Deep Blue Enhanced Network Services
Deep Blue Communications Announces Enhanced Network Services at HITECH 2016 Show. Service Offers Seamless Network Integrations for Multiple Third Party Vendor.
Supplier News
New Boutique Hotel in Lisbon, AlmaLusa, joins HotelREZ
The recently opened AlmaLusa is the latest property to join HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts' independent portfolio in Portugal. HotelREZ will provide the new boutique hotel with GDS representation under the HO chain code, as well as sales and marketing services.
Acentic’s largest UK install of Radiant 4 & Panorama NG at flagship Intercontinental London – The O2
Acentic, global leaders in hospitality technology, has completed its largest install in the UK at the 5-star luxury hotel, InterContinental London – O2, Greenwich Peninsula – a flagship property managed by the Arora Group.Putting guests and delegates in control with cutting edge technology, Acentic's Radiant 4, leading Wi-Fi platform and Panorama NG, entertainment systems have been rolled out across the flagship hotel's 453 magnificent luxury rooms and high-spec 4,500sqm conference centre which includes The Arora Ballroom, a 3,100sqm pillar-free space.Richard Robinson, Chief Executive of Acentic, said: "This is a huge coup for us. InterContinental is the most luxurious of the IHG brands and The InterContinental London – The 02 is a flagship property for both InterContinental and the Arora group.We worked alongside the hotel's marketing team to design and develop a fully customised interactive TV solution for the hotel. This included the ability for the guest to control their TV screen using their mobile phone and also playback their own content onto the TV. In doing so, we have achieved a seamless connectivity to help drive memorable, personal guest experiences.As an accredited Bose Pro Partner, we were able to recommend that the public areas should be equipped with the Bose's latest Professional Background Music Control System, including amplifiers and speakers as well as an enhanced foreground system for the 18th floor rooftop sky bar, Eighteen.Sunny Roda, Group Purchasing & IT Director at Arora Group said:"We are delighted to have partnered with Acentic to install leading technology at this flagship property for the Arora Group. Technology is an integral part of the guest experience. Working with Acentic has allowed us to be at the forefront of innovation and has helped us deliver a first class in-room entertainment system, property wide networking and wi-fi solution to serve the significant demands of today's tech savvy traveller. We have been working with Acentic, and in particular with Phil Campbell their Senior VP Sale & Business Development for over 8 years now and continue to be impressed by the commitment and dedication Acentic continue to deliver."Acentic's technical team, including Chris Bloy, Sean Blackmore, Webster Beckford & Tom Herold, were core to the successful deployment of this solution, with project management headed up by Zoe Jeeves bringing this landmark project to life. Since its launch a year ago, Radiant 4 has been installed in over 5,300 rooms in 24 properties across 6 countries. Panorama NG has been installed in over 4,200 rooms in 20 properties.Adjacent to the world-renowned O2 Arena, the InterContinental London – The O2 is the second London property in the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts portfolio. The hotel operates under a franchise agreement with Arora Hotels, a division of the Arora Group.
Multi-functional business platform for independent hotels launches: Unplugged Collection.
The Unplugged Collection is the multi-functional hotel business platform and booking engine of choice for unique & independent hotels, Villas and lifestyle venues.It offers a well-designed membership site, listing unique and independent hotels, including several smart add-ons to operate a profitable hospitality business.
LWHA Asset Management Surpasses $1 Billion in Owner Assets Served, Marking Five Years of Value Creation for Hotel Owners
LWHA Asset Management, a NYC-based firm helps hotel owners create value through asset management and strategic hospitality consulting, is celebrating its five-year anniversary in 2016, and has surpassed $1 billion in assets served. The company is a division of LW Hospitality Advisors, and is led by Gary Isenberg, who brings more than 30 years of diversified Hospitality experience in Hotel Management, Finance and Asset Management.
RobertDouglas Advises on the Sale of the Courtyard Providence Warwick, Warwick, Rhode Island
RobertDouglas announced today that it advised affiliates of the Waterford Group in the sale of the Courtyard Providence Warwick in Warwick, Rhode Island. Originally developed by the seller and opened in 2003, the 92-room, institutional-quality hotel was acquired by one of the largest private real estate companies in the United States and an active investor in hotels. Waterford Hotel Group, an affiliate of the Waterford Group, will continue to manage the property for the new owner.
RobertDouglas Advises on the $60,000,000 Sale of the Wyndham Garden Manhattan Chelsea West in New York, NY
RobertDouglas announced today that it advised Gemini 37 West 24th Street MT, LLC, a subsidiary of Gemini Real Estate Advisors, in the sale of the Wyndham Garden Manhattan Chelsea West. The sale was arranged pursuant to a Chapter 11 proceeding and closed on Feb. 29, 2016. The 124 key hotel, located steps from Madison Square Park in the heart of the dynamic Flatiron District, was purchased by Fortuna Realty Group, LLC for $60,000,000, or approximately $485,000 per key, following a lively auction administered by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
RobertDouglas Advises on the $38,300,000 Sale of the Best Western Seaport Inn, New York, NY
RobertDouglas announced today that it advised 33 Peck Slip Acquisition LLC, a subsidiary of Gemini Real Estate Advisors, in the sale of the Best Western Seaport Inn. The sale, which closed on January 29, 2016, was the result of a Chapter 11 proceeding administered by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The 72-key hotel, located in the heart of the Seaport District in lower Manhattan, was purchased for $38,300,000 by the Howard Hughes Corporation.
Liability "Hot Potato": Using Risk Transfer to Protect Your Property's Assets
Hotels and resorts are often at risk for legal action on many fronts. A primary risk factor that places properties in a potentially litigious position is when daily operations turn into hazardous situations for guests or employees. Transferring risk to third parties, such as vendors that are contracted by your property, can help financially shield hoteliers from claims they may not be responsible for.
Online and Social Media Marketing Trends to Try in 2016
In today's fast-moving digital age, unless you're constantly reviewing journals and forums, online and social media trends can be hard to keep up with. It's important that hospitality brands stay at the forefront of digital innovation to target audiences on the online platforms where they spend their time. Oster and Associates, a full-service marketing and branding firm, offers this overview of some of the top online marketing tactics that hospitality brands can take advantage of during 2016.
[Infographic] How Online Reviews Changed the Hotel Industry
In times gone by it was much easier for hotels. If a guest has a bad experience, they might tell their family and a few friends, but that is all. The internet changed all of this and now if a guest has a bad experience in a hotel, they will very often post a review about it online, that will be available for all future customers to read.
RobertDouglas Advises in the Sale of the Ames Hotel in Boston to Gencom
RobertDouglas announced today that it advised Normandy Real Estate Partners and Contrarian Capital Management in the sale of the 114‐key Ames Boston Hotel, a boutique luxury hotel in the heart of downtown Boston, to Gencom, one of North America's leading luxury hotel and residential investment and development firms.
Colicchio Consulting Inks Deals to Bring World-Class Culinary Partners to NYC’s Park South Hotel and The Beekman
Colicchio Consulting, a leading strategic management firm bringing together the world's most distinctive hotels and internationally renowned culinary talent, announced agreements that brought Boston Chef Tim Cushman to open O Ya restaurant and Roof bar at NYC's Park South Hotel and famed Chef Tom Colicchio to open a restaurant, event space and lounge at The Beekman, the much anticipated Thompson Hotel in Lower Manhattan in 2016.
CBRE Group, Inc. Acquires PKF Consulting Inc. in Canada
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG) today announced that it has acquired PKF Consulting Inc. (PKF Canada), a leading advisory, consulting and research firm in Canada specializing in the Canadian hospitality and tourism industries.
ISHC CapEx 2014 Study Offers Insight, Analysis of Hotel Capital Expenditures
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC), in conjunction with the Hotel Asset Managers Association (HAMA) has published ISHC CapEx 2014: A Study of Capital Expenditures in the Hotel Industry. The book is distributed by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), which receives proceeds from the sale of the book.Previous editions of this study were released in 1995, 2000, and 2007. More than 20 industry experts from the memberships of both organizations contributed to the book, led by the CapEx 2014 Committee, whose members include: Alan Benjamin, ISHC; Michael Doyle, HAMA; Tim Dick, ISHC and HAMA; Steven Hennis, ISHC; Kristen Knox, HAMA; Jonathan Nehmer, ISHC; and Chad Sorrenson, ISHC and HAMA.The information presented in the book was derived from data collected from 502 U.S. hotels representing 42 hotel brands and independent hotels in the full service, select service, and extended stay sectors.The book is divided into three sections.• Historical Capital Spending, including information on repair and maintenance expenses, and spending based on ownership structure• Perspectives on Capital Spending, featuring 18 articles by ISHC and HAMA experts• JN+A/HVS Design Hotel Cost Estimating Guide, which provides useful data on every aspect of CapEx, from FF&E product costs to labor costs, broken down by hotel tier (from economy to luxury)With the data provided by the CapEx 2014 study, hospitality industry decision makers can better evaluate and make informed decisions with regard to capital expenditures for their properties. It also demonstrates how hotel assets are subject to cyclical trends and activities, as well as the political and social events that shape society.The book is available in both digital and print versions. The print version comes with a code that provides access to the digital version of the book. The digital version of the book is designed for online viewing, with the ability to search keywords, add notes and bookmarks, increase or decrease font size, and enlarge images. The digital book's content is not printable.For more information or to order, visit www.ahlei.org/capex2014, or call 1.800.349.0299 or +1.407.999.8100.
LeisureLink Selected to Present at The Montgomery Summit
LeisureLink has been selected to present to an exclusive group of senior-level investors and top executives at The Montgomery Summit in Santa Monica, Calif. More than 4,000 entrepreneurs from private growth technology companies were nominated to present at the two-day event March 10 & 11, but only 145 were chosen by The Summit's selection committee of top venture capitalists from firms including Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, New Enterprise Associates, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Scale Venture Partners, Institutional Venture Partners and March Capital Partners.
HTL hotels and hetras say hello to Oslo
HTL hotels, the Stockholm-based new generation hotel company, is opening two properties in Oslo this year: the first opened in January and the second is scheduled to open during late spring. Just as at HTL in Stockholm, hetras is the PMS technology partner for the HTL hotels.
Ohio Wyndham rebrands as Magnuson Hotel Sharonville
Magnuson Hotels, the world's largest independent hotel group, announced today the complete rebranding of the Magnuson Hotel Sharonville.
AM:PM launches new online database of hotel closures
AM:PM Hotels, a leading provider of market intelligence on the hotel sector in the UK & Ireland, has launched a new online database of hotel closures. The AM:PM Hotel Database now incorporates details of more than 22,500 hotels with over 1 million rooms covering the past, present and future of hotel supply in the UK & Ireland. This includes over 6,000 hotel closures, the majority of which were independent and 2/3-star on closing.
CBRE Hotels Acquires PKF Consulting
"The acquisition of PKF Consulting USA, LLC, a leading advisory, consulting and research firm specializing in the lodging industry, significantly strengthens CBRE's objective of becoming the top global intermediary in hospitality services.