BLLA announces its' Boutique Hotel Investment Conference is SOLD OUT. The interest in the boutique lifestyle sector of hospitality is the highest it's ever been in the history of this sexy sector of the hotel industry.
Discussing what the Olympics could have brought to New York City, and the state of hotel business in New York, with Loews Hotels Chairman Jonathan Tisch. Interview was recorded at the 36th Annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference at the New York Marriott Marquis.
Hotel industry veteran Edward Scheetz is proud to announce the launch of a new hospitality brand, Chelsea Hotels, a re-brand and evolution of the former King & Grove Hotels. Chelsea Hotels includes Hotel Chelsea born 1884, Martha Washington born 1905, McCarren Hotel & Pool born 2011, Ruschmeyer's born 1952, and Astor Hotel to open in 2016. In a move that supports his vision and strategy for growth, Scheetz enrolled the pioneering design agency Pandiscio Co. to help further develop the unique identities of each property, and to create Chelsea Hotels, a new and powerful brand that unites them.
Duetto, Kalibri Labs and Silver Hospitality Group, LLC announced the second annual Revenue Strategy Summit (RSS), a gathering of thought leaders and practitioners who will examine forces reshaping the hospitality industry and how marketing and technology must evolve to meet new demands.
The hotel industry is closely monitoring Airbnb, and a decision by the home-swapping company to turn over anonymous user data in New York could be the first step to tripping up one of the biggest players in the "sharing economy." Airbnb yesterday reached a deal with the New York attorney general that ultimately brings more regulatory scrutiny of the company, while at the same time raises concerns about how it handles the private data of its users.
Trump SoHo® gives guests another reason to visit: top of the line penthouses, second to none and unlike anything else you have seen in New York City. They all feature two bedrooms, giving Trump SoHo more two-bedroom penthouse suites than any other hotel in Manhattan.
Brooklyn, NY -- Brooklyn neighborhood names. A classic cassette tape. Skateboards. Laser cut imagery and patterns of vintage Brooklyn adorn the wooden headboards at NU Hotel Brooklyn as part of HHM's recent $1.5 million guestroom renovation. The 93 rooms of this Independent Collection (IC) boutique New York hotel in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn were updated to showcase a sophisticated cool décor with retro hints.
Sofitel Luxury Hotels has named Balendra Nagesvaran vice president of hotel operations for North America, where he will oversee operations for all of Accor’s luxury hotels in the United States and Canada. In his new role, he will also act as the general manager for the brand’s flagship Sofitel New York. Nagesvaran brings to his position more than 26 years of experience in international hotel operations and management. He was previously based in Miami, where he served concurrently as general manager of Sofitel Miami and area general manager with responsibilities overseeing Accor’s East Coast luxury hotels. Nagesvaran has been with Accor for over 23 years in locations as diverse as New York, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Colombo and Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka. He spent his early career in Toronto, holding a variety of management positions at Westin, Sheraton and Hilton hotels from 1987 to 1990.
Wyndham Hotel Group, the world's largest hotel company with approximately 7,500 hotels, is expanding its TRYP by Wyndham® brand in the United States with the signing of a franchise agreement for a new-construction, 104-room hotel in Long Island City, New York. Known for its differentiating "Own the City" service culture, the TRYP by Wyndham brand's passion for helping guests make the most of their travels will come to life in the Queens Borough neighborhood upon the opening of TRYP by Wyndham Long Island City, scheduled for spring 2016. It will join sister property TRYP by Wyndham New York City Times Square South, the brand's first hotel in the U.S. "Long Island City has become a prime, burgeoning destination for travelers and New Yorkers alike by offering immediate access to all that New York City has to offer at a more affordable cost," said Bill Hall, brand senior vice president of TRYP by Wyndham. "The TRYP by Wyndham brand is all about displaying passion for our guests and the cities we serve, and we couldn't be more excited to extend our philosophy to this neighborhood." The addition of TRYP by Wyndham Long Island City, owned by 559 Development LLC, is a key step in expanding the select-service hotel brand in key cosmopolitan cities in the United States and around the globe. In 2013, Wyndham Hotel Group announced key signings and openings in major cosmopolitan cities throughout Central America, Europe and the Middle East, including Panama City, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, and Dubai. The brand's portfolio currently consists of 114 hotels and more than 16,200 rooms across Europe and the Americas. TRYP by Wyndham Long Island City, located at 38-55 Eleventh Street, will offer TRYP by Wyndham's signature elements, including an on-site gastro bar and the Plaza Central, the open, inviting lobby that serves as a social hub for guests with comfortable seating areas, integrated connectivity and business services. Signature guest rooms will include a Fitness room, offering state-of-the-art fitness equipment for a private workout; an over-sized Family room with bunk beds for children and a larger, separate bed for adults; and the Samsung Experience room, which will feature high-tech multimedia to create an interactive, entertaining atmosphere. Additional hotel amenities and services will include free high-speed wireless internet access, a fitness center, a rooftop café and bar with panoramic views of the New York City skyline and immediate access to public transportation. Guests who are members of Wyndham Rewards® - the free-to-join guest loyalty program of TRYP by Wyndham and parent company Wyndham Hotel Group and the only hotel loyalty program to offer guaranteed rewards with just one qualified stay - will be able to earn valuable points during their visits. Points may be redeemed for a wide variety of reward options including free hotel stays, air travel, gift cards for leading retailers and restaurants and more. Information is available at www.wyndhamrewards.com.
PKF Consulting, LLC (PKFC), a management consulting firm specializing in the hospitality industry, has announced the promotion of Mark VanStekelenburg to senior vice president and practice leader of the firm’s office in New York City. Mr. VanStekelenburg moves from the Los Angeles office of PKFC where he has been since 2004. While in the firm’s L.A. office, Mr. VanStekelenburg conducted and supervised numerous economic, financial, and operational analyses for hospitality and real estate related clients. VanStekelenburg graduated from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Prior to joining PKFC in 2004, he held operational positions at the Palmera Plaza Grand Hotel in Spain and the Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation, Ga. He has held leadership positions with the Los Angeles chapter of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals, the American Hotel & Lodging Association Gateway Council and the Los Angeles chapter of the Cornell Hotel Society. VanStekelenburg has spoken at a number of hotel industry conferences and events. VanStekelenburg replaces industry veteran John Fox who is retiring as the leader of the PKFC New York practice. Fox joined the New York office of Harris Kerr Forster (predecessor to PKFC) in 1971, and became a senior principal of Pannell Kerr Forster in 1982.
The largest U.S. hotel trade group is stepping up its lobbying efforts for stronger regulations governing short-term housing rentals listed on sites such as Airbnb, as local governments ponder stricter laws for apartment and room rentals. The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is working with governments and local hotel associations to address subjects such as occupancy tax payment and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) provisions. The association wants to ensure that short-term rental hosts are held to the same standards as hoteliers, said Vanessa Sinders, AH&LA’s senior vice president of governmental affairs.
New York is missing out on a big opportunity by battling Airbnb. That was the message from the rental site's co-founder and chief technology officer Nathan Blecharczyk at the Milken Institute's Global Conference in Los Angeles.
As far as the state of New York is concerned, most of Airbnb's business is illegal. What had been a relatively civil legal proceeding spilled into the press this week when the rental startup and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman met in court on Tuesday. Airbnb has said the attorney general “is determined to fight innovation and attack regular people.” The attorney general's office claims it has worked with numerous other tech companies to stamp out illegal activity, but that Airbnb is being evasive.
The Sheraton New York Times Square hotel has named Brian Cernik Director of Meeting and Event Management, charged with overseeing the hotel’s newly renovated 60,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space. With more than 17 years of experience in the hotel industry, a hallmark of Brian’s style is bringing a personalized touch to each event, while creating seamless and memorable client experiences with the culinary, event management, banquet and sales teams.
he popular home-sharing website Airbnb makes more than half its revenue in New York through running illegal hotels, State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Thursday. Speaking at the Crain's New York Business breakfast, Schneiderman said he is investigating the online site in order to protect the city's hotel industry, apartment dwellers and the tourists who book rooms through Airbnb. Schneiderman's office has subpoenaed a wide range of records on Airbnb's New York City hosts to probe whether some are potentially running illegal hotels rather than renting out a room in their living quarters.
Cachet Hotel Group (CHG), announced today important milestones for their continued global expansion at a press conference held during the China Hotel Investment Conference (CHIC) in Shanghai, China. The announcement included a robust hotel pipeline and detail of 2014 initiatives across current properties including the unveiling of a new brand called NANO Hotels & Resorts - with plans to announce its first property in Manhattan, New York City later this year.
It's been a roller coaster of a week for Airbnb. The startup closed a deal for $450 million in funding, attaining a valuation it'd reportedly been chasing: $10 billion. It's now, after this funding round led by private-equity firm TPG, one of the most valuable startups on the planet. Before the bubbly had time to settle in San Francisco, bad news came from out east: New York State attorney general Eric Schneiderman Monday filed an affidavit with the state Supreme Court in Albany claiming that the majority of Airbnb listings in New York are illegal. Arguments are expected to begin tomorrow.
Denihan Hospitality Group, a full-service hotel management and development company that owns and operates boutique hotels in major US markets, has announced that it will restructure the current organization of the Company into two independently operated business units, resulting in several changes at the executive level.
Last week, CitizenM Hotels dissed Holiday Inn on the internet by "selling" an old front desk on Craigslist as part of an April Fool's Day joke. Today, they've done it again--by parking a stretch-limo out in front of the Trump International Hotel near Central Park with a sign on the side of the car that says: "Luxury is free WiFi and XL beds, not a stupidly long car."
Like most of the staff at the opulent Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan, Bill Wackermann was busy. He attended an early morning meeting to prepare for the day’s guests. He inspected a room under renovation. He answered phones at the concierge desk. But Mr. Wackermann does not work at the Carlyle. He is the executive vice president and publishing director at Condé Nast Traveler. Mr. Wackermann was participating in an internship program. He created the program to improve sales and marketing at the magazine, and plans to send his business staff of about 30 to one of four Manhattan hotels to learn the art of luxury service. The idea, he said, is that reliable, top-notch service at a hotel translates to any high-end brand, including magazines.