Hotel News in Brief

Feb 06, 13 | 12:00 am

Some current conversation starters...

HSMAI Europe will soon launch a web-based, fully sponsored TV channel with news and interviews aimed at the European travel and hospitality industry.

The channel's primary target groups are defined as the travel industry in general, as well as its clients, media, authorities and political bodies. The intended schedule is set up for a certain number of transmissions from the HSMAI Europe studio per month, with interviews and reports from various events, hotel openings and more, depending on the number of sponsors. Recordings and interviews will take place during this month's HSMAI gatherings in London, and Berlin's ITB in March. At a later stage HSMAI Europe hopes to facilitate national shows, too, in addition to the European shows. HSMAI Europe's President and CEO Ingunn Hofseth will be in charge of what is expected to be a high technical-quality production.

Rosewood Hotel Georgia is pleased to announce that the hotel has been recognized with several prominent awards on TripAdvisor's 2013 Travelers' Choice awards list.

Among the awards the iconic hotel received, Rosewood Hotel Georgia was named the number one luxury hotel in Canada, in addition to several other prestigious accolades including:

• Top 25 Luxury Hotels in the World

• Top 25 Hotels in Canada (#2)

• Top 25 Hotels for Service in Canada

"We are honored that Rosewood Hotel Georgia has achieved this extraordinary level of recognition by our valued guests," said Steve Halliday, Managing Director of Rosewood Hotel Georgia.  "Our position as one of TripAdvisor's top hotels in Canada and in the world is a true testament to the guest experience the hotel offers, and to the exceptional service provided by our staff that helped it gain recognition so quickly."

Key Appointments in the Industry

Congratulations to these new appointments...

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group proudly announces the appointment of John Matkovich as director of sales and marketing for the Radisson Plaza - Warwick Hotel Philadelphia. In his new role, Matkovich will oversee all sales, marketing and public relations functions for the 301-room historic hotel in the prestigious Rittenhouse Square district of Philadelphia. Matkovich brings more than 25 years' experience in the hospitality industry, having worked in sales and marketing roles for Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Loews Hotels & Resorts and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts in the in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. He most recently served as director of sales and marketing for the Sheraton Edison Hotel where he was responsible for restructuring room and catering sales for the 276-room property. Matkovich is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University and holds a bachelor's degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Outrigger® Enterprises Group has announced the promotion of company veteran John Neeley to vice president of information technology for the lodging and hospitality company. In his new position, Neeley will provide vision and leadership in the development and implementation of global information technology strategies and initiatives to support the company's goals and direction. He will continue development responsibilities for the company's central distribution systems, including integration with international wholesale and retail partners, integration of electronic payment systems and the company's ongoing transition to new standardized global platforms. Neeley started working for Outrigger in 1991 as a programmer analyst. Over the next 20+ years, he advanced through the organization in a variety of technology positions, most recently serving as director of systems and programming for the past eight years.

The Latest in Hotel Openings

The Stairs Villa Hotel, envisioned by Philippe Starck, is set to break ground in the Petitenget neighborhood. The Stairs will be the first fully designed villa hotel by Starck in Indonesia. The project features a private village of 12 limited-edition villas with signature floor-to-roof glass façades by artist JonOne and public areas with a café patisserie, restaurant, bar lounge, boutique, mezzanine library, spa and workout facilities. The Stairs is a project of DeCiazini Group, a French investment, development and management firm.

The world's tallest Holiday Inn has topped out in lower Manhattan. The top floor of concrete was poured for the 50-story, 400-room full-service hotel at 99 Washington St. The primary design of the project was executed by Gene Kaufman Architect, P.C., with façade design consultation by Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman & Associates Architects. The exterior of the Holiday Inn will have a low-rise, contextual base, blending with the surrounding streetscape, topped with a tower featuring graduated setbacks and offering views of the city, the Hudson River and the Statue of the Liberty. The metal-paneled façade will attract and reflect light, according to the architects. The hotel also will offer a guest lounge, a full-service restaurant and bar, a fitness center, meeting facilities and complimentary in-room Internet access. The hotel is slated for completion later this year.

An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corporation has signed management agreements with affiliates of Constellation Hotels Holding Ltd. for four hotels in France, more than doubling the number of Hyatt locations in the country. The hotels, which will be converted in April, include the following: the Hotel Martinez will be rebranded Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez; Palais de la Mediterranée Hotel and Casino will be rebranded Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Mediterranée; Concorde Lafayette will be rebranded Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile; and Hotel du Louvre will enter the Hyatt brand family with its identity intact and will be marketed initially as Hotel du Louvre. Following a renovation, which all of the properties will undergo, the hotel is to become an Andaz. The hotels will add more than 1,700 rooms to Hyatt's existing portfolio in France, which includes the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome, Hyatt Paris Madeleine and Hyatt Regency Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, a pioneer and leader in sustainable luxury hospitality, is embarking on an era of expansion, announcing five new-build properties across five countries. All are scheduled for completion by 2016. The new additions will include the brand's Western Hemisphere debut, with properties under development in St. Lucia, Dominican Republic and Colombia; its first presence in Bhutan, and the opening of Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain, China at the end of 2013.