The Board of Directors for Carlson, a global hospitality and travel company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., announced today they have elected Trudy Rautio as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Rautio is only the fifth chief executive to be named at Carlson in its 74-year history.
Singaporean hoteliers benefited from sustained occupancy levels during the first six months of the year, which helped to boost average daily rate by 6.6 percent, according to STR Global, the leading provider of market information to the global hotel industry.
London hotels reported increases in average daily rate and revenue per available room during the 2012 Olympic Games, according to STR Global, the leading service provider of market information to the hotel industry. The games started with the opening ceremony Friday, 27 July 2012 and ended Sunday, 12 August 2012.
Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: BEE) announced today that it has signed an agreement to purchase New York City’s Essex House Hotel from the Dubai Investment Group for a gross purchase price of approximately $362.3 million. The purchase price includes 509 hotel rooms, nine condominium units and significant hotel-level cash reserves. Net of the acquired cash reserves, the transaction equates to a purchase price of approximately $685,000 per unit, based on 518 total units. The transaction, which is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, is expected to close on or before September 7, 2012.
The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 2,745 projects totaling 300,954 rooms, according to the July 2012 STR/McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report. This represents a 6.9-percent decrease in the number of rooms in the total active pipeline compared to July 2011. The total active pipeline data includes projects in the In Construction, Final Planning and Planning stages but does not include projects in the Pre-Planning stage.
The U.S. hotel industry experienced positive results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 5-11 August 2012, according to data from STR.
Accor Hotels is pleased to announce the opening of two new Ibis hotels in India – Ibis Navi Mumbai and Ibis Nashik. Having opened in Q2 of this year, the new hotels predominantly cater to business travellers in the upcoming commercial regions of Mumbai and Nashik. Guests will receive special opening rates as well as experience the high-quality service that is standard across all Accor Hotels.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announces the opening of the first Candlewood Suites hotel to include the brand’s new interior design package, created with graduate students at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), one of the nation’s top interior design schools.
Almost US$6 billion in hotel transactions occurred in the U.S. during the first half of 2012, according to data from the Hotel Transaction Almanac Midyear 2012 Update, a report from STR Analytics and the Hotel Investment Barometer.
A new study from Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) at the School of Hotel Administration pins down the corrosive effects of negative employee attitudes on hospitality employee turnover. The CHR also makes available a tool that allows hotel operators to take advantage of a new approach to pricing hotel room reservations.
The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 2,745 projects totaling 300,954 rooms, according to the July 2012 STR/McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report. This represents a 6.9-percent decrease in the number of rooms in the total active pipeline compared to July 2011. The total active pipeline data includes projects in the In Construction, Final Planning and Planning stages but does not include projects in the Pre-Planning stage.
Dubai Holding, the global investment holding company, today announced an enhanced board of directors at Jumeirah Group (Jumeirah), its global luxury hospitality arm, aimed at strengthening its corporate governance. Jumeirah’s board structure now comprises an independent non-executive chairman, two non-executive directors and two executive directors. These appointments become effective from September 1, 2012.
Westin Hotels & Resorts announces that it is applying its industry leading, design-driven approach to the new public space design, allowing travelers to stay balanced, refreshed and connected on the road. Designed with guests’ well-being in mind, the new lobby concept serves as a modern-day oasis for today’s demanding travelers by incorporating natural design elements, flexible and functional zoning and conveniently-located retail and grab & go areas. Westin’s new public space concept is currently on display at Westin Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego and will continue to roll out at participating properties worldwide throughout 2013. Five additional hotels are slated to feature the new concept this year including Westin Indianapolis, Westin Boston Waterfront, Westin Birmingham, Westin Georgetown and Westin Bethesda.
Fantastic spa locations and luxury hotels, innovative beauty products, and extraordinary treatments are once again being sought for the “Gala Spa Awards 2013”, which are awarded by premium people and lifestyle magazine GALA in cooperation with Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa. Companies from 29 countries can now submit their unique care products and locations for consideration in the most important international beauty and spa awards by September 28, 2012. Companies from Belgium and Poland will be able to take part in the competition for the first time this year.
Brighton on the south coast of England is a resort with a long established reputation for Hedonism. For centuries its played host to an invasion of Londoners looking for a little bit of fun in the sun.
At the beginning of the 18th century, Bath was a rather old fashioned rural town. Since Roman times, the spa waters had attracted people to Bath but when royal visits made the city fashionable again, the elite started flocking to the town to take the waters.
(Hendersonville/Milwaukee, USA – August 14th, 2012) The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index reported a 3.5-percent decrease in July to 2,329 but… Read More »Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index falls 3.5% in July
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today announces the appointment of Caroline Plant to the position of Business Development Director. Ms Plant was previously Group Marketing Director for Manchester Airports Group (M.A.G.).
(Bethesda, USA – August 10, 2012) Marriott International, Inc. today announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly cash… Read More »Marriott International Declares Cash Dividend
At the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) this September in Nairobi, one of the hot topics on the agenda will be ‘What it takes to do a deal in Africa’. Why is this such an important question? “Because Africa is a continent full of opportunity and impressive economic growth” says Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events, the company organising AHIF. “However, it is not the easiest place in the world to do business but if it could become easier, the cheque books of international investors would open”.
Marriott International, Inc celebrated the opening of its ninth hotel in Turkey, the 212-room Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel operating under a franchise agreement with Polat Holding A.S.
