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Hotel News In Brief

Sep 25, 06 | 7:46 am

The Marco Polo Shenzhen has opened for business. This five star full service business hotel managed by Marco Polo Hotels is the group's fourth Marco Polo hotel in Mainland China. The Marco Polo Shenzhen is located in the heart of the new Futian Central Business District of the city, and is close to the Shenzhen government offices, the new Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center, and the subway station. The hotel is also just 20 minutes from Lo Wu train station and 25 minutes from Shekou ferry terminal and Shenzhen Baoan International Airport, and 5 minutes to Huanggang border.The hotel's 391 rooms and suites are equipped with broadband Internet access, luxurious bathrooms, in-room safe, state-of-the-art communications and entertainment facilities. Marco Polo’s signature Continental Club is located on the 35 - 41st floorsThe Marco Polo Ballroom and 30 function rooms, including one auditorium, can accommodate up to 3000 people and provide an ideal Shenzhen venue for meetings, seminars, and social events.

The Resort at Singer Island, a Luxury Collection(TM) Property Opens December 2006 on Florida's Gold Coast; Only All-Suite Luxury Resort in North Palm Beach Now Accepting Reservations Modern luxury and sophisticated elegance meet on the white sands of Palm Beach County with the December 2006 opening of the Resort at Singer Island. Set amidst one of the most expansive, untouched beachfronts on the Atlantic Coast, the debut of this Luxury Collection resort, part of Starwood Hotels & Resort Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), signals a sea change for Singer Island, redefining it as one of the newest and most dynamic oceanfront destinations on Florida's Gold Coast. Now accepting reservations for February 2007 onwards, the $210 million all-suite property is the largest luxury hotel real estate development in the county since 1991. Located between Jupiter and Palm Beaches, Singer Island's premiere oceanfront resort features 239 one and two-bedroom suites, 66 residences and all the amenities and services expected from a world-class property. Guests will enjoy a formal pool complete with private cabanas and butler service and a lagoon style grotto pool with waterfall and slide and breathtaking views of the ocean and the intercoastal waterway. The 21-story resort also features an Asian-infused/Caribbean Grill, a rum lounge, an 8,500 square foot ocean-inspired spa, a stunning outdoor terrace with a wedding gazebo and 4,000 square feet of meeting space. The accommodations at Singer Island will differentiate the resort and elevate it in the region. Each room will feature 800 to 2,100 square feet of living space in one and two-bedroom configurations -- typical luxury hotel rooms average 400 square feet. Each suite features a fully equipped high-tech kitchen, spacious marble bathroom, stylish yet comfortable living spaces with flat screen t.v.'s , a Bose CD/DVD player as well as spacious balconies. The design team of Hirsch Bedner is making a statement on Singer Island by creating the look and feel of contemporary luxury in a comfortable beach resort setting. Both public spaces and guest rooms feature expansive windows, as the layout and decor of both public spaces and guest rooms is designed to underscore the most important feature of the site - the expansive water views. The sleek interiors center on unique expressions of light, using unexpected artistic fixtures and turning some of the interior architectural elements into light sources. The varied blues and greens of the interiors are punctuated by accents in hues of tropical spice. 

Highland Hospitality Corporation a lodging real estate investment trust, or REIT, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the 444-room Ritz-Carlton Atlanta Downtown hotel located in Atlanta , Georgia for a purchase price of $79.5 million, plus customary closing costs, or approximately $179,000 per key. The Company expects to close this transaction within the next three weeks and will enter into a long-term management contract with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company L.L.C. to continue to operate the hotel under the Ritz-Carlton flag. James L. Francis, Highland's President and CEO, stated, "We are excited about our planned acquisition of the Ritz-Carlton Atlanta Downtown hotel, which represents an opportunistic purchase of an urban Ritz-Carlton for a total investment of under $200,000 per key, which includes anticipated guest room upgrades. We believe that recently announced downtown office relocations and the addition of world-class attractions to downtown will continue to improve the future demand outlook for this area and provide growth opportunities for the hotel going forward."  The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta Downtown hotel, located at 181 Peachtree Street, is a full-service hotel with 444 guestrooms, including 22 suites and two Club Level floors. The property is the only AAA 5-Diamond rated hotel in downtown Atlanta and only one of three AAA 5-Diamond rated hotels in Atlanta. The hotel includes a 25-story guestroom tower, the AAA 4-Diamond Atlanta Grill restaurant and lounge, a gift shop, fitness area and attached parking garage. Ballroom and meeting room spaces total approximately 19,000 square feet, including a 6,500 square foot grand ballroom.

NYLO Hotels will break ground on its first hotel in Plano, Tex., the fourth quarter of this year, the company announced today at the 2006 Lodging Conference. A second groundbreaking, in Warwick, R.I. near Providence, is slated for the second quarter of 2007. "These cities have dynamic business communities with outstanding dining, recreation and nightlife," says John Russell, NYLO CEO. "They make ideal inaugural sites for our new lifestyle hotel brand."Minutes from downtown Dallas, the 176-room Plano property will be located in the heart of Legacy, a 2,665-acre master-planned community and home to world-leading companies. The 88,500 square-foot NYLO Hotel will be within walking distance of two major malls housing premier restaurants and stores. One of Texas' fastest growing communities, Plano also is home to myriad sports and entertainment complexes, all a short drive away for NYLO guests.The 164-room Warwick property will overlook the scenic Pawtuxet River two-and-one-half miles from the TF Green International Airport. The 82,800 square-foot hotel will be in Pontiac Mills. Once a 19th-century textile mill, the revitalized complex is an artsy enclave today. Cafes, artisan shops and galleries will be within walking distance. Also nearby: businesses, malls, golf courses, marinas and beaches on Narragansett Bay.

Lane Hospitality, in the midst of a dynamic growth and development campaign since the start of the year, has been selected to begin several new management contracts around the country and to build a new 197-room Crowne Plaza hotel in Milwaukee, WI.  All together, the recent assignments add up to nine new properties and 1,523 hotel rooms. The Crowne Plaza hotel will be located at the entrance to the Milwaukee County Research Park – home of the newly opened 500,000 square-foot GE Worldwide Medical Headquarters – and near several major retail, restaurant and entertainment venues. “Lane Hospitality has worked collaboratively with the target customers, community leaders, Crowne Plaza brand team, and our architect and designers,” said Bill DeForrest, President and CEO of Lane Hospitality.  “We are proud to have developed a facility that focuses on the upscale corporate and leisure traveler, and delivers the Crowne brand promise of being ‘the place to meet’.”  New Management Contracts Lane Hospitality recently began a management assignment for the 94-room Crowne Plaza hotel in Orlando, FL.  The owners selected Lane to continue to build on the success of the existing hotel, and to execute their expansion strategy, including: an additional 150 guest rooms; over 10,000 square-feet of flexible meeting space, a full-service restaurant and lounge, and an enhanced fitness center and spa.  The expansion will begin next year.

Hersha Hospitality Management to Operate Two Long Island Hotels  Hersha Hospitality Management (HHM), a hotel management company of nationally franchised, midscale and upscale hotels in the eastern United States, today announced that it will operate the 161-room Hampton Inn in Farmingville, NY and the 133-room Holiday Inn Express in Hauppauge, NY.  "We are delighted to serve as the manager of choice for these dynamic, strategically placed assets that have enabled us to penetrate the Long Island market," said Naveen Kakarla, HHM executive vice president of administration. "The location of the hotels on the Long Island Expressway and the demand for them due to their proximity to corporate headquarters and MacArthur Airport make them a strong addition to our metro New York cluster of hotels, bringing us to a total of six properties in that market." Located off exit 63 on the Long Island Expressway, the Hampton Inn in Farmingville is the perfect backdrop for weddings or outdoor events. The property features beautiful lakeside scenery, 2,188 square feet of meeting space, a business center and complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access in all guest rooms and throughout the hotel. Additional amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center, an indoor pool and a complimentary breakfast buffet.

Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd today said it has entered into a joint venture with Karnataka Government owned Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd to take over the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Hotel . The property has been leased out to Royal Orchid Group and the KRS hotel has now been rechristened as Royal Orchid Brindavan. ''We will convert KRS Hotel to an exclusive 25-room property with all five star facilities. This is our second investment in Mysore and we see great potential here,'' Royal Orchid Group CMD Chender Baljee said. We will continue to acquire and lease out properties in tier II cities and towns as part of our focus and growth strategy. With booming business and infrastructure development in Mysore, the need for business hotels continues to be on the rise, he added.Spread across 1.5 acres and located around 15 kms from the city, Royal Orchid Brindavan will also have a spa , conference room, health club and swimming pool among other facilities. The hotel, which remained closed for seven years, is currently being restored and renovated by the Royal Orchid Group and operations are scheduled to start shortly.

The international hotel chain Ritz-Carlton  invested $15 mln (11.81 mln euro) to modernise its hotel in the Mexican resort Cancun, named Ritz-Carlton Cancun , the chain said on September 18, 2006. The modernisation was needed as the resort was strongly affected by the hurricane Wilma in October 2005. The modernised hotel will be officially reopened on September 27, 2006. The modernisation includes the construction of a spa centre, a sport centre, a restaurant next to the beach and a culinary centre. No further details were available. In 1995, U.S. hotel operator Marriott International bought 49 pct in Ritz-Carlton. Three years later the stake was increased to 99 pct.