ehotelier Hospitality News Archives: June 2004

European hotel profitability levels tumble for third consecutive year

Hotels across Europe reported the third consecutive year of profitability declines according to a new report released by the HotelBenchmark Survey by Deloitte. In 2003 the European hotel industry converted just 34 percent of revenue to profit compared to 39 percent in 2000. As a consequence profitability per available room has fallen by over Euro 5,000 since 2000 – the peak of the cycle.

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Accor CEO explains Club Med deal

Jean-Marc Espalioux, chief executive of Accor, has defended the hotel chain’s decision to purchase a minority stake in Club Med. In an interview with the FT last Friday, Espalioux was reluctant to provide the pink'un with figures about cost savings, but said that the deal would help raise awareness of the Accor brand. Some Accor execs are saying that the Club Med deal generated more column inches than the brand had received in the previous year.

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Asia puts its chips on the gambling industry

Suddenly, it seems, everyone in Asia is placing bets on gambling.While Singapore debates the merits  of having a casino on its soil, others such as Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia are getting into the act by relaxing or relooking their anti-gambling laws to allow for casinos. Those which already have them, such as Macau and the Philippines, are trying to stay ahead of the game by sprucing up what they have to offer to the high rollers from the region.

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Significant Amount of New Development Money Entering the Mexican Hotel Investment Scene; Mexico City An Active Market

As the economic climate in North America begins to ripen, investment opportunities in Mexico have been deemed more attractive by the international hotel investment community. The trailing twelve-month performance in Mexico appears to have bottomed out in 2003, and the prevailing thought is that it’s a good time to get in the hunt. Though hotel acquisitions is the preferred route for most foreign investors considering coming into the market, a significant amount of new development money is entering the Mexican hotel investment scene as well.

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High prices "harmful" for Seychelles tourism

The last statistics show a drop in the number of visitors to Seychelles and that it could in part be due to a perceived high cost of holidays in this country. The Seychellois government soon is to announce measures that should help lower prices and curb the decline, according to the Minister for Tourism.  The government of Seychelles acknowledges that there has been a downturn in the number of tourists visiting Seychelles and is nevertheless addressing the situation and will soon announced measures that should help curb the decline.

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Caribbean tourism set to grow 5% a year

In 2004, the broader Travel & Tourism Economy is expected to contribute 14.8 per cent of the Caribbean's GDP and account for 2.4 million jobs, representing 15.5 per cent of total employment. Over the next ten years, Travel & Tourism in the region is forecast to achieve annualized real growth of 4.1 per cent, in terms of GDP, and 2.8 per cent in terms of Travel & Tourism employment. This would take the share of GDP and employment to 16.5 and 17.1 per cent respectively by 2014.

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How spa will you go?

To warm the body and relieve tired muscles, once you simply ran a Radox bath. In today's world of wellbeing, the solutions are more extreme - heading for Bali, for instance, where the Balinese Spice Body Mask promises to do just the same thing. One of a mind-boggling array of spa treatments at the Uma Ubud resort, opening next month, it involves applying hand-crushed rice blended with black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for 'an all over deep-heat experience'. Deep Heat? It sounds more like Delia.

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HotelTraining.com Seeks Partnerships

HotelTraining.com announced today the company is seeking to develop partnerships with hospitality industry training content providers. The goal is to accommodate current and future clients that have expressed an interest in web based training programs not currently being offered by the company.  “This is the next step for us in providing our current and future clients with a more diverse selection of workshops and tutorials” said Jay Delerno, President of MacDel Inc., d/b/a HotelTraining.com

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New board for Tourism Australia

The Australian Minister for Small Business and Tourism, Mr. Bob Lawrence has  announced a new Board of Directors that will be responsible for taking the Australian tourism industry into a new era. Tourism Australia, the centerpiece of the Government’s $235 million Tourism White Paper, will commence on July 1, following the successful passage of enabling legislation in Parliament this week and Royal Assent.

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The California Hotel & Lodging Association Education Foundation Awards the 2004 Scholarship Recipients

Luis C. Barrios, president of the California Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Foundation and general manager of the Wyndham San Diego at Emerald Plaza, announced that the Foundation has awarded a number of scholarships for the 2004-2005 academic year. After reviewing a large number of applications and conducting interviews of eligible applicants, the Foundation awarded Christina Hepner of San Luis Obispo, Valerie Hofer of Lakeside and Michael Infusino of Morro Bay its Working Professional Scholarships for $1,000 each.

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Cape Town hotels urged to unite in fight for conference business

Growing rivalry between South African cities to attract lucrative international conference business meant that Cape Town hotels had to work together in support of the city's international convention centre (CTICC), Neil Markovitz, the chairman of the Federated Hospitality Association (Fedhasa) in the Western Cape, said yesterday.

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Global Staff Movements - Who is In and Who is Out

This month's popular update on internationall staff movements - edited by by Benoit Gateau-Cumin, President, The Boutique Search Firm

Click Here  

French hotel activity in May 2004

The largest recovery since September 2001.Last May, all French chain hotel performance indicators, in all categories, were on the rise, with the sole exception of a price-stabilisation in the 3-star category. With a +8.5% rise, revenue per available room (RevPAR) saw its strongest growth since the crisis following September 11th 2001 . 

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Online Travel Firms Expecting Hot Sales This Summer Season

Hotel Occupancy Rising; Priceline, Travelocity's Sabre recently upgraded second-quarter outlooks. Summer means travel. With the economy on the rebound, many observers expect it will be the hottest travel season since the economy started slumping in 2000, assuming gas and oil prices don't skyrocket.

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Public Relations Versus Advertising

If a picture is worth a thousand words, an article is worth a thousand ads. “Advertising you pay for, public relations (PR) you pray for”. Though the adage is an old one, it is especially true today. People often confuse PR with advertising, but the two are dramatically different.

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Identity Problem for Some of the Hotel Industry’s Biggest Frequent Guest Programs: Members Cannot Correctly Identify all the Hotel Brands Within

Results from Phoenix Marketing International’s recently released Hotel SCORES^TM study discovered some surprising results for some of the hospitality industry’s biggest name frequent guest programs. Very few members of these programs can correctly identify all the hotel brands that participate in these programs. 

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Asian casinos blossoming a new El Dorado

The casino industry in Asia is set for a strong expansion of the next couple of years, with not only Macau proving a irresistible magnet for operators, but two potential newcomers, Singapore and Thailand, considering setting shop. "Asia is the fastest growing region in the world for the casino industry," says Steven Lim, Executive director of the Malaysian-based RGB, a leader in Asia in distribution of gaming equipment, pointing that the trend is set to continue.

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Hotel group Accor plans EUR 30m investment in Hungarian subsidiary

French hotel group Accor's Hungarian subsidiary, Accor Pannonia, is planning to spend EUR 30m to build two new Ibis hotels as well as renovating Budapest's Sofitel hotel and the capital's largest convention centre Novotel, recently-appointed Accor Pannonia CEO Patrick Bourgignon told reporters on Thursday. The EUR 30m will come from Accor Pannonia's cash flow and, in the case of Novotel, government grants, Mr Harbula said. Novotel can currently handle around 1,800 convention-goers at a time. According to experts, the city would need another centre allowing to take in 3,000.

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Asia will see more tourists from China in the next 8 years: Survey

At the current rate of increase, over 24.3 million tourists from the Chinese mainland will visit four major tourism cities in Asia from 2004 to 2011, said a survey made by a global payments company. The four major tourism destinations are Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul. The survey by MasterCard International found that some two-thirds of the increased tourists to the Asia-Pacific region in recent years are from the region itself.

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Cendant’s Hotel Group Consolidates Brand Leadership, Increases Field Support Staff

Cendant Corporation’s Hotel Group today announced an initiative to enhance franchisee service by nearly doubling its field support staff by year’s end, thereby increasing the ratio of field representatives to individual properties and providing unprecedented on-site support.

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School of Hotel & Tourism Becomes Independent at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has announced that its School of Hotel & Tourism Management will become an independent and autonomous academic unit within the University structure from 1 July 2004, coinciding with the School’s 25th anniversary. The School was previously under the Faculty of Business within the university structure.

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Peter J Leitgeb appointed to lead the Leela Group

The Leela Group announced the appointment of Mr. Peter J. Leitgeb as ‘President Operations’ of the Group.   Mr. Leitgeb would be fully responsible for the overall Hotel Operations of the Group situated at Mumbai and Bangalore.  In Goa he would closely interact with GHM so as to ensure that the Company’s objectives are met. 

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Orient Express Seeks More Sites in Southeast Asia

Orient-Express Hotels, a leading luxury hotel chain in Europe, has announced plans to step up its presence in Southeast Asia by acquiring well-established existing businesses or forming alliances with partners in the region. The company also plans to establish a regional office in Bangkok to oversee its Southeast Asian operations, including train and cruise ship services.

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US Lodging Industry shows $12.8 billion in profit in 2003 - Smith Travel Research announces findings of Annual HOST Study

Smith Travel Research (STR), the recognized leader in lodging industry performance benchmarking, today announced the results of their 2004 HOST Study. Full year 2003 U.S. industry profits were $12.8 billion, a 9.9 percent decline from $14.2 billion in 2002. Gross Operating Profit as a percent of total sales decreased for the third straight year to 35%.

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The 2004 UK Conference Market Survey; Among Items Revealed:

Most Popular Venue: City Centre Hotels,  Major Factor Causing Dissatisfaction at Venues: Food. The volume of events held has shown very little change this year with the number of corporate meetings increasing by just 1% since last year and the association sector reducing the number of their events by 2%. Over 80% of each sector expect to organise a similar number of events this year.

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InterContinental Hotels Group is deploying Newmarket's DelphiTM Multi-Property Edition v9.1.2 and Delphi DiagramsTM to connect 16 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in the U.S. and Canada

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom has contracted to deploy Newmarket International Inc.’s DelphiTM Multi-Property Edition v9.1.2 Automated Sales & Catering application and Delphi DiagramsTM space management software to better connect and cross-sell its 16 prestigious InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in the U.S. and Canada. “Delphi Multi-Property Edition will automate, centralize and streamline our Sales & Catering operations and Delphi Diagrams will help us better market and manage the 6,250 guestrooms and nearly 500,000 square feet of meeting and function space offered by these 16 world-class properties,” said Charlie Cahill, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.

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Spain May hotel occupancy 49.1 pct, down 4.9 pct yr-on-yr

Hotel occupancy fell 4.9 pct in May to 49.1 pct from a year earlier, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said

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Boutique Hotels & Resorts International(R) Adds Five New Locations in U.K.

Five of the U.K.'s most distinct boutique hotels are now members of Boutique Hotels & Resorts
International(R), EVP and COO John Sears, announced today.  "We are pleased to welcome these dazzling, genuine boutique hotels.  Boutique enthusiasts will be thrilled with these hotels in London, Leeds and Edinburgh," said Sears. 

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Amsterdam will be a new Destination of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts

After being represented in the Netherlands with two hotels for some years now, the Swiss hotel chain Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts (MH&R) is now adding a third operation: MH&R has just signed a lease for a 410-room hotel in Amsterdam.

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Wireless access e-mails on air from Tokyo to Munich

Lufthansa German Airlines will be the first airline to offer customers in Asia-Pacific real-time, wireless high-speed Internet on board a commercial flight with the launch of its FlyNet on the Tokyo-Munich service.

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Langham Hotels International appoints key corporate executives

Langham Hotels International (LHI), the wholly-owned hotel operating and asset management subsidiary of publicly listed Great Eagle Holdings Limited announced today the appointment of three senior executives for the functions of Development, Sales and Marketing, and Operations at the Group's corporate level.  To cope with the rapid expansion of this new five-star international hotel chain, Kevin Murphy is appointed as Senior Vice President - Development, Brett Butcher as Senior Vice President - Sales and Marketing, and Nigel Roberts as Senior Vice President - Operations, effective from 1 July 2004

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Hilton Hotels Corporation Named 13th Best Company for Minorities by Fortune Magazine

Hilton Hotels Corporation , one of the world's leading lodging hospitality companies, has been ranked among the top companies in America for minorities, and the best among all hotel companies surveyed, according to Fortune magazine. In the magazine's June 21st issue, Hilton ranks 13th in Fortune's listing of "America's 50 Best Companies for Minorities," moving up eight slots from last year's 20th place ranking and 10 slots from 2002's 22nd place position.

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Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Quarterly Wins 2004 Emerald Award

The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly has won its second Emerald Golden Page Award for publishing distinctive research on the hospitality industry. The academic journal, known widely as the Cornell Quarterly , was chosen to receive this prestigious award for its "practical usability of research." 

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HSMAI World Quest Tackles Complexity of International Meetings

In a first-of-its-kind forum, which tackled critical issues facing conferences and conventions held outside the U.S., over 50 professional planners of international meetings participated in World Quest, a one-day event presented by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and Associated Management Group (AMG) in Washington, D.C. on June 8, 2004. “International meetings are vital to the hospitality industry and their complexity dictates a constant need for new information and a place to share best practices which was behind our  planning for this new event,” states Fran Brasseux, executive vice president, HSMAI.

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Austrian tourism suffers as last-minute guests stay at home

The Austrian tourist industry is facing a bad summer season with bookings from German groups down between 20 and 30 per cent in some regions.  Businesses in the country’s most southerly province Carinthia, which has been particularly badly hit by the trend, are also suffering after fewer single travellers were recorded from southern Italy.  Many often decide to make a trip at short notice and bookings have suffered under a recent spell of bad weather.

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After private space flight by pioneer, is space tourism next?

The chubby-looking, stubby-winged aircraft that cracked the commercial space flight barrier yesterday may have made a great leap forward in aviation history, but the man who designed it believes we are still a long way from regular space tourism. SpaceShipOne, designed by aviation pioneer Burt Rutan, soared to 100,124 metres above Earth, just a little more than 120 metres above the distance scientists widely consider to be the boundary of space. The flight lasted 90 minutes.

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QMH confirms Goldman Sachs approach

Queens Moat Houses has 'received an approach' from Whitehall Funds, the real estate arm of US investment bank Goldman Sachs. The struggling hotel chain made the announcement to the City this morning following a report in some editions of the FT .

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Newmarket Intl And Cendyn Join forces To Integrate eProposal With Delphi business solutions

Cendyn, a leading provider of electronic marketing solutions to the hospitality industry, and Newmarket International Inc., a global leader in developing and supporting hospitality business solutions, have formed a technology alliance to integrate Cendyn’s eProposal to Newmarket’s Delphi applications.

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AH&LA set to update diversity and turnover data of the U.S. lodging industry

In support of its recently launched national diversity initiative, the American Hotel & Lodging Association  (AH&LA) is currently updating its highly acclaimed 1997 Turnover and Diversity in the Lodging Industry study, which provided a snapshot of diversity among line-level, supervisory, and managerial employees.

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PwC forecasts an increase of 3.0 percent in average daily rate for U.S. lodging industry in 2004

The average daily rate increase is due to a change in inflation from 1.4 to 2.0 percent, a faster than anticipated change in the mix of business verses leisure travel, with a slightly higher proportion of business travel, less "spread" between merchant model price and the rate paid to hotel (PricewaterhouseCoopers research reveals a reduction of almost 5 percent), and more discipline, in part a result of consolidation, in increasing rate in favorable occupancy periods.

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2004 UK Conference Market Survey reveals strong rate growth

The Annual UK Conference Market Survey (UKCMS) published by The Meetings Industry Association (MIA), and conducted by The Right Solution has revealed strong growth in both day delegate and 24 hour rates within the UK meetings industry.   The 11^th UKCMS shows that average daily delegate rates are now very similar for both the association and corporate sectors after a 9% increase from £45.10 to £49.30 for associations and a 15% increase from £42.80 to £49.10 for the corporate sector. 24 hour delegate rates also increased from £146.10 to £147.10 for associations and from £145.40 to £160.80 for the corporate sector.

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New President for Caribbean Hotel Association

Berthia M. Parle, general manager of the Bay Gardens Hotel and the Bay Gardens Inn, in St. Lucia , took over the reins of the Caribbean Hotel Association during a special closing gala at the annual Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC) 2004, on June 16, 2004. This is the first time a woman rises to the presidency of the regional organization

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SRS-WORLDHOTELS to add 50 in China

SRS-WORLDHOTELS has big plans for China according to CEO, Mr Michael Ball, who was speaking in Beijing at the SRS-WORLDHOTELS Asia-Pacific conference. “Right now we have 17 hotels in China, and we have an ambitious plan to have 50 hotels within three years. The priority is Shanghai, where we only have one member now; then the secondary cities such as Hangzhou, Chengdu and Chongqing.

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Pansy Ho and MGM MIRAGE Will Co-own and Jointly Operate a Major Hotel Casino in Macau S.A.R.

MGM MIRAGE, (announced today that it has entered into a joint venture agreement with Pansy Ho Chiu-king to develop, build and operate a major hotel-casino resort in Macau S.A.R. The facility, which will use the "MGM Grand" name, will be 50/50 owned and jointly operated by the two partners. The resort will be located on a prime waterfront site next to the planned Wynn Resorts facility and near the Lisboa hotel-casino, an area destined to become the casino "Strip" of Macau. Design and planning work has commenced and it is anticipated that the property could open by late 2006.

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China reports 8.77 mln inbound tourist arrivals in May

 China`s tourism administration reported 8.7747 million tourists from outside the Chinese mainland visited the mainland  in May, up 61.42 percent year-on-year, and 11.37 percent over the same period of 2002. According to the figures released by the National Tourism Administration, overseas tourist arrivals from five continents grew dramatically last month.

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Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong to get facelift next year

It's out with the old, in with the new Mandarin; The historic hotel is to get a facelift from the middle of next year

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel will undergo a total renovation next year, giving one of Hong Kong's most famous hotels an entirely new look - inside and out. Plans are still being discussed, but it seems certain the refurbishment will dramatically alter the famed facade, a feature of the Central landscape since the 541-room property opened in 1963.

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Hilton

There are pleasant and unpleasant problems to sort out. Fortunately, David Michels, chief executive of Hilton, the hotel-to-gaming group, has the former. Now his hotel division is showing renewed signs of life, it gives him the flexibility to consider what he will do with Ladbrokes. Michels may still decide to keep the gaming unit and use it to re-enter the casino market and take advantage of gaming liberalisation.

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Four Seasons opens hotel in historic Gresham Palace in Budapest

The world’s leading operator of luxury hotels, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, last week opened a Budapest entry in its registry, launching its first local facility, the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest.

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Jamaica will earn US$3.3 billion from tourism this year, says int'l study

A new study by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has estimated that tourism will this year generate as much as US$3.3 billion in overall economic activity in Jamaica, and projects that the figure will rise to US$6.85 billion, or more than double, over the next decade. These figures, in what was a largely upbeat review of the region's tourism prospects, place Jamaica behind Puerto Rico (US$9 billion), the Dominican Republic (US$5.2 billion) and Cuba (US$4.8 billion) in the league table of Caribbean countries with the largest tourism-driven aggregate demands in their economies.

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New Zealand’s tourism future

Professional, focused, and high quality: New Zealand’s tourism future

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Newmarket International’s Delphi BITM solution to help hospitality professionals better manage, analyze and share customized business-critical data

Portsmouth-based Newmarket International Inc. announced the development of Delphi BI^TM , a Business Intelligence solution that allows Delphi users to more easily and efficiently store, mine and analyze customized business-critical data — delivering better information to drive better results.

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US Lodging Industry shows $12.8 billion in profit in 2003 - Smith Travel Research announces findings of Annual HOST Study

Hendersonville, TN, June 15, 2004 – Smith Travel Research (STR), the recognized leader in lodging industry performance
benchmarking, today announced the results of their 2004 HOST Study. Full year 2003 U.S. industry profits were $12.8 billion, a 9.9 percent decline from $14.2 billion in 2002. Gross Operating Profit as a percent of total sales decreased for the third straight year to 35%.

More... [637 views]

Ownership issues arise when reflagging hotels

A hotel that switches brands or becomes independent is faced with a host of issues related to its property-management system. Data transfer, tight deadlines, compatibility with electronic distribution systems and ownership of information are issues that become top priorities."A hotel that is going from a brand to an independent will encounter the most difficulties because you are on your own and stuck with a PMS removal deadline," said Bob Bennett, a hospitality technology consultant and member of the International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame. "If you are going from one flag to another, the new flag is geared up to get its new franchisees up and running in a short period of time, so they will provide PMS installation and services."

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Hotel Chains: Sleeping Well Online

Hilton and others are finding that their push to get customers to book rooms directly from them on the Web is paying off

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Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific and Fu Wah International Announce Plans to Open a Regent in Beijing

Regent International Hotels, one of the most respected brands in the luxury segment of the lodging industry, today announced that it has signed an agreement to open a new luxury hotel in Beijing.  The Fu Wah International Group will build The
Regent Beijing, scheduled to open in September 2006.  The hotel will be managed by Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific, Carlson's regional headquarters for the Asia-Pacific region. 

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Accor boss flags up expansion in Europe

Branded hotel groups are looking to Europe to expand their businesses and increase market penetration, according to a leading hotelier. Michael Flaxman, managing director of Accor Hotels, northern, central and Eastern Europe, was speaking at the Managing Today -- Managing Tomorrow conference organised by the Hotel and Catering International Management Association (HCIMA) in Manchester last week. He told delegates that Europe offered "very exciting" opportunities.

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Starwood steps up expansion in China with signing of its 23rd hotel in China

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: HOT) and Xiamen Fuchun Orient Hotel Company Limited announced an agreement whereby Starwood will manage the Sheraton Xiamen Hotel in China.  The newly built 348-room Sheraton Xiamen Hotel is scheduled to open in June 2005.  Upon opening, Starwood will have 23 hotels in operation in China, the largest inventory of upscale hotels amongst all international hotel companies

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High-end offerings the result of in-depth research

Steady demand from affluent travelers has propelled developers to offer variations of a luxury vacation product beyond the amenities of a fine hotel. Fractional timeshare and upscale vacation homes are emerging as options to address this promising niche market segment. Marriott Vacation Club International realized the demand for a luxury product within its existing ownership base. After extensive research and customer feedback, the company rolled out a luxury fractional ownership product in 1999.

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Hotel occupancy in Dubai reported high

Major hotels in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are seeing a huge response from families of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), the Khaleej Times reported Friday.The families are interested in spending their summer by experiencing the entertainment line-up of the DSS, which opened on Thursday.

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IHG Web-booking policy aims to change rules

What looks like the first shot across the bow of the third - party merchant model vessel was fired April 20 by InterContinental Hotels Group.The hotel giant announced it was adopting a new standard for its portfolio of brands for selling or reselling hotel room inventory through online travel companies. With the adoption of the standard on May 20, IHG said it is committed to only work with distributors and their affiliates that don't engage in confusing and potentially unclear marketing practices, clearly present taxes and fees to consumers, respect IHG's trademarks and ensure reservations are guaranteed through an automated confirmation process

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EU enlargement brings hope for the East

On 1 May 2004, the European Union (EU) welcomed ten new members including eight from the former communist states. With the addition of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, the EU now comprises of 25 nations. Together these have a combined population of 455 million, making the EU the world’s largest trading bloc.

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Extract on Central and South American hotel market from the Global Performance Review 2003

In this, the inaugural Global Performance Review of the top 20 performing hotel markets of 2003, we consider the results of the HotelBenchmark Survey’s ‘Global Ranking of Performance Indicators’ (GRI) and the movement within the top 20 performing markets. Our survey tracks the performance of over 1.2 million hotel rooms outside North America, with the GRI analysis ranking annual occupancy and revenue per available room (revPAR). Presented in US dollars, the GRI provides an inter-regional view of performance levels within global markets.

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Maintaining The Marketing Investment

The struggles of the U.S. hotel industry during the past few years are well known. From 2000 through 2003, total revenue for the average U.S. hotel dropped 13.7 percent. Given such difficult operating conditions, any and all operating expenses were examined for potential efficiency enhancements or outright elimination. Hotel managers were able to cut their operating expenses 6.4 percent; however, with the decline in revenue outpacing the drop in operating costs, unit level profitability fell 28.6 percent.

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New GM for Mandarin Oriental’s flagship

Peter French has been appointed general manager of the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong effective July 1. Mr French has been with the group for over 30 years and was most recently the executive vice president and managing director of The Carlyle Hotel, New York.

More... [559 views]

Cornell Report Aims to Maximize the Economic Value of the Hospitality Workforce

Although scheduling employees is a complex task, it’s worth doing well. A proper schedule can boost an operation’s profitability, according to a new report issued by The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University. That’s because a well constructed schedule ensures proper service levels and controls costs—ultimately delivering more profit for an operation.

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Luxury hotels go to the mattresses

Just as the hotel business settles back for what most industry analysts predict will be a comfortable year, here comes Bjorn Gullaksen with a new bed. "The bed will put us on the map in terms of brand differentiation," Gullaksen predicted confidently last week in a conversation at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel during a hotel-industry investment conference.

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Marriott Now Has High-Speed Internet Access at More Than 2,000 Hotels

Marriott International  announced that it has completed installation of in-room high-speed Internet access at more than 2,000 hotels worldwide.  Marriott also offers Wi-Fi, wireless Internet access, at 1,500 hotels.    "With the increasing demand for high-speed Internet access, we have been aggressively installing it in our hotels for the past several years," said Lou Paladeau, vice president, technology business development.  "Most business travelers won't even consider staying at a hotel that does not offer high- speed Internet access.  They want to be connected on the road." 

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Mandalay Resort Group Accepts MGM Mirage Purchase Offer

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Profitability soars in Middle East hotels

Latest profitability figures from the HotelBenchmark Survey by Deloitte reveal that despite the war in Iraq and global economic conditions, hotels in the Middle East turned in an impressive performance during 2003. Profitability conversion levels rose to an average 42 cents of every dollar spent being retained as profit. This compares with a conversion ratio of 39 cents reported in 2002.

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Thailand: Research centre forecasts 11.5 million tourists for 2004

Thailand should see an upsurge in visitor arrivals over the latter half of the year  despite the rise in global oil prices, putting total tourist numbers for 2004 at nearly 11.5 million, according to a report published today by the KASIKORN Research Centre.While recognising that a number of negative factors had affected Thailand`s tourism industry throughout 2004, notably the emergence of avian flu and violence in the southern border region, the report stressed that the fundamentals of the nation`s tourism industry remained strong.

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Thailand-Backed Hotel Brand Is Part of Tourism Service Upgrade Plan

Thailand could soon have its own hotel chain brand, equivalent to international names such as Sofitel or Le Meridien, under a government-backed initiative that could cost taxpayers 1.2 billion baht.The proposal is part of a broader plan to upgrade the industry by the Tourism and Sports Ministry and the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT). It aims to create an internally recognised seal of approval for Thai hotels and resorts that meet high quality and service standards as set by professionals, industry experts and prominent institutions.

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Predicted Rise in Hotel Room Rates Revised Upward

The strong rebound in the hotel industry has prompted PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to revise upward its prediction of hotel room-rate increases for this year, from 1.9 percent about two months ago to 3 percent last week.The hospitality practice of the professional services firm also predicted that average daily rates will rise 3 percent next year over this year. Rates had remained flat last year and dropped 1.4 percent in each of the previous two years.

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Novotel Hotels Introduce "Novation" Rooms

Responding to the changing needs of today’s sophisticated business travelers, Novotel has developed a new design concept for its guestrooms called the “Novation Room”, which combines European elegance with modern amenities for an attractive price. Now available in the Toronto area at Novotel Mississauga and Novotel North York, this new concept marries the luxurious feel of finer European hotels with upgrades such as free WIFI (Wireless Internet).  

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Australia tourism rebound continues

Australia has been experiencing positive growth for the eight consecutive month, figures released last week claim.  The final overseas arrivals and departures statistics released last week confirm the significant impact on the arrival of international tourists caused by SARS 12 months ago, the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) said.

More... [620 views]

British tourism breaks record

Six million international visitors traveled to the UK between February and April 2004, breaking the record for highest ever-recorded number of visitors in this period, VisitBritain announced. The increase has been driven by substantial growth in North America and Europe, two crucial markets for the industry.  

More... [566 views]

Accor/Club Med – what the papers say

Friday’s announcement that French hotel chain Accor has paid euro252m for a 28.9% stake in Club Med was widely reported in the UK broadsheets on Saturday. 

More... [669 views]

Marriott Brands Take Russian Hotel Sector by Stealth

A restored 18th-century mansion, once the residence of a school friend of poet Alexander Pushkin, has officially become Marriott International's sixth hotel project in Russia. With three hotels managed by the group itself and three more operated by a franchisee, Marriott International has the strongest presence in Russia of all the international hotel operators working in the country.

More... [628 views]

New Luxury hotel in Vancouver signals Shangri-La expansion into North America

Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, reinforces its expansion outside Asia Pacific with a management agreement for a five-star deluxe hotel in Vancouver, Canada in early 2008.  The hotel is being jointly developed by Vancouver based Peterson Investment Group and Westbank Projects.  

More... [848 views]

India's tourism industry booms

India’S tourist industry is booming due to a rush of foreign tourists and increased travel by Indians to domestic and overseas destinations.
Nearly three million foreign tourists visited India in 2003, a 15 percent increase over the previous year. Prospects look even better this year, with tourist arrivals already up nearly 20 percent.

More... [673 views]

Cambodia on target for first million

Cambodia is well on its way to a goal of one million arrivals this year with a total of 323,414 international visitors recorded from January to April, an increase of 17 per cent over the same period in 2002.

More... [558 views]

Asia-Pacific tourism ministerial meeting ends

The Asia-Pacific Tourism Ministerial Meeting, held jointly by the Viet Nam Tourism Administration  and the World Tourism Organisation in Hue City, was closed on Saturday The meeting released a Hue statement on cultural tourism and poverty reduction, which pledged to exert great efforts to boost cultural tourism development, to further support the poor living around heritage sites by generating jobs, restoring local traditions, promoting links among tourism businesses, discovering new cultural heritages and expanding tourism promotion.

More... [640 views]

Hotels: Guide to a great rate

You're less likely than in years past to see vastly different rates from different hotel-room vendors, for two reasons. First, the chains aren't generally selling excess inventory to travel Web sites such as Hotels.com, Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity at fire-sale rates anymore. The old thinking was that it's better to sell a room for a low price than to leave it empty.

More... [1527 views]

W Hotel May Give Harlem Another Boost

As signs emerge of a tourism and real estate renaissance in Harlem, upscale hoteliers are scoping out the neighborhood to capitalize on a blossoming renewal of the area. Executives of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide are reportedly close to securing approval to build an upscale high-rise W Hotel on West 125th Street, where the old Loews Theater sits vacant, Crain's New York Business reported today.

More... [636 views]

PwC Forecasts 3% ADR Increase This Year

Average daily rates in the U.S. lodging industry will rise by 3% this year, due to a change in inflation from 1.4% to 2%, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

More... [680 views]

British tourism`s "Best-Ever Start" to 2004 just got better

VisitBritain said that between February and April 2004, six million international visitors travelled to the UK , representing the highest ever-recorded number of visitors in this period. The increase has been driven by substantial growth in North America and Europe, two crucial markets for the industry.

More... [643 views]

Accor pays euro252m for 28.9% stake in Club Med

French hotel group Accor has spent euro252m becoming Club Mediterranee's majority shareholder after buying a 28.9% stake in the tour operator including the Agnelli family's 21.2%.  

The euros45 a share offer, which represents a 31% premium over Thursday's close, values Club Med at euro872m. The announcement was made at the same time as Club Med announced that it had reduced its losses in the half to end-Apr to euro4m, compared with euro32m last time. Operating profit climbed to euro32m from euro12m on flat sales of euro784m.

At the end of May, year-to-date summer bookings were 2.4% up on last year.

More... [622 views]

Daniel Desbaillets to develop The Fullerton Singapore into int'l brand

Sino Group names CEO for hotel division; Daniel Desbaillets to develop The Fullerton Singapore into int'l brand. Property tycoon Ng Teng Fong's Sino Group has appointed veteran hotelier Daniel Desbaillets chief executive officer of its hotel division and for The Fullerton Singapore, replacing Ivan Lee. Mr Desbaillets will come on board in August, while BT understands Mr Lee is serving his notice and is expected to leave in a few weeks.

More... [1119 views]

Hong Kong: Mainlanders help make April a record for visitors

Mainlanders made up more than half of the record 1.73 million tourists who visited Hong Kong in April as the city's pillar industry continues to help fuel a robust economic recovery. Of the 908,741 arrivals from China, more than a quarter travelled under the individual visit scheme, which relaxes cross-border travel for individual tourists from a number of mainland cities

More... [624 views]

InterContinental Hotels Group announced it opened 23 hotels in March and April 2004 , an addition of more than 2,809 rooms across the Americas.

Another notable addition to IHG portfolio during this time period is the announcement of a seventh brand -- Hotel Indigo™. Hotel Indigo is a new lodging alternative for the traveler seeking a hotel experience, not just a hotel room.  An industry first, Hotel Indigo is a lifestyle brand that delivers a refreshing, inclusive hotel experience in response to prevailing consumer trends. The first Hotel Indigo is scheduled to open in Atlanta, Ga., by the end of 2004 and will have approximately 140 rooms.

More... [694 views]

Holiday Inn sends guests in China into space

Holiday Inn is celebrating its 20 years of hospitality success in China  with a novel new promotion for guests. The most recognised international brand in China, which encourages guests to be themselves, is taking its innovative, pioneering spirit to the next frontier, to give loyal guests a chance to try out an exciting new experience and to go, quite possibly, where no guest has gone before

More... [820 views]

NH Hoteles presents itself for the first time in Switzerland

NH Hoteles has made today the first public presentation of the company in Switzerland , in the first Swiss hotel to have undergone a refurbishment according to the NH style. The NH Geneva Airport was one of the hotels that belonged to the Krasnapolsky hotel chain before it was bought by NH Hoteles. It is being operated on a lease basis and it has been renovated according to the NH Hoteles` standards of quality, decoration and services. Its refurbishment has supposed a total investment of €3.5 million.

More... [628 views]

Club Med increased business and revenues

Financial results for the six months ended April 30, 2004 demonstrate the improvement in Club Mediterranee`s margins in a persistently travel-unfriendly environment, with a slight increase in business.

More... [594 views]

French Chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel Partner with the Dusit Thani for New Restaurant Modeled after the Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier, France

French Fine Dining reaches new heights in Bangkok this month (June 22) with the opening of D'Sens at the Dusit Thani Hotel. This remarkable new restaurant has been modeled on the famous Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier in France, just one of 27 restaurants in France to have been awarded three Michelin stars.

More... [818 views]

Manila makes HotelShark

HotelShark began coverage of Manila this week to accommodate its growing collection of candid , guest-based hotel reviews. The first Manila hotel reviewed on HotelShark is the Mandarin Oriental. HotelShark has added several cities in 2004, including Brussels, Belgium; Edinburgh, Scotland; Lisbon, Portugal; Oaxaca, Mexico; and Phuket, Thailand.

More... [792 views]

The Wireless Boom That Won't Need Us

As big as the hard-wired Internet is, wireless makes it bigger. Consider: Many, if not most, of the 500 million cell phones expected to sell this year have some sort of Internet link. Then throw in all the public hot spots, home Wi-Fi connections, wireless workplaces and web-enabled PDAs.

More... [759 views]

A full recovery of the worldwide hospitality industry possible within 1 to 2 years; Potential terrorism attacks a big threat

Fifty-one percent of respondents says potential terrorism attacks and 35 percent says the economy  are the biggest threats to a full recovery of the worldwide hospitality industry, in a survey of executives attending New York University`s 26th Annual International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, being held at New York City`s Waldorf=Astoria Hotel this week.

More... [872 views]

IATA addresses rising fuel prices, security and etickets

The International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s annual meet was held in Singapore on Sunday with about 150 airline executive attendees, and the rising fuel prices topping the agenda. In a news conference, IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani indicated the US$3 billion profit forecast for this year is jeopardized by the surge in fuel prices.

More... [613 views]

New Chairman elected for IATA’s Board of Governors

Jean-Cyrill Spinetta, Chairman and CEO of Air France was elected as Chairman of the International Air Transport  Association`s Board of Governors for 2004-2005. Spinetta takes over from Isao Kaneko, Chairman of Japan Airlines who ended his extra-ordinary two year term with the closing of IATAs 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Singapore.

More... [539 views]

European airline giants record May traffic rise

Air France-KLM, Europe’s biggest airline, saw passenger numbers increase by 15.6% year-on-year to 5,566,000 in May 2004. Traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres jumped 21.3%, while capacity in available seat kilometres rose by 15.4%, giving a load factor of 76.3%, up 3.7 percentage points from the same month of last year. The airline cautioned, however, that May 2003 had been hard hit by the impact of the SARS outbreak and the war in Iraq.

More... [545 views]

IHG’s Hotel Indigo aims to encourage ‘trading up'

InterContinental Hotels Group has unveiled details of its new lifestyle chain, Hotel Indigo, the first of which is scheduled to open in Atlanta, Georgia, by the end of this year.

More... [908 views]

Chart Announces 68th Conference Agenda

The 68th semi-annual Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) hospitality training conference will be held August 1-4, 2004 at the Gaylord Opryland, Dallas, Texas.“From fundamental training practices to performance improvement, this conference will help training and human resource professionals move the needle on learning, retention, productivity and overall business performance,” said Lisa Schweickert, president of CHART and vice president of training for Golden Corral Corp.

More... [565 views]

HEDNA Finds Success with New Interactive Format at 2004 Conference

Approximately 300 travel industry professionals gathered the 25-27 of May in London, U.K. for the 2004 Conference of The Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA). This two-day conference continues to be the premier event for all segments of the travel industry seeking to network and hear from industry leaders about how to make the most of the latest technology, trends reports, and forecasts.

More... [548 views]

Arrivals of foreign tourists to China restore rapidly

China`s tourism authorities say the number of foreign tourist arrivals is being restored rapidly  since the slowdown caused by the bird flu outbreak earlier this year.

More... [659 views]

Bangkok to get ‘Phuket-style’ resort

 A 250-ROOM resort-style hotel is being planned on a plum site on the corner of Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Road and Soi 10, and construction could start as early as August, its owner told TTG Daily News today.

More... [845 views]

Tallest building in Beijing being erected

Construction began this week on what is expected to be the tallest building in Beijing . The building, when finished, will stand 250 meters high.

More... [741 views]

New spa developments from P&O Australian resorts

 P&O Australian Resorts has completed a comprehensive development  programme to become Australia`s largest luxury spa operator, with six P&O Australian Resorts now offering signature spas.

More... [781 views]

WTTC releases Travel & Tourism industry`s best action responses to the `Blueprint for New Tourism

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today released case studies showing some of the world`s best examples  of its `Blueprint for new Tourism` in action. The case studies feature successful development and delivery initiatives of leading organizations, which ensure benefits for customers, shareholders and hosting communities.

More... [777 views]

News @ PATA

This week's PATA news & update...

More... [559 views]

US hotel recovery a year away

While the US hotel industry is beginning to recover after a three-year downturn, a full-fledged recovery is still at least a year away, said several executives of the lodging industry. Most hotel chains have begun raising room rates for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. However, high labor costs and rising energy bills will delay improvements in operating margins, Loews Hotels Chairman Jonathan Tisch told Reuters.

More... [628 views]

Relais & Chateaux Announces Reorganisation Of Its Executive Management

Appoints Jacques-Olivier Chauvin, Chief Executive Officer

More... [783 views]

Emerging New Spa Trends of Lifestyle Spa-Goers

Children's spas, spa packages for whole families and an increasing number of male spa junkies are just a few of the latest trends in the spa industry according to Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which has just launched The Starwood Spa Collection, bringing together the fines spa facilities from among the hundreds of Starwood Hotels & Resorts around the world.

More... [1339 views]

Shangri-La launches new television commercial

Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, is launching a new television commercial.  The commercial, “Find your Shangri-La”, portrays the group’s dynamic development whilst maintaining its genuine focus on Asian Hospitality. 

More... [693 views]

Cornell Hotel School’s Center for Hospitality Research Partners With The Thayer Group

 The Thayer Group, a leading North American hospitality firm, has joined the corporate partners program at the Cornell Hotel School’s Center for Hospitality Research to support international research that advances operating practices in the hospitality industry.

More... [584 views]

Hotels offer better room rates than Web --- most of the time

Whether you're looking for a new car or a place to stay on vacation, the advice is the same: You'd better shop around.

Travelers going online for hotel bargains are getting a leg up thanks to intense competition among travel Web sites such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz. But an investigative report in the July issue of Consumer Reports magazine, on newsstands today, reveals that three out of four times, hotels offered the best rates.

More... [936 views]

Manhattan Hotel Market Overview

HVS International, iin cooperation with New York University’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management, is pleased to present the seventh annual Manhattan Hotel Market Overview.

More... [761 views]

More luxury hotels check in flat-panel TVs

Hotels across the country -- from Los Angeles' Four Seasons to Caesars Pocono Resorts in Pennsylvania, where couples will be able to gawk at a 35-inch flat-panel TV while cavorting in a bathtub shaped like a champagne glass -- are adding them.

More... [949 views]

New slip-in cooling cartridges now available to replace discontinued ACP / ClimateMaster VTAC Series vertical PTAC

Marra A/C Services today announced their "New" slip-in replacement cooling cartridge for the discontinued ACP/ ClimateMaster VTAC series of vertical PTACs is now available for delivery.

More... [853 views]

U.S. CEO survey sees increase in hiring; Thirty-eight percent say they expect to add jobs in '04

Thirty-eight percent of chief executives expect their companies to add U.S. jobs over the next six months, up from 33 percent in March, a survey of leading U.S. CEOs said on Wednesday.

More... [555 views]

HVS Journal - Asia Pacific Region - 1st Quarter 2004

Quarterly Hotel Report, including the Asian Hotel Valuation Index, Hotel Openings and Transaction Report, and several articles contributed by HVS offices in Singapore, Sydney and New Delhi, as well as HVS Executive Seatrch In Hong Kong

More... [656 views]

De Vere's out of bidding

Leisure firm De Vere has pulled out of the £500 million-plus bidding war for budget hotel chain Premier Lodge amid concerns over the cost of the acquisition.

More... [534 views]

InterContinental Hotels Group Opened 23 Hotels in March and April 2004 Across the Americas

InterContinental Hotels Group, the world's largest and most global hotel company, today announced it opened 23 hotels in March and April 2004, an addition of more than 2,809 rooms across the Americas. 

More... [633 views]

Raffles Hotel Singapore Continues Pursuit of Excellence

Close to half a million affluent worldwide respondents of several prestigious luxury international surveys and publications have a common ultimate favourite – Raffles Hotel, Singapore.  These respondents’ uncompromising judgment and taste have resulted in the team at Raffles Hotel working overnight to urgently renovate the Trophy Room to make room for these welcomed new additions to join the remarkable collection of esteemed awards and accolades achieved over a decade, since the reopening of the Hotel in 1991.

More... [694 views]

Laptop use, lifestyle impact chair, seating selections

What's the most significant factor to impact the selection of hotel seating in recent years? Laptop computers. As they've become smaller, lighter and faster, laptops have earned a place as an almost mandatory accessory for business travelers intent on setting up an office-to-go and a convenience for leisure travelers who want to connect with folks back home via e-mail.

More... [762 views]

Marketing Plans Must Be a "Living Being" They Cannot Sit On Shelves!

One of the hardest things to do in a hotel is to turns goals into reality.  Too often, those goals may be thought of and discussed, but not written down or acted on.   When they are written down, it is as a memo or perhaps as the introduction to a marketing plan, but with no or inadequate preparations to make those goals become reality.

More... [972 views]

Shangri-La Hotels sees over half of revenues from China by 2008

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, the management arm of Hong Kong-listed Shangri-La Asia (69.HK), expects to see over half of its revenues coming from China by 2008 as it opens new hotels on the mainland, said Martin Waechter, chief marketing officer. He told AFX-Asia in an interview that the company, which now has 40 pct of its revenues from China, will open eight new up-scale hotels in the country  over the next four years.

More... [594 views]

European tour operator market set for 4% growth in 2004

Europe’s package holiday market is heading for moderate growth of 4% in 2004 after two weak years, according to the newly-published annual FVW Documentation on Europe’s top 150 tour operators. After a strong start to bookings, the market recovery has weakened again, leaving operators with mixed feelings ahead of the peak summer season.

More... [743 views]

Technology - does the tourism industry really understand it?

It’s not everyday that someone comes and gives a wake-up call to the industry. The opening day at the 53rd PATA Annual Conference was one of those days and giving that wakeup call was Anna Pollock, co-founder of Desticorp and a long-time strategist for the tourism industry.

More... [753 views]

Age for regional tourism cooperation has come in China

China has entered the age for regional tourism cooperation, said experts attending China Domestic Tourism Mart here Saturday.

More... [663 views]

Booming hotel sector claims: We're back in charge of our rates

The hotel industry has regained control of its distribution systems as business for the luxury chains returns to levels not seen for years. For most major chains, Asia is a star performer as hotels begin to recoup profits that were diluted by economic slowdowns, health and terrorism fears.

More... [803 views]

Hotels Ride the Recovery

 It's going to be a long, hot summer for the hotel industry, where a powerful cyclical recovery is picking up steam and vacancies are getting scarce.

More... [737 views]

News @ PATA

This week's PATA news and update....

More... [545 views]

Hotels Get Pushy About Their Loyalty Programs

In the past, properties pretty much limited their sales pitch to pamphlets at the check-in counter, and tended to emphasize the perks of membership, like upgrades and gift baskets. But in recent months, travelers say, they have become more vocal about the benefits of joining - and have begun punishing guests who refuse by putting them in less desirable rooms or saddling them with surcharges.

More... [981 views]

WTTC releases Travel & Tourism industry’s best action responses to the ‘Blueprint for New Tourism’

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today released case studies showing some of the world’s best examples of its ‘Blueprint for new Tourism’ in action. The case studies feature successful development and delivery initiatives of leading organizations, which ensure benefits for customers, shareholders and hosting communities.

More... [696 views]

Marriott Deploys NCR Self-Service Kiosks

Global Hotel Chain Pilots Check-in, Check-out Solution From World's Leading Self-Service Technology Provider

More... [833 views]

PKF Consulting Sees Growth in Conference Centers

PKF Consulting and the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) forecast growth in occupancy and RevPAR for North American Conference Centers through 2004 and into 2005. The findings are contained in the 2004 North American edition of the recently released Trends in the Conference Center Industry, a Statistical and Financial Profile for 2003, produced by PKF Consulting and the IACC.

More... [540 views]

Spotlight on hotel performance in Dubai, Kuwait and Doha

This article focuses on some of the strongest performing markets, namely Dubai, Kuwait and Doha that are helping drive performance across the region

More... [750 views]

Extract: Global Performance Review 2003

In this, the inaugural Global Performance Review of the top 20 performing hotel markets of 2003, we consider the results of the HotelBenchmark Survey’s ‘Global Ranking of Performance Indicators’ (GRI) and the movement within the top 20 performing markets.

More... [675 views]

ITE launches ‘MICE RUSSIA’

ITE Group Plc announced the launch of a new annual event, MICE RUSSIA, to take place on the 21st September 2004  at the Ararat Park Hyatt, Moscow. This exclusive one day event is aimed at suppliers, travel agents, tour operators and corporate buyers with an interest in growing their share in the incentive and business travel industry in Russia and the CIS

More... [528 views]

Apax and Whitbread compete to buy Premier Lodge chain

The £500 million auction of Premier Lodge, the budget hotel chain owned by Spirit Group, is believed to have become a two-horse race between Apax Partners and Whitbread.

More... [505 views]

Interglobe-Accor deal to tap budget tourists

Hospitality InterGlobe and French major Accor Hotels have inked a joint venture to enter into mid-segment hotels in India.

More... [632 views]

Mandarin Oriental announces its arrival in Paris

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced that from June 2004 it is to manage the Hotel Royal Monceau , long recognized as one of the grand palace hotels in Paris. The property will undergo a significant renovation and repositioning later this year, and upon completion the hotel will be renamed Royal Monceau Mandarin Oriental, Paris.

More... [881 views]

International hotel groups expanding networks in China

For Accor, the largest hotel management group in Europe, the year 2004 could be called the "China Year".  Marriott Group, which is among the world's top 500 and manages more than 2,800 hotels all over the world, planned to open seven hotels in China in the coming year.

More... [745 views]

Travel the world with Starwood

Globetrotters can now enjoy luxurious upscale accommodation at Starwood Hotels & Resorts worldwide and see the world for less with its newly introduced "World Travel" promotion, an international travel promotion which allows travelers to stay at Starwood's more than 740 hotels and resorts worldwide at exceptional rates. 

More... [792 views]

Grand Hyatt Dubai introduces latest treatment concept named Aromasoul

Already renowned for its signature treatment hot stone massage, The Grand Spa’s complete range of facial and body treatments has expanded to include their latest treatment concept – Aromasoul – at Grand Hyatt Dubai.

More... [782 views]

IATA: Traffic up but oil price threatens profitability

A year after the devastating impact of SARS and the War in Iraq, industry efforts to rebuild passenger confidence see traffic largely recovered . The problem is now on the cost side, said Giovanni Bisignani, Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association.

More... [634 views]

Carlson Hotels Worldwide Inititates New Brand Building Strategies

Carlson Hotels Worldwide announced a variety of new business building and brand defining strategies here this week during its four-day, 2004 Annual Business Conference as nearly 900 participants and guests gathered for the event from around the world.

More... [752 views]

Over 1.1 million foreign arrivals in Vietnam in first five months

Vietnam welcomed 1,155,427 foreign tourists in the first five months of this year , a 19.4 percent increase over the same period in 2003, according to the Viet Nam Tourism Administration (VTA).

More... [670 views]

Visitors to Cuba top one million in first five months of 2004

More than one million visitors have come to Cuba for the first five months of this year and tourism officials are predicting that the figure will double by yearend.

More... [684 views]

USA: High Gas Prices Impact Travel Plans

The rising cost of gasoline is likely to affect the travel plans of a majority (56%) of U.S. leisure travelers in the months ahead according to a new national poll released today by Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell, the travel marketing, advertising and public relations firm headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

More... [511 views]

Philippine tourism records all-time high increase

Toputist arrivals reached an all time high increase of 25.7 percent in May according to the monthly statistics report from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Tourism Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan said.

More... [537 views]

Accor Appoints 11 General Managers Across Asia Pacific

Accor Asia Pacific announces the appointments at  11 General Managers Accor Hotels accross Asia

More... [1294 views]

Brazil to be another destination for chinese tourist

Chinese can now visit the tropical rain forest or watch soccer superstars` samba in  Brazil as China has officially announced Brazil will become a designated destination for Chinese tourists.

More... [621 views]

Hilton Vacation Station Preps for Vacation ''Snack Attack''

With summer just around the corner, Hilton Hotels (NYSE:HLT) is stocking up on toys, cooler carriers and snack makings in preparation for Hilton Vacation Station(R), one of the most widely available and comprehensive family vacation programs offered by a hotelier.

More... [607 views]

Hotel 71: Where doing business is a refreshing pleasure

Hotel 71 is the rare independent hotel that has every aspect of business travel covered, from supremely comfortable and productive accommodations to flexible, high tech work and meeting space to outstanding dining and room service.   Not the least of its appeal is a refreshingly unique sense of style. 

More... [898 views]