Iconic St. James Hotel Reopens in Selma, Alabama Following Renovation and Expansion
Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund | January 26, 2021
Inherit Hotel Group Opens the Colton House Hotel in Austin, Texas
Inherit Hotel Group | January 6, 2021
All Things Independent
Franchise Companies and Brands Dominating the U.S. Construction Pipeline
Lodging Econometrics (LE) | November 9, 2018
November 9, 2018 – PORTSMOUTH, NH – According to the third quarter report by analysts at Lodging Econometrics (LE), the franchise companies dominating the U.S. construction pipeline with the largest pipelines are Marriott International with 1,380 projects/181,907 rooms, Hilton Worldwide with 1,350 projects/150,698 rooms, and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) with 939 projects/95,312 rooms. The construction pipelines for these three franchise companies comprise an impressive 68% of the total construction pipeline projects with Marriott and Hilton again setting all-time highs for their companies. The leading brands by project count in ...
Omni Houston Hotel Completes $30 Million Renovation
Omni Hotels & Resorts | November 9, 2018
HOUSTON (November 9, 2018) – Omni Houston Hotel has reopened its doors and is welcoming guests after undergoing a $30 million renovation that elevates the guest experience. The transformation positions the hotel as the perfect luxury oasis in the prestigious Uptown Houston area. "Throughout this renovation, we collaborated with the design team to showcase Houston's natural surroundings while also giving a nod to the city's rich history," said Laura McKoy, vice president of interior design and creative director for Omni Hotels & Resorts. "Each space is a testament to Omni's 'local flavor' and you'll see various colors, material...
Oxford Capital Appoints General Manager Clay Andrews and Hotel Manager Konstantine Kabilafkas to Lead Godfrey Hotel Hollywood
The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood | November 9, 2018
(LOS ANGELES; November 2018)—The forthcoming Godfrey Hotel Hollywood—set to open spring 2019—announces the appointment of General Manager Clay Andrews and Hotel Manager Konstantine Kabilafkas; Andrews also serves a dual role as Director of Operations for the West coast region of Oxford Hotels & Resorts. Bringing nearly two decades of experience each, directing food and beverage teams, as well as managing hotels both boutique and corporate, the leaders have a clear vision for the operation of The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood including staffing logistics, on-site amenities, creating an atmosphere to differentiate it in the...
The St. Joe Company Plans New Branded Hotel at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP)
St. Joe | November 9, 2018
WATERSOUND, Fla.—November 9, 2018--The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) ("St. Joe") today announces plans to construct, own and operate a new branded hotel, immediately adjacent and convenient to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP). Following St. Joe's business strategy of expanding its portfolio of income producing properties, as well as growing its resorts and leisure segment, the Company plans the development of a 110-125 room hotel with a full service restaurant and bar, as well as meeting space. This new hotel will be located adjacent to the airport which is located within St. Joe's 110,500 acres known as the...
Another Minneapolis Hotel Installs Clear Sky’s Beverage Inventory Management Software
Clear Sky Software | November 9, 2018
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – November 9, 2018 –Clear Sky Software, Inc. ® announced today that the JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America has installed its beverage inventory control system. This Minneapolis hotel, connected to the famous Mall of America, selected Clear Sky Software to help control all beer, liquor and wine inventory. Called Clear Sky BEVERAGE, this system is a comprehensive, perpetual inventory system that tracks and controls all beverage products. Functions include purchasing, receiving, outlet transfers/issues/returns and physical inventory. Also installed is Clear Sky's Fintech Interface which automat...
Sarasota County Has Numbers Showing Terrible Effect of Red Tide: Crash of Hotel Occupancy and Bed Tax Collections
November 9, 2018
Nov. 09--Sarasota County now has numbers showing just how terrible the red tide toll has been. --Hotel occupancy in September plummeted to 39.9 percent, the lowest since reliable records began to be collected in 2005. That figure was 61.9 percent last September, that was unusually high because hotels filled up after Hurricane Irma and because of the World Rowing Championships. --Tourist development tax collections, the best available measure of the local industry's health, hit a four-year low in September. --Collections of the tourist development tax, a levy on short-term rentals also known as the bed tax, in August dropped to the...
Market Snapshot: Asia Pacific 2018
Jeremy Teo | November 8, 2018
By Jeremy Teo , Ho Mei Leng , Hok Yean CHEE Transactions in Asia Pacific Transaction activity has been observed to be on a downward trend from 2013 until 2017, owing to the transactions of Dalian Wanda China portfolio to R&F Properties. Since then, the frequency of transactions have been high, with 228 recorded transactions from 4Q2017 to 3Q2018, slightly lower than the 251 recorded the previous four quarters. Geographically, the pick up in transaction activity can be attributed to the North Asia and South-East Asia markets, while Australia markets witnessed a slowdown. Reasons for the increase in transaction activity could plau...
Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa Appoints Roberto Vazquez Pulido as New Executive Chef
Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa | November 6, 2018
LAKE ARROWHEAD, Calif. – Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa, Autograph Collection, nestled high in San Bernardo National Forest along the shore of picturesque Lake Arrowhead, has announced Roberto Vazquez Pulido will serve as its new executive chef. Pulido will oversee all operations of the signature restaurant BIN 189 and its Magnum Private Dining Room, as well as be in charge of catering, banquets and weddings. He will be creating new menus for BIN 189 that reflect his penchant for contemporary American steakhouse comfort food including seafood and vegetarian/vegan options – all prepared with modern twists and inspired by the s...
Best Western® Hotels & Resorts Introduces Two Boutique Brands, Sadie Hotel and Aiden Hotel
September 26, 2018
Phoenix (September 26, 2018) – Best Western® Hotels & Resorts today marked an industry first, introducing a pair of boutique brands – Sadie HotelSM and Aiden HotelSM. Sadie Hotel will compete in the upscale segments, and Aiden Hotel will compete in the upper midscale segment. These conversion brands offer developers an opportunity to reposition existing properties to improve their performance and enhance their asset value. These brands will offer hoteliers a design program with unprecedented flexibility. Sadie Hotel and Aiden Hotel's edgy personalities will be reflected across each hotel, starting from the moment tra...
Dissecting the Relationship Between Universities and Boutique Hotels
Frances Kiradjian | September 6, 2018
Why do University campuses lend themselves so well to bespoke hotel experiences? By Frances Kiradjian Boutique hotels are "it". After a struggle to be taken seriously as a hospitality vertical, boutique hotels are ahead of every curve when it comes to modern day lodging. Now more than ever there is a steep demand for accommodations that one can take back home with them in the form of a story. It makes sense then, that college towns (areas with particularly high volume of travelers whether they are students, prospective students, professors & staff or parents of students) are adapting and implementing boutique in their own ways. P...
What IS Boutique?
Frances Kiradjian | September 5, 2018
By Frances Kiradjian As representatives for a distinguished community of entrepreneurial spirits, we are often presented with a deceptively simple question: What is boutique? Some years ago, a new kind of lodging accommodation began to disrupt the trillion-dollar tourism industry. As the boundaries between business and leisure travel grew increasingly blurred, an emergence of a new type of traveler called for a more holistic approach to lodging. Thus, the boutique hotel was born. Perks like free wifi became givens, and in their absence demand for personalization grew exponentially. The traveler of today is looking for services and featu...
When Does a Hotel Become Not a Hotel?
Frances Kiradjian | August 23, 2018
By Frances Kiradjian As we march further into this exciting time in hospitality, the boundary lines between various lodging accommodations grow increasingly blurred. Now more than ever, mega-brands are adopting key pieces from the boutique handbook in order to stay competitive and increase occupancy rates. Conversely, brands who evolved from the hostel model are pivoting away from shared sleeping quarters to move toward a cross somewhere in-between a hostel and boutique vibe. Generator found their footing in the modern lodging world with their successful hostel model which can be found sprinkled throughout Europe. However, when pursuing...
How Do You “Boutique” Your Hotel?
Frances Kiradjian | August 14, 2018
Hospitality professionals can apply the best of boutique to any and all lodging accommodations. By Frances Kiradjian While we are the biggest champions of boutique you'll likely come across, at BLLA, we realize the transformation of the term from differentiator to buzzword. Today, it is not uncommon to find a property touting themselves as boutique even though they're a branded chain or an economic lodging solution like a motel. Boutique started as an underdog in the world of lodging solutions, particularly luxury accommodations. Now, after a long climb to legitimacy, professionals and non professionals in the lodging space ofte...
The Evolution of the Hotel Lobby
Frances Kiradjian | August 1, 2018
By Frances Kiradjian Hotel lobbies have evolved from portals where travelers are introduced to their lodging accommodations to places people gather to immerse themselves in culture and merriment. The evolution of the hotel lobby has been gradual, but the proliferation of lifestyle and boutique properties have shifted the design away from clinical hotel lobbies. Much like the sitting room in your childhood home where sitting was forbidden, lobbies formerly existed to curate good first impressions, and not much else. Nowadays, the opposite is true. Highly designed lobbies are more prevalent than ever before, but design has evolved to faci...
BLLA Abroad – the World’s Leading Boutique Association Launches Exclusive Boutique Social Club Dinner Series in London
the Boutique & Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA) | July 12, 2018
July 12, 2018 - New York – Since the beginning, the Boutique and Lifestyle Leaders Association's (rebranded from Boutique and Lifestyle Lodging Association) presence has been global. From our international members and early conferences in Paris and London, we have garnered support and cultivated communities all around the globe. Two recent excursions over the pond have solidified our foothold on the boutique community and will foster boutique developments in tomorrow's most sought-after vacation destinations. On May 1st, 2018 we successfully launched the first installment of the Stay Boutique Social Club Dinner Series. A s...
Boutique Hotel Group’s Investment Conference Celebrates Sector’s Success, Name Change
BLLA | June 12, 2018
BLLA's Annual New York Event Features Testimonies from Fashion Leader Varvatos, Hotel Pioneer Pomeranc; Hospitality Leaders Tout Influx of Investments New York - Boutique & Lifestyle Leaders Association's (BLLA) annual Boutique Hotel Investment Conference last week featured testimonies about "staying boutique" from fashion leader John Varvatos, lifestyle hotel pioneer Jason Pomeranc, streetwear guru Jeff Carvalho and high-end coffee roaster Todd Carmichael, while announcing a name change to the nine-year-old trade organization. The conference, which attracted more than 350 hoteliers, lifestyle executives, fashion icons...
Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) Connects All of Boutique Hospitality at 6th Annual Boutique Hotel Investment Conference in New York Ci...
the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) | May 29, 2018
BLLA exists as the go-to resource for all things boutique. Our events and conferences are an extension of our efforts to push the most exciting sector in lifestyle and lodging into the future. In its sixth iteration, the Boutique Hotel Investment Conference now focuses on the hospitality adjacent industries powering the modern boutique movement. NEXT GEN BOUTIQUE MONEY – the concept of a hotel is being redefined. With lodging accommodations being reshaped by industries like wellness, fashion, fitness, nightlife, and food & beverage, it is important to pause and take an aerial view of the direction of our sector. Our agenda inc...
Diversity in Leadership Is Profitable
Frances Kiradjian | May 24, 2018
By Frances Kiradjian Many of you know my passions include helping the underdogs of the hospitality industry. Before the formation of BLLA, the list of underdogs included boutique hotels, and once upon a time, women. Women have made leaps and bounds as a demographic in every single industry in existence. Hospitality is no exception. While only 32 of the Fortune 500 CEOs in 2017 were women, this is an increase from the 21 women who were included the year before. While not an impressive ratio it does show the forward movement of women in the business sector I have long been a champion of. At our annual Executive Women's Conference this pas...
PlumpJack Group and Meriwether Companies Unveil Newly Renovated Carmel-by-the-Sea Hotel, The Getaway
PlumpJack Group | April 24, 2018
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, CALIF. (May, 2018) – The Getaway, a 34-room boutique hotel located in the picturesque seaside village of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., made its debut mid-April 2018 following an extensive property-wide renovation and external refresh. The latest joint-venture asset between San Francisco-based PlumpJack Group and Meriwether Companies, The Getaway exudes a coastal, casual-chic vibe with design inspired by its surrounding natural environs. Situated at the gateway to Downtown Carmel on Ocean Avenue and Junipero Street, the former Village Inn has been completely transformed into a modern beach retreat. The two-story pro...
BLLA’s Boutique Hotel Investment Conference Returns June 6 With Who’s Who of Hospitality & Beyond
the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) | April 19, 2018
Industry Luminaries Come Together in New York City to Discuss Next Generation of Boutique Money New York – Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association's (BLLA) most acclaimed event of the year, the Boutique Hotel Investment Conference, returns June 6 for a powerhouse lineup at The Times Center in New York. This year's distinguished conference brings together industry's most elite hoteliers, C-level executives, entrepreneurs and investors as well as the most creative minds in the general boutique space for a day of analysis and networking. As the clear leaders in the boutique lifestyle space, BLLA's mission is to g...
The Convergence of All Things Luxury
Frances Kiradjian | April 12, 2018
By Frances Kiradjian The idea of residences in a lifestyle hotel just makes sense. Who wouldn't want all the offerings of their favorite resort, spa, or hotel brand in their home? Although the concept of mixed-use hotel is not a novel one, the renewed vibrancy in the boutique and lifestyle sector of the hospitality sphere is seeing a new focus on branded luxury offerings. In 2016 Daniela Aroche reported "According to Dan August Cordeiro at Maxmakers, a property development advisory firm, the number of hotels offering branded residences increased tenfold during the decade to 2012. The evidence suggests that the rate looks set to continue...
2018 TIEWN Conference Mobilizes Women in Hospitality on International Women’s Day
March 15, 2018
Boardrooms and C-suites are feminizing, but there's more to be done Los Angeles, California – The Travel Industry Executive Women's Network (TIEWN), a global networking association with over 10,000 members, held their fifth annual educational and motivational conference at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on March 8, 2018. Timed to International Women's Day, the event celebrated female leaders across several industries, sharing successes and challenges to motivate and encourage progressive change within the hospitality and tourism sectors. Organized by TIEWN and BLLA Founder and CEO Frances Kiradjian, and her daughter, B...
How the New Airbnb Offerings Impact the Hotel Industry and What Hotels Brands Can Do to Win in the Sharing Economy
Kyle Killion | March 15, 2018
Boutique Hotels Beware: The Hotel Industry Gets a New Frenemy By Kyle Killion Longtime hotel industry rival, Airbnb, continues to make headlines with its latest offering. In an effort to own more vacation accommodation bookings, the company, which built its business on being the anti-hotel alternative, now offers more boutique hotel listings than ever before. But, even as Airbnb adds more hotels into the mix, hotel brands are not featured. Despite this, there is a lot that hotel brands can do to stay competitive in the sharing economy. Why are hotel brands letting Airbnb win? Hotels have experienced strong growth since 2008, but alterna...
Women on Boards in Travel and Hospitality
Frances Kiradjian | March 2, 2018
By Frances Kiradjian Women's equality has been put into the spotlight recently including the subject around the #MeToo movement, and the response has been tremendous, with an increase in the number of female-focused conferences and meetups. While the issue has been taken out of the dark and into the public eye, there is still a need for change within in the corporate setting, primarily within positions of power such as top executives and public and private boards. A lack of women in executive positions is not a new issue or area of focus for some companies. A perfect example of who has been leading the path is Women on Boards 2020; an i...
1
Industry Happenings
2
Technology
3
Operations
4
All Things Independent
5
Market Reports
Today's News
Move Over COVID, the Business Travel Industry Tackles New Considerations on Its Continued Road to Recovery
Carillon Miami Wellness Resort Improves Speed of Service and Increases Revenue With Beachy’s 5G Mobile POS Solution
STR: U.S. Hotel Results for Week Ending 18 June
Hard Rock Partners With GEK TERNA Group to Develop Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Athens
As the first news aggregate for the hotel industry, Hotel-Online is the industry’s must-read daily news source for everything hotel curated for busy professionals. Sign up today for industry news delivered to your inbox.