January 1, 2008
Articles
It's Crystal Ball Time
The year is already a few weeks old, but it's not too late to give my predictions on how 2008 will treat the U.S. lodging industry. Here is my outlook:...
Hilton Chief has World on his Mind
Change is the order of the day at the world's largest hotel organization, Hilton Hotels Corp. Only days after private equity giant The Blackstone Group...
Wheeling and Dealing
Red Roof Inn's recent sale could be seen as a huge challenge for the newly independent company. Instead, CEO Joe Wheeling looks at it as an incredible...
Branding Briefs
AmericInn International A 61-room AmericInn Lodge & Suites opened in Waconia, MN. The property features an indoor recreation area with a pool, sauna and...
Best Western, Not Good Western
Bonjour, y'all, quipped Charlie Helm, greeting more than 2,000 Best Western International members at the opening of the membership chain's recent convention...
Country Inn Rolls On
Country Inns & Suites by Carlson is on the move. Under Carlson's Executive Vice President of Select Service Hotels Steve Mogck, the 20-year-old, 430-plus-property...
Beer Chief Soaks up First Year
If his brother's first batch of home-brewed beer turned out better, maybe Scott Kerkmans wouldn't be the first chief beer officer at Four Points by Sheraton....
Upcoming Industry Events
JANUARY 22-24 Hotel Brokers International Annual Meeting, Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas. Information: www.hbihotels.com JANUARY 27-29 California Association...
Transactions
AFC Hotel Finance AFC Hotel Finance Group secured $32.7 million in financing for properties in Panama City Beach, FL; Albuquerque, NM; Carson City, NV;...
Hospitality People In The News
Offer Nissenbaum was named managing director of The Peninsula Beverly Hills. He joins the California property from Omni Hotels, where he was regional...
Getting Your Message Out
Word-of-mouth no longer spreads from one person to another. It can go around the world in a matter of seconds. Times have changed. For marketers, and...
Executive Sentiment Slows
The current Lodging Executives Sentiment Index reading is 69.0, a shade below last period's 69.8 (corrected from last month's article due to surveys received...
Timeshare/Resort
Makeover For Condado Plaza Interior design firm Leo A. Daly merged Old San Juan with the Condado Lagoon in the reconstruction of the Royal Ballroom at...
Quality Sales Training Counts
If I were a hotel general manager or director of sales, one of my key questions would be how prepared my sales people are for the future. Many management...
Getting Onboard With Online Marketing
Last year was another strong one for the Internet's increased impact on hotel marketing strategies. And, guess what? The Internet will continue to explode...
Signing On
In 1951, Kemmons Wilson built the first Holiday Inn, a 120-room property, for $330,000. Now it will cost franchisees of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express...
Still Great in '08
Like it or not, the fate of the U.S. hotel industry has always been, and probably always will be, tied to the U.S. economy. Even when the industry occasionally...
Business as Usual
Business is back to normal in Southern California. And for the hotel and tourism industry, it never really went away despite devastating fires in late...
Sleeping Tight
Hotel executives have made their beds literally in some cases and now they're hoping consumers are willing to sleep in them. The bedding wars began in...
Blending Prudence With Flair
The Procaccianti Group, a privately held hotel management company in Cranston, RI, tends to downplay publicity. But major hotel brands, not to mention...
Tomorrow's TVs
High-definition and flat-screen TVs invaded the hotel industry several years ago, and today nearly every new full-service and many select-service properties...
Omni's World Tour
Nineteen Omni Hotels executive chefs are into the third day of a week-long trip to Buenos Aires and the wine country of Mendoza, Argentina, soaking up...
Energy Management and Sustainability Practices
There are many compelling reasons to deploy an energy-management system in hotel guestrooms. Among them is the fact that electricity rates aren't expected...
Tech Bytes
Owners of Vantage Hospitality Group's Americas Best Value Inn and Lexington Collection properties can now benefit from preferred provider status Telkonet...
SoftBrands on the move
Epitome property management system and Karyon Distribution Service software from SoftBrands have been selected by GrandStay Residential Suites for GrandStay's...
Hyatt Place Heightens Tech
Guests of high-tech brand Hyatt Place can plug their portable media devices into the guestroom's 42-inch high-definition television, thanks to the Hyatt...
Beachfront Wi-Fi Hits Marco Island
According to a recent study, the number of people working remotely has grown 63 percent in the past two years. That's one reason the Marco Island Marriott...
Inncom Nabs Best in Show
INNCOM International won the Kenneth F. Hine Best of Show award at the 92nd annual International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York City on Nov....
Vendor News
Pfingsten Partners is the new majority owner of Tropitone Furniture and will help provide the company expanded resources for continued growth. Lighting...
