Today, Pepsi announces its plans to launch Kola House, the first experimental kola bar, restaurant, lounge and event space to open in the U.S. market. This first-of-its-kind hospitality venture is set to open its doors in spring 2016, with its flagship location in New York City's Meatpacking District.
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association (HSMAI) presents the 2016 HSMAI Digital Marketing Strategy Conference on February 17, at the New York Marriott Marquis. The industry's premier digital marketing event convenes key stakeholders to address the most critical trends affecting digital marketing in hotels today. With powerful educational and networking opportunities, this is the can't-miss conference of the year for learning and engagement. HSMAI's 2016 Digital Marketing Strategy Conference is held the day after the HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala.
FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated (NYSE: FCH) today announced that it is in negotiations to sell its Morgans and Royalton hotels in New York. Proceeds from these opportunistic asset sales will be used to fund initiatives intended to create significant stockholder value. FelCor and Morgans Hotel Group, which operates the hotels, have agreed that FelCor may sell the hotels unencumbered by management. Morgans will continue to manage the properties for FelCor until they are sold.
11 Howard is set to take on New York's hotel scene with its unique blend of cutting-edge Scandinavian design and socially-conscious hyper-localism. Located in the city's achingly chic SoHo district, this Design Hotels ™ member embodies an authentic vision of a community hub through collaborations with contemporary artists and meaningful partnerships with local businesses and non-profit organizations. Throw in a culinary concept from restaurateur- extraordinaire Stephen Starr and dynamic co-working space, the 11H Collective, and you have Manhattan's most eagerly-awaited new downtown haunt. www.designhotels.com/11-howard
New York Hilton Midtown is pleased to announce the appointment of Victor Freeman as the hotel manager of the 1,932-room midtown property. Freeman hails from The Carlton, bringing more than 25 years of experience throughout the hospitality industry.
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will honor Cendyn/ONE and Hotel del Coronado with the Gold Adrian Award for digital marketing excellence for its winning entries in the 59th annual Adrian Awards, the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition.
Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration (SHA) has announced the 2016 award recipients to be honored at the 8th annual Cornell Hospitality Icon and Innovator Awards at 584 Park Avenue in New York City on June 7, 2016. At this premier fundraising event, SHA will present the Cornell Icon of the Industry Award to Isadore Sharp, founder and chairman of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and the Cornell Hospitality Innovator Award to Theodore Teng, president and CEO of The Leading Hotels of the World. The Cornell Icon of the Industry Award honors the lifetime achievements of hospitality and travel industry visionaries for their professional and philanthropic contributions that have transformed the global industry and society. In 1961, Isadore Sharp opened the first Four Seasons - a motor hotel in Toronto, Canada - and over the last five decades, Four Seasons has grown into the world's leading luxury hospitality company. Today, the Company, which maintains its single brand-focus on luxury hospitality, operates 96 hotels, resorts and branded residences around the globe. From pioneering approaches to service, to setting the standard for in-room amenities and the bold rethinking of hotel features, Four Seasons has come to define modern luxury travel with a well-established reputation for operating some of the very best luxury hotels in the world. With a guiding philosophy based on the Golden Rule - the simple idea of treating others as you would have them treat you - Sharp elevated the role of Four Seasons employees to deliver a highly personalized brand of service and in the process created one of the world's greatest service cultures. Today more than 43,000 Four Seasons employees are united around a commitment to service excellence that embodies the guiding values and philosophies set out by Sharp. Sharp's commitment to service is reflected in the company's culture of giving and social responsibility which is focused on advancing cancer research, building communities and supporting sustainability. Sharp's influence also extends to his numerous philanthropic associations. He is the founder of the annual Terry Fox Run, the largest single-day fundraising event for cancer research worldwide, which has raised more than $650 million to date. He is also a generous supporter of the arts in Canada, and is the recipient of many global awards and honours recognizing his lifelong commitment to philanthropy. The Cornell Hospitality Innovator Award is given annually by the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at SHA as a tribute to extraordinary leaders who have developed new approaches to hospitality industry enterprises. Throughout his 30-year career in the hospitality industry, Theodore Teng has been responsible for the growth of some of the most prominent brands in the world. Since joining The Leading Hotels of the World in 2008, Teng has been dedicated to reigniting the 88-year-old brand. Through a collaborative approach with the hotel membership, he is focused on reimagining and redefining a differentiated business model for Leading Hotels to better serve its member hotels. Teng holds firm to his motto "Preserve, Enhance, and Invent" - honoring the traditions of the company while innovating to achieve greater strength and success in the future. Teng is 1979 graduate of SHA, and has served on the dean's advisory board and been a long time member of the Cornell Hotel Society. "It is with great pride that we honor Mr. Sharp and Mr. Teng for their remarkable contributions to the hospitality industry," said Michael D. Johnson, the Bradley H. Stone Dean and E. M. Statler professor at SHA. "Each represent the embodiment of 'life is service,' and serve as an inspiration for the students of SHA." Since its inception in 2009, the Cornell Hospitality Icon and Innovator Awards has grown to be the largest event on the SHA calendar, attracting more than 700 of the most influential leaders and innovators in the hospitality and travel industry from 17 countries. The event raises funds to support SHA's scholarships and programs. To date, the following companies have pledged their support for this event at the Platinum level, Hilton Worldwide, The Leading Hotels of the World, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Questex Hospitality Group, Stonebridge Companies, and Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces; and at the Gold level, 583 Park Ave, Duetto, France24, Hersha Hospitality Trust, HotelPlanner.com, and Wyndham Hotel Group. For details about the 8th Annual Cornell Icon and Innovator Awards Dinner or opportunities for corporate support, visit https://sha.cornell.edu/corporations-recruiters/events/cornell-hospitality-icon-innovator-awards.html or contact Jennifer Macera '13, associate director of corporate and foundation relations, at [email protected] or 607.255.3101.
Seventeen notable New York City hotels have committed to getting greener.
Marquee properties like the Waldorf Astoria New York, Grand Hyatt New York, Loews Regency New York and the Peninsula New York recently joined the NYC Carbon Challenge, a program Michael R. Bloomberg started as mayor in 2007 with the city’s universities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Hospitals, commercial office buildings and multifamily residences were eventually added, and in late December, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the initiative would expand to include hotels.
Dan Clark, professional motivational speaker, author, and CEO of Clark Success Systems will be the keynote speaker at Questex Travel Group's 11th annual Incentive Travel Exchange (ITE) event, to be held March 2-5, 2016 at The Delano Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay.
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, Hidrock Properties and Concord Hospitality celebrated the grand opening of the new Cambria hotel & suites NY - Times Square in style last night with a vintage winter wonderland. Guests were treated to music by famed jazz musician Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra, as well as property tours and remarks by Steve Joyce, president and CEO of Choice Hotels, Michael Murphy, senior vice president of upscale brands at Choice Hotels, Mark Laport, president and CEO of Concord Hospitality and Abraham Hidary, CEO of Hidrock Properties.
The Omni Berkshire Place, located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, announced the appointment of Steven Kunz as director of food and beverage. He is responsible for delivering an exceptional guest dining experience and overseeing all financial and managerial aspects of the hotel’s culinary operations, including Fireside Restaurant and Bar, catering and in-room dining.
Officials of Questex Hospitality Group, a division of Questex, LLC, the world’s largest multi-media organization dedicated to travel and lodging, today announced that Glenn Haussman has been named editor-at-large of Hotel Management, the leading provider of hospitality industry news, analysis, trends, finance, business, design and people for hotel-motel management. Haussman will be responsible for providing editorial content and direction for the magazine, as well as serving as a co-host and moderator of the group’s ongoing HOTEC conferences for hoteliers. Prior to joining Hotel Management, Haussman was editor-in-chief at Hotel Interactive. He has covered all aspects of hospitality, including hotels and resorts, restaurants, casinos and cruise ships. He is sought out by other journalists for his expertise and has been quoted in such leading publications as The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, MSNBC.com, CNN.com, Chicago Tribune and many more. Haussman also has served as adjunct professor at New York University, teaching classes in Consumer Behavior at the Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management. Haussman will continue his wide-ranging interests in the industry, including the launch of an all-new podcast, as well as consulting, public speaking and industry education for companies.
M&R Hotel Management, operator of 13 New York hotels, today announced the appointment of Kevin Chang as general manager of the 201-room, full-service Holiday Inn New York JFK Airport Area, just east of John F. Kennedy International Airport in Jamaica. Kevin Chang SM 10-2014.jpgChang, a 24-year hospitality industry veteran, joined M&R as general manager of the 128-room Holiday Inn Express New York JFK Airport Area in October 2014. In his new role, he will oversee all aspects of the Holiday Inn’s management, including operations, sales, marketing, security, maintenance, housekeeping and accounting. He also will serve as liaison with the operator of the hotel’s three-meal-a-day restaurant, The Brookville Restaurant & Bar. Prior to joining M&R, Chang was general manager of The Parc Hotel in Flushing, New York, front office director of the Petit Ermitage Hotel in West Hollywood, California, operations manager of the Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach, California, assistant general manager of the La Quinta Hotel at LAX Airport in Los Angeles and general manager of the Hotel 41 at Times Square in New York.
M&R Hotel Management, operator of 13 New York hotels, today announced the appointment of Kevin Chang as general manager of the 201-room, full-service Holiday Inn New York JFK Airport Area, just east of John F. Kennedy International Airport in Jamaica.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world's leading hotel companies, has today unveiled the Hotel Indigo® Lower East Side New York as its 5,000th hotel globally. The opening of this landmark New York property takes IHG's global system size to 5,000 hotels, in nearly 100 countries. This outstanding achievement illustrates the strength of IHG's leading portfolio of brands, which are loved by millions of guests around the world.
Marshall Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel management and services company that operates properties nationwide, today announced the appointment of Patricia Johnson as director of sales of the 90-room Hotel Grand Union (HGU). Situated in the NoMad District at 34 East 32nd Street, the hotel has completed a $15 million renovation and is scheduled to open early 2016.
Grand Hyatt New York is pleased to announce the appointment of Ash Awasthi as Hotel Manager. In this role, Awasthi will oversee the Rooms Division and support activities throughout the iconic property including Purpose and Brand activation, special projects, strategic planning and financial performance. The position is a homecoming of sorts for Awasthi who began his hospitality career at Choice Hotels in midtown Manhattan as a front office agent, followed by a night manager position in the Hilton Short Hills, New Jersey. He began his Hyatt journey at Hyatt Regency New Brunswick as an Assistant Front Office Manager and has gone on to earn various positions and promotions in the Rooms Division at Hyatt Regency Houston, Atlanta, Princeton and Tampa. Most recently Awasthi was Director of Rooms at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles, where he implemented and conceived a number of programs aimed at enhancing the experience of both guests and Hyatt team members including a book club for department managers, the “Brighten Your Stay Program” which was featured in USA TODAY, and the beta test for the “Platinum Perks Program” geared towards improving brand loyalty by redefining membership benefits. The hotel won the Innovation Award for 2014 and Awasthi himself won the Director of Rooms Hyatt Leadership Award for 2014.
Renaissance Hotels, the brand known around the world for helping the next generation of business travelers discover unexpected cultural experiences, expects to open New York City's first digitally enhanced hotel in the heart of the garment district in the spring of 2016. Designed by award-winning Jeffrey Beers International, the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel will capture the spirit of Wanderlust, the brand's new global design philosophy reflecting a contemporary transformation to appeal to the next gen business traveler who seeks adventure with every business trip. The hotel will feature a mixture of high-low design elements celebrating the industrial grit and glamour of the city, and sensational, ever-changing digital experiences that will undeniably change the hotel scene in New York.
New York, NY – January 6, 2016 – RobertDouglas announced today that it advised 52 West 13th P, LLC, a subsidiary of Gemini Real Estate Advisors, in the sale of The Jade Hotel Greenwich Village. The sale was the result of a Chapter 11 proceeding administered by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The 113-key boutique hotel, located on West 13th Street in the heart of Greenwich Village, was developed by Gemini and was purchased for $78,000,000 by a venture comprised of Bridgeton Holdings and an offshore family office.
The Waldorf-Astoria New York, the Lotte New York Palace, the Pierre-A Taj Hotel and the Crowne Plaza Times Square are among the 16 city hotels — all currently thronged with tourists visiting New York for the holidays — whose owners have agreed to cut greenhouse gases from their buildings by 30 percent or more in the next decade.