September 1, 2010
FORUM
800-Pound Gorilla in the Room
Ed Watkins discusses his interview with Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta....
CHECK IN
Underperforming Ritz-Carlton Dearborn in Michigan Gets New Life As The Henry
FEATURE: One Owner’s Challenge Can Be Another’s Opportunity
“Hi, do you want to buy a Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan?” When veteran hotel broker John Jameson posed that question to prospective buyers this spring on behalf of seller Host Hotels & Resorts, the response he received over and over again was “no”. ...
Rate Cutting Bedevils Hotel Industry
NEWS: STR Leader Laments Lack of Discipline
If you want to get Mark Lomanno in a tizzy, bring up the topic of hotel rates. The president of Smith Travel Research has a long-held belief that hotel owners, operators and more recently revenue managers are leaving money on the table through needless discounting. ...
Hilton Breaks Ground in Columbus
NEWS: Full-Service Convention Hotel to Rise in Ohio Capital
Hilton Worldwide solidified its grip on downtown Columbus business July 13, breaking ground on a $140-million, 532-room hotel linked by a walkway to the Greater Columbus Convention Center. ...
FEATURES
Hilton Reborn
FEATURE: New Leadership Respects the Past, Builds For the Future
Above all, Chris Nassetta respects and revels in the 91-year history of Hilton Worldwide and its place as a global hotel brand icon. That said, the nearly three years he’s been president & CEO of Hilton have been marked by a missionary zeal to lift the company and its 10 brands to heights (and places) they’ve never been before....
Looking Back at MLIS
FEATURE: MLIS Speakers, Attendees Take Cautious Approach to Recovery
The hotel industry has been on a wild ride the last two years. Just look at the Midwest Lodging Investors Summit as a barometer of the ups and downs. The event debuted in July of 2008, just before the credit crunch began and the financial markets collapsed. ...
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
Tech Trouble in Travel
NEWS: Sorting Through the Fast-Changing World of Travel Distribution
Today's travel industry is unrecognizable from just five years ago. This is a growing problem for web booking systems and the hotels, airlines tour companies, and other travel providers that rely on them for business. ...
DESIGN PERSPECTIVE
Creating Architecture for the People
Q&A: Portman Exec Ellis Katz Discusses Hospitality Design
John Portman wrote the book on modern architecture, at least one of them. His firm, John Portman & Associates, was founded in 1953 and one of its primary focuses over the past 57 years has been designing and developing hotels. ...
Design Elements Sept. 1, 2010
Roundup of hotel design news....
BACK OF HOUSE
Products Sept. 1, 2010
New and innovative products for lodging and hospitality markets....
Vendor News Sept. 1, 2010
News and notes from lodging and hospitality vendors....
