Just about everyone agrees 2010 was a better year for the hotel industry than was ’09. Occupancy, rates and RevPAR numbers finally went from contraction to growth, and while many properties are in varying degrees of financial distress, the market for transactions is beginning to show some life.

And the industry continued to make news with new brands introduced, acquisitions pursued and completed and new marketing schemes and alliances unveiled. Over the next two days, we’ll present the top 10 news stories we covered this year. Today, we take a look at Nos. 10 to six:

10. Four Seasons Aviara Owner, Manager Squabble. The owners of the Four Seasons Aviara, a luxury resort near San Diego, fought for months with Four Seasons over alleged “breaches in fiduciary duties” by the operator. The dispute culminated in April, when an arbitration panel ruled the two sides should divorce. As a result, the owners hired Hyatt to manage the 329-room property and rebranded it as a Park Hyatt. The story didn’t end there, however. By late summer, the owners were close to default on a $186-million loan on the property. The loan was moved to a special servicer where it awaits resolution.

9. Pritzker Buys Majority Stake in Joie de Vivre. Last June, Geolo Capital, a private equity fund headed by Hyatt Hotels heir John Pritzker, acquired a majority stake in boutique hotel pioneer Joe de Vivre Hotels. The firm intends to buy up to $500 million in hotel assets in five years and expand the chain outside of California. The acquisition freed up JdV founder Chip Conley to become the company’s chief creative officer and to focus on planning concepts for new properties. During an interview at Lodging Hospitality’s Lifestyle/Boutique Hotel Development Conference in Miami in October, Conley said the company is targeting several major markets—Denver, Hawaii, Manhattan and Miami—for expansion.

8. Massive Flood Closes Gaylord Opryland For Six Months. A spring storm in Nashville sent floodwaters through the Gaylord Opryland Resort, closing the 2,881-room convention property for six months and putting 1,743 employees out of work. Gaylord spent more than $225 million to repair the damage and to renovate public spaces and all guestrooms. The Cascades lobby was completely redesigned and several new food and beverage outlets (an Italian restaurant, a Mexican eatery and a wine bar) were created. The hotel reopened its doors in November with a glitzy celebration attended by more than 1,000 meeting planners, media and other guests.

7. Best Western Launches Descriptor Strategy. Don’t call it segmentation, even if that’s what it is. Last spring, Best Western received final member approval to roll out a program it says will help consumers better understand the brand’s broad array of products. Starting in February, Best Western properties will be classified in one of three buckets: Best Western Premier for upper midscale, three-diamond-plus hotels; Best Western Plus for middle midscale, three-diamond properties; and Best Western for lower midscale, two-diamond hotels. Upgrading to Premier or Plus will cost about $20,000 for signage and other improvements needed. At the chain’s annual convention this fall, executives said about 15 members will initially opt for the Premier designation, 815 for Plus and the remainder of the 2,200 North American hotels will remain as is.

6. Starwood, Hilton Reach Settlement in Lawsuit. The industry’s longest-running soap opera concluded (mostly) last week with a court order announcing settlement of Starwood’s suit against Hilton Hotels. The suit claimed Hilton stole secrets related to Starwood’s W brand to use in the launch of a competitive lifestyle chain, Denizen. As part of the settlement, Hilton will be under scrutiny of a court-appointed monitor and the company won’t be able to enter the lifestyle or boutique segment for at least two more years. In addition, a grand jury is still pondering possible criminal charges against Hilton and its executives.

Click here for the top five stories of the year.