| Industry
News
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ECONOMIC INSIGHTS ---
Tourists Undeterred By Terror Threats | WTO Reports
Madrid, The recent attacks in Sharm el-Sheikh are expected
to have only a short-lived effect on tourism flows
to this Egyptian destination, in keeping with a change
in the market’s attitude toward the threat
of terrorism over the past few years, a development
that has made tourism more resilient, according to
the latest report by the Market Intelligence Department
of the World Tourism Organization (WTO).
Once Again, it is Time to Ask: To Buy or Build? |
by: R. Mark Woodworth | PKF Consulting
21 August 2005 | When contemplating these sage words
uttered by Lincoln over 175 years ago, we once again
asked ourselves the question: are the historic market
conditions that stimulated new construction in the
past now appearing on the horizon? If so, are we likely
to see overbuilding in certain markets and/or of certain
property types as we have traditionally seen during
past lodging recoveries?
Disability Travel On The Rise Despite Barriers To
Access | TIA Reports
22 August 2005 | Washington, DC | The Open Doors Organization
(ODO) in cooperation with the Travel Industry Association
of America (TIA) today released the findings of its
2005 research study. The poll, conducted by Harris
Interactive®, is a follow-up to ODO's groundbreaking
study of 2002 on the spending trends and market scope
of U.S. adults with disabilities.
Click
Here for more Industry Insights on HSMAI's
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HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS & OPENINGS ---
Marriott Opens Courtyard Silver Spring Downtown
WASHINGTON, Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR
- News) announced today that the Courtyard by Marriott
Silver Spring Downtown has officially opened its
doors to guests. Located at 8506 Fenton Street, the
179-room property is the first hotel in 30 years
to be built in downtown Silver Spring and is an integral
part of the city's downtown redevelopment project.
It is owned and operated by Silver Spring Hotel Associates,
LLC.
The First
Easyhotel, Where Rooms Cost From £20
A Night, Opened In Central London
3 August 2005 | easyHotel is designed for city centres
where the price of property is high. By getting more
rooms into the same available space consumers are being
asked to trade off space for a better price. easyHotel
is situated at 14 Lexham Gardens, London W8, just off
the Cromwell Road between South Kensington and Earls
Court.
Conrad Hotels Announce Management Agreement For New
Luxury Hotel In Jakarta, Indonesia
8 August 2005 | BEVERLY HILLS/JAKARTA, Conrad® Hotels,
the luxury brand of the Hilton Family of Hotels reached
an agreement on July 22nd with Indonesian company PT.
Majumakmur Arthasentosa to manage the new Conrad Jakarta.
Starwood Continues Its Rapid Expansion in China with
Signing of Two Four Points by Sheraton Hotels in China
4 August 2005 | WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. | Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT - News) continues its expansion
momentum in China with the signing of two new hotels
that will fly the Four Points by Sheraton flag - the
340-room Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Pudong scheduled
to open in mid-2006, and the 340-room Four Points by
Sheraton Changshu set to open in 2007.
Hotel
Indigo™ Set To Open Two New Properties
Before Year’s End
ATLANTA | InterContinental Hotels Group [LON: IHG,
NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] (IHG), the world’s largest
and most global hotel company, will introduce two new
Hotel Indigo properties by the end of 2005, Hotel Indigo
Houston and Hotel Indigo Chicago-Palatine. Once opened,
this will bring the brand’s total to four hotels
in just over a year after its first hotel opened.
Intercontinental Hotels Group Adds Portfolio Of Five
Holiday Inn Hotels In The UK
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (“IHG”)
announces the signing of a franchise agreement for
five Holiday Inn hotels in the UK owned by Stardon,
a joint venture company formed between Starwood Capital
Europe and Chardon Hotels.
Click
Here for more Hotel Highlights on HSMAI's
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BUSINESS/MEETINGS ---
Take
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts' 10 Steps to a Green
Meeting (Incentive, Workshop, Even a Wedding)
TORONTO | At Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, hosting
meetings that literally don't cost the earth means
making it simple. According to Alyssa Maselli, a Fairmont
San Francisco sales manager who secures groups like
the Design Futures Council, "the environment is
something we all have to talk about and fit into the
bigger picture of event planning." Start with
Fairmont's "Eco-Meet" list of tips, tools
and resources and it's easy being green.
Events Continue to Grow In Importance Among Corporate
Marketers Globally
12 July 2005 | Auburn Hills, Mich. | Ninety-six percent
of corporate marketing executives utilize events in
their marketing mix and 93% view the importance of
event marketing to be constant or increasing, according
to EventView '05/'06, the fourth annual study of face-to-face
marketing trends sponsored by The George P. Johnson
Company (GPJ) and the MPI Foundation.
The Convention Industry Council (CIC) Unveils New
International Manual At The 2005 CMP Conclave
McLean, VA - June 30, 2005- The Convention Industry
Council (CIC) unveiled its brand new The Convention
Industry Council International Manual at the Certified
Meeting Professional (CMP) Conclave on June 27th ,
2005 in Toronto, ON, Canada. The highly anticipated
International Manual is now available for purchase
on CIC’s website.
--- FEATURED LEISURE TRAVEL BOOK ---
 Travel Detective (revised and updated version)
By Peter Greenberg
Americans now travel more than ever before. Yet as
our traveling has increased, the service we receive
from airlines, hotels, and other agencies has deteriorated
dramatically. Industry surveys reveal what you already
feel: growing dissatisfaction among travelers of every
age, income, and education level. We've been abused
by the travel experience. Peter Greenberg is here to
help. The Travel Detective tells you the things most
travel agents can't -- or sometimes just won't -- tell
you.
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INTERNATIONAL ---
Budget, Breaks And Business | The Three Drivers For
UK Tourism In 2005 | By Robert Barnard | PKF
Both inbound tourism and the UK hotel industry are
currently enjoying positive growth, underlining the
core strength of the sector after several years of
mixed fortunes. In this article, Robert Barnard, head
of PKF's hotel consultancy services, reviews the current
key drivers for tourism in the UK and the contribution
that the sector makes to the UK economy.
Half-time For German Hotel Performance - What's The
Score? | Deloitte Reports
German hotel performance was looking good the end of
2004, with revenue per available room (revPAR) up 4.7%
- the second highest rate of growth reported by any
country in Europe. However, latest results from the
HotelBenchmark Survey by Deloitte show that German
hoteliers have struggled to maintain growth at the
same levels during the first six months of this year,
with revPAR up just 1.2%.
London Hotels Show Robust Performance For July | Deloitte
Reports
London hotels revenue per available room (revPAR) was
down only 5% in July compared with 2004 figures, according
to Daily HotelBenchmark by Deloitte.
HVS EMEA Hospitality Enews - Week Ending 19 August
2005
21 August 2005 | Ritz-Carlton Puts More Greens Into
Ireland . Golfing facilities will be one feature of
a luxury spa resort that will bring The Ritz-Carlton
Hotel Company to Ireland for the first time. Dublin-based
property company Treasury Holdings is at work in the
grounds of the Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry, Co.
Wicklow, developing The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, County
Wicklow. The 203-room resort is due to open next year.
Has Hotel Performance In Russia Reached Saturation
Point? | Deloitte Reports
6 July 2005 | Russia is the largest country in the
world extending over 11 time zones and two continents.
Often called the bridge between Europe and Asia, this
vast country covers 17.1m square kilometres - the equivalent
of the USA and Europe. With immense landscapes and
exciting cultures, Russia continues to be a key destination
on travellers' wish lists.
Click
Here for more International Info on HSMAI's
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TRAVEL INTERNET MARKETING FOCUS
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[MULTIMEDIA]
AH&LA Radio: Interview w/ Peter
M. Ripin, Esq., Davidoff, Malito & Hutcher, LLP – Recent
Court Decision Affects Hoteliers: Pop-up Advertising
and Keywords
Peter Ripin returns for a follow-up interview to discuss
the use of pop-up advertising and keywords and how
it relates to the hospitality industry. He’ll
talk about a recent court decision that could be a
deal a blow to hoteliers. Even though the dependency
on third party websites has lessened as the hospitality
industry prospers, hoteliers still face an uphill battle
when selling rooms on-line. Listen-in as Pete explains
the situation.
Gomez Performance Index For Hotels: July 15 - August
15, 2005
The prevailing goal for hoteliers in the Performance
Index is overall consistency. With few notable exceptions,
the benchmarked sites on our index demonstrate very
predictable average application speed and success rates.
Starting next month, two more hotels (Red Roof Inn
and Motel 6) will be added to the GPI.
GetThere Benchmark Survey Reveals Corporations Are
Booking Nearly Two-Thirds of Reservations Online; Companies
Focusing on International Roll Out and Touchless Fulfillment
SAN DIEGO | GetThere(R), provider of the world's leading
corporate travel reservation technology, announced
the results of its fifth annual Corporate Travel Benchmark
Survey. GetThere distributed data from the survey at
the annual National Business Travel Association Convention & Trade
Show today in San Diego, CA.
InterContinental Hotels Group Recognized With Leadership
Award for Online Innovation
ATLANTA, InterContinental Hotels Group (NYSE: IHG;
LON (ADRs), the world's largest and most global hotel
company, today announced that it was recently awarded
the 2005 Baseline ROI Leadership Award for Growth by
Baseline magazine, Ziff Davis Media's acclaimed enterprise
technology publication focused on technology implementation.
--
REVENUE MANAGEMENT FOCUS ---
HSMAI’s
Revenue Management SIG Makes Huge Strides In Start-up
Year
MCLEAN,
VA | In just one year since launching its
Revenue Management Special
Interest Group (SIG), the
Hospitality
Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
reports significant accomplishments, from hosting Strategy
Conferences with impressive turnouts to a variety of
education and training initiatives.
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FEATURED REVENUE MANAGEMENT INTERVIEW ---
 Interview
w/ Douglas Kennedy, Special Program Advisor, HSMAI
Revenue Management Subcommittee – The benefits
of getting involved with HSMAI’s Revenue Management
Initiative
Hospitality veteran Doug Kennedy sat down with us just
prior to HSMAI’s second annual Revenue Management
Strategy Conference in Los Angeles, prior to HITEC
2005. He not only played a part in planning what would
be a successful conference for the second year in a
row but also rolls out the welcome mat for others to
get involved. Doug discusses the benefits of both the
conference itself and joining in on the planning.
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RESORT MARKETING FOCUS ---
Six Senses unveils The Earth Spa | A natural
environment for Balancing Senses
Bangkok: After twelve months with skilled craftspeople
creating one of the most unique spas in the world,
the Earth Spa by Six Senses has opened in the Royal
seaside town of Hua Hin, Thailand.
New 'LXR Luxury Resorts' Collection Formed to Feature
21 Distinguished Luxury Hotels, Resorts and Spas in
U.S., Puerto Rico and the Caribbean
17 August 2005 | NEW YORK, Having finalized the acquisition
of Wyndham International, Inc., affiliates of Blackstone
Real Estate Advisors today announced the formation
of LXR Luxury Resorts, an extraordinary new collection
of luxury properties that will include some of the
most treasured luxury hotels, resorts, spas, golf clubs
and marinas in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
Hilton
Signs First Exclusive Golf & Spa
Resort In South Korea
Seoul, Singapore - Hilton International and Emerson
Pacific Inc. today signed an agreement for Hilton to
manage its first Hilton Worldwide Resort in Korea,
the Hilton Namhae Golf & Spa Resort.
Hard Rock Hotels and Intrawest Corporation Plan to
Develop Hard Rock Hotels at Intrawest Resorts
ORLANDO, Fla. Hard Rock International, Inc. today announced
that Lifestar Hotels LLC (its 50:50 joint venture with
Sol Melia Hotels) has entered into a multi-site agreement
with Intrawest Corporation to develop lifestyle Hard
Rock Hotels at select Intrawest resorts.
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HOTEL DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING FOCUS ---
Cornell Quarterly Article Highlights Michelin Star
Ratings
Ithaca , NY |A ground-breaking analysis of Michelin
star-rated restaurants is the newest featured article
from the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration
Quarterly. The article, “Behind the Stars: A
Concise Typology of Michelin Restaurants in Europe,” presents
an overview and analysis of the vaunted restaurant
rating system. The article is available at no charge
from The Center for Hospitality Research, publisher
of the Cornell Quarterly.
Growth
in Hotel Food and Beverage Revenues Lack the Same
Kind of Sizzle Found in Room Revenues;
Expense
Controls Help F&B Profits Grow
11 July 2005 | Atlanta: While U.S. hotels have enjoyed
a strong increase in room revenue during the current
recovery period, growth in hotel food and beverage
sales, while improving, lacked the same kind of sizzle,
according to an recent study by a leading hospitality
consultant. Fortunately, tight cost controls by management
have enabled food and beverage profitability to keep
pace with the profit growth of other operating departments.
Hotels Court Ratings From Secret Inspections | usatoday.com
22 August 2005 | Diamonds can also be a hotel's best
friend. The Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown,
winner of AAA's four-diamond rating for five straight
years after a $40 million renovation, uses the appraisal's
cachet to attract guests from thousands of miles
away and keep business buzzing.
--- COLUMNS ---
Global Update: Who's where and doing what - August
2005 - by Benoit Gateau-Cumin - Heads Above The Rest
22 August 2005 | Jean-Jacques Pergant has been named
Co-President of the newly created LXR Luxury Resorts
formed by Blackstone Real Estate Advisors following
their acquisition of Wyndham International. The group
combines the top eleven Wyndham properties (mostly
luxury resorts including El Conquistador and the Boulders)
with the former Boca Resorts and New York's Rhiga Royal.
The Gratuity Revolution | By John R. Hendrie
22 August 2005 | A topic of great discussion recently
has been the New York Times extraordinary presentation
on the “OP ED” page, 8/10/05, of Steven
A. Shaw’s thought piece, “Tipped Off”,
focusing upon renown Chef, Thomas Keller, who plans
to change the gratuity practice at his restaurant,
Per Se, to a flat service charge. This is a decidedly
European concept, considered by many US hospitality
businesses and then dismissed out of hand.
Great Expectations! How Well Do You Track Reality?
| By Gene Ference | HVS International
4 August 2005 | Webster's
defines expectation as "anticipation," or "a
thing looked forward to." We all have them! Some
of us expect to become millionaires, others expect
to lead a wholesome, healthy life, while others simply
expect to go to work each day, get paid, be reasonably
happy and lead a "normal" life. In the hospitality
industry, expectations mean a great deal.
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