Sales & Marketing USA & Canada External Articles - Hospitality Net

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April 30, 2009

Downturn Discussions Dominate ACTE Conference | btnonline.com

Even with Association of Corporate Travel Executives president and Booz & Co. director of global sourcing and travel Doug Weeks' talk of focusing on economic recovery rather than downturn during the opening general session, the recession weighed heavily on buyers and suppliers throughout this month's ACTE Global Education Conference, presented in partnership with Business Travel News. A preponderance of travel buyers reported their companies' year-over-year travel volumes were down significantly—some by as much as 50 percent. A straw poll conducted by BTN editors during a Corporate Travel 100 benchmarking session found that 17 out of the 18 participating companies had lower volumes this year, with the majority at least 20 percent lower.

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April 28, 2009

Hotel guests who pay ahead can get ahead | miamiherald.com

Add commitment issues to the list of woes facing South Florida hotels these days. With job security seeming as luxurious as a poolside daiquiri, many travelers are holding off vacation plans until they're certain they can afford to get away. That hesitation usually pays, since last-minute deals are easy to find. ''I think vacations are becoming more of an impulse buy because of the economic uncertainty,'' said Karen Lempert, general manager of the Metropole South Beach Hotel. ``I also think people are taking a little bit more time to look.'' The Metropole's parent company, South Beach Group, recently began advertising 50 percent discounts for guests willing to stay a week and pay for their rooms in advance. Other hotels are trying the same strategy, trading lower prices for the new luxury of knowing a bed will be occupied months in advance.

miamiherald.com

External Article

April 28, 2009

Luxury hotels in balancing act with price, image | cnn.com

A year ago, employees at Boiron, a medical manufacturing company, wined and dined at the Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort overlooking the picturesque bay in Rose Hall, Jamaica, for their annual retreat. This year, employees are saying goodbye to luxury as company President Ludovic Rassat moved the event to a more sensible location: the Sheraton Suites Philadelphia Airport. Many of his employees who live near the hotel are expected to sleep at home. "It's important to see we are making decisions for the good of the company," Rassat said. "At the end of the day, it's going to be good for them. Their jobs are still going to be there."

External Article

April 24, 2009

Behind-the-scenes report: Four Seasons in Georgetown | usatoday.com

Good morning, readers. I’m writing you from a table at Bourbon Steak, the upscale steakhouse at the Four Seasons in Georgetown, just as the mostly well-dressed power lunchers begin to gather. (The last one beside me just got snatched up five minutes ago.) I’m at DC’s only five-star, five-diamond hotel because Christian Clerc, the hotel’s general manager, invited me to drop in on his staff’s morning meeting. I said yes because I've never attended a hotel managers' morning meeting and because I thought you might appreciate a glimpse into how five-star hoteliers start their day. It was especially interesting because this hotel is bucking national trends; last night was their third sold-out night in a row.

External Article

April 24, 2009

Canadian Lodging Outlook | Brand Conversion: What You Need to Know

The boom years of 2005 through the first half of 2008 are over. Now, instead of developing new hotels or understaking expansions, hotel operators and owners are trying to maintain the profitability of their existing assets. Hotel owners are seeking solutions to ensure that their hotels weather this economic crisis and come out of it stronger than before. Brand conversion is one option that is picking up steam and will prove to be common place in Canada.

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April 23, 2009

It’s bad, but Hawaii hotel veteran has seen worse| bizjournals.com

As one who has seen the tides of Hawaii tourism rise and fall through more than 60 years in the hotel business, André S. Tatibouet believes the hospitality industry needs to go back to basics to fill rooms and survive this latest recession. The founder and former owner of the Aston Hotels & Resorts chain has a unique perspective on Hawaii’s visitor industry, as someone who has seen his own fortunes ebb and flow. And in a business where the names are constantly changing, Andre Tatibouet is one of the few hotel executives who has history and knowledge beyond the last quarter.

bizjournals.com

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

External Article

April 23, 2009

FL Hotels fight economy’s pull | ocala.com

Few businesses know the yearlong rollercoaster ride better than the hotel industry in Central Florida. It’s a seasonal phenomenon that leaves many hotel and motel operators fluctuating between nail-biting slow periods and fast-paced weeks with rooms booked to capacity.Kyle Tyler, assistant general manager for Quality Inn Ocala Hotel & Conference Center, said it depends on what time of year you’re talking about. “When the racing was going on and HITS horse show, we were completely filled up. A couple times, we were at 100 percent,” said Tyler. “The summer is the slow time. Once the Gator games start up, it’s pretty good. One of the teams that played against the Gators, last year, came here. We just finished the busy time of the year.”

Orlando, Florida, United States

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April 23, 2009

Orbitz to Cut Hotel-Booking Fee | wsj.com

Orbitz Worldwide Inc. plans to announce Wednesday that it will reduce the service fee it charges travelers to book hotel rooms on its Web site through July 15, upping the ante after recent online travel-agency moves to cut the fee on airline-ticket bookings. Booking a hotel room on Orbitz.com will be cheaper than it will be on competitor sites like Travelocity.com and Expedia Inc.'s Expedia.com about 80% of the time, says Barney Harford, president and chief executive of Orbitz. When Orbitz is cheaper, the average savings will be $7 a night, says spokesman Brian Hoyt. The company declined to say what the average hotel booking fee will be.

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April 23, 2009

John Q. Hammons' Legacy To Developers | hotelsmag.com

What can hotel developers learn from John Q. Hammons, a master of the industry who personally developed more than 200 hotel projects? What were the keys to his success and what changes in the project development structure could help other companies follow Hammons example? For decades John Q’s strategy has been to concentrate on emerging, second-tier locations that offer opportunities for the developer to carve out protected market niches. Showing courage and extraordinary vision he consistently opened new markets just at the right time and with just the right product. With impressive but not exaggerated medium-size properties, amply dimensioned to handle current and calculated future demand, he would dominate those markets for years leaving no viable opportunity for potential competitors who knew they would be dividing a limited market. These market niche projects offer the potential for higher than average returns, are somewhat protected in lean economic times and enjoy strong community support.

External Article

April 22, 2009

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Has A New Modern, Playful and Fun Logo | passionsofazealot.com

Branding in the hotel industry is very very important. Without branding its very difficult for your brand to succeed, unless of course, you are a very small hotel company or a single hotel that isn’t exactly looking for worldwide or national exposure. For a company like Starwood Hotels - branding is one of the most important facets of their marketing campaigns. Branding establishes what each of their hotel brands stand for, differentiates them from the competition and encourages the customers to want a particular brand over another.

passionsofazealot.com

External Article

April 21, 2009

Corporate Travel: Hotel Compliance Rising But Lagging | btnonline.com

Traveler compliance with preferred hotel programs, though improving, still trails other policy aspects, and buyers are reporting emerging challenges in recent months as competing hotel deals that beat negotiated rates tempt travelers to book outside the program. "Compliance with preferred hotel programs is still not what it needs to be," American Express Global Advisory Services vice president Frank Schnur said. "Travel managers need to be even more vigilant in communicating the value of their programs." Preliminary research for Business Travel News' 2009 Corporate Travel 100 benchmarking report shows that hotel program compliance is on the rise to an average of 67 percent, up from 59 percent two years prior. Similarly, preliminary data for an upcoming study of large-market travel buyers indicates that most are in the 50 percent to 69 percent range in terms of hotel compliance, with few showing levels above that range.

External Article

April 20, 2009

Hyatt aims to open two new Manhattan hotels | crainsnewyork.com

After 29 years of getting by with just one Manhattan hotel—the 1,311 room Grand Hyatt next to Grand Central Terminal—Hyatt Hotel & Resorts will open two properties here in the next year. The Chicago-based company is opening a property on 41nd St. and Fifth Ave. across from Bryant Park early next year; and it is close to completing a second hotel at the corner of Wall St. and Water St. downtown. That one is slated to open in September. Both will bear the new Hyatt brand, Andaz, which the company bills as a boutique lifestyle property.

crainsnewyork.com

New York, New York, United States

External Article

April 9, 2009

Mondrian South Beach sells cars, electronics by machine | associatedpress.com

n the market for a Bentley sports car, a Jean Paul Gaultier dress or a cell phone, but don't feel like dealing with a pesky salesperson? Literally at the touch of a button, visitors to the Mondrian South Beach can buy those items — as well as more prosaic hotel gift-shop staples like toothbrushes — from a new lobby vending machine called a Semi-Automatic. In a postmodern echo of the early 20th century's Automats, where office workers could buy coffee and comfort food without talking to a soul, the Semi-Automatic peddles a jumble of more than 60 items priced between $10 and $1.2 million in a large, sleek rectangular display. "We don't have a newspaper stand or some place where you can just buy a sundry item," front office manager James A. Bryant III said. "We've got Semi-Automatic, which is sort of an 'in-your-face' gift shop. Just like our hotel is really sort of brash and out there."

Associated Press

Miami, Florida, United States

External Article

April 7, 2009

Hawaii hotels have worst February in 18 years | usatoday.com

Only three-quarters of Hawaii hotel rooms were occupied in February, the peak travel month of the year to the islands. It marked the worst February in 18 years. The average daily rate also plunged 12.4%, the sharpest decline since the survey began in 1987, from $213.62 to $187.21, according to the latest Hawaii Hotel Flash Report released by Hospitality Advisors LLC. February's 74.7% occupancy rate was the lowest since falling to 69.7 in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War.

Hawaii, United States

External Article

April 6, 2009

Luxury hotels use economy as a sales pitch | bizjournals.com

As Dallas-area hotels are struggling, some are trying to put a positive spin on an unpopular topic — the floundering economy. From bailouts to stimulus packages, hotels have become leaders at taking the unfortunate buzzwords of the times and turning them into marketing gold. “ ‘Stimulus’ and ‘bailout’ are the ‘green’ of 2009,” said Sam Huston, director of engagement planning for Dallas-based The Marketing Arm. “It’s not a bad thing. It’s part of the lexicon. And really, it’s a more socially acceptable way to say ‘discount.’ ”

bizjournals.com

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External Article

April 6, 2009

Can the Obama government buoy tourism and hospitality in tough times? | eturbonews.com

Industry leaders say that meetings at the White House, at the Fed’s office and Treasury Department have been quite constructive. Policymakers show they want to find the solution but may need a lot of information to forge ahead and catch up. Anecdotal feedback will not work any longer for projects and other developments that have tanked. The government shows it needs to understand how company financial system works before any bailout can be disbursed, yet again.

External Article

April 6, 2009

Hospitality industry suffers as corporations cut back | miamiherald.com

The hospitality industry is losing a lot of potential revenue as the 'AIG effect' discourages companies from booking events that could be deemed excessive. The travel industry, hit hard by the public uproar over lavish company getaways, has been pushing back, and its message is essentially this: You say junket, we say jobs. In a lobbying effort spearheaded by the U.S. Travel Association, industry representatives have met with President Barack Obama, released a flurry of statistics about the economic contribution of meetings and events ($101 billion in spending, 1 million jobs) and have even established a ''rapid-response war room'' to address ``false accusations against legitimate travel activities.''

miamiherald.com

Florida, United States

External Article

March 30, 2009

Hotel Review: The Standard in New York City | nytimes.com

It’s hard to think of a hotel that has generated as much buzz as the Standard. The owner, André Balazs (who runs sister hotels in Los Angeles and Miami Beach), hired Polshek Partnership Architects to create a concrete and glass slab on stilts, an architectural tour de force that has fascinated motorists along the West Side of Manhattan. But what of the interiors? The public spaces — including a restaurant and beer garden at ground level and bars and a lounge on the top two floors of the hotel — won’t open until summer. And so the crowd, which will most likely be young and chic, has yet to descend. No matter. The rooms, it turns out, have a lot to recommend them. And during the soft opening (with about two-thirds of the 337 rooms in service), $195 covers not just accommodations but breakfast for two, with a view.

New York, New York, United States

External Article

March 30, 2009

High Concepts At Low Prices | newsweek.com

Design hotels have figured out how to deliver stylish innovation for the cost of a night at the Holiday Inn. When the Morgans Hotel opened in New York City in 1984, the first property in Ian Schrager's soon-to-be empire pioneered a luxury hospitality trend, putting esthetics and conspicuous cool over traditional pampered service. Now, after more than two decades, design hotels are evolving in a more democratic direction, emphasizing affordable rates without sacrificing innovation. The shift is timely; with luxury tourism hurting, these hot properties are attracting guests—for cheap.

New York, New York, United States

External Article

March 27, 2009

Fun Time: Applied Development site readies for opening in Hoboken | nydailynews.com

After an anticipation-filled wait, the W Hoboken is to open in style today, followed by a large party at the end of April. Developed by Applied Development Co., a family-owned New Jersey firm that got its start building affordable homes, the W Hoboken is a 25-story building designed by architects Gwathmey Siegel & Associates on the Hudson River across from the West Village. It has 225 hotel rooms, a double-height lounge bar and 40 upscale condominiums, all of which sold out at record prices for New Jersey condominiums.

nydailynews.com

New York, New York, United States