Dubai five-star hotel to be sold for homes

The hotel’s owner, Damas, is selling the property for residential use because of the 'challenging economic environment brought on by the global economic recession', the Angsana’s management company said on Wednesday.

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Langham Hotels invests £612m in global expansion

Hotel group Langham is investing £612m into expanding the brand globally with plans to operate 34 hotels across the world.

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InterContinental sees signs of life in business travel

Chief Executive Andrew Cosslett said its London flagship Park Lane InterContinental hotel was full this month while its August performance in China was ahead of last year despite the Olympic Games boost in the Chinese capital in August 2008.

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Starwood Opens 40 Hotels and Signs 25 New Deals in North America

PHOENIX – September 23, 2009 – From the 15th Annual Lodging Conference, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announces it has executed 25 new deals and opened more than 40 hotels in its North America Division in 2009, with an additional 20 anticipated to open by year’s end. These developments are illustrative of Starwood’s overall global growth that includes nearly 60 hotel openings and 50 deal signings over the past ten months.

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Hilton Garden Inn® Set to Open 60 Hotels in 2009

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Officials of Hilton Garden Inn, the global brand of upscale, yet affordable hotels, today announced it remains on pace to reach near-record development numbers in 2009 with 60 new hotels expected to open and 200 hotel projects in the pipeline. This pace is slightly off 2008’s record-breaking openings, but is still one of the brand’s fullest pipelines of hotel projects approved, in design or under construction.

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Starbucks debuts two apps for iPhone

SEATTLE (Sept. 23, 2009) Starbucks Corp. said it is offering two new free iPhone applications that will help customers find stores and manage their loyalty card accounts — as well as pay for their purchases in some test locations.
The new apps are the first to be offered for the iPhone and iPod touch by the 16,729-unit global coffee chain, though there are several unofficial iPhone apps, such as iApp’s Find a Starbucks Coffee, Snow Storm’s Expresso Pro and ourLivez’s Sbux Card, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal

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STR reports US performance for August 2009

In year-over-year measurements, the industry’s occupancy fell 9.9 percent to 60.7 percent, ADR dropped 10.1 percent to US$96.58, and RevPARdecreased 19.0 percent to US$58.65. year-over-year measurements, the industry’s occupancy fell 9.9 percent to 60.7 percent, ADR dropped 10.1 percent to US$96.58, and RevPARdecreased 19.0 percent to US$58.65.

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Luxury Hotels in U.S. Risk Default as $850 Rooms Remain Empty

Loans secured by more than 1,500 hotels with a total outstanding balance of $24.5 billion may be in danger of default, according to Realpoint LLC, a credit rating company that tracks commercial mortgage-backed securities. Some of the biggest loans, put on the company’s watch list because of late payments, decreasing occupancies or cash flow, were made to luxury properties where rooms can cost more than $850 a night.

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How Papa John's got started

Fortune Magazine) -- When I was 12, I started a gutter-painting company at my grandfather's house. He was my mentor, and he expected us to work at an early age. My dad was into politics. He was the youngest city judge in Indiana's history, and he ran for lieutenant governor. So when Dad was on the road, Mom took us over to our grandfather's

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Canadian Hotel Rate Report for September 2009

The rising Canadian dollar, global downturn and U.S. border restrictions, deterred many travelers from visiting popular destinations like Montreal and Vancouver this summer. Even Toronto, a popular international destination, took a hit this summer resulting in a hotel rate drop of 11 percent when compared to last year.

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Hilton loses one of its top three

Hilton Hotels Corporation, the American hotel group facing corporate espionage charges, is understood to have parted company with one of its three top executives after just 18 months in the job.
Steve Goldman, president of global development and real estate and joint number two to chief executive Chris Nassetta, is believed to be on indefinite leave and is not expected to resume his duties.

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Mitchell & Butler warns of gloomy outlook for 2010

Managed pub operator Mitchells & Butlers has unveiled better- than-expected results so far this year but warns of a gloomy outlook for 2010.
The All Bar One and O’Neill’s operator announced like-for-like sales growth of 2.6% over the summer (in the 10 weeks to 19 September 2009), mainly reflecting the 5.8% growth in food sales.

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Hilton Hotels changes name to Hilton Worldwide

As the company settles in to its new digs in Tysons Corner in McLean, Va., after relocating HQ from Beverly Hills, Calif., the company today unveiled its new name: "Hilton Worldwide" instead of just plain old "Hilton Hotels."

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Hyatt Statement Regarding Massachusetts Governor's Proposed Boycott

BOSTON, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyatt Hotels released the following statement in response to the governor's boycott threat: "We are very disappointed by the Governor's decision to threaten a boycott of our hotels since it directly threatens the 600 associates who work in Hyatt properties and who live and work in Massachusetts at a time when businesses and individuals are cutting back on travel during the worst economic period we have seen in decades," said Phil Stamm, General Manager of Hyatt Regency Boston. "We do not understand why the Governor is putting more Massachusetts jobs at risk instead of working with us to find jobs for employees affected by the realities of these unprecedented economic challenges."

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