Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale|"Hotels Fight Comparison Shoppers With Lower"

Source             :   nytimes.com
Category        :   Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   JULIE WEED
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

For hotels, they are some of the most maddening of customers — those who repeatedly book and cancel rooms at no cost in search of the best deal. While the customer ends up with a low rate on a good room, the snubbed hotel is left with an empty room and no revenue.It is a practice that has grown in recent years as powerful new search and comparison tools become available on the Web.  Now, hotel companies are starting to respond, offering lower nonrefundable rates to those who pay in full when they make reservations. Travelers who need more flexibility will still find it, but they will pay more for that option. Andrew Greenwell of Pleasanton, Calif., knows the game well. He spends almost half the year staying in hotel rooms for his job in residential real estate and for vacation travel. He rarely uses the first reservation he makes. “I book a room just to make sure I have something, but check about once a week online for better deals on a four- or five-star hotel,” he said. As travel comparison sites have proliferated on the Web in the last decade, so have the ranks of those who use them. “Shopping around is a very common behavior with travelers now,” said Tom Meyers, the editor of EuroCheapo.com, a Web site that reviews and books hotels in Europe. “It’s almost a game. They book the room and then wait awhile and search around to see if prices have gone down.”

Chris Anderson, a professor at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, studies hotel revenue management and pricing, and estimates that 20 percent of hotel reservations experience a price decline after the guest books the room and by the time the guest arrives. The average price drop of 10 percent leads to a net revenue decrease of 2 percent. The hotel industry, with its history of being accommodating on room reservations, is realizing there is more to lose than just an empty room, said Jeremy Murphy, chief executive of TheSuitest.com, which compares amenities and prices of hotel suites. “Empty hotel rooms can also mean emptier hotel bars and restaurants, so a canceled room can have a greater effect than the lost room rate,” he said. “Hotels prefer to lock in revenue rather than get stuck with empty rooms,” even if that revenue is 10 to 15 percent less than they would get otherwise, he said.

Nonrefundable rates have always been part of the hotel industry, said Kathleen Reidenbach, senior vice president for marketing at Kimpton. “It’s just that they are more transparent now and not buried in the fine print,” she said, and they are also promoted more often now. A recent e-mail advertisement for the Kimpton chain, for example, offered a 20 percent discount for guests who lock into reservations that cannot be canceled and are paid upfront. “We do offer some extraordinary discounts and in return, we ask our guests to make a commitment,” Ms. Reidenbach said. The Preferred Hotel Group, which represents hotels in Los Angeles, Portland, Rome and Kuwait, offered a discounted nonrefundable rate for the first time in 2013, and it has quickly become one of the most popular rates with guests, according to Michelle Woodley, senior vice president for revenue management and distribution at Preferred. Our hotels rarely focus on discounting, preferring value-added incentives instead, so it’s been interesting to see how the package performs,” she said. Individual hotels can stop offering the rate when they are sufficiently full for a specific time period.

Not all cancellation policies are immediately obvious to travelers when they are booking hotel rooms, and even within a hotel chain, transparency may not always be consistent. On the Fairmont Hotels Web site, the Shanghai Peace Hotel offered a rate called “Internet special prepayment and nonrefundable,” while the Pittsburgh hotel offered a discounted “Weekend Savers” rate but travelers had to click two levels down to see that such reservations could not be canceled.A “prepaid” rate was the first to appear in a recent search of the Web site of the W Hotel Leicester Square in London, offering savings for travelers willing to book a nonrefundable room for one night and deeper discounts for guests staying longer. A line of text noted there was a penalty for changes or cancellations. Hilton Hotels has redesigned its Web site to make comparing rates easier. Check boxes allow travelers to narrow their search among choices like the more flexible Easy Cancellation, or less expensive Pre-purchase, as well as AAA, Senior or HHonors points.

Lower nonrefundable rates are more popular with vacation travelers than with business travelers, who usually prefer flexibility over savings because their plans are more likely to change, said Howard Adler, professor of hotel management at Purdue’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. In addition, the business travelers are not usually paying for the room themselves and may already have a negotiated corporate rate. “You could call me a typical traveler,” said Professor Adler, who researches hospitality industry trends. “I compare rates and lock in something lower-cost and nonrefundable for my vacations, and book the university’s rates when I travel for my job.” For travelers who do not mind a bit of uncertainty, HotelTonight, a mobile app for iPhone and Android, offers another model for nonrefundable room rates. It gathers room inventory from a list of hotels, and offers it at a discounted price at noon each day, for that night’s stay. More than price, Ms. Reidenbach says, her customers choose Kimpton for its other attributes, including the wine hour, free bikes and ambience. “The pricing is a small component,” she said. In the end, hotels need to build their customer base on more than just price, Professor Adler said. “If guests come and the cleanliness, facilities or service isn’t what they expect, they won’t book there in the future, just to save some money.”

Source:nytimes.com/2013/10/01/business/hotels-fight-comparison-shoppers-with-lower-locked-rates.html?pagewanted=2

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale|"Hotel Review"

Source             :   theguardian.com
Category        :   Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   Chris Moss
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale

The climb out of New Quay in Ceredigion on the Wales Coast Path is short and very steep, but worth the effort, for the views over Cardigan Bay, the choughs and fulmars and bottlenose dolphins.Back in town, I make for the Black Lion, a 19th-century inn with views out to sea. It looks austere and a bit nonconformist. In April 2013, it reopened as a nine-room hotel. The refurb is very evident. There's a smell of "new" when I come into reception but the decor is plain, pared down, and everything looks sturdy, solid and functional. My room, one of five with sea views, has high ceilings and sash windows on three sides, with plenty of west Wales light pouring in, even on a drizzly autumn day. Cream, beige, brown and olive linens make the room feel vaguely autumnal too, and an original oil entitled Welsh Winter completes the effect. The bathroom is big and warm, with Cole & Lewis soaps but, sadly, no bath; walkers in need of a restorative soak may want to ask for one of four rooms with a tub. Owners Llinos and Mike Young are away and their young stand-ins, Sam Knight and Cara Cook, are super-efficient and chatty. But they appear to know little about Dylan Thomas, who lived nearby in a bungalow called Majoda (his "shack at the end of the cliff") in 1944-5 and was a regular at the inn.

The town became popular with cyclists in the 1890s but by Thomas's era it was a bohemian redoubt – perfect for skint poets who liked a drink. Now New Quay draws walkers, nature lovers, foodies and watersports fans. The Black Lion pays discreet homage to Thomas's memory, with black-and-white photographs of him smoking, drinking, being the family man. The food is posh pub grub, with daily hiker-friendly specials such as hunter's chicken, pasta and meatballs, and steak and Doom ale pie. I dine early on creamy chicken liver paté and fresh chutney. The Black Lion is a free house, with guest ales, including fruity Purple Moose from Porthmadog; I have one with my steak pie, plus a few beers from Mantle, a microbrewery that opened in nearby Cardigan in August. An army officer tried to kill Thomas during his year in New Quay, possibly because of the poet's communist sympathies, more probably because he was sleeping with the soldier's wife. Nothing so exciting happened during my stay. The pub, like the town, was sleepy, and my own slumber was assisted by the sound of lapping waves.

But it feels new, fresh, hopeful. Sam tells me the Black Lion is fast becoming New Quay's local boozer – important in a town where half the houses are second homes. Next year is the centenary of Dylan Thomas's birth (dt100.info). The pub is firmly on the pilgrim trail. It just needs a few books, some poetry readings, and a bit of the poet's spirit – hair down, glasses full, the possibility of chaos – to be a great inn.

Source:theguardian.com/travel/2013/oct/28/black-lion-inn-new-quay-ceredigion-wales-hotel-review

Hampton Inn Ft Lauderdale|"Last Minute Hotel Booking"

Source             :   edition.cnn.com
Category        :   Hampton Inn Ft Lauderdale
By                  :   Daisy Carrington
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Hampton Inn Ft Lauderdale

As cell phones have become an increasingly ubiquitous part of our day-to-day lives, they've had the effect of unleashing a kind of epidemic of spontaneity. As a result, many of us have become exceptionally bad at planning, preferring to set vague parameters for meetings and work out the finer details later. Lately, our last-minute mania has started to shape how we make hotel reservations. According to market research firm PhoCusWright, last year 7% of hotel bookings were made via tablet and mobile phones (a figure 12 times larger than it was in 2010). By 2014, the number is expected to jump to 20%. According to a Harris International poll last year, 70% of those bookings are for same-day deals. "There's a changing behavior that's fueling this," notes Gerry Samuels, CEO of Mobile Travel Technologies, a company that specializes in mobile technology for the travel industry. "People are getting more and more comfortable making last-second reservations, not just in the hotel space, but in general."

Not surprisingly, there has been a flood of apps aiming to carve out their own piece of the same-day booking market. Last month saw a particular scurry of activity; HotelTonight -- the company that pioneered the trend -- announced it had raised $45 million in funding for its expansion plans; Berlin-based app JustBook launched in five cities in the United States; Groupon acquired Blink, a similar app that operates solely in Europe.Samuels isn't convinced that the onslaught of last-minute booking apps -- most of which offer users cut-rate deals -- is necessarily healthy for the hospitality industry."I think there is a really big risk of cannibalization. If a hotel loses the ability to control their inventory and who sees it, they can end up with the nightmare scenario whereby customers are re-educated to stop booking early in hopes of getting a better deal, and that can be very dangerous," he says. To combat that danger, companies like HotelTonight curate a handful of hotel deals, which they rotate daily. According to Sam Shank, HotelTonight's CEO, the system was put in place to protect the hotels he has a relationship with.

"Because we rotate the list, you can't guarantee the hotel you want to stay at will be on sale that day," he says. Furthermore, argues Shank, HotelTonight gives smaller properties the opportunity to break into a market that would otherwise be out of their reach. "If you're an independent hotel, it's hard to have an app that will reach a broad selection of customers. We have seven million downloads, and can bring in customers that would never have otherwise thought to stay at a certain hotel," he adds. Stefan Menden, the founder and CEO of JustBook, admits that when he started his company, there was some worry among his clients that it would have an adverse effect on the industry. "There was anxiety this would be a new Groupon-type model, and that it would loot their brand and price value by bringing their deals to deal hunters," he says. "What really happened was that we brought in a different clientele of customers that were spontaneous, but were looking for the best value-for-money, not necessarily the cheapest offering."Furthermore, Mendan argues that his company is actually good for the hospitality industry, offering hotels a much needed break from their dependency on big intermediaries like Expedia and Priceline.

"The big booking partners own so much of the market that they can raise their commission rates from year to year. In the U.S. those rates range from 20 to 25%," he says. JustBook, by comparison, charges 15% commission. In addition to offering better rates, Shank claims that the start-up apps like his are also superior in the user-experience offered to customers. "It's only three taps and a swipe to book a room, and it can be done in 10 seconds," he notes, "and we only work with the best hotels."

Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale|"Copacabana Hotel In Rio De Janeiro"

Source             :   nytimes.com

Category        :   Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

By                  :   SAM BORDEN

Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Starting rates of about $450, with prices apt to soar during next year’s World Cup.Some say that a hotel in Rio is just a place for cleaning off the sand, but for those who prefer to do so with monogrammed towels, Trousseau toiletries and a marble soaking tub, the Palace fits the bill. A piece of Old World elegance amid the allure — and menace — of Copacabana Beach, the Palace, with 232 rooms, completed an extensive renovation late last year. It promotes itself as a modern property that still conjures the glamour of the days when Marlene Dietrich and Orson Welles were guests. In many ways, the combination is spot-on: the glistening pool deck, for example, is hip (and gorgeous); the maddening wait for one of the two clunky elevators in the lobby, however, is an irritating throwback to the technology of yesteryear.The good: Copacabana Beach is about 50 yards from the front door, and the hotel offers beach loungers and towels to guests. The bad: when asked if the neighborhood was safe to walk around at night, the receptionist nodded a little too quickly, then whispered: “It might be better if you leave your passport in your room when you go. And maybe stay away from the side streets, O.K.?” Best advice: Take cabs.

The hotel staff refers to rooms as “apartments,” and my king-bed dwelling certainly was bigger than the average Manhattan studio. The furnishings were antique and elegant — no ergonomic desk chair here — but there was the standard iPod clock and a DVD player alongside a flat-screen TV. The airy and open space seems nice until you realize there’s no coffee table or anywhere to place, say, a room-service tray.It was spacious enough to contain a sizable closet, along with a marble vanity and a shower with a glorious high-volume spray. But the adjacent tiny room for the toilet was so cramped that it was difficult even to be alone with one’s thoughts.Luxury comes naturally at the Palace, but it will cost. For example, the Palace contains a high-end spa with myriad treatments, like the five-hour “Copacabana” experience, which included a mask of Amazonian white clay. It cost about $600. On the other end, whiling away the hours by the sleek, heated pool was free, as were the flip-flops left by my bed during turndown. The complimentary Wi-Fi was adequate but not especially speedy; to upgrade to a faster tier, it cost about $25 a day. The most useful amenity was a plug converter placed conveniently in the desk drawer.

You could certainly do worse than having lunch at Pérgula, the poolside patio restaurant, and dinner at Hotel Cipriani, the northern Italian spot also on the premises. Both are highly regarded, though I preferred to venture into the city for meals. For room service, the options are extensive; my “light breakfast” was anything but, featuring an egg-white omelet, toast (without the crusts!), a yogurt smoothie, tea, papaya and cottage cheese with turkey. While tasty, the price also wasn’t particularly light: 79 reais, or about $35 at about 2.26 reais to the dollar.It is often hard to find a middle ground between beach grime and overwhelming opulence in Rio, which has a reputation as a mediocre hotel town. The Palace isn’t in that elusive middle either, but you mostly get what you pay for — if you’re willing to pay.

Source:nytimes.com/2013/10/27/travel/hotel-review-copacabana-palace-in-rio-de-janeiro.html?_r=0

Attraction Hotels In Fort Lauderdale|"Hotel Concierge Helps Soothe Your Hangover"

Source             :   abcnews.go.com
Category        :   Attraction Hotels In Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   JOANNA PRISCO
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Attraction Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Who hasn't. It's easy for travelers to get swept up in the revelry of the French Quarter. And at least one luxury hotel in the Crescent City is prepared to nurse your wounds the next day. The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans offers a Recovery Concierge to weekend guests in the exclusive Club Level Maison Orleans, providing them with a signature "Hair of the Dog" Bloody Mary, the specialty Cure (Kir) Royal, fresh fruit or whatever other spa remedies are needed to get right again. "The service is completely unique to the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans," Sonja Franck, a longstanding recovery concierge at the hotel, told ABC News. "It serves dozens of guests every weekend morning." But that's not the only indulgence offered these days. At another property, the Ritz-Carlton Lodge in Reynold's Plantation outside Atlanta, guests can summon a BBQ butler to whip up flame-kissed fare at their cottages with complementary cooking tips. The carnivore's delight costs $245 per person per session.

For every ying there is a yang, however. And some travelers prefer to indulge in healthy activities when they're away too. Those with a yen to increase their running time might want to book a stay at a Westin sometime soon. The hotel group recently announced that Christopher Heuisler, a veteran runner who has competed in 25 marathons in 20 states, was chosen as its first RunWestin Concierge. "After an extensive search for the ideal candidate, we are thrilled to have Christopher join the Westin team as our first RunWestin Concierge," said Brian Povinelli, global brand leader at Westin Hotels and Resorts last month. "Not only does he have the marathon experience and impressive credentials we were looking for, but he is also an impassioned individual who will seamlessly connect with our guests and ultimately help them achieve their goals." The Boston-based trainer will share his advice on marathon running and training with Westin guests through social media outlets, warmups and training runs throughout the year. After working up such a sweat, a guest may want to head to Mexico to relax. There, at the Viceroy Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen, all guests are greeted by Soap Concierge Alberto Corona upon check-in. Corona will roll up to the room and visitors are invited to choose their favorites from creamy, colorful slabs created by a nearby artisan, which he will then hand-cut for them on site.

Source : abcnews.go.com/Travel/hotel-concierge-helps-soothe-hangover/story?id=20639497

Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale|"Gansevoort Park Avenue Hotel’s Neighbors Fed Up"

Source             :   newyork.cbslocal.com
Category        :   Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale
By                  :    CBS Local Media
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Neighbors of the hip Gansevoort Park Avenue hotel say enough is enough. As CBS 2′s Tony Aiello reports, Murray Hill residents say since the hotel opened in 2010 they’ve complained that it has been the source of loud noise, traffic on the weekends, crowds gathering on the street and parties in the rooftop pool that seemed more like a “Girls Gone Wild” video. Their latest frustration came early Sunday morning when groups of young adults leaving the clubs inside the hotel clashed on Park Avenue South. Neighbors could hear the screams and then the sirens. “Punches being thrown, women screaming, there’s about a dozen people out there,” described Jim Allen, who recorded video of the melee from his apartment. “I was about to call the police, and then I heard and saw three police cars respond.”

An ambulance also arrived to treat people for minor injuries. Allen also caught video of one young man who needed assistance just to cross the street.“It’s intolerable,” Allen said. Residents have met repeatedly with hotel management and been promised things will get better — promises that have proven to be empty, they say. Mario Messina, president of the 29th Street Association, said he is sending video of Sunday’s incident to the New York State Liquor Authority and asking that regulators withdraw the hotel’s liquor license. “I believe that unless something drastic is happening and the authorities gives us a hand, it’s going to get worse,” he said. Calls to the Gansevoort Park Avenue hotel and its public relations firm, Nancy J. Friedman Public Relations, were not returned.

Source : newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/10/21/gansevoort-park-avenue-hotels-neighbors-fed-up/

Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale|"Website Leaking Chinese Hotel Guest Details Closed Down"

Source             :   scmp.com
Category        :   Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale
By                  :    Patrick Boehler
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Three Chinese characters and a search bar are the only features to be found on the website chakaifang.info. However as internet users throughout China discovered last week, the nondescript website contained detailed records of individual guest bookings at hotels across the nation, including their names, addresses and phone numbers. The site, which was blocked sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning, added fuel to a debate about online privacy as China reviews its two-decade-old consumer rights legislation. It is unclear who runs the website. Its domain is registered to a delivery company in Xinghua, Jiangsu province. A woman reached at the company, who declined to be identified, denied any knowledge of the website.

Two weeks ago, the online security watchdog WooYun reported that hackers had taken advantage of a security loophole in the database of CNWisdom, a Zhejiang-based company which calls itself the country’s largest provider of wireless internet for hotels, to gain access to thousands of records. The company issued a statement denying involvement in the security leak, saying that information from hotels not serviced by the company had also been leaked. Soon, a seller on Taobao, China’s largest e-shopping website, offered eight gigabytes of hotel guest data for sale for 2,000 yuan. The Taobao shop has since been closed.

A leak of CNWisdom’s data could be substantial. The company serviced 450,000 hotel rooms in 2011, the last time it updated its figures, in more than 4,500 hotels. Hotel guests have to register their personal data, including address, phone number, ID card, date of birth and workplace, to gain access to CNWisdom’s Wi-fi services. Zhao Zhanling, a legal adviser for the state-run China Internet Association and Beijing-based IT-legal expert, said hotel guests could hold hotels liable for compensation already under the current law, but hotels can bring a legal case against the service provider, who allowed the leak. “Those of you who aren’t married, don’t access this site!” one internet user wrote after visiting the website. “Those who are, try to avoid checking.”

Source:scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1336456/website-leaking-chinese-hotel-guest-details-closed-down

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale|"Hotel Price Hikes In Brazil"

Source             :   theguardian.com
Category        :   Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
By                  :    Rio de Janeiro
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale

"One more team stamps its passport for 2014," enthused the TV Globo commentator as live coverage of the England-Poland game came to an end. But a note of doubt crept into his voice as cameras panned across delirious England fans celebrating their team's 2-0 victory. "These children are going to invade Brazil, huh," he noted, dryly. Brazil is bracing itself for an avalanche of English fans – but many may balk at the country's prices. Rio de Janeiro, where the final will be held, has a shortage of hotel rooms and many are already fully booked up even though they are charging premium rates during the tournament. Inflated prices are already causing concern. In August Brazilian tourist board Embratur asked Fifa and the hotel sector to look at hotel charges because of "stratospheric growth" in prices. A survey found that some room rates had gone up by nearly 600%, while average room rate in Rio for June, when the World Cup begins were $461 (£289). A cheaper option for more adventurous fans will be the increasing number of small guesthouses situated in favelas that until recently were ruled by heavily armed drug gangs. Since 2008 a massive public security "pacification" campaign has allowed police to regain control of dozens of neighbourhoods which had been off-limits to the authorities for years.

To reach the Maze, a hotel run by British expat Bob Nadkarni, visitors need to walk down a narrow winding alleyway, past tiny bare brick and breezeblock houses of the Tavares Bastos favela in central Rio. The effect would be almost medieval if it wasn't for the sagging tangle of electricity wires drooping above, and the tiny hole-in-the-wall businesses visitors pass – a bar, a hairdressers and a shop. On Wednesday morning, a man wheeled a fridge down the alley past an overflowing plastic bucket positioned under an overflow. Two policemen clutching automatic rifles pressed themselves against a wall in a training session for close combat. Further down the alleyway, an officer alerted another group of trainees to possible sniper positions in the rooftops above. Nadkarni began work on The Maze 30 years ago, and his guesthouse is a labyrinth of narrow staircases, sudden turrets, hidden corners, and poky, oddly shaped rooms.

"People who come here don't want a common, tourist hotel that might be more comfortable, with air conditioning and TV," said Nadkarni's wife, Marluce da Silva. "It is very tranquil." She showed off the guesthouse's best suite – a small room that for five nights in the World Cup costs £1,000, with a double bed, a clothes rail, a mosaic tiled bathroom with shower, and a balcony offering stunning views across the bay and three wooden chairs – one of which was broken. The same room normally costs Real 180 - £52 – a night, a quarter of the price. The Maze offers the same five-night package in a single room with no balcony for £700, or for £350 in one of the nine beds in its tiny dormitory with no lockers and just one bathroom. Breakfast comes included. Brazilian football fans welcomed England's World Cup qualification. Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard are both popular players and England football shirts can be seen on Rio streets.

"Rooney is a very decisive man for Manchester United and is not different in England. He can make the difference in a tough game," said Miguel Salek, 31, a Brazilian England fan who writes for a football website. "The current England team is very competitive." But Salek admitted that his beloved England are less of a favourite than bigger teams such as Brazil, Argentina and Germany. Others shared his doubts. "I like the new boys, but I have doubts if the oldies will deliver," said Antonio Mendonça, 40, a São Paulo headhunter. "I think this England team is the strongest in recent times, mixing the experience of Gerrard and Rooney with a promising new generation of players," said Frank Honma, 40, a São Paulo video editor. "I'm happy that England are in the cup, it is my second World Cup team without any doubt."

Source : theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/16/hotel-price-hike-brazil-favela-alternative

Ft. Lauderdale Airport Hotels|"Marriott To Have 100 Hotels In India In Five Years"

Source             :   economictimes.indiatimes.com
Category        :   Ft. Lauderdale Airport Hotels
By                  :    economictimes
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Ft. Lauderdale Airport Hotels

Launching its first 'Fairfield' brand hotel in Asia here, US-based hospitality major Marriott International today said it will have 100 hotels in India over the next five years. "Currently, we have 145 hotels in Asia, our intention is to more than double that- over the next 3 years we will have over 300 hotels; ....We expect over the next 3-5 years we will see 100 hotels in India," Marriott International Inc COO (Asia Pacific) Don Cleary told reporters here. Stating that Marriott as a company has nearly 20 brands globally, he said out of these "we are developing eight in Asia. FairfieldBSE 0.27 % is our 7th brand in India....; we will also be introducing our Ritz Carlton brand to India soon." 

He said: "This is our 21st hotel in India and we also have 46 more hotels for which we have signed contract, they are at various stages of development." Cleary was speaking on the launch of Fairfield by Marriott hotel in Bangalore, in association with SAMI Hotels; Fairfield- Bangalore is owned by SAMI Hotels and will be managed by Marriott International Inc. Located in Rajajinagar, a residential area to the west of Bangalore, Fairfield by Marriott is the first Fairfield hotel in Asia with 148 guest rooms. "The hotel is aimed at providing accommodation for the business and leisure travellers, alike," company officials said. 

Source:economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/hotels-/-restaurants/marriott-to-have-100-hotels-in-india-in-five-years/articleshow/23825254.cms

Ft. Lauderdale Airport Hotels|"Yellowstone Was Locked Inside Park Hotel During Slimdown"

Source             :   foxnews.com
Category        :   Ft. Lauderdale Airport Hotels
By                  :   FoxNews
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Ft. Lauderdale Airport Hotels

A Massachusetts woman says she and fellow tour-group members were locked under armed guard inside a Yellowstone National Park hotel during a visit to the park at the start of the government slimdown. Pat Vaillancourt told the Newburyport News newspaper the incident unfolded Oct. 1 when they were already inside the park and a ranger would not let them off the tour bus to photograph roaming bison. The group -- roughly 40 senior citizens from around the world -- was allowed to return to the Old Faithful Inn to spend a second night at the hotel, but some with limited English skills thought they were under arrest, she said. Vaillancourt said the guards looked like armed "Hulk Hogans" who told group members they couldn’t leave the hotel and that some of the Asians guests said, “Oh my God, are we under arrest?” The federal government owns the inn but it is run by private contractor Xanterra Parks & Resorts, said Tom Mesereau, who handles public relations for the company.

He also said inn staff was not aware of anyone being held inside under armed guard. A recorded message on the Yellowstone National Park phone line said officials could not be reached because they had been furloughed in the slimdown. Vaillancourt told the newspaper the two-and-a-half hour ride leaving Yellowstone wasn’t much better because tour members couldn’t make a scheduled comfort stop at a dude ranch because the owner was told he would have his license revoked for accommodating the group. Tour guide Gordon Hodgson gave a similar account to the Livingston Enterprise, which first reported the story. In the article, Hodgson accused the park service of “Gestapo tactics.”

Source:foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/08/yellowstone-visitor-says-her-tour-group-was-locked-inside-park-hotel-during/

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale|"From Mammograms To Mocktails Hotels Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month"

Source             :   hotelchatter.com
Category        :   Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   Chanize 
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and many hotels are "Thinking Pink", offering packages and programs to support breast cancer research. Hotel geeks, you can do your part to help the cause in the simplest ways from buying a slice of cake, getting a manicure at a hotel spa, to of course booking a stay at one of these special properties. It's a twin-win this month.

Next week we'll let you know hotels supporting this nationally recognized month with one of our favorite things--Specialty Cocktails!The Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village near Malibu is supporting Breast Cancer Awareness by inviting guests to be proactive about their health by participating in a $75 digital mammogram screening at their state-of-the-art California Health and Longevity Institute, and also their special Think Pink Pampering Package, which includes a customized 50-minute Tranquility Massage followed by a Pink Lady Mocktini which can be sipped poolside at the spa's Serenity Pool. The package is $130 per person and is available Monday to Friday through October 31, 2013. A portion of the package proceeds will be donated to The Cancer Support Community, a local non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families of those affected by cancer.  The Surrey in New York City is offering a special Champagne Pedicure in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. The 60 minute pedicure is $95 and includes two signature Cornelia cupcakes, a small bouquet of pink roses and dried lavender. The movement even extends to the Middle East. The pastry chef at the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates in Dubai will make a special Breast Cancer Awareness cake to be sold at the lobby restaurant, Aspen by Kempinski, from October 20th until 26th. 10% of the profits from each cake sold will be donated to the organization Breast Cancer Arabia. Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos' 14th annual PINKTOBER campaign is celebrated at its 17 world-wide properties. 

Guests can obtain limited-edition merchandise and get tickets to special concerts like the Bret Michaels Velvet Sessions performance at Hard Rock Hotel Orlando. “Get into bed for a cause” thanks to the “PINK Sheets Rooms” hotel package where the Hard Rock donates 25 percent of their room revenue to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, The Carol Keating Foundation and other local charities. Meanwhile, guests' room will be adorned with pink sheets, pink robes, commemorative pins and more. La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla has a few promotions during October and November including a 3-Day Cheer Station. On Friday, November 15th – during the annual Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk/Run, La Valencia will set up a “Cheer Station” along the route, just one block from the hotel. Hotel employees will pass out pink goodies to the anticipated 4,000 walkers who'll pass by. 

Source:hotelchatter.com/story/2013/10/7/9458/90403/hotels/From_Mammograms_to_Mocktails,_Hotels_Support_Breast_Cancer_Awareness_Month

Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale|"US Fund Canyon Capital Buys Out Ulster Bank’s Debt In Moran Hotels"

Source             :   irishtimes.com
Category        :   Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   Ciaran Hancock
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Los Angeles-based investment fund Canyon Capital Advisors has agreed a deal to acquire Ulster Bank’s loans in Moran Hotels, the chain run by Limerick businessman Tom Moran and his family. Moran Hotels is believed to have owed Ulster Bank about €120 million. While it’s not clear what Canyon is paying for the debt, a significant discount is likely to have applied given the current weakness of the Irish economy and the collapse in property values here. It is understood that a deal was reached late last week and will result in Canyon controlling a 35 per cent stake in the hotel business, which will increase its influence over the group. In January of this year, Canyon purchased the near €150 million in loans held by Lloyds Banking Group, which were a legacy from when its Bank of Scotland (Ireland) subsidiary operated in this market.It was reported at the time that Canyon paid just €42 million to buy the Lloyds’ loans. This represented a discount of around 72 per cent on the face value of the debt.

This latest move by Canyon is likely to have surprised Moran’s other lenders, AIB and Bank of Ireland. The company is currently seeking to refinance this debt. According to its website, Canyon manages investment funds and separate accounts amounting to about $23 billion in assets. Founded in 1990, it employs more than 200 staff at its offices in LA, New York and London. Moran Hotels owns 10 properties in Dublin, Cork, London, Manchester and Leeds. This includes the well-known Red Cow complex in southwest Dublin and the Bewleys hotel in Ballsbridge.While highly successful at an operational level, the company has been hamstrung in recent years by debts associated with its €580 million acquisition of Bewleys Hotels in 2008. Latest accounts for T&S Taverns Ltd, which operates Moran Hotels, shows that it made a loss of €41.8 million on revenues of €80.5 million in the year to the end of January 2011. Its earnings before interest, tax and amortisation totalled €24.3 million. Its losses were due to various impairment charges relating to its properties and to a €37.5 million interest bill on its loans. The company’s net debt stood at €687 million at the end of January 2011. No comment was available from Moran Hotels or Ulster Bank yesterday.

Source:irishtimes.com/business/sectors/transport-and-tourism/us-fund-canyon-capital-buys-out-ulster-bank-s-debt-in-moran-hotels-1.1552156

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale|"Time For Superstorm Sandy Evacuees To Check Out Of Hotels"

Source             :   npr.org
Category        :   Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   Joel Rose
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Affordable Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Almost 300 Sandy victims are still living in hotel rooms on the taxpayers' dime — but not for long. City officials say the program is expensive, and it's time for those remaining Sandy evacuees to move out. This week, the displaced families living in hotels got a letter from New York City officials telling them they will not pay for those rooms after Friday. This was the message they sent back on Wednesday: Heck no, we won't go! At a press conference outside City Hall, several dozen evacuees protested for more time. "Normal people, normal citizens, we had jobs, we go to school. We just basically want to get back to where we were, to the lives that we have," says Shawn Little, a home health care worker who lived in Far Rockaway, Queens, before the storm. Little says she's close to doing that. She's signed a lease on an apartment, she says, and hopes to move in soon. But many other Sandy evacuees still have nowhere else to go. "A lot of these people are going to end up homeless," says Judith Goldiner with the Legal Aid Society. "We did not focus our resources after Sandy on making sure the people who were most harmed by Sandy were taken care of, and that's the real tragedy here." City officials dispute that. Michele Ovesey is New York's commissioner for homeless services. She says the city went above and beyond, sheltering as many as 3,000 households in hotels over the past year.

"It's a very generous program. We essentially allowed anyone in who knocked at our door," Ovesey says. "We have to have some kind of end date for the program." The city tried to end the hotel program back in April, but the Legal Aid Society sued to keep it going. A federal judge issued an injunction but lifted it last week. Now the city says it will stop paying for hotel rooms. Goldiner says the city is overlooking one of the biggest problems facing all New Yorkers — but especially low-income Sandy evacuees."In New York City, we have about a 1 percent vacancy rate, and it's lower — much lower — for affordable housing apartments," Goldiner says. City and federal officials created a voucher program to help evacuees find apartments they can afford. But Goldiner says some of those vouchers were issued in just the past few weeks, leaving her clients in limbo. "They are literally waiting for city bureaucracy to dot the i's and cross the t's and they can move in. But unfortunately, the city isn't willing to wait for them," she says.

Ovesey concedes that not everyone in the hotels will find alternative housing by Friday. But she says the hotel program has helped 1,400 households move into permanent housing since the storm. "We made every effort to keep as many evacuees in the hotel program frankly as long as we could, and I think we've done a tremendous job," Ovesey says. Ovesey says the hotel program hasn't been cheap, either. It's cost taxpayers more than $70 million. FEMA is picking up that bill, but it won't reimburse any more hotel stays. At the same time, Irwin Redlener at Columbia University's Earth Institute points out that there are billions of dollars in federal recovery funding that have yet to be spent. "We're battling against a very disorganized federal outgo of resources, so the cities are left holding the bag," Redlener says. "And even worse than that, the families are left holding the bag." Some of those evacuees may try to stay in the hotel rooms and take their chances in court, while others may have to check into homeless shelters Friday night.

Source : npr.org/2013/10/03/228910696/superstorm-sandy-evacuees-hotel-rooms

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale|"Sandy Refugees Say They Still Need Hotel Program"

Source             :   abclocal.go.com
Category        :   Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   DEEPTI HAJELA
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Affordable Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

A few hundred New Yorkers still homeless nearly a year after Superstorm Sandy are asking the city for more time to find shelter before they're evicted from their hotel rooms.Federal funding for the program ended this week, but about 300 people are still sleeping in city-funded hotel rooms that are paid for through Friday. Several of them held a press conference Wednesday with elected officials to fight for the program's continuation. Among them was Cherell Manuel, who said she found a new place to live but needs a few more weeks to get all the pieces in place before moving. Manuel and her four children have been living in hotels since the storm flooded their home in Far Rockaway, Queens. "We didn't ask to be here. They act like we asked to be here," she said, standing on the steps of City Hall. "We're the victims of a devastation."

The city has spent $70 million to house more than 3,000 people left homeless since the storm hit Oct. 29, officials say. Each room costs about $266 per night. A judge last week sided with city lawyers and lifted an injunction that protected the housing program, saying that the city doesn't have the finances to continue the program now that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has stopped its financial support. Michael Cardozo, the city's top lawyer, said in a statement Wednesday that the city has "dedicated tremendous effort and resources" to those displaced. "Interim housing, along with intensive case management services, was provided but was never intended to be a permanent solution," he said. "As the court has recognized, the city cannot afford to single-handedly continue this program in the absence of FEMA funding." Cardozo said anyone without a place to go could access a city homeless shelter, and staff would work with them to find housing.

Source : abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=9271568

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale|"Hotel Debt Fills Bonds"

Source             :   bloomberg.com
Category        :   Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   Sarah Mulholland
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Affordable Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

The Fontainebleau Miami Beach is booked solid next week as bankers prepare to crowd the iconic lobby for cocktails at an annual bond-market convention. For owner Jeffrey Soffer, the conference helps justify a $1 billion makeover that almost cost him the property three years ago. Soffer is seeking a roughly $850 million mortgage on the 1,504-room resort from some of the same bankers gathering at the ABS East conference, according to people briefed on the details of the financing who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. The loan, intended to refinance debt and buy out Dubai World’s 50 percent stake in the hotel, will be packaged into commercial mortgage-backed securities as investors snap up the deals at the fastest pace in five years, according to the people.Soffer, the head of real-estate investor Turnberry Associates, is likely to find a receptive audience after prices for hotels in top-tier locations climbed 17.6 percent this year to within 11 percent of the 2008 peak. Bond sales linked to hospitality loans have already more than tripled since January to $7.7 billion, compared with $9.4 billion in 2007 before markets collapsed, enabling borrowers to extract cash from their businesses, according to Wells Fargo & Co. data. 

“When things get bad in hotels they get really bad,” said Dan Fasulo, a managing director at Real Capital Analytics Inc., a New York-based property research firm. “A lot of lenders got burnt badly in the downturn. There is no question that CMBS lenders have been the most aggressive” since values started recovering, he said.Hotels, which are the first commercial property type to see revenue decline in a recession, can rebound the fastest as rates can be adjusted on a daily basis to meet renewed demand. The delinquency rate for the properties has dropped to 8.04 percent as of August, from 11.46 percent the prior year and a peak of 21.31 percent in September 2010, according to Fitch Ratings. The Fontainebleau, a haunt for Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe that also served as a backdrop for the “Scarface” and “Goldfinger” movies, was a victim of the real-estate crash and recession. Soffer acquired the property on Collins Avenue in South Beach in 2005 and then spent $1 billion using borrowed money to renovate the resort. The owners stopped making payments on $620 million of debt in September 2010 as businesses and households ratcheted back on travel amid the recession. Hotel revenue in Miami plunged as much as 28 percent during the depths of the crisis in 2009 according to STR, a Hendersonville, Tennessee-based data provider.Soffer, who married Australian model Elle MacPherson this year, hung on to the hotel by negotiating with lenders to extend maturities. Along with a unit of Dubai World, they agreed to invest an additional $100 million in cash, people familiar with the plan said at the time.

He’s now seeking to tap rising demand for hotel debt and increased valuations to buy out the Middle Eastern investor. Average revenue-per-room at the end of September 2012 rose 35 percent since 2010, according to Fitch Ratings. The new loan will pay off debt sold in a CMBS deal last year comprised of a $412 million mortgage arranged by UBS AG. Joseph Gerbino, a spokesman for the Fontainebleau, declined to comment on the financing. Soffer and representatives from Dubai World didn’t return calls seeking comment.The negotiations are taking place as attendees plan to assemble from Oct. 6 to Oct. 8 for Information Management Network’s ABS conference for securitization where 3,500 people are registered, up 25 percent from 2012, according to IMN. Attendance has climbed from 1,200 in 2009. The Fontainebleau, has hosted the conference since 2011, serving as a backdrop for bankers to woo clients at parties and steak dinners. The event is regaining its footing as CMBS sales are poised to double to $70 billion this year, according to Credit Suisse Group AG. The share of hotel loans within those deals also is rising as investors become more comfortable with the lodging sector as the U.S. recovery progresses, said Lad Duncan, an analyst at Wells Fargo.

“Lenders were full up on hotel loans,” during the recession, he said in a telephone interview. “With the market improving, they are much more palatable.” Mortgages on hotels account for 15 percent of standard CMBS deals sold this year, which contain as many as 100 loans tied to everything from office parks to shopping malls, according to Wells Fargo. That’s up from 2.8 percent in 2010.The lodging sector has become increasingly reliant on Wall Street with CMBS the primary source of debt financing, Real Capital said in an April report. CMBS lenders are particularly dominant in smaller cities and towns, accounting for 50 percent of hotel loans in so-called tertiary markets in 2012, the latest data available, according to Real Capital. That’s in part because insurers and regional banks retreated from hotel lending after taking losses during the downturn, said Real Capital’s Fasulo. About $6.7 billion of bonds linked to large hospitality loans to be sold off individually are set to be issued through the end of the year, according to Bank of America Corp. data. That includes a $3.5 billion transaction tied to Blackstone Group LP (BX)’s initial public offering of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., the biggest hotel chain in the world. Still, growth in revenue-per-available-room, or revpar, is starting to slow, according to researcher STR. It rose 5.6 percent in the first half of 2013, compared with 6.8 percent growth for all of last year and 8.2 percent in 2011.

Source:bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-01/miami-beach-banker-party-shows-why-hotel-debt-fills-bonds.html

Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale|"Woman Fends Off Attacker With Frying Pan At Tewksbury Hotel"

Source             :    boston.cbslocal.com
Category        :   Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   TEWKSBURY
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Luxury Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

A woman used an everyday household item to fend off her attacker and put a Lawrence man behind bars. Around 5:30 a.m. Sunday, Tewksbury Police were called to the Extended Stay America for a report of a man covered in blood with lacerations to his head. According to police, a woman told them she hit the man over the head with a frying pan twice, after he attempted to rape her at knife-point. Police arrested Frank Harrison, 46, and charged him with kidnapping, armed assault with intent to rape and indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14.At his arraignment Monday, prosecutors said Harrison offered the woman a ride from one party to another but the woman quickly realized they were going in the wrong direction. Harrison allegedly told the woman he needed to stop at the hotel for cigarettes. Tewksbury Police Chief Timothy Sheehan tells WBZ-TV, Harrison allegedly met the victim at a house party in Lowell earlier in the evening. The defense says the woman is the one at fault and was trying to rob him. Harrison is being held without bail until a hearing Friday.

Source:boston.cbslocal.com/2013/09/30/woman-fends-off-attacker-with-cooking-pot-at-tewksbury-hotel/

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale|"IHCL Likely To Get Extension For Taj Hotel Operation"

Source             :    thehindu.com
Category        :   Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   thehindu
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Affordable Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Tata-owned Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is likely to get an extension of three months to operate the Taj Mansingh Hotel in posh Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone here after its lease expires next month. The IHCL has been running the landmark property for the past 35 years and its lease is due to expire on October 10. The New Delhi Municipal Council, which owns the property located in the heart of Delhi on Mansingh Road, is yet to come to any conclusion on auctioning the hotel as it is waiting for the Solicitor-General’s opinion. The NDMC had sought the opinion of the Solicitor-General after a nod from the Home Ministry earlier this month. The NDMC officials said the civic body is likely to extend the lease with the IHCL for operating the hotel for at least three months as it cannot reach a decision on the issue until it gets the opinion of the Solicitor-General.

The decision to grant the three months’ extension is likely to be taken during the next council meeting to be held on October 7. “The election code of conduct for the Assembly polls in Delhi is likely to be in place in a few days and it will become difficult to auction the property during that time,” an official said. However, according to NDMC chairperson Jalaj Srivastava, the agency can approach the Election Commission for a “special permission” to auction the property in that case. “If the agency gets the Solicitor-General’s opinion during the time when the code of conduct is in place, we can seek special permission from the Election Commission to allow us to auction the hotel,” Mr. Srivastava said. The hotel has been in news since its lease ended in October, 2011. The property, constructed by the NDMC, was given to the Indian Hotels Company Limited in 1978 on lease for 33 years. When the lease came to an end in 2011 and the NDMC was about to renew it, the Urban Development Ministry intervened and asked it to auction the property. As time was running out, the NDMC gave a year’s extension to IHCL. While the company expected the lease to be renewed in October 2012, the process was stalled temporarily as NDMC could not take a final call. The agency had then decided to give one-year extension to the Tatas.

Source:thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/ihcl-likely-to-get-extension-for-taj-hotel-operation/article5185084.ece

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale|"Collapsed Hotel Ruins May Stay For Months"

Source             :    tvnz.co.nz
Category        :   Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   Fairfax
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Affordable Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

The cracked ruins of the former Copthorne Hotel in Christchurch city centre may remain for months while structural engineers investigate the cause of its collapse. Construction workers ran for their lives on Saturday afternoon when the 10-storey hotel on Colombo Street collapsed like a "pack of cards" during demolition. The floors collapsed, but the walls on the northern and southern ends of the building still remain. The structural integrity of the remaining walls is not known, but a large crack can be seen in the base of the northern wall, which appears to be misshapen. A Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Enterprise spokesman said a prohibition notice stopped all work on the site while engineers assess the building.

It was not known when the engineering report would be complete. The Copthorne Hotel building was in the middle of scheduled demolition by Southern Demolition and Salvage. It is an owner-controlled demolition and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority is not involved. Cera said it would not be investigating the incident.Southern Demolition and Salvage owner Alan Edge could not be reached for comment yesterday but said earlier that he believed the collapse was a result of the stress of aftershocks.

Source : tvnz.co.nz/national-news/collapsed-hotel-ruins-may-stay-months-5593107

Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale|"Dubai Luxury Hotel Rooms"

Source             :   arabianbusiness.com
Category        :   Affordable Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   Andy Sambidge

Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Affordable Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

More than 10,000 five-star hotel rooms in Dubai are in need of refurbishment, placing significant burden on hotel operators as they consider taking rooms out of operation to undertake the necessary work, a new report has said. EC Harris, the global built asset consultancy, estimates that the cost of renovation is in the region of AED325,000 per room. There were an estimated 23,500 five star rooms in Dubai in 2012. Christopher Seymour, head of property UAE at EC Harris said: "Some of the hotel assets in Dubai are now over 15 years old and to maintain the quality of the offering, protect the brand and meet customer expectations, refurbishment programmes are becoming a requirement."The quality of the hospitality accommodation in the UAE is very high and with the wave of new hotel construction in the pipeline, we will see some operators forced to undertake refit and refresh of their older hotel assets in order to remain competitive." He said refurbishment programmes should be targeted at quiet periods to reduce the revenue effect of taking rooms and facilities out of operation.

However, that quiet period is seen to be reducing as the appeal of Dubai as a destination increases. Most operators now view the only 'window' as late May to early September - a period of just 14 weeks. Seymour added: "Careful planning and programme management are very important to ensure success. Using tried and tested processes from the busy tourism markets of Europe and North America demonstrates that it is feasible to carry out major hotel refurbishments whilst remaining in operation." Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel closed in July and is scheduled to reopen next spring as it undergoes an extensive refurbishment. The hotel announced that it is undergoing a full refurbishment of all guest rooms, the Vivaldi restaurant and other facilities in the hotel. Dubai hotels posted big increases in occupancy and revenues during August compared to the year-earlier period, according to data released by STR Global. The city's hospitality sector witnessed increases in supply (5.81 percent) and demand (30.4 percent) while occupancy rose 23.3 percent to 72.6 percent. STR Global also said hotels reported a 8.7 percent increase in average daily rate to AED753.16 and a 34 percent rise in revenue per available room to AED546.61.

Source:arabianbusiness.com/10-000-dubai-luxury-hotel-rooms-need-revamp--520327.html#.UkU3GNJi3-U

Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotels|"Olympia Hotels Getting New Names"

Source             :   theolympian.com
Category        :   Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotels
By                  :   ROLF BOONE
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotels

September 2013 might be remembered as the month when the Olympia-area hotel market began to heat up with new announcements, closed transactions and pitched projects, including several along Capitol Way. The newest of these hotel announcements came Wednesday when the downtown Olympia hotel that has been known as the Phoenix Inn became a DoubleTree by Hilton, general manager Janine Condit said.“It’s a positive change for the area,” she said. Rooms and common spaces have been remodeled, and a new bar and restaurant have been added, Condit said. The property ownership group hasn’t changed. A trio of companies — Aimbridge Hospitality, JMI Realty and Merrill Lynch, which bought the Phoenix Inn in 2006 — still owns the hotel but decided to rebrand it to DoubleTree because Aimbridge already operates several hotels under that brand, she said. But Olympia-area hotel announcements Wednesday didn’t end with DoubleTree.

Here’s what also happened:

•  The Governor Hotel, also on Capitol Way, officially has sold for $3.4 million to Rusco USA LLC of Tacoma. Ryan Kang, the new general manager, said the hotel will undergo a modest renovation, then reopen next month. Ultimately, though, the plan is to do a full remodel and eventually operate it as a Holiday Inn, he said. The new owners, Kang said, see a lot of potential in downtown Olympia. “They are excited to be part of downtown and part of Olympia,” he said.

•  Han Kim of Seattle, whose group Hotel Concepts previously brought two hotels to Lacey, has closed on its acquisition of the Capitol Plaza Hotel on Capitol Way, paying $1.7 million for the property. Kim said he is now awaiting approval from Marriott to turn it into an extended-stay brand called TownePlace Suites. Kim’s group also plans to bring a Hilton Garden Inn and a Marriott Courtyard to property they own at Henderson Boulevard and Interstate 5.

Kim also is part of an ownership group that bought the Bailey Motor Inn on Martin Way in Olympia that has since closed. Kim said he met with city officials Wednesday to get feedback on a new plan for the property: a mixed-use development, including a two-story medical office building. He learned Wednesday, though, that the property has “lots of issues,” including nearby wetlands. A new hotel also could be coming to one of the Port of Olympia’s East Bay parcels near State Avenue. Seattle developer, Lorig Associates, has an option on the property, and that option has been extended through the end of the year, port senior manager of business development Mike Reid said. “A hotel is still the primary development concept,” he said. Reid said the recent hotel news hadn’t created any sense of urgency for the development. “My sense is the hotel activity that is occurring is the renaming and rebranding of hotels in the marketplace,” he said, adding that the port’s project, if it moves forward, is the “introduction and construction of a new facility.”

Source : theolympian.com/2013/09/26/2743402/olympia-hotels-getting-new-names.html

Hampton Inn Fort Lauderdale|"History Is On Sale At A Venerable Paris Hotel"

Source             :   intransit.blogs.nytimes.com
Category        :   Hampton Inn Fort Lauderdale
By                  :   ELAINE GLUSAC
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Hampton Inn Fort Lauderdale

For those inspired by hotel design, there is now a chance to take some of it home, legally. The 100-year-old Hotel Plaza Athénée Paris will hold its first auction of vintage and not-so-old collectibles as it prepares to close for a seven-month renovation. About 1,000 items primarily from the lobby, restaurant and bar will be auctioned live on Oct. 7 and 8. Auction items range from plates found in the hotel’s Alain Ducasse restaurant to sculptures including a bust of Marie-Antoinette, oversize Louis XVI-style vases, Murano glass chandeliers, leather and mahogany liquor cabinets, and even the marble-topped oak concierge desk.

Bidding will start at 150 euros (about $195)  for embroidered cushions; most items are estimated at under 1,000 euros, although a pair of bronze floor sculpture by the artist Jean-Michel Folon are expected to sell for between 50,000 and 70,000 euros. Expected to reopen in May, the hotel will close Oct. 1 to undergo an expansion to add 25 rooms, more meeting space and a new ballroom. Francois Delahaye, chief operating officer of Dorchester Collection, which manages the hotel, said that former guests have been the most enthused about the auction, including one Frenchman who said he plans to install Plaza Athénée drapery and furniture in a second home as an homage to the hotel. Auction items will be on exhibit at the hotel Oct. 4 to 6 and can also be found online at Artcurial.

Source : intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/23/history-is-on-sale-at-a-venerable-paris-hotel/#h[]