August 1, 2009
FORUM
Think Twice Before Closing Your Hotel
OPINION: A Steep Drop in Value Is a Possible Consequence
Closing a hotel—once a nearly unheard-of option for an owner—has entered the industry conversation as a possible alternative for properties performing so poorly they ...
CHECK IN
Hotel Spa Business Focuses on Basics
FEATURE: Marketing, Pricing, Staffing Take the Spotlight
Like other segments of the lodging industry, the hotel spa business has had to adjust during the current economic downturn. ...
Aimbridge Hospitality Grows As Investor, Operator
Q&A: Firm Is Bullish on Aloft Brand
Sure, it’s a tough time to be in the hotel business, but some companies, such as Dallas-based Aimbridge Hospitality, believe they’re well-positioned to ride out the storm and emerge on top. ...
High Point Hotel Is Tops in Courtyard System
FEATURE: Teamwork, Attention to Details Are Keys
The Courtyard by Marriott in High Point, NC isn’t the newest hotel in a system of 750-plus U.S. properties. Nor has it yet received the radical design makeover the chain instituted last year and a growing number of Courtyards have adopted. Yet the 107-room suburban property in a small southern city has what no other Courtyard can claim: ...
Ins and Outs of a Management Contract
OPINION: Performance Termination Provisions Critical in Times Like These
With the drastic downturn in the economy and the resulting cutback of all types of travel, hotels are suffering from significantly lower demand and rate cutting. Smith Travel Research has predicted an unprecedented RevPAR decline of more than 17 percent this year. Those properties financed...
Marriott Hawaii Takes Show on the Road
FEATURE: Bus Tour Heads to Japan Next to Drive Business
If the bottom fell out of the lodging world near the end of last year, Hawaii was already more than six months into its tailspin. The islands lost 18 percent of their airlift when ATA and Aloha Airlines shut down in spring 2008. Then came sky-high fuel prices, a global
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FEATURES
Meet the New Embassy Suites
FEATURE: Brand Revamps, But Retains Its Essence
Mature brands are like battleships: strong and secure but difficult to quickly steer in a new direction. Of course, few battleships have captains like Jim Holthouser, Hilton's dynamo full-service brand leader who never met a challenge he didn't like or think he could overcome. ...
Anatomy of a Development: Immersed in Design
The interior designers who helped bring the Four Points by Sheraton Columbus-Airport to life haven't stepped foot in the hotel. They weren't in Columbus,...
DESIGN PERSPECTIVE
Eco Hotel Reaches New Heights
FEATURE: Sustainability a Priority for Quaintance’s Proximity
Dennis Quaintance, CEO of Quaintance-Weaver Restaurant & Hotels, landed his first job at age 15 as a houseman in a hotel in Missoula, MT and never left the business. Today he is the proud owner and developer of the Print Works Bistro and Proximity Hotel, a 147-room luxury hotel and restaurant in Greensboro, N.C., the first ...
Four Seasons Maui Makes a Splash
The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea opened its new $9-million Serenity Pool last month. It's the third and most exclusive saltwater pool at the resort,...
Design Elements August 2009
Jonathan Nehmer + Associates and HVScompass recently finished the custom public space and guestroom renovation at the Hyatt Regency HoustonCORE Architecture/Design...
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
HITEC '09: Smaller, But Still Dynamic
It was a decidedly smaller crowd (the organizers said it was down 28 percent to 3,700 attendees) at this year's HITEC show and conference, which was held...
HITEC Hot Products
Traditionally, HITEC is a venue in which technology vendors announce their latest customer and industry partnerships. This year's show was no different....
Keeping Up with High-Speed Internet
Q&A: eTelemetry CEO Sfakiyanudis Discusses Bandwidth Issues
As the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC) fast approaches, industry talk is turning to technology. Last year HITEC ...
BACK OF HOUSE
IEQ: The Invisible Salesperson
Indoor Environmental Quality, or simply the quality of the air, plays a huge role in determining if the guest is satisfied with a guestroom. Smells a...
Products August 2009
ATMS ATM Systems provides custom designed cabinets to blend with any hotel dcor. Custom screen graphics help promote your amenities and inform guests...
Product Showcase August 2009
UniMac UW60TV UniMac's UW line of washer-extractors keeps operating costs low with fast cycle times and high extraction speeds. For more than 60 years,...
