Hotel Industry News In Brief

Sep 17, 12 | 12:09 am

Some current conversation starters…

In Thresholds (part of Liverpool Biennial 2012) we’ll be installing many works for the first time since they entered the Tate collection. One highlight will be Kader Attia’s Untitled (Ghardaïa) 2009.The installation presents a model of the Algerian town Ghardaïa made from cous cous, shown alongside photographs of the Swiss-born architect Le Corbusier and the French architect Fernand Pouillon, and a print of the UNESCO declaration that the town is a World Heritage site.

During the nineteenth century Ghardaïa was colonised by France, but the buildings were not altered during this period and remain characteristic of Mozabite architecture. Le Corbusier visited Ghardaïa in 1931, just three years after becoming a French citizen, and made sketches of the buildings. These strongly resemble the style of modernist architecture he subsequently espoused in his treatise on urban planning, La cité radieuse. To view photo of this amazing installation made out of cous cous, Click Here…

Brazil is preparing to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

According to STR Global, the country reported increases of 9.9% in RevPAR for the first seven months year to date, led by 14.5% increase in ADR. "With the attention set for the next four years toward Brazil as it prepares to host the largest sporting events in the world, we anticipate to see supply growth taking place across the country," said Elizabeth Randall Winkle, managing director at STR Global. "However, we are expecting to see lower growth levels in well-established destinations such as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, which account for almost 30% of the room inventory of branded hotels in the country." Rio de Janeiro has benefited from low supply growth combined with steady demand improvements of 0.4% and 7.2%, respectively, between 2009 and 2011 on an annual compound basis. During the first seven months of 2012, the room inventory declined slightly as demand growth slowed to 3.4% YTD. Despite the tougher economic conditions, Rio de Janeiro boosted its ADR by 29.1% in local currency to BRL450.06 (or 10.5% in U.S. dollar terms) during the first seven months this year. Furthermore, the exchange rates against major currencies became more favourable for international visitors, and large events such as famous Carnival (in February), and the Earth Summit Rio +20 in June 2012 have helped sustain RevPAR growth. Rio de Janeiro's Luxury and Upper Upscale hotels reported average room rates of BRL658.85 (+38.0% in local currency), supported by occupancy reaching 74.1% YTD. During the same period, Upscale and Upper Midscale hotels, benefiting from continuous high occupancy levels of more than 83.0%, saw YTD ADR increase from BRL277.40 in 2011 to BRL342.71 (+23.5%) in 2012. Leading up to the sporting events, a significant number of infrastructure projects are underway across Rio and the rest of the country. With limited hotel supply available in Rio, there is an emphasis on expanding the room offering. The city and the region are expected to add an additional 6.4% in the current room inventory until 2014. Beyond 2014 and leading up to the Olympic Games, hotel inventory is expected to increase by 8.8%. Other cities across Brazil also will benefit from both events, such as Sao Paulo and Manaus. In Sao Paulo, hotel supply is expected to remain practically unchanged, releasing pressure on hoteliers from possible new supply growth. However, in Manaus, with a fraction of Sao Paulo's room inventory, the football tournament will bring a boost in hotel supply with inventory expected to grow by 20.2% by 2014.

Bora Bora ranked #1 Island in the World by U.S. News & World Report.

Bora Bora, located in the Islands of Tahiti, was recently ranked the "#1 Island in the World" by venerable news magazine U.S. News & World Report. The ranking notes, "The very definition of a tropical getaway, blissful Bora Bora abounds with luxurious resorts, sunny skies, warm waters, and friendly locals." U.S. News & World Report prefaces the rankings by asking, "What is it about an island that immediately invokes a daydream? That feeling of seclusion, for sure, but also those sprawling beaches, those rolling waves, and those untouched pockets of wilderness. For an island to be considered one of the 'best,' it must have that je ne sais quoi -that magical spark. The islands listed here boast a little extra something that keeps travelers enchanted." Bora Bora, known as the "The Romantic Island," is often called the most beautiful island in the world. The tiny island – just 18 miles in circumference – is encircled by a protective necklace of coral. Lush mountains provide a dramatic backdrop for the indescribable turquoise, lapis and aquamarine of the sheltered lagoon.

Key Appointments in the Industry

Congratulations to these new appointments…

Trudy Rautio, president and chief executive officer of Carlson, has been appointed chairman of the Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) board of directors. Rautio has served as a member of the CWT board since 8 August 2006. She succeeds Hubert Joly, who resigned from the CWT board on 17 August 2012.

Atelier EPJ appoints Lew Kathreptis as Director of Concepts and Development. Award-winning Australian Chef and Food & Beverage Consultant take on new role with Atelier EPJ, a Food & Beverage Consultancy based in Dubai. Atelier EPJ proudly announces the appointment of Lew Kathreptis as Director of Concepts and Development. Lew Kathreptis an accomplished award winning chef and Food & Beverage consultant, brings to his role over 25 years of senior management experience in restaurants, hotel, commercial and consultancy companies throughout the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions. Lew began his career in Dubai as a member of the pre-opening team of the iconic One&Only Royal Mirage back in 1999, where he was steadily promoted, until he acquired the position of Executive Chef and Development Chef. Motivated by his passion for creating new, trend-setting restaurant concepts, Lew ventured out into F&B consultancy as a Senior Restaurant Development Manager for Fututre Food. This exciting role gave him the opportunity to work on many remarkable projects with the likes of Emaar Hospitality, Jumeirah Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Mövenpick Hotels and The Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi. Headhunted by Tatweer, a subsidiary of the government’s Dubai Holdings, Lew continued to share his wealth of knowledge within the group’s leisure and entertainment division. After a decade in Dubai, and spurred by a desire to diversify his experience, Lew moved to Bali, Indonesia as a Director of Restaurant Development & Concepts with P.T. Bali Unicorn. He was responsible for developing several hotel brands and successfully opened “Segara Asia” a grill restaurant & lounge and “Sugarmamas Bakehouse” an artisan bakery and cafe, ready to franchise. Now working with Atelier EPJ, as Director of Concepts and Development, Lew will continue to blaze a culinary trail. “Lew is a well-respected and highly knowledgeable expert in the field of food and beverage who joins Atelier EPJ at the perfect time, as the company is experiencing tremendous growth. His culinary talents, extensive regional and international experience, as well as his intuition and drive for success will be a great asset and we are very happy to have Lew in our family,” said Elmar Pichorner, the Founder and Partner of Atelier EPJ.

The Latest in Hotel Openings

Four Seasons set to open flagship hotel in Toronto. Over fifty years after the first Four Seasons hotel was built, the luxury brand is set to open its much anticipated flagship property in its hometown city of Toronto on October 5, 2012. Four Seasons Hotel Toronto has been designed with business visitors, including corporate incentive and meeting attendees in mind, with an entire building connected to the hotel dedicated to event space. It offers 17 flexible function spaces, across 14,300 sq ft, including two large event rooms with breathtaking views of Toronto. The spaces are ideal for events of all types – from professional meetings and conferences to high end dinners and social function during incentive trips. Soaring 55 storeys high in the heart of Yorkville, one of the most glamorous restaurant and shopping areas of Toronto, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto perfectly combines business and pleasure, boasting 259 personalised rooms and 42 individual suites each containing luxury amenities, climate control, interactive tablets and contemporary bathrooms. The state-of-the-art spa – the largest in the city - will allow incentive and business visitors the opportunity to relax whilst enjoying all the city has to offer.

W Hotels Worldwide set to debut its first hotel in Central America with the opening of W Panama. W Hotels Worldwide today announced it has signed an agreement with Evolution Tower Corp, a joint venture between F & F Properties and EFC Group Inc., to debut the W Hotels brand in Central America. Slated to open in early 2016, W Panama will be part of the 50-floor Evolution Tower, a mixed-use building, including premium office space, located in the heart of the city's financial district. W Panama will be built on Calle 50, just steps away from Uruguay Street, which is known as the Zona Rosa of Panama and is bustling with stylish restaurants and nightclubs. "Panama continues to see strong growth in both business and tourism development given its strategic location between North and South America and ease of access from around the world," said Osvaldo Librizzi, Co-President of the Americas, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. "We are excited to partner with Evolution Tower Corp, who has a strong presence in high-end construction and iconic developments. We are confident that this first W in Central America will become a new landmark in the city." "As part of Starwood's overall growth strategy, we continue to focus on expanding our nine leading brands into vibrant cities around the world, such as Panama City," said Ricardo Suarez, Vice President of Latin America Acquisitions and Development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. "This hotel will mark our ninth in Panama, and we are very pleased to add a new brand to Starwood's growing presence in the region." "It has been a dream of ours to bring the W brand to a growing cosmopolitan city such as Panama," said Saul Faskha, President, Evolution Tower Corp. "We are very excited to be working on this new project."