Hotel Mirrors Detroit's Woes

DETROIT—The auto show that begins this week gives Detroit the chance to show off a hometown industry on the mend and a downtown flush with upscale hotel rooms.

But many conventioneers' image of Detroit may be shaped by the dark and vacant former Hotel Pontchartrain, directly across from the Cobo Center convention hall. Fully renovated in 2007 then shuttered in 2009, the steel-and-glass hotel stands as a conspicuous symbol of Detroit's stunted redevelopment efforts.

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Shanghai’s first capsule hotel opens

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The first capsule hotel in Shanghai has been opened.

Already popular in Japan, the Xitai Capsule Hotel is the first in Shanghai, perhaps in response to soaring local real estate prices. Indeed it’s a surprise someone didn’t think of this space- and price-maximizing option before now.

Located on the north side of the Shanghai Railway Station, the 300-square-meter hotel -- as reported by Shanghaiist -- “consists of 68 ‘capsules,’ each 1.1m high and 2.2m long, equipped with its own lighting, pillows, bedding, alarm clock, power sockets, flat screen television and WiFi. Shower facilities are communal.”

All capsules are imported from Japan, where the concept of the capsule hotels was created, and divided into three snoring zones so those who snooze loudly will not disturb others.

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Macau gaming revenues jump 66 percent in December

Nevada gaming revenues hit an all-time record of $12.8 billion 2007. Macau came close to doubling that mark in 2010.

Gaming revenues in the Chinese Special Administrative Region grew by 58 percent during the year despite talk of the government taking steps to slow the remarkable growth.

The nearly 40 small and large casinos in Macau collected gaming revenues of 188 billion patacas, which translated into roughly $23.4 billion in U.S. dollars based on currency conversion rates.

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Shareholders want Red Robin put up for sale

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. (RRGB) is being pressured by shareholders to put itself up for sale.

"We know there's interest in acquiring Red Robin, and that's no surprise given the substantial franchise value," said Gregory Taxin, a co-founder of Spotlight Advisors, which is partnered with Clinton Group to own about 9% of Red Robin.

Red Robin's shares were up 2.2% at $22.25 recently.

Clinton Group and Spotlight Advisors, the third-largest shareholder of Red Robin, said in a letter to the board of directors that "the time has come for the board to proactively solicit proposals for the acquisition of the company," according to an SEC filing summarizing the letter.

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Paulson Group Said to Seize Some CNL Hotels From Morgan Stanley

A lender group including Paulson & Co., the New York-based hedge fund run by John Paulson, seized control of former CNL Hotels & Resorts Inc. properties from Morgan Stanley’s real estate funds through a $600 million debt restructuring, said two people with knowledge of the deal.

The transaction involves the corporate debt used to finance Morgan Stanley’s 2007 acquisition of the hotel owner near the peak of the real estate market. Under the terms of the restructuring, $200 million of corporate debt was extinguished and $400 million was converted into equity, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private.

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Accor in talks with Fimalac to sell casino stake

Europe's largest hotel group Accor (ACCP.PA) said on Saturday it is in talks to sell its 49 percent stake in casino group Lucien Barriere to French financial holding company Fimalac (LBCP.PA).

"Accor confirms the existence of talks with Fimalac and Groupe Lucien Barrière about the possible disposal of its 49 percent stake in Groupe Lucien Barrière," it said in a statement.

Will Hard Rock Casino loose its name

Drug dealing and other wrongdoing by Las Vegas Hard Rock hotel-casino employees and managers is one more reason the casino should lose its rights to the Hard Rock brand, the owner of the international Hard Rock brand says.

In court papers filed Friday in New York in the trademark litigation between Hard Rock Cafe International (USA) Inc. of Orlando and the Las Vegas Hard Rock, attorneys for the Orlando company said they plan to amend their lawsuit to include recent revelations about drug dealing and inappropriate sexual activity at the Las Vegas property.

The Orlando-based Hard Rock company, controlled by Florida's Seminole tribe with extensive gaming interests, sued the Las Vegas Hard Rock in September.

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Carl Wilson, Marriott CIO, to Retire, Succeeded by Bruce Hoffmeister as Global Chief Information Officer

Marriott International, Inc. (Hospitality Business News) announced today that Carl Wilson, executive vice president and chief information officer at the company since 1997, will retire March 31. Bruce Hoffmeister, a 22-year Marriott veteran, will succeed him as Global Chief Information Officer on April 1.

Mr. Wilson was instrumental in managing the critical nexus between technology and business strategy as the company’s lodging portfolio grew to encompass 3,500 properties in 70 countries worldwide.

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Wingstop to add 20 Mexico restaurants

Fast-food chain Wingstop is expanding internationally with plans to add 20 stores in Mexico over the course of the next three years. The company already has 600 locations operating or under development.

The Richardson-based chicken wings retailer just signed a development deal with franchisee WIS de Mexico S.A. de C.V. to open and operate additional stores.

The owners behind the franchise already have six Wingstop restaurants in Mexico City as part of a 10-store franchise agreement that was completed in 2010.

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SOL MELIÁ VACATION CLUB MEMBER RESORTS BECOME PART OF PREFERRED HOTEL GROUP PARTNERSHIP

ORLANDO, Florida (Jan. 7, 2010) – (Hospitality Business News) Sol Meliá Vacation Club (SMVC), a leading international vacation membership club with locations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and Europe, has had four of its member resorts in Cancun, Puerto Rico and Canary Islands, Spain, join a 11 property Sol Meliá partnership with the Preferred Hotel Group™, a leading provider of business solutions for independently owned and operated hotels and resorts around the world.

            SMVC at Gran Meliá Puerto Rico, Gran Meliá Cancun, Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora and ME Cancun have all met the standards required by the Preferred Hotel Group in location, architecture, interior and exterior design, facilities, technological equipment and food and beverage services, among others.

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First Ramada Encore Hotel Opens in the Middle East

PARSIPPANY, N.J. 01-05-2011 — (Hospitality Business News)- - Wyndham Hotel Group, the world’s largest hotel company based on number of hotels and one of three business units of Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN), today announced its continued expansion in the Middle East with the opening of the Ramada Encore Doha, the region’s first Ramada Encore hotel.

Situated in the Al-Asmakh area of Doha, less than three miles from Doha International Airport, the hotel is the second Wyndham Hotel Group property to open in Qatar’s capital and the first Ramada Encore hotel in the world to be managed by the company.

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Home Inns Accelerates Growth

SHANGHAI, Jan. 7, 2011 /(Hospitality Business News) -- Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. (Nasdaq: HMIN), a leading economy hotel chain in China, today announced plans to open a total of 260 to 280 new hotels in 2011, of which 100 to 110 will be leased-and-operated hotels and 160 to 170 will be franchised-and-managed hotels.  In addition, as previously announced, Home Inns has set plans to enter into the midscale hotel segment in China with 3 to 4 new hotels in 2011 under a second brand, Yitel.

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Dublin's Shelbourne Hotel suffers a loss of €156m

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One of Ireland's best-known hotels, the five-star Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, made a staggering pre-tax loss of €156m in 2008 after the value of the hotel property was written down by €155m.

In spite of the writedown, the company that owns and operates the hotel, Shelbourne Hotel Holdings Ltd (SHHL), made an operating profit in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

The figures show that the company recorded an operating profit of €3m in 2008, following an operating loss of €6m in 2007

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3 accused of taking copper piping from NH hotel

BEDFORD, N.H.—Police in Bedford, N.H., say three men are accused of removing copper piping and other items from a hotel that's currently closed and up for sale.

The three were arrested Saturday morning in connection with a robbery at the Quality Inn Convention Center.

WMUR-TV reports an officer was patrolling when he saw a dark-colored pickup truck drive to the back of the mall toward the Quality Inn. He found the men behind the building.

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Man found dead in New York InterContinental Hotel

A Portuguese man has been found dead and sexually mutilated in a New York hotel room and his model boyfriend has been detained by police.

Veteran fashion journalist and gay activist Carlos Castro, 65, was found naked with his testicles hacked off in a InterContinental Hotel room at about 7pm on Friday, ABC news reports.

It is believed Castro was castrated with a broken wine glass and had suffered from head trauma caused by a blunt object.

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