ehotelier Hospitality News Archives: August 2006
Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 31, 2006
“We must hang together, or surely we shall hang separately”, stated Benjamin Franklin at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He was of course referring to the need for solidarity amidst a Revolution. There were unknown risks, inspiring dreams and complex personalities and priorities in that colonial mix. The adversary was well known, controlled the marketplace, and had a historical, dominant success rate in manifest destiny and compliance for the realm. By John R. Hendrie
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This publication comes from the HVS library archive of timeless articles. We think you will enjoy reading about this important topic. Published first in August 1992. By Steve Rushmore
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Like any other small, medium or large business, it is imperative that analysis and planning activities be conducted to minimise the risk of failure. One of the first questions to ask yourself is "how is my business doing?" and this can easily be answered by comparing your spa's performance against industry averages. By Julie Garrow
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China's luxury hotel business is likely to grow strongly over the next five years, driven by booming business travel, property consultants Jones Lang LaSalle said. Government efforts to cool speculation and encourage construction of more affordable housing should not impact investment in the fast-growing sector, said Andreas Flaig, executive vice president of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.
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Banyan Tree executive chairman Ho Kwon Ping is expanding his premium resort
, hotel
and spa chain to India, Ireland, Australia and China.
In the works also are projects in Morocco, Mexico and Greece. Mr Ho says he is actively looking for new business opportunities beyond the Asia-Pacific, to take the company up to the global level as a niche player.
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Sales at hotels in London were up by almost a third during the month of July 2006, according to the latest data from TRI Hospitality Consulting's HotStats survey. Room revenue per available room soared by 29.9 per cent to reach £100.71, breaking into three figures. Both occupancy and rate showed big increases, with rate up 17.7 per cent to £112.62 and occupancy ahead by 8.4 points to reach 89.4 per cent.
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aloft Charleston Airport Hotel to be One of the Brand's First to Open its Doors, a New Destination Sensation Debuts with Loft-Like Rooms, ''Backyard'' Area and Energetic Bar Scene. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and its much-anticipated new select-service brand, aloft hotels, announced today it has signed a deal with LTD Management Company, Inc. and Sree Hotels, LLC to develop an aloft hotel in the historic coastal city of Charleston, South Carolina.
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Rocco Forte Hotels’ latest property, Hotel de Rome, opens in Berlin on 1 October 2006 and is not to be muddled with the collection’s Hotel de Russie in Rome. While the names may well cause confusion, Rocco Forte Hotels’ ethos dictated that the names be used because they are both of historic significance.
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Looking back at two great sessions of this summers’ Junior Hotel Academy, Denis Richter, Executive Assistant Manager of the Moevenpick Hotel Bur Dubai is convinced, that this great institution will have its regular place in the annual calendar of events.
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Hotel industry news in brief...
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Hotel General Manager, can anybody, everybody, somebody or nobody do this job ?
Last month I was asked to be part of a selection committee to search for the right candidates for General Manager of a resort in Thailand The human resources department had put an advertisement in one of Thailand’s leading newspapers and received, within 2 weeks, 127 applications of persons that believed to have the right qualifications. While “wading” through the mountain of papers we observed interesting trends......
By Bert van Walbeek
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Corporate Orientation Programs: Retaining Great People Begins Before Day One
Corporate success depends upon having a tight group of people united by the common goal of accomplishing great things. The best way to accelerate the period of time necessary for new co-workers to feel a part of your team is to implement an effective orientation program. You hired these individuals because you thought they would be great assets to your department and a competitive advantage to your company. So take the time to develop an orientation program that will allow both of you to begin your new journey together on the right foot. Here's how.....
By Denise Moretti
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Top 10 Quirkiest Hotels in the World
Ice hotel in Quebec freezes out competition. The top 10 quirkiest hotels was selected according to traveler popularity, and TripAdvisor editors.
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Be The Brand
Plastic utensils at a fine dining establishment? How gauche! Bright reds, Op Art, and the Rolling Stones in the background at your Spa? How disquieting! Ratty signs, unmowed grass, poorly clipped shrubs at the entrance to your resort? Nasty! Regular paper, four-ply toilet tissue, 60 watt bulbs at your eco property? No Green here! Naugahide booths at your bistro? Mighty retro! A Guest Book at your roadside diner? Really! Not on your life, you say. May we introduce you to a Brand misfired, to sensibilities affronted, to missed opportunities. And, what to do about it!
By John and Rich Hendrie
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How Can Hotels Make Money On F&B?
This publication comes from the HVS library archive of timeless articles. We think you will enjoy reading about this important topic. Published first in April 2003.
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Have You Listened To What Your Hotel Sales and Reservations Agents Are Saying To Real Customers?
In an effort to increase the sales effectiveness of their hotel sales and reservations staff, general managers have traditionally looked to outside “mystery shopping” companies to place test calls and then complete checklists that “score” an agent on their sales/service skills. Indeed, many hotels have benefited from such programs and increased their sales and service levels to new heights, especially when the mystery shopping is tied-in to an overall training and development plan. Yet having myself once been in the mystery shopping business I can tell you it has never been easy and the service itself presents inherent challenges that are difficult if not impossible to overcome:
By Douglas Kennedy
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Global Staff Movements - Who is In and Who is Out
Latest update on international executive staff movements. Check it out...
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The SHY Interview: Miguel Ko
To Miguel Ko, president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia/Pacific, being successful at business is one thing, doing it with integrity and honesty is as important. The Singapore-based chief executive tackles the questions that matter in The SHY Interview.
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Taming the Beast...What Hotel Managers Need to Know To Reduce Turnover
Dale Carnegie once said 'When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion. How often have you had a problem with an associate and tried to deal with it in a good logical business manner; only to make matters worse? Maybe using logic, instead of appealing to emotion, is part of the problem. By Neil Salerno
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Benchmark’s Top Five Dining Trends for 2006 ... and a word about wine
Benchmark Hospitality International, which manages 31 award-winning hotels, resorts, conference centers and condominium resorts throughout the United States and in Japan, has announced Five Top Dining Trends for 2006, as observed by its properties. The trends were announced by Bob Zappatelli, vice president, food & beverage.
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 30, 2006
Creativity can be learned and nurtured by focusing on healthy physiology, promoting positive "cross talk" among the three main anatomical regions of the human brain and utilizing workshops that address creativity and organizational strategies. By Jim Houran, HVS International
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European hotel transactions have hit the €9.3 billion mark, up by €2 billion on this time last year and Western Europe is clearly leading the way. London leads the market for single asset hotel transactions with a total volume of €845 million, already surpassing 2005’s full year figure of €781 million, while over half of the €6.7 billion portfolio deals took place in UK. Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels reports.
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A year on from the 7/7 London bombings, the capital hotel market was as hot as the heatwave this July with the highest ever room rate, average occupancy and rooms yield, according to the latest figures from PKF hotel consultancy services.
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Hong Kong and Singapore affirm status as key shopping destinations. Visa Asia Pacific released new information that shows international travelers to and within the region spent a total of US$6.8 billion on their Visa cards during the first quarter of 2006 - 13 percent more than the same period a year ago. The increase in spending can be attributed not only to more arrivals but also to an increase in the issuance of Visa cards across the region.
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Global hotel investment services firm Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels is confident that the Shanghai hotel sector still offers investors substantial investment value in the medium to long term, even though the market is likely to consolidate over the next 12 to 18 months as room supply increases over the near term.
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Austrian Erste Bank Group´s real estate subsidiary Immorent plans to build a low price, but quality hotel chain in Austria. The company will also invest in Budapest, announced Susanne Perzmayr-Drazdal, project manager of the company. Immorent AG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Erste Bank, and is the market leader in real estate leasing in Austria, as well as in the neighboring countries Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
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As Tune Hotels.Com, a new budget hotel chain backed by high-profile investors, prepares to make its entry, other players are unruffled. They say the market is big enough for everyone. In fact, demand is so strong that existing players don't have enough rooms to offer.
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Recognizing eMarketing excellence, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has joined forces with TravelCLICK to pay tribute to the “eMarketer of the Year” at the 50th Annual Adrian Awards.
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Sales at hotels in London were up by almost a third during the month of July 2006, according to the latest data from TRI Hospitality Consulting’s HotStats survey.
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Prominent leaders from the hospitality industry will share their wisdom and experience with Cornell Hotel School students, faculty and staff on Friday afternoons this fall as the School rolls out the 44th edition of its Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series. A total of 15 distinguished speakers will address the class, representing a broad cross-section of the industry including fine wines, online-travel intermediaries, airlines, real estate development and resort operations.
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Hotel industry news in brief.....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 29, 2006
Travelodge, the UK's fastest growing hotel company has been acquired by Dubai International Capital ("DIC"), a private equity firm, for a consideration of £675 million from the Permira Funds. The acquisition is unconditional and is expected to complete by late September. Following completion of the transaction, Keith Hamill (Chairman), Grant Hearn (Chief Executive), Guy Parsons (Chief Operating Officer) and Jon Mortimore (Finance Director) will stay with the business and continue to manage Travelodge under DIC's ownership. Travelodge operates 291 hotels, with 279 in the UK, nine in Ireland and three in Spain.
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Yeoh Siew Hoon travels to Sydney, Australia and finds that while things have not changed that much, they aren’t the same either.
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Caribbean Hotel Association updates its image for the first time in over 40 years. The Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) launched its new logo and corporate identity, following the approval of the Board of Directors during the organization’s annual industry conference (CHIC 2006) in Miami, Florida. The new brand image of CHA responds to the organization’s need to update its identity to go with the times and changes of the Caribbean tourism industry.
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Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels has promoted three team members across the Americas, recognizing its executives who have shown outstanding achievement.
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Get ready for louder, hipper music at hotels. In the latest bid for a new generation of travelers, hotel chains are paying more attention to music in their lobbies, shops and restaurants. They're playing it louder, making it more consistent across their hotels and turning more to contemporary tunes.
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A desire to surpass guests’ standards has always been crucial in the hospitality industry. Today, a smoke-free environment is one of those standards. Americans expect fresh air everywhere, and with businesses and communities on board, they are getting it. Travelers can breathe easier now that hotels across the country are taking steps to improve indoor air quality for all of their guests.
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InterContinental Hotels Group has appointed Katerina Fajgar as the new Director of Marketing and Communications for the three upcoming properties at Dubai Festival City – InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental Residence Suites. Of Czech origin, Katerina brings over seven years of hospitality experience to her new role, having over four years experience with the group. Her career started in Prague in 1996 before moving to Dubai where she joined the five star hospitality industry as Sales Manager.
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Rotana Hotels announced the signing of major new agreements, bringing Rotana Hotels’ portfolio to 42 properties by 2008, in addition to the 21 properties already in operation.
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Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) and the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) are teaming up to host the first-ever Caribbean Finance and Technology Professionals Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This conference is planned for December 11-12, 2006 at the Westin Rio Mar Beach Golf Resort & Spa. The two-day educational conference will focus on the most recent topics of interest in the finance and technology fields.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 28, 2006
Benchmark Hospitality International, which manages 31 award-winning hotels, resorts, conference centers and condominium resorts throughout the United States and in Japan, has announced Five Top Dining Trends for 2006, as observed by its properties. The trends were announced by Bob Zappatelli, vice president, food & beverage.
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It's your big night. You've somehow landed at the same party as the CEO of your dream company. You want desperately to impress him, but when you're introduced you find yourself trying too hard, talking too loudly, and even blurting out an off-color remark. You know this is not who you really are, but the expression on the guy's face makes it plain: You've blown it.
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One creates hotels blending the magical mix of artistry and architecture to achieve a skilful rendition of the old and new, the East and West. The other provides exceptional, personalized service to the world’s most discerning travelers at the very top end of the market. Both always raise the bar. The people behind these exquisite tastes and passion for excellence -- Kwee Liong Tek and Horst Schulze -- have the common vision to create a jewel of a city resort that will be ready for the top two percent of business and leisure travelers on the island of Sentosa in two years. It will be called Capella Singapore.
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International travelers to the U.S increased by 6.7 percent in 2005, according to research from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. During 2004 and 2005 international travelers to the U.S. increased by 20.3 percent, the largest two-year increase since 1996, but below 2000 and 2001 levels, the firm found.
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A former leader of Singapore has said Singapore can compete with other destinations by transforming itself as the “Paris of Southeast Asia,” offering more “fun and buzz” into its nightlife. "We must have more of like what we have at Clarke Quay," said Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew. Lee, who was prime minister of the island nation from 1950 to 1990, retains his influence over the nation’s policies long after he has stepped down.
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He has joined Hostmark Hospitality Group from Starwood Hotels & Resorts where he led Starwood's franchise development efforts in a 22-state region.
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The PATA Travel Mart 2006 (PTM06) exhibition space at AsiaWorld-Expo has completely sold out. The total built-up area, including the network lounge, will be 4,076 sqm, a 13% increase over PTM05. The number of seller organisations as at August 8 total 325 from 45 countries. This number will increase as the huge Indian pavilion fills up.
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Shanghai Jinjiang International Hotels Development Co., China's largest hotel operator, said first-half profit rose 13 percent because of increasing tourism to the country's largest commercial city.
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Landis Hotels & Resorts Group has appointed Mr. A. André Joulian as General Manager for the Pre-opening Office of Skyway Landis Hotel Shanghai. Mr. Joulian will oversee the 666 room hotel, with its extensive Food & Beverage operations, meeting and conference facilities.
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Pegasus Solutions has finalized contracts with 37 upscale, independent hotels that were previously members of Distinguished Hotels to provide reservation and distribution services. Additionally, Pegasus has acquired the “DH” chain code used on the global distribution systems (GDSs).
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 25, 2006
New monthly travel figures released by Abacus International showed the Asia-Pacific travel industry maintained a steady pace in the first half of 2006.
Total bookings on the Abacus system were up on 2005 for every month - except January and April - maintaining positive growth with accumulative free and independent traveller (FIT) bookings for 1H2006 up 4 per cent on the same period last year.
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Sandra Chipchase, chief executive officer of the Melbourne Convention & Visitors Bureau, is one woman you don't mess with. Other than her mission of making Melbourne the number one convention city in the Asia Pacific region, she also wants to sing opera. Belt it out, Sandra.
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Move over Marriott Courtyard and Hilton Garden Inn. Other hoteliers are ramping up to steal a piece of the $135-a-night market that attracts mostly business travelers. With more than 700 Courtyards, Marriott has dominated the category for more than 20 years. Hilton, with about 280 Garden Inns, has been a strong second. But now, Starwood , Hyatt and others are rushing to develop their own versions, motivated by a chance to tap the next generation of business travelers.
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InterContinental Hotels Group has promoted Thierry Perrot as the new Area General Manager for InterContinental Hotels Group Citystars, Cairo, Egypt.
Perrot moves into his new role from his position as General Manager, InterContinental Citystars, where he was tasked with the challenging role of opening the lavish and luxurious hotel in 2005.
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Millennium & Copthorne International Limited (MCIL) recently announced the appointment of Mr Michael Sengol as Executive Vice President, Asia Pacific, to drive the continuing growth of the Company’s hotel distribution network in the region. Michael is promoted from his previous role as Senior Vice President, Operations, Asia Pacific, and concurrently holds the post of General Manager for The Regent Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
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The September 2006 issue of CNBC European Business magazine has named Rocco Forte’s Villa Kennedy the number one business hotel in Europe. The hotel, which opened earlier this year on 1 March, has raised the benchmark for hotels not only in Frankfurt, but Europe as a whole.
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Marriott International is expanding its At Your Service pre-arrival planning to meetings and events worldwide. The complimentary service is part of Marriott’s Spirit to Serve Our Guests initiative and will be available at nearly 2,500 hotels worldwide
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Peter Kaelli, Chief Executive Officer of the Unique Collection of Hotels and Resorts announced today the signing of a management agreement with the Kamalaya Koh Samui. Kamalaya is Thailand’s first Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa situated on Koh Samui’s pristine southern coast.
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YogaAway provides Yoga services with in-room video experiences - hotel-spa classes, and getaway yoga events offer innovative remedy for travelers at Hyatt properties nationwide.
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InterContinental Hotels Group has appointed Christian Pertl as the group's new Director of Sales and Marketing for the three upcoming properties at Dubai Festival City – InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental Residence and Suites.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 24, 2006
In the early 1980’s I realized that my assisted living residences would gain a huge competitive advantage if I started operating them like luxury resort hotels. After a careful study of the Ritz-Carlton and Disney models, we implemented a hospitality-oriented customer service culture and saw an immediate increase in the quality of service and experience delivered by our residences.
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After performing literally hundreds of web site analyses, it amazes me how many hotel web sites are either totally or partially dysfunctional. There are so many sites which are not in-step with even basic search engine requirements; sites with poorly written text content; inadequate navigation; dense photography too slow to download; and sites which are not designed to sell rooms. By Neil Salerno
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Yeoh Siew Hoon is anything but tongue tied about a rough-cut language phenomenon sweeping the world.
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Bed-and-breakfast owners across the UK should dust down their chintz bedspreads, lower their prices and start quaking in their boots, if predictions about the explosion of the budget hotel sector are to be believed.
The rapid emergence of low-cost hotel rooms in the past decade has mirrored the phenomenal growth rates in the budget airline industry, but has gone unnoticed by many in the City.
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Outrigger Enterprises Group has entered into an agreement to sell selected operations in Australia and New Zealand to MFS Limited, a publicly-held Australian investment firm. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the year.
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After hundreds of nominations and hours of voting by judges, the finalists in the 2006 HM Awards for Hotel & Accommodation Excellence have been decided. Spanning 36 categories, key properties and people across Australasia and the South Pacific will now be vying for Awards at a gala dinner on Friday September 8 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
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A remarkable 1,000,000 baht (US$25,000) per head gala dinner will form an unprecedented
extravagant grand finale for ‘Epicurean Masters of the World’, a gourmet food and wine extravaganza to be held at Bangkok’s award-winning rooftop dining destination, The Dome at State Tower, from November 28th to December 2nd, 2006.
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A state-owned Dubai investment firm said it had struck a 1.25-billion-dollar deal to buy the British hotel chain Travelodge as the oil-rich emirate looks to recycle its petrodollars. Dubai International Capital (DIC) said it would pay 675 million British pounds to buy the fast-growing hotel group from private equity fund Permira, the WAM official news agency said.
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"Thailand Unforgettable" will be the slogan next year as the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) highlights the country's natural beauty, beaches and national heritage.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 23, 2006
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC First Half Results to 30 June 2006 - 2nd Quarter Profit Doubles; Continuing revenue up 16% from £340m to £394m, up 12% at constant exchange rates.
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Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels announced today that the volume of U.S. hotel sales through June of this year has set a record at $21.8 billion, surpassing the total volume of 2005 of $21.0 billion in just six months. According to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels’ proprietary database, which tracks transactions $10 million and above, 135 transactions closed during the first half of the year.
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This publication comes from the HVS library archive of timeless articles. We think you will enjoy reading about this important topic. Published first in February 2002. By Steve Rushmore, HVS International
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Twenty hospitality properties, featuring innovative themes and compelling design elements, have been named as finalists for the 26th annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design. The finalists were selected from 150 submissions representing 76 design firms and properties in 19 countries, making this year’s Awards the most diverse and competitive to date.
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During the relaunch of the Grand Hyatt Taipei's bistro-style restaurant Cheers, the multi-tasking Ivan Suardi could be found everywhere. He was tending the long bar, mixing drinks, and giving last-minute instructions to bartenders. As director of Hyatt International's F&B projects in the region, Suardi is required to fly in and out of countries where a Hyatt property stands or is about to rise. In addition to helping plan and design an outlet's food and beverage menu, he also needs to coordinate with architects and designers with regards to the establishment's overall theme and concept.
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Shangri-La Academy in Beijing, the centralised employee training centre of Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, has teamed with distinguished Sun Yat-Sen University to launch two-year hotel management programmes starting September 2006.
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Hotel Bakpak Melbourne, now offers guests even more reasons to stay with the introduction of en suite rooms at an affordable price. Budget travelers wanting a touch of luxury can stay for as little as $30 per person per night in an en suite dorm room or $85 per twin room per night.According to General Manager, Brendan Geary the upgrade is certain to be popular with travelers.
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Hotel room rates are likely to rise by 10 or 15 per cent a year for the next three years, says a wide ranging UBS report on the Singapore property market. The Swiss bank report goes on to predict a further 15 per cent rise this year in sale prices for high-end residential properties, following last year's 26 per cent increase.
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Singapore's ambitious plan to double tourist arrivals to 17 million by 2015 has prompted the British-based InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) to map out its own bold blueprint for expansion here. The chain, which operates three hotels in Singapore, hopes to run at least eight more properties within five years ranging from three- to five-star hotels.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 22, 2006
Hotel companies reported relatively strong second-quarter earnings, as increases in average daily rates and continued traveler demand against stagnant supply growth underpinned revenues, which may signal tougher negotiations for travel buyers once the bargaining season gets fully underway later this fall. One hotel company accounted for lower-than-expected earnings with higher operating expenses and recent renovation costs, which pared otherwise healthy revenues.
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We're used to it at airports. We're resigned to it at grocery stores. Now self-service check-in kiosks in hotel lobbies are multiplying faster than bunnies in springtime. Major chains such as Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton and Fairmont are installing kiosks that allow busy customers to check themselves in and get a key -- without ever talking to a human being.
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Yenn Wong, Owner of JIA Boutique Hotels, has been recognized by the Hong Kong’s City Junior Chamber with
the prestigious Innovative Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 award for her success with JIA Hong Kong.
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Vantage Hospitality has set up two joint venture membership hotel chains in China -- Chinas Best Value Inn and The Lexington Collection.
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Market Metrix, LLC, the leading provider of market research services for the hospitality industry, announced results of the Market Metrix Hospitality Index (MMHI) for the second quarter of 2006. Drury Inns, JetBlue Airways and Enterprise Rent-a-Car ranked number one in hotel, airline and rental car industry customer satisfaction, respectively.
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Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, has appointed Alan Darr as director of corporate HR services. Mr. Darr is responsible for corporate recruitment as well as field human resources operations.
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Puan Rohanna Ramli, Managing Director of Residence Hotels & Resorts announced the appointment of Jean Fernand Wasser as the General Manager of Best Western Premier Seri Pacific Kuala Lumpur effective 1st July, 2006.
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As of the end of 1H, demand for hotels has been strong and stable, with high monthly occupancy levels that have averaged no less than 70%, a level equal to that achieved in the same period 2005.
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Beijing Capital Land, a property development arm of the Beijing municipal government, will put its two hotels up for sale and invest the proceeds in more residential projects, according to sources close to the company. The developer was in talks with potential buyers of its Central Holiday Inn and its Finance Street InterContinental Hotel, the sources said.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 21, 2006
Dale Carnegie once said 'When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion. How often have you had a problem with an associate and tried to deal with it in a good logical business manner; only to make matters worse? Maybe using logic, instead of appealing to emotion, is part of the problem. By Neil Salerno
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Dubai International Capital is poised to acquire budget hotel operator Travelodge from private equity firm Permira for an estimated pounds 650m.
More... [671 views]
Fewer Australians are choosing to see their own country with domestic tourism remaining relatively flat over the past 20 years, a new report shows.
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Imagine a hotel designed like a gigantic terrarium, set in the center of a modern metropolis. No, wait, make it an oceanfront resort where your guestroom is also a houseboat that can be sailed around the local waters. Oh, what the heck, how about a high-rise that hangs down from the Antarctic ice sheet?
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Statistics Canada says hotel operators expect fewer bookings and lower occupancy rates in the third quarter of this year compared with the second quarter. The agency says a shortage of labour remains a major business impediment in the traveller accommodation industry.
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Le Royal Méridien Shanghai boasts of an ultra modern design fitting its status as one of Shanghai’s best hotels. Located in the tallest landmark property in Puxi at 66 stories high, the hotel raises the standard of five star service in China’s most stylish city.
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Great Wolf Resorts, America's leading family of indoor waterpark resorts, said that the company has no plans to sell the company or engage an investment banking firm to explore the possible sale of the company. The company received a letter from Hayground Cove Asset Management LLC, a shareholder, in which Hayground encouraged the company's Board of Directors to engage an investment banker to explore a sale of Great Wolf Resorts.
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When you've had a long day in meetings and on airplanes, nothing is more annoying than having to wait in a never-ending line to check in to your hotel. Marriott is working on a way to make this far less painful.
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Company to Operate Adjoining Hotels in Atlanta, Ga. Crescent Hospitality Corporation today announced that it has signed an agreement with Piedmont Avenue Holdings, LLC, to oversee the renovation process and subsequent re-flagging of the soon-to-be-converted 211-room Wyndham Garden Hotel Atlanta Downtown and the 242-room Baymont Inn & Suites in Atlanta, Ga.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 18, 2006
To Miguel Ko, president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia/Pacific, being successful at business is one thing, doing it with integrity and honesty is as important. The Singapore-based chief executive tackles the questions that matter in The SHY Interview.
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Once upon a time, our Guest was thrilled with a good mattress, a clean bathroom, and access to a pool. Room amenities and design were not a loss leader, for your prices reflected a recoup of the costs, minimal, as they once were. Then, the evolution began, and you had to be quite clever to gain and retain that competitive edge, cost effectively. By John R. Hendrie
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Cornell Study Finds Revenue Returns for Investments in Intellectual Capital Hotel operators should invest more in their front-line service employees if they want to earn greater future revenue. A study of 563 hotels in the United States published by the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research found that investments in intellectual capital, including spending on service employees, brand affiliation, and management firms, show up subsequently as improvements in revenue.
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Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, the premier manager of ultra-luxury hotels and resorts throughout the world, is pleased to announce the appointment of Philippe LeBoeuf as Vice President of Operations, effective August 16, 2006.
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Millennium & Copthorne International Limited
will be unveiling its first hotel in China, Shanghai on 28 August 2006. This is a management contract signed with China owner, the Shanghai Workers Union , which also owns hotels, villas and spas amongst other investments in China.
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Express by Holiday Inn is celebrating its 10th birthday this year and it has much to celebrate, in just 10 years the brand has experienced phenomenal growth, and now attracts over 4.5 million guests a year*, thanks to its convenience, quality and value for money as well as breadth of locations across Europe.
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Choice Hotels International recently announced the promotion of Fran Taloricco to the position of vice president, franchise sales of conversion brands and Brad LeBlanc to the position of vice president, franchise sales of new construction brands.
More... [608 views]
In a move sure to please consumers, IHG’s hotels in New Zealand are to apply GST-inclusive pricing to all published and contracted rates from 16 September 2006.
According to InterContinental Hotels Group Area Director of Sales and Marketing for New Zealand, Brett Armitage, the move will result in more transparent pricing at all of the group's hotels in New Zealand.
More... [758 views]
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) President and CEO Mr Peter de Jong will continue to lead the Association for another three years, PATA 2006-2007 Chairman Mr Richard Beere announced today.
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Hotel industry news in brief...
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 17, 2006
Do you remember your first interview for your first real job? Yeoh Siew Hoon does, and she’s glad it went well otherwise she might still be on the end of a telephone line listening to other people’s conversations.
More... [1347 views]
As Web conferencing gets better and better, you may find yourself wondering: In a few years, will we still need to travel for business?
More... [882 views]
Abacus’ mid-year snapshot of the Asian travel industry shows sustained demand across the region even as rising fuel bills increased real costs for travellers.
More... [514 views]
CNL Hotels & Resorts, Inc., the nation's second largest hotel real estate investment trust, today announced results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2006. The following results are compared to the second quarter ended June 30, 2005 or year-to-date period ended June 30, 2005, and where applicable, defined terms are included in the Notes to Financial and Portfolio Information section of this news release.
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Marriott will manage what will ultimately be a 1000-room hotel at the Hong Kong Int'l Airport, under an agreement reached with Union Sky Holdings Limited, a partnership between Shun Tak Holdings Limited and Dragages Hong Kong Limited. When opened in the second half of 2008, the hotel will be Marriott International’s fifth hotel in Hong Kong.
More... [804 views]
Consumers now have a quick and easy way to find information about legitimate travel and tourism suppliers online with the introduction of .travel's new vertical search portal, search.travel .
More... [735 views]
Based in the Hong Kong corporate office, Mr. Ng is responsible for the group's overall loyalty and partnership marketing strategy, increasing the Shangri-La business share for each member and utilising partnerships to drive awareness and incremental business for hotel openings and other promotions.
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Following the launch of their new Superior Hi-Tech “Rooms of the Future”, JW Marriott Bangkok has created an additional level of service with the introduction of the IT Concierge.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 16, 2006
Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels announced today that hotels are attracting a larger and more diversified group of investors, now that the lodging sector of real estate is considered more of a mainstream investment.
More... [642 views]
Exclusive Resorts, the world's leading destination club, today announced that it plans to open 30 new luxury residences for its members before the end of this year, at an average rate of two new residences for members each week. All of these new residences are owned by Exclusive Resorts, further strengthening the industry's largest real estate asset base, which is currently valued at over $800 million.
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Swiss-Belhotel International
has signed The Memorandum of Understanding to manage Swiss-Belhotel Borneo, Samarinda, East Kalimantan. The hotel comprises 189 rooms and formerly known as Borneo International Hotel. Swiss-Belhotel Borneo, Samarinda will hold the soft opening as a 3-star international standard hotel in July 2006.
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When Seattle's Four Seasons hotel opens, its $400-a-night visitors can swim in a courtyard pool with sweeping views over Elliott Bay and unwind at an outdoor fireplace. Or, they can pop over to the peep show next door. That last amenity isn't in the official brochure for Seattle's "most sought-after address,'' a $120 million project whose developers include billionaire Bruce McCaw and a former Seattle mayor. They sought to buy and demolish the neighboring Lusty Lady, the only tenant in a squat, 1900-era building owned by a local family. The family rejected a sale
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Accor is re-launching and re-naming its Sofitel hotels in French Polynesia after investing over US$80 million in the upgrading of the four resorts on Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora.
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The Seychelles hopes of luring more tourists have been given a boost by Hilton Hotels' plans to manage a refurbished $A70 million resort here. And the company is now searching for a second location on the Indian Ocean islands, a senior company executive said.
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A hotel manager who had to stay at work overnight to deal with emergencies has won his fight to be paid while sleeping on the job.
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VietNamNet Bridge - The Tourism Department of HCM City, the Tourism Ministry of Cambodia and the Lao National Administration of Tourism have agreed to jointly organize International Travel Expo-Ho Chi Minh City 2007 (ITE-HCMC 2007), themed “Three countries, one destination”, in HCM City, said Deputy Director of the Department La Quoc Khanh at the closing ceremony of ITE-HCMC 2006 on August 6.
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The St. Regis Resort & Residences, Bali will be the first resort property in Asia to be managed by the prestigious St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, as well as the first St. Regis branded luxury private villas in Asia for sale to private investors.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 15, 2006
This publication comes from the HVS library archive of timeless articles. We think you will enjoy reading about this important topic.
More... [1095 views]
America's top spas gathered in New York recently for the annual meeting of the International Spa Association. But nobody at the meeting used the word "beauty." Instead, today's spas are integrating cosmetic treatments like facials and manicures into holistic approaches to well-being......
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It has been reported that leisure giant Whitbread has dropped out of the race to acquire budget hotel chain Travelodge. The Financial Times suggested that as Whitbread already owns rival hotel chain Premier Travel Inn, the acquisition could have led to a competition investigation.
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The old adage about why to invest in land -- they're not making any more of it -- has a corollary when it comes to hotels. They're not building enough of them. The result is higher prices for hotel stocks such as the U.K.'s InterContinental Hotels Group Plc, Shangri-La Asia Ltd. of Hong Kong and Marriott International Inc. of the U.S. They're outpacing broader stock markets, even as rising interest rates threaten to slow economic growth and record oil prices and terrorism concerns deter travelers.
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Says report on the hotel ownership by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. Hotel ownership structure has undergone a major shift from the owner occupier model to one where the owner is increasingly separate from the management, allowing new players, like private equity to gain a foothold in the hotel sector. According to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, private equity players captured 41% of hotels transacted in Europe last year.
More... [989 views]
Gold Coast-based Australian investment and financial services group MFS plans to create Australia's third-largest hotel management company through a $37 million takeover bid for troubled Tourism, Hotels and Leisure.
More... [749 views]
Hampton , the national brand of more than 1,350 mid-priced Hampton Inn® and Hampton Inn & Suites® hotels, has opened 13 properties in July 2006-- representing 1,239 new rooms.
More... [611 views]
Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts was recently honoured with the prestigious China Hotel Pioneer Award in Beijing. Presented at the China Hotel Development and Financing Seminar, hosted by Horwath Asia Pacific, Sonnenblick-Goldman and the China Tourist Hotels Association, the award recognises the groundbreaking work and tremendous success of Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts in China.
More... [616 views]
A Calgary hotel was evacuated and several people were sent to hospital Sunday due to a carbon monoxide leak. Guests of the Holiday Inn were forced out of their rooms after several people reported feeling ill.
More... [1014 views]
Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 14, 2006
Luxury hotels are crowded these days. And we aren't referring to sky-high occupancy rates or lobbies full of guests. We're talking about the explosion of hotel service people, each one more specialized than the next.
More... [1763 views]
It’s the classic scenario. There’s a travel trade party. The host is making a speech and everyone’s chatting away. Is it just us? And how do you handle a situation like that? Yeoh Siew Hoon of The Transit Café shares some tips
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Wyndham Hotel Group and the Corinthia Group of Companies today signed an agreement in principle to jointly manage hotels under the Wyndham®
and Ramada
®
brands in the EMEA region: Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
More... [842 views]
Recent ownership trends in Australia have been characterised by three main trends, the continued exit of South East Asian investors, the divestment of assets by hotel operators and an increase in ownership by domestic investment funds. The Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels`s recently released ‘Hotel Ownership Pendulum in Motion’ examines who the current owners of Australian hotel real estate are and how this has changed over the last ten years.
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Golden Tulip Hospitality is proud to announce the launch of: “THE LODGE – Restaurant, Bar & Lounge”. The first brand new LODGE will open its doors in Hamburg at the Golden Tulip Hamburg Aviation in December of this year, followed by the Tulip Inn Düsseldorf – Arena in January of 2007.
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Starwood Hotels & Resorts has appointed JP Kavanagh as General Manager for the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh.
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Global Investment House "Global" announced yesterday the launch of Arabian Hospitality Holding Company (KSC) geared to set up GCC's first chain of branded luxury Serviced Residences to be exclusively managed by internationally-recognised and Singapore-based Fraser Serviced Residences (Fraser). Arabian Hospitality has acquired Exclusive Development Rights to develop and own serviced residences in the GCC under the Fraser brand.
More... [550 views]
Marriott International announced that it has begun testing mobile wireless check-in for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile®-powered devices on end-to-end Intel Architecture for a select group of travelers to Redmond (Wash.) Marriott Town Center.
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Westin Hotels & Resorts is marking the six-month milestone of its smoke-free conversion in North America with Breathing LightsSM installations in its lobbies nationwide. The artistically designed projections count the number of fresh breaths taken by each Westin guest each day.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 11, 2006
Latest update on international executive staff movements. Check it out...
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What do you do when you wake up one morning convinced that the intangible hipness on which you based your enormous professional success no longer exists? If you're hotel impresario Ian Schrager, you replace the proverbial velvet rope with a comfy velvet cushion.
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As executive vice president for advertising agency TBWA Asia Pacific and chief executive officer of TBWA Hong Kong - Ian Thubron people-watches for a living. Yet he can't get enough of people. Yeoh Siew Hoon presents the first in a series of interviews with travel insiders.
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For the second year running, global hotel group, Hilton, part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, has proved that there is a link between employee development and reduced staff turnover. According to the findings of a recent team member survey, being given the opportunity to develop through Hilton University - the group's online learning platform - encourages employees to remain loyal.
More... [1046 views]
New 125-Room Marrakech Hotel NYC On The Upper West Side Offers Schrager-like Ambience For Only $129 A Night
More... [769 views]
How do we value a business, especially if it is a service based company? How do we value the people who have put in countless hours at work to make it work? How do we value knowledge and how can we implement the knowledge management in case the business is bought by a new team? By Robin Trehan
More... [820 views]
Although you may have skipped the whole Boy Scout thing as a kid and still can't envision yourself ever setting foot on a campground, Travelodge's Travelpod may be of interest.
More... [758 views]
Coastal Hotel Group, a full-service hotel management and development services company, has been purchased by its senior management team. The announcement was made by Yogi Hutsen, Coastal's President & Chief Executive Officer.
More... [595 views]
aloha! Guests eagerly awaiting the opening of the first aloft hotel in 2008 now have a chance to live * life * aloft in a new dimension. This September, aloft, A Vision Of W Hotels(SM), will become the world's first hotel brand to place a 3-D computer generated replica inside a virtual world when it debuts an aloft hotel inside the popular online game Second Life. A virtual environment in which players create digital alter egos and exchange virtual currency for digitally rendered goods and services, the Second Life metaverse is currently inhabited by more than 350,000 people worldwide.
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Hotel industry news in brief...
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 10, 2006
In an effort to increase the sales effectiveness of their hotel sales and reservations staff, general managers have traditionally looked to outside “mystery shopping” companies to place test calls and then complete checklists that “score” an agent on their sales/service skills. Indeed, many hotels have benefited from such programs and increased their sales and service levels to new heights, especially when the mystery shopping is tied-in to an overall training and development plan. Yet having myself once been in the mystery shopping business I can tell you it has never been easy and the service itself presents inherent challenges that are difficult if not impossible to overcome: By Douglas Kennedy
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Corporation said today that it is exploring strategic alternatives for the company's Scandic brand of hotels, including the possible sale of all or part of the business. The company acquired the Scandic brand as part of its recent acquisition of the lodging assets of Hilton Group plc. Citigroup Global Markets Limited has been retained to advise Hilton.
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Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels has reported that the volume of full-service hotel sales in 2006 will significantly surpass the $45 billion recorded in 2005 and could even exceed $60 billion – a 33% year on year increase – globally.
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China is tipped to become the world's top tourist destination, and foreign hotel chains are rushing to cash in Even by China's skewed standards, the surge of foreign interest in launching and managing new mainland hotels is astounding. "It's stratospheric," says Patrick Ford, president of Lodging Econometrics, a U.S.-based industry-research group. "China is the most attractive place in the world right now for hotels. That's why investment capital is racing there and why the major international brands are racing there too."
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With the inflow of major hotel brands in India, does it make business sense to build serviced apartments? This article examines the feeder markets, trends and comparative points to elaborate the Serviced Apartment model.
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InterContinental has signed a letter of understanding with Empresas Bern to open the Holiday Inn Hotel and School Panama Canal at the City of Knowledge in Panama. The hotel and school, which in its initial phase will have 110 rooms, will be the first educational institution for InterContinental Hotels Group Latin America.
More... [714 views]
Pelican Systems announces its new "Flexi-Package" innovation for Hoteliers: a system application to Yield Management/Revenue Management.
More... [648 views]
Four years after the conception of Niche Hotels by Alan Corlett (previously of luxury brand Le Meridien) a rationalization of the portfolio has created the sale of their first acquisition, The Queensgate, South Kensington, London.
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Hong Kong developer Cheung Kong (Holdings) may list a property trust in the territory for some of its HK$18 billion ($2.32 billion) in hotels, according to sources familiar with the deal. Cheung Kong, controlled by Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-shing, has stakes in 11 hotels in the territory including Harbour Plaza Resort City. Seven of the hotels are operating while four are under construction.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 9, 2006
Hotel Sales Training that focuses on the sales process alone misses the point. There is no shortage of hotel sales people that know the process. The pace of business is so fast that a salesperson that continues to go through the ‘steps’ often fails to hear buying signals. By Carol Verret
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Incentive programs for redevelopment projects are available thru the federal government. This article provides an introduction to the Federal Historic Preservation tax credit programs administered by the U.S. Government and the applicability of these programs to select hotel redevelopment projects.
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A case study of Carnival Cruise Lines, published in the August 2006 issue of Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, traces the development of the Carnival brand and how management took advantage of its theme of “Fun Ships” to earn mass-market appeal and industry-leading profits. Faced with competitors, however, Carnival has developed a new concept of “fun” through quality enhancements and a more sophisticated product bundle and marketing message.
More... [856 views]
Rezidor SAS Hospitality, one of the fastest growing hospitality companies in the world, has announced some strategic management appointments to better support the strategies and operations for the growth of its dynamic portfolio of brands and hotels.
More... [1053 views]
Rolling out the welcome mat and inviting guests to a new lifestyle hotel experience, the staff of the first Hyatt Place and company executives celebrated the property's grand opening today in Lombard, Illinois.
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In a major development, Australia is set to sign a deal with China to attract millions of Chinese holidaymakers Down Under. The details are expected to be released soon.
More... [768 views]
Accor North America, one of the nation's largest owner/operators of economy lodging, announced the opening of ten new franchise locations, which include five Red Roof Inn properties and five Motel 6 properties.
More... [545 views]
A new $170 million kitty was set up yesterday to lure more high-spending business travellers here, as part of Singapore's grand vision to double visitor arrivals to 17 million and triple tourism receipts to $30 billion by 2015.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 8, 2006
Last month I was asked to be part of a selection committee to search for the right candidates for General Manager of a resort in Thailand The human resources department had put an advertisement in one of Thailand’s leading newspapers and received, within 2 weeks, 127 applications of persons that believed to have the right qualifications. While “wading” through the mountain of papers we observed interesting trends...... By Bert van Walbeek
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This publication comes from the HVS library archive of timeless articles. We think you will enjoy reading about this important topic. Published first in April 2003.
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wow.travel (the online magazine of kiwicollection.com) edited by Mary Gostelow, introduces Seven Sensational Romantic Suites.....
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Much of the research I've worked on at Consumer Reports WebWatch has focused on the various taxes, fees, and surcharges for travel products. But sometimes even when these extra charges are broken down, you may still be confused. Last fall I traveled to Washington for a conference. I arrived at the hotel mid-day and with several hours of work ahead, decided to save time by ordering a room service lunch. The attached bill shows just how expensive an $18.00 hamburger can be: $3.00 for a room service "delivery fee," $3.78 for a room service "service charge," and $1.80 for a room service tax added to the whole tab. By Bill McGee
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When she leaves Detroit on one of her twice monthly business trips to Miami, Robin Walker-Lee, an attorney for General Motors, doesn't worry about finding a hotel room in a safe environment for a woman traveling alone. She checks in at Don Shula's Hotel & Golf Club in Miami Lakes, where the Graham Cos. has introduced the Patrician Floor, a group of 18 rooms set aside exclusively for women business travelers. By Bella Kelly
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The Steigenberger Hotel Group is satisfied with its development in the first half of 2006. The group’s 79 hotels were able to increase turnover, occupancy rates and the average room rate and have managed to hold their own positively in the market.
More... [546 views]
Peter Zenneck joins Jumeirah Group as Vice President Development for Europe and North Africa, based in London . Jumeirah Group, the dynamic and fast growing Dubai based luxury hospitality group and member of Dubai Holding, has recently announced
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The Golden Tulip Hotel Des Arts is a single five-star hotel complex situated on the Atlantic Coast 20 km from Casablanca in Dar Bouazza. The hotel provides business and leisure guests a unique experience rich in art and pluriculturalism taken from all five continents.
More... [549 views]
PATA President and CEO Mr Peter de Jong addressed today's (August 2) official launch of the Macau Government Tourism Office's (MGTO) publication, Green Hotel.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 7, 2006
Corinthia Hotels International, the hotel management arm of the Corinthia Group, announces the appointment of Mr Tony Potter as Chief Executive Officer.
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Plastic utensils at a fine dining establishment? How gauche! Bright reds, Op Art, and the Rolling Stones in the background at your Spa? How disquieting! Ratty signs, unmowed grass, poorly clipped shrubs at the entrance to your resort? Nasty! Regular paper, four-ply toilet tissue, 60 watt bulbs at your eco property? No Green here! Naugahide booths at your bistro? Mighty retro! A Guest Book at your roadside diner? Really! Not on your life, you say. May we introduce you to a Brand misfired, to sensibilities affronted, to missed opportunities. And, what to do about it! By John and Rich Hendrie
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Luigi de Rosa, General Manager of the InterContinental de la Ville Roma, has been unanimously voted "Man of the Year" of the Italian Hotel Industry by the American Association of Travel Editors. De Rosa received the award at the organization's 22nd Annual meeting held in Canada.
More... [1041 views]
Joie de Vivre Hospitality has announced five new hotels in California, complementing its diverse collection in the Bay Area and building on its already dominant position in California with 33 hotels.
More... [584 views]
Argentina's tourism boom boosted by a weak local currency and relatively cheap assets and real estate by international standards has prompted construction of scores of new hotels, including some particularly luxurious properties.
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The increasing number of tourists who travel to Viet Nam for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) is causing a new development trend for the nation's tourism sector to emerge, said economic experts.
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H&RA regrets to announce that it will cancel its 43rd Annual Congress and Human Resources Development Forum scheduled to take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 26-29 October.
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A Southeast Asian pact to allow visa-free travel for citizens within the grouping has been hailed as a boon for the tourism industry as well as for dreams of regional unity. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) ministers took a respite from tense discussions on rogue member state Myanmar to sign the Asean Framework Agreement on Visa Exemption at their annual talks here last week.
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Mr. Michael Meade , Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing for Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Company (Jin Jiang Hotels), has announced that the first phase of its new online distribution strategy, a new corporate website has been launched.
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Hotel industry news in brief.....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 4, 2006
As the hotel industry continues to enjoy strong uptrends in occupancy and rate in its third year of recovery, there are increasing signs that the pace of increases in certain areas on the expense side of the ledger is gaining momentum. According to a recent study, from 2001 to 2005, hotel maintenance expenses grew 18.3 percent.
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A new PKF Hospitality Research analysis forecasted that hotel occupancy rates for 52 major domestic markets would dip 0.6 percent year over year in 2007, spurred by a 2 percent increase in new room supply that is absorbing a predicted 1.4 percent room occupancy growth. While the small decrease in occupancy rate should gladden corporate travel managers looking to negotiate favorable rates, some analysts expect it will have the reverse effect and lead hoteliers to raise rates even more.
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Yeoh Siew Hoon sat in a cold, brightly lit conference room in Singapore this week and was made to feel a little uncomfortable with the experience.
In the movie “Thank You For Smoking”, there’s a scene where three spin-doctors discuss how difficult their respective jobs are.
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Leading Auckland-based property company Melview Developments has announced the launch of a brand new group of hotels in New Zealand called the Quadrant Hotel Group. The first hotel in the chain, The Quadrant - Auckland, officially opened its doors on August 2.
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NZ$300 million has been spent by Australian investors in New Zealand hotels in the last 18 months and this is predicted to continue according to Horwath Asia Pacific Ltd’s August 2006 Hotel E-Newsletter. 7 hotels in Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington and Christchurch had been sold in this period mainly to hotel investment funds based in Australia.
More... [751 views]
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) has released its 2006 Lodging Survey, considered the most comprehensive of its kind. Funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF), the not-for-profit affiliate of AH&LA, the survey tracks the size, scope, and emerging trends of the lodging industry.
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Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq: TRMP) announced today that construction officially commenced in July 2006 on the new, $250 million hotel tower at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort (the "Taj Mahal").
More... [854 views]
Hard Rock International today announced that Hard Rock and the Spanish hotel company Sol Melia have agreed to a mutual termination of their 2003 strategic alliance for the joint development of hotels under the Hard Rock brand. This joint decision reflects the new brand strategies for both companies.
More... [776 views]
Radisson Hotels and Resorts International Latin America (RHILA) has appointed Edgar Garin to the position of vice president of Development. Garin had served as director of Development for Lexington Services and Vantis International since 1997.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 3, 2006
Corporate success depends upon having a tight group of people united by the common goal of accomplishing great things. The best way to accelerate the period of time necessary for new co-workers to feel a part of your team is to implement an effective orientation program. You hired these individuals because you thought they would be great assets to your department and a competitive advantage to your company. So take the time to develop an orientation program that will allow both of you to begin your new journey together on the right foot. Here's how..... By Denise Moretti
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Hilton Hotels Corporation reported financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2006. Second quarter highlights are as follows: Recurring diluted EPS of $.32 vs. $.27 in 2005, an increase of 19%. Total company Adjusted EBITDA of $489 million, up 46%. Pro forma worldwide comparable owned RevPAR increased 9.3% driven by strong rate increases and high demand in most major markets. Pro forma North America comparable owned RevPAR increased 9.6%.Fees up 50% to $175 million on strong RevPAR and unit growth and as a result of the Hilton International acquisition. Timeshare profitability up 23%.
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Raffles Hotel has once again been named a top hotel in Travel + Leisure’s August 2006 Annual World’s Best Awards readers’ poll.
Readers of Travel + Leisure around the world voted Raffles Hotel as one of the Top 100 World’s Best Hotels and also one of the top 50 in Asia in the magazine’s annual award ranking based on the hotel’s rooms and facilities, location, service, restaurants and food as well as value.
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Continuing the momentum from the launch of its Inaugural Asia Connect Conference in October of 2005 and the debut of the region’s first Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Revenue Management Strategy Conference held in Hong Kong on 27 June 2006, HSMAI’s Asia Pacific Chapter is set to deliver its second Asia Connect Conference with an impressive program and line up of speakers.
More... [576 views]
InterContinental Hotels Group, the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, announces the appointment of Tony Yeoh to the position of vice president, Information Technology, Asia Pacific. Based in Singapore, Tony reports directly to chief information officer Tom Conophy.
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Combining more than 75 years of expertise, lodging industry veterans Jay Fishman, Bryan Curry, and Gary Wood have teamed up to form Associated Hotels, LLC. The new management company will concentrate largely on third-party management contracts, as well as select hotel acquisitions, and is a successor to Seymour N. Logan Associates, Inc., a Chicago family-owned real estate and hotel company dating back to 1942.
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Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. announced that the company has signed an agreement to acquire the Marriott London Grosvenor Square from an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Partners for a purchase price of 103.0 million pounds Sterling ($192.0 million). The acquisition, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2006, remains subject to customary closing conditions.
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With summer travel heating up and many destinations enjoying peak season, Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) experienced a 27% growth in reservations revenue YTD over the same period last year.
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Hotel industry news in brief.....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 2, 2006
Ice hotel in Quebec freezes out competition. The top 10 quirkiest hotels was selected according to traveler popularity, and TripAdvisor editors.
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Ernst & Young's second issue of the Global Hospitality Insights newsletter looks at branding in the hospitality industry, with particular emphasis on the U.S., Asia, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, India, Latin America, Russia and the Caribbean.
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This publication comes from the HVS library archive of timeless articles. We think you will enjoy reading about this important topic. Published first in November 2004.
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Cendant Hotel Group announced the appointment of Greg Land as senior vice president of global sales. Land’s primary responsibilities will be setting the Hotel Group’s global sales strategy, leading the Global Sales (formerly Worldwide Sales) team and building customer relationships.
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EIH Limited, flagship company of The Oberoi Group, announced extensive expansion plans for both the luxury Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and Trident Hilton brands at the 56th Annual General Meeting of EIH Limited, Friday, July 28. Chairman of The Oberoi Group, Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi declared the First Quarter results and announced 12 new projects in India and abroad.
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With four months still to go until EIBTM 2006, global exhibitor representation goes from strength to strength with further substantial stand increases and more destinations confirming their participation for the first time.
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Hilton Garden Inn , the fastest growing brand that is part of the Hilton Family of Hotels, announced three international franchised hotel openings in Western Europe -- making the European hotels the first Hilton Garden Inn locations to open outside the United States, Canada and Mexico.
More... [707 views]
Melbourne is Australia’s favourite destination for style and romance, shopping, international sporting and cultural events, theatre, world class restaurants and for interesting cafes, bars and nightclubs. That’s the finding of a recent survey by Roy Morgan Research.
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More than 3,070 business events have been booked, or are expected to be booked, by Hosted Buyers and trade visitors who attended AIME 2006, according to research released Wednesday by Reed Travel Exhibitions.
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Hotel industry news in brief....
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Global Hospitality Newsletter: August 1, 2006
When Sir Robert McAlpine, then owner of the Dorchester in London, commissioned the stage designer Oliver Messel to come up with what he intended to be the most luxurious hotel suite in the world, he set a rack rate of £25. The year was 1953, and in today's money it would equate to about £440 - rather less than the £3,113.75 it charges the Hollywood stars who stay there today.
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Wynn Resorts announced that Jack Binion, one of America's most highly respected gaming executives and developers, has been appointed Chairman of Wynn International, acting as the senior executive for the Company's Asian operations and development.
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Smith Travel Research says the average daily rate at U.S. lodgings was $96.56, up 6.8% from the first six months of 2005. Average occupancy was up 2.1%, to 63.5%. The luxury segment had the largest rate increases: from $249.28 to $271.68.
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On 27 June 2006, Raffles Beijing Hotel, an iconic landmark in the heart of China’s capital, was re-opened after nine months of careful refurbishment. The romance and splendour of the hotel’s regal past returns, Raffles style.
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Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI), the recognized worldwide leader in the vacation ownership industry and a division of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR), today announced its continued growth into Asia with the opening of its Asia Pacific Regional headquarters in Singapore. As the first major branded hospitality company in the Asian timeshare market, MVCI brings more than 22 years of experience to consumers in this region.
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InterContinental Hotels Group marked a new milestone in China with the opening of four hotels and 1,100 rooms during the one-month period from June to July 2006.
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Kempinski Hotels is ratcheting up its expansion in China, considered the world’s most important emerging market for international luxury hotel groups, says René Schmitt, Kempinski’s Senior Vice President for China.
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The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. recently hosted its third international Communications Conference and Media Showcase in New York City. Staged every two years, the conference is designed to help on-property communications executives to improve their pitching and writing skills, while giving them insights into how best to work with key media in specific regions of the world.
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Hilton Hotels Corporation today announced the beginning of a global expansion effort for the upscale, full-service Doubletree(R) hotel brand. Hilton has signed a multi-year agreement with Bangkok-based Destination Properties Ltd., one of Thailand's leading resort real estate developers, to manage a newly built, upscale, 358-room golf resort and spa in Sriracha, Thailand.
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Hotel industry news in brief...
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