Hotel News in Brief
Jun 02, 08 | 1:46 am
Rumour of Expedia being taken private dispelled. Expedia Inc. Chairman Barry Diller has dismissed rumours pertaining to the online travel site being taken private. He reportedly blamed speculators for trying to make a quick buck, reported Reuters. Shares of Expedia jumped as high as $23.81 on Wednesday, from Tuesday's close of $21.74, on rumours that Diller might want to take the company private. In an interview on Fox Business Network, Diller said "no" when asked if InterActiveCorp would take Expedia private. He then noted that he doesn't comment on rumors, but went on to suggest that there wasn't much to the Expedia speculation. "When you literally look at your computer screen and up comes some e-mail from somebody saying there is a rumour you're taking this company private, you go, `Oh, well, that's interesting. Where did that come from?" "So that was my reaction, if it gives you any definitive response." IAC spun off Expedia to the public in 2005. IAC is in the midst of a plan itself to separate into five entities: IAC, which would include such enterprises as Citysearch, Match.com, Ask.com and Evite; HSN, a home-shopping network; Ticketmaster; Interval International, which would include CondoDirect, Resort Quest Hawaii and VacationSource.com; and Lending Tree. Source: EyeforTravel
The newly opened Crowne Plaza Changi Airport has found an unprecedented way to give its room attendants a real ‘lift'. The 320-room upscale hotel, which has direct access to T3, has installed the revolutionary ‘Ezi-Maid' on each of its beds, an automated lifting system designed to increase efficiency and reduce injuries related to bed making and cleaning. The steel framed system, which is not visible to the hotel guest, enables beds to be raised to waist-height (up to 500mm) by the room attendant, with the use of a remote control. This makes bed-making and vacuuming possible without bending, resulting in less chance of workplace injury and greater productivity. It also makes for a cleaner, healthier environment for hotel guests, as the room attendant can effectively vacuum the entire under-bed area. Minister for National Development, Mr Lim Swee Say, viewed the Ezi-Maid bed today during a tour of the S$60 million Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, which opened its doors to the public yesterday. The city-resort style hotel is the newest property in Crowne Plaza's international network of more than 300 hotels. It combines the state-of-the-art facilities expected of a city hotel with open airy, naturally lit guest rooms and lush landscaping usually associated with tropical resorts. Invented in Australia, the Ezi-Maid bed lifting system is endorsed by Singapore's Workforce Development Authority, established in 2003 to develop new initiatives and programmes to drive increased competitiveness in the local workforce. "In addition to the many unique features we offer our guests, we also wanted to ensure that the hotel provides a highly conducive work environment in-keeping with InterContinental Hotels Group's global human resources policies," said Mr Mark Winterton, General Manager, Crowne Plaza Changi Airport.
Global hotel chain Accor SA (EPA: AC and PINK: ACRFF) plans to open 15 and 26 hotels under its economy hotel brand name of Ibis in 2008 and 2009 in China, said Robert Murray, Accor's assistant president for the Greater China Region. By the end of 2008, the Ibis footprints will spread in big Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Suzhou and Harbin, said he, and the Ibis hotels are expected to serve businessmen in the country's second-tier and third-tier cities, where costs are relatively lower. Accor has opened 12 self-run Ibis hotels in China since its entry, compared to many other foreign hotel giants, which mainly manage hotels for local businesses. There is still room for the growth of the Chinese economy hotel market, said Mr. Murray, who disagrees to a widespread saying that it would suffer a hard landing in the near future. Besides, Accor plans to open a bunch of five-star hotels called Pullman before 2010. Source: TradingMarkets.com
Trump Will Sell Casino for $316M. Coastal Marina, an affiliate company of privately-held Coastal Development, announced that it has come to an agreement with Trump Entertainment Resorts and will purchase the 14-acre Trump Marina Hotel Casino property for $316 million. This agreement includes a reportedly non-returnable deposit of $15 million on the part of the buyer, a large incentive to complete the deal. Coastal Development has plans, after the closing is final, to retrofit the entire resort and rebrand it as Margaritaville. The Trump Marina Hotel Casino property now includes a 27-story hotel building with some 700 guest rooms, about 58,000 square feet of convention, ballroom spaces, a 540-seat theater, a nightclub, six restaurants, a health spa and pool, tennis courts, basketball court, a jogging track, a roof-top pad for a helicopter, a 9-story parking garage for about 3,000 cars. The 14-acre property of the Trump Marina is not located on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, but in the nearby Marina district. Noted Charlie Leonard of Coastal Development, "I think Coastal Development got a pretty good price, when you consider the underlying value of the real estate involved." The deal is the culmination of months of negotiations. Regulatory approvals with New Jersey gaming officials are yet to be obtained. The company has stated a goal to try to get the closing done by late 2008. Source: CPN
Burditch Marketing Communications, a leading integrated marketing and public relations agency known internationally for luxury lifestyle, travel and tourism, announces its second office to open June 1, 2008 in San Francisco, California. The San Francisco office will directly service BMC's existing clients in northern California including Napa Valley and Paso Robles as well as serve national and international public relations needs for growing luxury brands and services in the San Francisco Bay Area. Burditch Marketing Communications, headquartered in Los Angeles, the west coast's largest city and media market, was founded by Paul Burditch in 1988. The company has seen substantial growth in the past year with new domestic and international clients including the hotels and resorts of Starwood Italy and the Central Mediterranean; the first luxury hotel in Paso Robles, Hotel Cheval; the Australian luxury hotel amenities company Halcyon Blue by Val Harding; and a groundbreaking Costa Rican Residences and Resort project. BMC has experience on five continents that include North America, Europe, Asia and Australia/Oceania with a focus on luxury hotels/resorts, food/restaurants, wine and luxury living including real estate and design.
Red Cross, Care For Children work with Shangri-La Hotels for earthquake support. Judy Wang, public relations director in China for Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, says the May 12 earthquake was felt most strongly by Shangri-La Hotels in Chengdu, Wuhan and Xi'an. Wang says, "There were no staff or guest injuries at any of the hotels and any physical damage to the buildings was only cosmetic in nature. As a precautionary measure, Shangri-La hotels in Chengdu and Xi'an have called in structural engineers to ensure that the structural integrity of these two hotels is secure." She says the Shangri-la Hotel, Chengdu emergency response team responded quickly and guests and staff were immediately evacuated in the moments following the quake. The hotel closed some of its facilities on the higher floors right after the earthquake and provided complimentary dinners for guests on the ground level. So guests could easily communicate with their families and friends, the hotel provided complimentary IDD calls and Internet access. The fundraising events for earthquake relief are underway at all Shangri-La's 30 hotels in China including Hong Kong SAR, which include employees' cash donations. Apart from cash donation among the employees the hotel also placed donation boxes at all public areas and food and beverage outlets. Shangri-La Hotel, Chengdu is organizing volunteers to provide help to the local community. Some of the hotels are working on charity auctions. All the funds raised will be sent to Red Cross or Care for Children for Sichuan earthquake victims. Since the earthquake took place, Wang says the Shangri-La Hotel, Chengdu has received cancellations and is expecting about a 15% decrease in May occupancy from both FIT and group sectors. Source: ChinaCSR
Fairmont Raffles Hotels International in which Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) chaired by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal holds a 58.1 percent controlling interest has sold the Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore, for a sale value of SR573 million. The Swissotel Merchant Court is a 476-room hotel located near the banks of the Singapore River. Commenting on the development, P.J. Shoucair, executive director for international investments at KHC, said: The sale of this hotel is in line with KHC's strategy to continue to realize value from hotel assets either through a sale or aggressive operational and financial management across KHC's hotel portfolio." Last year, Kingdom Holding announced the sale of Swissotel Sydney in Australia for a sale value SR281 million; re-financing of the Four Seasons George V hotel in Paris with net cash proceeds valued at SR285 million going to KHC; the re-financing of the Hotel des Bergues, Geneva at SR375 million; and the sale of the Four Seasons Hotel, London for SR550 million. Source: Menafn
F&B consultant Quentin Dante' has been retained by Harilela Hotels and Saya (Thailand) as a creative consultant for the development of a new North Indian restaurant at their Holiday Inn Silom property in Bangkok. A former New York restaurateur and nightclub impresario, Mr. Dante' stepped away from the role of owner/operator last fall, turning his attention to a burgeoning consulting practice focused on the Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern markets. Working from his studio in Bangkok, Mr. Dante' takes a comprehensive approach to F&B development, encompassing concept development and design management, menu development, design and production of tableware and graphic and media advisory. For More Information: +66 (0) 2237 3019
