At a time when "hotel" and "foreclosure" have become a fast word association, a string of Bay Area boutique hotels is getting tens of millions of dollars in new capital in order to expand.
San Francisco's Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second-largest operator of boutique hotels in the country, has entered a "strategic capital partnership" with Geolo Capital, the private equity investment arm of the John A. Pritzker family (yes, the Pritzkers of Hyatt Hotels fame), which will take a controlling interest in Joie de Vivre's 33 Bay Area-operated hotels, including the Galleria Park, Hotel Drisco and Hotel Vitale in San Francisco.
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Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Wyndham Hotel Group to Acquire Tryp Hotel Brand from Sol Meliá
PARSIPPANY, N.J. (June 7, 2010) –Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) today announced
that its Wyndham Hotel Group business unit has agreed to acquire the Tryp® hotel brand from
Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts.
In addition, Wyndham will enter into a license agreement with the current 91 Tryp hotels located
throughout Europe and South America that will continue to be owned, operated, managed or
licensed by Sol Meliá. Wyndham Hotel Group and Sol Meliá will form a strategic alliance to
work together to develop the Tryp brand globally and market the hotels cooperatively through
their central reservations systems and loyalty programs
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that its Wyndham Hotel Group business unit has agreed to acquire the Tryp® hotel brand from
Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts.
In addition, Wyndham will enter into a license agreement with the current 91 Tryp hotels located
throughout Europe and South America that will continue to be owned, operated, managed or
licensed by Sol Meliá. Wyndham Hotel Group and Sol Meliá will form a strategic alliance to
work together to develop the Tryp brand globally and market the hotels cooperatively through
their central reservations systems and loyalty programs
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Sunday, June 6, 2010
Hotels connecting dots to online reviewers
An increasing number of image-conscious properties have begun connecting the dots between unbylined write-ups that appear on such popular travel sites as TripAdvisor or Yelp, and your personal information, such as your loyalty program preferences.
If you write a positive review, you might expect a reward from the hotel -- a gift basket or a discount on your next stay. Pan a property, and you could get a concerned e-mail from the general manager asking you to reconsider your review. Or even a black mark against you in the chain's guest database.
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If you write a positive review, you might expect a reward from the hotel -- a gift basket or a discount on your next stay. Pan a property, and you could get a concerned e-mail from the general manager asking you to reconsider your review. Or even a black mark against you in the chain's guest database.
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USDA Olive Oil Standard Goes Into Effect October 25th
The USDA published a standard for olive oil in the Federal Register on April 28, 2010. The standard will take effect on October 25, 2010. The standard is the result of a petition filed by the California Olive Oil Council in August 2005. Patricia Darragh, executive director of the California Olive Oil Council told the L.A. Times that the new standard "will put an end to marketing terms that are confusing to the consumer, such as light, extra light — language that really doesn't meant too much."
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Grill Concepts CEO Philip Gay steps down
LOS ANGELES (June 5, 2010) Grill Concepts Inc., parent company to 28 restaurants under the Daily Grill and Grill on the Alley brands, said Friday its president and chief executive Philip Gay has stepped down and has been replaced by company co-founder Robert Spivak.
The shift in leadership for the company was effective June 2. Gay’s departure was not explained in the brief statement from the company.
In a phone interview, Gay said he was looking for a new challenge, “something I can grow even more than I did Grill Concepts.” He said it was too soon to disclose his plans.
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The shift in leadership for the company was effective June 2. Gay’s departure was not explained in the brief statement from the company.
In a phone interview, Gay said he was looking for a new challenge, “something I can grow even more than I did Grill Concepts.” He said it was too soon to disclose his plans.
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Quinlan hotel empire hangs on debt deal
Six years ago Derek Quinlan, the former tax inspector from Dublin, outbid one of the richest men in the world, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
Quinlan and his partners bought a clutch of London’s smartest hotels — the Savoy, Claridge’s, Berkeley and Connaught — for £750m, outflanking the Saudi billionaire. It was a deal that epitomised the era of easy money.
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Quinlan and his partners bought a clutch of London’s smartest hotels — the Savoy, Claridge’s, Berkeley and Connaught — for £750m, outflanking the Saudi billionaire. It was a deal that epitomised the era of easy money.
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Illegal hotels like 'Jazz on Times Square' raise red flags for City Hall
City Hall should be able to see that the building at 341 W. 51st St. is operating illegally: There are literally red flags all over it.
The flags call it "Jazz on Times Square," a cheap hotel for backpackers and foreign students. And there are plenty of other red flags inside the city's files.
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The flags call it "Jazz on Times Square," a cheap hotel for backpackers and foreign students. And there are plenty of other red flags inside the city's files.
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Hotel wars: Drama and intrigue behind the hospitality trade
Reporting from New York — — When Ross Klein arrived at Hilton Worldwide's Beverly Hills headquarters to create a new luxury chain, he was the "it" guy in the hottest segment of the lodging business.
A former retail marketing whiz, Klein had trained his fashion sense on the buttoned-down hotel industry, helping turn the W chain into a hip money-maker for its parent, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. Hilton lacked a product to compete. So it lured Klein away from Starwood in 2008 by offering him a chance to build a brand from scratch.
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A former retail marketing whiz, Klein had trained his fashion sense on the buttoned-down hotel industry, helping turn the W chain into a hip money-maker for its parent, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. Hilton lacked a product to compete. So it lured Klein away from Starwood in 2008 by offering him a chance to build a brand from scratch.
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Saturday, June 5, 2010
Whitbread chief’s £5m pay perks
THE outgoing boss of Whitbread, the leisure group, has started collecting his pension, including a one-off payment of £5.4m, even though he does not retire until November.
Alan Parker, who has been at Whitbread for 18 years, the past six of them as chief executive, will be entitled to an annual payment of just over £135,000 on top of the lump sum he has already received.
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Alan Parker, who has been at Whitbread for 18 years, the past six of them as chief executive, will be entitled to an annual payment of just over £135,000 on top of the lump sum he has already received.
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MGM Mirage says it is paying CityCenter subcontractors
LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- MGM Mirage said in a court filing it has begun the process of paying subcontractors caught in the middle of its legal skirmish with CityCenter general contractor Perini Building Co.
The casino operator, which owns CityCenter in a 50-50 joint venture with Dubai World, said it is actively working through the closeout process with 25 of the 220 first-tier subcontractors who worked on the development. MGM Mirage said there are "hundreds" of lower-tier subcontractors who are also owed for their work on CityCenter.
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The casino operator, which owns CityCenter in a 50-50 joint venture with Dubai World, said it is actively working through the closeout process with 25 of the 220 first-tier subcontractors who worked on the development. MGM Mirage said there are "hundreds" of lower-tier subcontractors who are also owed for their work on CityCenter.
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Toronto hotel workers threaten strike during G20 summit
OTTAWA — Hotel workers in Toronto threatened Thursday to strike and picket at least one hotel where journalists and a French delegation have reservations to attend the G20 summit at the end of June.
Unionized workers at 32 grand hotels in the Canadian metropolis voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike, said Unite Here Canada spokesman Paul Clifford.
Clifford said one hotel, the Novotel Toronto Centre owned by French firm Accor, may see pickets as early as June 24 through the June 26-27 G20 summit.
The hotel is to house journalists and part of the French G20 delegation.
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Unionized workers at 32 grand hotels in the Canadian metropolis voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike, said Unite Here Canada spokesman Paul Clifford.
Clifford said one hotel, the Novotel Toronto Centre owned by French firm Accor, may see pickets as early as June 24 through the June 26-27 G20 summit.
The hotel is to house journalists and part of the French G20 delegation.
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Inside The World's Largest Hotel Company
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is the world's largest hotel company, with 650,000 rooms globally and 450,000 in the Americas. Primarily using a franchise operating model, IHG's 3,400 hotels in the Americas include brands like InterContinental (165 hotels), Crowne Plaza (400 hotels) and Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, their largest brands, representing 75% of their rooms.
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Starwood Capital buys stake in hotel management co
Private equity firm Starwood Capital has bought a 49.9 percent stake in privately held Hersha Hospitality Management to form a partnership to tap into management opportunities in the lodging space.
Starwood Capital, led by Barry Sternlicht -- founder of Starwood Hotels and Resorts (HOT.N) -- will contribute capital and deal-flow to the partnership.
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Starwood Capital, led by Barry Sternlicht -- founder of Starwood Hotels and Resorts (HOT.N) -- will contribute capital and deal-flow to the partnership.
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Many US hotels lack fire sprinklers
A fast-moving fire that killed four college students in a suburban Birmingham motel illustrates a deadly problem facing travelers around the country: Many older hotels and motels can legally avoid installing sprinklers that stop blazes before they kill guests.
Since a catastrophic fire killed 87 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas in 1980, a national push to require sprinkler systems in new hotels and motels has helped bring fire deaths down significantly.
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Since a catastrophic fire killed 87 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas in 1980, a national push to require sprinkler systems in new hotels and motels has helped bring fire deaths down significantly.
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