Hotel News in Brief

Feb 09, 10 | 1:45 am

The results are in and travellers worldwide have spoken. Sofitel Luxury Hotels ranks high among globetrotter's favorite hotels in the US, European and Asia, according to the 2010 TripAdvisor® Travellers' Choice® Awards. Six Sofitel properties from around the globe received top marks in the annual awards listing, which is determined based on the millions of hotel reviews and opinions posted on tripadvisor.com_^TM, as well as content from across the Web. In the Top 25 Hotels in the United States category, Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square ranked among the top ten hotels, receiving praise for its location and restaurant. In Europe, Sofitel Brussels Europe was honoured twice, receiving top slots in the Top 25 Hotels in Europe and Top 25 European Destinations Chosen by Europeans categories. In Germany, Sofitel Hamburg Alter Wall ranked no. 16 in the Top 25 Hotels in Germany Chosen by Europeans category. Sofitel Luxury Hotel's popularity truly spanned the globe, as two Asian properties additionally received recognition. Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 was named one of the Top 25 Hotels in Hong Kong / Macau / Taiwan, while Sofitel Wanda Beijing, famed for its spa and numerous restaurants, received the no. 22 slot in the broader Top 25 Hotels in China category. In the South Pacific, Sofitel Moorea la Ora Beach Resort, beloved by romantic travellers worldwide, was named one of the Top 10 Hotels for Romance in South Pacific.

The Anvil Group has successfully completed an assignment to secure the delivery of relief supplies to a hotel in earthquake devastated Haiti. "In difficult circumstances and with a shortage of supplies, we were particularly pleased to have been able to procure and deliver every item and exceed the quantity initially requested." The Comfort Inn hotel, located in Jacmel in the south east of the country, escaped suffering any structural damage and is now providing shelter for guests and local families who lost their homes in the earthquake. The supplies, which included 700 kilos of food, drinking water, fuel and detergents arrived by boat from the Dominican Republic on Saturday 30 January. The volatile security situation along the Haitian/Dominican Republic border and the poor road conditions in the region meant that traditional logistics routes were unavailable. The Anvil Group chartered a specially modified vessel for transportation by sea, but unavoidably part of the journey had to be covered by road where a convoy of vehicles were utilised under the protection of armed escorts. Calvin Pratt, Managing Director in the U.S. of global security company The Anvil Group said "Our specialist crisis response teams had already been deployed to assist our clients in the region when we got the call from Choice Hotels International, so we were able to respond immediately to their request for assistance." He continued "In difficult circumstances and with a shortage of supplies, we were particularly pleased to have been able to procure and deliver every item and exceed the quantity initially requested."

"During times like this, we must use our substantial resources to get supplies to areas where help is so greatly needed and to do whatever we can to directly support our hotels," said Stephen P. Joyce, president and CEO of the hotel's franchisor, Choice Hotels International.

Steigenberger Hotels AG and Industrie-Club e.V. Düsseldorf are continuing their long-term partnership. An extension of the lease contract was agreed between the Frankfurt based hotel company and Industrie-Club e.V. as the owner of the property. After examining various quotations from national and international hotel groups, Industrie-Club decided on long-term continuation of its existing, trustful and successful links with Steigenberger. Following this contract extension, Steigenberger Hotels AG will invest 10 million Euros in a new concept and further development of this luxury hotel. The main focus of the refurbishment will be on the entrance area, restaurants, bar and guest rooms. The work is to start without delay. Steigenberger Hotels AG was recently acquired by Hamed El Chiaty, Chairman and CEO of the Egyptian tourism group Travco. Steigenberger Hotels AG is now pursuing a new goal with the traditional Steigenberger Parkhotel, which has been linked with the Industrie-Club since 1954 ­- it is to become a prominent Grandhotel, integrated in the new Steigenberger Grandhotel Collection.

Spurred by a marked increase in membership, Preferred Hotel Group_^TM added 83 hotels and resorts to its global portfolio over the past six months and is approaching the new year from an outlook of strength. The industry-leading company has positioned itself for continued success in 2010, bolstering areas of growth through strategic staff appointments and the realignment of sales regions. Several other strategies for growth have been announced in recent months. A new GDS provider, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, will greatly enhance Preferred Hotel Group's distribution marketing and technology capabilities this year. In addition, the company introduced Sterling Design_^TM, a new designation within its Sterling Hotels_^TM brand to identify chic, design-led hotels and resorts that are accessible to travelers seeking smart value. Preferred Hotel Group's recent increases continue a record, consistent over the past 40 months, of strong retention (approximately 94%) combined with a constant net growth of 12%. This has brought total membership to more than 700 independent hotels and resorts in over 75 countries across Preferred Hotel Group's five distinctive brands: Preferred Hotels® & Resorts, Preferred Boutique_^TM, Summit Hotels & Resorts_^TM, Sterling Hotels, and Historic Hotels of America®.

Luxury German carmaker, Audi, and premium five-star hotel brand Pullman, have announced a partnership which will drive the customer experience further for guests. Aimed at the discerning traveller, Audi vehicles will be used as the vehicle of choice for Pullman hotels in Australia. On request, guests can be provided with a stylish Audi A6 or similar model for transfers to meetings, events or even for personal use as part of a leisure package. The Audi and Pullman brands are well-matched because they are pitched at a similar customer - discerning, with individual needs and sophisticated tastes. "We are thrilled to be partnering with such a progressive brand as Audi to personalise our service for our guests even more and offer them the opportunity to enjoy one of the world's most prestigious vehicles as part of their hotel experience," said Kerrie Hannaford, Accor's Director of Sales and Distribution. "Everything that Audi stands for is present in the Pullman brand's DNA and the experience we offer guests - stylish, high-quality, modern technology and highly individualised service to suit our customer's specific needs. Just as the Audi experience goes beyond mere transport, so the Pullman brand is about much more than just the four walls of a room. Both brands are about exceeding customer expectations and I am confident our guests will enjoy the opportunity to experience this high-level brand and service." Pullman is Accor's upscale brand, dedicated to the business traveller in regional and international capitals around the world.  Renowned for personalised service and innovative technology, the brand is the new face of hospitality.

CLEO magazine with its Hotels and Travel supplement 2009 and the dedicated feature of "The 10 best in Egypt" finds the Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel one of the 10 best beach resorts in Egypt, quoting "an amazing variety of authentic dining, recreation and entertainment choices". But not only that: CLEO also finds Lars Geweyer, General Manager Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel, among the 10 best hotel general managers in the country. Geweyer, together with his elected peers, would be "daring, enthusiastic and working with passion", having "only one philosophy in serving people which [sic] is quality and safety of their guests."

The Delta Chelsea Hotel, Canada's largest hotel and located in downtown Toronto, has offset 109% of their annual carbon footprint as recognized by the LivClean Eco-Stay Program that provides Canadian hotels with leadership positioning in environmental action, accountability and responsibility. With all of the environmental initiatives implemented by the hotel since 2005, the Delta Chelsea Hotel has reduced emissions by 64%. For 2009, 7845 tonnes of carbon offsets were purchased from emission reducing projects and the amount of carbon removed from the atmosphere is equal to removing 572,685 cars off the road for a day! All of the contributions made by the Delta Chelsea Hotel have been Canadian Standards Association Certified. On our behalf, LivClean invests in environmental projects around the world and specifically in Canada that remove, reduce and eliminate the creation of green house gases from the air we share. The LivClean Eco-Stay program asks each hotel guest to donate $1 plus GST upon check-out and all funds are sent back to LivClean to purchase carbon offsets on the hotel's behalf. Carbon offsets will not only help in our quest to fight global warming, it will enhance our pursuit of sustainable living.

Veteran hotelier Robert Lagerwey has been appointed General Manager of Capella Singapore. Mr Lagerwey has more than 20 years in hotel management, both within Singapore and throughout Asia, the United States and Europe. Before joining Capella Singapore, Lagerwey served as General Manager for Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts Bali. Coming on board in March 2005, he oversaw the luxury resort's development from construction through its 2006 opening, and subsequently managed its 300-strong team. Bob Warman, President and COO of Capella Hotels and Resorts, said, "Robert's experience will be invaluable to Capella Singapore as the resort builds on the success of its first year. We've created one of the very finest resorts in all of Asia, and we're so pleased to have one of the finest General Manager's in the region take the helm."