Newsletter -August 7, 2002  

Bidders line up for Travelodge
 
London Times  -  Financial  bidders are lining up to take part in Compass Group's Pounds 600 million auction of Travelodge and Little Chef with a view to pursuing a securitisation of the two roadside businesses.

Whitbread, the owner of the rival Travel Inn budget hotel chain, is also known to be running a sliderule over the assets, although the leisure group's unwillingness to pay a premium for brands it does not need makes a move less likely.

Analysts believe that the auction, which is being handled by Schroder Salomon Smith Barney, will be dominated by financial bidders, with Societe Generale, the French banking group, known to be among those considering a bid. An information memorandum was sent to prospective buyers about ten days ago.

Although the hotel industry has been badly hit since September 11, roadside lodges have proved remarkably resilient. One analyst said: "Budget hotels are not subject to the industry's traditional cyclicality. These businesses have strong and reliable cashflows that would make them ideal for securitisation."

In addition to SocGen, the likes of Candover and Charterhouse Development Capital, the new owner of the bookmaker Coral, are tipped as potential bidders alongside principal finance specialists such as WestLB's Robin Saunders and Guy Hands, who recently decamped from Nomura to set up his own firm, Terra Firma Capital Partners.

Mr Hands, who also masterminded Nomura's acquisition of the Meridien hotel chain from Compass, is reported to have secured almost a third of the Euro 3 billion (Pounds 1.9 billion) he is hoping to raise for Terra Firma despite turbulent financial markets. However, the Travelodge auction may have come a little too soon for him to bid.

Although buying Travelodge would give Whitbread a stranglehold on the roadside market, observers believe that it would be unwilling to pay anywhere near as high a price as financial players. There is also a risk that a merger of Travel Inn and Travelodge, with a combined total of 460 hotels and 28,000 rooms, could prompt an inquiry by the Office of Fair Trading.

A spokesman for Whitbread said: "We never comment on market speculation."

BIL denies agreeing to sell stake in Thistle hotels  


AFP  -  BIL International Ltd. on Monday denied reports it had agreed to sell its stake in British chain Thistle Hotels plc.

"The Board of BIL International Ltd. notes the widespread press speculation over the weekend regarding its stake in Thistle Hotels plc and advises that it is not true that the company has agreed to dispose (of) its 46 percent stake in Thistle," BIL said in a statement.

Shares of BIL, previously known as Brierley Investments, closed four cents or 8.16 percent higher at 53 Singapore cents (30 US cents) ahead of the denial.

Earlier, the Business newspaper in London reported BIL International, Thistle's biggest shareholder, was set to sell its holding to the highest bidder for as much as 720 million pounds.

News@PATA

PATA DROPS WTM STAND PRICE

The PATA Europe Division is making a special offer for participation in the PATA Stand at WTM 2002 (November 11-14, London). PATA is offering a special registration fee of US$2,900 for registration before September 6, 2002. This is US$200 less than registration for WTM 2001. The cost covers fully-furnished space in the PATA open-space stand which is in a strategic location in the Pacific Asia area. The fee includes: one counter, one table plus chairs, company banner, lighting, registration for two delegates, delegates' badges and catalogue listing. To receive a WTM 2002 PATA Stand registration form, e-mail europe@pata.mc. Fax: (377) 92 05 61 33.

NEW PATA STUDY ON ASIAN E-FARE DISPARITIES

PATA has released its latest E-Fare Barometer which shows the disparity in ex-Frankfurt air fares for 10 Asian destinations booked via the Internet on e-bookers.com. The report, written by acclaimed aviation expert, Mr. James Reinnoldt of Axess Asia, is useful for tourism operators to understand the differences which consumers are finding in the increasingly important online marketplace. Copies of the latest report are available from PATA at US$100 for PATA members and US$250 for PATA Chapters and non-members. To order a copy, e-mail publications@pata.th.com. Or fax: (66-2) 658-2010.

PATA TASK FORCE APPRAISES HANGZHOU

A PATA Task Force inspected Hangzhou, China (PRC) July 15-20, and will deliver its assessment of Hangzhou’s international tourism prospects by mid-September 2002. The Task Force is chaired by Mr. Tim Robinson, a Consultant for London-based law firm, Nicholson, Graham & Jones. Other members include: Mr. Glenn McCartney, Lecturer, Institute for Tourism Studies, Northern Ireland; Dr. Zadok S. Lempert, CEO, The Panorama Group, Zurich; and Mr. Stephen Yong, Director-Northeast Asia, PATA. Copies of previous task force reports are US$25 each for PATA members and US$35 for non-members. For a list of PATA task force reports, e-mail: publications@pata.th.com. A PATA destination can request a task force by writing to PATA headquarters at TaskForce@pata.th.com.

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES WITH PATA

PATA is inviting travel industry members to reach nearly 2,000 PATA members by advertising in the 2002/2003 PATA Member Directory. The directory’s booklet advertisements start at US$500, while banners on its interactive CD-ROM begin at US$150. Reservations and materials must be received by August 15, 2002. You can also advertise in this weekly News@PATA e-newsletter, starting at US$150 for 100 words, with discounts for multiple insertions. Banner advertisements on PATAnet (20,000 users per month) start at US$500 for three months. To request an advertising rate sheet, contact PATA Manager-Communications, Ms. Paveena Olansuksakul. E-mail: paveena@pata.th.com.

IN MEMORIAM: JUDITH McGILVRAY

PATA regrets to announce that Ms. Judith McGilvray of Southern Cross University (SCU) passed away on July 31, 2002 following a horse riding accident at her home in NSW, Australia. Ms. McGilvray was from Iowa, USA, but moved to Australia in the mid-1980s. She joined the staff in the School of Tourism & Hospitality Management at SCU as a tutor in 1991. She initiated the school's internship programme and helped establish the North Coast Tourism Awards. From its inception in 1993 Ms. McGilvray organised the SCU-PATA Tourism Executive Development Programme, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in June this year. "Judith was a great inspiration to us all, and will be greatly missed by her colleagues at SCU," said Mr. Perry Hobson, Head of SCU's School of Tourism & Hospitality Management. Ms. McGilvray is survived by husband Bill, son Tony and daughters Tracey and Holly. The funeral will be held August 7 in Lismore, NSW. E-mail jglass@scu.edu.au or tel (61-2) 6620-3257 for details.

IMPROVE MEKONG TOURISM

Former delegates at the PATA Mekong Tourism Forum and all people interested in the future development of travel in Yunnan, Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam are invited to fill out an online survey on the future subject matter and direction of the Forum. Access the  survey at http://www.allaboutaccess.net/9thmtfsurvey.htm.

WELCOME PATA RIO CHAPTER

PATA welcomes the PATA Rio de Janeiro Chapter, which started operations last month. Officers include: Mr. Eduardo Bocchino de Almeida, Chairman; Mr. Bruno Mattos Linhares Jr., Vice-Chairman; Mr. Gilberto Bocchino de Almeida, Treasurer and Secretary.

REACH THE GERMAN-SPEAKING MARKET

PATA will expand the "See You in Pacific Asia" advertising campaign into the German-speaking marketplace in March-April 2003 with a 16-page full-colour editorial supplement in Business Traveller Germany and inAsien, a consumer travel publication. The titles have a combined readership of 360,000. PATA will print an additional 140,000 overrun copies to be distributed at ITB 2003 and via the PATA Germany, Bavaria and Switzerland chapters. Advertising space is limited and for PATA members only on a first-come, first-served basis. For full advertising information contact PATA Managing Director Europe & The Americas Mr. Bill Hastings at bill@pata.org. Or Ms. Gerhild Burchardt, Publisher, Business Traveller Germany at burchardt@businesstraveller.de.

ALL ON BOARD FOR AMERICAS MEET

The 14th PATA Americas Division Meeting will take place October 29-November 3, 2002 on board the 2,000-berth NCL Norwegian Sky. The cruise departs Miami, Florida, October 29 stopping in Philipsburg, St. Maarten, November 1, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, November 2, with final disembarkation in San Juan, Puerto Rico, November 3. Delegates can join sessions such as the PATA outlook for the North American outbound market 2003 and promoting special interest travel such as cruises, culture/heritage and adventure. There will be an interactive session on chapter development. Keynote speaker is Ms. Sue Shapiro of Shapiro Travel Resources. For a list of registration fees and further information tel: (1-510) 625-2055. Fax: (1-510) 625-2044. E-mail: bill@pata.org.

SEMINAR ON ONLINE STRATEGIES

The PATA Thailand Chapter will run a one-day seminar on September 6 called "Online Strategy for the Travel Industry." Topics include transaction costs in international sales, upselling, skills variety and sales negotiation techniques, case studies, and an analysis of supply chain management. The event will take place at the Sofitel Central Plaza Bangkok. For full programme details and a registration form tel: (66-2) 237-5195/9. Fax: (66-2) 237-5190. E-mail: pata@asiaaccess.net.th.

PATA STRATEGIC INFORMATION CENTRE WORLDWATCH

More than 270 million Chinese, a fifth of the country’s population, are named either Li, Wang or Zhang, making them the three most popular names in the world. Li, Wang and Zhang make up 7.9 percent, 7.4 percent and 7.1 percent of China (PRC)’s population respectively.

* United Airlines will begin interline electronic ticketing with Delta Air Lines on August 14, allowing customers to use a single electronic ticket when their itineraries include travel on both carriers. Customers of both airlines will benefit from this new agreement if a need arises for them to be re-booked from one airline to the other. Previously, customers ticketed electronically had to convert tickets to paper before transferring between carriers.

* Air arrivals traffic to Tonga climbed +11.4 percent during the April-June 2002 quarter compared to the same period last year, with Australia (+25.0 percent), the USA (+16.7 percent) and New Zealand (+11.4 percent) leading the growth.

* The Economist August 3 edition reports a recent study by Mr. Richard Florida of Carnegie Mellon University that says there is a close correlation between a region’s openness to artists and its prosperity. A large and visible population of creative types ­ and of homosexuals, says Mr. Florida ­ points to a tolerant and diverse society of the sort that appeals to the wider class of knowledge-workers who drive modern economies. 

* British Airways has cancelled 26 of its 80 transatlantic flights for September 11, 2002. A spokesperson said bookings were "understandably" low.

Singapore to open graduate school in hotel management  

AFX  -  Singapore will open a school next year offering post-graduate and executive development courses to raise professionalism in the tourism industry, the city-state's tourism board said Monday.

The International Hotel Management School is owned by a consortium that includes the Singapore Tourism Board and leading hoteliers such as Raffles International Ltd, HPL Leisure Holdings Pte. Ltd. and Millennium and Copthorne Hotels plc.

It is part of Singapore's goal to become a centre for education services and tourism, the tourism board said in a statement.

"To raise the professionalism of our tourism industry and build on Singapore's status as an education hub, we will further develop tourism education in Singapore," senior minister of state for trade and industry Tharman Shanmugaratnam said.

Singapore currently offers diploma-level courses but it still lacks post-graduate and executive development programmes in tourism and hospitality management, said Tharman, who announced the formation of the new school.

Enrolment will start in the third quarter of next year. The school will negotiate with the world's top hotel schools in the US and Europe to set up training programmes relevant to Singapore and Asia.

Travel agents try to outflank the Web

MSNBC  -  With so many Web sites offering consumers discount airfares and low-cost hotel rooms, you’d be forgiven for thinking that garden-variety travel agents all have one-way tickets to Dinosaur Land. But travel agents are still a force to be reckoned with, despite increased competition from the likes of Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity.

The Sept. 11 attacks fears of more terrorism and the struggling economy have all put a crimp on consumers’ travel plans, and they have also made life harder for your average travel agent. "

What’s more, a growing number of Web sites offer consumers an easy way to hunt for discounted flights, cruises, hotel rooms and rental cars. And earlier this year, the airlines cut to zero the commissions they have traditionally paid out to travel agents for selling their tickets.

But despite the setbacks, the travel agent has yet to go follow the same path as the dodo bird.

According to Jupiter Research, agents remain an important part of the travel industry, selling about 80 percent of all airline tickets purchased in the United States and accounting for around 70 percent of all the travel bookings made.

Agents still sell over 90 percent of the cruises, package tours and about half of the hotel rooms booked in the United States, according to the American Society of Travel Agents, which represents about 13,000 travel agencies. And while the airlines might have cut their commissions, agents still receive healthy commissions for sales of cruises and hotel rooms.

“A lot of the talk in the press has been about the imminent demise of the travel agent and the rise of the online travel business, but I think that’s a bit premature,” said Jared Blank, a travel analyst at Jupiter.

While the elimination of commissions by the major airlines has hurt some smaller mom-and-pop travel businesses, larger firms have diversified and consolidated says Blank, adding that although traffic to online travel sites is growing, the Web doesn’t pose a significant threat to agents’ dominance in the travel business.

n 2002, 13 percent of all U.S. travel will be booked using the Web, according to Blank. That number is projected to grow to 22 percent by 2007, he added. “So even in five years’ time the vast majority of all travel booked will be done through the offline channel.”

But as competition grows, travel agents are finding they must specialize, or focus on selling more lucrative travel products, in order to survive.

A good travel agent understands the intricacies of the travel business, analysts and agents argue. For this reason, many are focusing on niche markets, seeing their service as selling expertise rather than simply selling products.

“Increasingly, we’re seeing travel agents becoming specialists in certain areas, like vacations in France or Caribbean cruises,” said Jupiter’s Blank. “They have a depth of knowledge about a destination or a type of vacation. That’s something that a Web site still can’t offer and people are still willing to pay for that expertise.”
       
PRYING OPEN THE CABIN DOOR

For John Dekker, a travel agent in Huntington Beach, Calif., good service is necessary for doing good business. When two of Dekker’s clients called him recently, requesting seats on a sold-out flight to London, he worked the phone and found the spaces.

 “The flight was completely full, but because of my partnerships in the travel business I was able to call the station manager at LAX and get those seats for my clients,” said Dekker, who runs a franchise of Carlson Wagonlit Travel. “Providing that level of service to my clients has been a key to the growth of my business,” he said.

Dekker concedes that business has been difficult in recent years, but he says he has adapted by working to develop alliances with a handful of major airlines, from which he derives large incentive commissions for selling tickets to his clients.

“If I can sell my preferred carriers, I make more money from the commissions,” Dekker added.

Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst at Forrester Research, says he thinks that economic difficulties will cause the number of travel agencies in the United States to decline by about 20 percent over the next 3 to 5 years.

“I don’t think travel agents will become extinct, but I do think they might become an endangered species,” Harteveldt said. “The agents who survive will need to be sharp to survive. They’ll be accredited travel professionals and not just ticket sellers. You’ll pay them for a service the same way you pay an attorney for advice or pay an accountant to do your taxes.

Sacramento Market Overview

Written By:  George A. Comitos  HVS International

The state capital of the nation’s most populous state, Sacramento has long enjoyed a degree of economic stability in terms of hotel demand. The Sacramento hotel market includes approximately 11,800 rooms located in what are commonly considered to be four primary submarkets, including downtown Sacramento, Natomas, the Arden/Cal Expo area, and the Highway 50 corridor (or Rancho Cordova). Hotels achieving the highest rates tend to be the upscale, full-service properties in downtown Sacramento and commercial transient hotels located in South Natomas. 

Although downtown Sacramento has realized significant redevelopment and transformation in the most recent 10 years, the major commercial growth occurring in the metropolitan Sacramento area is taking place in the Roseville/Rocklin submarket, along the Interstate 80 corridor (not discussed herein), and in Rancho Cordova and Folsom, along the U.S. Highway 50 corridor. Each of the four submarkets are defined by several factors, among the most important is type of visitation.

The 503-unit Sheraton Grand opened in downtown Sacramento in April 2001, followed by the 242-unit Embassy Suites Sacramento Riverfront-Promenade in June 2002. Although the shortage of full-service hotel rooms in downtown Sacramento have limited the number of attendees at convention center functions, these two properties represent a 22% increase in the number of hotel rooms located in downtown Sacramento. Historically, larger downtown conventions resulted in compression to the Arden/Cal Expo and South Natomas submarkets. 

Given the addition of the latter two properties, decreased compression to these markets is anticipated, although efforts were made in 2001 by the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau to increase convention business. Efforts included increasing the transient occupancy tax (and an estimated $3.0 million CVB budget), the opening of an East Coast convention sales office, increasing the marketing presence in Chicago, and an increase in CVB marketing staff. The 504-unit Sheraton Grand opened in downtown Sacramento in 2001. The Rancho Cordova hotel market increased by 385 limited-service and extended-stay rooms from 1999 to 2002 and a 154-unit Hilton Garden Inn opened in South Natomas in May 1999.

Situated along one of California’s primary transportation arteries (Interstate 5 or I-5), downtown Sacramento contains the state Capitol and is a viable location for significant conventions. High-rated state government legislative and lobbyist visitation occurs downtown between the months of March and October. Commercial transient demand is also generated by private contractors conducting business with state government agencies such as the Cal EPA and the Department of Health Services. 

In 1996, downtown Sacramento’s convention center underwent an $80-million expansion, and offers ±134,000 square feet of exhibition space, a ±24,000-square-foot ballroom, and 21 meeting rooms containing over ±32,000 square feet of space. According to the convention and visitor’s bureau, the convention center is marketed as California’s Gold Country, a value destination relative to San Francisco or San Diego. This convention market competes for demand with Long Beach, Santa Clara, Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Reno. Downtown Sacramento is located proximate to Old Sacramento, which generates leisure demand. 

Properties in the Cal Expo/Arden area contain significant amounts of ballroom and meeting space, thus benefiting from self-contained meeting and group demand. Additionally, meeting and group demand results from the presence of the Cal Expo Center, which is located in the Arden neighborhood. Office development located along Watt Avenue (in the Point West Neighborhood) generates higher-rated commercial transient demand Monday through Thursday. Hotels located in the Arden/Cal Expo area are accommodating large shares of airline demand due to less compression from downtown. 

The South Natomas submarket is typified by Class A suburban office parks such as those contained within River Plaza and Gateway Oaks. Prominent tenants in these business parks include: US Grenier, MCI Worldcom (now filed for bankruptcy), Honeywell, Nortel, and IBM. The El Camino Avenue corridor, west of I-5, provides access to several industrial parks. Hotels in this submarket are limited- or focused-service in orientation and benefit from strong Monday through Thursday commercial transient demand. Additionally, these properties capture demand from North Natomas, which is near the Arco Arena, home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. Excluding airport properties, North Natomas currently contains no hotel rooms. 

Finally, hotels in Rancho Cordova typically accommodate commercial transient demand generated by the recently developed office and corporate parks located along the Highway 50 corridor, or those at the previous Mather Air Force Base, currently Mather Commerce Center and Airport. Some degree of leisure demand is captured from motorists traveling Highway 50 and Interstate 5 through Sacramento on their way to various California or Nevada destinations.

At the end of 2001 there was approximately 34.9 million square feet of office space in the aforementioned submarkets, with an additional 2.9 million square feet under construction and due to enter the market in 2002 and 2003. Following a record year in terms of office market performance in 2000, vacancy rates among office these submarkets ranged from 5.4% in the Campus Commons submarket to 29.9% in the North Natomas submarket; the average vacancy rate at the end of the first quarter of 2002 was approximately 9%. Demand for office space softened in 2001 and the first quarter of 2002 due to the slowdown of the national economy; however, the decrease was not as steep or as sudden as San Francisco’s. 

Vacancy rates at the end of the first quarter of 2002 are expected to increase throughout Sacramento, as new construction enters the market. Sacramento’s historically strong industrial space market has experienced trends similar to those of the office market, though with less volatility. Vacancy rates increased only slightly in the first quarter of 2001.

The following data represent hotels located in the aforementioned submarkets, with the exception being those properties located in the Highway 50/Rancho Cordova submarket.

In 2000 occupancy and average rate were 74.0% and $83.14, respectively. Demand for hotel rooms decreased in 2001, following economic retrenchment, although properties located along Interstate 5 benefited from increased motorist traffic following the events of September 11. Downtown hotels realized what could be considered a healthy convention year in 2000/01. Hotel occupancies in the South Natomas and Rancho Cordova submarkets were impacted by a decrease in telecommunications- and high-tech-related activity. Strong increases in hotel supply and a slight decrease in demand in 2001 resulted in a city-wide occupancy of 70.1% in 2001. Despite this, hotel operators were able to increase average rate in 2001, which resulted from room rates that were negotiated in late 2000 being carried over into the first quarter of 2001. 

Year-to-date results through May 2001 and 2002 reveal a continued decrease in market-wide occupancy; however, this resulted from continued absorption of new hotel rooms. Market-wide demand for hotels increased slightly, by 0.4%, for the comparable year-to-date periods through May 2001 and 2002. In the aforementioned year-to-date periods, average rate decreased by only 0.4%. This indicates that a small rebound in the market has occurred in terms of demand. Supply-side economics continue to have an impact on Sacramento hotel market performance.

On the supply side, a proposed 200-room Westin (at the north side of Capitol Mall), 80-100-room expansion of the Hyatt Regency, 220-room Marriott Residence Inn, and another hotel of undetermined room count are planned for development in downtown Sacramento. Management of the Radisson Hotel (included within the Arden/Cal Expo submarket) has been planning a 120-room expansion. Together, these projects constitute an increase in room supply of roundly 18%, based on the total room count of 2,500 in downtown Sacramento. Along the Highway 50 corridor, a proposed Staybridge Suites is currently identified as speculative at Cal Center Drive. In the near-term, future supply additions are expected to be minimal due to the lack of available financing for hotels.

The Sacramento hotel market enjoys greater stability in terms of overall occupancy than large, aggregate markets such as the San Francisco Bay Area. Sacramento’s hotel submarkets are each supported by diverse, high-quality demand generators that are interspersed throughout the city. Following a lack of real estate activity in downtown Sacramento, the last five years have brought significant new convention center, office, hotel, and residential development. Hotel operators in downtown Sacramento reported that the neighborhood’s shortfall was the lack of sufficient hotel rooms following the convention center expansion. 

New hotel rooms have been added to the downtown hotel market, which will allow for greater convention center visitation. We note that Sacramento International Airport expanded in 1998 and the convention bureau has enhanced its marketing efforts. Thus, city infrastructure and marketing are in place for increased hotel visitation resulting from growth in convention demand. The additions to hotel supply in the short term may result in less compression to other submarkets, such as Arden/Cal Expo and South Natomas. This will be particularly important in the immediate future, pending national and regional economic recovery. In terms of the mid- to long-term outlook, we anticipate recovering occupancy paired with continued average rate increases.

For further information, please contact:
George A. Comitos
HVS International

Zero Hotel Commission? Another commission debacle for travel agents ensues

AS AntiTrust Travel Agency Compensation (ATTAC) readies their fight with the airline industry for implementing the zero commission rule, another situation has emerged wherein travel agents deal with commission woes anew. In what some travel agents are calling as yet another ploy to rid of travel agents their commission shares. "Every month, when I receive my commissions check through Pegasus, I am coming across more of these," said Nick Amin who has brought his concerns to eTurbo News regarding what he claims as a new tactic employed by Marriott Hotels and their related properties to do away with commissions payable to them. Amin has presented some information which documents his compliant for what he claims to be "unethical business practice."

The tactic, Amin told eTurbo News, is Marriott converting his company's reservations from commissionable rates to non-commissionable rates. Amin claims that he is certain that this is ongoing because "it has happened to our agency's personnel on multiple occasions." According to Amin, the conversion occurs at the time of check-in where Marriott's front desk personnel "makes small talk" with guests and then subsequently adjusting from the rate to a lower rate which was neither asked for nor discussed. Amin's complaint to Miller clearly indicates very specific reservation details, including names and dates. The situation has so frustrated Amin that he has taken his complaint to Marriott even further by contacting International Global Sales Vice President Fred Miller via email. Amin's email details specific reservations where Marriott employed the conversion tactic leaving travel agents "to get the short end of the deal."

In response, Miller stated, "we pride ourselves on having the best travel agency programs in the industry- the best commission payment system, no web-only based rates, single image inventory giving travel agents the same rates and rooms availability that the hotel has, and the best GDS connectivity in the business." "We know that travel agents work very hard for their clients and we appreciate the business they bring in to our hotels," admitted Miller to Amin. Miller also pointed to Marriott's Travel Agent Pledge of Allegiance to travel agents, which stipulates that Marriott never initiate with the guest the changing of the rate originally confirmed by a travel agent. This policy also maintains that if a guest requests a change in the rate and the new rate is commissionable; commission will be paid to the travel agency that booked the reservation. "We will never change the rate that the travel agent has booked to a different rate, unless it is guest driven," wrote Miller.

However, Amin is not amused by Miller's response and replied, "you may as well rip it up and flush it down the toilet because it is not worth the ink it is written with," referring to Marriott's Travel Agent Pledge of Allegiance. Amin exchange with Marriott has been ongoing since July 26 and had recently brought it to eTurbo News. In response, eTurbo News has contacted Miller who insists Marriott has done nothing wrong. "Marriott pays commission on all rates, including corporate rates, except for some few contracts negotiated with companies like AT&T or the government," disclosed Miller in a telephone interview. When asked specifically about Amin's complaint, Miller stated that he didn't feel comfortable discussing this issue any further because "the complainer went around and published his internal memos to everyone."

New designer hotel for Bangkok

TravelWeeklyEast.com  -  Bangkok will have a ‘designer’ hotel by late this year. The Davis, owned by Khun Chuvit Kamolvisit, will be managed by Amari Hotels and Resorts.

Design was a key element in the creation of the hotel and Khun Chuvit used the resources of many well-known designers for the interior. The Davis aims to serve the corporate market.

In addition to the main hotel building, The Davis project also incorporates 10 Thai houses and a retail centre. The Thai village will be marketed as ‘The Residences at The Davis’ while the retail center, ‘Camp Davis’ will feature mainly restaurants and cafes plus several speciality boutiques.

Feel calm enough for a career in hotel and catering?

Whatever you do, don't mention Fawlty Towers

Mention a career in the hotel and catering and up pops the image of Basil Fawlty, that competitive, aggressive and impatient hotel manager who made his guests wish that they weren't there.

Yet in today's hotel and catering industry, which now straddles careers in hospitality, leisure and tourism, someone like Mr Fawlty would not get house room.

The hospitality industry has recognised the need for graduates with a disposition more akin to that of Sven Goran Eriksson - calm and unruffled personalities who rarely get wound up.

Enter the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Oxford Brookes University, which has helped thousands of students prepare for careers in hotel and restaurants management for more than 50 years.

The Oxford Brookes Master of Science Degree in, International Hotel & Tourism Management which normally involves one year of full-time study, helps students to develop a more advanced understanding of hotel and tourism management in an international context.

Unlike other universities, it does not try to cover the international aspects of the industry in a single module - its entire programme is dedicated to the global perspective. Its one-year full-time programme offers aspiring managers an ideal way to pick up not only the academic credential but also a high level of professional expertise.

Esa Ruotsalainen, from the class of 1999, says: "The MSC in International Hotel & Tourism Management has given me confidence in my ability to operate at a professional level in the hospitality industry. On completion of the programme I secured a position as food services manager for Moat House Hotels, an opportunity that would not have been available to me without the skills and knowledge that I gained as a student at Oxford Brookes."

If you have not had the opportunity to undertake work experience in the hotel and tourism industry, don't worry as the university will arrange and supervise a period of paid work experience needed to enroll on the programme.

Key areas covered by the programme include managerial decision-making by reflective and critical evaluation, the application of strategic and tactical methods to business problems and evaluation of external influences in the international hotel and tourism industry.

Alternatively the university offers a dedicated Master of Business Administration(MBA) course devoted to the hospitality sector that is delivered by open learning. The programme provides managers with the opportunity to benefit from personal and professional development, boosting their work performance and promotion prospects.

The MBA programme takes full account of the developing nature of the hotel and restaurant industry, and the changing roles of the people who work in it. The three-year open learning programme comprises three stages, building step-by-step to an internationally recognised MBA.

After each stage has been successfully completed a management qualification is awarded starting from a Certificate in Management (Hospitality); a Diploma in Management Studies and finally a Master of Business Administration (Hospitality).

The MBA scheme is designed with the needs of working managers in mind and uses a range of learning materials. Students are continually assessed and assignments are based on their workplace, which serves as a learning laboratory.

The programme is designed to help develop the personal, analytical and management skills necessary for hospitality managers working in a complex, changing and developing industry around the world.

Elsewhere, the Masters in Tourism Programme is run by the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research, based at the University of Bournemouth, is worth considering.

The centre has the cachet of being recognised by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) as one of only 15 educational institutions worldwide.

The International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research provides a variety of courses including the MSc programme, which offers seven distinct pathways to a masters degree.

Most courses are delivered through team mechanisms where two or more key staff discuss issues with students, with the emphasis on creating a learning rather than a teaching environment

Source:  The Guardian