LOTTE Hotels & Resorts, a Korea-based owner and operator of luxury hotels, announced today the relaunch of The New York Palace, an iconic luxury hotel in midtown Manhattan, as LOTTE New York Palace. LOTTE Hotels & Resorts assumes its ownership of the property as of August 28, 2015, making Lotte New York Palace the group's first hotel acquisition in North America.
Iconic New York landmark The Pierre, A Taj Hotel welcomes Francois-Olivier Luiggi as the property’s newly appointed general manager. In his new role, Luiggi will be responsible for managing all hotel operations.
Or at least temporarily. On September 23, the North Food Festival, a weeklong event dedicated to Nordic cuisine, will kick off in New York's West Village and Scandic will bebon site with its mobile hotel room, Scandic To Go. The room has been redecorated to provide a taste of what Scandic's big new hotel at Stockholm's Hötorget Square, Haymarket, will look like when it opens in spring 2016.
New York is a melting pot of trends and cuisine from around the world, and all things Nordic have been popular for some time, from food and drinks to style and décor. During the festival, Nordic specialties will be available at stands on "Scandic Haymarket Square." There will also be a model of the new hotel that is being developed in the historic PUB department store building– just like the real building on Hötorget Square.
"It's extremely exciting to take Scandic To Go to the most influential metropolis in the world, New York. At Scandic, we strive to stay at the forefront when it comes to the hotel experience of the future, and with Scandic To Go, we can test the limits of just what this can involve," says Frank Fiskers, President & CEO of Scandic Hotels.
New York is one of the most popular destinations for Scandinavians and Scandic hopes that people visiting from the Nordic countries will come and take a look.
"This is our chance to showcase Scandic for an American audience and provide a sneak peek at our stylish new hotel project. The hotel will have a high design factor and it will cater to an international audience," says Anna Wirén, Marketing Manager at Scandic Sweden.
Scandic Haymarket Square will be the hub of many exciting events during the festival and there will be a variety of exciting activities and contests at Scandic To Go for visitors from the Nordic countries. The festival will continue until September 28.
Scandic To Go has already visited many spectacular places and events in the Nordic countries, including the World Ski Championships in Falun earlier this year, but this will be the first time that it crosses the Atlantic. Scandic To Go offers all of the comforts of a stationary Scandic hotel room, including shower and toilet facilities. The hotel room will travel by boat and Scandic will document the entire experience.
About Scandic To Go
The hotel room is 18 m2 and has its own bathroom equipped with a shower and toilet. It also has two 90 cm beds, a pullout couch, specially designed storage spaces for clothing and other items as well as a large patio. All of the windows have blackout curtains and there is ceiling, floor and bedside lighting.
The room also offers amenities such as a TV, hairdryer, safe, air-conditioning, iron, ironing board, kettle, and free WiFi. It also has also a minibar that guests can fill themselves and exclusive toiletries from Face Stockholm – in other words, everything you need for a comfortable and relaxing hotel stay.
Chiaki Tanuma, president and CEO of Green House Co., Ltd., has been selected to receive the 2015 Cornell MMH Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award, presented by the Master of Management in Hospitality (MMH) program at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration (SHA). Tanuma will receive the award at the 14th annual Cornell MMH Reception on Sunday, November 8, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., at Eventi in New York City.
A seasoned hospitality executive with over 18 years in the luxury hospitality industry, Breandan joins The Iroquois New York as General Manager from the W Hoboken Hotel, where he served as Director of Operations and Interim General Manager. His other previous industry roles include Director of Rooms, Director of Conference Services and Director of Front Office and Night Manager at the St. Regis Hotel New York, where he worked over a 15-year period, and various Front Office roles at The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin.
Hodges Ward Elliott ("HWE"), the world's leading independent hotel brokerage, with offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles and London, announced the firm's expansion into commercial investment sales with the establishment of a New York office, headed by Managing Director Will Silverman. The announcement was made by Mark Elliott, HWE's President and Partner. Mr. Silverman joins HWE from Savills Studley in New York, where he closed approximately $6 billion of sales transactions comprising nearly 18 million square feet. Mr. Silverman focused on commercial investment sales activity, including the sale and recapitalization of equity and debt relating to office, residential, development and retail assets. Notable transactions include twice selling the office portion of 100-104 Fifth Avenue, the record-breaking sale of 111 Kent Avenue in Brooklyn and the sale of the retail at 465 Broadway three times in four years. Prior to joining Savills Studley in 2003, he worked for Insignia/ESG and J.P. Morgan Securities.
McLEAN, VA (August, 2015) – The nomination period is open for the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Lifetime Achievement Awards and its Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing and Revenue Optimization.
Travel professionals interested in selling Cuba as the next red-hot destination can sign up for a dynamic new educational seminar to be offered at Questex Travel Group's Travel Industry Exchange event, Sept. 15-17 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida.
The Trump Organization announced today that it has appointed Eric Danziger as Chief Executive Officer of their luxury hotel management company, Trump Hotel Collection. Mr. Danziger, a renowned figure in the hospitality industry with more than 45 years of experience, is charged with overseeing global operations, brand strategy, and the expansion of Trump Hotel Collection, currently one of the fastest growing luxury hotel companies in the world. With a portfolio of 14 hotels, including iconic assets such as Trump National Doral, an 800 acre property in the heart of Miami; Trump International Hotel Washington D.C., one of the most sought-after re-development opportunities in the country; and Trump International Hotel & Tower, the only hotel in North America that has achieved five stars (Forbes) and five diamonds (AAA) for both the hotel and restaurant, in addition to three Michelin stars for the restaurant; and many others, Trump Hotel Collection properties are known for achieving the highest accolades and are located in prime locations worldwide.
As Airbnb continues to sign up hosts to become the largest provider of lodging rooms in the world (1 million and counting, as reported by Airbnb), hoteliers continue to assess the threat and the potential opportunity this new competitor poses. This article takes a deep dive into New York City by comparing and contrasting STR hotel data with publicly available Airbnb data. (STR is the parent company of Hotel News Now.)
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is accepting entries for its 59th annual Adrian Awards, which honors noteworthy achievement in travel advertising, digital marketing and public relations.
Stash Hotel Rewards, the nation's largest point-based loyalty program for independent hotels, today welcomed to its network three New York City hotels – the Condor Hotel, The French Quarters Guest Apartments and the Park South Hotel. The new partnerships give Stash members traveling to the Big Apple more opportunities to earn and redeem points at some of the city's most culturally-rich, independent properties.
To mark its centennial anniversary, the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show® (IHMRS) is unveiling a spectacular new brand and mission to better capture the dynamic innovation of the hospitality industry. HX: The Hotel Experience — Rooms to Restaurants (HX), debuts November 8-10, 2015 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City and represents a bold new strategic direction.
The Greater New York Chapter of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has awarded Marriott branded hotels in New York City with the 22nd Annual Frank W. Berkman Tourism Achievement Award and named the 2015 honorees for the Annual Hospitality Awards of Excellence.
Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, and Zhang Weigong, Chairman & Founder of Sunshine Insurance Group celebrate the Grand Opening of Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York. Members of the Starwood Capital, SH Group and Sunshine Insurance teams, along with several notables including Martha Stewart, were on hand for a ribbon cutting and exchange of gifts between Mr. Sternlicht and Chairman Weigong. Read the original announcement about the sale here.
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, celebrated the grand opening of the new Cambria hotel & suites in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood. Owned by We Care Trading Co. Ltd and operated by Concord Hospitality, Cambria hotel & suites New York - Chelsea is located at 123 West 28th Street and sits in the middle of the eclectic Flower District, which is brought to life in the hotel's design and decor.
The Gregory, a new 132-room boutique hotel located at 42 West 35th Street in NYC has officially opened its doors. Steps away from one of Manhattan's most active and prime transportation and retail hubs, The Gregory offers serenity and hospitality, embracing the creativity of Silicon Alley, and embodying the bespoke craftsmanship of the Fashion District, all in the heart of Herald Square. Inspired by a townhouse, inherited from creative and inspiring parents, the Gregory represents all the comforts of home in a cool and curated fashion to provide the authentic New York City experience. This project marks the second collaboration between Interstate Hotels & Resorts, hotel Asset Value Enhancement (hotelAVE), and Meadow Partners, the team behind The Renwick, which is launching this fall at 118th East 40th Street in NYC.
Storms brings a decade of hospitality, sales, and management experience to her new position, much within the Andaz brand as well as Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Most recently, she held positions as Director of Transient Sales and Director of Agency Sales at three New York properties - Andaz Wall Street, Andaz 5th Avenue, and the Grand Hyatt New York, overseeing all aspects of the luxury travel programs for all three properties. During her time overseeing these properties, she led significant growth in sales. Additionally, Hyatt named Storms a HyPerformer, an award given to individuals who excel at production goals and serve as a role model and mentor to their peers.
For the 3rd consecutive year, HeBS Digital, Google and HSMAI will jointly host the 2015 Travelers Mindset Summer Conference. The conference which is currently open for registration will be held at the Google headquarters in New York City on Wednesday July 22nd, 2015 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Real Hospitality Group (RHG) is pleased to announce the appointment of Melinda Park as General Manager of the new The Brooklyn a Hotel, set to open August 2015. A veteran of the hospitality industry, Park will be responsible for collaborating with the General Contractor and Project Manager on all aspects of the hotel's pre-opening stages of development as well as day-to-day operations post-opening.