The highest price per room was paid for the Montage Resort
& Spa in Laguna Beach, California. This is an elegant hotel
with well-appointed rooms and a world-class spa. The property is
located directly on the Pacific Ocean. The Monarch Hotel in Washington DC is located within
easy access to the city’s landmarks, shopping and retail. The
hotel recently completed a $12 million renovation including of its central
garden courtyard and guestrooms. The property has one of the finest
gym facilities in Washington. The Box Tree Inn and the Hotel Wales
are the two smallest hotels in this category. Both luxury facilities
are located in the upper east side of New York City. The Box Tree is
a delightful mini-hotel that contains 13 rooms and sold for $4 million.
The Hotel Wales is similarly luxurious and is renowned for its lobby.
The Eden Roc on Miami Beach was recently renovated
returning the hotel to the splendor of the property’s historic days.
This landmark has 43,000 square feet of meeting space and a number of
restaurants. The Raleigh Hotel, also on Miami Beach, was designed
by L. Murray Dixon, one of the acclaimed architects of South Beach’s
historic Art Deco District. The hotel was extensively renovated in
the early 1990s, including the Deco pool which has been heralded as the
most beautiful pool in Florida. Since its renovation, scenes from a
number of major movies have been filmed at the property, including Birdcage,
Fair Game, Up-Close and Personal, Bad Boys and Black-Out. The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa in
Lahaina, Hawaii was also recently renovated. The property is located
on 40 acres and has direct access to the ocean. The resort has
tropical streams and waterfalls and a half-acre pool. The Orchid
at Mauna Lani in Kahola Coast, Hawaii recently underwent major
renovations and includes a 36-hole golf course, a 10,000 square foot pool,
and a world-class spa. La Costa Resort and Spa is
located in Carlsbad, California, a well-known destination resort location
near San Diego. The hotel has two PGA championship golf courses, 22
tennis courts and a total land area of 400 acres. British Airways
Hotel, located in midtown Manhattan, is used exclusively for
British Airways, predominately the flight crews. The hotel has
large, modern rooms but there is no restaurant on site. Greater detail on the major transactions that occurred in
2002 can be obtained by subscribing to the HVS Major Hotel Transactions
Survey. The Survey has information on the overview of
hotel transactions since 1990, major buyers and sellers for the year,
gaming transactions, portfolios and a complete listing of all the major
transactions for 2002 including hotel name, city, state, date of sale,
purchase price, price per room, buyer and seller for each transaction. HVS Research currently publishes information on major hotel
transactions on a quarterly and annual basis. The price for the
quarterly and annual surveys is $250 if ordered before August 1, 2003,
increasing to $400 thereafter. HVS Research Department is planning a
number of additional publications. Current subscribers will receive
these publications at a reduced cost. For a fee, the HVS Research
Department is available for individual hotel searches. Additional
information regarding HVS Research Services and Publications can be
obtained by contacting Toni Viens, Director of HVS Research in Orlando at
407.566.1846 or tviens@hvsinternational.com.
To order the Survey directly, contact Joan Raffetto in New York at
516.248.8828 extension 231 or jraffetto@hvsinternational.com.
Antonia
G. Viens
TavelDailyNews.com - The attendance for the Hospitality Industry Technology
Exposition and Conference (HITEC) is up more than 8 percent over
last year`s numbers as of April 15, 2003. The technology show, produced by
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), features
companies displaying the latest technology products and services geared to
the hospitality industry. The event also features an exceptional
educational conference with experts from all segments of the industry,
including hotels, restaurants, resorts and clubs.
Leading futurist, DR. Marvin Cetron, forecasts trends shaping the hospitality industry in HSMAI Marketing Review In an insightful and often harrowing, yet optimistic
article by futurist, Dr. Marvin Cetron, 10 global trends and their
implications on the hospitality industry are reported in the cover
story of the spring 2003 issue of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing
Association International (HSMAI) Marketing Review magazine. The world`s population will double in the next 40 years. Growing international exposure includes a greater risk of
terrorist attack. The population of the developed world is living longer. Growing integration of the global economy. Women`s equality movement beginning to lose its
significance due largely to past successes. Tourism, vacation and travel will continue to grow in the
next decade as in the 1990`s. Advances in transportation technology will speed travel
and shipping both on land and in the air. The Internet is growing logarithmically and globally. Services are the fastest growing segment of the global
economy. Time is becoming the world`s most precious commodity. "Dr. Cetron paints a clear and precise picture
of global trends and how they will impact the future of the hospitality
industry," states Ilsa Whittemore,
executive editor of HSMAI Marketing Review. "For sales and
marketing professionals in the hospitality industry, HSMAI Marketing
Review is a tremendous and invaluable resource for planning and developing
marketing strategies, as well as understanding what is, and will be, in
the minds of the traveling consumer." Dr. Cetron addresses the fact that 2002 was the worst
year in 20 years for hotels in almost every market. "Following
9/11, the industry shed an estimated 6.6 million jobs worldwide; one
hospitality worker in 12 wound up on the unemployment line in 2002;
another 6 million jobs were lost from related businesses; two-thirds of
the 760,000 jobs lost in American cities were in travel, tourism, and
associated fields; the hoped-for recovery never materialized, and 2003
looks to be another stagnant year, with little growth in travel. Add to
that the continued state of world affairs and it makes for very mixed
prospects for the hospitality industry for the decade to come." Among the many "Implications for the Hospitality
Industry" cited in the article are: American tourism and vacation travel will grow more
rapidly than the global average, both within the U.S. and to foreign
destinations. In anticipation of this expanding market, hotel chains are
fast building new capacity, both in the U.S. and abroad. Europe will
remain an important profit center, in part because of growing exchanges
among members of the expanding European Union, but also because it will
continue to be a favorite destination for well-to-do Americans. Because they are gathering places for Americans,
American-owned hotels and resorts are likely to be prime targets for
future terrorism. Some of the most important security measures will be
invisible to customers, but highly intrusive for staff. These may include
comprehensive background checks for new hires, much as airports need to
screen such behind-the-scenes personnel as baggage handlers and fuel-truck
drivers. Disgruntled employees and former employees are the single
greatest threat, because they are familiar with security procedures and
weaknesses. Many future customers will value senior-oriented
conveniences such as faucet handles that can be operated conveniently by
arthritic hands, larger signs with easier-to-read type, fire and security
systems that flash lights for the hard-of-hearing plus sound an alarm for
others. Off-season tourism by seniors will help to smooth out the annual
cycle in cash flow for hotels, motels, resorts, and other travel
businesses. Faster and more efficient modes of travel will reduce the
cost of vacations and business trips, further increasing demand for hotel
accommodations. Whenever economical rail transport begins to replace
short-haul airlines in the U.S., it will stimulate the market for
accommodations in regional hubs. Anything hotels can do to save time for their customers
will encourage repeat visits. Any delay or perceived inadequacy of service
that costs customers time will send them to another hotel chain. This is
particularly true of under-40 customers, who make few allowances for other
people`s problems. As Net-based work-at-home programs eliminate the need to
work in a central location, frequent small meetings between team members
will become an important part of corporate life. Many of those one- and
two-day get-togethers will be held at the company`s regional offices.
However, others may take place at local hotels, where key workers can
focus on critical tasks in more comfortable, relaxing surroundings. This
could be a significant new market for hotels in small and medium-sized
cities around the United States. Many future investments will go to improve broadband and
wireless access for hotel guests, to provide PDA links to home networks,
and to add large, flat-screen HDTV to rooms. GPS systems will tell drivers
exactly how to reach the hotel or resort, with added reports on travel
conditions. These services cannot be seen as profit centers; instead,
prices will be kept low, to attract business to other facilities. Other articles and columns published in the spring 2003
edition of HSMAI Marketing Review are: Hotel Safety: Consumer Demand Presents a Marketing
Opportunity
The second wave of the War Impact Survey produced by the
Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) shows that war came and went
without devastating the travel and tourism industry. Moat
House bids to buy managed hotels Caterer.com
- Moat House Hotels, the UK arm of Queens Moat Houses (QMH), is
hoping to buy five hotels that it manages from the Bank of Scotland early
next year. The group has been managing the hotels for the last 10 years,
but the agreement expires in January and the bank has told the group it
intends to put them on the open market rather than agree a private sale. Source:
Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 24 - 30 April 2003 AH&LA's
President Joe McInerney Updates - April 22, 2003 Dear Friends & Colleagues: After a long, cold season full of snowstorms and falling occupancy rates, spring has finally arrived - hopefully bringing the return of business travelers and a barrage of leisure guests to our hotels. In the midst of anticipating an upturn in our industry this season, AH&LA is gearing up for several upcoming travel and tourism meetings and events. Next week, we are hosting our Multiunit Lodging Operators & Owners Forum, April 27-29, at the Denver Marriott City Center. Primarily focusing on Internet distribution systems, the event features executives from Hotels.com, Priceline.com, Travelocity.com, Expedia.com, and TravelWeb.com. Once again, we are teaming up with the Travel Industry Association of America to celebrate the 20th Annual National Tourism Week, May 10-18. This event promotes awareness to increase domestic travel within the United States. In the same month, the World Travel & Tourism Council is hosting its third annual World Travel & Tourism Summit, May 17-19, in Vilamoura, Algarve. The event will address world tourism activities. For more information on this event, visit the organization's Web site at www.globaltraveltourism.com. In June, AH&LA is co-hosting the 24th annual Las Vegas International Hotel & Restaurant Show (LVIHRS), June 18-19, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. During LVIHRS, we are holding several powerful and informative seminars featuring lodging executives who will discuss business strategies, environmental issues, technology, and much more. In a major government affairs initiative, AH&LA recently teamed up with the National Chamber Foundation/U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Travel Business Roundtable to host "Re-Igniting Growth in Travel and Tourism." This major initiative gathered senior government officials and business leaders to discuss and develop an action plan to stimulate growth and recovery in the travel and tourism industry. It was the first time that the travel and tourism industry has spoken with one voice on the issues facing the industry and our respective sectors. This meeting has provided the industry with a platform to address issues with members of congress and staff members, regulators, and the administration that directly effect the travel and tourism industry. This historic event also marked the first time that three Cabinet Secretaries - Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, Secretary of Commerce Don Evans, and Secretary of the Interior Gail Norton - have addressed the industry during the same program. Additionally, AH&LA Vice President for Governmental Affairs Kevin Maher recently testified before the U.S. House Small Business Committee's Subcommittee on Rural Enterprises, Agriculture, and Technology on the difficulties lodging properties face as a result of abuses of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and AH&LA's support for the ADA Notification Act (H.R. 728), introduced by Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.). For more information about this testimony, read the "Governmental Affair" section of this newsletter. To that end, please know I am always here to listen to your suggestions and comments. Sincerely,
United Kingdom, 25th April 2003: In a recent
survey carried out by the Meetings Industry Association (MIA) into the
effects of congestion charging on the meetings industry in central London,
the vast majority of those surveyed felt the recently introduced charge
was having no effect on their business. The on-line survey of MIA members based in London, which
includes Hotels, Conference Centres and Exhibition Venues, revealed that
78% believed the charge was making no difference to their business, with
just 11% saying it would have a negative effect and the same number voting
that the prospects of reduced traffic would improve business. MIA Executive Director Ruth Dawson, who commissioned the
survey, commented; “The meetings market within central London has
remained remarkably resilient during the past few months, despite the
conflict in Iraq and some economic uncertainties, and this survey further
confirms that it is very much business as usual”. Chris Gothard, Head of Sales
and Marketing at major London exhibition and event venue Alexandra Palace,
which is just outside of the charging zone, said; “From our point of
view it is slightly beneficial to be outside of the zone as we have 2200
free parking spaces and therefore the majority of visitors can drive
without penalty.” Further
details on the Meetings Industry Association can be found by visiting www.meetings.org About
the Meetings Industry Association The
MIA is the recognised professional trade body for the UK Meetings Industry
and is committed to raising and maintaining professional standards. It has
a membership of over 650 meetings venues and service suppliers within the
United Kingdom. Some
hotel perks, amenities do a disappearing act USA Today - Next time you check in, check out the towels in the hotel
bathroom. The racks may not be as stacked. Or the freebie toiletries may be skimpier. (Body lotion is
often the first to go.) And bellhops might not hop to it, because there are fewer
now to answer guests' calls. ''Across the board, things are being cut'' as lodgings
confront rising costs and lower occupancy levels, says hospitality
consultant John Fareed of Resort Marketing Partners. ''Hotels have seen their profits decline the past two
years. To maintain the bottom line, they have to look at expenses,'' says
Robert Mandelbaum of PKF Consulting, which tracks the industry. There's also pressure from value-conscious consumers who
increasingly demand -- and get -- discounted rooms. ''Hotels are cutting
amenities to make the low prices work,'' Fareed says. ''This is a huge
issue right now.'' Frequent traveler Eric Thompson of Bainbridge Island,
Wash., has noticed a reduction in the number of towels supplied at several
mid-range properties in the past six months. ''Maybe there's a Turkish
towel embargo,'' he quips. And some lodgings that used ''decent down pillows seem to
be switching to those god-awful feather ones,'' he says. ''I can't tell
you how many quills I've been stuck by.'' Road warriors also notice that sometimes they're now
charged if they request a second packet of java for the in-room coffee
maker. Meanwhile, concierge desks may be unmanned, and restaurant
and bar hours may be shortened. ''I have seen cutbacks in room service
days and hours,'' says Elizabeth Ennis, a health care consultant from
Erie, Pa. Labor is hoteliers' biggest operating cost -- ''roughly 35%
of revenue or 45% of all expenses,'' PKF's Mandelbaum says. ''So that's
the first area hotels look at'' in tough times. ''There's a lot of examination of job descriptions to see
where jobs can be consolidated or eliminated,'' says Kenneth Hine, a
former president of the American Hotel and Lodging Association who runs
Global Consultants Inc. For example, front desk clerks may also function
as concierges, he says. At the Eldridge Hotel in Lawrence, Kan., front office
manager Ginger Ray began working the desk occasionally without the usual
bellman on duty. ''You can only imagine the looks we received from our
guests when the person who checks them in or out is the one who retrieves
their vehicle,'' she says. Also being streamlined are the bath potions for guests.
''There was a time when you walked into a hotel room and it was the battle
of the amenities -- lotions, gels and whatever,'' Hine says. ''Those are
disappearing,'' especially at value-priced properties. ''We're getting
down to basics.'' Luxury hotels aren't stripping away as many frills --''If
you're a Ritz-Carlton or a Four Seasons, you have to justify your
positioning in the marketplace'' and meet guest expectations, Mandelbaum
says. ''There, it's more the excessive types of amenities being cut, such
as the computer concierge.'' Or high-end hotels may tack on fees for using the health
club, downsize gifts for frequent guests, maybe turn off the tap on
complimentary mineral water. ''They try to preserve the impression of
special treatment but reduce the cost of that treatment,'' Hine says. Hotel executives, who don't relish talking about cutbacks,
try to keep trims invisible, such as downsizing ''back of the house''
reservationists. In fact, some on USA TODAY's Road Warriors panel of
frequent business travelers haven't detected big changes at the inn. Marc Ellin, vice president and managing director of the
Grand Hyatt Washington (D.C.), is wary of taking anything out of rooms
(and, in fact, is finishing a $10 million renovation that includes pricey
ergonomic desk chairs). Instead, he has cut new deals with suppliers and
adjusted staffing and services according to occupancy and the kind of
guests in the hotel. ''If I have a youth group, I might not keep the
martini bar open.'' His hotel and others are emphasizing guest relations.
(Being nice has the additional benefit of not costing anything.) Some travelers say they feel better taken care of. ''If
anything, the service is getting even better,'' says Ted Mitchell, a
Dallas engineer. While staying at San Francisco's Palace Hotel, Brian
Manning of Tucson needed a tie for an unexpected engagement. ''The doorman
removed his and just asked that I return it,'' Manning says. ''I'd say
that the hotels are working to keep services high because they see this as
a very competitive time.'' Back at the Eldridge Hotel, bell and front desk staffs have
been beefed up again. ''We have learned it is just downright impossible to
run a full-service property with a skeleton front desk crew,'' Ray says. In hard times, ''it would be foolish not to focus on the
guest experience,'' Hyatt's Ellin says. ''It's far more expensive to
acquire a new customer than to maintain the one you have.'' Thailand to host PATA Travel Mart 2004 AsiaTravelTips.com - Bangkok,
Thailand has won the bid to host the 2004 PATA Travel Mart, and Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia has been confirmed as the host of the 2005 event. PATA President and CEO, Mr. Peter de Jong, said:
"Both destinations put in excellent package bids which covered all
the fundamentals necessary to host a prosperous and exciting Mart. PATA's
aim now is to continue the great momentum of our Conference in Bali and
make this year's Mart in Singapore a resounding success." The PATA Travel Mart 2003 takes place in Singapore
between 1 - 3 October. SRS-Worldhotels appoints
new Vice President of Sales & Marketing for EMEA SRS-WORLDHOTELS, one of the leading global hotel sales,
marketing and reservation consortia for independent hotels, has today
announced the appointment of Christian Fiederer to the role of Vice
President Sales and Marketing EMEA. Reporting directly to the Company’s Chief Executive
Officer Michael Ball, Mr Fiederer will be assume responsibility for
SRS-WORLDHOTELS European sales office network, with main offices based in
London, Madrid, Paris, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Milan, Johannesburg and the
headquarters based in Frankfurt. In
addition to managing the sales efforts on behalf of the more than 450
member strong hotel portfolio, he will also be responsible for the
national and regional marketing and promotional activities throughout the
region. Mr Fiederer has an established track record within the
hotel industry, having worked for major global hotel brands and
independent hotels. Prior to
joining SRS-WORLDHOTELS he was Regional Director of Sales and Marketing
for Le Meridien, where for two years where he focused on the Central &
Northern European markets, including Germany, the Netherlands, Eastern
Europe and the Nordics Countries. In
addition to running four sales offices across the region; Mr Fiederer
oversaw the running of the central reservations service and was in charge
of brand marketing. Other sales and marketing experience in the hotel industry
includes the Forte Hotel Group, Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts in
Germany and Regional Director Sales & Marketing Middle East based in
Dubai (UAE). “I am delighted to welcome someone of Christian’s
calibre to the SRS-WORLDHOTELS team,” comments Michael Ball.
“Christian’s European and Middle Eastern experience will add to
the already considerable knowledge and strength we have in our sales
network in the region. These
are obviously difficult times for virtually everyone in the hotel industry
and as such we need to expand our activities and our efforts.
Hence the timing and importance of Christian’s appointment.” “I am joining SRS-WORLDHOTELS in very exciting times,”
adds Christian Fiederer. “I
have no doubt that there has been a real renaissance in the independent
hotel industry in the past few years.
Not only have independent hotels continued to prosper and drive
innovation in the sector, but also leisure and business travellers are
seeking a much more individual experience when staying away from home. The personal touches that the hotels within all levels of
our portfolio offer, combined with the security that the SRS-WORLDHOTELS
brand brings, is a winning combination.
I am looking forward to exploiting this throughout the EMEA region
to help our brand and our hotels grow from strength to strength.” SRS-WORLDHOTELS is one of the world's leading and most dynamic hotel sales, marketing and reservation consortia, committed to providing the smartest sales, marketing and reservations solutions to independently operated hotels and hotel groups. There more than 450 member hotels, in 65 countries and 250 locations on all the continents. Unlike most other hotel consortia, SRS-WORLDHOTELS has three different categories of membership in order to meet the needs of all kinds of leisure and business traveller; the Deluxe Collection, the First Class Collection and Comfort Collection.
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