Palace Resorts - the company that sets the standard in five-star, all-inclusive resort accommodations is proud to announce the promotion of Michelle Catin to Director of Marketing & Social Media at Palace Resorts.
Wyndham Hotel Group, the hospitality giant with an unparalleled global portfolio of more than 8,300 hotels, today announced the signing of the largest hotel development in the Brickell district of Miami to its managed hotel portfolio: a new 445-room, dual-branded hotel leveraging a never-before-seen combination of the Wyndham Grand® and TRYP by Wyndham® brands.The combination of brands celebrates Miami's distinct spirit - both the upper-upscale Wyndham Grand brand and select-service, lifestyle TRYP by Wyndham brands embrace the charm and character of the local destination - incorporating Miami style into each brand's'unique elements and enabling travelers to stay the way they want in one of the most diverse cities in the world.Owned by Brazilian developer Galwan and designed by award-winning firm Aquitechtonica, the agreement comprises 445 guest rooms in Miami's trendy Brickell neighborhood. The hotel, expected to open in late 2019, is the first U.S. development for Galwan, one of the largest residential and hotel developers in Brazil."With nearly 16 million visitors last year and projected increases for the years ahead, Miami continues to be one of the world's most coveted travel destinations with a style all its own," said Mark Kukulski, president of Wyndham Hotel Group's management organization. "By combining our most worldly, destination-centric brands, we're offering travelers a taste of Wyndham Hotel Group, Miami-style – with chic shared spaces, trendy dining options and their choice of brand experience via TRYP by Wyndham's lifestyle flair or Wyndham Grand's easy elegance."Two Brands, One Destination Today, nearly 400 dual-branded hotels are open or under construction in the U.S. That number is projected to grow at a rapid pace over the next several years as travelers seek personalized experiences - the choice of brands allows guests to customize their trip without sacrificing convenience. By combining two distinct brands in different segments, Wyndham Hotel Group maximizes its presence in the city while offering guests the exclusivity and aspirational experience they crave.The 41-story hotel will offer 200 rooms under Wyndham Grand and 245 rooms under TRYP by Wyndham, including the brand's signature family rooms with extra space and bunk beds for kids. The hotels share a lobby and lounge space on the first floor, an eight-story parking garage, a pool deck, a fitness center and 8,000 sq. ft. of meeting space including a library, boardroom and flexible event spaces. The hotel's rooftop will feature a three-meal restaurant and bar inspired by the TRYP brand's Mediterranean roots.The worldly, upper-upscale Wyndham Grand brand offers an unpretentious and approachable atmosphere with local culture and style infused into each hotel and resort. The brand welcomes travelers in sought-after destinations around the world like Athens, Phuket, Shanghai, Istanbul, Chicago, and Frankfurt. This will be the brand's fourth hotel in Florida, joining established resorts in Clearwater Beach, Orlando and Jupiter.TRYP by Wyndham is powered by the pulse of the city it inhabits, offering travelers an insider's look at a destination's uniqueness in some of the world's most cosmopolitan cities including Abu Dhabi, Brisbane, Barcelona, New York City, Paris, and Sao Paulo. The hotel adds to TRYP's existing portfolio in Florida which includes locations in Fort Lauderdale and St. Augustine. Most recently the brand opened the TRYP by Wyndham College Station, offering a true 'Aggieland' experience with its first hotel in Texas.The hotel will participate in Wyndham Rewards®, the simple-to-use, revolutionary loyalty program from Wyndham Hotel Group. Named a best hotel rewards program for the past three consecutive years by U.S. News and World Report, Wyndham Rewards® offers members a generous points earning structure along with a flat, free night redemption rate—the first of its kind for a major rewards program. To learn more or to join for free, guests should visit www.wyndhamrewards.com.
WoodSpring Hotels, the nation"s fastest growing extended-stay hotel company, today announced the grand opening of WoodSpring Suites Miami Southwest. The hotel, owned by Gold Coast Premier Properties, LLC, will be operated by Overland Park, Kansas-based Hotel Management & Consulting, LLC (HMC). The hotel is located at 16055 SW 117th Avenue, Richmond Heights, Fla., 33177.
While the concept of personalization has been around forever, the advances in mobile, data science and technology now allows a far greater ability to be able to recognise where the customer is in the travel cycle, provide the right content at the right time while simplifying the process.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises today announced the appointment of Megan Hernandez as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the cruise line. Ms. Hernandez will lead the brand’s global marketing strategy and drive worldwide preference among both travelers and valued travel agent partners for Regent’s most inclusive luxury experience. Ms. Hernandez was most recently the Vice President of Guest Experience Marketing for Norwegian Cruise Line, where she led loyalty, product, consumer, and travel partner marketing, and market research. Prior to Norwegian Cruise Line, Ms. Hernandez was with Procter & Gamble and AT&T. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Southern California – Marshall School of Business, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree from Loyola Marymount University.
Kempinski Hotels announces the appointment of industry veteran Jeff Lanzarotta to head up their North American leisure & luxury division as Global Director Sales. Lanzarotta joins the Kempinski team after a long career with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, where he acted as Director of Global Leisure & Luxury Sales in the US in his last position. Lanzarotta holds a degree in Hotel & Restaurant management and will continue to be based in Miami, Florida.
Sheraton Miami Airport Hotel & Executive Meeting Center welcomes Ruben G. Rodriguez as the newly appointed Director of Sales and Marketing. With a robust group sales background, Ruben will be responsible to proactively focus on business development, planning and implementing strategic plans to achieve objectives assigned in transient, group, contract and catering segments along with heading the marketing efforts as led by the Hersha Hospitality Management team. Leading and managing all day-to-day activities related to the sales function with a focus on building long-term, value-based customer relationships that enable achievement of property sales objectives.
The state of personalisation, the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning, the impact of EU's GDPR regulations and the possibilities of forecasting tools to send your revenues rocketing are just some of the topics being covered at EyeforTravel's Smart Travel Data Summit North America 2018, taking place in Miami on February 27-28, 2018.
Atlanta-based Hotel Equities announced the hiring of Arthur Holman as the new General Manager of the 175-room Residence Inn by Marriott Miami Beach/Surfside, FL located at 92nd Street and Collins Avenue in the Surfside area of Miami Beach. Hotel Equities manages the property for Hotel Development Partners (HDP) of Atlanta, their JV partner.Mr. Holman came to Hotel Equities from Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group (LDHG) in Provo, Utah, where he served as the Vice President of Operations and helped to grow the company from three hotels to 20, representing 13 brands within a period of eight years. He began his hospitality career in accounting at the Provo Park Hotel (currently the Provo Marriott). After Mr. Holman earned a promotion to Controller, Sunstone Hotels tapped him as the opening General Manager of the Residence Inn by Marriott in Provo, Utah. Under his watch, the hotel became a consistent RevPAR leader and Mr. Holman captured the firm’s Rising Star and Chairman’s Circle awards for his leadership skills and financial success. In 2000, Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group hired Mr. Holman as General Manager for the Residence Inn by Marriott in Salt Lake City, Utah. During his tenure, he spearheaded a complete renovation of the property including the conversion and addition of a 60-room independent hotel as an extension of the Residence Inn. He enhanced guest and associate satisfaction, increased the hotel’s profitability and hosted the U.S. Olympic Committee during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games before his promotion to VP of Operations for the firm. Mr. Holman earned a B.S. in Business Management with an emphasis in finance from Brigham Young University. He also holds a Certificate in Advanced Hospitality Revenue Management from Cornell University. An avid supporter of the nonprofit Operation Underground Railroad, he has also participated in numerous Marriott Spirit to Serve activities, including Habitat for Humanity. In his free time, he enjoys scuba diving, traveling and using his smoker to cook for his family. Mr. Holman and his wife Meredith are the parents of three daughters.
Alumni of the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management have donated more than half a million dollars to a fund that honors their beloved professor Rocco Angelo, an associate dean who has mentored generations of hospitality students and helped them succeed.
Miami, Florida: HotelQuando, an online booking site and App that allows consumers to instantly book hotel rooms by blocks of three, six, nine and twelve hours, announces its first hotel partnership in the Miami area. The platform joined forces with Pullman Miami Airport Hotel to service business travelers looking for accommodations near the Miami International Airport; a segment that has been increasing in the Latin American hub. HotelQuando announced its U.S. expansion in March and since has 45+ hotel partnerships across the country.
The Raleigh, the boutique hotel known as the “Grande Dame” of South Beach, is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael MacDonnell as director of food and beverage. MacDonnell brings more than two decades of experience as one of the industry’s top experts in mixology and service to the historic property. He joins Chef Joshua Elliott to complete the culinary leadership team.
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has appointed Ruben Sabater director of operations for Marenas Beach Resort, a Gemstone Collection property located in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Rikki Boparai, managing director, made the announcement. Ruben Sabater was previously general manager of The Sherry Frontenac Resort of Miami Beach, Florida. Prior to this appointment he worked with the Benchmark organization as regional engineering and facilities consultant, and earlier as director of operations for One Bal Harbour Resort & Spa, which Benchmark operated at the time. Prior to joining Benchmark, Mr. Sabater held leadership roles with the Mandarin Oriental Miami (director of engineering) as well as the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Tower. He resides in Miami.
Meliá Hotels International (MHI) has officially appointed Ernesto Luna as the new General Manager of ME Miami of the ME by Meliá brand. ME Miami, which opened its doors in July 2016 as the first ME by Meliá hotel in the United States. A 15-year veteran in the Meliá family, Luna has extensive knowledge of the brand ethos and will bring years of hospitality industry expertise to this bustling downtown Miami property. Serving as General Manager for both ME Cancun and ME Cabo for the past 10 years, Luna will bring the years of success he found within those properties to ME Miami. In addition to experience with the ME by Melia brand, Luna also held several management positions within Gran Meliá – MHI’s most luxurious resort brand.
Marriott International, Inc.® (NASDAQ: MAR) today announced the opening of Four Points Miami Airport, the brand's second property in Miami and tenth in the state. Catering to the needs of today's modern traveler, the hotel offers approachable design, stylish comfort and all of the brand's popular extras.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a franchise agreement with Concord Aztec Brickell LLC for Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami, located at 1101 Brickell Ave. in the center of Miami's thriving financial and business district. Concord Aztec Brickell LLC is a joint venture comprised of Aztec Group and Concord Hospitality, which will manage the hotel. Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami is expected to conclude construction and open in Q3 2017. As with all Hyatt Centric hotels, Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami will place guests in the heart of the action, providing an ideal launch pad to explore downtown Miami and beyond.
Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) Hampton by Hilton brand, the global mid-priced hotel known for providing travelers with its signature Hamptonality service, announced the opening of its newest property in Miami, FL. Adding to the renaissance of the up and coming Design District, the Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Midtown offers warm surroundings; a friendly service culture and a staff that makes sure guests are 100 percent happy. Guaranteed ™.
Destination Hotels announces the appointment of Freddy Hernandez as Area Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Quirk Hotel, YVE Hotel Miami and the newly-introduced Royal Isabela. In his new role, Hernandez will oversee all Marketing & Public Relations operations from planning and developing communications strategies to cultivating media interest in all three hotels. With an extensive background in communications and digital marketing, Hernandez brings immense experience to his new position. Prior to joining Destination Hotels, Hernandez was the acting Director of Marketing & Public Relations at The Hall South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida, previously a Joie de Vivre brand property. Prior to that Hernandez held digital and marketing management positions with Eden Roc Miami Beach, Fairmont Turnberry Isle and Fairmont Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen Mexico.
Hugo joins Bill Hansen Luxury Catering as a veteran of the hospitality industry and brings more than 19 years of hospitality sales and marketing experience to his role. As Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, he directly oversees all Marketing, E-commerce, Public Relations, and Sales Strategies for the company. Throughout his career, he has served in roles with Trust Hospitality, Starwood Hotels & Resorts – Caribbean, Global Sales at LXR Luxury Resorts, opening roles with Four Seasons Miami, Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Miami and Loews Miami Beach Hotel.
NEW YORK, NY (February 28, 2017) – Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Christian Glauser-Benz as Vice President of Development for Latin America and the Caribbean. Tapping into nearly 15 years of experience in hotel development and portfolio expansion, Glauser-Benz brings a wealth of knowledge and an extensive global network of relationships with real estate developers, capital groups and private investors to Dream Hotel Group.