STR Global reports Middle East/Africa pipeline for June 2009

LONDON—The Middle East/Africa hotel development pipeline includes 463 hotels with 124,409 rooms, according to the June 2009 STR Global Construction Pipeline Report released last week.
“A few countries have really dominated the development in the Middle East after skyrocketing oil prices led to an upswing in hotel investment a few years ago,” said Duane Vinson, vice president of content management at STR. “The leader of course is the United Arab Emirates, where 169 projects comprising more than 58,000 rooms are in the total active pipeline. The other country that’s been very active is Saudi Arabia, which has 42 projects under development.”

Read more:
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles.aspx?ArticleId=1550

STR reports Caribbean and Mexico pipeline for June 2009

LONDON and HENDERSONVILLE—The Caribbean/Mexico hotel development pipeline includes 134 hotels with 17,663 rooms, according to the June 2009 STR Construction Pipeline Report released last week.
Among the countries in the region, Mexico reported the largest amount of rooms in the In Construction phase (5,287), as well as in the total active pipeline (10,931). Puerto Rico followed Mexico with 1,163 rooms in the In Construction phase and 1,627 rooms in the total active pipeline.

Read more:
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles.aspx?ArticleId=1549

STR Global reports the Asia/Pacific pipeline for June 2009

LONDON—The Asia/Pacific hotel development pipeline includes 969 hotels with 227,567 rooms, according to the June 2009 STR Global Construction Pipeline Report released last week.

“There is a lot of development in Asia, but there are a couple of countries that are dominating,” said Duane Vinson, vice president of content management at STR. “One is China, where 108,346 rooms are in the active pipeline, 77,832 of which are under construction. The second is India, which has 45,323 rooms in the total active pipeline.”

Read more:
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles.aspx?ArticleId=1548

STR Global reports Central and South America pipeline for June 2009

LONDON and HENDERSONVILLE—The Central/South American hotel development pipeline includes 147 projects with 21,539 rooms, according to the June 2009 STR Global Construction Pipeline Report released last week.
“Brazil is certainly one of the hot markets that everyone is talking about right now,” said Duane Vinson, vice president of content management at STR. “We’re seeing a lot of development in mid to smaller markets with the emergence of the country’s middle class.”

Read more:
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles.aspx?ArticleId=1547

STR reports U.S. pipeline for June 2009

HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline includes 4,690 projects with 501,476 rooms, according to the June 2009 STR/TWR/Dodge Construction Pipeline Report released this week. This represents a 4.1-percent decrease in the number of rooms in the total active pipeline compared to May 2009 and a 24.5-percent decrease compared to June 2008. The total active pipeline data includes projects in the In Construction, Final Planning and Planning stages, but does not include projects in the Pre-Planning stage.

Read more:
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles.aspx?ArticleId=1546

STR reports Canada pipeline for second quarter 2009

HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—At the end of the second quarter of the calendar year, the Canadian hotel development pipeline includes 223 projects comprising 26,172 rooms, according to the June 2009 STR/TWR/Dodge Construction Pipeline Report released this week. This represents a 6.9-percent increase in the number of rooms in the pipeline compared to May 2009 and

Read more:
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx?ArticleId=1544&ArticleType=38&PageType=STRPressRelease

CIT failure would chill US restaurant operators

A potential bankruptcy of CIT Group Inc would be another blow to restaurant operators and other franchisees by removing yet another funding source at a time when many large banks have frozen lending. But longer term, analysts say the long-suffering restaurant sector should be able to hunt down alternatives. "We think long term our people will find other places to go, short term there will be pain," said Matthew Shay, chief executive of the International Franchise Association, which has lobbied the Obama administration to rescue CIT -- one of the largest providers of loans to small businesses in the United States. "If CIT were to go away, it would take a financing option away from our franchisees who want to buy stores or expand their networks," said Michelle King, spokeswoman for Dunkin' Brands Inc,

Read more:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/31952041

Watergate Hotel to Go on Auction Block Tuesday

The Watergate Hotel will be auctioned Tuesday, five years after a developer bought it with hopes of restoring it to its glory days as a Washington icon.
Alex Cooper Auctioneers will take bids that morning at the company's Wisconsin Avenue offices from potential buyers with the capital to invest in one of the city's most famous buildings in the weakest economy in decades.

Read more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/15/AR2009071503702.html?hpid=moreheadlines

More cost cuts seen for U.S. hotels as revenues suffer

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. hotel industry is likely to report fresh cost cuts this earnings season as sluggish business demand and lower room rates eat into companies' revenues.
Analysts expect hotels' key sales metric, revenue per available room (RevPAR), to be sharply lower in the quarter as the continued drop in business travel forces hotels to rely more on price-sensitive consumers, who demand lower rates.

Read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSTRE56E5N620090715

Some banks imposing blanket bans on pub and restaurant loans, warns FPB

The small business support and lobby group believes some banks may be automatically refusing loans to firms in the industry due to misplaced fears over their viability.
The issue was given heightened exposure today (Thursday July 16) when Business Minister Ian Lucas admitted that he was well aware of the problem. Mr Lucas made his remarks in response to Lib Dem MP Greg Mulholland during oral questions in the Commons. Mr Mulholland said pubs were not receiving credit from banks and asked Mr Lucas to look into it.
The FPB is concerned that the entire sector may have been classed as high risk by certain lenders. As a result, it is thought they have effectively imposed a blanket policy of not providing pubs and restaurants with loans, rather than looking into the viability of each business on a case-by-case basis.

Read more:
http://www.fpb.org/news/2220/Some_banks_imposing_blanket_bans_on_pub_and_restaurant_loans__warns_FPB.htm

Choice Hotels Opens 57 Hotels In June

Choice Hotels International Inc. continues to grow with the announcement of 57 newly-opened franchised properties during the month of June. The openings include hotels in 26 states and 4 countries, adding more than 4,600 rooms to the company’s existing 475,000-plus rooms. Select properties that opened in June include:

Read more:
http://www.hotelsmag.com/article/ca6671597.html

Mitchells & Butlers rebels try for board seats

A group of rebel investors in Mitchells & Butlers is trying to secure two board seats at the £1 billion embattled pub giant.
The consortium, led by the London-based Leo hedge fund, has met M&B’s chairman Drummond Hall in recent weeks. They have told him they want a greater say in the group’s strategy as well as board representation. If their request is not granted, Leo, together with other investors accounting for about 10% of the shares, are prepared to call for an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting to make their case.

Read more:
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6543968.ece

Accor First-half 2009 revenue down 8.1% like-for-like

In a severely deteriorated economic environment
• Prepaid Services revenue grew 5.7% like-for-like.
• Hotels revenue continued to decline, contracting 11.4% like-for-like

Read more:
http://www.accor.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Contenus_Accor/Finance/PDF/EN/ACCOR_CP_CA_Q22009_VENG.pdf

Greenbrier resort plans to add gambling this year

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Greenbrier's new owner said Thursday he plans to open a small casino at the four-star southern West Virginia resort by fall, and he wants the dice rolling and cards being dealt at a full-scale gambling operation by April 1.
Jim Justice also unveiled architectural drawings for a casino, shops and restaurants featuring sushi and steaks that would be built under the resort's front lawn. Gambling guests would reach the operation via staircases and elevators near the hotel's front entrance.

Read more:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2009-07-16-greenbrier-gambling_N.htm?csp=34

Starbucks local cafe pilot has alcohol, live music

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp next week will open a new neighborhood cafe pilot store that will feature beer and wine, night-time hours and live entertainment such as music and poetry readings.
That Seattle cafe, called 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea, takes its name from its street address and borrows heavily from neighborhood coffee shops.

Read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE56F72020090716