on June 16. Leticia Gamiao was selected on the basis of her exceptional service to hotel guests and excellent housekeeping performance. She also personally writes and leaves ‘aloha notes' on the night stand for all guests staying on the 12th floor that she services.  In 2009, Gamiao was singled out by name on more than 100 comment cards received from hotel guests.  In the past three years, she has hand-written over 10,000 notes to her guests.