News Archive: November
Marriott International President and CEO, Arne Sorrenson, Posts Open Letter to President-Elect Trump
November 14, 2016
Congratulations on your election as President of the United States. You ran an impressive campaign, never doubting your message. You now have the opportunity to lead from the White House and all of us want you, and the nation you will serve, to be successful. I was gratified to hear your inclusive words in your election night speech. As President, you will have the ability to represent everyone, whether they supported you in the election or not. Particularly after this campaign, we need leadership to bring us together, to find areas of common ground and to help us find a path through issues that require compromise. You have the chance...
The Inaugural trivago Awards 2017: America’s 10 Best Properties in Four Different Categories Based on User Ratings
trivago | November 15, 2016
Düsseldorf, Germany / November 15, 2016 - For the very first time trivago.com reveals the best hotels in the United States — based entirely on guest reviews. Chosen for their outstanding customer service, ranking, and performance, the trivago Awards 2017 recognize the 10 best properties in America in four different categories; 5-Star, 4-Star, 3-Star, and Alternative Accommodation. How did trivago choose these properties? We didn't. With user ratings gathered from 34 hotel, booking, and review sites across the web, we've crafted a comprehensive, transparent, unbiased index for hotel ratings that we call the trivago Rating Inde...
Starwood Hotels to Lay Off 163 Employees, Most are Senior Management, at End of Year
November 1, 2016
Nov. 01--Starwood Hotels has told the state it plans to lay off 163 employees in Stamford by the end of the year. Starwood Hotels, which was lured to Connecticut from White Plains, N.Y. by Gov. M. Jodi Rell with a more than $80 million incentives package, was bought by Marriott in September. Marriott notified the state Department of Labor by letter on Friday that there would be a mass layoff of "approximately 163 employees," and said the layoffs are "most likely at the close of business on Dec. 31." The layoffs include some rank and file workers, such as administrative assistants, executive assistants and specialists...
Nobody Asked Me, But…No. 170: Hotel History: Washington Square Hotel, New York City (1902)
Stanley Turkel | November 29, 2016
by Stanley Turkel, CMHS A haven for writers and artists for more than a century, the Washington Square Hotel, located at Waverly and MacDougal Streets, just off the northwest corner of Washington Square Park, occupies a unique place in Greenwich Village's history. The hotel facilities include 150 guestrooms, a renovated lobby with unique art works, 24-hour front desk service, fitness room, lobby bar and the highly-acclaimed North Square Restaurant & Lounge. Complimentary wireless internet access is available in the lobby and lobby bar. The Washington Square Hotel was built in 1902 as a residential hotel named the Hotel Earle after i...
Fairmont’s Philip Barnes to Lead London’s Savoy Hotel as Regional Vice President & Managing Director
Fairmont Pacific Rim | November 2, 2016
VANCOUVER, BC, November 2, 2016 - Philip M. Barnes is replacing his umbrella for a "brolly" and will be departing Vancouver as Regional Vice President, Fairmont Hotels PNW and General Manager, Fairmont Pacific Rim, effective November 18. Born, raised, and educated in the UK, Barnes will be returning to his roots and will assume the role as Regional Vice President & Managing Director for London's iconic Savoy hotel. Barnes will lead the hotel's team in all aspects of the operation, guest services and owner relations. Under Barnes' stewardship since 2011, Fairmont Pacific Rim has garnered prestigious recognition ...
Hotel CEOs Have a Payday in 2016
Keith Kefgen | November 7, 2016
By Keith Kefgen and Andrew Hazelton When we began our careers in the hotel business, it was widely thought that our industry paid executives rather poorly. Is that still true today? If CEO pay is any indication, it appears that stigma needs to change. In fact, based on our 20th review of hotel CEO pay, one could say that the industry is a vehicle for getting rich. Our analysis shows that the average pay check of a hotel CEO was more than $6M in 2015, while the average stock ownership was over $40M. Not bad for an industry with a tight-fisted reputation. Maybe more important than having a big pay check, we think CEOs should be graded on ...
W Hotels Worldwide in Partnership with Nozul Algarve, S.A to Develop W Algarve in Portugal
W Hotels Worldwide | November 9, 2016
NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2016 -- W Hotels Worldwide, now part of Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR), today announced it will open W Algarve in 2018 on Portugal's stunning sun-kissed Algarve coast. Developed in partnership with Nozul Algarve, S.A., the vibrant oceanfront oasis will overlook the breathtaking coastline and the beckoning waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The debut will mark the third W Escape in the Europe, a newly created portfolio of W Hotels located in ski, sand and entertainment destinations around the world, that make the traditional 'resort' a last resort. "This beachfront paradise is the perfect backdrop for ...
2017 Hospitality Outlook Is a Mixed Bag: U.S. Occupancy High, But ADR Growth Is Disappointing
CBRE Group, Inc. | November 29, 2016
Atlanta – November 29, 2016 – The 2017 outlook for U.S. hotels offers mixed blessings, with near record occupancy levels projected while average daily room rates (ADR) are expected to continue leveling off. According to the recently released December 2016 Hotel Horizons® forecast report, CBRE Hotels' Americas Research is projecting that the U.S. lodging industry will achieve an annual occupancy rate of 65.3 percent in 2017, just shy of the 65.4 percent all-time record occupancy level expected for 2016. "Conventional wisdom says that at such high occupancy levels, hoteliers should have the leverage to implement strong pri...
