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ehotelier Hospitality News Archives: June 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 28, 2003Robust Euro-Zone performanceThe 12 euro-zone countries improve average room rates during 2002 - Year-end 2002 hotel performance data from the HotelBenchmark Survey by Deloitte & Touche reveals that despite the tough trading conditions during 2002 average room rates for hotels within the euro-zone exceeded 2001
levels.
More... [896 views] Accor to sell Polish hotel unit to Orbis for 92 million eurosAccor said Wednesday it would sell its 11 Ibis and Novotel hotels in Poland to the domestic hotel company Orbis for 92 million euros. More... [726 views] Le Meridien given liquidation deadlineLe Meridien, the debt-laden owner of London's Grosvenor House and Waldorf hotels, faces the prospect of calling in the administrators this week unless it can convince its bankers to grant it a stay of execution. More... [1044 views] WHO sets Hong Kong freeThe World Health Organisation has officially removed Hong Kong from the SARS affected areas list this afternoon, as there have been no new SARS cases in the community since June 3. More... [580 views] May 2003: Spain - city centre versus resort performanceCompared to other euro-zone countries, the Spanish economy has seen the
fastest growth in the first quarter of 2003.
More... [708 views] Legal experts in hospitality discuss key issues, at annual roundtableThe Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration sponsored its second annual roundtable on legal issues in the hospitality industry this spring. More... [778 views] Don't Shoot The Messenger! Feasibility Studies For Public FinancingBy:
More... [670 views] Sir Rocco buys Brown's Hotel back for £51.5mSir Rocco Forte returned to the London hotel market yesterday with the £51.5m purchase of Brown's Hotel in Mayfair, from where Alexander Graham Bell made the world's first telephone call in 1876. More... [780 views] Raymond Bickson to be at helm of Indian HotelsRaymond Bickson, who joined The Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) as Executive Director in December 2002, will be the company's new Managing Director, effective July 19. More... [789 views] Shangri-La Hotel Dubai a Shangri-la with a difference.What do you get when you put a destination such as Dubai, which offers some of the most richly furnished hotel accommodation anywhere in the world, with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts' first property outside of Asia ? More... [969 views] Travellers urged to resume Asia visitsThe Asia-Pacific Ministerial Summit on Crisis Management, convened by the World Tourism Organization (WTO), on Wednesday welcomed the news that the SARS epidemic is under control and issued the following joint message to travellers around the world: More... [611 views] Jumeirah International introduces grand boutique hotel concept to the ME regionJumeirah International, the Dubai-based luxury hospitality group, introduced a new hotel concept to the Kingdom’s journalists with an exclusive preview of Dubai’s newest resort hotel, Mina A’ Salam. More... [875 views] South Africa: Hotel occupancies fell in AprilHotel occupancy rates dropped in April, raising fears that growth in the tourism sector may be slowing. More... [642 views] Big hotel chains launch Web siteMajor hotel companies have launched a hotel reservation Web site, Travelweb.com, aiming to wean Internet shoppers from market leaders Expedia and Hotels.com More... [944 views] Malaysia's Faber Group: Door Open for Offers to Buy up Sheraton Hotels in MalaysiaDebt-laden Faber Group is still looking for interested parties to buy its loss-making hotels division. More... [863 views] Trouble in ParadisePicture postcard sunsets are a missed opportunity for the Asian tourism industry because most of the time there is no one around to enjoy them. The region's beautiful beaches have so few visitors, many restaurants and hotels can no longer afford to pay their staff. More... [719 views] What is Next Generation Technology? How Will We Know When It Has Arrived?By: Elizabeth Lauer Ivey HVS International - When people hear the term “technology strategy” in conversational circles, the following question is sure to arise: “Just what is the next big thing in technology?” This strikes me as a better than average ice-breaker but nonetheless, a strangely worded sentence More... [737 views] Industry Data Indicative of a Decline in Hotel Real Property ValuesBy: Thomas Dolan HVS International - Throughout the 1990s and into 2000, the hotel industry experienced significant growth in terms of revenue per available room (RevPAR) and net operating income (NOI). Ultimately, hotel values recorded the highest levels in history toward the latter half of the 1990s and 2000. More... [774 views] Ramada Ranks India Among Top 6 New Growth Markets In Asia-PacificRamada International Hotels & Resorts, a part of Marriott International Inc, has ranked India among their top six new growth markets in the Asian-Pacific region. The other two countries of note in the region are China and Japan. More... [695 views] Convening in Hong Kong becomes conventional againConventioneers, the biggest spending visitor sector, are heading back to Hong Kong. It is the most positive sign that the effects of SARS is fading. More... [594 views] Germany: Travel Industry Crisis Nears End?Travel and holiday group TUI AG has observed a positive trend coming on the heels of several setbacks in the travel industry. More... [692 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 21, 2003Global Staff-Movements: Who is in and who is outGlobal Staff Movements - Who is in and Who is out - international listing of new appointments, promotions, transfers ....... More... [1234 views] Crisis management: could you cope if the unthinkable happenedHOTEL Asia Pacific columnist Bert van Walbeek – who produced a post-Bali-bombing crisis-management manual for PATA (the Pacific Asia Travel Association) – wonders if hoteliers are fully prepared in these uncertain times More... [882 views] France: May 2003: Social Unrest and the Slowing Economy Take their TollThe socio-economic environment during the month of May weighed heavily on the performances of upscale Parisian hotels, who have been suffering for several months. More... [676 views] The Value Of Theoretical Research And Applied Research For The Hospitality IndustryThe purpose of this paper is to describe the ways in which applied research and theoretical research contribute to better management in the hospitality industry and to suggest a balanced approach that combines both types of research to maximize short-term responsiveness. More... [2134 views] Savoy owner in talks to buy Le Meridien assetsTthe American private-equity group that owns London's Savoy hotel group, Blackstone, has teamed up with Lehman Brothers, the investment bank, to buy the continental hotels owned by Le Meridien, the troubled international hotelier. More... [893 views] Worldwide Supply Of Hotel Groups - A Total Of 5 Million Rooms; Up By 1.9% In 2002A less pronounced expansion than last year. The growth in the worldwide hotel chain supply, during the year 2002, was less pronounced than the previous years. Though the growth in the supply of hotel groups reached 5.1% in 2000 to rise another 3% in 2001, the growth registered in 2002 only reached 1.9%. More... [654 views] Starwood Hotels Completes $340 Million Sale of Sardinian Hotels to Colony CapitalStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced today that it has completed the previously announced sale of its four hotels and a 51% interest in its undeveloped land assets at Costa Smeralda in Sardinia, Italy, to Los Angeles-based Colony Capital, LLC for 290 million Euros (approximately $340 million) plus additional consideration. Starwood will continue to manage the hotels under a long-term contract and will retain a 49% stake in the undeveloped land. More... [822 views] WHO Lifts Travel Advisory to China Except BeijingThe World Health Organization (WHO) lifted SARS warnings against travel to China except Beijing on Friday, in a further sign the potentially fatal disease is being tamed. But it kept up its call to avoid unnecessary trips to the Chinese capital and to Taiwan -- the only places in the world still subject to travel warnings More... [638 views] InterContinental Hotels Group’s Regional General Managers Champion New Corporate StructureOne Team! was one of the five core values adopted by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Regional Management team at its first regional management workshop since the restructuring as a new organization under the leadership of Managing Director Asia Pacific, Mr A. Patrick Imbarde More... [1307 views] 'Be Our Guest At Shangri-la"Deluxe Hotel Group Extends Special Travel Trade Offer Through August - Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is inviting the travel trade to ‘Be Our Guest at Shangri-La’ with special rates starting at only US$30 from now until 31 August 2003 at 39 of the group’s properties in Asia Pacific. More... [811 views] Macdonald Hotels founders seeking to buy back groupThe founding directors of Macdonald Hotels are seeking to buy back the group they started 13 years ago in a move that could value the company at up to pounds 145m. More... [757 views] Human resource hospitality industry experts convene at Cornell Hotel SchoolThe Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University sponsored its first ever industry roundtable on human resources in the hospitality industry this spring. More... [775 views] Guests will pay more for comforting experiencesMarket Metrix research demonstrates that emotions play an important role in hotel customer satisfaction and loyalty, and that they are a better predictor of customer loyalty than traditional measures of products and services. Guests are willing to pay significantly more per night for the promise of experiencing certain emotions during their stay. More... [1089 views] Stage Set For Taj Group Hotels MD - Raymond Bickson top contenderIndian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) executive director and chief operating officer (luxury hotels business) Raymond Bickson is understood to be a contender for the post of managing director (MD). The current incumbent, Mr RK Krishna Kumar is set to retire soon. More... [826 views] Accor shifts focus to franchisingAtlanta-Accor North America is shifting its business strategy and will focus on growing the company through franchising and management contracts rather than building new hotels. More... [810 views] Australia: Modest rise in touristsHOPES that the SARS virus will not have a long-term effect on the tourist industry have been bolstered by the latest accommodation figures. More... [632 views] U.S. Tourism Industry Slows in QuarterThe U.S. tourism industry slowed in the first quarter, although sales are still above their low point in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. More... [576 views] China's hotel occupancy rate rebounds in JuneChina's hotel occupancy rate bottomed out in the first week of June as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic was effectively brought under control in the country More... [871 views] Interior Design and the Bottom LineBy: Renee Boos HVS International - When planning the development of a hotel, or renovation of an existing property, hiring an experienced interior designer is key to the success of the project. More... [752 views] Hotel Insurance Costs - What Has Happened Since 2000By: Nikos Hadjos HVS International - Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, insurance has been one of the most talked-about topics within the hard-hit hotel industry. Overall, insurance costs have been drastically increasing during the last three years. In the midst of all this, hoteliers are faced with the challenge of securing and affording adequate insurance coverage within the guidelines of their loan documents. More... [719 views] Rethinking Safety And SecurityIn the 1976 movie Marathon Man a bewildered Dustin Hoffman is kidnapped and interrogated by the terrifying Laurence Olivier, who repeatedly asks the menacing question, "Is it safe?" The issue of personal safety takes on a new significance in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. More... [620 views] Best B&Bs 2003Hotels are great. For the most part, they provide 24-hour room service, in-room cable and overpriced Scotch in the minibar. But, convenience aside, they are impersonal sorts of places, and if you are the kind of business person who spends too many nights a year asking for a wakeup call for your morning meeting, it can be a relaxing change to check into a B&B. More... [779 views] Rank builds on Hard Rock with hotelsRank attempts to develop its underperforming Hard Rock brand through a hotel tie-up with Sol Melia More... [643 views] Going in new directions - Boutique hotels make adjustments to get people to come their wayUsually anything described as luxury or boutique doesn't fare all that well in a down economy. People search for bargains and gravitate to discounted prices. Hardly an ideal time for the Washington area's boutique hotels. More... [717 views] Cendant Hotel Group Appoints Group PresidentCendant Corporation’s Hotel Group today announced the appointment of Anthony L. Berger as group president, a newly created position responsible for overseeing the operation, performance and growth of the company’s Ramada and Howard Johnson brands. More... [574 views] Jordan: Hotel Development Drives More Middle East GrowthDespite the crisis that affected the region in 2002/2003, Jordan maintained and attracetd more tourists in comparison with 2001. More... [633 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 20, 2003NLPH to end Bangkok Hilton management alliance, appoints Raffles as new managersNai Lert Park Hotel (NLPH) owned by the wealthy Sampatisiri family, will turn management of the Hilton International Bangkok over to Singapore-based Raffles group after deciding to terminate its 20-year partnership with Hilton International. More... [692 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 15, 2003Ehotelier.com News Goes 'Weekly'"Less News is Good News... as long as the news is good." More... [532 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 14, 2003Hotel Slump a Benefit for BuyersOf the 282 hotels in the United States that fly the Sheraton or Four Points by Sheraton flag, only one in six is actually owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc., the company that controls the Sheraton brand and several other well-known hotel trademarks.With the lodging industry experiencing its worst slump in four decades, according to a report issued this month by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the proportion of hotels that Starwood owns as well as operates is expected to decrease More... [823 views] April 2003: RevPAR falls for the sixth consecutive month in Belgium & The NetherlandsThe combination of the war in Iraq, the impact of SARS, the decline in long haul travel and the timing of Easter resulted in a collective decline in revPAR (revenue per available room) of 26 percent for hotels in Belgium and The Netherlands during April according to the HotelBenchmark Survey by Deloitte & Touche. More... [936 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 13, 2003Live Long and ProsperAdvises Mr. Spock of StarTrek. The truth is, we have taken his advice - at least part of it. We are living longer! By the year 2030, one out of every five people in the United States will be aged 65 and older. This phenomenon is also occurring in other industrialized countries, such as Japan and Germany. This profound demographic change presents challenges to the hospitality, travel and tourism industry for many services and amenities will have to change, in order to accommodate the aging traveler. More... [696 views] China's New Asia, Jinjiang merge, eyeing ambitions to become a global player in the hotel industryTwo Shanghai-based state-owned tourism-related companies announced plans to merge their operations in China, eyeing ambitions to become a global player in the hotel industry in the next five years, state media reported Tuesday. More... [805 views] Business travelers to return to AsiaGlobal Sources recently unveiled the results of a survey showing that 50 percent of the respondents will resume overseas travel in around one month to the SARS- affected areas where the World Health Organization (WHO) has lifted its travel advisories More... [658 views] Egypt Tourism News UpdateIncreasing British and American Air Flights to Egypt British Airways started recently increasing its flights from London to Alexandria with four scheduled flights weekly. On the other hand Egypt Air started increasing its flights to North America to reach five trips weekly to cope with the growing travel traffic to Egypt. More... [691 views] STB restructures againThe ink on its recent restructure has barely dried and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is shuffling top executives again More... [781 views] World Tourism Organization Pleased With Australian Tourism PlansThe World Tourism Organization (WTO) expressed its great satisfaction about the recently published Tourism Green Paper about the Australian tourism strategy for the next ten years. More... [647 views] Hawaii Tourism UpdateJapanese visitor arrivals remain well below year-ago levels, but the latest quarterly count finds Hawaii remains the single most popular U.S. destination for the Japanese, and growing faster than the rest of the United States. Newly released figures on international travel to the United States come from the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries in the U.S. Department of Commerce. More... [633 views] European tour operators under pressure from all sidesEurope's leading leisure travel groups are united as seldom before - virtually all are suffering from falling sales whatever their location. Holiday bookings are down across the continent and the picture is the same in most countries: the Iraq war depressed sales until April, the late bookings trend is as strong as ever and there are doubts whether package holidays are still a growth market due to the rise of the internet as a sales channel More... [1115 views] Summit Hotels quantifies the global power of agentsRichard Lewis, managing director of Summit Hotels, has said that the travel trade and hotel industry can work together after a global agent-based promotion resulted in a 7.9% hike in revenues over a three-month period. More... [731 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 12, 2003Australian Brewing Giant Foster's to sell its 131 hotelsFoster's is looking to sell its 131 hotels to concentrate on making wine and beer.The global brewing giant has hired merchant bank Macquarie to find buyers willing to pay more than $1 billion for the pubs, according to Bloomberg financial news. More... [907 views] Tourism chief addresses Dubai leaders, and urges them to communicate a united message to the worldMary Bennett, president of Skal nternational, called on Dubai`s tourism and hospitality sector to unite behind one message at a time of a global slow down in the industry. More... [773 views] HOTEC ASIA 2003 Annual Event Draws Asia Pacific Hotel IndustrySigns that the travel and hotel industry is moving toward recovery comes with the announcement of HOTEC ASIA 2003, an annual business meetings forum for the hotel industry, scheduled to take place from October 30 to November 1 at the Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Resort in Kota Kinabalu. More... [650 views] APEC Tourism Groups meet in Pattaya, ThailandThe two main tourism-related units of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) started their meeting in Pattaya after being forced to postpone them from last April due to the SARS crisis More... [612 views] New Zealand projects gradual, steady growthTourism New Zealand (TNZ) Chief Executive, George Hickton projects growth for the year ahead in spite of an 8 percent drop in first quarter arrivals, as focus turns to Australia and soon to Japan, the UK and the US. More... [582 views] Gold Coast ready to capture big events with new convention centreAustralia's Gold Coast, more known as a playground for Asian tourists than for business events, is showing that it is serious in chasing the latter with its new convention centre, soon to be the new landmark in this resort city. More... [754 views] Guy Hands: Right Deal, Wrong Time, Few RegretsLegendary dealmaker Guy Hands is in a defensive mood.
He wants to tell the world his acquisition of debt-saddled hotels group Le Meridien was a great idea, despite the investment losing millions for its backers. More... [755 views] Cautious times, but Hilton forges aheadThe tourism industry may be reeling from the double blow of SARS and war, but the slump has not stopped Hilton from being confident about the future. Emerging from a two-day strategy meeting at his Singapore-based office, Hilton International's President for Asia Pacific, Koos Klein, confirmed that plans for another 14 properties, including 11 new hotels and 3 reflags, are forging ahead. More... [782 views] Headed by Richard Hartman, InterContinental Hotels Puts New Focus on The Europe, Middle East and Africa RegionsThe Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA) of InterContinental Hotels Group today announces a new geographical structure. Headed by Richard Hartman, the recently appointed Managing Director, the EMEA region will comprise four geographical divisions, in addition to a more streamlined and focused regional centre More... [1167 views] Assess for the BestOne result of the current business climate in the hospitality industry is that there are a lot of people presently out of work. As companies have sought to reduce costs, payroll has seen the sharp end of the knife and redundancies have become commonplace. In some cases there are reasons why certain people have been shown the door sooner than others, just as in many instances there are highly talented people who have found themselves simply victims of circumstance. More... [965 views] Australia maps out a tourism futureAustralia's Federal Minister for Small Business and Tourism, Joe Hockey has launched the Tourism Green Paper, a draft medium-to-long-term strategy for the tourism industry. More... [684 views] UK Tourist numbers on the waneThe number of visits to the UK by overseas residents fell by 4% during the three months to the end of April 2003, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
More... [605 views] Thailand considers long-term strategy to promote tourismThe Thailand government was considering new long-term strategy to promote the country's tourism despite the current impact of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), reported the local press on Monday. More... [649 views] See Singapore half-price with SIASingapore Airlines’ (SIA) stations worldwide are spewing forth a slew of half-priced fares today (Jun 9) under its “largest ever” global campaign – the SIA Fabulous Offer – intended to attract travellers to Singapore. The campaign is in partnership with the Association of Singapore Attractions, and the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) whose 50 participating members, have committed 28,000 room nights More... [736 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 11, 2003Back to normal after SARS? Let’s hope not ….Many in the hotel industry in Asia Pacific are praying that things will soon get back to the way they used to be. But, hopefully, many of the old ways of doing business are gone for good, says human resources expert and HOTEL Asia Pacific columnist Mark Keith. When the SARS panic eventually dies down I, for one, hope that things never get back to normal. Not if “normal” means being equally ill-prepared when the next crisis hits. More... [894 views] Travel Bookings Return to 2002 Levels, According to AAA Travel BarometerIn an encouraging sign for the travel industry, travel bookings have returned to their 2002 levels, according to the most recent AAA Travel Barometer.The National Travel Barometer for the week of May 26 to June 1 showed overall travel agency bookings - cruises, tour packages, car rentals and hotels - at 28,100 bookings, about even with the 28,200 bookings for the same week last year. More... [673 views] PricewaterhouseCoopers downgrades RevPAR forecastRevenue per available room will decline 0.4 percent in 2003, marking the first time since the 1961 to 1963 period that the industry will experience a third consecutive year of nominal RevPAR declines, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts. There will be no recovery of real RevPAR to previous peak within the next 12 quarters, the company said. More... [849 views] Food and Hotel Malaysia 2003 to see 500 companies from 30 countriesFive hundred companies from 30 countries are expected to take part in the Food and Hotel Malaysia 2003 (FHM 2003) exhibition to be held at the Mines International Exhibition Centre here from Sept 24-27, 2003. More... [622 views] Strong euro and foreign travel worries likely to boost UK tourismTHE strong euro, health concerns over foreign travel and looming air traffic control strikes on the continent should boost tourism in the UK this summer, according to a new survey.
More... [647 views] Singapore hotels dig deepSecuring 28,000 complimentary room nights from 53 of Singapore's top hotels is no mean feat. But to agree to it in less than two hours shows the extent of the "problem shared" currently by the Singapore hotel market. Said Pakir Singh, chief executive, Singapore Hotel Association at today's launch of the SIA Fabulous Offer, "We announced the plan at the meeting at 4pm, and by 5.30pm we had agreed." More... [809 views] Loews Hotels' CEO Going "Down the Ladder" Serving as Banquet Waiter, Line Cook, Room Attendant, BellboyThe white tablecloths hung perfectly. The cutlery gleamed; the glasses shone; the entire table was set, almost to a fault. But the banquet captain in training, a man named Jonathan Tisch, was unable to master the art of folding linen napkin into fans. Fortunately, Tisch already has a job; he is chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels Corp More... [1145 views] 6th Annual Asia Pacific Hotel Investment ConferenceIn conjunction with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) decision over the weekend to lift the travel advisory to Singapore, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels is pleased to announce new dates for the 6th Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Conference. The event will now take place from 22nd to 24th July 2003, with the conference to be held on the 24 July at The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore. More... [617 views] HITEC Survey: 80% of Technology Exhibitors Consider HITEC the Most Critical Tradeshow to Their Company’s SuccessHITEC 2003, scheduled later this month for New Orleans, on June 24-26, will be an extraordinary marketplace. According to the latest survey results from early registrants in the exhibitor category, more than 20 percent are planning purchases from other exhibitors on the floor for more than $50,000 US during the next 12 months. More... [610 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 10, 2003Background Briefing: Shangri-La In ChinaShangri-La Hotels and Resorts has been committed to growth in mainland China since it opened its first hotel there in 1984. Today, Hong Kong-based Shangri-La has more than 8,000 of its nearly 20,000 rooms and 16 of its 39 properties in mainland China. The company is the largest luxury hotel group in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and Shangri-La’s plans for expansion are further buoyed by the country’s acceptance into the World Trade Organisation and Beijing being named host of the 2008 Olympics. More... [1820 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 9, 2003London Times tips hotel movementsFriday’s edition of the Times reports that Savoy Group’s Lygon Arms is about be sold while Marriott has made a move on Le Meridien’s Grosvenor House and Waldorf hotels. More... [895 views] Hilton CEO says technology key to successHilton Hotels Chief Executive Stephen Bollenbach has placed his faith in technology. While rivals worry the Internet will reduce rooms to commodities, the head of the No. 2 U.S. hotel manager dreams of a supremely knowledgeable system that can offer rooms near a loud elevator for less than a quiet one down the hall. More... [1434 views] Study at Cornell shows why hotel discounting usually doesn’t work and why hotels can raise prices in good timesHotel demand in large cities fluctuates more in response to personal income than to changes in hotel prices, according to a new study issued by the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR). More... [1562 views] News@PATAPATA is inviting all registered national tourism organisations (NTOs ) to hold press briefings during PATA Travel Mart, October 1-3, 2003 in Singapore. PATA Managing Director-Events, Ms. Sheila Leong , said: "We encourage NTO members to take this opportunity to update the media on the latest destination news. More... [601 views] Hong Kong welcomes lifting of CDC travel advisoryThe people of Hong Kong welcome the decision by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lift the travel advisory on Hong Kong. The announcement is a further indication that the SARS disease is contained, travel to Hong Kong is safe and life is returning to normal. More... [700 views] UK Budget: Executive Summary – Gambling on GrowthRoger Bootle, Economic Adviser to Deloitte & Touche, reviews the 2003 budget announcement More... [646 views] Market Snapshot AfricaAfrica’s premier travel and trade show, Indaba has been hailed a great success. The event, held in Durban from 3-6 May 2003, attracted 1,432 delegates, an 8.8 percent increase over 2002. More... [618 views] Singapore Unveils Tourism Recovery PlanSingapore’s SARS-hit tourism sector has received a boost with the launch of a $US116 million recovery program by the Singapore Tourism Board. The revival program aims to bring four million visitors to the city- state over the next seven months. More... [833 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 7, 2003Savoy and Claridges "not for sale" according to ownersThe owner of the Savoy Hotel and Claridges denied reports today that it is considering putting the famous London locations up for sale. New York-based private equity and real estate company Blackstone moved to scotch reports that it is considering selling the Savoy Group, which also owns The Berkeley and The Connaught More... [732 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 6, 2003Now to Woo Back TouristsWith the battle against the SARS bug now seemingly in control, Asia is abuzz with a new campaign - to win tourists back. Setting aside regional rivalries, Asian countries are teaming up to bring back the traveler to enjoy the tourism bounty on offer here. Fares are at all-time lows, there are unprecedented shopping discounts and special festivals are being held across the region More... [674 views] Where will 40 million British travellers spent their summer holidaysNearly 40 million holidays will be taken this year - the majority will be package holidays - and two-thirds will be taken in the summer . So with only six weeks to go before the big holiday rush, ABTA has compiled a list of Britain`s favourite holiday destinations and this year`s fashionable `hot` spots More... [1124 views] Gulf States invest for tourism recoveryCountries in the Gulf region are increasing spending on tourism infrastructure to try to win back international visitors. Following the end of the Iraq war, hopes were high at the recent Arabian Travel Market (ATM) that a pick-up in arrivals could soon emerge. More... [631 views] Marriott steps up sales operations in the Middle EastMarriott's Middle East sales office is expanding its operations in the region, said Samir Daqqaq, Vice President of Marriott Global Sales, Middle East, Africa and Subcontinent More... [743 views] Norway’s Hardanger hotels defy downturnHotel occupancy fell 5 percent nationwide in April, but the mountain area of Hardanger registered a 24 percent rise. Now they're hoping for a good summer. More... [727 views] Singapore Roars: “Bring us your guests”The Lion City this afternoon announced its game plan for a S$200 million long-term sustainable tourism recovery programme that it hopes will see the destination roaring again. More... [674 views] Basil Fawlty-style hotel owner 'locked up guests'A Basil Fawlty style hotel owner is being investigated by police after locking his guests inside following a series of complaints.Manager Anello Aiello, 68, faces possible kidnapping charges after locking in guests who complained about poor service including unchanged sheets and poor quality meals. More... [1188 views] Savoy Group available for £800m+?The Daily Telegraph
claims that the Savoy Group is being quietly marketed for more than £800m by its US-based VC owners Blackstone and Colony Capital. More... [702 views] Travel Advisory May be Lifted for Parts of ChinaWith the number of new SARS cases in China continuing to fall, the World Health Organization (WHO) might consider lifting its advisory against travel to certain parts of the country. The world body would be monitoring four places in northern China in the coming days and weeks before making a decision, said Henk Bekedam, WHO's representative to China, yesterday. More... [651 views] Jarvis Hotels sees gloom continueJarvis Hotels says it expects trading to remain tough after reporting flat profits and turnover in the year to the end of March. The company said pre-tax profits before exceptional items were unchanged at £17 million on sales of £162.4 million More... [558 views] HK may sell stake in Disney park to curb deficit-paperThe Hong Kong government is considering selling its stake in the upcoming Disneyland theme park to help pay off its massive budget deficit, the Beijing-backed Wen Wei Po newspaper reported on Tuesday. More... [768 views] Dubai hotels, business now normal
Visitor numbers have returned to normal in the top Dubai hotels with the recovery from the war in Iraq rather faster than 9/11. Hoteliers told AME Info that with summer offers now in place the local tourism sector should make up some lost ground. Airlines such as British Airways and Lufthansa have increased services to Dubai. Historic InterContinental Le Grand Hôtel Paris Reopens Following Multi-million dollar RenovationThe historic InterContinental Le Grand Hôtel Paris has re-opened its doors following an eighteen-month multi-million dollar renovation.
More... [938 views] International Hotel Investments published its preliminary profit statement for 2002IHI has just published its preliminary profit statement for the year ended December 31, 2002. The company had Lm13.8 million (2001: Lm5.5 million) in revenue principally from the operation of the Nevskij Palace Hotel in St Petersburg (which was acquired in January 2002), the Corinthia Alfa Hotel in Lisbon, and the San Gorg. Gross profit came in at Lm4.4 million, up from the previous year's Lm1.3 million as more operations contributed cash flow.
More... [613 views] US hotels see stronger than expected summer travelThe U.S. summer travel season is shaping up to be better than had been expected, with the impact of government security alerts fading and foreign travelers looking to take advantage of the weaker dollar, senior U.S. hotel executives said on Monday More... [696 views] Priority Club® rewards earns top honors at 2003 Freddie AwardsInterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced that Priority Club® Rewards won three coveted first-place honors at the prestigious 15th Annual Freddie Awards held April 24 in Colorado Springs. Readers of InsideFlyer magazine selected IHG’s loyalty program as the Best Hotel Newsletter (Americas), Best Hotel Newsletter (International), and Best Hotel Web Site (International). Overall, Priority Club Rewards took home top three in 11 of 16 possible hotel frequent guest awards.
More... [612 views] German tourist board names new chiefThe German tourist board (DZT) has appointed Petra Hedorfer as its new chairman from November. More... [618 views] Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Recipient of Lodging Leadership Award for Board PerformanceHVS Executive Search, a division of the global hotel consulting firm HVS International, has honored Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts (NYSE: FS) as the lodging industry’s top performing board of directors for the year 2002. More... [837 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 5, 2003Durant joins Thistle exodus
Finance director Ian Durant is the latest board member of Thistle Hotels to step down following BIL’s takeover. More... [751 views] Portland doubles up with Milton Hotels dealEdinburgh property consortium Portland Hotels has doubled its portfolio after just a year in existence with the acquisition of Milton Hotels in a deal believed to be worth about £25 million. More... [626 views] TARS founder: Time for truth on SARS Rusty Staff, president of Asia Transpacific Journeys, based in Boulder, Colorado is a specialist in tours to Asia. Angered by the economic damage SARS has inflicted, and what he saw as imbalanced reporting on SARS in the US, Staff set up "TARS", an organisation devoted to spreading the Truth About Reporting of SARS. More... [745 views] InterContinental Hotels Group Shapes New Organisation for Australia, New Zealand and South PacificInterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has unveiled the shape of the new streamlined organisation for Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, which will result in more efficient use of regional and global resources and a structure that will drive greater innovation, customer focus and revenues by moving key resources closer to customers, partners and areas of growth. More... [1253 views] Compensation Trend in Trying TimesBy: Keith Kefgen HVS International - HVS Executive Search completed its fifth national survey of compensation and benefits in the hospitalityindustry. Since the previous survey in 2000, a great deal has changed in the hotel industry, the dot-com implosion, September 11th , and the Enron scandal More... [866 views] Marriott Hotel Chain Bids on AladdinLos Angeles-based investment group is teaming up with Marriott International Inc. to bid on the bankrupt Aladdin hotel-casino. Marriott intends to invest $25 million in the property's hotel, said Richard Alter, managing director of Financial Capital Investment Co. More... [727 views] Sharjah targets GCC countries for summer businessGovernment targets 5% visitor increase after roadshow The government of Sharjah is targeting the GCC countries in a focused roadshow during June to highlight the emirate’s appeal as a tourist destination and to stimulate regional in-bound tourism to the emirate over the summer months More... [593 views] Hotel Industry Benchmark: the fastest homepagesThe speed with which a Web page renders for each customer is a critical factor influencing the online customer experience. Many times, a Web site homepage is the customer's first impression of a larger experience including branding, customer service and hospitality. The Hotel Industry Benchmark measures the response time of competitive hotel Web sites More... [1568 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 4, 2003Brand Erosion, or How Not to Market Your Hotel on the Web - RevisitedCritical Online Distribution Issues Revisited a Year Later -
By Max Starrkov More... [1312 views] Timor-Leste to attend PATA Travel Mart 2003The youngest country in the world, Timor-Leste (formerly known as East Timor), will attend a travel trade event for the first time in its history when it exhibits at PATA Travel Mart 2003, from October 1-3. More... [611 views] Bali needs US$600 million to rebuild tourism industryBali needs five trillion rupiah (about US$609 million) in soft loans to rebuild its tourism industry which was ruined by last year`s terror bombings, a tourist operator said here on Friday More... [710 views] Slovene tourism affected by the three key crisis eventsThe tourist season in Slovenia in the first trimester of 2003 remained on the level of the past year . According to data from the Statistical Bureau of the Republic of Slovenia, there were 2% more domestic guests and 2% fewer foreign tourists in the first three months of this year More... [651 views] USA hopes for upturn in 2003The rise in the euro is increasing prospects of more German visitors for the USA this year. But the threat of terrorist attacks and the weak economy mean that Germans are still holding back on bookings at present. Stagnation rather than recovery looks the likely result More... [602 views] Golden Tulip expands Dutch portfolio with two hotelsGolden Tulip Hotels, Inns & Resorts announced the expansion of its Dutch portfolio with two new hotels More... [723 views] Interstate Hotels and Northridge Capital Form $400 Million Hotel Acquisition Fund; Interstate to Manage All Acquired PropertiesInterstate Hotels & Resorts the nation's largest independent hotel management company, and Northridge Capital, Inc., announced that they had formed a hospitality fund to acquire up to $400 million of hotel assets. More... [871 views] Dubai’s Tourism and Hospitality industry focuses on emiratisationThe Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and the Tourism and Hospitality Emiratisation Taskforce recently announced, to representatives of the hotel and tourism industry, its blueprint aimed at recruiting more UAE nationals within the industry More... [1009 views] Portugal targets individual touristsFaced with a fall in families among its visitors, Portugal aims to win more individual tourists and younger holidaymakers this year. Active holidays on Madeira, accommodation in pousadas and golfing holidays throughout the country are top of the promotion list. The mass market on the Algarve remains difficult at present, however More... [742 views] Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 2, 2003Marriott chief keeps faith with US marketLe Méridien and InterContinental Hotels (IHG) are two possible acquisition targets for Marriott International says chairman and chief executive JW ‘Bill’ Marriott in an extensive FT interview today.Luxury chain Le Méridien has struggled in the aftermath of the 11 September terrorist attacks and is now worth less than the sum of its debts More... [903 views] TRI predicts slow recovery for UK hotelsThe UK hotel industry will see a very gradual recovery over the next two years, according to the latest forecast from TRI Hospitalit The consultancy firm predicts that in the UK as a whole occupancies should grow by two percentage points this year to 72.1%, while achieved room rate falls by 3% to £61.83. This would leave revenue per available room (revpar) flat at £44.58.
More... [631 views] WTO to support South Asia`s biggest travel showOnce again, the World Tourism Organization will participate in the 10th Annual South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE) which will be held in New Delhi, India from 27-30 March 2003. WTO Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Dawid de Villiers and WTO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Dr. Harsh Varma will attend its opening session. More... [607 views] Corporates ponder: Do we really save from not travelling?Having weathered the worst of the SARS virus outbreak, corporate travel managers gathered at the ACTE Forum were already discussing the opportunity costs of not travelling. More... [754 views] Shangri-La Asia HK hotels occupancy rate rebounds to double digits after SARSShangri-La Asia chairman Ye Longfei said the average occupancy rate of the company's hotels in Hong Kong has rebounded to 15-20 pct from single digit levels during the peak of SARS outbreak. He said the company will continue to renovate its hotels and proceed with investments as scheduled. However, he said he expects the occupancy rate of the company's hotels in Hong Kong for the first half this year to drop to 50 pct from 60 pct last year. He said he also expects a revival in the occupancy rate in the third quarter. Check-in rate jumps to hit 30pc at Marco Polo Hong Kong HotelOccupancy at Harbour Center Development's flagship Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel jumped back to about 30 per cent this week.Harbour Center, the hotel arm of Wharf Holdings, saw the occupancy gains at its Tsim Sha Tsui property following last Friday's lifting of the World Health Organization's travel advisory on Hong Kong. More... [622 views] Australia’s Grand Hotel Group loss warningGrand Hotel Group will scrap its final dividend and slash top line salaries, after yesterday warning it would post an operating loss in 2002/03.The $118 million hotel fund said a fall in international travel related to SARS, the Iraq war and the Bali bombings had hurt business in the second half of 2002/03
More... [698 views] MKG Consulting announces the publication of the 2003 edition of its annual report on the hotel industry in EuropeThis 225-page report completely covers the hotel industry in Europe: ranking of all the groups and chains present in the various European countries, an exhaustive census of the global hotel supply and the supply of chains by European country; the majority of the results being presented by category. More... [707 views] Visitor arrivals in Hong Kong drop to a 12-year low; Tourism industry is not expected to recover until next yearThe number of visitors arriving in Hong Kong fell to its lowest level for more than 12 years in April as the Sars outbreak took a devastating toll on travel and tourism-related industries.
More... [576 views] China lifting ban on travel to Singapore, Malaysia, ThailandChina has decided to lift a seven-week-old tourist travel ban to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, but tour operators both here and in Singapore do not expect travel to rebound to pre-Sars levels any time soon More... [639 views] HKHA garners support for '2003' campaignThe Hong Hong Hotels Association says initial responses to its buy two nights, get one free campaign themed, "Two Zero Zero Three" (2003) have been positive. More... [583 views] Singapore eyes a triple-plusAn uneventful Saturday tomorrow could spell a triple plus for the Singapore inbound travel trade next week. The first plus came with the news (story above) that its third biggest market, China, had removed the outbound travel ban to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. More... [592 views] SARS: Is China's travel dream over?Before the outbreak of the deadly SARS virus, China was one of the few fast-growing markets for air travel in the world, the darling of the aviation industry. Aviation executives' eyes sparkled at China's growing popularity as a tourist destination among Westerners, and the rush of foreign business travelers out to grab a toehold in its expanding economy. Most of all, they loved China's newly-minted middle class taking to the air, creating a whole new market More... [793 views] 
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ehotelier Hospitality News Archives: June 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 28, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 21, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 20, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 15, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 14, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 13, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 12, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 11, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 10, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 9, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 7, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 6, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 5, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 4, 2003Global Hospitality Newsletter: June 2, 2003
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