Sunday, July 25, 2010

Mario Batali sued by ex-employees

Mario Batali seems to make headlines as often over accusations of misdeeds as he does over his proficiency in the kitchen. Last January he was sued for failing to pay $45,000 in back rent to to the owners of the building that housed his now-defunct seafood restaurant, The John Dory. Then in April, he was accused of discriminatory hiring practices.

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Pig eyes among the wackiest hotel demands

The next time you forget to pack your toothbrush -- again -- hold your head high when requesting a spare from the hotel, confident in the knowledge that someone before you asked for 30 pig eyes on ice.

That's just one of more than 100 extraordinary guest requests documented in an internal Fairmont Hotels document obtained by Postmedia News.

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STR Global: Americas performance for June 2010

LONDON and HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—The Americas region recorded positive results in the three key performance metrics when reported in U.S. dollars for June 2010, according to data compiled by STR and STR Global.

The region’s occupancy rose 7.0 percent to 64.9 percent, average daily rate ended up 1.8 percent to US$100.31, and revenue per available room increased 8.9 percent to US$65.11.

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STR Global: Asia/Pacific results for June 2010

LONDON—Hotels in the Asia/Pacific region experienced increases in all three key performance metrics for June 2010 when reported in U.S. dollars, according to data compiled by STR Global.

In year-over-year measurements, the Asia/Pacific region’s occupancy rose 14.5 percent to 63.9 percent, average daily rate increased 10.8 percent to US$121.83, and revenue per available room jumped 27.0 percent to US$77.83.

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STR Global: Europe results for June 2010

“The first half of 2010 showed again a split across Europe in performance”, said Elizabeth Randall, managing director of STR Global. “Hotels in Western and Northern Europe led the way in ADR improvements (in Euro-terms), whilst Southern and Eastern European hotels struggled to convert the occupancy gains into improved ADR.

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STR Global: MEA results for June 2010

LONDON—The Middle East/Africa region reported favourable results in the three key performance measurements for June 2010 when reported in U.S. dollars, according to data compiled by STR Global.

The region’s occupancy rose 1.7 percent to 59.2 percent, average daily rate increased 14.3 percent to US$151.00, and revenue per available room grew 16.3 percent to US$89.37.

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No dynamite required: Tropicana opts to remodel instead

Along the strip, rumors gallop faster than hot dice scatters on a summer night in July.

That's why guests and employees had been smelling dynamite in the lounges and pits at the Tropicana for years, certainly before the Stardust and the New Frontier got blasted earlier this year. Maybe longer than that; the smart money was saying the Trop, the sad old relic of '50s Vegas Strip action, would be the next to go.

But the smart money was wrong. The Trop will live well into the 21st century because of big remodeling plans.

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Pensacola hotels post gains despite oil spill

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Pensacola-area hotels posted some surprising increases in business last month despite the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Smith Travel Research Inc. says hotel occupancy was up 15.5 percent in June and lodging revenues were up 7 percent.

But tourism officials say those numbers are being fueled not by tourists, but by BP workers, government officials, media crews and a June 15 visit by President Obama.

Ed Schroeder (shray'DER) of the Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau says restaurants, shops, night clubs and other retailers benefited little from the bump in room stays