Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 266: Hotel History: The Palace Hotel, San Francisco, California
Stanley Turkel | June 1, 2022
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 264: Hotel History: Palmer House (1871), Chicago, Illinois
Stanley Turkel | April 20, 2022
Education
The Castell Project, Inc. Accepting Nominations for 2021 Castell Leadership Programs
THE CASTELL PROJECT | June 23, 2021
ATLANTA — June 23, 2021 — Officials of Castell Project, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in the hospitality industry, today announced that the organization is accepting nominations for its 2021 Castell Leadership Programs. “Recognizing the immediate challenges of bringing women back to work and resetting their careers on the leadership track, Castell Programs engage and inspire women while developing the tools they need to support hotel businesses in this fluid environment,” said Peggy Berg, chair, Castell Project, Inc. “After a year of disrupted support networks,...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 250: Hotel History: Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, New York
Stanley Turkel | June 22, 2021
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS In 1869, Albert Smiley, a nature-loving Quaker schoolteacher, bought a property at a good price; 300 acres surrounding a lake and a tavern in a spectacular natural setting in the heart of a 26,000-acre area in the Shawangunk Mountains, New York. Alfred and Albert Smiley, devout Quaker twin brothers, created the resort in 1869 when they bought Mohonk Lake from John F. Stokes. As the Smileys expanded the hotel, they operated in accordance with their Quaker beliefs: no alcohol, dancing, smoking or card playing. The hotel offered concerts, prayer sessions, lectures as well as swimming, hiking and boating. Under the...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 249: Hotel History: Ocean House at Watch Hill
Stanley Turkel | June 1, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Ocean House at Watch Hill (49 rooms) Ocean House is a large, Victorian-style waterfront hotel originally constructed in 1868 on Bluff Avenue in the Watch Hill historic district of Westerly, Rhode Island. The original 1868 hotel closed in 2003; it was demolished in 2005 and a new facility opened in 2010 on the same site which retained much of the original structure’s form and appearance, as well as the original name. Both the original and its reconstruction are noted for their rambling Victorian architecture and distinctive yellow siding. The original Ocean House was the last waterfront...
HFTP Announces 2021 Paragon Award Recipients – Tanya Venegas and Sanjay Nadkarni
HFTP | May 27, 2021
Both recipients have been essential to the association’s research and academic endeavors. Tanya Venegas, MBA, MHM, CHIA and Sanjay Nadkarni, Ph.D. have been selected as the 2021 Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) Paragon Award recipients for their excellent direction of the HFTP Research Centers and their impactful tutelage over hospitality students and HFTP student members. Venegas is Global Head of Customer Success for HotStats, Inc., but had previously served as director/executive director of the HFTP Americas Research Center at the University of Houston from 2002 – 2018. Nadkarni is Director of Innova...
Relay and the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation Launch Relay It Forward Giveback Program
Relay | May 13, 2021
In exchange for every Relay purchase by a hotel, the voice-first communications software company for frontline workers will sponsor a hotel employee’s training and development in a national partnership with the AHLA Foundation’s Empowering Youth Program Raleigh, North Carolina — May 13, 2021 — Relay, the communications disrupter known for displacing traditional radios, today announced Relay It Forward, a national giveback partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging (AHLA) Foundation. Under the program, for every purchase of Relay push-to-talk devices by a hotel, the software company will sponsor a hotel emp...
Castell Project And She Has A Deal Announce Joint Venture to Build Fortuna’s Table
THE CASTELL PROJECT | April 22, 2021
ATLANTA — April 22, 2021 — Officials of Castell Project, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in the hospitality industry, and She Has A Deal (SHaD), a real estate investment platform that creates pathways to hotel ownership and development for women, today announced the formation of a joint venture to build Fortuna’s Table. The new endeavor will connect diverse prospective hotel owners to knowledge, guides and community so they can make their hotel dreams a reality. “Both organizations are focused on women reaching the upper echelons of the hospitality industry. For...
IDeaS Awards 2021 Cornell Revenue Management Sponsorships
IDeaS | April 21, 2021
Six new sponsorships presented to advance the careers of the hotel industry’s future revenue leaders from around the world MINNEAPOLIS — April 21, 2021 — IDeaS, the world’s leading provider of revenue management software and services, announced today the 2021 IDeaS Cornell Revenue Management Sponsorship recipients, continuing its ongoing program to foster professional development in the field of revenue management. IDeaS 2021 Cornell Revenue Management Sponsorships – Working in partnership with Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, these sponsorships present hospit...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 246: Hotel History: Hotel McAlpin, New York, N.Y. (1912)
Stanley Turkel | March 30, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Hotel McAlpin (1,500 rooms) The Hotel McAlpin was constructed in 1912 by General Edwin A. McAlpin, son of David Hunter McAlpin. As well as being the world’s largest hotel, it was also one of the most luxurious. The amenities were as breathtaking as they were opulent including a massive Turkish bath and plunge pool on the 24th floor. The hotel also had its own in-house orchestra, as well as its own fully-equipped hospital. When construction of the Hotel McAlpin neared completion by the end of 1912 as the largest hotel in the world, The New York Times commented that it was so tall at twenty-five...
Hilton Launches Female Development Program in Sri Lanka
Hilton | March 29, 2021
SRI LANKA - Hilton today announced its partnership with the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) to launch Hilton Liya Diriya – a specially curated female development program in Sri Lanka. Translating to ‘female courage,’ Hilton Liya Diriya aims to provide training opportunities for local female students keen to build a career in hospitality. Selected participants will undergo two training phases to pick up practical knowledge, skills and experiences, involving a one-month period dedicated to theoretical training with SLITHM and a six-month industrial traineeship at one of Hilton’s properties in Sri La...
Student Mentoring by Airbnb Hospitality Guru for Top Hospitality Disruptive Idea
Les Roches | March 25, 2021
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, March 25, 2021 -- Les Roches, the highly regarded hospitality business school recently ranked third for Employer Reputation by the QS World University Rankings 2021 is launching the second edition of "The Next Disruptor", a scholarship competition seeking ideas for positive disruption in hospitality, travel, and tourism. With the changing expectations of consumers and technology continuously reshaping the workplace, being connected to the evolving needs of the industry is a key factor for career success. As a business school dedicated to the hospitality industry, doing so right at the start and throughout a ...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 245: Boone Tavern Hotel, Berea, Kentucky (1855)
Stanley Turkel | March 9, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Boone Tavern Hotel (63 rooms) Built on the old Dixie Highway and named after Kentucky explorer Daniel Boone, the historic Boone Tavern Hotel is located on College Square in Berea, Kentucky. The hotel is owned by Berea College and operated with student workers from the College Labor Program. Students earn money for books, room and board but pay no tuition (valued at $25,500 per year), thanks to the generosity of donors who support Berea College's mission of providing a free high quality education for students primarily from Appalachia who have high academic potential and limited financial resourc...
BU School of Hospitality Announces New Concentration in Senior Living
Boston University School of Hospitality Administration | March 2, 2021
Boston, MA – March 2, 2021 – Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration (BU SHA) Dean Arun Upneja, PhD, and Associate Professor of the Practice Leora Halpern Lanz, ISHC, Faculty Chair of the School’s Master of Management in Hospitality (MMH) degree program, have announced the launch of a new concentration: Senior Living. Complementing existing concentrations in Revenue Management & Analytics, Real Estate and Finance, Digital Marketing, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship, this concentration in Senior Living expands SHA’s reach, extending hospitality to other areas where students’ skill sets are mu...
CGI Merchant Group Hospitality Fund to Invest in Atlanta HBCU Morris Brown College With $30 Million Hotel Development Project
CGI Merchant Group, LLC | March 2, 2021
ATLANTA - March 2, 2021 - CGI Merchant Group, LLC (CGI) — a minority-owned global investment management firm with a focus in real estate and private equity — announced today it will make a $30 million investment in the historic Morris Brown College to convert existing facilities into a 150-key upscale hotel and hospitality management training complex. Construction of the 90,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility is expected to begin later this year. With this announcement, Morris Brown becomes the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) nationwide with both a flagged hotel and a hospitality management training pr...
The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Announces $20 Million Endowment at Howard University to Establish the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hos...
Marriott International | February 24, 2021
BETHESDA, MD — FEBRUARY 24, 2021 — The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation together with Howard University announced today the establishment of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership in honor of Marriott International’s (NASDAQ: MAR) beloved president and CEO, Arne Sorenson, who tragically passed away last week from pancreatic cancer. The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation will provide a $20 million endowment to launch the Center at Howard University, one of the nation’s leading historically Black colleges and universities. In addition, Marriott International announced the creation of the Arne M. ...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 244: Hotel History: Wormley Hotel
Stanley Turkel | February 16, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Wormley Hotel (150 rooms) James Wormley, a pioneering Black nineteenth-century businessman opened the first integrated hotel in Washington, D.C.. He was also known for his business acumen and lobbying efforts to secure adequate funding for the first Washington, D.C. public schools for black Americans. Wormley was born to Pere Leigh and Mary Wormley. Both parents had lived as free people and servants with a wealthy Virginia family prior to moving to Washington, D.C. in 1814. On January 16, 1819, while living in a small, two-room, brick building located on E Street, near Fourteenth Street, nort...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 243: Hotel History: Hotel Roanoke, Virginia
Stanley Turkel | January 26, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke, Va (332 rooms) Roanoke was a little town named Big Lick when enterprising railroad magnate Frederick J. Kimball chose it as the site of a major railroad juncture. After Kimball combined two of his railroads into the Norfolk and Western Railroad, he built a comprehensive community with the Hotel Roanoke as its grand centerpiece. Built in a wheat field on a little hill, the Hotel Roanoke began as a rambling wooden structure of less than three dozen rooms. As the city grew, the railroad consistently provided resources for hotel additions, remodeling and furnishings to maint...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 242: Hotel History: Fisher Island, Miami, Florida
Stanley Turkel | January 5, 2021
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Fisher Island, Miami, Florida Fisher Island is in Miami-Dade County, Florida, located on a barrier island of the same name. As of 2015, Fisher Island had the highest per capita income of any place in the United States. The CDP had only 218 households and a total population of 467. Named for automotive parts pioneer and beach real estate developer Carl G. Fisher, who once owned it, Fisher Island is three miles offshore of mainland South Florida. No road or causeway connects to the island, which is accessible by private boat, helicopter, or ferry. Once a one-family island home of the Vanderbilts,...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 241: Hotel History: Menger Hotel
Stanley Turkel | December 15, 2020
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Menger Hotel (316 rooms) The Menger Hotel, one of the most iconic and historically significant buildings in San Antonio, was constructed on Alamo Plaza in 1859 by German immigrants Mary and William Menger. Mary arrived in San Antonio in 1846 and when her husband died soon after her arrival, she opened a boarding house. The building provided studio space for renowned sculptor Gutzor Borglum, most famous for his work at Mt. Rushmore. After William Menger opened the Menger Brewery in 1855, he married Mary and the success of the Brewery operation led to the construction of the Menger Hotel. The orig...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 239: Hotel History: The Algonquin Hotel, NY (1902)
Stanley Turkel | November 3, 2020
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: The Algonquin Hotel (181 rooms) The Algonquin Hotel was originally planned as an apartment hotel with the idea of renting unfurnished rooms and suites on yearly leases to permanent tenants. When few leases sold, the owner decided to turn it into a transient hotel, which he was going to name “The Puritan”. Frank Case, the first general manager, objected and told the owner “it… contradicts the spirit of innkeeping. It is cold, forbidding and grim. I don’t like it.” When the owner replied, “You think yourself so smart, suppose you find a better name,” Case went to the public library to...
“She Has a Deal” Announces Pitch Competition Winning Teams
“She Has a Deal” | October 30, 2020
McLEAN, Va., October 30, 2020—Officials of “She Has a Deal,” an annual hotel investment pitch competition for early-career women, today announced the winners of its event held Saturday. Over the last year, participants completed more than 12 hours of intensive hotel investment education to learn how to source, evaluate and raise capital for a real hotel deal. Out of a field of 17 teams, five were selected at a virtual preliminary round to move forward to the finals, where they pitched live to a judging panel of top-level hotel business executives, entrepreneurs and investors. Held at Hilton’s Innovation Gallery at the Hilton McLea...
More Hotel Mogel: Essays in Hotel Marketing & Management
Larry Mogelonsky | October 28, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic represents a watershed moment for hotels around the world. Weathering the short-term consequences of a global travel shutdown required a deft hand in management, while navigating any organization toward success in the recovery period demands even more intellect and creativity. There are now so many new challenges facing the hospitality industry and the situation is changing almost every day. With technology playing a pivotal role in the hotel of the future, all managers must also have a firm grasp of how each platform and device works in order to determine what is best for their organizations while still operating on ...
A Glass Ceiling to Shatter
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | October 22, 2020
Efforts to shatter the “glass ceiling” and promote women’s equality in the hospitality and tourism workplace must start in universities, according to Professor Basak Denizci Guillet, Ph.D. graduate Dr Anna Pavesi, Professor Cathy Hsu and Dr Karin Weber of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The researchers note that statistics paint a bleak picture of women’s involvement at the upper levels of the hospitality and tourism industry, both in Hong Kong and worldwide. Although progress is being made in closing the gender gap, social and institutional barriers continue to prevent talent...
Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 238: Hotel History: The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco
Stanley Turkel | October 13, 2020
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, CA (592 rooms) The luxurious Grande Dame atop Nob Hill in San Francisco was named after U.S. Senator James Graham Fair (1834-1894) by his daughters, Theresa Fair Oelrichs and Virginia Fair Vanderbilt. When the silver king James Fair purchased the site back in the late 1800s, his interest was to build the largest mansion in the neighborhood. However, when he died in 1894, the lot was still undeveloped until 1907 when his daughters commissioned the architectural and engineering firm of Reid & Reid to design a large hotel in Italian Renaissance style. The Reid br...
IDeaS Announces Fabian Specht Future Revenue Innovator Scholarship With EHL
IDeaS | September 30, 2020
EHL hospitality management school scholarship to honor the legacy of the late EMEA-area vice president of IDeaS, Fabian Specht LONDON—Sept. 30, 2020—Global hospitality revenue management solutions provider IDeaS has partnered with world-leading hospitality management school EHL to offer the Fabian Specht Future Revenue Innovator Scholarship. IDeaS has committed to €15,000, awarded annually beginning with the 2021-22 academic year, to two international EHL students pursuing a revenue management education. IDeaS’ EMEA-area vice president Fabian Specht passed away unexpectedly in December 2019. A passionate and visionary industry l...
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