Many unanswered questions remain in the case of the two women convicted of embezzling nearly $6 million from Aviva USA.
Some of you, for instance, want to know why Phyllis Stevens received a term of only six years in prison for her crimes against the West Des Moines life insurance-annuities company and why her spouse, Marla Stevens, got only three.
It's a good question, but mine isn't bad, either: How in the world did Marla Stevens rack up $400,000 in hotel room-service charges? Is it even humanly possible?
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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Boom Boom Room cocktail waitresses claim Standard canned them for lacking 'runway model' looks
Two cocktail cuties at The Standard say they got canned for not fitting the mold of "willowy, svelte and statuesque runway models" at the trendy hotel's Boom Boom Room.
Aspiring actresses Faye Rex and Stephanie Jaggers are suing the Meatpacking District hotel, claiming management sees fit to employ only women with runway model looks at its sexy playpen above the High Line.
"There's definitely a type at the Boom Boom Room - and that type is beautiful, tall and skinny," said Richard Roth, a lawyer for the women. "Compare that to the men."
Rex and Jaggers lost their jobs as cocktail waitresses last summer soon after the reopening of the Boom Boom Room, where beauties frolic in a hot tub planted in the middle of the 18th-floor hotspot.
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Aspiring actresses Faye Rex and Stephanie Jaggers are suing the Meatpacking District hotel, claiming management sees fit to employ only women with runway model looks at its sexy playpen above the High Line.
"There's definitely a type at the Boom Boom Room - and that type is beautiful, tall and skinny," said Richard Roth, a lawyer for the women. "Compare that to the men."
Rex and Jaggers lost their jobs as cocktail waitresses last summer soon after the reopening of the Boom Boom Room, where beauties frolic in a hot tub planted in the middle of the 18th-floor hotspot.
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Duncan Bannatyne to campaign against 'cowardly' TripAdvisor
Duncan Bannatyne, the Dragons’ Den panellist, is to spearhead a campaign against the “despicable and cowardly” TripAdvisor website after it refused to remove a review comparing one of his hotels to Fawlty Towers.
The Glaswegian entrepreneur said the internet giant was risking the livelihoods of dozens of hoteliers and restaurateurs thanks to its policy of publishing all reviews it receives.
He said he is considering suing the site over what he claims is a “dishonest” review published about one of his hotels and accused the internet giant of trying to “bully” him into silence using threatening letters
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Man arrested after threat to leap from Reno hotel
RENO, Nev. (AP) - Authorities say a Wisconsin man was arrested after officers persuaded him not to jump from his room in the 9th floor of the Sands Regency Casino Hotel.
Reno police say 48-year-old Randy Russell is wanted on a sexual assault warrant in Wisconsin in had previously been the subject of a search there. KOLO-TV reports that Russell is being held without bail.
Police say Russell was hanging from the window of his room threatening to jump when police arrived at about 9:15 a.m. Monday. It took officers about three hours to talk Russell out of jumping.
Another Helmsley Property Sold Off
The estate of Leona Helmsley has reached a deal to sell the New York Helmsley hotel to Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. for more than $310 million in the latest move the estate is taking to liquidate the real-estate empire Harry Helmsley took decades to build, according to people familiar with the matter.
A spokesman for the estate wasn't immediately available for comment
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Monday, January 24, 2011
Sales of Hooter's Restaurants completed
ATLANTA,( Hospitality Business News) Jan. 24, 2011 -- Today, Hooters of America, Inc. "HOA" announced the completion of a transaction which transfers ownership of the company from the estate of Robert H. Brooks who passed in 2006 into the hands of a consortium of private investors, including Chanticleer Holdings, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CCLR) "Chanticleer". Simultaneous with this transaction the investor group will also acquire Texas Wings, Inc., the largest franchisee of HOA. The two businesses will come together to strengthen the Hooters brand worldwide.
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Man Dies in Fall From Hotel in Midtown New York
A 23-year-old man died Sunday when he apparently fell from a fourth-floor landing at the Pennsylvania Hotel in midtown Manhattan, police said.
Moon G. Nam, of Jersey City, apparently became lost when he returned to the hotel, where he had spent the night with two friends, at about 6:00 a.m. to retrieve his cellphone that he forgot in his room, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case said. He said surveillance video shows Mr. Nam taking a freight elevator to the fourth floor where he followed exit signs to the landing. Investigators believe he was looking for a fire escape or leaning over the guardrail when he fell.
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Moon G. Nam, of Jersey City, apparently became lost when he returned to the hotel, where he had spent the night with two friends, at about 6:00 a.m. to retrieve his cellphone that he forgot in his room, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case said. He said surveillance video shows Mr. Nam taking a freight elevator to the fourth floor where he followed exit signs to the landing. Investigators believe he was looking for a fire escape or leaning over the guardrail when he fell.
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Innkeepers USA Trust up for sale
Innkeepers USA Trust, a real-estate investment trust that owns more than 70 hotels, is shopping for investors or outright buyers to take the firm out of bankruptcy-court protection, said people familiar with the matter.
Innkeepers bankers have contacted some 70 potential investors and are readying for a prolonged auction to pick a bidder to finance the company's bankruptcy exit, the people said.
Innkeepers is likely to attract investors who work with creditors to restructure the hotel company's debt, the people said. But Innkeepers is also essentially putting itself up for sale, looking for buyers who would take control of the company in an all-cash bid, the people said. Innkeepers runs hotels under brands including Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
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Innkeepers bankers have contacted some 70 potential investors and are readying for a prolonged auction to pick a bidder to finance the company's bankruptcy exit, the people said.
Innkeepers is likely to attract investors who work with creditors to restructure the hotel company's debt, the people said. But Innkeepers is also essentially putting itself up for sale, looking for buyers who would take control of the company in an all-cash bid, the people said. Innkeepers runs hotels under brands including Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
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Argentina woman survives 23-storey hotel fall
A young woman has survived after falling from the 23rd floor of a hotel in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires.
Her fall was broken by a taxi, whose driver got out moments before the impact crushed the roof and shattered the windscreen.
Eyewitness said the woman had climbed over a safety barrier and leapt from a restaurant at the top of the Hotel Crown Plaza Panamericano.
She was taken to intensive care for treatment for multiple injuries.
The woman, who has not been named, is reported to be an Argentine in her 20s.
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Sunday, January 23, 2011
Taco Bell in a beef about beef
Image via Wikipedia(Hospitality Business News) January 23, 2010 - - - -The law firm of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C. has filed a consumer rights class action lawsuit against Taco Bell Corporation. Whereby the lawsuit challenges Taco Bell's practice of representing to consumers that its restaurants serve "seasoned ground beef" or "seasoned beef" filling in its products, when in fact a substantial amount of the filling contains substances other than beef. The lawsuit seeks to require Taco Bell to properly advertise and label food items, and to engage in a corrective advertising campaign to educate the public about the true content of its food products.
According to standards established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the meat filling in Taco Bell's products does not meet the minimum standard requirement to be labeled and advertised as "beef," seasoned or otherwise. The substantial majority of the filling is comprised of substances other than beef, and is required to be labeled and advertised as "taco meat filing." Taco meat filling includes ingredients added to increase the volume of the product, such as binders and extenders like "isolated oat product."
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South Indian actress Yamuna arrested for prostitution at 5 star Banglalore Hotel
Bangalore, Jan 23: South Indian beauty, actress Yamuna has been arrested by the police for her alleged involvement in flesh trade. Later, she was released on bail on Saturday, Jan 22. The investigation is on, the team headed by the City police commissioner Shankar M Bidari were looking into all the aspects to file the charges.
Police sources said, "on a specific information, we conducted a raid on room no 1402, 4th floor in ITC Royal Gardenia Hotel, Bangalore. During the raid, we have recovered Rs 2 laks from actress Yamuna and Rs 46,000 from her pimp Surakshit of Puttur in Andhra Pradesh."
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Police have arrested seven women and two men in connection with call girl racket, during a raid in a five star hotel in Bangalore on Thursday, Jan 20. This group is suspected to be part of a nationwide sex racket, which has been active in the city for quite some time. Actress Yamuna, is one among them.
Police sources said, "on a specific information, we conducted a raid on room no 1402, 4th floor in ITC Royal Gardenia Hotel, Bangalore. During the raid, we have recovered Rs 2 laks from actress Yamuna and Rs 46,000 from her pimp Surakshit of Puttur in Andhra Pradesh."
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Al Jaber Group to build first robotic car park in Abu Dhabi
WAM Abu Dhabi, Jan 23rd, 2011 (WAM) -- Al Jaber Group will be commencing the works on the first robotic car park in Abu Dhabi. The new car park will be located next to the Traders Hotel in Qaryat Al Beri Resort.
This Project is the first of its kind in Abu Dhabi with a capacity to handle 325 cars; it will be located next to the Traders Hotel and will have the same finishing and building specifications and height of the Traders hotel to fit in with the gorgeous architectural environment of the development.
The new robotic car park is based on a very sophisticated mechanical system that works via small robots which are placed on steel pallets. The robots pull, rotate and stack the cars in their parking bays. The whole mechanical process of parking the car and retrieving it does not take more than 50 seconds, which makes parking cars a smooth and quick process for the visitors of Qaryat Al Beri Resort.
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This Project is the first of its kind in Abu Dhabi with a capacity to handle 325 cars; it will be located next to the Traders Hotel and will have the same finishing and building specifications and height of the Traders hotel to fit in with the gorgeous architectural environment of the development.
The new robotic car park is based on a very sophisticated mechanical system that works via small robots which are placed on steel pallets. The robots pull, rotate and stack the cars in their parking bays. The whole mechanical process of parking the car and retrieving it does not take more than 50 seconds, which makes parking cars a smooth and quick process for the visitors of Qaryat Al Beri Resort.
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Garbage Hotel opens in Madrid
January 23, 2010 (Hospitality Business News) The “Coronita Save the Beach Hotel”, designed by German eco-artist is built using 12 tonnes of garbage collected from the beaches of Spain, Italy, France and Belgium. The goal of Schult’s installation is to raise awareness of the damage consumerism has on the world beaches.
More NCAA Basketball for Atlantis
OVER a year of lobbying and the hosting of a landmark basketball event in the country has led to the Bahamas being granted exempt status by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The NCAA's Division I Board of Directors approved the Bahamas' proposal last weekend and the legislation will go into effect, August 1.
The newly awarded exempt status will give the Bahamas the authority to host a tournament which will count towards a team's 30 game schedule.
According to George Markantonis, President and Managing Director of Kerzner International Bahamas, tentative plans to host the tournament are scheduled for the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, November 23-27.
Lofty expectations loom for the revamped and expanded "Battle At Atlantis" which organisers hope to eventually challenge the NCAA's most well known tournament outside the continental United States, the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
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The NCAA's Division I Board of Directors approved the Bahamas' proposal last weekend and the legislation will go into effect, August 1.
The newly awarded exempt status will give the Bahamas the authority to host a tournament which will count towards a team's 30 game schedule.
According to George Markantonis, President and Managing Director of Kerzner International Bahamas, tentative plans to host the tournament are scheduled for the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, November 23-27.
Lofty expectations loom for the revamped and expanded "Battle At Atlantis" which organisers hope to eventually challenge the NCAA's most well known tournament outside the continental United States, the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
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A Hotel’s Case for Direct Connect
If it costs the airlines billions to conduct business through OTAs and the GDS then what will it take for the hotel industry to address its current conventional distribution strategy?
The recent actions by American Airlines to move forward with their “direct connect” model has stirred the preverbal pot to say the least.
According to an article released by Fairlogix, “A Picture is Worth $7 Billion, The real story behind airline distribution, travel supply chain, and consumer value”, it costs the airlines roughly $7 billion annually to conduct business through their current indirect distribution channels such as Orbitz and Sabre.
To set the record straight “direct connect” is not a new phenomenon in fact Orbitz introduced its own version of direct connect in 2002 with none other than the same airline that they are now battling.
