Hotel Online News - Email Archive - Day by Day / January - March 2013

Inside Hotel Online today...
-


Day by Day Index January - March 2013 Links to archives

Receive Your Hospitality Industry Headlines via Email for Free! Subscribe Here

To Learn More About Your News Being Published on Hotel-Online Inquire Here


Top 25 Read Articles - March 2013 InterContinental Hotels Group Becomes First in Industry to Commit to Free Internet for All Loyalty Members Worldwide; Move prompted by research indicating free internet is more important than room service to travellers Marriott Loses Appeal in Eden Roc Case; Why all long-term hotel management agreements are now terminable / Jim Butler The Coming Bubble Could be Ugly / Joel Ross How Much Does it Cost to Build a Las Vegas Strip Resort? Here's a look at the cost, size and scope of some of Las Vegas' most iconic properties Congress Misses Sequestration Deadline; Across-the-Board Cuts Will Directly Impact Travel and Tourism Industry Reports AH&LA The Concierge Gave Me the Finger and I Loved it / Roberta Nedry Wedding Trends for 2013 - What's Hot - What's Not; Destination Hotels & Resorts Reveals 2013 Wedding Trends as Observed by its Properties Evolution of Hotel Survey: From Pushing Paper to Post Stay Emails, Online Reviews Now Trumping It All Hotel Sales: It's Easy To Stand Out From The Competition These Days / Doug Kennedy Hotel Management Contracts: Historical Trends / Hans Detlefsen, MPP, MAI & Matt Glodz Genting Group Acquires Stalled Echelon Las Vegas Site; Plans to Develop $7 billion Resorts World Las Vegas Face-to-Face Will Never Become Obsolete / David Brudney Today's Foodie Generation - Millennials are Three Times the Gastronauts Their Parents are and Their Appetites are Changing the Culinary Landscape Preparing for its Bankruptcy Filing, Revel Discloses the $2.4 billion Megaresort Now Worth $450 million Top New Hotel Booking Sites You Need to Know and Their Impact on Your Revenue Management Strategy / Jean Francois Mourier U.S. District Judge Enters Final Judgement on Lawsuit Dating Back to 2006 Against Eleven Online Travel Firms; 173 Cities to Divide $55 million in Damages, Further, OTA's Will Have to Remit Taxes on Retail Room Rates Going Forward Donald Trump Gutting Florida's Doral Golf Resort and Spa to Rebuild and Rebrand Property as Trump National Doral; $250 million Renovation to be Staged Over a Two Period The Global Hotel Industry: Big, Beautiful and Branded? Part One; An analysis of over 2,100 hotel groups representing over 60,000 hotels in over 180 countries globally / Warwick Clifton New Report Identifies the Trends Set to Shape Next Ten Years of Travel; Predicts Strong Growth in Outbound Asian Travel and Emergence of Relatively Unknown Cities in Developing Markets as New Travel Destinations The 10 Biggest Mistakes Shopping Centers Make When Adding a Hotel / Jim Butler Michael Leven, President and COO of Las Vegas Sands and a Self Proclaimed "Hotel Sales Guy" Donates $1 million to the HSMAI Foundation Kempinski Hotels Dare To Do Things Differently / John Hendrie TripAdvisor Names 2013 Travelers' Choice Awards for Hotels for Families Across the Globe; Number One in the U.S., Floridays Resort in Orlando, Florida Fee Frenzy: The South Point Hotel is the Latest Las Vegas Property to Start Charging Resort Fees; Here's the list of those that do, and how much, and those that do not Wyndham Hotel Group Takes Over Management of Eight U.S. Hotels Reflagging them Under the Wyndham Brand; The Hotels are Owned by FelCor Lodging Trust March 27, 2013 Marriott Loses Appeal in Eden Roc Case: Why all long-term hotel management agreements are now terminable / Jim Butler Tammy Farley To Receive 2012 Great Women of Gaming Award Blackstone Sells Miami Beach Resort & Spa, Built in 1963, to Chetrit Group for $117 million; Plans to Restore the Waterfront Property to its Former Grandeur Revel's Bankruptcy Filing Provides an Inside Look at Depth of Casino's Woes From Dreaming to Booking: How Facebook Graph Search Plays a Role for Hotels in the Travel Planning Process / Margaret Mastrogiacomo Future of Flash Development - Is Extinction Imminent? / Laura Ingle Pegasus Solutions Forms Agreement with Jordan's International Hotel Development; Increased Presence in Middle Expands Hotel Portfolio Allied AAHOA Member ZENO Controls LLC Assisting Australian Hotel Developer Peter Sharma with Hotel Revitalization Project in Kissimmee Warmbrodt Hotel Investments, Inc. Selected to Advise in the Sale of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Andover (Wichita), Kansas Infor Epiphany Marketing Helps to Strengthen Customer Relationships at Great Wolf Resorts; Powerful Marketing Tool with Real-Time Data Capabilities to Deliver Highly Personalized Campaigns Yellow Dog Software Selected to Provide Inventory Management to Multiple Leading Hospitality Properties North Carolina's Former Sheraton Atlantic Hotel, Sitting Vacant for Two Years, to Reopen as DoubleTree by Hilton This Summer; Newport Group Inc. Acquired Property at Foreclosure Sale for $4.56 million Starwood and its Ownership Groups to Invest More than $200 in Renovations for the 13 Le Meridien Brand Hotels in Middle East and Africa Portfolio PolyU Seeks to Boost Tourism Development with Tourist Satisfaction and Tourism Service Quality Indices Wyndham Orlando Resort in Florida Completes Phase One of Property Wide Renovation; Unveils 613 Completely renovated Guest Rooms and Suites Hotel Vitale, a Joie de Vivre Property, in San Francisco Appoints Executive Chef Kory Stewart as Food and Beverage Director Assuming Dual Roles at Waterfront Property March 26, 2013 InterContinental Hotels Group Becomes First in Industry to Commit to Free Internet for All Loyalty Members Worldwide; Move prompted by research indicating free internet is more important than room service to travellers Clearwater River Casino & Hotel Selects Software Suite from Agilysys; Expanding Casino Hotel Implements Solutions for Property Management, Point-of-Sale, Inventory and Procurement OpenWays' Mobile Key is Taking the 'Torture' of Waiting in Line Out of the Hotel Experience Country Inns & Suites by Carlson Honors Brand Award Winners for 2012; Pineville, Louisiana Location Named Hotel of the Year Roy Anderson III, Whose Company Twice Built Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi, Transfers His Ownership Stake to Leucadia National Corporation, Majority Owner Unique Garden and Intelity Introduce ICE on iPads to Brazil, as Tablet Sales Reach More Than $3 Billion in Latin America Omni Hotels & Resorts Joins HotelMe's Verified Review Website, Adding 50 Properties and more than 18,500 Rooms; Omni Joins the Online Conversation -- Providing Travelers with Verifiable Review Opportunities, and Opening a New Direct Booking Channel via HotelMe Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Launches Search For New CEO Three More Roberts Brothers Hotels Sold in Bankruptcy Auction for a Combined $5.2 million Construction of the $90 million, Mixed-Use, 16-Story Tower for Langtree at the Lake Project in Mooresville, North Carolina Could Start This Summer; Plans Include a 212-room Hotel Says Developer, RL West With a Nod to the Roaring 20's and the Jazz Era, NYLO Hotels Shares Design Details of the Soon to Open 285-room NYLO New York City Owned by K and H Venture Groups and Managed by Shaner Hotels, the 88-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Towanda, Pennsylvania Scheduled to Open April, 2013 Pride Hospitality Selected to Manage the Hampton Inn - Van Buren, Arkansas White Lodging Services and RLJ Lodging Trust Complete Full Renovation of the 616-room Louisville Marriott Downtown Closed for Three Years, the 97-room Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club in Carmel Valley, California Re-Opens Following a $28 Million Renovation London's Athenaeum Hotel Appoints Jeremy Hopkins as General Manager Urgo Hotels Appoints Richard Byrd General Manager of the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Oceanfront in Florida Dow Hotel Company Promotes Teresa Sims to Resident Manager for the Hyatt North Houston in Greenspoint, Texas Benchmark Hospitality International Names John Herdman Executive Chef for Hotel Contessa, San Antonio, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels Property Damon Campbell Named Executive Chef for Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto in Ontario, Canada March 25, 2013 Learning Early on to Consider Hotel Guests Intriguing Rather than Annoying, Former Car Valet, Marcus Latner, Now Finds Himself in the Driver's Seat for Valencia Group's Lone Star Court Hotel in Austin, Texas Gloves Are Off and the Players More Aggressive as Cities Compete for Coveted Convention and Tourism Business Sage Hospitality and Whitman Peterson Form Investment Partnership and Acquire Portfolio of Seven Courtyard by Marriott Properties from Clarion Partners and C-III Capital Partners Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin Officials Pushing for Radisson Foreclosure Sale in Effort to Recoup City's $15 million Investment Sunfire Asset and InterContinental Hotels Group Enter Agreement for a New Build, 224-room Holiday Inn Express in Perth, Australia; The $35 million Development to Incorporate a 20-floor Hotel and a Circa 1888 Heritage House with an Opening Slated for 2015 North Carolina Luxury Inn Announces August 2013 Construction Schedule; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 156 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database Originally Opened in 1962, the Atlanta Marriott Downtown to be Rebranded as the DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta Downtown; Operated by Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Historic Hotel to Undergo Property-Wide Renovation Warmbrodt Hotel Investments, Inc. Selected to Advise in the Sale of Two Value Place Properties in Memphis, Tennessee Aggressive Outreach has Aided in Las Vegas' Evolution as a Go-To Destination for LGBT Events and Tourists Being Hailed as the Masterpiece in the Mountains, North Caolina's Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort Completes $650 million Expansion Margaritaville Casino in Biloxi Named in Lawsuit Filed by Landry's, Owner of the Isle Casino Biloxi, Claiming Executive Employees Stole Trade Secrets Organizers of Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC 2013) Highlight Qatar’s Rapidly Growing Hotel Market in a Regional Briefing in Doha The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Putting Final Touches on the New Build, 320-room Ritz-Carlton Aruba Scheduled to Open November 2013 The Sultanate of Oman Highlights Major New Hotel Developments and Openings in 2013/2014 Hilton Hotels & Resorts Opens the 158-room Hilton Alexandria Corniche in Alexandria, Egypt PM Hospitality Strategies Adds Two Hotels to its Management Portfolio; An 87-room Hampton Inn and an 84-room Fairfield Inn and Suites, Both Located in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area Choice Hotels International Promotes Todd Davis to Chief Information Officer Benchmark Hospitality International Names Cedric A. Fasbender Vice President, Operations Aqua Hospitality Appoints Evelyn Shiroma to Director of Property Sales & Revenue for Two Aqua Waikiki Hotels, the Wave and the Pearl March 22, 2013 Hotel Management Contracts: Historical Trends / Hans Detlefsen & Matt Glodz Hotel Management Agreements: Key Business Terms at the Letter Of Intent Stage / Albert J. Pucciarelli Big Data: Management Must Interpret and Apply Data to Gain the Competitive Advantage / Mark C. Lynn Preparing for its Bankruptcy Filing, Revel Discloses the $2.4 billion Megaresort Now Worth $450 million Realty Capital Partners Emerge as Highest Bidder at $16.6 million for the Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton Inn in Port Columbus, Ohio; Both Properties Have Been in Receivership Since 2011 Amherst, New York Planning Board OKs Controversial Hyatt Place Hotel but Legal Challenges are Almost Certain Mobile Sites Aide Travel Research but Don't Always Lead to Bookings, According to Senior Executives From Best Western International, Concur, GBTA and Vision 2000; Canadian Business Travel Is Up, Mobile And Social Media Are Changing Corporate Travel Landscape Newport Ramsey LLC Planning New $12 million, 117-room Fairfield Inn & Suites in Fayetteville, North Carolina Targeting Military Related Business Clear Sky Software's Beverage Inventory Management System Installed at Washington Marriott Metro Center Michael Leven, President and COO of Las Vegas Sands and a Self Proclaimed 'Hotel Sales Guy', Donates $1 million to the HSMAI Foundation Lotte Hotel and Developer LCT PFV Planning New 290-room Luxury Hotel as Part of 101-Story Building in Busan, Korea Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Set to Open its First London Property, the New Build 202-room Shangri-La Hotel, at The Shard Along the South Bank of the River Thames New Build, 87-room DoubleTree by Hilton Kusadasi Opens in Kusadasi, Turkey Overlooking the Kusadasi Bay and the Aegean Sea; Serkan Tutuncu Opening General Manager Accor Opens its First Cluster Property Containing the 224-Novotel and 294-room Ibis Abu Dhabi Gate Hotels Carlson Rezidor and SM Hotels Open the 204-room New Build Park Inn by Radisson Davao, Philippines Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians Celebrate Opening of San Diego County's $38 million, 128-room Viejas Hotel Located Next to Viejas Casino The Hilton Arlington Texas Enters Final Phase ofits $10 Million Renovation Huntington Hotel Group Selected to Six Residence Inn by Marriott Hotels; Properties are Located in New Jersey, Arizona, Vermont, and Colorado Benchmark Hospitality International Names Darren Nicholas Director of Food & Beverage for Hotel Contessa, San Antonio, A Benchmark Resorts & Hotels Property March 21, 2013 Kempinski Hotels Dare To Do Things Differently / John Hendrie Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) Selects Vizergy® as Strategic Partner; Vizergy is "Exclusive Website Design Supplier" for BLLA Member Properties Pacific Hospitality Group Acquires the Historic Warner Springs Ranch in San Diego County, California; Firm to Invest $50 million in Upgrades, Refurbishments to Landmark Property Noble Investment Group Acquires the 149-room Courtyard by Marriott Columbus Downtown in Ohio 2012 was Record Year for New Jersey Tourism Despite Hurricane Sandy To Truncate or Not to Truncate? That is the question. / Tiffany DeShazo Intelity Offers New Integration For Hotel Spas with Book4Time Top New Hotel Booking Sites You Need to Know and Their Impact on Your Revenue Management Strategy / Jean Francois Mourier The Patton Hospitality Management Turns Timeshare Business On Its Head: Offers Solutions Benefitting Owners And Guests Celebrating its First Year, Duetto Research Announces that Battery Ventures' Brian O’Malley Joins its Board Two-year Saga of Stalled Contract Negotiations Rages on with Nearly 100 Union Backers Arrested in Protest of the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas Hotel Technology Next Generation and China Hospitality Technology Alliance Form Strategic Partnership; Relationship Will Facilitate Information Sharing, Standards Development and Technology Integration AH&LA Endorses Reintroduced JOLT Act; Legislative Action Summit to Focus on the Business of Travel Wells, Maine Sets Temporary Moratorium on New Hotel Development LodgeWell Group Gets City Approval to Construct a $14 Million 131-room Hilton Garden Inn Adjacent to the Enid Event Center and Convention Hall in Enid, Oklahoma W Hotels Worldwide to More Than Double Asia Presence Over Next Five Years; To Open Eleven New Properties in the Asia Pacific Region by 2018 IHG to Develop the 249-room Holiday Inn Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof in Germany; To Operate Under a Managed Contract in Partnership with UBM with an Early 2015 Opening Planned Cobblestone Hotels Expands in Texas, Breaking Ground on Three Hotels; The 45 and 54-room Properties are in the Cities of Stanton, Colorado City and Big Lake The 85-room Courtyard Galveston Island Gulf Front to Open Next Week in Galveston, Texas; Owned and Managed by Propel Hospitality Management Eaglewood Resort & Spa in Northwest Chicago Completes Renovation of its Conference Center Key Management Appointments Made at the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz and the Grand Hotel Kronenhof in Switzerland Rocco Forte Hotels Appoints Philippe Spagnol as General Manager of Hotel Amigo in Brussels Tiffany Wu Appointed as Outside Sales Manager, International Sales for both the Hilton Chicago and the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago March 20, 2013 Startling Survey Paints Grim Picture of U.S. Tourism; 100 Million Travelers Aware of Negative Entry Experience Costing the U.S. Economy $95 Billion in Lost Business Revenue from Hotels, Shops, Restaurants and Places 518,900 American Jobs at Risk Maestro's Integrated Guest Experience Measurement (GEM) Delivers Guest Insights that Drive Profit, Inspirational Service and Guest Retention Fee Frenzy: The South Point Hotel is the Latest Las Vegas Property to Start Charging Resort Fees; Here's the list of those that do, and how much, and those that do not Hotel Sales: It's Easy To Stand Out From The Competition These Days / Doug Kennedy Empathy: Authentic or contrived, figure out how to convey it! / Bob Taylor No Silver Bullets, No Shortcuts in the Customer Experience Business / Zach Conen Value Place Debuts Next Generation of Extended-Stay Design; "Value Place 2.0" Design Sets New Standards for Future Sites to Reduce Costs, Improve Efficiencies, and Enhance Guest Experience RLJ Lodging Trust Acquires the Historic Humble Oil Building Complex in Downtown Houston for $79.5 Million; Complex Currently Houses Two Premium-Branded Hotels and One Apartment Tower that will be Converted into a Hotel MIG Real Estate Acquires Two Arizona Hotels - the 107-room Fairfield Inn & Suites Midtown in Phoenix and the 169-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites Old Town in Scottsdale The $520 Million Washington Marriott Marquis to Open in Washington, D.C. in May 2014; Dan Nadeau Appointed as General Manager for the 1,175-key Hotel Renaissance Indianapolis North (Carmel) Best in the Brand for Events Lodging Interactive's Guest Review System is Enhancing Hotel Bookings GrandStay Hospitality Selects ZDirect for eMarketing and eCRM; The franchisor of extended-stay and select service hotels is turning to ZDirect to build a cohesive online marketing strategy and communicate more effectively with guests HVS's Inaugural U.S. Hotel Market Connections: Multi-Market Hotel Seminar Series Scheduled for Wednesday, May 1, 2013 Cornell CHR Study Details Preferences of Outbound Travelers from Mainland China; Depicts Focused Travelers Who Seek to Experience other Cultures and Prefer Full-Service Hotels in Urban Settings Omni Hotel Corporation Borrows $250 Million, Uses Three Hotels as Collateral Delayed Since 2007, the $22 Million 148-room Black Oak Casino Hotel Nears Completion in Tuolumne, California; County Expects Increased Tourism to the Area Following the May 2013 Opening The 450-room Ritz-Carlton, Naples in Florida to Launch Multi-Million Dollar Refurbishment; Extensive Renovations to Begin in July 2013 with an October 2013 Completion After a Year of Round-the-Clock Construction, the New 100-suite Tower is Complete at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Oklahoma; The Resort Now Totals 454 Rooms Midas Hospitality to Build and Manage the 100-suite Residence Inn by Marriott - Dublin / Columbus in Ohio American Resort Management and New Owner, Blue Capital Group, Assume Management of the Former Airport International Inn in Williston, North Dakota; Rebranding the 147-room Property as the Dakota Grand Hotel & Conference Center Colorado's 228-suite Residence Inn Denver City Center Hotel Completes $2 Million in Redesign and Upgrades Massachusetts Lodging Association Honors 2012 Stars of the Industry Award Winners Vicki Denfeld Promoted to Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing, for Crestline Hotels & Resorts Aaron Wright Named Director of Operations at the 470-room Washington, DC Marriott Rob McCulloch Named Director of Sales and Marketing for the 807-room Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel Christian Rassinoux Welcomed as Executive Chef for the 998-room Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Florida Leah Stroup Appointed as Catering Sales Manager for the Sky Hotel, a Kimpton-Managed Hotel in Aspen, Colorado March 19, 2013 The Global Hotel Industry: Big, Beautiful and Branded? An analysis of over 2,100 hotel groups representing over 60,000 hotels in over 180 countries globally / Part Two / Warwick Clifton Ho Tram Beach Resort in Vietnam Selects InvoTech UHF-RFID Uniform System; InvoTech to Control and Track 24,000 Uniforms for a staff of 2,400 to Protect Assets and Reduce Labor Costs KSL Capital Partners Acquires Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin, a Current Portfolio of 27 Hotels; KSL Plans Significant Brand Investment and Hotel Expansion Program in UK and International Markets Select Your Profits: A Comparison of Select-Service Versus Full-Service Performance / Robert Mandelbaum Global Luxury Hotel Brands Bullish on India; Foreign Brands Development Pipeline in the Country Surging as More Indians than Ever Enter the Ranks of the Wealthy First They Picketed, Now Culinary Union Planing to Block Las Vegas Boulevard Traffic and Let Police Arrest Them Over Cosmopolitan Contract Dispute A St. Louis Landmark Since the 1920's, Chase Park Plaza Hotel Owner Alleges Former Operator, Jim Smith, Used Hotel Money to Pay Over $400K for Personal Taxes Creek Nation Tribe Expanding River Spirit Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma with New 22-story, 500-room Margaritaville Hotel Third Major Chain Could Land in Jekyll Island, Georgia; The Current Oceanside Inn and Suites, the First Hotel to be Built on the Island in 1958, to be Gutted and Replaced with a Holiday Inn Resort Wyndham Vacation Ownership and Margaritaville Hospitality Group to Develop First-Ever Margaritaville Vacation Club Resort; Wyndham St. Thomas, a Margaritaville Vacation Club Resort Will Open Late in 2014 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a Redevelopment of the Former Grand Beach Palace Resort Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Partners with Interior Designer Genevieve Gorder to Create New Hotel Prototype and Brand Identity; Updated Hotel Architecture and Interiors to Debut in Q4 2013 Intelity Plans to Put the Globe on ICE HITEC 2013 to Tackle Cyber Security and Digital Money in Keynote Sessions; Agenda Set for the Conference to Occur June 24-27 in Minneapolis, Minnesota Vista Capital Company Closes $7,700,000 of Financing for the Staybridge Suites in Indianapolis, Indiana Heather Turner Joins DiNapoli Capital Partners as Managing Director and Principal Pegasus Solutions Names Rick Huntley Vice President, Human Resources; Seasoned Executive Tapped to Guide Ongoing Global Expansion Plans What Does the Future Hold for Event Planners? Visit The Inspiration Café Guest-tek and Airwave Bridge the Gap Between Continents to Deliver the Latest in In-Room Technology from Shore to Shore Khalaf Al Habtoor to be Awarded with Lifetime Achievement Award at Arabian Hotel Investment Conference; AHIC 2013 To Occur May 4-6, 2013 in Dubai Beth Stehley Named Industry Partner of the Year by the Massachusetts Lodging Association Expedia Reports Increase In Spring Break Travel Nationwide for 2013; Solid Travel Demand and Increasing Average Daily Rates for the Month of March P.K. Mohankumar, the New Managing Director and Chief Executive of India's Ginger Hotel Chain, Describes the Company's Expansion Plans, Profitability and Challenges at a Time When the Indian Mid-Market Hotel Segment is Rapidly Expanding West Palm Beach, Florida Commissioners Give Preliminary Nod to Conversion of Local Golf Course into Destination Resort with Hotel, Cottages & Spa Inland American Real Estate Trust Acquires the 159-room Andaz San Diego in California for $53 Million, or Approximately $333,000 per key; Hyatt will Continue to Manage the Boutique Hotel Owned and Managed by Rainbow Hotel Group, the 95-room Courtyard by Marriott is Set to Open this Month in Oneonta, New York Paramount, the Historic New York City Theater District Hotel, Completes its Year-Long $40 Million Re-Imagination Aqua Hospitality Set to Re-Open the Historic Volcano House, Big Island, Hawaii; The National Park Service and Owners, Ortega Family Enterprises, Completing $7 Million Renovation of the 33-room Property Crestline Hotels & Resorts Appointed Management of the 148-room Courtyard by Marriott Washington D.C./Dupont Circle Rim Hospitality Selected to Manage the 489-room Marriott Oakland City Center and the 162-room Courtyard by Marriott Oakland City Center in California Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Appoints Brett Orlando as Regional Director of Operations for the Brand's Three South Florida Hotels White Lodging Names New General Managers for Five Properties in Texas and Tennessee Kenny Hunsberger Named as Executive Chef for the Newly Renovated Loews Don CeSar Hotel in St. Pete Beach, Florida March 18, 2013 Today's Foodie Generation - Millennials are Three Times the Gastronauts Their Parents are and Their Appetites are Changing the Culinary Landscape Celebrating Centennials: A Look at Three Legendary Hotels Then and Now; The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris and Gstaad Palace in the Swiss Alps Turn 100 in 2013 Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey Rescinds Layoff Notices Sent to More Than 1,400 Employees; Notices were a legal formality in advance of the pending $20 million sale to California based Meruelo Group Revel Reset: New Interim CEO, Jeff Hartmann, Back in the City Where he Started with His Abilities to be Tested, Charged with Turning Around Casino Beset by Weak Revenue and Bankruptcy Caesars Entertainment, Gansevoort Hotel Group and Victor Drai to Open 188-key Boutique Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip; Gansevoort Las Vegas Will Open Early in 2014 Following a $185 Million Renovation Replacing Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon West Sacramento, California Officials Support Plan for the Development of the $131 Million Marriott Hotel and Conference Center Near Raley Field Baseball Stadium Hyatt Purchases Driskill Hotel in Austin Texas; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Have Updated 187 Hotels in the Last Two Weeks with Changes in Personnel, Property Management or Ownership Northview Hotel Group (NVHG) Acquires The Beach House, a 202-room Holiday Inn Resort, on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina Leisure Real Estate Advisors Announces the Sale of the Best Western Kansas City Inn - Kansas City, Kansas UniFocus Lyncs Partners With Our Dedicated Teams Worldwide iRiS Software Systems Launches iRiS Manager Allowing Hotels to Manage all iRiS Guest Service Applications from One Central Platform Paramount Lodging Advises on Sale of Four Michigan Hotels on Behalf of LNR Partners PolyU Study Finds Climate Key to Improving Tourism Demand Forecasts; Builds Forecasting Model to Investigate How Climate, in Comparison to Economics Factors, Affects Tourism Demand As the Nearby Mall of America Proceeds with $225 Million Expansion Project, the 500-room Radisson Blu Hotel Opens in Bloomington, Minnesota; The $137.5 Million Hotel is the First to be Linked by Skyway to the Mall Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts Expands into Latin America with Opening of the 248-room Waldorf Astoria Panama The 539-room Courtyard by Marriott Hong Kong Sha Tin Opens; Owned by the Nan Fung Group Starwood Hotels' Aloft Brand Debuts in Silicon Valley in California with the Opening of 123-room Aloft Cupertino; Owned by Shashi Corporation and Managed by Azul Hospitality Group Autograph Collection Expands U.S. Portfolio with Addition of Three New Properties; Welcomes Hotel Blackhawk in Davenport, Iowa and, in California, Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa, and San Francisco's Hotel Adagio The 110-room Holiday Inn Express Romulus/Detroit Metro Airport Opens in Michigan Following Multimillion Dollar Renovation Kana Hotel Group Selected to Manage Five Properties in Alabama and Texas; An Additional Three to be Added Q2 2013 Hotel Equities Assumes Management of the 72-room Lake Lanier Suites Hotel in Gainesville, Georgia White Lodging Takes Over Management of the Marriott Fairfax at Fair Oaks in Virginia; Scott Paradine Appointed as General Manager Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Appoints Michael Andrew as Vice President and General Counsel Elizabeth Derby Promoted to Vice President of Hotel Operations for Hotel Equities March 15, 2013 The Coming Bubble Could be Ugly / Joel Ross Evolution of Hotel Survey: From Pushing Paper to Post Stay Emails, Online Reviews Now Trumping It All Revel's Bankruptcy Could Jeopardize its $261 million in Future Tax Breaks; Casino Looks to Satisfy Group of Creditors with Rights to Future Tax Breaks but Bankruptcy is Grounds for Default, State Could End Agreement The 10 Biggest Mistakes Shopping Centers Make When Adding a Hotel / Jim Butler A Social Signal for 2013: Is Google+ Where it's at? / Pamela Whitby Manhattan Lodging Market: Why ADR Growth is Lagging Behind the U.S. Average / Jonathan Jaeger Genting Group, Revises Vision for Miami, Florida, Opting for Phased Approach, Moves Forward with Site Preparation; Scaled-Down Development Plan Calls for 500-room Luxury Hotel Ameristar Casino Hotel of East Chicago in Illinois Wants Better Odds at Lower Taxes; Wants County to Stop Taxing 10 Floors of Non-Existent Rooms, Potentially Overstating Value by $21.5 Million Trigild, Blu Hotel Investors and Pacifica Real Estate Group (PREG) Acquire the 121-room Santa Ana Hampton Inn & Suites in California; Trigild Will Manage the Property, Spearheading Planned Renovations With No Other Bidders at Foreclosure Auction, Florida's 963-room Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Returns to Lenders Who Are Owed $195 Million Homewood Suites by Hilton Opens Three New Properties in Q1 2013; The Hotels are in Victoria, Texas, Carle Place-Garden City, New York and Springfield, Virginia Hyatt Hotels, Chesapeake Lodging Trust, and Real Hospitality Group Open the 185-room Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South; A Debut for Hyatt Place in NYC, the Hotel is Under the Leadership of General Manager Jason Crotto Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hampton Hotels Open Dual-Branded Property in Huntsville, Alabama; The 77-suite Home2 Suites and the 98-room Hampton Represent the Brands' First Joint Build Hotel Worldwide With Medical Tourism on the Rise, Manila's Sofitel Philippine Plaza Unveils Vietura, the First Health and Aesthetic Center Inside a Hotel in Asia California's Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina Completes $2 Million Redesign of its 348 Bay Tower Guest Rooms March 14, 2013 Choice Hotels International CEO and President, Stephen P. Joyce, Shares Global Perspective of the Hospitality Industry; Stresses the Importance of Technology, Stating "I've come to understand I'm not just in the hotel business, I'm in the technology business" Kevin DeSanctis Out as Revel Atlantic City Head, Former Mohegan Sun Executive, Jeffrey Hartmann, Moves In Real Hospitality Group's Director of Corporate Responsibility Speaks at the United Nations; Partnering to Stop the Trafficking in Women and Girls Panel hosted as part of the 2013 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to Develop the 210-room Fairmont Quasar Istanbul to Open in Turkey in 2016; Project is a Joint Venture with Viatrans - Meydanbey as Part of the Mixed-Use Development Quasar Istanbul Complex Kerzner International and Triangle Development to Develop and Operate a 150-room One&Only Resort in Kumbor, Montenegro; A Debut in Europe for One&Only Resorts Regent Hotels & Resorts to Open the 95-suite Regent Bali in Indonesia in June 2013 Goodbye, Sahara; Hello, SLS Las Vegas; Dome is Gone, Sign is Gone, Only Remaining Hint of the Old Sahara are Columns While SBE Spends $750 million Creating a Swanky New Resort Chesapeake Lodging Trust Completes Acquisition of the 185-room Hyatt Place New York Midtown South for $76.2 million, or Approximately $412,000 per key; Real Hospitality Group Selected as Manager The Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association Endorses Plan to Raise Hotel Taxes to Help Fund the Roughly $400 Million Renovation of the Miami Dolphins' Stadium The Plasencia Group Advises the Verandah Group on the Disposition of Five New Orleans-Area Hotels; The Plasencia Group sells three Courtyards, a Springhill Suites and a Residence Inn to Summit Hotel Properties on behalf of The Verandah Group RateGain Strengthens its Middle East Region Presence with eMarketkeys Restel Selects Quadriga's Sensiq for Nine Properties in Finland to Drive Enhanced Guest Satisfaction Lodging Interactive Expands Reach to Australia; Partners with Technology 4 Hotels to bring its coveted GRS to hotels across Australia and New Zealand Newmarket Service Optimization Helps Transform Alpenhof Lodge; HotSOS solution featured on "Hotel Impossible" on Travel Channel Ontario, California's Hospitality Market Grew Substantially in 2012 Exceeding 2011's Economic Impact by $88 million New 128-room Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Abacoa, Florida to Open Next Winter Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Majid Al Futtaim Properties Open the 481-room Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel Owned and Managed by Texas Western Hospitality, the 120-suite Residence Inn by Marriott is Set to Open this Month in Odessa, Texas Sun Development and American Resort Management Set to Reopen the Maui Sands Hotel & Waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio; The 300-room Hawaiian Themed Property Completes its Renovations Red Lion Hotels Corporation Signs Franchise Agreement for the 61-room Inn & Suites in Kennewick, Washington; Owned by Sandhu NW Hospitality Prestige Hospitality Group Selected to Manage the 116-room Baymont Inn & Suites in East Windsor, Connecticut Lato Boutique Hotel in Heraklion, Crete, Greece Completes Extensive Renovation Project Huntington Hotel Group Completes the Renovation of the 215-room Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham in Overland Park, Kansas March 13, 2013 U.S. District Judge Enters Final Judgement on Lawsuit Dating Back to 2006 Against Eleven Online Travel Firms; 173 Cities to Divide $55 million in Damages, Further, OTA's Will Have to Remit Taxes on Retail Room Rates Going Forward The Rainmaker Group Named Top 40 Innovative Technology Company; Selection Based on Automated Revenue Management Software and Service Solution for Improving Slot Performance Surprise Tribute Given to Rossi Ralenkotter, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO, Marking Forty Years of Service as a Leading Tourism Authority in the United States Protecting the Integrity of the EB-5 Investment Market / Jim Butler Why Now is the Time to be Buying Hotels in Europe / Zachary Schwartz Room Tax to Fund Planned $520 million Expansion of the San Diego Convention Center Upheld / Lori Weisberg Listen and Learn: 10 Top Trends and Tips for Social and Mobile in 2013 / Pamela Whitby Designed in 1817, Historic Palace Next to St. Isaac's Cathedral Set for Rebirth as the Meticulously Restored Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace St. Petersburg, Russia; Martin Rhomberg Opening General Manager Rumors Confirmed, The Related Group and sbe to Develop the SLS Brickell in Miami, Florida; The 450-condo, 133-room Hotel and Residences Will Open in 2015 Hotel Guests in India Paid 7% More for Hotel Rooms in 2012, According to Hotels.com's Hotel Price Index (HPI) The Historic 144-room Partridge Inn in Augusta, Georgia Is Up for Online Auction to Occur April 15-17, 2013; Business is Continuing as Usual for the Circa 1836 Private Residence Which Has Been a Hotel Since 1892 New Orleans Achieves 9.01 Million Visitors in 2012, the Highest Visitor Numbers in Nearly 10 Years; Visitors Spent a Record-Breaking $6 Billion, the Most in New Orleans' History Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Presents Business Strategy, Key Initiatives and Outlook to Investors Latest Technology to Allow Students at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida to Manage Hotels Virtually; The Virtual GMs Will Use the Performance Management Intelligence (PMI) Software Suite Created by d2o The 120-room Holiday Inn Express Veracruz Boca del Rio Opens in Veracruz, Mexico; The New-Build Hotel Opens Following a $10 Million Investment by Grupo Hotelero Latinoamérica Best Western International Opens Ten New North America Properties in February 2013 The 193-room Ethan Allen Hotel in Danbury, Connecticut Completes First Phase of its Three-Phase Multi-Million Dollar Renovation Project; The Hotel is Managed by Hay Creek Hotels StepStone Hospitality Completes Renovation of the 103-room Hampton Inn Boston-Braintree in Massachusetts Canada's 64-room Magnolia Hotel & Spa in Victoria, British Columbia Completes Renovation Marshall Hotels & Resorts Adds Three Management Contracts; Two in Manhattan and One in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey Blue Sky Hospitality Recognizes General Managers with Awards for Outstanding Performance in 2012; Jenna Beckstrand of the AmericInn, Litchfield, Minnesota Receives General Manager of the Year Award Sonesta International Hotels Corporation Appoints Jane Colby as Global Account Director CSM Lodging Names Robert Baker as Director of Sales for the Residence Inn by Marriott in Mesa, Arizona White Lodging Promotes Nikki Thomas to Regional Director of Sales & Marketing March 12, 2013 The Global Hotel Industry: Big, Beautiful and Branded? An analysis of over 2,100 hotel groups representing over 60,000 hotels in over 180 countries globally / Part One / Warwick Clifton RoamingAround Proving that Boosting Cell Service is Boosting Guest Satisfaction; After adding the Roam Boost in-building cellular solution, the 330-room hotel has improved its cellular service to guests, removing dead spots and improving call clarity and data coverage MICE Sales Enquiry Study Reveals Performance Gaps throughout Asia-Pacific Region; Research identifies issues in responsiveness, service and follow-up U.S. Lodging Growth Continues Despite Federal Economic Malaise Carlson Rezidor Honors Top Performing Hotels, General Mangagers and Employees for the Radisson and Park Inn by Radisson Brands Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Closes on Acquisition of Crowne Plaza Riverfront and the DoubleTree by Hilton in St. Paul, Minnesota; The Hotels Totaling 700 Rooms, to be Managed by Graves Hospitality, Will Undergo Renovation and Possible Rebranding Summit Hotel Properties Closes on Marriott-Branded Portfolio of Five Hotels in Louisiana for Approximately $135 Million Wedding Trends for 2013 - What's Hot - What's Not; Destination Hotels & Resorts Reveals 2013 Wedding Trends as Observed by its Properties Total Number of International-Brand Hotel Rooms in Russia is to Double by 2018 According to KPMG Report Sarova Hotels upgrades centralized distribution with RateTiger enterprise connectivity solution; Hotel group integrates two-way channel connectivity into PMS PSAV Maximizes Audience Engagement with the Debut of Its Interactive Video Wall Jupiter Hotels Upgrades Its Quadriga Internet And Entertainment System to Incorporate High Speed WiFi Across 2,900 Rooms Expedia Reports Top Five Conversion Tips for 2013; Suggestions to Maximize a Hotel's Relationship with its Online Travel Agency Hawaii's Hoteliers Kick Off 2013 with Record Revenue of $328 million, an 11.3% Increase in Rates and RevPAR Climb of 13.7% in January; Occupancy Grew to 80.7% Los Angeles County Tourism Rises, Setting New Record with $16.4 billion in Tourist Spending From Trashed to Treasure, Mike and Chris Nelson Prepare to Open the New Northern Hotel in Billings, Montana: Originally Built in 1902, Restoration Tooks Years of Planning Savvy Developer Could Return Anderson, Indiana Hotel to Former Popularity; The Shuttered 156-room Garden Inn, Currently Owned by M3 Hotels, Will Be Sold through a Bankruptcy Auction Abu Dhabi National Hotels and Ritz-Carlton Open the 532-key Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, the First Ritz-Carlton in Abu Dhabi Accor Expands in Southeast Asia, Signing 3 New Build Hotels in Myanmar; The MGallery Hotel in Naypyidaw and the Novotel Hotel in Yangon will Open During 2013 while the Novotel in Mandalay is Scheduled for a 2015 Opening Marriott International to Open the 266-room JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa on the Private Island of Sacca Sessola in the Venetian Lagoon; The Property will Operate Under a Management Agreement with an Affiliate of Aareal Bank AG with a 2014 Opening Planned Starwood Hotels & Resorts Nearly Doubled its Global Luxury Footprint in Last Five Years through St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, and W Hotels Worldwide; Starwood Holds First Luxury General Managers Summit Starwood Hotels & Resorts to Open 50 New Hotels Across the Middle East and Africa in the Next Five Years; On Track to Reach Milestone of 100 Hotels in the Region by 2015 The 81-suite Candlewood Suites Birmingham/Homewood, Alabama and the 84-suite Candlewood Suites Manhattan, Kansas Open; Helping Brand Surpass 300th Hotel Milestone with 75 Hotels in its Pipeline The 123-suite Home2 Suites by Hilton Opens in Augusta, Georgia Cobblestone Hotels Opens the 32-room Cobblestone Inn and Suites in Harvey, North Dakota Brothers Roscoe and Richard Williams Open the 101-room Hampton Inn and Suites in Prattville, Alabama Florida's Omni Amelia Island Plantation Completes its Extensive $85 Million Re-Imagination; The 16-Month Renovation and Expansion Project Added 155 New Rooms Bringing the Property to a Total of 404 Guestrooms Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort Undergoes $17 Million Transformation; Phase One Scheduled for Completion April 2013 Owner, Sunflower Hospitality, Selects Driftwood Hospitality to Manage the New-Build 122-suite Cambria Suites Miami in Florida; A Late Summer 2013 Opening is Planned Vail Resorts Appoints Michael Barkin as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Destination Hotels & Resorts Hires Darrin Osborn as National Sales Manager for the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington Jamey Dempsey Named as Senior Sales Manager for the 1,417-room Hilton Orlando in Florida March 11, 2013 GIC Real Estate Completes Acquisition of Three Iconic Waldorf Astoria Resorts with No Impact to Existing Management Agreements; Hilton Worldwide’s Waldorf Astoria Brand Continues to Operate the Arizona Biltmore, the Grand Wailea Resort and La Quinta Resort & Club Vizergy® Next Generation Hotel Web Management Platform Makes Hoteliers' Lives Easier; New Upgrade Accommodates Complex Needs by Simplifying Management of Online Presence Face-to-Face Will Never Become Obsolete / David Brudney 2012 Construction Report North America; 21 Hotel Waterpark Resorts Opened in 2012 in USA / Jeff Coy Hawaii's Visitor Growth Prompts Warning for New Development; Without More Building it's Hard for Tourism to Grow Architect Confirmed for New 150-Room Hotel in Yonkers New York; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 147 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database How Real Are the Challenges to Dethrone Google as the King of Hotel Distribution? / Max Starkov Hyatt Affiliate Acquires the 189-room Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas for Approximately $85 Million; The Historic Circa 1886 Hotel will Undergo a Two-Year $8 Million Renovation Deep Freeze on Hotel Development in Metro Atlanta Begins to Thaw with New Projects on the Horizon As the Economy Improves, Hotel Chains Boost Loyalty Point Requirements to Book Free Rooms Evelyn and Batista Madonia Sr., Owners of the 261-room Red Rose Inn in Tampa, Florida, File for Bankruptcy Protection The Liquidation Sale of the Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel and Convention Center Opens Thursday, March 14th at 10:00 a.m. Sale Conducted by NCL/ National Content Liquidators, Inc.; Building Coming Down and Everything Must Go! Hotel Assets Group Continues Pace of Closing One Hotel Transaction Every Seven Days VOC Systems Helps Orlando's Sheraton Vistana Resort Achieve Record Performance Through Mid-Stay Knowledge of Guest Experiences Renaissance Dallas Hotel in Texas Breaks Ground on Multi-Million Dollar State-of-the-Art Meeting Facility; The 14-Month Project, Scheduled for a June 2014 Completion, is Projected to Produce Nearly $10 Million in Revenue in Year One Sonship Hospitality Developing a $25 million Homewood Suites Oceanfront Resort & Conference Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the First New Hotel in Four Years New Courtyard by Marriott Project Signals Changes for Madeira Beach, Florida; Developer & Property Onwer, Steve Page, Expected to Break Ground on 90-room Hotel this Spring Hyatt Hotels and Cap Vermell Hotel Proyectos y Promociones, S.L, to Develop the Park Hyatt Mallorca; The 142-room Resort Hotel will Open in Mallorca in 2015 Owned and Managed by Avista Hotels XI, the 160-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is Set to Open this Month in Orlando, Florida Hilton Worldwide Opens the 289-key Conrad Beijing in China The 75-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Opens in Athens, Alabama; Owned by BCS-FFI Lodging and Managed by Omega Hotel Group Rachel Harrison Appointed as Chief Marketing Officer for Island Outpost, the Resort Group in Jamaica Owned by Chris Blackwell The 375-key Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Welcomes Two New Members to its Group Sales Management Team; Names Winnie Boussicaut as Senior Sales Manager and Nicole Smith as Group Sales Manager Tina Crawford Appointed as Executive Spa Director at The Ritz-Carlton Spa Orlando, Grande Lakes in Florida Russell Michel Named as Executive Chef at The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa in Tucson, Arizona New Castle Hotels and Resorts Appoints Daryl MacDonnell as Executive Chef for the Keltic Lodge Resort and Spa in Ingonish Beach, Nova Scotia Florida's Bohemian Hotel Celebration, Part of The Kessler Collection, Welcomes Chef Jason Shenefield as Executive Chef March 8, 2013 Shifting Sands: Guest Management Systems Are in a Long Period of Transition / Jon Inge Donald Trump Gutting Florida's Doral Golf Resort and Spa to Rebuild and Rebrand Property as Trump National Doral; $250 million Renovation to be Staged Over a Two Period How Much Does it Cost to Build a Las Vegas Strip Resort? Here's a look at the cost, size and scope of some of Las Vegas' most iconic properties Vail Resorts Reports Fiscal 2013 2nd Quarter Net Income of $60.6 million Compared to a Net Income of $46.4 million in the Year Ago Quarter; Lodging RevPAR Up 1.5% New Report Identifies the Trends Set to Shape Next Ten Years of Travel; Predicts Strong Growth in Outbound Asian Travel and Emergence of Relatively Unknown Cities in Developing Markets as New Travel Destinations HTNG's Most Innovative Hospitality Technology of 2012 Award Given to the Personal Media Network from Quadriga; Runners Up Were Enseo's HD4000 Cable Solution and Mobile Key Trio from OpenWays Hotel Developer has Sights Set on The Westinghouse Castle in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania; The Circa 1890 Turreted Limestone and Sandstone Building Once Served as the Headquarters of the Westinghouse Air Brake Co. Hotel Developer Richard Kessler Unveils Plans for Plant Riverside Site in Savannah, Georgia; The 160-room Grand Bohemian at Historic Power Plant Will Anchor the $100 Million-Plus Redevelopment of the Waterfront Property San Diego's Hoteliers Win Round One in Court Fight with Mayor Bob Filner Over Tourism Marketing Funds / Lori Weisberg How to Buy a Hotel Handbook - - Hotel Lawyers Announce New Book Release / Jim Butler Leisure Real Estate Advisors Announces the Sale of the Hampton Inn - Manhattan, Kansas RateGain Expands its Reach in East Africa; RateGain makes inroads into East Africa through partnership with Barefoot Consultancy Quadriga Americas Introduced Following Final Integration of NXTV Brand Into Quadriga Worldwide Pinnacle Advisory Group, Inc. Expands Its Asset Management and Acquisition Due Diligence Services HFTP Sydney Australia Chapter on the Horizon U.S. Traveler Sentiment Rises Above Pre-Recession High; New Survey Points to Positive Outlook for Travel Industry Heading into the Busy Summer Season After Being Stalled for Two Years, Work to Begin on the $15 Million Hotel Indigo Project in Traverse City, Michigan With Nearly 1,500 Hotel Rooms Currently in the Works, Another New Hotel Planned for Downtown Charleston, South Carolina DoubleTree by Hilton Begins 2013 with Three More UK Hotels, Entering Agreements for Sites in Bristol, Edinburgh and Nottingham; Brand on Track to Reach 25 UK Hotels During 2013 The Taj Group Opens the 189-room Vivanta by Taj in the Millennium City of Gurgaon Marking the 100th Hotel in India for The Taj Group The 184-room Holiday Inn Express Philadelphia E - Penn's Landing Opens in Pennsylvania Following a $4 Million Renovation and Conversion; The Hotel is Owned by Delaware Waterfront Associates and Managed by Growth Properties Hospitality Management FairBridge Hotels Expands East Coast Presence with Two New York Properties; Adds the 54-room FairBridge Inn and Suites in Highland Falls and the 122-room Hudson Valley Hotel and Conference Center by FairBridge to Portfolio The 68-room La Pensione Hotel in San Diego, California Joins R.A. Rauch & Associates' Portfolio of Boutique Hotels Hyatt Hotels Appoints Alex Zoghlin as the Company's First Global Head of Technology Hilton Worldwide Appoints Don Willingham as Vice President, Brand Performance Support and Sales, for the Hilton Garden Inn Brand Starwood Hotels & Resorts Appoints Global and Division Sales Leaders with Plans for Expansion in Emerging and Developed Markets; Names Asad Ahmed as Vice President of Sales for the Europe, Africa and Middle East Division, and Alice Harrington-Caravello as Vice President, Global Corporate Sales Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Makes Personnel Appointments Around the Globe Sage Hospitality Appoints James Franks as General Manager for the 303-room Hilton College Station Hotel and Conference Center in Texas March 6, 2013 OpenWays' MOBILE KEY TRIO Recognized Among the Top Technology Innovations of 2012 by HTNG Hospitality's Mobile Expert Asks: How Guest-Centric is Your Mobile Strategy? Today's travelers expect hotels to deliver upon their mobile expectations; RoamingAround brings 'everything mobile' to hotels The Concierge Gave Me the Finger and I Loved it / Roberta Nedry Navigating the Labyrinth of Measuring Learning Objective Achievement / Jim Hartigan Airlines Versus Hotels in the Battle for the Best Pricing Strategy; Pricing it right is challenging at the best of times but do hotels have a smoother ride than the airlines when it comes to pinning a number on deal or fare? / Ritesh Gupta Tourism Tidbits: New Ideas for Marketing Your Brand / Dr. Peter Tarlow Marriott's Autograph Collection to Debut in Germany with the 87-room Hotel am Steinplatz in Berlin; The 100 Year Old Hotel, Owned by DG Steinplatz 4 GmbH, will Re-Open Later in 2013 Following Extensive Renovations Final Phase of $90 million, 10-Year Transformation Begins for the 1,499-key San Francisco Marriott Marquis in California Hilton Worldwide Enters Myanmar Signing Management Agreement with LP Holding Co., Ltd for First Hilton Hotels & Resorts Branded Hotel in Yangon; The 300-room Hilton Yangon will Open in 2014 Meetings Focus Relaunches Website; Reconfigures Print Brand; Meeting planning trade publishing company implements massive changes in core products ULI Presentations Available on Adding a Hotel to a Shopping Center or Mall / Jim Butler Need a More Complete Snapshot of Guest Reviews From All Channels and Surveys? Integration of ZDirect's survey engine with ReviewPro's online reputation management solution is enabling hoteliers to view all public comments and query results in one comprehensive dashboard Novotel Tests Quadriga's LobbyFriend in Five European Properties to Drive Enhanced Guest Communication Crestron TSW-550 Touch Screen Offers Stunning Graphics in a Smart Phone-sized Design; 5-inch TSW-550 completes TSW family Stanley Rattner, President of Desarrolladora Parque la Sabana, and Hilton Worldwide Break Ground on New Hilton Garden Inn San José Sabana, Costa Rica Starwood's Hip Aloft Brand Set to Open its First Miami Area Hotel; Claudio Bono Opening General Manager for the 145-room Aloft Miami Doral Choice Hotels and Concord Hospitality Begin $40 Million Construction of the 182-room Cambria Suites Hotel in Washington, D.C. Accor Targets a Network of 400 Luxury/Upscale Segment Hotels by 2015, Up from its Current 300; Company Launches Maha Cipta Brand in Indonesia, the Second Adaptation of the Grand Mercure Brand Starwood Continues to Expand Portfolio in Latin America; On Track to Reach 100 Hotels, Up from the Current 71 in the Region, by the End of 2013 The 88-suite TownePlace Suites by Marriott Opens in Galveston, Texas; Owned and Managed by Propel Hospitality Management New York City's Historic Upper West Side Hotel Belleclaire Nears Completion of its Multi-Million-Dollar Multi-Phase Restorative Renovation; A Restored Facade, Renovated Guestrooms and New Public Spaces are Included for the 230-room Circa 1903 Hotel $6.5 Million Renovation Project Completed for the 305-room Crowne Plaza Miami International Airport in Florida Marshall Hotels & Resorts Promotes Michael E. Getzey to Chief Operating Officer Marshfield Hospitality and IDM Group Name Cory Latourell as General Manager for the Former Clearwaters Hotel in Marshfield, Wisconsin; A Renovation and Rebranding Project is Underway with a Summer 2013 Opening Planned Christophe Thomas Named as General Manager for the 553-room Palace Hotel San Francisco in California The 276-room AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center at The University of Texas at Austin Hires Amber Lamb as Senior Sales Manager and Olivia Gardner as Interactive Promotions and Marketing Manager Randy Reed Named as Executive Chef for the 792-room InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile in Illinois March 5, 2013 Genting Group Acquires Stalled Echelon Las Vegas Site; Plans to Develop $7 billion Resorts World Las Vegas; The First Phase will Include 3,500 Rooms for the Project which is Genting's Las Vegas Debut InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta Installs InvoTech Linen Tracking System to Reduce Costs; Advanced UHF-RFID Linen System Reduces Labor, Tracks 20,000 Items Daily without Hand Counting; T-Y Group Provides Linens with RFID Chips Installed for Instant Use National Marketing Agency Executive is Featured Speaker at Hospitality University; Joe Tamney, CEO of Boyd Tamney Cross, spoke at West Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association event. Topic was 'The 3 Rs: Strategies to Increase Revenue and Profits.' Second Year of Strong Growth Rates for North America; 5% rise in U.S. and Canada Outpaces 3% Global Increase, Which was Slowed by Eurozone Crisis According to Latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index European Hotel Transaction Activity Down During 2012 But More Properties Are Coming to the Market; According to 2012 European Hotel Transactions Published by HVS London TripAdvisor Names 2013 Travelers' Choice Awards for Hotels for Families Across the Globe; Number One in the U.S., Floridays Resort in Orlando, Florida Marriott Debuts MOXY HOTELS, an Economy Tier European Brand Aiming for 150 Hotels in 10 Countries by 2023; To Debut with a Milan, Italy Opening in Early 2014 One Stalled Project Gains Momentum but Many Abandoned Construction Projects Still Dot the Las Vegas Valley; Where are they now? Hickory Announces Landmark Consortia Rate Audit; Results Show Agencies Shopping Multiple Consortia See No Significant Gain Hotel Big Data Innovator Duetto Research Announces that Brad Gerstner Joins its Board ARDA Names Grand Pacific Resort Management as Finalist in 16 Categories Tat Meng Chee Joins PAR Springer-Miller; Hotel Professional to Lead Expansion in APAC JJW Hotels Set to Increase Online Bookings with RateTiger's Channel Manager; RateTiger's automated inventory distribution implemented across 23 JJW properties Warmbrodt Hotel Investments, Inc. Selected to Advise in the Sale of Two Value Place Properties in Augusta, Georgia MICROS Enables Louvre Hotels Group to Connect Directly to Google Arco Construction and Partner, Aparium Hotel Group, Plan to Convert Former Detroit Fire Department Headquarters into 80-room Boutique Hotel Lake Tahoe's Embassy Suites to Shed Name and Rebrand as an Independent; To be Known as Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel and Managed by PHR Management, Inc. Ogden, Utah's Marriott Hotel to no Longer be a Marriott Brand Property; Will be Renamed the Summit Hotel and Conference Center The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center in Texas Begins $60-Million 18-month Expansion and Renovation Project Starwood Hotels & Resorts to Open 50 New Hotels in Europe in the Next Five Years; Invests More Than $200 Million to Enhance Existing European Luxury Portfolio Carlson Rezidor Asia Pacific and Panorama Group Enter Joint Venture in Indonesia; To Develop 20 Radisson and Park Inn by Radisson Hotels in Indonesia Over the Next Seven Years IHG Signs MDA to Develop 15 New Holiday Inn Express Hotels in Russia by 2019; Agreement with Regional Hotel Chain (RHC), a Portfolio Company of VIY Management (VIYM) will Introduce the Brand to the Region Choice's Ascend Hotel Collection Adds Four Hotels to its Portfolio with an Additional 24 Slated to Debut in the Next Two Months Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts to Open the 57-key Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Bodrum in Turkey in 2014 Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Company Opens the 395-Room Yulin Petroleum Hotel in Yulin City, China; Owned by Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group Anantara Opens the 80-room Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa, the First Five Star Resort in China's Utopia Hyatt Hotels Corporation and White Lodging Services Open the 296-room Hyatt Place Austin Downtown in Texas The 153-room Holiday Inn Express Charleston Downtown-Ashley River Opens in South Carolina Completing a Multimillion Dollar Renovation and Conversion The 159-room Courtyard Long Beach is Set to Open in California this Month Sage Hospitality Partners with Inland American Lodging Advisor in a Management Contract for the 270-room Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa in Napa, California Migis Hotel Group Adds Two Ogunquit, Maine Hotels to its Management Portfolio Morgans Hotel Group Completes Renovation of the Mondrian Los Angeles in California Hospitality Management Corporation Appoints Gerald Morris as Vice President of Hotel Operations March 4, 2013 Florida Appellate Court Ruling on Non-Payment of Bed Taxes Could Lead to Hotel Chains Adopting and Creating Thier Own Online Model Avoiding Taxation Nobody Asked Me, But...No. 99; Hotel History: "Keyed-up Executives Unwind at Sheraton"; Creation of the Havana Hilton Hotel; Litigation Support Services; My New Book; / Stanley Turkel Service Excellence: Give What You Can With What You Have / Bryan K. Williams New Property Manager and General Manager for 418-Room Little Rock Hotel; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Have Updated 244 Hotels in the Last Two Weeks with Changes in Personnel, Property Management or Ownership Norfolk, Virginia and Gold Key PHR Hotels and Resorts to Take Another Shot at a $126 Million Hotel-Conference Center Downtown; Yet Dramatic Cuts in Defense Spending Feared as a Result of Sequester Could Cause the Heavily Subsidized Project to Fail Four Seasons to Debut in Spain with the 215-room Four Seasons Hotel Madrid; To be Developed through Partnership with Grupo Villar Mir's Inmobiliaria Espacio and Grupo OHL with Work to Begin in Q4 2013 With a Shortage of Hotel Rooms in the Country, Long-Neglected Government Buildings in Myanmar Provide Opportunity for Boutique Hotels Quadriga's Personal Media Network Wins HTNG's Most Innovative Technology Award 2012 HFTP Participates in Discussion of Hotel Technology Integration at the Annual Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin AH&LA Launches Women in Lodging (WIL) Connect National Competition; To Serve as Membership Drive for the WIL Initiative While Highlighting Women Who Work Across a Variety of Operational Areas Dubai Top Hotel Market Performance and African Countries' Risks to be Discussed at Arabian Hotel Investment Conference; Agenda Set for AHIC 2013 to Occur May 4-6, 2013 in Dubai Loews Hotels & Resorts and DRW Trading Group Celebrate Groundbreaking for the Loews Chicago Hotel; The 400-room Hotel will Open in Illinois in 2015 Six pentahotels to Open in Prague and UK Urban Centers in 2013; Group Expands to 22 Hotels Worldwide Twin Tier Hospitality to Rebrand the Hilton Cleveland East Beachwood Hotel in Ohio to the DoubleTree by Hilton Brand; The 404-room DoubleTree by Hilton Cleveland East - Beachwood Opens as of March 11, 2013 Two of the Largest Resorts on Florida's Amelia Island, the Omni Plantation and the Ritz-Carlton, Team Up to Draw More Tourists; Aiming to Add Value to the Island as Destination the Two Properties Complete Recent Improvements Totaling $165 Million Grand Hyatt Beijing at Oriental Plaza Completes Renovation of its 234 Grand Premium Rooms; Remaining 591 Guestrooms to be Transformed Over the Next Three Years MGM Resorts and AEG Reveal Plans to Build Privately Funded 20,000-Seat Arena in Las Vegas The International School of Hospitality, Las Vegas, Adds Industry Professionals to its School Advisory Board The UK's Oxford Brookes University School of Hospitality Management and InterContinental Hotels Group Win Partnership of the Year Award in Global Risk Awards 2013; Presented by the Institute of Risk Management Red Roof Inn Names Brendan P. Foley as Chief Financial Officer Compass Hospitality Appoints Olga Kovshanova General Manager for The Eugenia in Bangkok, Thailand Waterford Hotel Group Appoints Anthony Covino as General Manager of the 128-room Residence Inn by Marriott in Mystic, Connecticut March 1, 2013 Congress Misses Sequestration Deadline; Across-the-Board Cuts Will Directly Impact Travel and Tourism Industry Reports AH&LA Tom Staed, Longtime Daytona Beach Hotelier Instrumental in Shaping the Tourism Industry in the United States, Passes Away Red Lion Hotels Reports 4th Qtr and Yearly 2012 Results: Net Loss of $3.8 million Down Compared to Net Loss of $20.5 million Same Period 2011; RevPAR for Owned and Leased Hotels Increased 4.3% Morgans Hotel Group Reports 4th Qtr and Full 2012 Results: Qrtly Net Loss of $12.3 million Down Compared to a Loss of $17.1 million Same Year Ago Qtr; System Wide RevPAR up 7.2% / Hotel Operating Statistics Hospitality Properties Trust Reports 2012 Fourth Quarter and Year End Results; 4th Qtr Net Income of $18.5 million Down from Net Income of $30.7 million in the Year Ago Qrt; RevPAR Increases 3.7% DiamondRock Hospitality Reports 4th Qtr and Full 2012 Results: Qrtly. Net Income of $16.6 million up Compared to Net Income of $4.9 million for Same 2011 Period.; Qrtly. RevPAR Increased 3.9% / Hotel Operating Statistics HVS Publishes the 2013 U.S. Hotel Franchise Fee Guide: A Comparative Analysis of Hotel Brands Florida Circuit Court Rules in Favor of Online Travel Companies; OTC's are not subject to the application of lodgings taxes to their services Completing Action to Take the Company Private, China's 7 Days Group Holdings Limited Enters into Definitive Merger Agreement; Following the Transaction, the New Owners are a Consortium of New Investors Including Carlyle Asia Partners III and Sequoia Capital China Growth 2010 as Well as Several Existing Shareholders Interstate Hotels & Resorts Enters the United Kingdom with Acquisition of Sanguine Hospitality Management Platform; Interstate Increases European Portfolio to 51 Hotels Hunter Hotel Advisors Has Record Start to 2013; Executives point to field offices and renewed investor interest Travel Outlook® Premium Reservations Call Center Contracts with Nancy Greene's Cahilty Lodge in Sun Peaks, British Columbia for Improved Conversions and Superior Customer Service Westin Harbour Castle Amps Up Revenue Potential with ElevenBC for Mac; Integrating food and beverage services with their guest computing solution from Eleven allows Westin Harbour Castle to add value and generate revenue Clear Sky Software's Beverage Inventory Management System Helps Automate Beer, Liquor & Wine Inventory with Greater Efficiency and Lower Costs at Napa Valley Luxury Resort Shuttered for the Past Four Years, Historic 51-room Lighthouse Inn in New London, Connecticut Facing Tax Auction Vista Investments to Develop a 94-room Hampton Inn & Suites in Glendale, California Boomtown Casino New Orleans, a Pinnacle Entertainment Property, Breaks Ground on $20 Million 150-room Hotel Project Wyndham Hotel Group Takes Over Management of Eight U.S. Hotels Reflagging them Under the Wyndham Brand; The Hotels are Owned by FelCor Lodging Trust Hilton Worldwide and Saudi Egyptian Real Estate Development to Build the 257-room Hilton Cairo Nile Maadi in Egypt; An Early 2016 Opening is Planned Sonesta International Hotels Debuts in Panama with the Opening of the 304-room Royal Sonesta Hotel & Casino Panama; The Property is Managed by Colombia Based GHL Grupo Hoteles The 128-suite Homewood Suites by Hilton Orlando Airport Opens in Florida Marking the Milestone 35,000th Suite For the Brand; The Hotel is Owned by McKibbon Hotel Group Orlando Gateway HM and Managed by McKibbon Hotel Management Kimpton's 201-room Hotel Monaco in San Francisco, California Completes Renovation Hilton Worldwide Names Miguel Eugéne as Cluster General Manager of Two Hotels in Costa Rica; Responsible for the 202-room Hilton Papagayo Costa Rica Resort & Spa and the 169-room Hilton Garden Inn Liberia Airport Jennifer Choi Appointed as Director of Finance for the 350-room Kaua'i Beach Resort in Kauai, Hawaii; The Resort is Managed by Aqua Hospitality Steve Seeram Named as a National Sales Manager for The TradeWinds Island Resorts in St. Pete Beach, Florida Top 25 Read Articles - February 2013 Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts CEO, Kathleen Taylor, to Step Down Conversational Relevance: Hilton, Marriott and Four Seasons are the Most 'Relevant' Hotel Brands; New Study by Brodeur Partners measures brand resonance across thousands of online conversations, not just guest reviews Jonathan Propp, COO of Molinaro-Koger, Pleads Guilty to Illegal Hotel Flipping Scheme; He and Others Accused of Conspiring to Steal More than $20 million from Host Hotels & Resorts How to Buy a Hotel: Hotel Acquisition Checklist / Jim Butler A Fascinating Story of Institutional Failure and Systemic Problems in How the City of New York Does Business; A Response to the Audit of the Times Square Marriott Marquis / Paul Hanson How to Boost Your Ratings & Rankings on TripAdvisor and other Hotel Sites / Rob Fuggetta Stranger than Fiction? A Closer Look at the Molinaro Koger Criminal Convictions Regarding Deals with Host / Jim Butler A LinkedIn Prospecting Guide For Hotel Sales Managers / Tom Costello Two of the Most Important Phrases in Service Excellence / Bryan K. Williams, D.M. Federal Trade Commission Warns Hotels About Drip Pricing, or Resort Fees, but is it Enough? In a Letter Sent to Strategic Hotels & Resorts Board of Directors, Orange Capital, LLC, Owner of 6.25 million Shares of Common Stock, Urges Immediate Sale of Company Claiming Action Would Maximize Shareholder Value HVS's Annual Hotel Development Cost Survey Results 2012-2013 / Elaine Sahlins Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Responds to Public Letter from Orange Capital Urging Sale of Company Hotel Capitalization Rates Stabilize as Market Forces Create State of Equilibrium / Suzanne R Mellen 10 Vital Success Trends All Hoteliers Should Know / Robert A. Rauch Starwood Capital Group to Launch Two New Hotel Brands: Baccarat Hotels & Resorts and 1 Hotels & Resorts Meeting Planners Are Positive For 2013 / Robert Mandelbaum Clarifying Misunderstandings About Intangible Assets of Hotels / Anwar Elgonemy Forbes Travel Guide Announces its Annual Star Awards for 2013; 18 New Hotels, 5 New Restaurants and 4 New Spas Earn Five-Star Honors, including Big Winners in Southern California, and First-Time Five-Star Hotel Award Winners in Beijing and Rhode Island Encrypted Search on the Rise and the Demise of SEO: Is Google Removing Keywords to Push Paid Traffic? Pedro Colaco Alex Alt Appointed President of Sabre Hospitality Solutions; Chief operating officer takes on leadership role The Posh Brazilian Court in Palm Beach, Florida Latest of the Schlesinger Family's Hotels Facing Foreclosure HSMAI Names 2013 Americas Executive Committee and Board Of Directors; Leadership Represented by 35 Hotel and Partner Companies; Chaired by Barb Bowden, General Manager, Peabody Hotel Orlando So You Think You Want to Buy a Hotel? Well, NOW is probably the time to do it! / Jim Butler Garbage in – Garbage out...Five Tips to Improve Your Hiring Practices / Jim Hartigan February 28, 2013 Investor Caution Restrains European Hotel Values But Paris and London Show Rise; According to 2013 European Hotel Valuation Index (HVI), Published by HVS London How to Profit from the Micro + Visual Trend in Messaging; Buyer Persona Research Captures the Voice of Your Customer to Boost Sales / Julie Squires Strategic Hotels & Resorts Reports 4th Qtr 2012 Net Loss of $36.4 million Compared to Net Loss of $15.9 million Same Period 2011; Total U.S. RevPAR Up 4.9% Summit Hotel Properties Reports 4th Quarter and Full 2012 Year Results; RevPAR Increased 12.4% / Hotel Statistics Kimpton Group Holding Closes $203 Million Hotel Investment Fund to be Used to Acquire More than $500 Million in Hotel Real Estate Over the Next Three Years Hospitality Properties Trust Enters Letter of Intent for Investments with NH Hoteles in Latin America, Europe and the USA; Investments Total $375 Million on Ten Properties Fattal Hotels, Together With a Consortium of Investors, Enters Agreement to Acquire Queens Moat Houses (Germany) Holding GmbH Group; Portfolio Consists of 20 Hotels in Germany Totaling 3,600 Rooms For the Second Time in a Month, Culinary Union Members Plan a Picket Demonstration at Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas Pegasus Solutions Reports January Global Corporate Bookings Surged by +8% Over 2012; Leisure Market Rivals Performance with Substantial Gain in Global Booking Volumes Louvre Hotels Group upgrades distribution network using RateTiger enterprise connectivity solution; Leading global hotel group implements full 2-way connectivity to build revenue opportunities & extend distribution reach CSM Corporation Receives Prestigious Community Impact Award Two Value Places - Airline-Baton Rouge, LA & Harrells Ferry-Baton Rouge, LA - SOLD by Warmbrodt Hotel Investments, Inc. Costa Rica's Hotel Occupancy Rates Less than Stellar According to a Survey Conducted by the National Chamber of Tourism City of Baltimore Must Dip Into its General Funds for $1 million to Help City Owned Hilton Meet Debt Payments The 241-room Grand Plaza Hotel in Toledo, Ohio Joins Best Western Chain; Becomes the Best Western Premier Grand Plaza Hotel & Convention Center North Carolina's Charlotte Knights Baseball Team Plans to Build a 125-room Hotel Near its New Stadium; The BB&T Ballpark is Set to Open in April 2014 Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Increases Presence in Caribbean and South America; Recently Opened Park Inn by Radisson San Jose, Costa Rica with Five New Hotels Under Development in the Region Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Developing Three New Hotels in Canada Totaling 518 Rooms; Openings Planned for Two in Spring 2013 with the Third in Q4 2014 Urgo Hotels to Open the 219-room Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Oceanfront in Florida; Currently Under Development with a July 2013 Opening Planned The Bellagio in Las Vegas Completes $40 Million Remodeling of 928 Rooms in its Spa Tower; Completing the Final Phase of its $70 Million Renovation that Included the Main Tower and 3,387 Rooms Dow Hotel Company (DHC) Completes $16 Million Renovation of the Hilton Long Island/Huntington in Melville, New York; The 303-room Hotel is Owned in a Joint Venture Between DHC and Prudential New Owner, Fairwood Capital, Selects Davidson Hotels & Resorts to Manage the 418-room Little Rock Marriott in Arkansas; Property Conversion to Marriott Hotels & Resorts Brand Slated for Q2, 2013 Michael O'Shaughnessy Named as General Manager for Wentworth By the Sea Hotel & Spa in Portsmouth/New Castle, New Hampshire The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado Names Connie Dorsey to General Manager of The Ranch at Emerald Valley Noble House Hotels & Resorts Appoints Callie Cornell as Senior National Sales Manager for Gateway Canyons Resort in Gateway, Colorado February 27, 2013 HTNG Unites Leading Hotel Groups to Reduce Vulnerability of Customer Payment Card Information; HTNG Secure Payments Framework for Hospitality Reduces the Cost and Complexity of Securing Customer Payment Card Information and Satisfying Compliance Requirements Cloud PMS vs. Property-Based Systems: Why Savvy Independents Choose Maestro Cloud for Reliability, Data Security, Processing Speed, PCI Compliance; Maestro-Hosted Cloud Solution Delivers Lower Hardware Expense with Secure Data Protection, Less Maintenance Responsibility, Frees Staff to Manage the Hotel, not the System HSMAI Taps Into Vizergy® For Leadership Roles; President & CEO Joe Hyman Serving on Americas Region Board and Vice President of Sales Robert Arnold on Digital Marketing Board White Lodging, Developer of Austin's JW Marriott, Asks City to Drop Wage Audit Investigation: In Question is the Interpretation of Agreement Waiving $3.8 million in Fees if Construction Workers Are Paid Prevailing Wages The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Approves First Phase of $2.5 Billion Convention Center Overhaul; Three Phase Project Dubbed the Las Vegas Global Business District Will Be Developed Over Eight to 10 Years Starwood Capital Group Closes Transaction to Acquire Principal Hayley Group; Owning a collection of 23 landmark city centre hotels, dedicated conference and training venues across the UK and Europe Florida's Casino Resort Debate Ratchets Up Once Again Igniting Leaders: Join Aspire's Leadership Boot Camp: A One-of-a Kind Leadership Experience April 9-11, 2013 Intelity Achieves 35 Integrations and 35 Guest Services; ICE represents the highest number of integrations or services available from any company in the world Time to Lower the BAR for Good / Marco Benvenuti ZDirect Opens Office in Singapore; Martin Chua to Lead APAC Development; With hotel customers spanning six continents, the world leader in hospitality eCRM and eMarketing is extending its global reach to Asia Pacific and fortifying its sales team Digital Alchemy to Debut Bed and Breakfast eCRM Solution at 2013 CABBI InnSpire Conference; Shannon Bedard to present conference seminar offering helpful advice on developing profitable, long-term guest relationships with effective guest communication Bangkok Stepping Up Enforcement of Immigration Requirements Requiring Hotels to Report Foreign Guest Arrivals within 24 Hours or Face Fines Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Launches $17 Million Renovation and Conversion of the Circa 1926 Radisson Plaza - Warwick Hotel Philadelphia; The 301-room Radisson Blu Warwick Hotel Philadelphia Will Open in Pennsylvania by Late Summer 2013 Hyatt Affiliate and Affiliates of the Malca Family Form Joint Venture to Develop and Own Two Hotels in the Master Planned Community of Costa del Este in Panama City, Panama; The Properties will be Branded as a Hyatt Place and Hyatt House The 211-suite Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Midtown Opens; The Building was Formerly the Helmsley Middletowne Hotel in Operation from 1928 until May 2010 McKibbon Hotel Group Opens the 128-room Homewood Suites by Hilton Orlando Airport in Florida; Two Other Hotels Currently Under Development by McKibbon are Slated for Summer 2013 Openings Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Reports Strong Momentum in its Third Year of its Ambition 2015 Strategy; Global Portfolio is Now at 1,305 Hotels in Operation and Under Development Louis Group Celebrates Re-launch of Mykonos Theoxenia Hotel in Greece; The Hotel, Favored by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, has been Restored to its Former Glory Renovations are Complete for the 80-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott Waterford in Connecticut, Managed by the Waterford Hotel Group The Simon Konover Company Completes Renovation of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Roseville, Michigan The Hanna Family Selects InnSight Hotel Management Group to Manage the 128-room Windmill Inn of Roseburg in Oregon AH&LA Names Katherine Lugar as its New President and Chief Executive Officer; Lugar is Currently the Executive Vice President of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Loews Hotels & Resorts Promotes Constantine S. Dimas to Senior Vice President of Asset Management Marcus Hotels & Resorts Appoints Gerald Rappaport as General Manager of Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Leslie Johnson Named as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa and Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark Claudio Bono Named as General Manager of the Aloft Miami Doral in Florida Chef Kimo Akana Named as Executive Chef at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center in Colorado February 26, 2013 FCS i-Guest puts Mobile Key by OpenWays into the Hands of Guests; Together FCS and OpenWays are delivering convenient and personalized service upon arrival to mobile device-carrying travelers while hotels are achieving operational efficiencies, boosting loyalty and saving money Kirkwood Mountain Resort Selects Agilysys for Point-of-Sale Solution; Lake Tahoe Destination Resort Implements InfoGenesis POS System Forbes Travel Guide Announces its Annual Star Awards for 2013; 18 New Hotels, 5 New Restaurants and 4 New Spas Earn Five-Star Honors, including Big Winners in Southern California, and First-Time Five-Star Hotel Award Winners in Beijing and Rhode Island Caesars Entertainment Q4 2012 Loss Widens to $469.7 million, More than Double the Year Ago Quarter Loss of $220.6 million; Closures During Hurricane Sandy Impacted Revenue Social Media, Customer Relevance and the Explosion of Big Data: A Formula for Driving Customer Engagement and ROI / Eric Magnuson Opened in 1941, El Cortez Becomes Las Vegas' Only Still Standing Casino and City's Oldest Hotel Operating Under the Same Name to Become a Member of the National Register of Historic Places Tennis Pro Andy Murray to Break into the Hotel Game in Scotland; Acquires the Cromlix House in Dunblane Pacific Hospitality Group Launches Meritage Collection with Four California Hotels and Resorts in Napa Valley, Newport Beach, Santa Barbara, and La Jolla Despite Competitive Hotel Environment Prague Witnesses a 6.3% Growth in RevPAR in 2012; According to Jones Lang LaSalle's Prague Hotel Intelligence Report The Secret is Out: Grand Pacific Resort Management No Longer "Best Kept Secret" in Timeshare Management; Growing Company Adds Three More Resorts in 2013 Newmarket Experiences Significant Growth in Turkey Hospitality Market La Quinta Announces Latin American Expansion With Development Agreements For Cities In Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua And Panama; La Quinta Joins with Grupo Santos to Open Eight Hotels - First in Tegucigalpa, the Capital City of Honduras Lodging Interactive Facebook Widget Linking Guest Reviews from Website to Wall; Hotels can now leverage the power of Facebook to take even more control over their online reputations Swisscom Hospitality Boosts its Technical Operations and Major Accounts Management in the Americas; Aggressive Growth Program in the Americas Continues Revenue Management Systems vs. Channel Managers / Jean Francois Mourier Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC) Participating in "Bidding For Good" Online Auction to Support Victims of Hurricane Sandy Kimpton Hotels & Resorts Plans Upscale 158-room Boutique Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Developed by HKS Holdings and Owned by Chicago Street Holdings, Property Expected to Open in 2015 Hilton Worldwide and Hamad Abdulaziz Almousa Trading Group to Develop the 158-room DoubleTree Al Khobar Corniche in Saudia Arabia Marriott International to Open the 162-room Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil; The Hotel Project, Under Development with Rio Ave Ltda., is Scheduled to Open in Q2 2014 Rezidor to Open the 379-room Radisson Blu Sheremetyevo Airport Hotel, Moscow; A Q2 2014 Opening is Planned for the Hotel Owned by the Norwegian Company Wenaasgruppen The 138-room Hotel Indigo Hong Kong Island to Open in May 2013 Accor Plans Expansion in Africa, Adding 5,000 Rooms There by 2016; Aims to Open 35 Hotels in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2020 The 103-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott to Open in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; A May 2013 Opening is Planned for the Expansion, Renovation and Conversion of the Former Best Western Hotel RIU Hotels & Resorts Begins Complete Renovation of the 639-room ClubHotel Riu Gran Canaria in Gran Canaria, Canary Island; The Hotel will be Closed from April to July 2013 During the $26 Million Project Comprehensive Renovations are Underway for the 792-room InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile in Illinois; The $12 Million Dollar Complete Renovation of 477 Guest Rooms and Corridors is Slated for Completion in March 2013 Hyatt Hotels Opens the 269-key Park Hyatt Busan in Korea California's Sacramento Hotel Association Elects New Officers to its Board of Directors; Richard Hill, General Manager of the Sheraton Grand Hotel Sacramento, Named as President Akira Moreno Named as the First CEO for Ahn Luh; The Chinese Hotel Management Group Formed in Oct 2011 through a Partnership of GHM, Beijing Tourism Group, and Great Ocean Group Sage Hospitality Promotes Mike Harrison to Regional Vice President for Select Service Division New Castle Hotels and Resorts Appoints Maurice Alfaro as General Manager of the 170-room Hilton Garden Inn in Norwalk, Connecticut February 25, 2013 Stranger than Fiction? A Closer Look at the Molinaro Koger Criminal Convictions Regarding Deals with Host / Jim Butler Aptech BI, Accounting, and Forecasting Systems Selected by 4 Hotel Companies; Multi-Property Companies and Freestanding Hotel Operators Rely on Execuvue® Business Intelligence, Profitvue® Enterprise Accounting, and Targetvue Budgeting and Forecasting to Optimize Profitability, Strengthen Operations Ongoing Investigation of H.I. Development Corp., Operator of the Miami International Airport Hotel, Leads to Former Supervisor Admitting to Overbilling County Ten Ways to Spark a Better 2013 / Larry Mogelonsky Hotels Should Not Hide Their Phone Numbers And Email Addresses on Websites / Doug Kennedy Architect Named for 120-bed Staybridge Suites Hotel in Chandler, Arizona; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 134 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database BRS Ventures, an Affiliate of Pacific Hospitality Group, Acquires the 354-key Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, California Marriott on Merging Hotel Operations with Hi-Tech for the New Digital World Order / Pamela Whitby Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills Expands Technology with ICE Mobile First Hospitality Group Teams with ProfitSword for Business Intelligence and Reporting Platform Crestron 64X64 DigitalMedia Switcher begins shipping today; Largest Capacity DM® Switcher Yet Features 4K Support, All-New Blade I/O Expansion and Built-In Touch Screen for Easy Setup of Large-scale Digital AV Networks Gurgaon Emerges as a RevPAR Leader in India's Luxury Hotel Segment; 2012 RevPar Posted 22% and 27% Higher than the Five Star Segments in Mumbai and Bangalore Respectively Recent Proposals for Two Hotel Projects, Just the Latest of Many Upgrades in the Area, Lift Spirits in Niagara Falls, New York Tourism District; Officials Say the Market Calls for Up to 1,000 Additional Rooms in the Next Four Years With Tourism on the Rise, Major Infrastructure Projects are Launched for the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador; Hotel Development in the Capital, St. John's, to Add 700 New Rooms while the St. John's Convention Centre will Double in Size by 2016 New Hotel Boom on the Way in Florence, South Carolina; The Addition of 200 Rooms is Projected as High-Rise Hotels Group Begins Work on a Home2 Suites by Hilton While Raines Development Group Plans to Break Ground on a Second Property Grand Opening to Occur for World's Tallest Hotel, the 1608-room JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai; Soft Opening Occurred in November 2012, Yet More Secrets to be Unveiled on February 27, 2013 Julia Tate Properties Opens New $13 million Hilton Garden Inn in Preston, Connecticut; Chad Eaton Opening General Manager Ian Schrager Joins Forces with Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten for New Edition Hotel in Miami Westin Hotels & Resorts Opens the 215-key Westin Chennai Velachery in India Owned and Managed by BPR Properties, the 94-room Courtyard Salisbury is Set to Open in North Carolina Next Month North Carolina's "Mansion on the Hill" Joins DoubleTree by Hilton; Driftwood Hospitality Completes Renovation and Conversion Opening the 248-room DoubleTree by Hilton Raleigh-Durham Airport at Research Triangle Park The 598-key Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa Completes $5 Million Renovation Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Names Winners of its Inaugural Pebby Awards; Property Teams Chosen for Outstanding Accomplishments in 2012 Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Promotes K.B. Kachru to Chairman of the Hotel Group in South Asia, and Appoints Raj Rana to Succeed Him as Chief Executive Officer Thomas P. Bernardo Joins Choice Hotels International as Regional Vice President, Franchise Sales Alicia Wiley Named as General Manager for the 365-room Westin Buckhead Atlanta in Georgia Peachtree Hotel Group Names Brent LeBlanc as Senior Vice President Sonesta International Hotels Corporation Appoints Lisa McFarland as Global Account Director February 22, 2013 Hotel Industry Outlook for the Next Several Years Bodes Well for Hotel Investment Now / Jim Butler How Important is Mobile? New Research by Nucleus Reveals Mobile Web Browsing Leaps to 27.1% of Travel Websites Traffic with iOS Devices Dominating Gunfire and Deadly Crash Rattle the Las Vegas Strip; Will Incident Hurt Las Vegas Tourism? Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Reports Q4 and Full 2012 Yearly Results: Qrtly Net Income of $2.6 million Down Compared to $3.5 million Same Year Ago Quarter; RevPAR Climbed 5.8% / Hotel Statistical Data Chesapeake Lodging Trust Posts Q4 2012 Net Income of $7.5 million Compared to $2.9 million in the Same Quarter 2011; ProForma RevPAR Increases 5.5% / Hotel Operating Statistics Kazuo Okada Resigns from Wynn Resorts Board of Directors Caesars Entertainment Reverses Stance and Will Begin Charging Resort Fees Claiming Guest Requests Led to Change Orlando, Florida's Hotels Get A Promising Start for 2013 with January Showing the Best Growth in 14 Months; According to Smith Travel Research RevPar Jumped 10.6% in January 2013 Over January 2012 A Revitalized Downtown Orlando is Taking Shape; Poised for Next Wave of New Hotel Development HFTP Seeks Nominations for 2013 International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame; Honoree will be Recognized at a Keynote Session of HITEC 2013 (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference) in Minneapolis, Minnesota Hayman Revealed as Newest Hotel 'Hotspot' on the Great Barrier Reef Boutique 70-room Hotel Planned for Historic Circa 1904 Gumbel Building in Kansas City, Missouri; Developer Mark Patel Recently Acquired the Building with Plans to Spend $5 Million on the Transformation Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association Adds 95 New Properties to its Roster of Hotels; Properties Join Growing Roster of Distinctive Hotels Harvard Business School By Hospitality and Tourism Industry Club Conference Confirms Speaker Lineup for the Annual Student-Run Event to Occur on March 30, 2013; Lineup Includes CEOs of TripAdvisor and Dunkin' Brands United States Wine Exports Hit Record $1.4 Billion in 2012; Sales in China Up 18% to $74 Million Chesapeake Lodging Trust Repositions the 174-key Hotel Adagio San Francisco as it Joins Marriott's Autograph Collection; A Multi-Million Dollar Renovation of the Property was Recently Completed Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel Completes $30 Million Guest Room Redesign; The 807-room Hotel is Owned by Sunstone Hotels National Hotel on Miami Beach in Florida Nears End of Years-Long, Multi-Million Dollar Renovation; A True Family Affair, Owner Oversees Project She Began with her Father HRI Lodging to Manage the 131-room Hilton Garden Inn Baton Rouge Airport in Louisiana and the 105-room Hampton Inn & Suites Legacy Park-Frisco in Texas; The Two Hotels were Recently Acquired by Carey Watermark Investors U.S. Commerce Department Data Confirms 2012 as Record Year for Travel to the United States; Travel and Tourism Industry Exports Represent the Largest Service-Export Industry within the United States The Wilderman Group Appoints James F. (Trey) Campbell III as General Manager for Richmond Hill City Center in Richmond Hill, Georgia CSM Lodging Names Anastasia M. Owens as Regional Director of Field Sales and Marketing February 21, 2013 How Relevant are Nightclub Concepts? Nightclub & Bar Reports 2012 Revenue from the Top 100 U.S. Venues at $1.5 billion, Up 7% Over 2011 with Seven of the Ten Top Grossing U.S. Nightclubs in Las Vegas Kana Hotel Group Relies on Kaba ILCO Locks and Professional Service at 30 Properties; Kana Upgrades to ILCO 790 RFID Guestroom Locks for Security and Reliability An Overview of the Hotel Acquisition Process (30-page booklet) / Jim Butler 10 Vital Success Trends All Hoteliers Should Know / Robert Rauch, CHA Host Hotels Reports 4th Qrt 2012 and Full Year Results: Qrtly Net Income of $15 million Down from $16 million Same Period 2011; RevPAR Up 5.8% / Hotel Operating Statistics Orient-Express Hotels Reports 4th Qtr 2012 Adjusted Net Loss of $9.4 million Compared to Net Loss of $7.2 million Same Period 2011; Same Store RevPAR Up 7% Excluding Properties Closed for Renovations LaSalle Hotel Properties Posts 4th Qtr and Full 2012 Results: Qtrly Net Income of $10 million Up Compared to $.6 million in the Prior Year Quarter: RevPAR Grew to $154.88, an Increase of 3.8% / Hotel Operating Statistics Hersha Hospitality Reports 4th Quarter 2012 Net Income of $3.3 million Compared to a Net Loss of $2.8 million in the Year-Ago Quarter; Consolidated RevPAR up 12.8% for its 56 Hotels Despite a $1.22 billion 4th Quarter Loss, MGM Resorts CEO, Jim Murren, Optimistic for 2013 Marcus Corporation, Owners of the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Closing Paradise Landing Waterpark; Plan to Repurpose Space into Something More Upscale and Contemporary U.S. Travel Association Launches 2013 "Travel Blitz"; Grassroots Initiative Will Coordinate Travel Supporters to Engage Members of Congress and Reveal Travel's Deep Economic Impact in Communities Nationwide Red Lion Hotels Corporation Sells The Red Lion Inn Missoula in Montana for $1.95 Million; New Owners, RASM Properties, Sign Franchise Agreement with Red Lion IHG and Owner, Hotelaria Agisol Ltda, to Develop the 102-room Holiday Inn Express Marilia in Brazil; A Late 2014 Opening is Planned Wyndham Brand to Debut in Nicaragua with the 212-key Wyndham Milagro del Mar Resort on Nicaragua's Pacific Coast; Owned and Under Development by HB International, the Property is Scheduled to Open in 2014 Hilton Hotels & Resorts Continues Growth in UAE with the Opening of the 259-room Hilton Sharjah; Owners, Bin Otaiba Investment Group, Complete this Conversion of the Former Corniche Al Buhaira Hotel Owned by RockBridge Capital and Managed by Wischermann Partners, the 275-key Le Méridien Atlanta Perimeter Opens in Georgia; Completing its Comprehensive, 12-Month, $20 Million Renovation California's 368-room San Ramon Marriott Completes $2.5 Million Renovation to Create More Comfortable Public Areas Hotel Association of Canada Releases 2013 Travel Intentions Survey Results; Canadian Business and Leisure Travel Projected To Be Up By 2% in 2013 Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association (WH&LA) Welcomes New Directors, Dean Graunke and Ann Maletzke, to its Board Loews Hotels & Resorts Promotes Troy Furbay to Chief Investment Officer Hotel Equities Promotes Brad Rahinsky to Senior Vice President Sonesta International Hotels Corporation Names Frank Scannicchio Global Account Director John Erickson Named General Manager of The Resort at The Mountain in Welches, Oregon; The 157-key Mt. Hood Golf, Ski and Meetings Destination is Managed by Coastal Hotel Group GHM Appoints Andy Kunz as General Manager for The Chedi Chiang Mai in Thailand Tony Jones Named as Senior Corporate Sales Manager for the 127-key Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta in Georgia Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Welcomes Amy Hyde and Deborah Puccio to its Sales Team and Appoints Jose Castro as Director of Revenue Management The Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort Appoints Roberto Conrad as Executive Chef and Anders Olesen as Pastry Chef; The New 255-key Beachfront Resort is Set to Open in March 2013 February 20, 2013 Jonathan Propp, COO of Molinaro-Koger, Pleads Guilty to Illegal Hotel Flipping Scheme; He and Others Accused of Conspiring to Steal More than $20 million from Host Hotels & Resorts Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Responds to Public Letter from Orange Capital Urging Sale of Company Atlantic City, New Jersey' s Revel AC Reaches Agreement with a Majority of its Lenders with a Voluntary Prepackaged Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing, Restructuring with Debt-for-Equity Conversion; Normal Business Operations will Continue So You Think You Want to Buy a Hotel? Well, NOW is probably the time to do it! / Jim Butler Marriott Reports 4th Quarter and Full 2012 Results: Qrtly. Net Income of $181 million Up Compared to Net Income of $141 million in the Year-Ago Quarter; Worldwide REVPAR Climbs 5.2% for the Quarter and 6.1% for Full Year, Hotel Pipeline Increased to Nearly 130,000 Rooms MGM Resorts International Reports 2012 Q4 and Full Year Results: Qrtly Net Revenue of $2.3 billion the same as in the Year Ago Quarter; Domestic RevPAR Increased 2% Sunstone Reports 2012 4th Qtr and Full Year Results; Quarterly Net Income of $3.6 million Up Compared to $43K Same Period Prior Year; RevPAR Increases 3.6% for Quarter and 5.6% for the Year Chatham Lodging Trust Posts 4th Quarter 2012 Net Loss of $2.4 million Compared to Net Loss of $6.2 million Same Period 2011; RevPAR Increased 7.6% McCormick Place Officials Announced a 1,200-room Hotel, but Land Owner, JRM Technology Says There's No Deal and Have Already Invested Millions in Development of a Data Center on Site Is Your Hotel Prepared for a Social Media Crisis? / Daniel Edward Craig Flight Delays, Long Lines Predicted for Travelers Due to Sequester; U.S. Travel Association Urges Congress to Act on Looming Budget Cuts; Launches Mobile Messaging Campaign to Empower Travelers to Make their Voices Heard 88th Annual Hotel Ezra Cornell, a Student-Run Conference, Confirms Speaker Lineup of Hotel Industry Icons Set for April 4-7, 2013 Controlling Food & Beverage Inventory for Virginia Club Simplified and Streamlined with Clear Sky Software's F&B Inventory Management Software Carlsbad's West Inn & Suites Earns Spot on 2013 Tripadvisor's Top 25 Small Hotels & Motels for Families in the U.S.; Independent Boutique Hotel is Only San Diego Hotel and One of Two Hotels in California to Make the List Leisure Real Estate Advisors, LLC Arranges the Sale of Two Additional Bank Owned Hotels Appointments: eRevMax Expands Market Presence of RateTiger into the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Thailand Digital Alchemy Integrates with SpaSoft to Offer e-Marketing and Client Messaging Capabilities for Spas; Seamless integration allows day spas and hotel spas to benefit from consistent and professional e-marketing and eCRM communication platform ZDirect to Showcase its Two-Way Electronic Communication and Mobile Marketing Tools at ITB Berlin Newmarket Announces Full-Service Marketing Solution for Hospitality; Company forges strategic relationship with New Media Hospitality to complement its HRM (Hospitality Relationship Management) solution Orange County, California's Luxury Hotels Rebounded Last Year with the Average Room Over $200 Costing $295.86 a Night -- a 7.8% Increase Over 2011; According to PKF Consulting Report Revenue Per Available Room was Also Up by 8.8% Econo Lodge Hotels to be the First National Economy Hotel Chain to Promote Green Practices Across an Entire Lodging Portfolio; The Nearly 900 U.S. Properties will Implement Choice Hotels Room to be Green Program in 2013 AJ Capital Partners Acquires Anguilla's 55-room Malliouhana Hotel & Spa; Retains Auberge Resorts to Lead Renovation and Repositioning of the Resort USA Resorts and Hotel Group Acquires the Long-Vacant Reagan Hotel & Suites in Dixon, Illinois with Plans to Reopen it Soon as the Magnuson Hotel of Dixon Plans Get Preliminary OK for Development of Two Hotels and a Restaurant at Huff Lane School Site in Roanoke, Virginia; NDRA II, an Affiliate HMP Properties, to Build the Project 124-room Hotel Proposed as Part of Office, Hotel Complex at the Oakland Portal Project in the Oakland Neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Germany's Grand City Hotels and Wyndham Hotel Group Strike Strategic Alliance to Brand 43 Hotels; Wyndham Brand to Debut in Germany with Branding of First 33 Hotels to Start by March 1, 2013 The 100-room Westin Sacramento to Open in April 2013 in California; Owned by Urban Commons/Brighton Management, the Hotel Formerly Known as Le Rivage Hotel, will Undergo a $3.2 Million Renovation and Re-Flagging Hilton Worldwide Opens the 201-room Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon Baani Square in Gurgaon, Delhi NCR, India; The Hotel is Owned by the Baani Group Boomerang Hotels Opens the 43-room GuestHouse International Swiss Holiday Resort in Eureka Springs, Arkansas; The Newly Converted Property is Owned and Operated by Cam Hospitality Circa 1862 Funston House to be Added to Mix of Historic Accommodations Offered at San Franciso's Inn at the Presidio; Presidio Trust Continues to Rehabilitate and Transform the Historic Site Midas Hospitality Hires Stephanie Fischer as Director of Sales for the Comfort Inn - Central West End in St. Louis, Missouri Alison Genotte Named as the Catering Sales Manager for the 369-room Westin Westminster in Colorado February 19, 2013 A Fascinating Story of Institutional Failure and Systemic Problems in How the City of New York Does Business; A Response to the Audit of the Times Square Marriott Marquis / Paul Hanson TravelClick Hosts Complimentary Webinar on Q4 2012 Hotel Industry Trends; Webinar to feature Best Practices and Insights for 2013 and Beyond FelCor Lodging Trust Posts 4th Qtr 2012 Net Loss of $93 million Compared to Net Loss of $33 million in the Year-ago Quarter; RevPAR for its 65 Hotels Increased 4.8% for the Quarter / Hotel Operating Statistics IHG Reports Preliminary Yearly Results to December 31, 2012; Operating Profits of $614 million, up from $559 million from Year 2011; Global RevPAR Up 5.2% In a Letter Sent to Strategic Hotels & Resorts Board of Directors, Orange Capital, LLC, Owner of 6.25 million Shares of Common Stock, Urges Immediate Sale of Company Claiming Action Would Maximize Shareholder Value The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Plans Second Major Hotel for McCormick Place Area in Chicago, Illinois; The Agency is Acquiring Land for the $400 Million Project Insights From Women Inspire Launch of New Amenities and Services at Hyatt Hotels as a Result of the Largest Guest Listening Exercise In Its History After Recent Payments of Over $730 Million to Settle a US Justice Department Case, Online Gambling Giant, PokerStars, will Face Intense Regulatory Scrutiny when its Parent Company Seeks Approval to Buy the Struggling Atlantic Club Casino Hotel in New Jersey Two of the Most Important Phrases in Service Excellence / Bryan K. Williams Garbage in - Garbage out...Five Tips to Improve Your Hiring Practices / Jim Hartigan Hotel Pricing Trends and Parity Analysis for the week of February 06 - 12, 2013 in US and Canada Region InterContinental Hotels Group Selects Cloud-based MICROS Simphony for Next-Generation Point-of-Service for its UK Properties Warmbrodt Hotel Investments, Inc. Selected to Advise in the Sale of the Quality Inn Westport, Maryland Heights, Missouri Empower Your Human Resources Department with UniFocus State of Florida Tourism Hits Another Record Year; Visit Florida Report Shows 89.3 Million Visitors to the State in 2012, a 2.3 % Increase Over 2011, Also a Record Year Carey Watermark Investors Acquires Five Property Hilton Worldwide Branded Portfolio for Approximately $104 Million Accor Sells the 147-room Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg Under $151 Million Sale and Management-Back Agreement Xanterra Parks & Resorts Expands its Leisure and Travel Portfolio; Acquires The Grand Hotel in Tusayan, Arizona, the Adventure Travel Company, VBT (Vermont) Bicycling and Walking Vacations, and Expands its Windstar Fleet with Purchase of Three Cruise Ships Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois on Track for Summer 2013 Completion of its $110 Million Expansion and Renovation Project Upgrades are Underway at the Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Tampa, Florida; An August 2013 Completion is Planned New Castle Hotels and Resorts Names Matthew Mackenzie as General Manager for the 105-room Keltic Lodge Resort and Spa in Ingonish Beach, Nova Scotia Kevin Rosa Named as Director of Sales and Marketing for the 408-room Turnberry Isle Miami in Florida February 18, 2013 Alex Alt Appointed President of Sabre Hospitality Solutions; Chief operating officer takes on leadership role Essence, VingCard Elsafe's Invisible Locking System, Debuts At Luxury Hotel Bristol Vienna; 5-star Austrian hotel is first to feature guestrooms with hidden locks and access devices Clarifying Misunderstandings About Intangible Assets of Hotels / Anwar Elgonemy Dual-Branded Hotels - What every owner or developer should know / Jim Butler Southern New Jersey Hotel Revenue in 2012 the Best in Five Years; Statewide, Reported Revenue Up 10% New Ownership and Management for Luxury 220-Room Boston Hotel; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Have Updated 179 Hotels in the Last Two Weeks with Changes in Personnel, Property Management or Ownership 7 Tips to Differentiate Your Hotel Online / Pedro Colaco Group Buying Atlantic City's Trump Plaza, Meruelo Group, Plans to Spend More than $100 Million on Upgrades India's Hotel Leelaventure Tries to Script a Turnaround Story; Working to Pay off Debt by Selling Non-Core Assets and Finding Investors Opinion: An Alarming Decline in Caribbean Visitor Numbers Mandates Need to Formulate Policies to Reverse Decline and Implement Suitable Marketing Strategies / Adrian Loveridge With Other New Projects in the Works, Tourism Officials Back Off on Long-Time Push for 1,000-room Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina Cornell Studies Analyze Restaurant Marketing Strategies and Hospitality Industry Challenges PolyU Study Finds Travelers Look to Guidebooks for Information and Inspiration Opened Nearly 50-years Ago, California's Golden Door Undergoing Renovation and Restoration Under New Private Ownership / Bernard Burt Witham Family Partnership and DBL Enterprises Gain Approval for Redevelopment of Former Nursing Home Site into New 103-room Hotel in Bar Harbor, Maine Guy Harvey Outpost Resort Planned for Galapagos Islands; $8 million Project to be First New Property in Portfolio with an Opening Date of Early 2016 InterContinental Hotels Group Signs 13 New Hotels in India; Brings Total Pipeline in India to 47 Hotels Pueblo, Colorado Hotel Developer, AAA Hotels, Submits Proposal to Develop a 100-room Hotel at the Pueblo Convention Center The 277-room Holiday Inn Express Phuket Patong Beach Central Opens on Phuket Island in Thailand Kempinski Opens the Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi in India White Lodging Names New General Managers for Six U.S. Hotels and One Chicago Restaurant February 15, 2013 Conversational Relevance: Hilton, Marriott and Four Seasons are the Most 'Relevant' Hotel Brands; New Study by Brodeur Partners measures brand resonance across thousands of online conversations, not just guest reviews Bedbug Infestation Secrecy Bill Passes Oregon House; Bill Allows Pest Control Companies to Report Bedbug Contamination to County Health Departments Without Exposing their Findings to State Public Records Laws Atlantic City, New Jersey's Trump Plaza Casino-Hotel Purchased by Meruelo Gaming Holdings for $20 Million Global Real Estate Center - Trends to Watch in 2013 / Howard Roth New Jersey Senate President States the $2.4 billion Megaresort, Revel, Appears to be on Verge of Bankruptcy, Criticizes Casino Regulators for Oversight Hotel Lawyer in the Wall Street Journal on EB-5 financing for hotels / Jim Butler University of New Hampshire Lodging Executives Sentiment Index Continues to Climb; Reflecting Positive Opinions of the General Business Conditions for Properties Currently as well as 12 Months in the Future BPR Properties to Develop a 230-room Embassy Suites Near the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina Kelli O'Dell Joins Knowland as a National Sales Director; Dynamic hotel sales professional with over 20 years’ experience joins revolutionary business development firm to help hotels access additional meeting planner customers and overlooked group business What is the Fate of Faded Spokane, Washington Hotel? Restoration of Ridpath's Glory Days Adds to Mix of Ideas for the Property True ADR: The Next Generation of Revenue Management Metrics / Jean Francois Mourier Driftwood Hospitality Completes Conversion and Opens the 520-room Hilton Tampa Downtown in Florida; A $13 Million Renovation is Underway at the Property Best Western International Opens the 54-key BEST WESTERN Park Hotel in Warren, Ohio; The Historic Hotel, Built in 1887 and Remodeled in 2012, is Owned by Govind (Ashok) Patel New Owners, GSNP Florida, Launch Renovation and Re-branding of Former Wingate by Wyndham in New Tampa, Florida as the La Quinta Inn & Suites Tampa North; The Hotel will be Managed by Inspire Hotels, an affiliate of GSNP Florida Former Valet Parking Attendant, Marcus Latner, Named General Manager of the Lone Star Court Hotel in Austin, Texas; The Hotel, Set to Open in Summer 2013, is the Debut of the Valencia Group's New Hotel Concept Andrew Labetti Named as the General Manager of the Omni Berkshire Place in New York City February 14, 2013 hotel SystemsPro Continues to Enhance its hotel SalesPro Mobile Solution; In Wide Use Since 2009, hotel SalesPro Mobile is Upgraded to Provide Group Room Control and Function Diary Viewing; Sales People Use Handheld Devices to View Groups and Event Activity for Any Day AH&LEF Releases 2012 Lodging Tax Study; Provides Data on State Lodging Taxes and Tax Collections sbe, Stockbridge Capital and Daniels Real Estate Unveil $400 million Development Plans for the SLS Hotel Seattle South Boston Convention Center Board Picks Hotel Developer, Commonwealth Ventures, for $140 million Project to Develop a 330-room Aloft Hotel and 180-room Element Hotel at the Center Casino Control Commission Agrees to Allow MGM Resorts Opportunity to Retain its Ownership in Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Hotels Can Now Secure Assistance In Managing TripAdvisor® Reviews With New Online Reputation Management Program Offered By JC Communications, LLC Premier Capital Associates Arranges Financing for a Marriott Hotel Portfolio Seven New Hotels to Open by Q4 2014 in Costa Rica; Expanding Hotel Capacity there by 1,309 Rooms Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Expands to San Antonio, Texas with Adaptive Reuse Hotel in Historic Pearl Brewery Development; The 146-room Boutique Hotel will Open in 2014 Citigate Sydney in Haymarket, Australia Rebrands to Novotel Sydney Central; The 255-room will Undergo Renovation of Guest Rooms and Public Areas Developer T.R. Reddy to Start Work Next Month on New 118-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Augusta, Georgia Midas Hospitality Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for the 97-room Candlewood Suites-Greenville in South Carolina; A September 2013 Opening is Planned Riverfront Hotel Associates, with Approved Incentives in Place, Hope to Break Ground this Spring on $14.6 million Holiday Inn in Owensboro, Kentucky Starwood Hotels & Resorts Debuts the 294-room Westin Birmingham as Part of Alabama's Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex Michael Duggan Appointed as General Manager for the 77-room Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada Michelle Clement Named as Director of Sales and Marketing for W Dallas - Victory Hotel in Texas Prestige Hospitality Group Appoints Aaron O'Connor as Director of Food & Beverage and Christine M. Malay as Catering Sales Manager for the Clarion Hotel in Bristol, Connecticut; Completion of Current Renovations and Expansion of the Hotel is Slated for Q2 2013 Gordon Maybury Named Executive Chef of the 740-key Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort Executive Chef Hector Rosario and F&B Director Felix Vizcaino Join the Team of the Doubletree San Juan in Puerto Rico Huntington Hotel Group Announces Staff Additions and Promotions The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB) Hires Amy Brown as Director of Northeast Regional Sales and Shilpa Bakre as Senior Communications Manager February 13, 2013 Knowland Provides Industry First: True Mobile Sales & Catering from the Cloud; Innovative company has used multiple years of experience in the cloud in developing best of breed mobile solutions since 2011 Profiles in Success: Independents Use Creative Guest Engagement Strategies to Maximize Revenues, Reduce Costs with Direct Online Channel and Social Media Booking; High Touch Luxury T Bar M Resort Kicks Up Direct Booking Using Maestro ResWave with Campaigns That Generate Impressive Reservations Through Social Channels Flip.to Brand Advocate Platform Drives Direct Bookings for CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort; Independent hotel and waterpark turns to leaders in social marketing to increase website traffic and boost revenue Hyatt Hotels Reports 4th Qrt. 2012 Net Income of $16 million Compared to $52 million Same Period Last Year; RevPAR Increased 7.5% sbe to Break Ground on the 1,600-key SLS Las Vegas, a Fully-Integrated Resort and Casino Slated to Open Fall 2014 Summit Hotel Properties Closes on Acquisition of the 252-room Holiday Inn Express on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California; The $60.5 Million Purchase was Completed through a Joint Venture with an Affiliate of IHG Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Foundation's 2013 Industry Survey Shows Buyers Expect Better Year for Business Travel, but Rising Rates and Tough Negotiations Expected International Operations Remain a Concern for Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. HeBS Digital to Present on the Three Screens at EyeforTravel's Social Media & Mobile Strategies for Travel 2013 How Much is a Meeting Planner Worth? MEETINGScope: The Premiere Hospitality Survey Solution Designed Specifically to Distill Meeting Planner Feedback that will Increase your Bottom Line Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo Switches to Pegasus Solutions; Five-star Luxury Property Moves to Pegasus for Global Distribution and Sales Support The SmarTV Company joins the Preferred Hotel Group Alliance Partner Program as exclusive provider of in-room technology Lonely Road Warrior? Not So Much. New Four Points by Sheraton Survey Reveals Business Travelers Have a Real Need to Connect on the Road Tourism Becomes Saviour of Spain's Crisis-hit Economy Las Veags' Downtown Grand Gives Glimpse of its Renovated, Post-Lady Luck Look; Located on a private street, they can and will put gaming right out on the street Try Try Again - Urban Redevelopment Authority Makes Another Try for Hotel in South Oakland, Pennsylvania; Attempts at Securing a Developer to Build a Hotel at the Pittsburgh Technology Center Began in Late 2007 Bristol Hotels Signs Agreement to Build a $9 Million Hilton Garden Inn in Bristol, Virginia; A Late Summer 2014 Opening is Planned New 84-room Courtyard by Marriott Hotel Planned for Long-Vacant Factory Building in Niagara Falls, New York Lavasa Corporation to Open the 200-room Holiday Inn Lavasa in Mugaon, India by 2015 Holiday Inn Express in Ventura, California Moves Forward with Expansion Plans; Owners, the Harbor Island Hotel Group, Plan to Nearly Double the Number of Guest Rooms to 132 from 69 Completing Three Years of Restoration, the 122-room Sofitel Legend Cartagena Santa Clara Opens in Colombia The 120-room Holiday Inn Charleston Historic Downtown Opens in South Carolina; The Hotel, Owned by Tara of Charleston and Managed by Tara Investments is the Area's First New Hotel Development in Over 10 Years Swiss-Belhotel International Opens the 180-room Swiss-Belhotel Harbour Bay in Batam, Indonesia Embassy Suites Salt Lake/West Valley City in Utah Celebrates Grand Opening; The 162-suite Hotel was Developed by West Valley Lodging Initiatives and will be Managed by Renascent Hospitality Owned by Allstates and Managed by Marriott International, the 149-room Courtyard Washington DC Foggy Bottom/GWU is Set to Open Next Week Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta in Georgia Completes Extensive Renovation Choice Hotels International Opens 128 Hotels in Q4 2012; Adds 308 Hotels in 2012 William Grounds Elected to MGM Resorts International Board of Directors Sonesta International Hotels Corporation Names Martha Palacios as Global Account Director Castle Hotel & Spa Names Dawn Berry, LMT as Spa Manager at the New THANN Sanctuary Spa February 12, 2013 Encrypted Search on the Rise and the Demise of SEO: Is Google Removing Keywords to Push Paid Traffic? / Pedro Colaco Meeting Planners Are Positive For 2013 / Robert Mandelbaum A LinkedIn Prospecting Guide For Hotel Sales Managers / Tom Costello In a Dramatic Reversal, MGM Resorts International Now Seeks to Retain its 50% Share of Borgata; MGM Left Three Years Ago in a Dispute Over an Asian Partner's Fathers Alleged Ties to Organized Crime Choice Hotels Posts 4th Qtr 2012 Net Income of $24.5 million Compared to $24.8 million Same Year Ago Period; Domestic RevPAR Increases 4.2%; Executed 214 New Domestic Hotel Franchises for Q4 2012, a 67% Increase Over 2011 / Hotel Operating Statistics Ryman Hospitality Properties Reports 4th Quarter 2012 Net Loss of $14.9 million Compared to Net Income of $5.1 million in the Year-ago Quarter; RevPAR Declined 0.6%; Completes Restructuring of Assets and Operations to Facilitate Qualification as a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) / Hotel Operating Statistics Improving Market Conditions Shift Focus to Improved Products / Sebastian J. Colella Related Companies Could Give Jolt to Long Overdue Watson Island Development Plans in Miami, Florida; Non-binding Agreement Entered in Consideration of Joining Forces with Developer Mehmet Bayraktar to Complete the Estimated $800 Million Project Protecting Your Property: Ensure Proper Winterization and Avoid Costly Repairs / Mike Fitzpatrick Leisure Real Estate Advisors, LLC Announces the Sale of Staybridge Suites, Wichita, Kansas Milestone Internet Marketing Seeking Senior Client Services Manager Based in Santa Clara, California Crestron Introduces Versatile ENERGY STAR Amps for Conference Rooms, Classrooms and Boardrooms PSAV and BrainStrength Systems Offer White Paper Detailing the Effect Audiovisual Technologies has on Adult Learning in the Meetings Environment; First of a four-part White Paper looks at "The Learning Brain" Newmarket To Provide Mobile-Enabled Editions of Delphi Agenda Topics and Speakers Set for Hotel Technology Next Generation's (HTNG's) 9th Annual North American Conference to Occur February 26 - 28, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia Union Members Talk Strategy for Upcoming Negotiations with 41 Las Vegas Resorts Loews Hotels & Resorts Completes Acquisition and Rebranding of The Back Bay Hotel in Boston; The 225-room Property will Undergo an $8 Million Renovation John Q. Hammons' Courtyard Oklahoma City Downtown in Oklahoma Shows Off Phase One Renovation; Work on Phase Two Improvements for the 225-key Hotel to Begin in August 2013 The 148-room SpringHill Suites Dallas/West End in Texas Completes Renovation of Guest Rooms and Public Areas; The Hotel is Managed by Texas Western Hospitality The 81-suite Home2 Suites by Hilton Opens in Oxford, Alabama; Owned by Oxford Hospitality and Managed by Ascent Hospitality The 53-room Sleep Inn is Set to Open this Month in Clintwood, Virginia Hilton Garden Inn Brand Names Joshua Messer General Manager of the Year (Pacific Northwest Region) Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives Elect 2013-14 Leadership; Focus on Best Practices & Advocacy During Annual General Meeting Extended Stay America Names Terry Atkins as Senior Director of Marketing Communications Sage Hospitality Appoints Alan Feuerman as Director of Sales and Marketing for the 484-room Westin Cleveland Downtown; A Spring 2014 Opening is Planned Following the Completion of its $64 Million Renovation February 11, 2013 Federal Trade Commission Warns Hotels About Drip Pricing, or Resort Fees, but is it Enough? Holiday Inn Express Kennedy Airport Installs FlyteBoard to Provide Travel Confidence for Airport-Bound Guests; Flyte Systems' Accurate Real-Time Airline Schedule Display with Departure Gates Keeps Guests On Time Mexico Scrambles as Violence Threatens Tourism Zones; Despite an Estimated 70,000 Lives Lost Due to Violence Since December 2006, Officials Claim an Increase in Visitors of More than 20% How to Buy a Hotel: Hotel Acquisition Checklist / Jim Butler Onetime Casino Waiter, Tom Ballance, Now President of Atlantic City's Top Casino, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa HSMAI Names 2013 Americas Executive Committee and Board Of Directors; Leadership Represented by 35 Hotel and Partner Companies; Chaired by Barb Bowden, General Manager, Peabody Hotel Orlando RockBridge and Concord Hospitality Acquire the 167-room Renaissance Meadowlands Hotel in Rutherford, New Jersey; A $5.25 Million Major Renovation Project is Planned Golf Course Hotel and Spa Approved for Land Use in Franklin, Connecticut; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 200 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database The Liquidation Sale of The Burnsley All Suite Hotel opens Thursday, February 14th at 10:00 a.m. Sale will be conducted by NCL/ National Content Liquidators, Inc. Intelity's ICE Now Covers Five Continents Colin Clark, General Manager of Four Seasons Palm Beach, Florida, Reflects on Global Posts and Positions Spanning 22-years Vying for the License to Build a Second Casino in Philadelphia, Developer, Ken Goldenberg, Proposes a $500-Million Entertainment Center Called Market8 to Include a 168-room 12-story Hotel Hotel Market is Booming in Grand Forks, North Dakota; Lodging Tax Collections Up 11% for 2012 Over 2011 with 2012 Occupancy Rates 71.7%, Up 1.2% from 2011 Costa Hollywood, a Condo-Hotel Resort Village, to Break Ground in Hollywood Beach, Florida by March 2013 and Open by December 2014; The $180 Million Project will Include 304 Condo-Hotel Units Wyndham to Convert the Former Renaissance Grand Beach Resort in St. Thomas, The Virgin Islands to a Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Resort Construction Set to Begin on the 89-room Candlewood Suites in Tucson, Arizona The 101-room Marriott TownPlace Suites Under Development in Bowling Green, Kentucky is Expected to be Open by May 2013; Anderson Hospitality Group will Manage the Property Owned by David Chandler Following an Extensive Restoration Warsaw's Hotel Bristol Joins The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts; The Hotel, Owned by Starman Poland, is the Brand's First Hotel in Poland The 135-suite Residence Inn by Marriott in Cherry Creek, Colorado is Set to Open February 15, 2013; The Hotel is Owned and Managed by Stonebridge Companies Inversiones La Rioja, S.A. and Marriott International Enter Agreement for New 150-room Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Lima, Peru The Holiday Inn Brand Expands in Colombia with the Signing of the 187-room Holiday Inn Bucaramanga and the 98-room Holiday Inn Cucuta, Scheduled to Open in 2014 Best Western International Debuts in Kazakhstan with the Opening of the 196-room BEST WESTERN PLUS Atakent Park Hotel; Newly Constructed in the City of Almaty Hilton Worldwide Adds Four Hotels to its Portfolio in Australasia with the Signing of a Multi-Unit Management Agreement with BG Group of Hotels Australia; The Rebranded Properties Include Three DoubleTree Hotels and One Hilton Hotel & Resort in Darwin and Alice Springs, Australia Rollins College and The Olympia Companies Appoint Deanne Gabel as General Manager of The Alfond Inn, Opening in Winter Park, Florida in August 2013 Jim Curtis Returns to the 998-room Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Florida as Director of Sales & Marketing The 917-room National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia Hires Dyanne Lagman as Marketing Manager February 8, 2013 HVS's Annual Hotel Development Cost Survey Results 2012-2013 / Elaine Sahlins Richfield Hospitality Selects Vizergy® as Digital Marketing Provider; Company Recognizes Vizergy's Technology as a Competitive Advantage for Hotels Starwood Reports 4th Qtr 2012 Net Income of $142 million Compared to $167 million Same Period 2011; Worldwide System-wide RevPAR Up 4.1% / Systemwide Hotel Statistics John L. Williams, President and Chief Operating Officer of DiamondRock Hospitality, to Retire May of 2013 Cornell Study Finds High-End Hotel Transaction Prices are Moderating While Small Hotel Deal Pricing Continues to Increase The Posh Brazilian Court in Palm Beach, Florida Latest of the Schlesinger Family's Hotels Facing Foreclosure Brian Kramer Named the 2013 Tourism Person of the Year by the Clearwater, Florida Regional Chamber of Commerce; Kramer is the General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa The One Question Too Few Leaders Ask Any More…………. (Read on for the Answer) / Dr. John Hogan BW Belgium Achieves 5% Revenue Growth in 2012; Hospitality Solutions improves position for 55 properties utilizing RateTiger Dolce Hotels & Resorts Implements MICROS OPERA 9 Front Desk Mobile on iPad The Hotel Minneapolis, Part of Marriott's Autograph Collection, Gets a Tech-Makeover with ElevenBC for Mac; To add to their high-end amenities, Hotel Minneapolis adopts Eleven's world-class guest computers Cindy Estis Green, Author, Speaker, CEO and Co-founder of Kalibri Labs Joins Knowland's Board of Directors How to Boost Your Ratings & Rankings on TripAdvisor and other Hotel Sites Mori Trust Group and Marriott International to Convert the Gotenyama Garden Hotel Laforet Tokyo (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo) to Marriott Hotels & Resorts Brand; Property Expected to Reopen December 2013 Baltimore, Maryland to Welcome Boutique 18-room Hotel, The Ivy Hotel, Opening in Spring 2014 The Homewood Suites by Hilton Opens in Coralville - Iowa River Landing, Iowa; The 95-suite Hotel is Owned by Cantilever Hotels, LLC / Lincoln and Lisa McIlravy and Managed by Sagacity, Inc. The 122-room Courtyard Los Angeles Woodland Hills to Open this Month in California The Three-Year Multi-Million Dollar Renovation Project is Complete for the 149-room Sierra Nevada Lodge in Mammoth Lakes, California Jay Sigona Promoted to Vice President, Brand Operations for All Choice Hotels Economy, Midscale and Extended Stay Brands John Bonds Promoted to Senior Vice President, Strategy and Services for Choice Hotels International Choice Hotels International Promotes Mike Shemer to Vice President, Business Planning Armel Santens Named as General Manager of the 416-room Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida Konstantine Drosos Appointed as Hotel Manager of the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago Ana Gabriela Ramos Appointed as Director of E-Commerce for El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels and Azul Hotels by Karisma Catherine Salerno Returns to New Jersey as the Director Sales & Marketing for the 219-room Hamilton Park Hotel in Morristown February 6, 2013 Latest Hotel Tax Figures Show South Florida Hotels Rebounded More Quickly from the September 2001 Terrorist Attacks than from the Financial Crisis of September 2008 Presidian Hotels and Resorts Installs hotel SystemsPro System-Wide; Multi-Property Cloud-Based hotel SalesPro Keeps Presidian's Business Pipeline Organized, Enables Remote Account Access To Support Sales Managers in the Field Milestone Extends Winning Streak - Captures Multiple Adrian Awards for Design, Internet Marketing, and Social Media Strategies for Hotels Wyndham Worldwide Reports 4th Qtr 2012 Net Income of $81 million Compared to $56 million for Same Period 2011; Domestic RevPAR Grew 6% While System Wide RevPAR Increased 4% / Brand Operating Stats Starwood Capital Group to Launch Two New Hotel Brands - Baccarat Hotels & Resorts and 1 Hotels & Resorts; Five Hotel Openings Scheduled Over Next Twenty-Four Months in New York City, Morocco and South Beach, Florida Marriott International to Debut JW Marriott Brand in Bangladesh with the Signing of JW Marriott Hotel Dhaka; Enters Agreement with Jamuna Builders Limited to Operate the 700-room Hotel Chatham Lodging Acquires the 197-room Courtyard by Marriott Houston Medical Center for $34.75 million; Island Hospitality Retained as Management Firm TrustYou Appoints Travel & Tech Industry Veteran Alan Young Vice President of Strategic Partnerships; Young to Lead Charge on Company's Aggressive North American Growth Plans; Strategic Focus on Key Travel Sector Relationships with Educational Emphasis on Increasing Importance of ORM & Driving Results Digital Alchemy's Chief Executive Officer Appointed to HSMAI Americas' Board of Directors; As an HSMAI board member, Don Hay will contribute his vast knowledge of hospitality e-marketing and CRM to help hotels improve their sales, marketing and revenue strategies Denihan Gets the Duetto Edge; Denihan Hospitality Group's Portfolio Can Now Optimize Demand, Maximize Revenues and Minimize Expenses, With Duetto's New RMS Pegasus Solutions Names Craig Barnby Vice President, Product Services; Regarded Hospitality Veteran Brings Hotel Services Experience to Product Services Division Lodging Interactive Rolls Out eNewsletter Service for Hotels; The monthly eMail campaign provides valuable content and offers to guests while generating loyalty and revenues for hotels and brands The New York Palace in Manhattan, New York Begins Phase One of a $120 million Redesign; The Towers' 176 guest rooms to Undergo $25 million Makeover Phase One of Multi-Million Dollar Renovation is Complete for the 2,000-room Orlando World Center Marriott in Florida; Phase Two Currently Underway with a June 2013 Completion Planned Hersha Hospitality Trust Completes Sale of its Interest in the 92-room Courtyard by Marriott, Warwick, Rhode Island to its Joint Venture Partner Hard Rock International Plans to Open the 160-room Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs in California; A Fall 2013 Opening is Planned for the Collaboration with Kittridge Hotel Management Transforming the Former Hotel Zoso Best Western International Launches the 300-room BEST WESTERN Prima Inland Sea Resort in Malaysia Rezidor Opens the 154-room Radisson Blu Hotel, Maputo in Mozambique Apple Tree Group Set to Open 85-key Bagan Lodge in Bagan, Myanmar in April 2013 Red Lion Inn & Suites in Kent, Washington Officially Converted to Red Lion Brand Extended Stay America Appoints Victoria Plummer as Executive Vice President of Operations Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. Appoints Ralph Aruzza as Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Highgate Hotels Names James Marino General Manager of the Lexington New York City Elite Island Resorts Names Two General Managers - Hugh Robertson for Long Bay Beach Resort & Villas in Tortola and Mark Grebby for St. James's Club Morgan Bay, Saint Lucia; Additional Team Members were also Named Stephane Mercier Named as General Manager for the 306-key Conrad Miami in Florida Waterford Hotel Group Appoints Chris Chiappa as General Manager for the 80-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Waterford, Connecticut The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado Names Nicole Northrop-Jost as Director of National Sales Great Wolf Resorts Appoints Andrew Pena as Director of Sales and Catering for the 605-key Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas Trump Ocean Club International Hotel & Tower Panama Names Javier Salcedo Gomez as Food and Beverage Director and Patrick Maurin as Executive Chef February 5, 2013 Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts CEO, Kathleen Taylor, to Step Down Robert-Gaymer Jones, CEO, Sofitel Hotels, Speaks on Whether the Glass Ceiling Really Exists for Women in the Hospitality Industry; An HVS Executive Search Video Small Hotel Owners Worry About Impact of ADA Pool Accessibility Rule; Money isn't there to Keep Up with Every Regulation The New Kid On The Wok - Doing Business in China / Chris Anklin & Dan Voellm Sofitel Signs Three Management Contracts in Asia-Pacific; To Open Properties in Wellington, New Zealand, Bali, Indonesia and Shenyang, China by Mid-2014 2013 is Shaping Up to Be a Banner Year for Thailand's Hotel Industry with an Estimated 3,919 New Rooms Projected by Year-End Niagara Falls, New York Leaders Seek Vegas-Style Destination Casino Complex; Hope for a New Casino on Non-Indian Land to Spur New Hotels, Restaurants and More Family-Friendly Attractions to the Area Chatham Lodging to Rebrand its 105-room Washington, D.C. Hotel to Residence Inn; Enhances Capital Structure by Refinancing Debt Hotel Companies Merge to Form Powerful Alliance; Merged Company consists of development, construction and management groups INDRA Brings Hospitality ERP to U.S.; Hospitality industry veteran Connie Rheams leading business development effort Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center Contracts with The Historic Plains Hotel, Cheyenne, Wyoming for Improved Conversions and Superior Customer Service Do Your Managers Know How to Optimize Your Labor? The K Club Resort & Spa Near Dublin a "Top 500 Hotel in the World" for 2013, Travel + Leisure Magazine The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, the Largest Convention Hotel in Los Angeles, Selects PSAV for Event Technologies Global Gaming Solutions Selects Cloud-based MICROS Simphony for Remington Park Swisscom Hospitality Continues to Strengthen its North American Business with New Appointments The Experiential Virus On Hospitality / Osvaldo Torres Cruz The 2,956-room LVH - Las Vegas Hotel & Casino to be First to Join Red Lion Hotels' New Leo Hotel Collection HHM, Formerly Hersha Hospitality Management, and Hyatt Hotels Prepare to Open the Newly Built, 178-room Hyatt Union Square New York Sintel Hotel Group Plans to Build a 95-suite Hotel in Columbus, Ohio Near the Ohio State University Campus; The Company Also Owns the Nearby Holiday Inn Express The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts Opens the Newly Built 80-key Vana Belle, a Luxury Collection Resort, Koh Samui in Thailand TownePlace Suites by Marriott to Open Next Week in Clute, Texas; The 52-suite Hotel is Owned and Managed by Tourist Promotion Services Highgate Holdings, LLC and Felcor Appoint Jeff David as Managing Director of the Soon to Re-Open Landmark Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City Hyatt Key West Resort and Spa in Florida Appoints Joel Bunde as General Manager and Braedan Quigley as Director of Sales and Marketing MetWest Terra Hospitality Names Jim Gerney as General Manager of Toll House Hotel in Los Gatos, California True North Hotel Group Promotes Mike Egan to Regional Vice President of Sales Noble House Hotels & Resorts Appoints Elizabeth Grillos as Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, A Newly Created Position in Support of the Company Growth Gregg Marzano Joins Gulph Creek Hotels as Vice President Business Development Destination Hotels & Resorts Names Marnie Hock as Regional Director, National Accounts Michal Sabata Named as Director of Food & Beverage for the 500-room International Palms Resort and Conference Center Cocoa Beach in Florida Megan Inglis Named as Conference Services Planning Manager for the 199-room Chattanoogan Hotel in Tennessee, Managed by Benchmark Hospitality International HSMAI Foundation Names 2013 Board Of Directors; Chaired by Vail Brown, Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing, STR IACC-Americas Names New Gen Y Board Associate, Anthony Kubanin February 4, 2013 Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas to Expand with Five New-Build Properties in Five Countries with Completion by 2016; Brand Growth Occurring Under New Leadership, with Wolf Hengst as Executive Chairman and Neil Jacobs as Chief Executive Officer of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas Westin to Open Eleven New Properties in 2013 Bringing the Brand's Total to 200 Hotels; The Majority to be in International Markets Including China, Panama, India, and Singapore Amherst, New York Grapples with Hotel Boom After Nearly a Decade of Dormancy Wynn Resorts Reports the Nevada Gaming Control Board Concludes Allegations by Okada Regarding Donations Unfounded; Federal Court Dismisses Derivative Action Against Wynn Resorts and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) Recommends Wynn Shareholders Vote to Remove Okada from Wynn Board Richfield Hospitality and Shelbourne Falcon Investors Acquire the 161-room DoubleTree by Hilton in Burlington, Vermont Affinity Gaming Completes the Sale of Three Nevada Casino Properties to Truckee Gaming; Truckee Acquires the Sands Regency Casino Hotel in Reno, Gold Ranch Casino and RV Resort in Verdi, and the Dayton Depot Casino New Property Manager For 405-Room Green Bay Hotel; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Have Updated 265 Hotels in the Last Two Weeks with Changes in Personnel, Property Management or Ownership Ways to Make Your Making an "Ordinary" Tourism Industry "Extraordinary" without Spending Additional Money / Dr. Peter Tarlow Hotel Assets Group Closes 5 Hotels in January IHOP® Renews Merchant Link Contract Through 2017 Newmarket Expands Sales Presence in Latin America TravLynx Endorses RateGain for Competitive Rate Intelligence Solution Integration with InnLink's CRS Ayres Hotels to Begin Construction on a 169-room Resort Hotel in Paso Robles, California Hospitality Industry Strong in Billings, Montana with Five Hotels in the Works Owners of The Lodge at Whitefish Lake Propose Boutique Hotel for Downtown Whitefish, Montana Regent Group Ends Contract with IHG for the 560-room Holiday Inn Resort Regent Cha-am; Property Renamed Regent Cha-am as Ownership Group Decides to Go it Alone Built in 1852, the Historic National Hotel in Jackson, California Gets a Luxurious Makeover The $168 Million Renovation Project Underway for the 2,019-room Hyatt Regency Chicago to be Complete in April 2013 The 66-room Wingate by Wyndham Tulsa Opens in Oklahoma The Atherton Hotel at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma Now Managed by OSU Alumni; The University and its School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration Enter Agreement with Persimmon Ridge Properties, Owned by Alumni Gentner Drummond and Tom Atherton The 343-room Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa Completes Resort-wide Renovations Per AQUUM Names Nigel Pace as General Manager of NIYAMA Maldives Maxaida Marte Appointed as General Manager at the 35-villa Balcones del Atlántico, Dominican Republic Provenance Hotels Consolidates Portland, Oregon Area Sales Team and Hires Dani Boss as Portland Area Director of Sales; Promotes Chris Bebo to Regional General Manager Overseeing the Hotel Lucia and the Governor Hotel Justin Todd Named as Director of Sales & Marketing for The St. Regis Aspen Resort in Colorado Chef Michael Farrell Welcomed as Executive Chef for the 343-room Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa February 1, 2013 Hotel Capitalization Rates Stabilize as Market Forces Create State of Equilibrium / Suzanne R. Mellen Fourth Quarter GDP Goes Negative: Should Hoteliers be Worried? / Mark Woodworth and Jamie Lane Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited and MGM Resorts International Form 50/50 Joint Venture for Development and Operation of an Integrated Resort Complex in the Greater Toronto Area Starwood Capital Group Completes Sale of Four Groupe Du Louvre Hotels In France to Constellation Hotels Holdings Ltd; Terms of Transaction Were Not Disclosed; Hyatt Hotels Will Manage All Four Properties Going Forward Constellation Hotels Holding and Hyatt Hotels Corporation Enter Management Agreement for Four Hotels in France; Properties will be Converted to Hyatt Brands Beginning in April 2013 Adding 1,700 Rooms to Portfolio Wynn Resorts Reports 4th Quarter 2012 Net Income of $111.4 million Compared to $190.5 million million Same Quarter 2011 Wynn Resorts to Begin Construction on its $3.5 billion Macau Resort on the Cotai Strip on February 11, 2013 Casa del Zorro in Borrego Springs, California, Shuttered Since 2010 After a $7 million Renovation, Sells for $2.4 million / Lori Weisberg Pegasus Solutions Reports Leisure Trips Outpaced 2011 in Fourth Quarter; December Brought +4.3% More Global Leisure Bookings than 2011 as Rates Held Firm New Edition of Managing Front Office Operations Features Online Component CSM Corporation Makes Major Donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities; Largest corporate contributor to Ronald McDonald House Charities Upper Midwest Advisory: Reed Exhibitions, Promoters of the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show Scheduled this Weekend in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has Postponed the 2013 Show Indefinitely Hotel Developers Who Checked Out During the Great Recession in Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts Checking Back In Proposed Bankruptcy Sale of Fort Worth Sheraton to Prism Hotels & Resorts Stalls Starwood Completes Sale of Dual-Branded Aloft and Element Lexington Hotels in Lexington, Massachusetts to Rockwood Capital for $36 million; Paramount Hotel Group Retained as Management Firm In Preparation for the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC 2013) Organizers Hold Briefings to Discuss Key Industry Updates and Statistics for the Saudi Arabian Hotel Market; AHIC 2013 to Occur May 4-6, 2013 Martinez Hotels & Resorts Open Ireland's First DoubleTree by Hilton Following a $9.5 million Renovation; Formerly The Morrison Hotel, Now Known as The Morrison Dublin, a DoubleTree by Hilton John Neeley Promoted to Vice President of Information Technology for Outrigger Enterprises Group Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Appoints John Matkovich as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Radisson Plaza - Warwick Hotel Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Morgans Hotel Group and CLIFT Appoint Molly Breth as Director of Events and Conference Services Top 25 Read Articles - January 2013 HSMAI Names the Top 25 Minds in Hospitality Sales and Marketing for 2012 2013 Best Hotels Rankings Released by U.S. News & World Report; Expanded Rankings Include Best Hotels in the Caribbean and Best Hotels by Brand Bed Bugs are Out of Control: Preventing Greater Risks and Protecting Your Property / Christian Buckhout TripAdvisor Names America's Top 10 Hotel Spas; Survey Reveals 30% of U.S. Travelers Planning a Start the New Year with a "Rejuvenation Trip" AAA Adds Nine Hotels and Four Restaurants to Five Diamond List for 2013; A Total of 125 Luxurious Hotels and 53 World-Class Restaurants Across North America Attain the Travel Authority's Highest Property Rating 5 Stars vs. 4 Stars: Focus on Five Star Service in 2013! / Bryan K. Williams, D.M. Revenue Management Challenges for 2013: A Top-Five List / Dr. Gabor Forgacs TripAdvisor Names Winners of 2013 Travelers' Choice Hotel Awards Recognizing World's Top Properties Aimbridge Hospitality Adds 103 Hotels, Formerly Known as Jameson Inns, to its Management Portfolio; Properties Located in 12 U.S. Southeastern States The 1,500-room Tropicana Las Vegas – a DoubleTree by Hilton Opens; Completing the Two-Month Conversion Period Launched by the Strategic Partnership between the Two Entities Forty -Two Years Ago George Kalogridis was Hired to Clear Tables at a Disney Restaurant; Today, He's About to Become President of Disney World Following Three Years of Development and $1 billion in Spending, Walt Disney Co. Reveals NextGen Details with MyMagic+; An Immersive, More Seamless and More Personal Experience for Each Guest Host Hotels & Resorts Sells the 1,663-room Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia for $293 Million Former Head and Current Treasurer of Tribe that Runs Foxwoods Resort Casino Indicted by Federal Authorities on Charges of Embezzlement Statement Attributed to Kevin Gallagher, Assistant General Counsel, Host Hotels, Regarding Settlement Between Molinaro Koger and Host Hotels LaSalle Hotel Properties Acquires Majority Interest in the 298-room Liberty Hotel in Boston for $170 Million; Acquired Through a Joint Venture with Dick Friedman Department of Justice Sues Three of NYC's Top Zagat-Rated Restaurants for ADA Violations / Jim Butler Golden Nugget Atlantic City Owner, Tilman Fertitta, Fined for Gambling at Casinos, of All Things How My Two Favorite Hotel School Classes Have Remained Relevant Throughout My Hospitality Career; Learning to Positively Interact with the Law is Essential / Dr. John Hogan Three Hotelier's New Year’s Resolutions / Jim Hartigan Marriott Honors Leading Select-Service and Extended-Stay Owners and Franchisees; Eight Companies Recognized with Marriott's Most Prestigious Award, the Partnership Circle; Five Companies Honored with the Horizon Award What Will Capture the Food World's Fancy in 2013? Food Market Researchers Provide 10 Food Trend Predictions Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group Acquires the 145-room Mulberry Inn in Savannah, Georgia Two New Tweaks That Make Facebook Marketing Critical for Hotels / Trey Sheneman Due Diligence Tips for Your Next Hotel Acquisition / Jim Butler January 31, 2013 Finally! Relief from Abusive ADA Litigation in California? Maybe not... / Jim Butler Four Winds Casinos Implements InvoTech Systems' Multi-Property RFID Uniform Tracking System at All Properties; InvoTech Reduces Purchasing Expenses, Labor Costs; Automatically Tracks, Consolidates and Controls Inventory of 10,000+ Uniforms for 3 Casinos and Resorts Las Vegas Sands Corporation Reports an Increase of 35.8% in Net Income for 4th Qtr. 2012 to $434.8 million Compared to $320.1 million Same Period 2011 Hotels in Dubai Post Highest Profits in MENA Region for Third Consecutive Year Nobody Asked Me, But...No. 98; Yes, There is Such a Thing as Fair Franchising; Fitness Center in a Hotel Room; Hotel History: Hotels on Wheels; Quote of the Month / Stanley Turkel For the First Time in a Decade, Las Vegas' Culinary Union Members Plan to Picket on the Strip Over Standstill with Cosmopolitan Negotiations Pullman Launches Parisian Transformation of Five Hotels Totaling 2,500 Rooms; Renovations Lasting 30 Months to Occur for The Pullman Paris Montparnasse, Bercy, Tour Eiffel, La Défense, and Charles de Gaulle Airport Responsive Web Design, Demystified / Max Starkov Vacation StoreBuilder Names Mike Montemurro COO, Ramps Up for Continued Growth; Former Pegasus SVP and TravelClick Distribution Lead Joins eCommerce Platform Innovator HotelSwaps Room Exchange Programme Launched to Enable the Hotel Industry to Offer Better Employee Rewards, Incentives and Training Selling your Room for $0 / Jean Francois Mourier PolyU Extends Deadline for Tomorrow's Guestrooms Competition; Entries May be Submitted Through February 22, 2013 Hilton Worldwide and Bayview Hospitality Group to Convert Ontario, Canada's Downtown Toronto Metropolitan Hotel to DoubleTree by Hilton Brand Marriott to Double in Size in Thailand; Signs Agreement with TCC Hotels Group for Seven Hotels Hyatt Hotels Corporation and American Resort Management Open the 103-room Hyatt Place Corpus Christi in Texas The 97-suite Residence Inn by Marriott Opens in Williamsport, Pennsylvania; Owned and Operated by Chartwell Hotels Starwood Capital Group Appoints C. Scott Rohm as President of SH Group Gilles Bonnier Appointed as Head of Accor's Newly Created Property Management Department Hotel Managers Group (HMG Hotels) Welcomes Yolanda Bender as Corporate Director of Sales and Marketing Xanterra Parks & Resorts Appoints Catherine Greener as Vice President of Sustainability Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra, Florida Appoints Brett Smith as Resort Executive Chef January 30, 2013 Downtown Cincinnati Hotel Managed by Winegardner & Hammons Wins Two National Awards Independent Operators Drive Emerging Guest Retention and Guest Engagement Tech Advances in Hotel Industry; Maestro PMS Provides Independent Operators with Innovative Tools to Choreograph Comprehensive, Multi-Channel Guest Experience Strategies, Optimize Resources to Build Guest Relationships and Exceed Guests Expectations Travel Tripper Launches Reporting Tool Providing Hotels Ability to Analyze Reservation Data Interactively Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Acquires the 337-suite Embassy Suites San Diego Bay - Downtown for $112.5 Million; To Be Managed by HEI Hotels and Resorts The L.A. Hotel Downtown to be Reflagged as Hyatt Regency Los Angeles Downtown; The 491-key Hotel is Owned by Shenzhen New World Group and Managed by Interstate Hotels & Resorts Sheraton to Open 30 Hotels in the Next 12 Months; 15 will be in China Including the Debut of Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort Service Excellence: Memorable. Valuable. Relevant. / Bryan K. Williams Booking Sports Teams & Events - Are You and Your Property "Game Ready"? / Gary Hernbroth Tampa Bay's Lodging Market Making Steady Progress: Development & Transaction Activity Accelerates / Allison Fogarty Real Hospitality Group Operates Three of the Top 10 Largest New Hotels in New York of 2012; Crain's New York Business Cites the Top New Largest Hotels of 2012 eRevMax Updates SimpleDistribution with Improved Functionality; Advanced inventory management features applied to web-based entry-level channel manager, powered by RateTiger Warmbrodt Hotel Investments, Inc. Selected to Advise in the Sale of Fairfield Inn & Suites in Major Midwest City Ireland's Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort One of the World's Best Hotels for 2013 According to Travel+Leisure; A 'Top 500 Hotel in the World' for Ten Consecutive Years 2013 International Travel Trends Survey Results Released by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group South Carolina Budget Board Approves Lake Hartwell Hotel, Conference Center and Golf Course; To be Built on the State Park Land by 2020 Booming Hawaii Tourism Prompts Aqua Hospitality to Spend Over $55 Million on Enhancements Across Many of its 24 Hotels Cobblestone Hotels Celebrates Ground Breaking for the 36-room Cobblestone Inn and Suites in Newton, Illinois GF Management Affiliate to Manage the 249-room Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort in Chandler, Arizona Recently Acquired by Interwest Capital Corporation Vision Hospitality Group Opens the 97-room Hampton Inn Cleveland in Tennessee; The Company Plans Seven More Openings in 2013 IACC-Americas Names Shane Brassel USA Conference Center Chef of the Year; Qualifies to Compete in Tenth International Copper Skillet Competition Paige D. Koerbel Appointed as Managing Director for the 408-room Turnberry Isle Miami in Florida Richard (Rich) Larkin Named as General Manager of the 613-key Wyndham Orlando Resort in Florida; The Hotel, Owned by I Shops, is Undergoing a Multi-Million Dollar Renovation Destination Hotels & Resorts Appoints Julie Duchin as Director of National Sales for the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Markets Majed Dawood-Farah Named as Food and Beverage Director for the 1,260-room Hyatt Regency Atlanta in Georgia; A $65 Million Renovation was Recently Completed at the Property January 29, 2013 2013 Best Hotels Rankings Released by U.S. News & World Report; Expanded Rankings Include Best Hotels in the Caribbean and Best Hotels by Brand HSMAI Names Milestone Internet Marketing's CEO as One of Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales and Marketing for 2012 OpenWays Appoints Michael Cohen to Lead Business Development Efforts in 2013 HSMAI's 56th Annual Adrian Awards Event Honors Top Individuals and Companies for Achievements in Hospitality Advertising, Public Relations, and Digital Marketing Hotel Lawyers in Los Angeles at the ALIS Hotel Investment Conference with Good News - A Lot of Good News / Jim Butler Benchmark Hospitality International Releases Top Ten Meeting Trends for 2013 as Observed by its Properties Days of Snapping up Orlando Area Hotels on the Cheap Waning; Sales in 2012 Improved to $240 million Compared to $163 million in 2011 Hotel-Retail Mixed-Use: A Wave of New Hotel Development is Beginning to Swell / Jim Butler Roomlinx Announces Significant Technology Breakthrough with the Delivery of its Interactive TV Platform Over WiFi La Quinta Inns & Suites and Terra Cap Partners Open the La Quinta Inn & Suites Bonita Springs/Naples North; La Quinta Executives and Local Officials Welcome the Newly Renovated 87-room Hotel, at January 23rd Ceremony Online Travel Agencies in India Look to Expand their Offline Presence to Boost Revenue; Opening Franchised Travel Shops Catering to the Many There Who are Not Comfortable Booking Online Concord Hospitality Enterprises Begins 2013 with Plans to Open Six Hotels and Break Ground on Ten within the Year; Aims at Future Growth with Goal to Step-up Acquisitions and Third-Party Management Programs Developer Dave Wogernese Submits Plans for an 84-room Hotel in Lake Hallie, Wisconsin Macao's Sheraton Macao Hotel at Sands Cotai Central Celebrates the Completion of its Earth Tower; Adding 2,067 New Rooms Bringing the Hotel's Total Room Count to 3,896 North Point Hospitality Group Holds Grand Opening Celebration for The Dual-Branded Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton Atlanta, Georgia Beverly Hills, California's New Boutique 32-room SIRTAJ Hotel to Open in February 2013 Kempinski Opens Olare Mara Kempinski, Masai Mara Tented Camp in Kenya Wilhelm Luxem Appointed as Managing Director of Zurich's Baur Au Lac Succeeding Michel Rey Who Ends 30-year Tenure in the Role with his Elevation to the Hotel's Board Tom Thomas Appointed General Manager of Magnolia Hotel Dallas The Hotel Group Appoints Lloyd Huskey, CHA, as General Manager of the 114-room Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Fairbanks, Alaska Katharine Anderson Appointed as Marketing Manager for the 400-key Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek in Florida Hotel Equities Names Mike Loera as Revenue Manager Robert Hohmann Named as Executive Chef for The Roosevelt Hotel New York City; The 1,015-room Hotel is Operated by Interstate Hotels & Resorts Hotel Vitale, a Joie de Vivre Property, in San Francisco Names Debra Townes as Spa Director January 28, 2013 Hotel Loyalty Programs Not a Priority for Travelers According to Deloitte & Touche Study; For Programs to Succeed Study Suggests that Hotels Crunch Data to Find What is Most Meaningful to Guests Vizergy® Builds Strategic Relationship with Elite Meetings International; SpeedRFP Empowers Hoteliers to Grow and Manage Meeting & Event Business; Connects Them to Over 42,000 Group Buyers Ambitious $500 million Plan for Los Angeles' Fashion District Unveiled to Include a College, Offices and Hotel; Project Led by Peter Fleming to be Called City Market of Los Angeles Southern California is HOT for Hotel Development as Values Exceed Cost / Leah Dauer Murphy Summit Hotel Properties to Acquire a Marriott-branded Portfolio of Five Hotels in Louisiana for Approximately $135 Million; Property Improvements Planned During 2013 for the Portfolio Totaling 823 Rooms Hotel Building Spree in Philadelphia? Four New Hotels Under Construction or Proposed Bringing a Combined 1,268 Rooms to Area Reflect Thawing of Credit Markets Sunstone Hotel Investors to Sell Four Rochester Hotels and a Laundry Facility for $230 Million, Provides Preliminary 2012 Earnings Results Hotel Investments in Asia Pacific Projected to Rise 6% to $3.5 Billion in 2013 According to Jones Lang LaSalle's Hotel Investment Outlook Report Fairfield Inn & Suites in East Syracuse, New York Slated To Begin Construction in Q2 2013; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 198 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database Intelity Returns to Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Spotlight on the Canadian Traveler - an Info Graphic Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association (CFHLA) Names Golden Pineapple Award Winners Recognizing Front Line Employees for Superior Guest Service; 200 Employees Nominated, 9 Collegiate Scholarships Presented to Employee Family Members Hotel Association of Canada Names 2012 Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence Recipients The Lexington by Vantage Company and Developer, King Weinstein, to Build a 60-key Hotel in Haverhill, Massachusetts AH&LA Coalition Secures Major Labor Victory; U.S. Court of Appeals Decision Forces New Nomination Process to Fill Vacancies on the National Labor Relations Board Peachtree Hotel Group Finishes 2012 with 31st Acquisition in Last 24 Months; Plans for Continued Growth and Goal of 15-Plus Hotels in 2013 New Castle Hotels and Resorts to Open Four Hotels Over Next 18 Months Nobu Hotel and Restaurant at Caesars Palace Las Vegas Set to Open February 4th Replacing the Former Centurion Tower Dating Back to 1970 DoubleTree by Hilton Continues Rapid Global Expansion with 49 Hotels Added in 2012; Pace Expected to Continue for 2013 Paramount Hotel Group Adds Three New Management Contracts; The Three Hotels in Iowa and Ohio were Recently Acquired by Lightstone Value Plus Real Estate Investment Trust Cobblestone Hotels Celebrates Ground Breaking for the 35-key Cobblestone Inn and Suites in Wray, Colorado Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) Names Vanessa Ledesma Director of Operations & Events Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra, Florida Appoints Chris Bracken as Director of Sales and Marketing and Char Miller as Marketing Manager Ray Kearney Promoted to Sales and Marketing Director for the 189-room Lodge at Doonbeg in County Clare, Ireland January 25, 2013 The Americas Lodging Investment Summit 2012 ALIS Awards Winners Named; Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to Michael A. Leven, President/CEO, Las Vegas Sands Corporation U.S. Hotel Guests Hanging Up and Logging In / Robert Mandelbaum Revenue Management Challenges for 2013; A Top-Five List / Dr. Gabor Forgacs Travel Specialists Highlight Top Trends in 2013 Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Hotel Investment Volumes Total $11 Billion in 2012; Similar Volume Forecast for 2013 According to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels & Hospitality Group University of New Hampshire Lodging Index Shows Year-end Optimism Among U.S. Lodging Executives; Index Ticks Up in December 2012 to 53.8 Over 50.1 for November 2012 Hall Equities Group Acquires Three Las Vegas Extended-Stay Hotels for a Combined $34.4 Million; All Three to be Branded Emerald Suites Sheraton Station Square in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania May be For Sale; Developer, Forest City Enterprises Said to be Entertaining Offers for the 399-room Property Red Lion Hotels Introduces New Brand in Development, The Leo Hotel Collection; To be Comprised of Unique, Boutique and/or Historic Hotels in Key Markets Sandals Corporate University Chooses Educational Institute as Academic Partner Le Méridien Begins 2013 with Nine New Hotels Slated to Open in Next 12 Months Embassy Suites Hotels Plans to Expand Portfolio by 25% by 2016 Reaching 300 Properties in the Americas A 90-room Boutique Hotel to be Included in $56.4 Million Redevelopment of the Richardson Olmsted Complex in Buffalo, New York; To be Operated by Innvest Lodging Services City of Alton, Illinois Will Soon Seek Developers with Plans for a Riverfront Hotel and Convention Center Three New Hotels, Totaling 300 Rooms, Are Under Development in the Columbus-Phenix City, Georgia Market Shephard's Resort on Clearwater Beach in Florida Nearly Doubling in Size; An 11-Month Expansion Project, Adding 93 Rooms, has Begun The 141-room Holiday Inn Express Philadelphia NE - Bensalem Opens in Pennsylvania Following Extensive Renovation Debra Adams, HOSPA's Head of Education Services, Receives the Inaugural HOSPA 'Paragon Award'; Presented for Outstanding and Exemplary Work in the field of Hospitality Finance, Revenue Management and IT Struan B. Robertson Named as Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer for Host Hotels & Resorts Seabourn Promotes Christopher Prelog to VP Hotel Operations, Fleet Purchasing The Wilderman Group Names Andrea Powers as General Manager at LeGrand Center, the New Conference Center in Shelby, North Carolina January 23, 2013 Golden Nugget Atlantic City Owner, Tilman Fertitta, Fined for Gambling at Casinos, of All Things Indigo Sky Casino and Hotel Selects Software Suite from Agilysys; Hotel Implements Property Management, POS, Inventory and Procurement Systems Advantage Reserve Partners with Kennedy Training Network; Call Center Agents Set to Earn 'KTN Certified' Designation Department of Justice Sues Three of NYC's Top Zagat-Rated Restaurants for ADA Violations / Jim Butler DLA Piper 2013 Hospitality Survey Reveals Hospitality Executives Remain Bullish on Industry Despite Political Gridlock in DC Is it Time to Add a Hotel Next to the Minneapolis, Minnesota Convention Center? Feasibility Studies Underway Exploring a 1,000-room Hotel EB-5 Financing and the SEC: How to avoid trouble! / Jim Butler Summit Hotel Properties Completes Acquisition of Three Hyatt Properties for $36.1 million; Enters Into Agreement with Select Hotels Group, L.L.C to Operate Hotels Global Hotel Leaders, Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International, Urge Goverments to Move Quickly and Adopt 'Smart Visa' Policies to Facilitate Global Travel Value Place Secures $100 Million Capital Investment; Private Equity Firm, Lindsay Goldberg LLC, Arms the Economy Extended-Stay Lodging Company with Means to Achieve Significant Growth Cambria Suites to Expand into More Major Markets; Begins 2013 with Development Agreements for Properties in Arizona, Texas, Maryland and DC and a Q2 Opening in Miami SpeedRFP Surpasses $1 Billion in Meeting Requests in 2012; Buyer membership grows 300% to more than 42,000 Take Control of Your Labor Management Systems with UniFocus - The Next Generation of Integrated Labor Management Systems Dashboards Digital Alchemy Honored with Silver Adrian Award for iNeed Mobile Concierge; New guest-facing mobile concierge platform receives recognition for digital marketing excellence in 56th annual HSMAI Award competition Malaysia's Five-Star Sama-Sama KL International Airport Hotel Selects Pegasus Solutions for Comprehensive Distribution Services; Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad's Flagship Sama-Sama Brand Property Adopts UI Chain Code, and Sources Online and Mobile Solutions from Open Hospitality RIN Hotels Yields Core Analytics Benefits from RateGain's Pricing Intelligence Tool Chicago 2012 Hotel Occupancy Returned to Pre-Recession Level at 75.2% Lawsuit Claims Ownership Share of the 38-room Delafield Hotel in Delafield, Wisconsin DePalma Hotel Corporation to Manage the 148-room Wyndham Garden Hotel in Texarkana, Texas Recently Acquired by J&S Pride, LLC Driftwood Hospitality Completes $9.5 million Renovation of Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square, Columbus, Ohio Choice Hotels International Enters Strategic Relationship with UK Operator Akkeron Hotels Group Limited; Initially Converting Nine Properties Totaling 611 Rooms to Choice Hotels Brands Choice's Ascend Hotel Collection Adds 21-Bluegreen Resorts as Part of New Marketing Alliance with Bluegreen Vacations Richard R. Robbins, Jr. Appointed as General Manager of the 372-room Westin Atlanta Perimeter North Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia; The Hotel is Managed by Marcus Hotels & Resorts and Owned by Carey Watermark Investors, The Arden Group and Marcus Hotels & Resorts Debby Thio Appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Regent Bali in Indonesia; The 94-suite Seaside Resort is Set to Open in June 2013 Anthony Olheiser Named as Director of Food and Beverage for the 123-key Ritz Carlton, Los Angeles and the 878-room JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE Colan Vance Named Director of Food and Beverage at San Ysidro Ranch, a Ty Warner Hotel, in Santa Barbara, California The Waldorf Astoria Chicago Names Kerri Stokes as Director of the Elysian Spa & Health Club Melisa Marvin, Front Desk Agent for the Navy Lodge Corpus Christi, Texas, Named the Navy Lodge Program's Associate for Q3 2012 January 22, 2013 Knowland Launches Target Net Multi-Property User Permissions; Designed for management companies with complex reporting and permission based needs, Target Net Multi-Property is the most sophisticated permission based S&C solution the industry has seen to date Peppermill Resort Spa Casino To Implement Rainmaker's GuestREV® Profit Optimization Solution The Hotel Spa Recovery Begins; PKF Reports an Increase of 8.3% in Department Revenue for 2011 with Trend Expected to Continue for the Foreseeable Future U.S. Lodging Sector on Solid Footing at the Start of 2013, Says PwC U.S. Forecasting RevPAR Gains to 5.9% for 2013 The Erosion of Travel Loyalty; New Deloitte Survey Uncovers Findings showing only eight percent of consumers are always loyal to same hotel brand Hilton Worldwide and the International Youth Foundation Issue Industry-Wide Call to Action to Help Prevent a 'Lost Generation'; Hospitality Industry Offers Solutions to Youth Unemployment Crisis According to New White Paper 12 Social Media Resolutions to Help You "Get Social" in 2013 / Anne Sweeney IHG to Receive $31 Million in Q1 2013 in Liquidated Damages from FelCor Lodging Trust; Payment Resulting from FelCor's Plan to Re-Brand Eight Holiday Inn Properties Loews Hotels & Resorts to Purchase The Back Bay Hotel in Boston from The Doyle Collection; The Acquisition of the 225-room Hotel is Expected to Close in February 2013 CSM Lodging Acquires the 164-key Courtyard by Marriott North/Lynnwood Everett in Lynnwood, Washington Liberty Center Office Complex and Westin Convention Center Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Up for Sale; Starwood Capital Group Expresses Interest FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated to Renovate and Re-Brand Eight Holiday Inn Properties to the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts Brand ZDirect Integration to Apple's Passbook Sends Hotel Confirmations from PMS to iPhone Users Lodging Interactive Establishes World's Largest Hotel Gift Card Website buuteeq Data Shows Early Online Marketing Crucial for New Hotels; MGM Grand Ho Tram Beach selects buuteeq to manage resort's digital marketing; with buuteeq's Cloud Digital Marketing System, website is approaching 1M visitors in advance of opening Knowland Mines the Long Tail to Help a Major Hotel in the Southeast to Fill Difficult Holiday Weekend with $1.5 Million Group Booking; Knowland Sales Enhancement team targets overlooked organizations to fill needs for legendary big box hotel Best Western International Targets 120 New Hotel Projects in 2013 Focusing on Gateway Cities in North America; New BEST WESTERN PREMIER Hotels to Open in New York City and Haiti in 2013 Starwood Sees Strong Growth Momentum in North America in 2013; Expects Strongest Year of Openings and Signings in North America since Pre-Crisis with Conversions Continuing to Fuel Growth Hilton Worldwide Continues Record Growth, Opening 171 Hotels in 2012 with a Current Pipeline of Nearly 1,000 Hotels Hilton Garden Inn to Add Seven Hotels, Over 1,100 Rooms, in Turkey by 2015; Hilton Worldwide Begins 2013 With Pipeline of 4,000+ Rooms in Turkey Hampton Hotels Exhibits Continued Growth and Stability with 22 Property Openings in Q4 2012; Brand Rounds Out 2012 with More Than 70 Combined Domestic and International Openings Developers Hope to Break Ground Next Month on $25 Million Hotel-Retail Project in Toledo, Ohio; Plans Include Two Five-Story 100 to 125-room Hotels Owned and Managed by InterMountain Management, the 90-suite TownePlace Suites by Marriott to Open in Richland, Washington Next Week Rim Hospitality Selected to Manage the 409-room Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort in California Terrible's Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Completes $7 Million 18-month Renovation The Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Houston Elects 2013 Board; Nelson Gumm, CEO of AJR Media Group, Named as Chair Stephen Calland Appointed as Director of Food & Beverage for the 393-room St. Kitts Marriott Resort & Royal Beach Casino on the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts January 21, 2013 Digital Signage Expo (DSE) 2013 To Offer Educational Opportunities in Digital Signage for Hotel Operators, System Administrators and Technologists VFM Leonardo Hosts Hotel Marketing Webinar - Get Social: How to Use Social Media to Tell Your Hotel's Story; Webinar for Hotel Marketers on January 23rd Featuring Speakers from Reknown Travel Marketing and North Point Hospitality Will Explain How Visual Storytelling can Drive Meaningful Engagement for Hotels Forty -Two Years Ago George Kalogridis was Hired to Clear Tables at a Disney Restaurant; Today, He's About to Become President of Disney World How My Two Favorite Hotel School Classes Have Remained Relevant Throughout My Hospitality Career / Dr. John Hogan Interest from Foreign Capital Drives London Hotel Prices to Pre-Crisis Level; According to Jones Lang LaSalle's UK Hotel Intelligence Report Two Hotel Projects Put On Hold in Lebanon; a Grand Hyatt and Rotana Halt Construction Signaling Negative Outlook in Regions Hospitality Sector Interstate Hotels & Resorts Expands Joint Venture, Acquires 718-room Radisson Resort Orlando - Celebration in Florida; Interstate Enters into the Fifth Acquisition with Waramaug Hospitality New Property Manager and Owner for 87-Room Tranquility Bay Beach House Resort in Marathon, Florida; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Have Updated 251 Hotels in the Last Two Weeks with Changes in Personnel, Property Management or Ownership Two New Hotels Planned in Middlesex Township, Pennsylvania; Construction has Begun on the 83-room Holiday Inn Express and Suites with Plans Underway for an 88-room Comfort Inn Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay in Midst of Major Facelift, its First in 14 Years Hotel Encanto in Las Cruces, New Mexico Breaks Ground on Expansion Project; The Hotel is Owned by Heritage Hotels and Resorts Groundbreaking Occurs on the 49-room Affordable Suites of America in Fayetteville North Carolina; An Early September 2013 Completion is Planned Ninth & Rose Hospitality Expected to Break Ground on New 121-room Courtyard by Marriott at Former Cannery Site in Walla Walla, Washington IHG Opens the 269-room Crowne Plaza Kochi in India Bloomington, Illinois' Former Parke Hotel and Conference Center Re-flags as the Parke Regency Hotel and Conference Center; Under New Ownership by Auctus, Now Managed by Core 3 Property Management Thailand's 559-room Regent Cha Am Re-flags as THE REGENT CHAAM BEACH RESORT The 22-room Clarke Hotel in Waukesha, Wisconsin Faces Foreclosure Suit Alliance Hospitality Acquires GR Hospitality Group Whose President, Greg Presley, Joins Alliance as Executive Vice President of Operations; Alliance Appoints Joe Reardon as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Bob Keating as Director of Business Development All Inclusive Collection (AIC) Promotes Kevin Edmunds to Vice President, Meetings & Incentive Sales Jean Baptiste Pigeon Appointed as General Manager for the 273-room InterContinental Kiev, Ukraine Ralph Scatena Named General Manager of the 884-key JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, California John Conway Named as General Manager for the 105-key One&Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island, The Bahamas The 122-key La Residence Hotel and Spa in Vietnam Appoints Phan Trong Minh as General Manager Meliã Hotel Atlanta in Georgia Appoints Cyndi Willis as Corporate Catering Manager and Valaisa Russell as Social Catering Manager January 18, 2013 Responsive Website Design for Hotels - Is it Your Only Option? / William Bellis III Cubs Owners Propose Hotel near Chicago's Wrigley Field in Association with a $300 Million Renovation of the Aging Ballpark; Ricketts Family in Agreement with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to Develop Boutique Property Pennsylvania's Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem is Reportedly for Sale Lawsuit Filed Alleging Carbon Monoxide Leak at the Embassy Suites in Burlingame, California Caused Brain Damage in Guest AAA Adds Nine Hotels and Four Restaurants to Five Diamond List for 2013; A Total of 125 Luxurious Hotels and 53 World-Class Restaurants Across North America Attain the Travel Authority's Highest Property Rating Americas Hotel Transaction Volume to Eclipse 2012 at $18.5 Billion in 2013; According to Initial Results from Jones Lang LaSalle's Annual Hotel Investment Outlook Report Richland, Washington's Horn Rapids Golf Course Area to See $110 Million Development; Plans for Spring or Summer 2013 Construction Start on a 164-room Embassy Suites by Hilton and One other 120-room Hotel Signs of Life for Mount Washington, New Hampshire Hotel Project; 2013 May See Commencement of Stalled $100 Million Hotel-Condominium Project Unveiled Five Years Ago Knowland Mines the Long Tail to Help the Peabody Orlando Fill Difficult Holiday Weekend with $1.5 Million Group Booking; Knowland Sales Enhancement team targets overlooked organizations to fill needs for legendary big box hotel The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management Signs Agreement with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute Roomlinx Provides Update On Service Deployment; Over 20,000 Hyatt Rooms In Service To Date DePalma Hotel Corporation Retains Management of Wyndham Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Reading, Pennsylvania for New Owners, Genesis Ventures; Property to Undergo Extensive Renovation Best Western International Opens Ten New North America Properties in December 2012 The 125-room Hotel Vermont to Open in Burlington, Vermont in Spring 2013 The Alexander, a Dolce Hotel, to Open Next Week in Indianapolis, Indiana; The 209-key Hotel was Developed as Part of the New CityWay Neighborhood The 123-key Hotel Madeline Telluride in Colorado Completes Renovations in Time for 2013 Ski Season The Circa 1902 El Cordova Hotel in Coronado, California Completes Redesign IHG Makes New Management Appointments to Executive Committee; Keith Barr to Become Chief Commercial Officer, Kenneth Macpherson Replaces Barr as Chief Executive, Greater China HEI Hotels CIO Clark Hanrattie Promoted to Principal & Chief Financial Officer Isle of Capri Casino Natchez in Mississippi Changes Top Management Bunkhouse Names Bobby Johns as Operations Manager, Meghan Hughes as Hotel San Jose's General Manager and Heather Seiter as Bunkhouse's HR Manager The Hotel Group Appoints Barry Baxter as General Manager of the 130-room Doubletree By Hilton - Santa Fe, New Mexico Nicole Weigand Appointed as Spa Director for the 201-key Montage Beverly Hills in California January 17, 2013 Hotels Determine Prevalence of Mobile Bookings; Pegasus Solutions CEO Credits Responsive Design for Nearly 15% Jump in Mobile Reservations for Hotel Clients HSMAI Reveals 2012 Gold Adrian Award Winners; Record-breaking Number of Winners to be Honored for Extraordinary Merit in Hospitality Advertising, Digital Marketing, Public Relations, at Adrian Awards Gala Host Hotels & Resorts Sells the 1,663-room Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia for $293 Million Dan Gilbert, Chairman of Rock Gaming and Owner of Cleveland Cavaliers, Signs Contract to Acquire Majority Ownership of Greektown Casino-Hotel in Downtown Detroit, Michigan Sage Hospitality & Optima Ventures Set Opening for The Westin Cleveland Downtown in Spring 2014; The Former Crowne Plaza Cleveland City Centre Currently Undergoing $64 million Renovation No Longer Dining in the Bathroom! Here's What's New at the Renovated Buffet at Aria, Las Vegas HeBS Digital's New Promotion Helps Hoteliers Maximize their Online Revenues and Get Ready for the Three Screens in 2013 Two New Tweaks That Make Facebook Marketing Critical for Hotels / Trey Sheneman ZDirect Fortifies Global Growth; Providing Service to Six Continents Sonnenblick-Eichner Company Arranges $31,500,000 Sale to Marriott International of Sunset-Doheny Hotel Development Site West Hollywood, California for Development of an EDITION Brand U.S. Travel Association Launches Multiyear "Travel Effect" National Advocacy and Awareness Campaign; Effort to Include Research Projects, New Partnerships and Effective Communications Best Western International Welcomes the 135-room BEST WESTERN Hotel Svendborg in Denmark; Tom-Pelle Jensen Opening General Manager Tianjin Real Estate Development Management Group and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Near Completion of the 277-room Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin Set to Open Mid-2013 in Northeast China Accor Opens the 302-room ibis Styles London Excel in England Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Company Opens the 231-room Mingcheng Jin Jiang Hotel in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, China The Marti Group Opens the 270-room Marti Istanbul Hotel in Turkey; Celebrates Grand Opening, Unveiling all Public Spaces Following its Phase One Soft Opening in July 2012 The 149-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Charleston Airport Opens in South Carolina; Owned and Operated by Homecourt Hospitality N. Charleston, the Hotel Opens with New Name and Look Following a Multi-Million Dollar Upgrade Local Hotelier, P-Jay Patel, Plans to Open the 60-room Best Western Plus Emerald Inn and Suites in Garden City, Kansas Crestline Hotels & Resorts Completes the $1.5 Million Renovation of the 252-room Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia Kirk A. Rose Appointed as President of Marcus Hotels & Resorts GHM Names Hansjörg Meier as Senior Vice President Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Appoints Mark Lyttleton-Frances as General Manager of the 355-room Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa Portland, Oregon's 150-room Heathman Hotel Hires Nathan Carlson as Senior Sales Manager Tran Thi My Dung (Mandy Tran) Appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing for the 280-key Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa in Vietnam January 16, 2013 TripAdvisor Names Winners of 2013 Travelers' Choice Hotel Awards Recognizing World's Top Properties Maestro Property Management Suite Selected by 13 Independent Properties to Increase Direct Bookings, Operating Efficiency and High-Touch Guest Experience; Savvy Independents Consider ROI of Committed Partnership, Security, Industry Expertise and Responsive Support for Long-Term Cost Reduction and Profitability Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) Names EMEA Technology Innovators' Award Winners; Rotana Hotels and Resorts, Hotel St. Gotthard Basel, and Kempinski Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Recognized for Creative and Innovative Applications of Existing Technology Properly Structured Incentives Motivate Transient Sales Staff / Doug Kennedy Security Interest in Golf Course Revenues Cut Off by Bankruptcy / Jim Butler Rational Group, the Online Gambling Giant, Seeks to Purchase Atlantic Club Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, a Move that Could Help Revive the Weak Property Aqua Hotels & Resorts Restructures and Changes Name: Its 24 Property Group Divided Into Three Distinct Brands Under Aqua Hospitality Beyond Hospitality - International Attention Drawn to the Philippine's - But is the Country Ready? Issues of security and safety, an international airport ranked as among the world's worst and poor infrastructure make one take pause Opinion: No More Stalling on Miami Beach Convention Center and Hotel National Clean Off Your Desk Day - A Different Perspective / Dr. John Hogan Real Hospitality Group Expands Portfolio in New Year, Signing Three Contracts; Adds three new construction projects expanding portfolio by 397 guest rooms Hospitality Brand Advocate Platform Flip.to Enhances Client Services Team with Addition of Regional Reps; Innovative social marketing vendor adds two sales executives to address incremental growth Digital Alchemy Enhances Trade Show Experience with XpressGuide for Smartphones and Tablets; Interactive mobile conference guides capture trade show and exhibit audiences with conveniently accessible information Gemstone Hotels & Resorts Acquires the 144-room Hotel Durant in Berkeley, California Former NBA Player and Entrepreneur Jamal Mashburn Acquires an Undisclosed Stake in FairBridge Hotels International Speakers and Agenda Set for the Second Annual Hotel Equity & Lender Perspectives (HELP) Conference; Two-Day Event Set for April 8-9, 2013 at the Seaport Boston Hotel Vail Resorts Reports Certain Ski Season Metrics for the Season-to-Date Period Ended January 13, 2013; Season to Date Lift Ticket Revenue Up 4.3% The 99-key All-Villa Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa Opens in India; Operated by Hilton Worldwide and Owned by Writer Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd. Ascend Hotel Collection from Choice Hotels Adds the Postcard Inn on the Beach, St. Pete Beach, Florida to its Portfolio; The Hotel is Owned by Starwood Capital Group Affiliate and Managed by Hersha Hospitality Management Starwood Continues to Fuel Growth in India and South Asia; Signs 10 New Deals in 2012 Increasing Footprint in India and Bangladesh and Entering New Markets Like Sri Lanka Associate Professor Dr. A.J. Singh Named the Hilton Hotels Fellow in The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University Dolce Hotels and Resorts Appoints James Bennett as Vice President of Sales, North America Jennifer Nuoffer Named as Director of Travel Industry Sales for The Waldorf Astoria New York and the Conrad New York Ryan M. Treffers Named Sales Manager for the 393-room Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado Names Chef David Patterson as Executive Sous Chef of Restaurants Florida's 249-room Omni Amelia Island Plantation Appoints Alan Barker as Director of Security January 15, 2013 Valencia Group Partners with Digital Travel Marketing Leader Vizergy®; Group of Upscale Hotels to Reap Benefits of Web Design, Marketing and Consulting Head of Google Travel Joins Regatta Travel Solutions Advisory Board Statement Attributed to Kevin Gallagher, Assistant General Counsel, Host Hotels, Regarding Settlement Between Molinaro Koger and Host Hotels The Americas Lodging Investment Summit 2012 Awards Finalists Named; The Most Influential Hotel Industry Deals in 2012 will be Honored January 22-24 in Los Angeles Key Lessons Shared with Future Hoteliers at Penn State / David Brudney ADA Defense Lawyer: Pool lift deadline of January 31, 2013 looms, but may be a diversion from enterprise-wide ADA compliance / Jim Butler Hearing on Alleged Labor-Practices Violations Against Hyatt Regency Baltimore Begins Northwood Investors Expands Florida Keys Portfolio with Investment in Three Hotels; Northwood and Pritam Singh Partner to Recapitalize the Properties to be Operated by Northwood Hospitality Loews Hotels & Resorts and DRW Trading Group Begin Development of the 400-room Loews Chicago Hotel; A January 2015 Opening is Planned Mixed Year Ahead for the United Kingdom Hotels Sector; London's Luxury Properties Remain Strong but Rates Taking a Hit, Says HVS London MICROS Ships 1,000,000 MICROS Point-of-Sale Terminals PolyU Study Analyzes Cultural Factors Challenging Management of International Hotel Chains as they Expand in China and throughout Asia Hawaii's Pacific Beach Hotel and Union Reach Contract Agreement Ending More than a Decade of Legal Battles Development of Palm Beach County Convention Center Hotel Clears Last Hurdle; One Ceremonial Vote to Go New Ownership Group to Convert The Pueblo Marriott in Colorado to a Courtyard by Marriott; New Plan will Include Remodel of Existing Restaurant and Lobby Areas The 58-room Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn in South Palm Beach, Florida Sells for $8 Million; Purchased by 3550 Palm Beach Holdings, to be Managed by Trust Hospitality The Abbey Resort & Spa on the Shores of Lake Geneva in Wisconsin Celebrates 50th Anniversary; Launches Property-wide Renovations Slated for May 2013 Completion Love Hotel Management Company to Manage the 134-room Omphoy Beach Resort in Palm Beach, Florida The 1,500-room Tropicana Las Vegas - a DoubleTree by Hilton Opens; Completing the Two-Month Conversion Period Launched by the Strategic Partnership between the Two Entities The 101-room Holiday Inn Express Querétaro Opens in Mexico; Owned and Managed by Hotelera Queretana, S.A. de C.V Wyndham Hotel Group, in a Deal with Colony Capital, Brands 56 Former Jameson Inn Hotels Throughout U.S.; All Properties to be Managed by Aimbridge Hosptiality Omni Hotels & Resorts Completes Acquisition and Rebranding of the Former Westin Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island The 247-room Sheraton Hotel in Needham, Massachusetts Completes $13 Million Upgrade Driftwood Hospitality Management Completes $9.5 Million Renovation of the 403-room Sheraton Columbus Hotel at Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio Hotel Association of New York City Names New Leadership for 2013; Geoffrey A. Mills Elected Chairman of the Board Succeeding John Fitzpatrick Amway Hotel Corporation Appoints Michael Cavanagh as Chief Information Officer James Gelfand Appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at Tucson's Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa January 14, 2013 Hawaii State Appellate Judge Orders Online Travel Companies to Pay $150 million to State in General Excise Tax Obligations Dating Back to 2000 Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi Selects GuestREV® Profit Optimization System; 154-Room Hotel Tower Addition Ideal Time For Rainmaker Group's Market-Leading Solution Las Vegas' Palms Casino Resort Agrees to Pay $1 million to Settle Drug & Prostitution Charges; Overhauling its Security Staff and Implementing Steps to Prevent Future Infractions Maryland Court Vacates the $22.8 Million Default Judgment Against Robert T. Koger and Molinaro Koger Awarded to Host Hotels & Resorts in July 2012 Trump Entertainment Chairman, Marc Lasry, Resigns from Board; Bob Griffin, the President and CEO of Trump Entertainment, to Become Chairman Due Diligence Tips for Your Next Hotel Acquisition / Jim Butler Waterpark Resorts Supply and Demand 2013 Update / David J. Sangree Can I Use the EB-5 Visa Program for Financing Hotel Acquisition and Renovation? / Jim Butler Miami International Airport Hotel Operator, H.I. Development, Under Criminal Investigation for Alleged Billing Fraud Search Engines Trump Brand Loyalty as the #1 Way Travelers Visit Hospitality Websites; According to Q3 2012 Report from HSMAI and iPerceptions Analyzing the Online Satisfaction and Experience in the Hospitality Industry Renovations Planned for 297-Room Hilton Houston Westchase; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 111 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database Success is All About Teamwork and Enjoying Your Job: An Interview with Terry Downey, President and General Manager of Aliante Casino and Hotel Intelity's ICE Storms Hotel Lobbies; Intelity announces innovative technology for hotel public spaces Online Guest Reviews Replacing Need for Star Ratings, Surveys; As travelers depend more and more on mobile devices, Lodging Interactive says a web-based Guest Review System is critical to maintaining a hotel's online reputation Times Square Hotels Challenge Others to Give; Times Square Hotels Contributed $50,000 to Local Charitable Organizations in New York & New Jersey; Post Sandy Donations to Aid in Recovery Efforts Adare Manor Named "Ireland's No. 1 Parkland Course" by Golf Digest Ireland City of Austin, Texas to Audit White Lodging, Developer of the JW Marriott, to Ensure Compilance of a Prevailing Wage Requirement Agreement in Order to Receive $3.8 million in Waived Fees Fattal Hotel Management in Final Negotiations to Acquire Portfolio of 22 Holiday Inns in Germany Pricing Power May Extend Orlando Area Hotels Recovery; Smith Travel Forecasting a 4.6% Increase in ADR Which Las Vegas Hotels are Tops in Travel & Leisure Poll? The Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons Receive Highest Scores Hotel Florence, a 50-room Boutique Hotel, Nears Opening in Florence, South Carolina; Completing the $7.2 Million Multi-year Transformation of an Historic Building Pine Mountain, Georgia Resort, Callaway Gardens, Launches Improvements for 2013 Including the Extensive Renovation of its 274-room Mountain Creek Inn; The Property is Owned and Operated by the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation Hard Rock International Submits Application to Develop HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO NEW ENGLAND at Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts Prestige Hospitality Group Chosen to Manage the 34-room Clarion Inn Martha's Vineyard in Edgartown, Massachusetts Viceroy Hotel Group to Open the 116-room Hotel Zetta San Francisco Next Month in California Choice Hotels International to Add 46 Hotels through Agreement with Colony Capital and Aimbridge Hospitality; The Former Jameson Inns will be Franchised under the Quality Inn, Comfort Inn and Econo Lodge Brands Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group 2012 Growth in India Strong with 13 Hotel Openings and 13 New Signings; Closes the Year with a Total India Portfolio of 63 Operating Hotels and 44 Hotels in Development Ayala Hotels Targets the Development of 3,000 to 4,000 Hotel Rooms in the Philippines by 2016 The 439-key Hyatt Regency Qingdao Opens in Northern China A Member of Design Hotels, the 119-room THE THIEF Hotel Opens in Oslo, Norway The Oberoi Group Appoints Mr. Kapil Chopra as President, The Oberoi Group, India All Inclusive Collection Names Ash Tembe as Vice President of Global Sales January 11, 2013 Bed Bugs are Out of Control: Preventing Greater Risks and Protecting Your Property / Christian Buckhout From Scratch: Launching a successful independent restaurant requires hotel owners to carefully examine their goals / Megan Sullivan Hotel Lawyer Privacy Alert: Do your hotel mobile apps comply with new interpretations of online privacy rules? / Jim Butler AH&LA Reminder: ADA Pool and Spa Accessibility Deadline Approaching on January 31, 2013 Kalahari Resorts Plans Expansion, Bringing its Unique African Themed Park to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania; To Development a $350 Million, 150-acre Complex, Including a 450-room Hotel, with a Late 2014 or Early 2015 Opening Loews Hotels & Resorts and Universal Parks & Resorts Break Ground on Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort; A 2014 Opening is Planned for the 900-key Property within the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida Owned by RockBridge and Managed by Wischermann Partners, the 172-key Le Méridien Chicago - Oakbrook Center to Open in Illinois; The Existing 10-story Building will Undergo a $20 Million Transformation Prior to the Hotel's 2014 Opening Plans Scuttled to Build a 135-room Hotel and Conference Center near Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey; South Jersey Transportation Authority Cancels its Contract with Argus Real Estate Development U.S. Travel and Tourism Employment Continues to Accelerate, Increasing 1.3% in Q3 2012; Marking the Tenth Consecutive Quarter of Industry Job Growth Glorietta Bay Inn in Coronado, California Wins Statewide Award for Best Guest Relations by the California Hotel & Lodging Association Bartech and INNCOM Partner to Provide Hotels With Intelligent Room Controls for Automatic Minibars; Centralized management of hotel systems made possible by Bartech's automatic minibar integration with the INNcontrol3 system Educational Institute Marks 60 Years of Hospitality Training Maxim Hotel Brokerage Finishes 2012 Strong Grand Velas Riviera Maya Receives 3rd Consecutive AAA Five Diamond Award; 'Beyond All Inclusive, Beyond All Compare' Resort Selected Among Top Resorts by American Automobile Association Ingenico Partners with Shift4 to Provide Merchants with a Processor-Neutral, Secure P2PE Platform Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association Announces Newest Inner Circle Club Members; Club Features Key Benefits for Top Hospitality Suppliers Washington States Suquamish Clearwater Casino Set to Embark on Five-Year Expansion Plan Which Includes New Hotel Wing and Conference Center Omni Hotel in Newport News, Virginia, Once Scheduled for a Planned Private Auction, No Longer an Omni; Now Named Newport News Hotel and Conference Center Castle Hotel & Spa in Tarrytown, New York Starts Five-Month, Multi-million Dollar Renovation; The Historic Property Owned and Managed by Sankara Hospitality Group has Closed Operations Through May 2013 The Historic Colonial Inn of Ogunquit, Maine Launches Property-wide Renovation; Now Under New Ownership by Joe Delois and Management by Migis Hotel Group, the 62-room Property will Reopen in May 2013 Property-wide Improvements are Underway for the Ramada Inn and Convention Center in Burlington, North Carolina Crestline Hotels & Resorts to Manage The Berkeley Hotel, a 55-room Boutique Hotel in Richmond, Virginia Starwood Hotels and White Lodging to Open the 326-room Westin Austin Downtown in Texas in Spring 2015; A Joint Venture between White Lodging, the Harry Whittington Family and REI Real Estate Services The 323-room Shanghai Marriott Hotel Pudong East Opens in China Under a Long-Term Management Agreement with Shanghai Hengchang Industry Co., Ltd TRYP by Wyndham Brand Debuts in Turkey with the Opening of the 108-room TRYP by Wyndham Istanbul Taksim; Owned and Operated by Tunc Otelcilik Limited Sirketi Rezidor Opens the 150-room Park Inn by Radisson, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol The 100-suite Residence Inn by Marriott to Open this Month in Gilbert, Arizona; The Hotel is Owned and Managed by Sunridge Hotel Group Downtown Miami, Florida's 243-room b2 Hotel is Set to Open in March 2013 Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino Names Tom Calame As General Manager Indonesia's AYANA Resort and Spa Bali Appoints Vineet Mahajan as Director of Sales & Marketing; Mahajan also to be Part of Pre-Opening Team for a Separately-Branded Resort to Open in Late 2013 Adjacent to AYANA The Commons Hotel Minneapolis in Minnesota Welcomes Roly Cruz-Taura as its New Executive Chef January 9, 2013 HSMAI Names the Top 25 Minds in Hospitality Sales and Marketing for 2012; Winners to be Honored at Reception and Adrian Awards Gala January 28, 2013 Video Report: Business Intelligence Inspires Top Hotel Execs for 2013; Operators Discuss why They Turned to BI for "Fact-Based" Portfolio Management Agilysys Announces Latest Version of Visual One Software Suite; Comprehensive Solution Includes New Features, Enhanced Functionality Worldwide Hotel Transaction Volume to Hit $32 Billion in 2013; According to Initial Results from Jones Lang LaSalle's Annual Hotel Investment Outlook Report Do You and Your Staff Know What to Look to Help Combat Sex Trafficking? Minneapolis Lodging Association and Hennepin County Launch Training for Hotel Employees - Following are a Few Tip-Offs What Will Capture the Food World's Fancy in 2013? Food Market Researchers Provide 10 Food Trend Predictions Long-time Casino Operator, The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Plans to Buy Two St. Paul, Minnesota Hotels, Contracting with Graves Hospitality as Management; Band Aims to Diversify its Revenue Stream with Hotels Nationwide Chatham Lodging Trust Acquires Downtown Waterfront 122-room Hampton Inn - Portland, Maine; The Hotel will be Managed by Island Hospitality Management With Official Transfer of Real Estate Complete, MGM Resorts Can Begin Construction on $2.5 billion 1,600-room Luxury Gaming Resort in Cotai, Macau Digital Alchemy Opens European Office, Taps Nigel Allport as VP Sales EMEA; Respected hospitality technology specialist to lead hotel industry CRM vendor's international expansion out of London headquarters Philadelphia Convention Center Board Looking to Install Digital Signage The MLOS Myth / Jean Francois Mourier Plans Altered for $22 Million Hotel at Former Auto Site in Bloomfield, Pennsylvania; New Plan Calls for a 128-room Hyatt House with a Scheduled Completion in Summer 2014 Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts and Convention Hotels India Pvt. Ltd to Open The Swissôtel Goa in Calangute, Goa, India; A Q1 2013 Opening is Planned for the 135-room Property Starwood Begins 2013 with Plans to Continue Growth in Both Emerging and Developed Markets True North Hotel Group Transitions Three Key Executives - Lew Wiens, Richard Merkel and Brad Wiens - into New Chief Officer Positions Destination Hotels & Resorts Appoints Russell Urban as Executive Vice President of Business Development and Acquisitions Buffalo Lodging Associates Promotes Two Director of Sales for Buffalo-Airport Hotels in Buffalo, New York; Appoints Elaina Samec as Director of Sales for the Hilton Garden Inn Buffalo-Airport and Ann Dugan as Area Director of Sales for Three Other Area Hotels IACC-The Americas Names New Board Members; Kevin Rupp, Nancy Lindemer, Warren Breaux and Greg Wier Begin Two-year Term as New Directors January 8, 2013 Can Emotions Aid in Dispute Resolution Mediation Discussions? / Katherine Moulton Aimbridge Hospitality Adds 103 Hotels, Formerly Known as Jameson Inns, to its Management Portfolio; The Properties are Located in 12 U.S. Southeastern States Nobody Asked Me, But...No. 97; One Hundred Years Ago; Hotel History: The Moulin Rouge Hotel & Casino; A Record Year for New York Tourism; Quote of the Month / Stanley Turkel TripAdvisor Names America's Top 10 Hotel Spas; Survey Reveals 30% of U.S. Travelers Planning a Start the New Year with a "Rejuvenation Trip" Wheelock Street Capital Acquires the 297-room Hilton Houston Westchase in Texas Thai Hoteliers Wrestle with Severe Labor Shortage in an Over-Supplied Market, Impacting Service Quality Creativity, Quick Response and Video Savvy from PSAV® Made Cleveland Medical Event a Huge Success Amidst Superstorm Swisscom Hospitality Appoints Mark Holzberg Vice President, The Americas and Global Managed Services LogMyCalls Announces Webinar With Guest Doug Kennedy: 4 Ways to Get More Reservations in 2013; Webinar will unveil industry research on reservations and phone sales Roman Aluisy Joins Lodging Interactive as Director of Business Development For Sale: 3 Acre, High Visibility Hotel Development Site in Broward County, Florida Local Hotel Adventures Begins Construction of The Andell Inn, a 100-room Boutique Hotel Near Kiawah and Seabrook Islands in South Carolina; An Early 2014 Opening is Planned Developed and Operated by Bern Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Opens the 218-room Westin Panama in Panama City The 95-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Opens in Stafford, Virginia; Owned and Managed by Rina Management McKibbon Hotel Management Restructures Leadership with the Promotion of Randy Hassen to President and Bruce Baerwalde to Executive Vice President of the Company Franck Riboud Steps Down from Accor's Board of Directors Eric Ashton Named as General Manager for the 263-room Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village in Tarpon Point, Florida; Michele Frank Named as Director of Sales & Marketing Cherylanne Thomas Named Area Director of Sales & Marketing for The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa and The Westin Las Vegas Beth Stone Appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing at the 430-room Crowne Plaza Hotel & Suites MSP Airport - Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota January 7, 2013 Digital Signage Expo 2013: Exploring Developments Having the Greatest Impact on the Digital Signage Industry Former Head and Current Treasurer of Tribe that Runs Foxwoods Resort Casino Indicted by Federal Authorities on Charges of Embezzlement Following Three Years of Development and $1 billion in Spending, Walt Disney Co. Reveals NextGen Details with MyMagic+: An Immersive, More Seamless and More Personal Experience for Each Guest Chicago Restaurateurs Shrug Off Economic Worries; High End Restaurant Scene Powering Up in Ways Not Seen Since Pre-recession Days Using Your Police Department and First Responders to Promote Your City, State, or Nation / Dr. Peter Tarlow Effective Leadership - Principles for Leading in Uncertain and Volatile Times / Hector Rivera Davila New Owner/Property Manager for 150-Room Sheraton Saint Paul Woodbury Hotel in Woodbury, Minnesota; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Have Updated 132 Hotels in the Last Two Weeks with Changes in Personnel, Property Management or Ownership The Smart Hotelier's 2013 Top Ten Digital Marketing Resolutions / Max Starkov and Mariana Mechoso Safer Intelity and Hotelinnovativ Bring ICE to Switzerland Petersburg, Virginia Seeks Proposals from Developers Interested in Building a Downtown Hotel and Conference Center It's not Quite the Condo Craze of the Mid-2000s, but Hotel Development in Tampa, Florida is on the Rise with Four Hotel Projects Being Considered Hotel Developer, Boynton Holdings, Submits Proposal for a New 102-room Holiday Inn in Boynton Beach, Florida Williamsburg, Virginia Hotel Industry Completes another Troubled Year with the Close of 2012 Who Will Win the Crown? Orlando Expects to Remain Top U.S. Travel Destination Investors Upbeat on Dubai Hotel Industry with a 28.6% Growth in Hotel Room Capacity Projected for the Market Construction is Underway on Five Hotels in Odessa, Texas with Two Set to Open in Q1 2013 Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort Completes $25.5 Million Renovation of its Ali'i Tower Including the Makeover of all 323 Guest Rooms The 35-room Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Lubbock Opens in Texas; Owned by Raj Partners In a Leadership Transition for Sunburst Hospitality Pamela Williams to Succeed Kevin Hanley as CEO; Ms. Williams Currently Serves as the Company's Executive Vice President and Chief Counsel Sonesta International Hotels Corporation Names Todd Steinberg, CMP as Global Account Director GHM Names Anthony Gill as General Manager for The Nam Hai Hoi An in Vietnam Benchmark Hospitality International Appoints Michelle Shulman as Marketing Director for Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida January 4, 2013 LaSalle Hotel Properties Acquires Majority Interest in the 298-room Liberty Hotel in Boston for $170 Million; Acquired Through a Joint Venture with Dick Friedman Bruce Karsh, a Founder of Oaktree Capital, Acquires the Ritz-Carlton, Clayton, Missouri from Maritz, Wolff & Co. Marriott Honors Leading Select-Service and Extended-Stay Owners and Franchisees; Eight Companies Recognized with Marriott's Most Prestigious Award, the Partnership Circle; Five Companies Honored with the Horizon Award Following Months of On-Again, Off-Again Negotiations, Resorts Casino Hotel and UNITE-HERE Ratify Three-Year Contract Deal Witham Family Partnership, Owners of 10 Bar Harbor, Maine Hotels, Propose New 103-room Property; Working with DBL Enterprises, Plans Call for Redevelopment of Former Nursing Home Site Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts Opens the 232-room Waldorf Astoria Berlin in Germany The 62-room Holiday Inn Express Princeton Southeast Opens in New Jersey; The Hotel is Owned by Princeton Three Hospitality Group and Managed by GF Management Crestline Hotels & Resorts to Manage the Grand Caymanian Resort, Grand Cayman MHI Hospitality Corporation Appoints Anthony E. Domalski as Chief Financial Officer Upon the Retirement of William J. Zaiser, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary Nick Fielding Appointed as Corporate Director of Restaurants for Noble House Hotels & Resorts January 3, 2013 Toledo Hilton Hotel Loses its Hilton Flag; Grace Chojnowski-Kellogg, Owner Since 2007, Stated Sale of Property in Works and Prospective New Owner May be Named Within Days Hotel Lawyer on Repositioning: The New York Times reports 39 percent increase in reflagging / Jim Butler Atlantic City's Resorts Casino Spending $60 million to Restyle Itself as Margaritaville BHG, Brazil Hospitality Group, to Develop the 168-room Golden Tulip Natal in the City of Natal, the Capital of Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil Hilton Worldwide and Martinez Hotels & Resorts to Open The 138-room Morrison Dublin, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Ireland; A February 2013 Opening is Planned Completing the $9.3 Million Renovation and Conversion of the Morrison Hotel IFA Hotels & Resorts and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to Open the 381-room Fairmont The Palm on the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Orbitz Insider Index Predicts New Orleans, New Zealand and Charleston to be Hottest Destinations of 2013 and Uptick in International Travel and Social Rewards Hunter Hotels Closes 2012 with Sale of 150-Room Sheraton in Twin Cities Market ONYX Hospitality Group Engages with RateGain for Rate Intelligence Pacifica Hotels to Convert Two of its California Best Western Plus Hotels - the Inn at Marina del Rey and Half Moon Bay Lodge - into Independent Pacifica Hotel Properties Richfield Hospitality Assumes Management of the 242-room Wyndham Lisle-Chicago Hotel and Executive Meeting Center in Lisle, Illinois Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Opens the 258-key Park Inn by Radisson in Covina, California The 70-room Holiday Inn Express Pittsburgh East - Munhall Opens in Pennsylvania Owned and Managed by the Forza Group Red Lion Hotels Opens the 87-room Red Lion Inn & Suites Denver International Airport in Colorado Cobblestone Hotels Opens the 54-room Cobblestone Inn and Suites in Marquette, Iowa Managed by Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group, the 85-suite TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Vernal, Utah is Set to Open Next Week Mark Giannantonio to Take Over as CEO of Resorts Casino Hotel New Castle Hotels and Resorts Names Tim Ostrem as General Manager of the Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews by-the-sea, New Brunswick in Canada; Currently Undergoing a $20 Million Renovation, the Hotel will Reopen in Q2 2013 as Part of Marriott's Autograph Collection Ernest Wooden, Jr. Named President and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board January 2, 2013 Former TravelCLICK CEO Bob Post Joins Knowland's Board of Directors; Industry titan brings high level leadership experience from Micros, TravelCLICK, Open Table and others to high growth data, technology and services company 5 Stars vs. 4 Stars: Focus on Five Star Service in 2013! / Bryan K. Williams Summit Hotel Properties Acquires Three Hotels; a Residence Inn, Hyatt Place and Hampton Inn & Suites for $71.8 million; All Properties to Undergo Improvements Over the Next 18 Months Savannah, Georgia River Street Power Plant Sold to Local Hotelier, Richard Kessler; Plans for Site Remain Unknown Although a Boutique Hotel Will Anchor Developement Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group Acquires the 145-room Mulberry Inn in Savannah, Georgia Tampa-Area Mercantile Bank Building to be Converted to 130-room Boutique Hotel; Hotel-Online and BuildCentral Add/Update 120 Hotel Projects to the New Hotel Construction Projects Database Three Hotelier's New Year's Resolutions / Jim Hartigan The Keys To Success in 2013 Include Focusing on the Fundamentals to Make Your Hotel More Profitable / Dr. John Hogan Hotel Assets Group Closes 75 Hotel Transactions in 2012 Travel Outlook Premium Reservations Call Center Contracts with Surfsand Resort, Cannon Beach, Oregon A Toast for 2013: Here's to Craft Cocktails with a Dash More Fun Avocet Hospitality Group Acquires the 66-room Vendue Inn in Charleston, South Carolina Sheraton Atlantic Beach in North Carolina Officially Under New Ownership; $4.56 Million Bid Submitted by Newport Group During Foreclosure Sale Accepted after No Upset Bids Received Long, Slow Recovery Expected for Metro Atlanta, Georgia Hotels; Latest Projections Show Hotel Occupancy and Average Daily Rate Should be Near or Above their 2007 Peak by 2014 Central Florida Hoteliers Make their 2013 Wish List; Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association Prioritizes What it Wants from the 2013 Florida Legislative Session Interstate Hotels & Resorts and The Vincent Hotel Group Open the 123-room Holiday Inn Express The Hague in The Netherlands Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Appoints Aylwin Lewis, CEO of Potbelly Sandwich Works, to Board of Directors China's Home Inns & Hotels Management Appoints Mr. Yi Liu as an Independent Director and Co-chairman of the Board of Directors Marcus Hotels & Resorts Appoints Mahesh Reddy as General Manager of the Westin Columbus in Ohio

..
.

..


Inside Hotel Online today Daily Emails February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 N ovember 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 Aug 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003	Monthly Top Read Articles February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 Aug 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003

..


Hospitality Internet Media, L.L.C. dba Hotel Online 70 Mansell Court, Suite 225 Roswell, GA 30076 678.802.5308 Direct 678.802.5309 Fax Fed ID# 52-2218531 email: [email protected]

Search Hotel Online
Home| Welcome!|Hospitality News
Catalogs & Pricing| Ideas/Trends
Please contact Hotel.Online with your comments and suggestions.