Human Trafficking and the Hotel Industry: How to Combat This Crime Against Women
Dr Sowon Kim | July 17, 2019
Hotel News: At NYU Conference, It’s the Same Song, Just a Different Chord
David Eisen | July 1, 2019
Industry Happenings
Lucid Ventures Selects Valor Hospitality South Africa to Manage Operations for New Boutique Hotel Brand, Home* Suites
Valor Hospitality Partners | July 16, 2019
JOHANNESBURG (July 2019) -- Valor Hospitality South Africa, a subsidiary of Valor Hospitality Partners, which owns and operates 75+ hotels across the globe, has been selected to manage Lucid Ventures’ new hotel brand, Home* Suite Hotels. Lucid Ventures, the R350M Cape Town-based hotel fund, launched Home* Suite Hotels in May 2019 -- opening the first hotel on the corner of Oxford and Bristol Roads in central Rosebank. Lucid Ventures will open more locations in Johannesburg, Sea Point, Gardens and De Waterkant in Cape Town over the next 24 months. A luxury boutique hotel brand, Home* Suite Hotels locations are designed to provide the c...
Revenue Generation and Hotel Operation Experts Launch New Management Company – Genuine Hospitality, LLC
Genuine Hospitality, LLC | July 15, 2019
SAINT LOUIS, MO (July 15, 2019) -- Kurt Furlong, a seasoned revenue generation expert and Rob Willard, a multi-brand hotel operator who also possesses more than three decades of lodging experience, have announced the launch of a new hotel management company, Genuine Hospitality, LLC. The St. Louis-based firm provides premium hotel management services, with focus on revenue generation, operational oversight, sales and marketing, accounting, and growth & development. As a hospitality firm, Genuine Hospitality respects and stresses the importance of organizational culture and delivering on the company’s mission to provide the finest fac...
Changing Priorities Are Impacting How and Why Americans Travel
MMGY Global | July 10, 2019
MMGY Global’s Portrait of American Travelers® Survey Reveals Significant Shifts in What Is Influencing Travelers Most KANSAS CITY, MO (July 10, 2019) - Today, MMGY Travel Intelligence, MMGY Global's research and insights company, released the findings of its 2019 Portrait of American Travelers® survey – the 29th annual edition of the acclaimed study. The results paint a picture of rapidly changing priorities amongst travelers, driven by growing concerns over safety, the quick adoption of the new sharing economy and a more conscientious approach to travel. The world is changing quickly and, as a result, how and why Americans t...
Marriott International Update on Starwood Reservation Database Security Incident
Marriott International | July 9, 2019
Marriott International announced that the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has communicated its intent to issue a fine in the amount of £99,200,396 against the company in relation to the Starwood guest reservation database incident that Marriott announced on November 30, 2018. Marriott has the right to respond before any final determination is made and a fine can be issued by the ICO. The company intends to respond and vigorously defend its position. Marriott International’s President and CEO, Arne Sorenson, said: “We are disappointed with this notice of intent from the ICO, which we will contest. Marriott has been...
How the UEFA Champions League Final Impacted Madrid Hotel Profits
David Eisen | July 8, 2019
By David Eisen Hosting a premier sporting event isn’t just a mark of stature—it can be a boon for the city’s hotel industry. From the Super Bowl and the World Series in the U.S., to the World Rugby Sevens Series held in a variety of locations, from the UAE and South Africa, to New Zealand and Hong Kong, sporting events are a facilitator of traveler demand. In Europe, where football is king, playing host to a UEFA Champions League Final (a competition that decides the best football club in Europe) can rake in hotel profits that would have otherwise been absent. That was the case for this year’s host city, Madrid, where the 201...
Hotel News: At NYU Conference, It’s the Same Song, Just a Different Chord
David Eisen | July 1, 2019
By David Eisen If you’re like me, then you live for the next hospitality industry conference. Am I right? A chance to catch up with friends, pontificate on the health of the space, pound coffee with reckless abandon, chow down on conference chicken, and stay out way too late carousing so that you look like an extra from “Night of the Living Dead” on the morning of the second conference day. Yeah, it’s the best! In our industry, you could throw a ball blindfolded and hit a conference on practically any day of the week. Still, one of the more eagerly anticipated is the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference h...
Radisson and Jin Jiang Launch First Co-Branded Hotel With Radisson Blu Hotel, Frankfurt Opening
Radisson Hotel Group | June 27, 2019
Frankfurt - June 27, 2019 - Following the Group’s acquisition by Jin Jiang International and Sino-Cee Fund late last year, Radisson Hotel Group and its shareholders have together identified several opportunities to realize the true potential of the Chinese market. Key initiatives have been defined, with the launch of co-branded hotels being a critical element of the project. The Radisson Blu Hotel, Frankfurt in Germany is the first property to be co-branded with Jin Jiang International. Federico J. González Tejera, President & CEO of Radisson Hospitality AB and Chairman of the Global Steering Committee for Radisson Hotel Group, said:...
Hotel Industry to Launch Unified Campaign
AHLA | June 25, 2019
WASHINGTON (June 25, 2019) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AHLA) President and CEO, Chip Rogers, will host an exclusive reporter conference call to announce the launch of a new campaign—a national awareness effort that builds on the hotel industry’s longstanding legacy of raising awareness and training hotel workers on the vital role they can play in disrupting human trafficking and helping victims. Rogers will be joined by leading national anti-human trafficking partners EPACT and Polaris and will provide exclusive details on four key pillars of the campaign, the hotel industry’s action plan, innovative new tra...
Minneapolis Star Tribune Names IDeaS a 2019 Top Workplace
IDeaS | June 25, 2019
Top Workplaces recognizes the most progressive companies in Minnesota based on employee survey Tweet This: @IDeaS_RevOpt has been named one of the Top Workplaces in Minnesota by the state’s largest newspaper, @StarTribune. #topworkplaces #startribune MINNEAPOLIS—June 25, 2019—IDeaS Revenue Solutions has been named one of the Top Workplaces in Minnesota by the Star Tribune, the state’s largest newspaper. A complete list of those selected is available at StarTribune.com/topworkplaces2019 and was published in the Star Tribune’s Top Workplaces special section on Sunday, June 16, 2019. Top Workplaces recognizes the most progressiv...
Eldorado and Caesars Enter $17.3 Billion Merger Agreement
Eldorado | June 24, 2019
June 24, 2019 -- RENO, Nev. & LAS VEGAS -- Eldorado Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ: ERI) ("Eldorado," "ERI," or "the Company") and Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR) ("Caesars") announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement to create the largest U.S. gaming company. The proposed transaction will combine two leading gaming companies with complementary national operating platforms, strong brands, strategic industry alliances, and a collective commitment to enhancing guest service and shareholder value. The combined company will provide its guests with access to approximately 60 domestic casino–resorts and gaming ...
Southern Lodging Summit Announces Full Speaker List for 17th Annual Conference August 27th & 28th in Memphis, Tenn.
| June 24, 2019
MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 24, 2018—Officials of the Southern Lodging Summit, an annual gathering of hoteliers specializing in development and operations in the southern United States, today announced the full speaker roster for its annual conference running August 27-28, 2019, in Memphis, Tenn. “We have gone to great lengths to not only feature some of the industry’s best and brightest on our panels, but to also find newer voices that you may not have heard from at other events,” said Chuck Pinkowski, owner of Pinkowski & Company and conference co-founder. “It is important for our attendees to hear different perspectives from diff...
Wellness Tourism Association Introduces New “WTA Annual Award” to Honor Innovators and Difference Makers in the Field of Wellness Tourism
| June 24, 2019
June 24, 2019 (Denver) - There was business as well as wellness on the agenda as the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) held its second annual meeting of membership at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, May 29-30, 2019. One priority? The introduction of the WTA Annual Award (WTAAA). Open to WTA members and non-members alike, the new Annual Award will be presented once each year during the association's annual meeting to honor an organization, company, or individual that has successfully launched and implemented a wellness project or initiative in keeping with the association's stated mission "to shape and support sustainable wellness tourism...
Banyan Investment Group Acquires and Will Operate 110-Room Courtyard by Marriott Houston Pearland in Texas
Banyan Investment Group | June 20, 2019
HOUSTON, Texas, June 20, 2019 - Banyan Investment Group, an Inc. 5000 recognized hotel investment and management company that acquires and manages select-service hotels in the United States, today announced that it has acquired and will operate the 110-room Courtyard by Marriott Houston Pearland in Texas. “We continue to seek institutional quality assets, such as the Courtyard by Marriott Houston Pearland, in major markets with numerous demand generators,” said Andy Chopra, founding principal and chief investment officer, Banyan Investment Group. “The hotel benefits from its location within Pearland Town Center, a popular mixed-used ...
Hyatt and BTG Homeinns Unveil New Hospitality Brand Under Joint Venture
Hyatt Hotels Corporation | June 20, 2019
SHANGHAI, CHINA (June 20, 2019) – Following the pioneering joint venture announcement in February, Hyatt and BTG Homeinns Hotels Group continue to make great strides with the unveiling of a new hospitality brand on Wednesday, June 19. Leveraging the respective strengths and resources of Hyatt and Homeinns, the UrCove brand is positioned to compete in the currently underserved upper-midscale segment. UrCove is an entirely homegrown hotel brand, built specifically to meet Chinese travelers’ preferences and growing expectations for a seamless, comfortable and premium travel experience in the upper-midscale market. Announced at the China H...
InnSpire Forms Strategic Partnership With Quadriga Worldwide
InnSpire | June 18, 2019
Leading provider of guest engagement and entertainment solutions tapped to jointly strengthen stability, reliability and innovation for the hospitality industry Stockholm and Minneapolis – HITEC Booth # 1546 – June 18, 2019 – Following the announcement that Quadriga Worldwide has been acquired and now operated by strong Scandinavian owners, InnSpire, a leading provider of guest engagement, digital entertainment and business intelligence solutions for the global hospitality market, has formed a strategic partnership with Quadriga Worldwide to strengthen international sales, as well as product innovation and development for the two co...
HospitalityNet and HFTP to Conduct Landmark Industry Survey at HITEC Minneapolis
Puzzle Partner | June 17, 2019
HospitalityNet™ and HFTP have announced that they will be launching the first edition of the hospitality industry’s first comprehensive Sentiment Survey at HITEC 2019 in Minneapolis. Event attendees and exhibitors will be invited to participate by members of a dedicated onsite team or contacted directly via email. This Sentiment Survey, sponsored by Shiji, aims to build the most comprehensive picture of pertinent trends impacting the hospitality technology industry. The survey, once compiled and analyzed, will decipher what hotel companies, technology providers, and educational institutions consider to be the most critical based upon c...
Leading by Example with Customer Service Experience
SpaSoft and Springer-Miller Systems | June 13, 2019
Toronto, Canada — June 13th, 2019 — SpaSoft, the leading provider of guest-centric hospitality and spa management systems, announces its upcoming SpaSoft User’s Group event in Orlando, Florida on July 31st, 2019. SpaSoft understands that a top priority for any spa is to make sure their spa facilities and services exceed guest expectations. SpaSoft is committed to providing exceptional customer events and training sessions to empower spa teams to improve their business. The objective of the SpaSoft user’s group event is to teach, connect and network with their valued customers, in a local setting that is convenient for each spa busi...
Mergers, Changing Demographics and Technology
Teneo Hospitality Group | June 11, 2019
Teneo Hospitality Group Addresses Concerns of Associations Washington, DC, June 2019 … Days before his inauguration in 1861, President-Elect Abraham Lincoln was smuggled into Washington’s iconic Willard Hotel by the head of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Undeterred by threats of assassination, Lincoln received petitioners for jobs, contracts and new legislation in the hotel lobby and the term “lobbyist” was born. Today, Washington, DC remains the Mecca for lobbyists and the many associations they represent. “Over 5000 associations are headquartered in the Greater DC area. They are a significant segment of the meetings industr...
Takeaways From the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference
Allison Fogarty | June 10, 2019
By Allison Fogarty The Caribbean is open for business, although recovery continues. As the region continues to recover from the devastating 2017 storm season, many hotels have reopened, even as infrastructure work continues. As always, recovery takes longer than anticipated, but open insurance claims are settling, and a number of properties are slated to reopen later this year, in time for the 2020 high season. Following the devastation, many owners of heavily damaged properties have taken the opportunity to significantly upgrade their properties with the proceeds of their insurance settlements, which will enhance their future positioning....
Europe’s Hotel Construction Pipeline Is Accelerating and Hitting All-Time Highs Amidst Concerns of an Economic Slowdown Ahead
Lodging Econometrics (LE) | June 10, 2019
June 10, 2019 – PORTSMOUTH, NH -- Analysts at Lodging Econometrics (LE) report that Europe’s hotel construction pipeline continues its robust up-swing in 2019 with 1,670 projects/254,600 rooms, a remarkable 22% increase in projects and 19% increase in rooms year-over-year (YOY). There has been an optimistic, upward trend in the European service and construction sectors, which is off-setting the weak outlook for exports and the on-going short-falls in manufacturing. New construction is being positively impacted by accommodative lending policies. Unemployment is at a 19-year low, yet an economic slowdown is still predicted for 2019. T...
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, Names Olivier C. Gaupin Director of Culinary Operations
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company | June 9, 2019
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, June 2019 … BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Olivier C. Gaupin director of culinary operations, a newly created position to further enhance Benchmark’s food and beverage positioning and expanding recognition. Patrick Berwald, vice president food and beverage, made the announcement. “It is with great pleasure that I announce Olivier’s appointment and welcome him to our growing F&B team,” said Mr. Berwald. “He brings an extraordinary depth of culinary knowledge and global experience to his new role, gained both in Europe and across the United States. Olivier has also led mul...
Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort, Appoints Keith Potter as Executive Chef
Ventana Big Sur | June 7, 2019
Big Sur, Calif. (June 7, 2019) – Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort, has appointed Keith Potter as executive chef of the celebrated luxury resort tucked between towering redwood trees and the California coastline in Big Sur. Potter, who brings over 15 years of culinary experience at acclaimed restaurants in Chicago, will oversee all food and beverage operations for the 59-room resort including its signature indoor-outdoor restaurant, The Sur House. “I could not be more thrilled to join the team at Ventana Big Sur, a premier culinary destination in California,” said Potter. “California’s abundance of fresh, high-quality ingredients ...
Nashville’s Hutton Hotel Welcomes Executive Chef Sean Petitt
Hutton Hotel | June 6, 2019
Hutton Hotel is excited to welcome Executive Chef Seth Petitt to their culinary team. Petitt, who joined in February 2019, oversees all culinary operations of the hotel including catering, in-room dining, and the hotel's restaurant. Petitt joins Hutton Hotel from Sage Restaurant Group as Urban Farmer's Executive Chef which he lead the developed the restaurant's culinary program through its openings in Denver, Cleveland and Philadelphia. In addition to overseeing Hutton Hotel's culinary team, Petitt will be developing a new concept for the hotel's restaurant slated to open in Summer 2019. "I'm excited to join Hutton Hotel's team and elevate...
HSMAI Releases Evolving Dynamics: From Revenue Management to Revenue Strategy
HSMAI | June 4, 2019
The third edition of CRME certification study guide to debut at ROC 2019 (McLean, VA, June 4, 2019) Reimagine the role of revenue optimization in your revenue strategy. HSMAI's newest publication, Evolving Dynamics: From Revenue Management to Revenue Strategy takes a deep dive into the fundamentals, cross-disciplinary partnerships, and emerging elements impacting revenue optimization. Benefit from new insights, 16 updated chapters, and several new case studies in the updated Certified Revenue Management Executive (CRME) certification study guide. Evolving Dynamics: From Revenue Management to Revenue Strategy will debut at HSMAI's ROC 20...
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