Knowland Wins 2023 Skift IDEA Award
Knowland | August 10, 2023
Industry Happenings
Steigenberger Hotels Launches New Brand ‘Jaz in the City’ – First Jaz to Open in Amsterdam
Jaz in the City | February 13, 2015
Each Jaz in the City hotel will reflect a city's unique lifestyle, drawing upon the local music and cultural scenes, bringing artists and their works into the hotel. Galleries and guestrooms will feature rotating art exhibits, and public areas will be set to a soundtrack of local rhythms with impromptu pop-up performances by home-grown musicians. The pretence-free lounge bars will provide opportunities for guests to clink drinks with the city's citizens, and the restaurants will feature flavours that combine global sensibilities with local specialities. Jaz in the City will give guests all the tools they need to immerse themselves in a ...
The Little Nell Receives 2015 Forbes Five-Star Award
The Little Nell | February 13, 2015
Aspen, Colorado (February 2015) – The Little Nell is thrilled to once again earn the prestigious Forbes Five-Star Award for 2015, which marks the twentieth consecutive year to receive the designation as "one of the best hotels in the world." The Little Nell is one of 115 Five-Star hotels in the country and the only property in Aspen to receive this distinction. The property's signature restaurant and bar, element 47, was also given Five Stars, earning The Little Nell the distinction of the only ski hotel with two Five Star awards. "Our Star Ratings recognize the finest hotels, restaurants and spas in the world. These ratings serve as ...
Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Debuts Stylish New Guest Rooms; Captured On Time-lapse Video
Hard Rock International | February 13, 2015
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Inspired by music and the hotel's on-site location at Universal Orlando Resort, the newly-renovated guest rooms at Hard Rock Hotel capture the vibe of rock against a backdrop of clean and contemporary surfaces. The new look features a mix of retro-inspired shapes, patterns and colors paired with sleek-lined details in the place where Hotel California became a reality. "We are excited to reveal a totally new and distinctive look for our guest rooms and corridors," says Managing Director Carlton Hudson. "Guests are already telling us the transformation is off the charts." Check out the total transformation of one room fro...
FL’s Refurbished 284-key Riu Plaza Miami Beach Opens in South Beach after $20 Million Investment
RIU Hotels & Resorts | February 13, 2015
Palma de Mallorca, February 13, 2015 - RIU Hotels & Resorts has opened the Riu Plaza Miami Beach, its first hotel in the United States with the Riu Plaza city brand. After several months of refurbishment and an investment of 20 million dollars, the Hotel Riu Florida Beach has reopened, but is now converted into a hotel with a completely new concept: the Hotel Riu Plaza Miami Beach. Keeping its characteristic façade, the hotel has totally changed its interior structure and design to give its facilities the service standards of the modern and cosmopolitan Riu Plaza line. The new Riu Plaza Miami Beach maintains its 284 rooms, which ha...
BLLA’s Annual Boutique Hotel Investment Conference Slated for Return to New York on June 3rd, 2015
The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) | February 13, 2015
Taking a cue from last year's exciting Conference, described as "A who's-who line-up of speakers and intimate networking along with spectacular sharing of knowledge and industry insight." Los Angeles, CA, February 13, 2015 – The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) is pleased to announce the 3rd annual Boutique Hotel Investment Conference, to be held June 3, 2015 at the SVA Theatre located at 333 West 23rd Street in New York, NY. Unlike other conferences, this event caters to developers, financiers, property owners, hoteliers, and investors in a concrete way – providing real world information/application on debt const...
Managed by Whitestone Hospitality, 116-room Hampton Inn Dallas/Fort Worth Airport South Opens in TX
Hampton Hotels | February 13, 2015
February 13, 2015 - FORT WORTH, Texas and MCLEAN, Va. - Hampton Hotels, Hilton Worldwide's global brand of more than 2,000 mid-priced Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Hampton by Hilton hotels, today announced the official opening of its newest property, the 116-room Hampton Inn & Suites Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport South located at 4201 Reggis Court. The hotel is managed by Whitestone Hospitality. It is the 169th Hampton property in the state. "Hampton has established a significant presence in Texas, and our opening extends Hamptonality to the great area of Fort Worth," said Gurmit Chaudhri, general manager. "With our friendly...
Completing Conversion, the 134-room DoubleTree by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport Opens in Oklahoma
DoubleTree By Hilton | February 13, 2015
Owned by Suenos LLC and Managed by HP Hotels February 13, 2015 - OKLAHOMA CITY and MCLEAN, Va. - DoubleTree by Hilton today announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport, the brand's first property in the capital city of Oklahoma. Formerly a Cambria Suites, the 134-room full-service hotel has commenced dramatic property-wide renovations that include stylish design updates and furnishings throughout the lobby, guest rooms and public areas. The hotel is owned by Suenos LLC and managed by HP Hotels, the same team that owns and operates Hilton Garden Inn North Quail Springs in Oklahoma City. "With its beautiful transfo...
Oxford Capital Plans 2016 Opening of 452-key LondonHouse; Redeveloping Historic Chicago Landmark
Oxford Capital Group, LLC and Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC | February 13, 2015
(CHICAGO, IL; February 13, 2015) - Oxford Capital Group, LLC today announced plans to open "LondonHouse" at the corner of North Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive in the spring of 2016. This latest lifestyle hotel development from Oxford Capital Group, LLC will feature a 452-room hotel within the historic Alfred S. Alschuler-designed London Guarantee & Accident Building, blended with a new 22-story architecturally synchronized Modernist glass tower designed by Chicago's Goettsch Partners. Built on the site of Fort Dearborn in 1923, the historic London Guarantee Building is both a local and national landmark. LondonHouse and its 1920's...
Carey Watermark Investors Acquires the 214-room Westin Minneapolis in Minnesota for $66.4 Million
Carey Watermark Investors | February 13, 2015
HEI Hotels & Resorts Will Continue to Manage the Hotel NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2015 -- Carey Watermark Investors Incorporated (CWI) announced that it has acquired the landmark Westin Minneapolis hotel. The full-service hotel includes 214 guestrooms and is located in downtown Minneapolis. The acquisition price was $66.4 million and was financed with $43.5 million of debt. Key Facts •High quality asset: The Westin Minneapolis, originally constructed as the Farmers & Mechanics Bank building in 1942, is a uniquely designed, high-quality, high-rise hotel in the heart of Minneapolis. The former bank hall was repurposed in 2007 as the hot...
The UK’s 152-key London Marriott Hotel Park Lane Completes Phase One of Property Wide Renovation
London Marriott Hotel Park Lane | February 12, 2015
February 12, 2015 - As part of London Marriott Hotel Park Lane undergoing a complete transformation, the lobby, Executive Lounge and meetings and events spaces are the first to be completed. Set to raise the bar for Mayfair, the hotel now offers the highest standard of business services in Central London. The well-appointed meeting rooms – Oxford Suite, Hyde Park Suite and Mayfair Boardroom – have been redesigned to provide adaptable spaces to cater up to 60 guests. Each of the three meeting rooms epitomise Mayfair elegance with chic interiors, cutting edge technology (including the choice of the latest in audio and visual equipment...
BEST WESTERN PLUS The Gonville Hotel in Cambridge Deploys In-Room and Mobile Solutions with iRiS
iRiS Software Systems | February 12, 2015
iRiS Software Systems, the multi-award winning guest facing technology hospitality provider, and BEST WESTERN PLUS The Gonville Hotel in Cambridge have teamed up to deploy in-room and mobile interactive guest facing solutions. Ideally located in the centre of Cambridge and renowned for its focus on customer satisfaction, BEST WESTERN PLUS The Gonville Hotel is the only hotel in the Cambridge area to have such seamless technology. Recently refurbished, the hotel added an elegant and contemporary feel to its design and adapted to the growing customer demand for more convenience by installing iRiS Guest Valet and iRiS Mobile Valet. Designe...
White Lodging Appoints Jason Kreul as Senior Vice President of Full Service Operations
White Lodging Services Corporation | February 12, 2015
MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Feb. 12, 2015 -- White Lodging is pleased to announce Jason Kreul has been hired as Senior Vice President of Full Service Operations. "I'm excited to welcome Jason to White Lodging and this new position as our company continues to grow," said Keith Daub, Chief Operating Officer for the company's full service portfolio. "Jason comes to us with a vast background of knowledge and experience, as well as successful leadership in the hospitality industry. I'm looking forward to the impact he will make within our organization." Kreul brings more than 20 years of hospitality experience to White Lodging. Most recently, he was...
White Lodging to Build a Dual-Branded AC Hotel and Le Meridien Hotel in Denver, Colorado
White Lodging Services Corporation | February 12, 2015
Le Meridien Denver and AC Denver are Slated to Break Ground in Late Spring 2015 and Open in Early 2017 MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Feb. 12, 2015 -- White Lodging is pleased to announce it will build a dual-branded hotel development in downtown Denver, featuring AC Hotels by Marriott hotel as well as a Starwood-branded Le Meridien Hotel. Construction on the 18-story development will begin in Spring 2015 with an opening scheduled for early 2017. The two hotels will add 491 rooms to the heart of the city at 15th Street and California, just one block from the Colorado Convention Center. Le Meridien Denver and AC Denver will be located at the center...
Ali Bin Sultan & Brothers Group to Develop Two Marriott Properties in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Marriott International | February 12, 2015
The 200-room Al Khobar Marriott Hotel and the 80-unit Marriott Executive Apartments Al Khobar Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia - 12 February 2015: Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) today announced that it will introduce two new properties including its first-ever full service hotel in Al Khobar. The announcement of two properties, Al Khobar Marriott Hotel and Marriott Executive Apartments Al Khobar, was made following a recent signing agreement with Ali Bin Sultan & Brothers Group Holding Co. Ltd, a leading local organisation with interests in the construction, manufacturing and hotel industries. Due to be completed in 2018, the Al K...
AHLEI’s New Training/Certification Modules Give Trainees a Solid START in Key Hospitality Positions
the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) | February 12, 2015
Orlando, Florida, February 2015-The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) is launching new flexible training and certification modules available in multiple formats to meet the needs of schools, workforce agencies, and properties. START for Individual Positions and quickSTART for Individual Positions provide resources for training new or prospective employees in general hospitality knowledge, soft skills, and position-specific knowledge, combined with the opportunity to earn professional certification. Training and certification is available for the following positions: front desk representative, guestroom attendant...
Dorsett Hospitality International Appoints Executive Team Members
Dorsett Hospitality International | February 12, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 12, 2015 - Dorsett Hospitality International is pleased to announce the following recent appointments: Lee Ng as General Manager for Silka Cheras Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Lee joined the group with more than 16 years of hospitality experience; and shall be responsible for the hotel's overall business performance, and day-to-day operations as well as management of the 319 value-led hotel located in the bustling suburb of Kuala Lumpur. Prior to his appointment, Lee was the Complex Director of Sales & Marketing at a Sheraton resort, The Royal Begonia, Sanya and has moved up the ranks within the Starwood group...
The Travel Industry Executive Women’s Network (TIEWN) 2nd Annual Event Well-Received
TIEWN | February 12, 2015
Members of this LinkedIn group met in person for the second year in a row to discuss topics that affect women in travel, tourism & hospitality. The online group includes more than 8,500 members globally. Los Angeles, CA, February 12, 2015 – After a promising first year, the Travel Industry Executive Women's Network, powered by BLLA (Boutique Lifestyle Lodging Association), held a Forum on January 28th in downtown Los Angeles at The Palm Restaurant. Highlights included a panel of 7 executives in the industry discussing women's leadership. The initial hour of the event was dedicated to networking – greeting old friends and making ...
Arizona’s Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, A Destination Hotel, Names Ken McKenzie as GM
Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, A Destination Hotel | February 12, 2015
Patrick Connors Appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing Scottsdale, Ariz. - February 12, 2015 - Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, A Destination Hotel is proud to announce the addition of two seasoned hospitality executives to the management team at the newest property in the Destination Hotels portfolio. Ken McKenzie, the resort's new general manager, and Patrick Connors, director of sales and marketing, join the resort as it embarks on a repositioning phase and remodel. "We are especially thrilled to welcome Ken and Patrick to Scottsdale Resort's management team during such an exciting time at the property," said Kevin ...
Bucking the Resort Fee Trend by Chris Pulito, General Manager, Whiteface Lodge
Chris Pulito | February 12, 2015
Since it first emerged on the hospitality scene in the 1990s, the resort fee has become increasingly commonplace, extending beyond a few resort-dense tourism centers to destinations throughout the U.S. While the practice has drawn scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission, and press and consumer feedback has been less than enthusiastic, within the hotel industry resort fees have been increasingly embraced as revenue drivers and accepted even as a competitive necessity. Recent years have seen such fees, and revenues associated with them, grow steadily. In fact, Bjorn Hanson, a clinical professor at New York University's hospitality scho...
Water’s Edge Resort & Spa in Westbrook, CT Names Thomas Sullivan as GM & Nestor Sanchez as F&B Dir.
Water's Edge Resort & Spa | February 12, 2015
WESTBROOK, CT (February 12, 2014) - The Water's Edge Resort & Spa, a classic New England estate with 190 rooms located directly on the Connecticut shoreline in Westbrook, CT, announces the appointment of Thomas Sullivan as general manager and Nestor Sanchez as food and beverage director. Both will play key roles in the newly revamped food and beverage offerings centered around a restaurant renovation set to debut this spring. A hotel and hospitality veteran of more than 20 years, Sullivan will be responsible for the overall day-to-day operations of Water's Edge Resort & Spa. Prior to joining the team, he was the general manager ...
Expedia to Acquire Orbitz Worldwide for $12 Per Share in Cash, or Approximately $1.6 Billion
Expedia, Inc. | February 12, 2015
BELLEVUE, Wash. and CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2015 -- Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement under which it will acquire Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: OWW), including all of Orbitz Worldwide's brands, for $12.00 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of approximately $1.6 billion, and a premium of approximately 29% over the volume weighted average share price for the five trading days up to and including February 11, 2015. The Boards of Directors of both companies have approved the transaction, which is subject to approval by the shareholders of a majority of Orbitz Worldwide's common stoc...
Hotel Industry Supports Senate Resolution Condemning NLRB’s Recent “Ambush” Elections Rule
the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) | February 12, 2015
Washington, D.C. - February 12, 2015 - The American Hotel & Lodging Association, the sole national association representing all segments of the 1.8 million-employee lodging industry, today praised Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Chairman John Kline (MN-2) for their introduction of S. J. Res. 8 and H. J. Res. 29, respectively, which would overturn the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB's) recent "ambush" elections rule. In letters sent to Chairman Lamar Alexander and Chairman Kline, AH&LA outlines how the NLRB's rulemaking limits the rights of both employees and employers in the hotel industry, and jeopardizes its ability...
The Guests’ Advocate
Bryan Williams of B.Williams Enterprise | February 12, 2015
by Bryan Williams More than complying with requests...more than anticipating needs...guests need to feel like you are "on their side". Simply put, they want you to be their advocate. Looking out for them. Suggesting services and products that will best fit their specific needs. Advocate Just recently, I was staying at the Thompson hotel in Miami Beach, and couldn't find my valet parking ticket. After verifying that I was indeed the authorized driver, the valet attendant gave me a great suggestion. He said, "I know how easy it can be to lose the small valet ticket stub. It happens to me all the time when I travel. One suggestion is when ...
Waramaug Hospitality Completes $7.5M Renovation of 259-room Hilton Phoenix Airport Hotel in Arizona
Waramaug Hospitality | February 12, 2015
February 12, 2015 - Phoenix, AZ- Waramaug Hospitality, a private investment group, unveiled today the newly revitalized Hilton Phoenix Airport hotel. The 259-room property at the Phoenix International Airport has undergone a $7.5 million dollar renovation ($29,000 per room) over the last six months. The renovation includes all new guestrooms and bathrooms, corridors, public spaces and a completely new lobby featuring a Starbucks outlet and Hilton Connectivity Zone. The property also had major infrastructure work completed such as a new HVAC system, High Speed Internet system, façade painting and landscaping. Conveniently located 1.5 mi...
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