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Industry Happenings
Completing $29 Million Renovation, the 410-room Le Meridian New Orleans Opens
December 19, 2014
December 19, 2014 - NEW ORLEANS - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today unveiled Le Méridien New Orleans, following a comprehensive $29 million transformation. The newly renovated hotel features 410 fully redesigned guestrooms, including 22 suites; three new food and beverage outlets, including a new destination restaurant; and the addition of 1,600 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. "Le Méridien is experiencing strong growth momentum in North America, and New Orleans has long been on our short list of dynamic U.S. cities that share in our brand passions for the arts, culture and cuisine," said B...
Joan Esneault Named Director of Sales at Connecticut’s Hilton Mystic and Madison Beach Hotel
Distinctive Hospitality Group | December 19, 2014
NATICK, MA (December 19, 2014) - Distinctive Hospitality Group (DHG) today announced the appointment of Joan Esneault as Director of Sales of the Hilton Mystic in Mystic, Connecticut and the Madison Beach Hotel in Madison, Connecticut. "We are excited to welcome Joan Esneault to our DHG family," said Lou Carrier, President of Distinctive Hospitality Group. "Her extensive background and successful track record in the hospitality industry as well as her great familiarity and interest in Connecticut will prove to be a tremendous asset in furthering the reputation of the Hilton Mystic and Madison Beach Hotel as two outstanding destinations ...
Steve Tyson Appointed as General Manager for Paradise Beach Nevis to Open in January 2015
Paradise Beach Nevis | December 19, 2014
CHARLESTOWN, Nevis - December 19, 2014 - Steve Tyson, a seasoned industry veteran with more than 25 years of Caribbean hospitality experience, has been signed on as general manager of Paradise Beach Nevis, which is set to open its doors on January 15, 2015. In this position, Tyson will oversee all operational aspects of the property and is responsible for delivering a consistent, high-quality product with superior service and exceptional guest experiences. Tyson joins Paradise Beach from the award-winning Nisbet Plantation Beach Club where he spent the last 15 years of his career as rooms division manager. "Steve is an extremely well-ro...
IACC-Europe Elects Rachael Bartlett as President
IACC | December 19, 2014
(LONDON, UK) -- December 19, 2014 -- Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC has announced the election of Rachael Bartlett as President of IACC-Europe for a two-year term. Rachael currently serves as Head of Sales & Marketing at Warwick Conferences, University of Warwick. Rachael assumes the role of President after serving as Vice President and member of the IACC Global Board of Directors for the past four years. She succeeds Jeu Bressers, who steps down after serving as president for five years. According to Bartlett "Jeu has made considerable achievements and progress establishing the IACC-Europe chapter since its formation in 2011 and the boar...
Tash Tobias Named as Regional General Manager and General Manager, InterContinental Singapore
InterContinental Singapore | December 19, 2014
Singapore, December 19, 2014: InterContinental Singapore announces the return of Tash Tobias to InterContinental Singapore as General Manager, while taking on an expanded role as Regional General Manager for Singapore, Malaysia and Batam. Tash will be responsible for driving strategic growth and operational excellence for 10 hotels across four brands including InterContinental Singapore, Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium, Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre, Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay, Holiday Inn Express Singapore Orchard Road, Holiday Inn Resort Batam, InterContinental Kuala Lumpur, Holiday...
Ashford Trust to Acquire Prudential Real Estate Investors’ Interest in 28-Hotel Highland Portfolio
| December 19, 2014
Acquisition Highlights: - $1.735 billion total transaction value, expected to close during the first quarter of 2015 - Acquired by Ashford at a trailing 12-month cap rate of 6.9% and trailing EBITDA multiple of 12.5x - Purchase price equates to a forward 12-month cap rate of 7.4% and forward 12-month EBITDA multiple of 11.6x DALLAS, Dec. 19, 2014 -- Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE: AHT) ("Ashford Trust" or the "Company") and Prudential Real Estate Investors announced today they have signed a definitive agreement in which Ashford Trust will acquire the remaining 28.26% ownership interest of the Highland Hospitality portfolio from i...
Canadian Hotel Company, Delta Hotels and Resorts, Makes Leadership Appointments Across its Portfolio
Delta Hotels and Resorts | December 19, 2014
December 19, 2014 (Toronto, ON) - Delta Hotels and Resorts is proud to announce recent leadership appointments at hotel properties across the country that support the development of its hotel leadership teams. Delta is a coast-to-coast company with more than 40 properties and 6,000 colleagues located in every province and major city in Canada. "This is an exciting time for Delta as we draw on our deep pool of talent and reposition the brand," says David Bird, Senior Vice President of Operations, Delta Hotels and Resorts. "From coast to coast, our newly appointed team embodies the knowledge and expertise to continue our strong focus on b...
PM Hospitality Strategies to Manage 282-room DoubleTree by Hilton DFW Airport North in Texas
PM Hospitality Strategies | December 19, 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 19, 2014 - Officials of PM Hospitality Strategies, Inc. (PMHS), a leading, national hotel management company, announced today that it signed a management agreement to operate the 282-room DoubleTree by Hilton DFW Airport North on behalf of The Buccini/Pollin Group, a privately held, full-service real estate acquisition, development and management company. The addition of the DoubleTree hotel brings PMHS' portfolio of managed hotels to approximately thirty hotels, including five new assignments in 2014 and development projects. "This hotel, our sixth west of the Mississippi River, marks our first entry into the...
Glen Cove Mansion Hotel & Conference Center Announces Special Winter Meeting Package Rates for 2015
Glen Cove Mansion | December 19, 2014
From $259 CMP Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, December 2014 ... The I.A.C.C.-certified Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center, located on Long Island's legendary North Shore 45 minutes from New York City, announces meeting package savings for planners looking ahead to the winter of 2015. The award-winning property is extending a special CMP rate of just $259 for meetings booked for the period January 2, 2015 through March 31, 2015. This is an extraordinary meeting package rate for the leading conference center hotel. To sweeten the deal, planners bringing new meetings of $15,000 receive a complimentary Mini iPad 16GB. Glen Cove...
LaSalle Hotel Properties Acquires The 150-room Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon for $64.3 Million
LaSalle Hotel Properties | December 19, 2014
December 19, 2014 - BETHESDA, Md. - LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) today announced that it acquired The Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon for $64.3 million. The Company funded the acquisition with cash on hand. Surrounded by corporate and leisure demand generators, the 150-room hotel is located at 1001 SW Broadway Street in the heart of downtown Portland among the city's concentration of office towers, retail offerings, dining establishments and entertainment venues. The hotel's location within Portland's central business district places its guests within a short walk of several regional corporate headquarters including those of ...
Tips Training your Reservationist
Orlandovacation.com | December 19, 2014
Here at Orlandovacation.com we work very hard to train our call center reps to be the best that they can possibly be on the phone. After all these representatives are our link to our customers, and they are key ingredient to us having a successful business. Almost every guest our representatives talk to are computer savvy and almost all the information they are seeking can be found online, but most guest still like to talk to someone and get receive a little help when planning their vacation. Here are a few tips on how we make sure our representatives are very well trained. 1) Pick the Right Candidate: The key to having a great reservat...
Tips for Training your Reservationist
Trey Duling | December 19, 2014
Here at Orlandovacation.com we work very hard to train our call center reps to be the best that they can possibly be on the phone. After all these representatives are our link to our customers, and they are a key ingredient to us having a successful business. Almost every guest our representatives talk to are computer savvy and almost all the information they are seeking can be found online, but most guests still like to talk to someone and receive a little help when planning their vacation. Here are a few tips on how to make sure your representatives are very well trained. 1) Pick the Right Candidate: The key to having a great reservat...
London Marriott Hotel Park Lane to Complete an Extensive Renovation in June 2015
London Marriott Hotel Park Lane | December 19, 2014
LONDON - December 19, 2014 - London Marriott Hotel Park Lane is set to complete an extensive renovation in June 2015 as part of the repositioning of the hotel to represent the best of Marriott in London and to be the hotel of choice in Mayfair. Housed within a Grade II listed property, London Marriott Hotel Park Lane will epitomise Mayfair elegance, with views over Hyde Park, opulent guestroom accommodation and luxurious public areas befitting of the prestigious address. The interiors of London Marriott Hotel Park Lane are currently undergoing a complete transformation. RPW Design is responsible for the plans that extend to all 152 bedr...
Five-Star Military Marketing Best Practices
Christian Kuhn | December 19, 2014
By: Christian Kuhn, vice president of marketing, Homewood Suites by Hilton More than lip service, cause marketing has become a vital part of hoteliers' efforts to connect with their guests and give back to the communities they call home. One particular niche audience that has come into focus for brands is the 25 million active and retired members of the U.S. military and their families. While evergreen discounts and special promotions are highly appreciated, to engage military personnel and hotel guests who want to actively support and say thank you, the programs that are most successful are those that seek to build relationships and fo...
Deep Discounting Doesn’t Work
Jean Francois Mourier | December 19, 2014
By Jean Francois Mourier Black Friday is a day filled with discounts on every product imaginable and for days beforehand, serious bargain-hunters are strategically planning their "plans of attack". This past Black Friday, which took place last month, gave US discount shoppers a fantastic opportunity: the ability to purchase hotel stays at many properties across the country for only $7 per night. Sounds great right? Well, it was... for consumers. However, for the hotels that participated in this deal (offered through a last-minute deals app) might not have been the best business decision - no matter whether it is done to raise awareness ...
Revcaster Partners with Duetto to Deliver Hotel Rate Shopping Tools that Drive Revenue
Revcaster | December 19, 2014
Revenue Strategy Innovator Duetto will Integrate Revcaster's Cost-Effective, Real-Time Rate Shopping Data to Help Further Increase Hotel Revenue Potential PORTLAND, OR - December 19, 2014 - Revcaster, the trusted leader in flexible, cost effective hotel rate shopping tools, announced that Duetto, the market leader in hotel revenue strategy solutions, will integrate Revcaster comp-set data to further increase revenue optimization opportunities for hotel operators. Click here for more information on Revcaster's rate shopping tools for hotels. "The agreement between our companies adds Revcaster's easy-to-use hotel rate shopping tools to ou...
Hard Rock International & Palladium Hotel Group to Develop the 637-room Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife
Hard Rock International | December 19, 2014
Orlando, Fla. - December 19, 2014 - Followings its successful European debut with Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza earlier this year, Hard Rock International - owner of one of the world's most iconic and recognized brands - announces plans for the beachfront Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife, set to open in mid-2016. The upcoming property is Hard Rock's second project in collaboration with leading operators, Palladium Hotel Group, who recently opened the Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza, the brand's first European hotel. Situated on Tenerife's sunny southern coast near Adeje, the resort will feature 637 rooms, including 236 suites, spread across two towers - offering...
Newmarket Solutions Selected by C&D to Grow Group Business
Newmarket International, Inc. | December 19, 2014
Streamlining Processes and Maximizing Function Space with Delphi 2015 and N2GO December 19, 2014 - Portsmouth, NH - Newmarket® International, Inc. ("Newmarket"), an Amadeus company, the proven business solutions provider for empowering hospitality organizations to lower costs and increase revenue while improving customer satisfaction and guest loyalty, today announced that Xiamen C&D Tourism and Hotels Incorporation ("C&D Tourism and Hotels ") has selected Delphi 2015 and N2GO to expand their group business. Established in 2003, C&D Tourism and Hotels, a subsidiary of Xiamen C&D Co. Ltd., currently operates eleven self-...
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Acquires the 356-room Revere Hotel Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust | December 19, 2014
December 19, 2014 - BETHESDA, Md. - Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE:PEB) (the "Company") today announced that it has acquired the Revere Hotel Boston Common ("Revere Hotel"), an attached 826-space parking garage and an adjacent land parcel for $260.4 million. The 356-room hotel is located in the heart of the historic Theater District of downtown Boston, Massachusetts. "We're thrilled to announce our acquisition of the Revere Hotel and the expansion of our presence in the highly desirable Boston market," said Jon Bortz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust. "Situated at the convergence of Boston's Back Bay, Finan...
SHR Announces Partnership with Flip.to, Helps Hotels Increase Marketing Reach & Generate New Guests
SHR | December 19, 2014
HOUSTON, TX, December 19, 2014- Sceptre Hospitality Resources (SHR), an innovative provider of advanced distribution technology and services for the hospitality industry, today announced its partnership with Flip.to, the brand advocate platform for hotels that turns hotel guests into a trusted extension of the hotel's marketing force, boosting brand awareness and earning new guests around the world. With the integration, users of SHR's WindsurferCRS who have deployed TopSail™ or the HTML booking engine can take advantage of Flip.to services. When the integration is activated by a property, existing guests now become influential brand ...
Radisson Signs Four North American Hotels; Located in Michigan, North Carolina, and Alberta, Canada
December 19, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS (December 19, 2014) - Radisson®, one of the best-recognized hotel brands, today announced the signing of four hotels in North America; Radisson Hotel Farmington Hills, Radisson Hotel High Point, Radisson Hotel Red Deer, and Radisson Hotel Charlotte Airport South. "We are pleased to announce four signings for the brand in December, these additions to the portfolio reinforce our commitment to expand in key markets in North America," said Javier Rosenberg, chief operating officer, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Americas. "We continue to see strong momentum in our growth as a powerful, globally consistent, first class-brand compl...
Grand Changes Made at Occidental Grand Punta Cana First Club Lounge
Occidental Vacation Club | December 19, 2014
December 19, 2014 (SANTO DOMINGO, DR) -While the U.S. was busy with Thanksgiving, Occidental Vacation Club (OVC) was putting the final touches on fresh new renovations to its exclusive First Club Lounge. Grand re-opening festivities took place this week-just in time for holiday travelers to enjoy. With $1.4 million in renovations being poured into the spectacular resort, the First Club Lounge is now modernized, colorful and exceptionally comfortable. The refurbishments have expanded both the reception and waiting area, where First Club Members arrive to enjoy a welcome beverage and private, attentive First Club Concierge check-in servic...
Interstate Hotels & Resorts Expands U.K. Management Portfolio with Six New Hotels
Interstate Hotels & Resorts | December 19, 2014
ARLINGTON, Va. / LONDON - Dec. 19, 2014 - Interstate Hotels & Resorts - the leading U.S.-based global hotel management company - announces six new hotels recently signed in the U.K. The additions continue to demonstrate Interstate as a top choice for independent management, offering a successful operating strategy that combines economies of size with agility in deploying resources focused on achieving a positive impact on the bottom line. Boasting an international presence for 20 years, Interstate holds significant hotel operating experience in Europe and is leading an unprecedented expansion in the region. Interstate's depth of exp...
Case Study: HeBS Digital Generates Significant Revenues Targeting International Luxury Travelers
HeBS Digital | December 19, 2014
December 19, 2014 How can a hotel, resort or casino effectively reach a target audience through online media? One of the most pervasive challenges hoteliers face is how to effectively speak to and engage with their various customer segments online. Couples, families, business travelers, international travelers, and event planners all require customized messaging on the site and in advertising campaigns to address their individual needs. Online media and retargeting is the perfect advertising format to target specific customer segments and drive direct bookings and customer engagements. The following case study clearly shows that any hot...
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