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[]

Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotels|"Boost In SF Economy Evident In Lack Of Hotel Vacancies"

Source             :   ktvu.com
Category        :   Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotels
By                  :   John Fowler
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotels

Organizers promised that the America's Cup would boost San Francisco's economy and after a lackluster start, the promise appeared to be coming true Monday as available hotel rooms in San Francisco were in serious demand. Lucia Tuthill was in San Francisco Monday to see her son, but found a big surprise when she tried to book a hotel a week ago. "Prices were exorbitant, very, very high,” said Tuthill. She settled for a room in Hayes Valley, five miles from the Embarcadero where she’d hoped to stay. “Even at the higher rates there was no availability, we’re very lucky but we’re very far away,” said Tuthill. Crowds cluttered San Francisco’s waterfront Monday, some for the America’s Cup races, many others for Oracle Week and other conferences. Washington, DC-attorney Stuart Sirkin was in the city Monday for a tax conference, and he wanted to extend his stay. “Everything was booked totally, when I tried about a week and a half ago,” said Sirkin. A difficult situation to believe when there's 215 hotels in the city, equalling about 33,000 rooms in total. The Hotel Vitale on the Embarcadero had a “handful” of one-bed rooms available Monday afternoon for $599 per night. The Fairmont Hotel, where some America’s Cup and Oracle Week attendees were staying, was fully booked up Monday, as were the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero’s 802 rooms. 

“It’s a bit of a challenge with America’s Cup, as it would be if the World Series or playoffs or any of those things came around,” said Hyatt Regency Embarcadero General Manager David Lewin. A reporter asked Lewin what the hotel would tell a guest who wanted to extend a stay in order to see more races. “You’d tell him you don’t have any rooms, and if they’re insistent and say ‘I’m not going to check out’ then technically, you can’t evict them,” explained Lewin, saying that to kick out the guest would be in violation of state law. He added that scenario exemplified in his answer hadn’t occurred that week “yet.” In that case, the law allows hotels to charge their maximum rate.  “If you’re booking a hotel room at the last minute and the hotels are virtually sold out, it’s the equivalent of buying an airline flight at the last minute,” said San Francisco Hotel Council Executive Director Kevin Carroll. Carroll told KTVU that guests spend more money outside the hotels then inside, and that the America’s Cup has created a significant economic boon for San Francisco, even if it wasn’t quite what supporters had originally hoped.“The race isn’t over,” said Carroll. “We’re all pulling for Team Oracle to extend this as far as it can.”

Source : ktvu.com/news/news/local/boost-sf-economy-evident-lack-vacant-hotel-rooms/nZ5yf/

Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotels|"Pullman Reef Hotel Casino"

Source             :   illawarramercury.com.au
Category        :   Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotels
By                  :   Danielle Croni
Posted By     :    Hotels In Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotels

The room is decidedly tropical without being twee. Gone are the gaudy pastel pictures of fish and coral that once bedevilled too many hotels in Queensland’s north. The decor draws inspiration from nature – timber teamed with white plantation shutters that slide to reveal the inlet. The best vantage point to view the vista is reclining in the spa bath while sipping on something that tickles the end of your nose. It has amenities expected in a five-star hotel – a king-sized bed, desk, lounge area, and one of those capsule-powered coffee machines.The menu offered crispy baby barramundi served with tamarind, chilli and garlic sauce. What emerged from the Tamarind kitchen was a spiky, bulky creature from the deep smothered in a cerise-esque sauce. Boy, they breed ‘em big in the far north. It was a challenge to work out where to start, and near-impossible to put the fork down. The cassava and coconut syrup pudding served with dark palm sugar cream and peanut brittle ice-cream presents the same dilemma.

East meet west in Tamarind, which the Reef Hotel Casino’s signature restaurant. There is also the casual dining and bar area - Flinders Bar & Grill – and the Café China Restaurant that serves Peking and Hong Kong cuisine, Yum Cha and seafood.There’s gambling. If spending hours sitting on a stool, pressing a button and listening to the bells and whistles of gaming machines fails to rock your world, it could be tempting to discount Pullman Reef Hotel Casino as a place to stay. But the casino is placed in one section of the venue well away from the accommodation. It has plenty of other onsite options to occupy visitors including free entertainment at Vertigo, the Velvet Underground Nightclub, the roof-top Cairns Wildlife Dome home to more than 400 species of animals, the pool deck and gymnasium.  Cairns is a top spot for a mini break. Pullman Reef Hotel Casino can serve as a luxurious base to take a drive to Crystal Cascades for a swim, take a trip to the reef or drive to Caravonica Lakes to ride on the Skyrail traversing 7.5 kilometres above the rainforest to Kuranda. Cairns is also perfect for pedestrians – flat and easy to navigate – so visitors can use the hotel as a base to explore the CBD on foot.

Source : illawarramercury.com.au/story/1797650/cairns-pullman-reef-hotel-casino/?cs=298