Wednesday, November 3, 2010

FelCor Reports Third Quarter Results

  • Same-store revenue per available room ("RevPAR") at 82 consolidated hotels increased 6.3% for the quarter and 7.9% for September.
  • Adjusted EBITDA was $48.2 million and Adjusted FFO per share was $0.00 for the quarter, which was at the high-end of our expectations.
  • Hotel EBITDA margin increased 67 basis points for the quarter, driven by a 2.1% increase in average daily rate, or ADR.
  • Net loss was $89.3 million for the quarter.
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San Francisco Hotel tax rate to remain same

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco voters rejected both hotel tax measures, one that would have increased the hotel tax by 2 percent and another that would have only closed the loophole on taxes paid for online hotel bookings.
Propositions J and K were competing ballot initiatives, both aimed at collecting more money from online hotel bookings. Yet, only Proposition J would have increased the overall hotel tax by 2 percent.

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Great Wolf Resorts Reports 2010 Third Quarter Results

  • Adjusted EBITDA increased 3.5 percent to $25.7 million from the prior year quarter.
  • Same store total revenue per occupied room increased 2.2 percent.
  • Same store average daily rate increased by 2.2 percent.
  • Opened the first freestanding Scooops® Kid Spa in the Mall of America.
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Cracker Barrel Promotes Chief Financial Officer Sandra B. Cochran to President & Chief Operating Officer

LEBANON, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (“Cracker Barrel” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: CBRL) and its Board of Directors today announced the realignment of the Company’s leadership to build on Cracker Barrel’s recent successes and to position the Company for sustained profitable growth. Michael A. Woodhouse continues as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Sandra B. Cochran, who had served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has been named President and Chief Operating Officer. She assumes responsibility for Restaurant and Retail Operations, Retail Merchandising, Real Estate, and the functions that will be led by the newly created role of Chief People Officer. Douglas E. Barber, who had served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, has been named Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, reporting to Cochran. He will lead Human Resources, Diversity and Outreach, Training, and Innovation. Nicholas V. Flanagan has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Restaurant Operations and will also report to Cochran. The Company has started a search for a new Chief Financial Officer; Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer N.B. Forrest Shoaf will serve as interim Chief Financial Officer.

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Oklahoma sues online travel companies over hotel room taxes


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The state is suing for back sales taxes from Priceline.com, Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity.com and other online travel reservation companies that offer discount hotel rooms.
The lawsuit — filed Tuesday in Oklahoma County District Court — is the latest against the online travel industry. A year ago, Florida became the first state to sue the online travel companies. San Antonio and other Texas cities last year won $20 million in their 2006 lawsuit against Expedia and other companies.

Trump says his name is off Fort Lauderdale condo hotel

Real estate mogul Donald J. Trump said he's no longer affiliated with the unfinished luxury condo-hotel tower on Fort Lauderdale beach that was to carry his name and now faces foreclosure.

"We have nothing to do with the building. We had a licensing deal, and we terminated the licensing deal a long time ago," Trump told the SunSentine on Tuesday. "We're not involved with the foreclosure."
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Hyatt Reports Third Quarter 2010 Results


  • Adjusted EBITDA was $111 million compared to $92 million in the third quarter of 2009, an increase of 20.7%.
  • Net income attributable to Hyatt was $30 million, or $0.17 per share, compared to net income attributable to Hyatt of $5 million, or $0.03 per share, in the third quarter of 2009. Net income attributable to Hyatt included a favorable impact from special items of $21 million after-tax, or $0.11 per share, during the third quarter of 2010 compared to a favorable impact from special items of $5 million after-tax, or $0.03 per share, during the third quarter of 2009. See the table on page 3 of the accompanying schedules for a summary of special items.
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    TripAdvisor slaps Red Badge on hotel for writing own reviews

    The Clare Inn Hotel & Suites from Dromoland, Republic of Ireland, was issued with what is known as a Red Badge – a large red box placed again the hotel’s page on TripAdvisor to warn users about the validity of the reviews as they may have been written by the hotel itself.

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    Hyatt dropping a record $1.8M per room for New York Hotel

    The Park Hyatt Hotel being developed at 157 W. 57th St. will be the most expensive hotel to be built in the city, representing a $1.8 million-per-key investment, or a total of $375 million.
    Hyatt Hotels Corp. Chief Executive Mark Hoplamazian disclosed the project's eye-popping per-room price tag in an earnings call with security analysts Wednesday morning.
    “Our presence in New York City is being transformed [over this year and next],” said Mr. Hoplamazian, pointing out that the Chicago-based company had just one hotel here—the Grand Hyatt on East 42nd. Street— for many years. “We remain focused now on New York."


    Accor Replaces CEO Pelisson With McDonald's Hennequin

    Accor SA, Europe’s largest hotel owner, said Chief Executive Officer Gilles Pelisson will be replaced by Denis Hennequin owing to differences with the board.
    Pelisson, 53, will step down as CEO on Dec. 1 after the two sides “recognized the strategic divergences between them” at a meeting yesterday, the Evry, France-based company said today.

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