While no one has a crystal ball to accurately predict the future of the hospitality industry, Eric Stossel, Managing Editor of Lodging Hospitality has the next best thing: access to experts and insiders who have their fingers on the pulse of the industry. I was recently interviewed by Eric, along with other hospitality practitioners, for one of his articles that forecast the year ahead (see Capit...

Along with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Summer Olympics, this year also brings a quirky landmark to London: a little boat-shaped abode that sits atop Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre. It's a room with more than one view — really great views of the Thames River, the London Eye and Big Ben — and only accommodates two. The room sold out almost immediately in January after reservat...

Kerzner International Holdings Limited, which through its subsidiaries is a leading international developer and operator of destination resorts, casinos and luxury hotels, has entered into an agreement with Hainan Gezhouba Industrial Company Limited with the assistance of Greentown Hotel Management Co., Ltd., to develop and operate a new One&Only resort on Tufu Bay in Sanya, Hainan, China. With a...

Those in the hotel business will have been following with interest the latest developments in the referral of TripAdvisor’s UK advertising to the Advertising Standards Authority and the consequential requirement that they remove the word “trust” and “trusted” from their site in connection with hotel reviews posted in an unregulated way by members of the public (see here for example).

Older properties across the Gulf will undergo major renovations to keep pace with the quality of new supply, with some even closing for complete refurbishment, according to a new report by hospitality business property advisor Christie + Co. International Business Outlook 2012, the annual business intelligence report released by the Dubai-based MENA office of Christie + Co, offers an impartial v...

IN-DEPTH: The process of nurturing internal experts that take care of social media marketing initiatives depends on several factors including the company culture, making social media intrinsic to marketing and a brand's business operations, and the model for social media communications that's been chosen for your brand.

In a recent video, one of the most powerful CEOs in the world, Marc Benioff of Salesforce.com, not only mentioned Corinthia Hotels, but showcased the group as an example of a brand that “gets it.” “[Corinthia Hotels] tweeted right back, engaging in a direct conversation with me. This is a unique opportunity for service that other companies should learn from.” It’s hard to put a value on exposure ...

PLEASE light my candle! All the other table candles in the restaurant were lit, except ours. The time was twilight and we had a water view from our table. PERFECT timing for a lit candle. Our nice setting quickly became an incomplete experience. None of the waiters or waitresses noticed nor could we get their attention until several minutes later. Why use the space for a candle that only sits in ...

The Knowland Group, a leading provider of business development solutions for the hospitality industry, announced today the beginning of a new international market in Australia. Sydney is one of many new cities across the globe in which hoteliers now have the opportunity to use Readers, the world's most respected hotel reader board service.

The Odawa Casino Resort, owned and operated by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, realizes the cost saving benefits provided by GIMS™ with less labor required. GIMS™ interfaces with the White Conveyors U-Pick-It System to provide 24-hour automated uniform distribution to approximately 600 Team Members.

NORTHWIND has expanded its Professional Services offering with the addition of Management Strategy Services to ensure hotel owners and managers are using the powerful capabilities of the Maestro hotel management system to maximize their operational efficiencies and productivity levels as well as reduce costs and drive revenue. NORTHWIND provides the Maestro Property Management hotel software Suit...

The U.S. hotel industry experienced increases in all three key performance metrics during the week of 29 January-4 February 2012, according to data from STR. In year-over-year comparisons for the week, occupancy was up 5.5 percent to 51.7 percent, average daily rate increased 3.1 percent to US$100.45 and revenue per available room was up 8.7 percent to US$51.98.

In Cairo, Egypt, where protests have been widely broadcasted, occupancy declined by 29.5 percentage points to 36.1 percent in 2011 and average daily rate (ADR) declined by 3.3 percent to EGP706.26. In the usually popular leisure destinations of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and Hurghada, Egypt, occupancy reached 48.1 percent (-38.6 percent) and 57.2 percent (-28.7 percent), respectively. Unlike Cairo, ...

After December 2011 was marked by a slowdown in growth for the budget and 2 star sectors. In the 3 star market, the pattern varied throughout France, with Paris and a number of regional towns resisting well and others experiencing sharp declines in occupancy. However, average RevPAR did grow in this category.

Fabrice Moizan, Resident Manager of Paris' Hotel Fouquet's Barrière, will be appointed General Manager of the hotel this March 5, 2012. Hotel Fouquet's Barrière's current General Manager, Pierre Ferchaud, was appointed the position on a fixed-term engagement in September 2010, and has since made it his top priority to continually develop the quality of services offered by the hotel. Today, Hotel...

The globe-trotting German national has spent more than 20 years in the Middle East, ten of those years based in the UAE, from hotels in Ajman to Abu Dhabi. His career in the Arab world began with a stint in Cairo in 1980, returning to the country a number of times throughout his career. He has also spent a period in Bahrain and two separate spells in Jordan, one of those years working as a person...

Buddy Group is pleased to announce new General Manager at Buddy Oriental Samui Beach Resort, Mr. Vinit Chidchanognarth, who has joined Buddy Group recently. Mr. Vinit will take overall responsibility for operating Buddy Oriental Samui Beach Resort including the hotel’s operational planning, restaurants & outlets management, sales & marketing strategy, promotional synergies and day-to-day hotel ...

By Stanley Turkel
The thirty-two century-old hotels featured in this book have defied the passage of time for a variety of reasons, many explicable, some beyond explanation, all miraculous. For eighteen of them, it was the fortuitous creation of the New York City Landmark Preservation Commission in 1965. The landmarks law was enacted in response to the demolition of the iconic Pennsylvania Station in 1963. After 139 years, the following evaluation is still true: "New York is the paradise of hotels. In no other city do they flourish in such numbers, and nowhere else do they attain such a degree of excellence. The hotels of New York naturally take the lead of all others in America, and are regarded by all who have visited them as models of their kind." James D. McCabe, Jr. Lights and Shadows of New York, 1872