PORTLAND, Maine/SHELTON, Conn. -- Gerry Chase, president and COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator and developer, today announced that veteran hotelier Jeffery A. Burrell has been named General Manager of the 289-room and suite Westin Portland Harborview in Portland Maine, a Rockbridge portfolio property.
--Eric Walters, general manager of the Hilton Vancouver Washington since 2010, is leaving this fall to become general manager of the much larger Hilton in downtown Portland.
Autograph Collection, Marriott International's exclusive portfolio of hotels recognized for celebrating individuality, will welcome a new boutique property to its collection. The Press Hotel, located in Portland, Maine, is housed in the historic Portland Press Herald newspaper building and will be Portland's first lifestyle, boutique hotel when it is scheduled to open in May 2015.
HVS announced that Kasia Russell received her MAI Designation from the Appraisal Institute and was promoted to Managing Director of the recently opened Portland Consulting & Valuation Office. Kasia has significant hotel expertise, providing clients with appraisals and market and feasibility studies that form the bedrock for incisive hospitality decisions. Independent investors, hotel owners, management companies, and major banks represent her core constituency. Since joining HVS in 2006, Kasia has performed hundreds of hotel assignments nationwide, with a focus on hospitality markets across the Pacific Northwest.
HVS announced the official opening of its hotel consulting and valuation branch in Portland, Oregon, serving hotel owners, investors, developers, and other stakeholders throughout the Pacific Northwest. Led by Seattle native Kasia Russell, MAI, the HVS Portland consulting and valuation team provides single-asset and portfolio hotel appraisals, market and project-feasibility studies, franchise evaluations, and advisory expertise on large-scale, mixed-use and public-private developments.
Embassy Suites Hotels, the Hilton Worldwide brand of upscale, all-suite hotels, announced today the opening of its newest property, the Embassy Suites Portland/Hillsboro. Centrally located in Portland's tech hub, Silicon Forest, the 165 all-suite hotel is the first and only full service hotel in the area. The grand opening was celebrated with an official ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, February 5. The hotel is owned by Hillsboro Hotel Partners II, LLC, developed by Thackeray Garn Company LLC out of Salt Lake City and is managed by Western States Lodging and Management.
LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) today announced that it acquired The Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon for $64.3 million. The Company funded the acquisition with cash on hand. Surrounded by corporate and leisure demand generators, the 150-room hotel is located at 1001 SW Broadway Street in the heart of downtown Portland among the city's concentration of office towers, retail offerings, dining establishments and entertainment venues.
Officials of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator and developer, today announced the promotion of Lou Gaudio to general manager of the newly renovated and expanded Hilton Garden Inn, at Portland, Maine's International Jetport. Gaudio previously was assistant general manager at the Sheraton Tarrytown in Tarrytown N.Y. and has been with New Castle since 2006 when he joined the company as the rooms division manager at the Woodcliff Lake Hilton. Earlier in his career, Gaudio held varying management positions for Westin branded hotels in Times Square, Philadelphia and Princeton, NJ as well as the Ballantyne Resort Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel. He also held management positions at the New York Palace and The Plaza Hotel.
An award-winning sales executive, Barry was most recently the president of Hive Marketing, a consultancy offering task force, due diligence and pre-opening sales and marketing services to the hospitality industry. Prior to starting her own firm, Barry served as director of sales and marketing at several Starwood Hotels and Resorts over a span of 10 years. Barry is a published industry expert on hotel marketing and social media whose articles and industry insight have appeared in eHotelier, Hotel Interactive, HotelChatter and TNooz.
IDeaS Revenue Solutions, the leading provider of pricing and revenue management software, services and consulting, today announced The Heathman Hotel, a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Historic Hotels of America, is implementing IDeaS Revenue Management System (RMS) to automate revenue management and improve forecasting and reporting in a competitive market.
Dave Murray is a Portland native with a long history as general manager at boutique-style and branded hotels. He will be responsible for driving positive results and returns for the Courtyard hotel overall. Murray's experience includes the River's Edge Hotel and Spa, RiverPlace Hotel and The Portland Marriott City Center, all in the downtown Portland market.
Amber Evans joins as director of sales and marketing and will drive sales efforts and strategy to increase room night sales as well as meetings and events at the Courtyard. She comes from Hotel Modera in Portland and Larkspur Hotels and Restaurants in San Francisco, where responsibilities included managing the hotel sales team, controlling the annual budget and keeping an eye on marketing trends.
Officials with New Castle Hotels & Resorts unveiled the $6 million, 36-room expansion and renovation of the Hilton Garden Inn Portland Airport in Portland, Maine, with a vine cutting ceremony and community gardening event at the nearby Masonic Learning Center.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and Commonwealth Hotels, LLC today announce the opening of Hyatt Place Portland – Old Port, situated in the heart of the Old Port amongst unique boutiques, tourist attractions and nationally recognized restaurants. Hyatt Place Portland-Old Port features rooms with breathtaking views of Casco Bay, the Portland skyline, Historical Old Port, and is only minutes from the Portland International Jetport (PWM). As the first Hyatt Place hotel in the state of Maine, the hotel is a refreshing new choice for business and leisure travelers alike
Commonwealth Hotels LLC announced the appointment of Deborah Roberts the Director of Sales for the new Hyatt Place Portland Old Port. The Hyatt Place is 130 rooms and is owned by Cow Plaza LLC, an affiliate of East Brown Cow. As Director of Sales, Roberts will direct all area of the hotel's sales and marketing efforts. Deborah has vast experience on building client relationships that result in a "win-win situation" for everyone involved. Prior to joining Hyatt, Roberts served in the Hospitality Industry for over 10 years. She enjoys her family, traveling and giving back to her community.
Commonwealth Hotels LLC today announced that Alen Saric has been appointed General Manager for the new Hyatt Place Portland Old Port. The Hyatt Place is 130 rooms and is owned by Cow Plaza LLC, an affiliate of East Brown Cow. Prior to joining the Hyatt Place, Saric has served in the Hotel Industry for over 10 years, most recently with the Hilton and Marriott family of brands in the Portland area. Alen is a well practiced and dedicated hospitality professional. He enjoys family, outdoor activities, and being an active member in the community.
Previously, Shannon Moore was a task force general manager for New Castle, working in a support role at several Hilton-branded hotels in the management company's portfolio. In her new role, she will oversee the 35-room expansion of the hotel that is expected to be completed mid-year 2014. Throughout her 15-year career, Moore has worked in hotel management for other major brands including Courtyard by Marriott, Comfort Inn and Suites, Travelodge, Clarion and Ramada. She is a Master's degree candidate at the American Public University.
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB) (the "Company") today announced that it has acquired the Hotel Modera for $47.5 million. The 174-room, urban, boutique, upper upscale, full service hotel is located in downtown Portland, Oregon. The property will be managed by OLS Hotels and Resorts ("OLS"). As a part of this transaction, the Company is assuming a $23.7 million secured, non-recourse loan, with the balance of the purchase price being funded by the Company with available cash.
Portland-based ScanlanKemperBard Companies (SKB) and hotel industry veteran Robert Riley have announced that they have joined together to form SKB Hotel Group. The new group will specialize in providing hospitality financial advisory services and hotel and resort investment and development. SKB Hotel Group will provide capital for and develop hotel and resort projects under the seasoned direction of Riley.
Hyatt Regency Baltimore updates their suites with sleek, new iMacs from Eleven. A total of five iMac computers equipped with ElevenBC software now reside in the Hyatt Regency Baltimore; four fully equipped with their own printer in the hotel's luxury suites, and one conveniently located in the Regency Club for free on-the-go boarding pass printing.