External Articles

February 4, 2010

Travel and hospitality group Stella weathers $670m hit | theaustralian.com

THE sweeping overhaul of the private equity-backed Stella travel and hospitality group sent it crashing to a $667.1 million loss in 2008-09 but directors say it is now in robust financial health and expects solid profit growth this year.

theaustralian.com

Australia

January 18, 2010

HIFI 2010 Update: Hotels devise new initiatives for hotel e-marketing | hospitalitybizindia.com

The second edition of Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI), which took place at the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel and Convention Centre from January 12-14, 2010, had a special pre-conference session this year. The session highlighted the e-marketing strategies that hotels need to implement and how one can maximise the use of social networking sites for effective marketing purposes. The session was moderated by Sheldon Santwan, Editor, Hospitality Biz and the panelists included Bradley Edman, Area Director of Sales and Marketing, Marriott International; Philippe Garnier, Vice President Sales, Hilton Worldwide; Ashwini Kakkar, Executive Chairman, Mercury Travels; Cyril Ranque, Vice President, Partner Services Group ARAC, Expedia and Himanshu Singh, Managing Director, Travelocity.

hospitalitybizindia.com

January 12, 2010

Need to accord infrastructure status to hotel industry: Study | indiatimes.com

Industry chamber FICCI has called for granting infrastructure status to the hotel industry aimed at boosting investments in the sector. "Granting infrastructure status to the hotel industry will encourage re-investments in the hospitality sector," according to a FICCI-Evalueserve study. The hospitality industry has been demanding infrastructure status, besides being exempted from paying tax on foreign exchange earnings and tax holidays for new hotels as it would encourage re-investment of profits into the sector.

indiatimes.com

External Article Development

January 11, 2010

Japan's capsule hotels now coffin-sized homes | cnn.com

Satoshi Miura crawled into his rented room, dropping his bag in the corner. It didn't take long to get settled -- home tonight is a capsule. The rooms are boxes in this capsule hotel about the size of a coffin. But no matter, says 45-year-old Miura. He's only there to sleep before looking for work.

cnn.com

Japan

December 17, 2009

Hong Kong's Hot New Hotels | Luxury hoteliers scale new heights | forbes.com

Long considered a standard-bearer in terms of 5-star luxury in Asia, Hong Kong is now home to many of the world's newest and hippest hotels. Three new hotels opened in the city in the past few months, each with its own unique flair, and even more are expected next year. One of the oldest and most prestigious names in the business, the Ritz-Carlton, will soon open the world's tallest hotel.

Forbes

Hong Kong (SAR)

External Article Operations & Strategy

December 7, 2009

Japan's hotels woo train spotters | bbc.co.uk

Japanese hotels near stations are trying to attract train spotters with rooms marketed as having a "rail view". Most people would prefer a room away from the tracks, fearful the double glazing would not block the rattle of a passing early morning express. But some hotels near stations in Tokyo are turning a potential disadvantage into a business opportunity.

bbc.com

Japan

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Why Hospitality Net Leads B2B in Hospitality

Learn what makes us the industry-leader in what we do.

Hospitality Net

External Article

November 30, 2009

26/11 attacks: Optimism back in Indian hospitality industry? | ndtv.com

On the occasion of the first anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, NDTV tries to find out how have things changed for the hospitality industry. Reeling under the pressure of global meltdown, Indian hoteliers were eagerly looking forward to the peak season to make up for lower occupancy since mid-2008. But then happened the deadliest terror attack on the Indian soil, aimed right at the heart of the country’s hospitality industry.

ndtv.com

External Article Operations & Strategy

November 23, 2009

Mumbai's Taj hotel picks up pieces | AFP via YAHOO

The general manager of Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel, Karambir Singh Kang, still works at the place where his wife and two children were killed. Neeti Kang, 40, Uday, 12, and five-year-old Samar were among the 31 people who died at the luxury seafront hotel after Islamist militants stormed the building on November 26 last year and began shooting. Kang, 41, who has worked for the Indian Hotels Co. Ltd that owns the Taj for 19 years, confronts his past every day when he crosses the polished marble floor of the hotel lobby to his office, near the memorial to those who died.

Mumbai, India

November 19, 2009

Chinese budget hotel chain 7 Days Group Holdings Ltd plans IPO | forbes.com

As China's travel industry heats up, 7 Days Group Holdings Ltd. hopes investors will see the promise in its public offering. The discount lodging chain, which operates more than 280 hotels throughout China, is set to debut later this week on the New York Stock Exchange.

Forbes

China

External Article

November 5, 2009

Disney says China approved Shanghai theme park | wsj.com

The Chinese central government's approval of Walt Disney Co.'s planned theme park in Shanghai could pave the way for one of the largest foreign investments ever in China, and marks an important milestone for the U.S. entertainment company's effort to extend its brand in the world's most populous nation.

WSJ

Shanghai, China

October 29, 2009

Checking in again: IHCL in talks with Orient Express Hotels | indiatimes.com

The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), twice snubbed by Orient Express Hotels, is still in talks with the NYSE-listed international luxury hotel chain and plans to take its Ginger and Gateway hotel chains abroad as it continues to ramp up international presence. “We have had some very good meetings with Orient Express executives in the past. But it all depends on the right kind of business environment,” said Raymond N Bickson, MD and CEO of Indian Hotels Company, the Tata group firm that owns the Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces.

indiatimes.com

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Hospitality Net

External Article Design & Architecture

October 19, 2009

Hotel Review: 3+1 Bedrooms, Beijing | nytimes.com

With its cool, white interiors and raw concrete finishes, Beijing’s new 3+1 Bedrooms is as minimal as its name. Hidden behind a sliding steel door on a quiet hutong, or traditional alleyway, this stylish little hotel has only three rooms and one suite. Too intimate to be pretentious, it has all the amenities (well, almost all) of a larger boutique property — minus, of course, the scene. Still, if it’s the latter you’re looking for, you won’t have to go far. The hotel comes from Cho, as he’s known, a Beijing night-life whiz whose popular Bed Bar is just a few doors down; his Café Sambal and Paper restaurants are also nearby.

nytimes.com

Beijing, China

External Article Development

September 10, 2009

At least 22 Bankok hotels for sale | bangkokpost.com

The slump in Thailand's tourism industry has resulted in at least 22 hotels in Bangkok worth a combined 17 billion baht being offered for sale, according to Patima Jeerapaet, managing director of the property consultant Colliers International Thailand.

bangkokpost.com

Bankok, Thailand

External Article Human Resources

September 9, 2009

A Career in Hospitality Seen Through the Eyes of an American Teacher and Her Chinese Students | pbs.org

I am entering my second week of teaching Special Event Management at the Florida International University Tianjin Center, a branch of the Florida International University (FIU) School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, in Tianjin, China. The school is a joint venture between the government of China and FIU and is training 1,000 students to become hospitality industry professionals in a country where tourism is booming.

pbs.org

China

September 2, 2009

Accor to Expand in India | wsj.com

French hospitality group Accor SA said Wednesday it plans to expand its network in India to 50 hotels by 2012, from five at present. The 50 hotels are likely to have 10,400 rooms and will be spread over 15 cities, the company said in a statement. The company has invested $130 million so far in the country, the statement said. Accor has hotels in 90 countries, with brands such as Sofitel, Mercure, Ibis, Formulae 1 and Motel 6.

WSJ

External Article Development

September 2, 2009

Bringing zest to China’s hospitality market | insead.edu

By offering travellers chic boutique hotel amenities at budget prices, Chinese entrepreneur Wu Hai is now enjoying the fruits of his success, setting up a chain of 16 hotels in China in just three short years since 2006.

insead.edu

China

July 27, 2009

India's ITC says looking at hotel partnerships | reuters.com

Indian diversified firm ITC Ltd (ITC.BO) was not interested in a hostile takeover of hotel chains EIH Ltd and Hotel Leela but was looking at minority partnerships in some hotel projects, its chairman said on Friday. ITC has a stake of 14.98 percent in EIH, which runs the Oberoi and Trident chain of hotels, and has a 3.72 percent stake in Hotel Leela through its investment unit Russel Credit.

reuters.com

External Article Operations & Strategy

July 23, 2009

Jakarta Suicide Bombers Challenged by Hotel Staff | bloomberg.com

The suicide bombers who killed nine people including themselves in two luxury Jakarta hotels were challenged by staff over their suspicious behavior minutes before detonating their devices, a security official said today. The JW Marriott bomber exited an elevator wearing a backpack on his chest and pulling a luggage trolley and told guards he was delivering a case to his boss, said Alan Orlob, global head of security for Marriott International Inc.

Bloomberg

Indonesia