A Pennsylvania couple is wanted in the slaying and dismemberment of a Hollywood man whose body was "cut up into five different parts -- basically his limbs were removed," said a Los Angeles detective.
The body was found in a hotel near downtown Los Angeles' skid row. Los Angeles Police Department detectives are seeking Edward Garcia Jr., 36, and his wife, Melissa Hope Garcia, 25 (also known as Melissa Turner). They are believed either to be in Hollywood or en route to Pennsylvania, said LAPD Det. Kelle Baitx.
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Interstate to run Blackstone hotels
Arlington-based Interstate Hotels & Resorts, taken private by investors including China's largest hotel group this year, will manage more hotels owned by New York-based investment firm The Blackstone Group.
Interstate Hotels, will add 13 Blackstone-owned properties to its portfolio, including the Westin Washington D.C. City Center and the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel.Read More:
Hawaii hotel occupancy rates continue to rise
Hotel occupancy rates throughout Hawaii continued to rise compared with a year ago, while average room rates declined slightly, according to a report released Tuesday by Hospitality Advisors LLC.
The monthly analysis found that statewide hotel occupancy averaged almost 70.9 percent in October, an increase of 4.5 percentage points over the same month last year.
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The monthly analysis found that statewide hotel occupancy averaged almost 70.9 percent in October, an increase of 4.5 percentage points over the same month last year.
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McDonald's Sales Rise Less Than Expected in November
McDonald's Corp.'s same-store sales rose 4.8% in November from a year earlier, driven by its McRib sandwich in the U.S. and continued strong demand for McCafe beverages.
Shares were down 1.6% at $79.05 in premarket trading as the latest numbers missed analysts' estimates for growth of 5.6% globally, including a 5.1% rise in the U.S. The stock was up 29% this year through Tuesday's close. McDonald's also said currency fluctuations are expected to hurt fourth-quarter earnings by one to two cents a share.
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Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Need a job? Run a remote wilderness resort
YAKIMA, Wash. — Anyone interested in running a wilderness resort needs to look no further than Washington's rugged North Cascades, where the National Park Service is seeking bidders to manage a 21-room lodge, restaurant and general store in the remote community of Stehekin.
Stehekin is a remote collection of homes and summer cabins surrounded by mountain peaks. Sitting at the north end of Lake Chelan, the area is reachable only by boat, floatplane or on foot.
New Study To Bring Together Travel Industry Thought Leaders
(Hospitality Business News) Washington, D.C. –AOL, Wyndham Hotel Group, AvisBudget Group, and the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) have joined forces with other organizations in the U.S. travel and tourism industry to develop unique research that focuses on U.S. travelers who drive rather than fly to their destinations. Project 85, named after the 85% of travel that takes place in the U.S. by car, motorcycle, RV or other vehicle, will focus on the “drive market” – which, according to the U.S. Travel Association, represents over three quarters of the $495 billion in travel spending.
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Dubai Needs 2.5 Million More Tourists to Match Hotel Growth, Deloitte Says
Dubai will need to attract an additional 2.5 million tourists annually to absorb an estimated 60 percent increase in hotel rooms over the next five years, Deloitte LLP said.
Dubai, which has around 50,000 rooms, may struggle to maintain occupancy and rates as a further 30,000 rooms are likely to be added, said Alex Kyriakidis, the New York-based consulting company’s global managing director of Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure.
The sheikhdom has spent billions of dollars to transform itself into an international tourist destination. It built the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel and opened a 160-room hotel designed by Giorgio Armani in the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower. Horserace complex Meydan and Dubai Mall are also among the attractions that have been built.
Dubai, which has around 50,000 rooms, may struggle to maintain occupancy and rates as a further 30,000 rooms are likely to be added, said Alex Kyriakidis, the New York-based consulting company’s global managing director of Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure.
The sheikhdom has spent billions of dollars to transform itself into an international tourist destination. It built the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel and opened a 160-room hotel designed by Giorgio Armani in the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower. Horserace complex Meydan and Dubai Mall are also among the attractions that have been built.
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New TV Show 'Magic City' Will Follow Mobsters in a 1960s Miami Beach Hotel
Here we go again--someone is attempting another tv show about hotels. But this one may fare slightly better than the rest.
Cable network Starz has just announced their pick-up of "Magic City" , a period drama set in the 1960s that follows the comings and goings of mobsters, entertainers and politicians at a posh Miami Beach Hotel. Ooo kinda like if Mad Men met Boardwalk Empire!!
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Cable network Starz has just announced their pick-up of "Magic City" , a period drama set in the 1960s that follows the comings and goings of mobsters, entertainers and politicians at a posh Miami Beach Hotel. Ooo kinda like if Mad Men met Boardwalk Empire!!
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Schrager Passes on Buying Manhattan's Hotel Chelsea After Considering Bid
Ian Schrager, the developer credited with inventing the boutique-hotel concept, considered buying Manhattan’s landmark Hotel Chelsea and decided against an offer after viewing the 127-year-old property last month.
“It’s a sexy asset with an incredibly sexy history and we felt obliged to take a look at it,” Schrager, the chairman and chief executive officer of Ian Schrager Co., said in a telephone interview yesterday. “We took a pass.”
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“It’s a sexy asset with an incredibly sexy history and we felt obliged to take a look at it,” Schrager, the chairman and chief executive officer of Ian Schrager Co., said in a telephone interview yesterday. “We took a pass.”
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Monday, December 6, 2010
Nashville Indigo files for bankruptcy
The hotel’s property owner, 315 Union Street Holdings LLC., and owner of the hotel business itself, Union Street Plaza Operations, LLC., filed separate Chapter 11 petitions in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Nashville last week, listing total combined debts of about $25.6 million against assets of about $14.1 million, including the $13.1 million value of the real estate.
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Some Florida Hotels use portable heaters to keep guests warm
SARASOTA - A biting wind held beachgoers at bay on Lido Key today as people bundled up, bracing for another night of plummeting temperatures.
But it wasn't just beachgoers who had to seek ways to stay warm. So did the owners of older hotels, some of which don't have heat.
"It was built in 1926," said Kathy DeRoy, owner of Hotel Ranola, in downtown Sarasota.
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But it wasn't just beachgoers who had to seek ways to stay warm. So did the owners of older hotels, some of which don't have heat.
"It was built in 1926," said Kathy DeRoy, owner of Hotel Ranola, in downtown Sarasota.
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Sunday, December 5, 2010
New Resorts owner: All ailing casino needs is love
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Asked about his plans to save Resorts Atlantic City, the first casino in the United States to open outside Nevada, new owner Dennis Gomes briefly touches on spruced up hotel rooms, guest suites and a snazzier casino floor.
But what the place really needs, he says, is a whole lotta love, with some positive spiritual energy thrown in.
Despite his buttoned-down appearance, Gomes is not your typical casino executive.
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