News Archive
Archive of industry news from the global hotel industryNews By Date
February 2012
Top
New York Helmsley to undergo $65m renovation
The New York Helmsley Hotel is set to undergo a $65m renovation, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Host Hotels & Resorts have...
Hilton signs management agreement with Astana in Kazakhstan
Global hospitality company Hilton Worldwide has announced the signing of a management agreement with Astana Development Group in...
IHG opens Holiday Inn Express Atlanta Downtown
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the opening of the new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Atlanta Downtown in Georgia,...
Brazil’s travel intermediaries industry to reach $41.55bn in 2016
The value of the Brazilian travel intermediaries industry is expected to reach R$71.68bn ($41.55bn) by 2016, according to a BRICdata...
Hyatt signs management agreements with Naseel
A Hyatt affiliate has signed agreements with Naseel Holding Company to manage three new Hyatt-branded hotels in the Kingdom of Saudi...
DoubleTree by Hilton opens fifth New York hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton has announced the opening of its fifth New York City hotel in Midtown Manhattan, located at 36th Street between Eighth and Ninth...
Starwood Capital buys Gansevoort hotel in US
A consortium consisting affiliates of Starwood Capital Group, the LeFrak Organization and Invesco have jointly purchased a property that includes the former Gansevoort luxury hotel in...
London reports rise in 2011 RevPAR
London registered an 8.4% year-on-year increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR) in 2011, according to data from STR...
InterContinental Hotels opens New York property
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the opening in the US of the $52m Holiday Inn New York City Midtown-31st...
New York registers $3.5bn in 2011 hotel transactions
New York City has recorded 18 hotel transactions in 2011, which comprised $3.5bn in assets traded and represented a 150% increase over 2010 volumes, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels'...
Strand Development announces expansion plans
US-based hotel operator Strand Development has announced plans to expand into the Midwest and West Coast of the US within the next three to five...
Chesapeake to acquire Hyatt Place New York
Real estate investment trust Chesapeake Lodging Trust has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Hyatt Place New York Midtown South in Manhattan, New York, US for...
Sahara Group makes £750m bid for Marriott hotels
Sahara Group in India has made a bid for 42 Marriott hotels in London, which are being sold by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) for around...
January 2012
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Marriott International plans hotel in Nice
Marriott International has announced plans to open the first hotel under the AC Hotels by Marriott portfolio in Nice,...
IHG opens Crowne Plaza Suites hotel in Colombia
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the opening of the Crowne Plaza Suites Tequendama Bogota in...
Onyx to operate hotel in India
Thai hotel management company Onyx Hospitality Group has been appointed by Apna Punjab Resorts in India to operate a hotel in Ludhiana,...
Northland Inn announces second phase of renovation
Northland Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, managed by StepStone Hospitality, has announced the launch of the second phase of its $24m...
BHG signs deal to acquire Grupo Solare
Brazil Hospitality Group (BHG) has agreed the acquisition of hotel management company Grupo Solare in...
Starwood plans 80 new hotel openings in 2012
Hotel and leisure company Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is set to open an additional 80 new hotels in 2012, following last year's addition of 81 new hotels around the...
Abu Dhabi hotel occupancy beats two-million target
The Abu Dhabi hotel industry hosted 2,111,611 guests in 2011, beating its target of two million guests by 6.5%, according to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority...
Best Western to open hotel in Haiti
US hotel chain Best Western is to open an upscale hotel in Haiti for business...
Global leisure hotel rates rise by 8.3%
Worldwide leisure hotel rates for December 2011 increased by 8.3% on the previous year's figures, while the business hotel market recorded smaller rate gains of 3.2%, according to...
Hyatt rebrands Summerfield Suites, Sierra hotels as Hyatt House
Global hospitality company Hyatt Hotels is to rebrand 38 Hyatt Summerfield Suites and 15 Hotel Sierra hotels as new hotel concept Hyatt...
RockBridge to invest in Wynfrey Hotel
US hotel investment firm RockBridge is to make a preferred equity investment to recapitalise and reposition the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama,...
DoubleTree by Hilton announces tenth US hotel location
DoubleTree by Hilton has added its tenth hotel location in the Washington DC/Baltimore area, the DoubleTree by Hilton Washington DC-Silver Spring in Silver Spring, Maryland,...
Vivanta by Taj expands Indian portfolio
Hospitality brand Vivanta by Taj, part of Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces, has launched a hotel in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,...
Vincci Hoteles to implement EZYield channel management system
Spain-based Vincci Hoteles is to install EZYield's Fuzionlink channel management system across its entire hotel...
Parkside Hotels to make $400m investment in India
US-based hotelier Parkside Hotels and Resorts is to invest $400m in expanding its operations in...
Starwood to launch Westin brand in Cleveland
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced plans to introduce its Westin brand to Cleveland, Ohio,...
Marriott Hotels completes $30m Boston Marriott renovation
Marriott International and Sunstone Hotel Investors' flagship brand Marriott Hotels & Resorts has completed a four-year, $30m full-property renovation of the Boston Marriott Long Wharf...
DoubleTree by Hilton acquires UK Mint Hotels
DoubleTree by Hilton has added two former Mint Hotels to its hotel...
Potawatomi to build $150m green hotel
US-based Potawatomi Bingo Casino, which is owned and operated by the Forest County Potawatomi Community, is to build a $150m smoke-free, green hotel in Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley in Wisconsin,...
IHG eyes Middle East expansion
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is to open eight new hotels across six Middle East countries during...
KHC completes sale of key hotel stakes
UAE-based investment firm Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) has completed the sale of its stakes in the Four Seasons Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the Movenpick Dar es Salaam in Tanzania for...
Starwood plans Indian expansion
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to open nearly 20 hotels in India by...
Hilton Singer Island Oceanfront Resort renovation nears completion
The Hilton Singer Island Oceanfront/Palm Beaches Resort on Singer Island, Florida, US, is nearing the completion of a multimillion-dollar...
New Orleans hotel deploys Agilysys software
The Hotel Modern New Orleans is to use the Agilysys Guest 360 property management system and the Agilysys InfoGenesis POS solution to streamline its operations and deliver a personalised...
Autograph Collection adds Carlton Hotel to portfolio
Marriott International's Autograph Collection brand has announced the addition of the Carlton Hotel in New York, US, to its...
Hotels unlikely to benefit from bigger business travel budgets
Business travel buyers may receive extra budgets for 2012, but the extra money will not necessarily end up in the hotel community, a Business Travel Show study has...
IHCL to develop, manage two hotels in China
Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) has signed a memorandum of cooperation with China-based Yunnan Tourism to form a joint venture to develop and manage two hotels in...
Hyatt Hotels to continue brand growth in India
Hyatt Hotels has introduced its new Hyatt House extended-stay brand in India with the signing of a management agreement for a hotel in...
Shangri-La Hotels deploys MetricStream audit system
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has installed the MetricStream Audit Management Solution to power its internal audit...
China's secondary cities report revPAR growth
China's secondary cities - those with fewer than ten million inhabitants - experienced higher revPAR growth than the national average of 2.8% for the year-to-November 2011, according to STR...
Chatwal Hotels to make $200m investment in India
US-based Chatwal Hotels & Resorts is to spend $200m on opening more than 50 hotels in India over the next five...
IHG to manage first Holiday Inn Express in Kuala Lumpur
Global hotels company InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed an agreement with RB Capital Group to manage Kuala Lumpur’s first Holiday Inn Express, scheduled to open in...
Global hotel investment volumes rise in H1 2011
Improved real estate investment trusts and a revival of the debt market boosted global hotel investment volumes during the first half of 2011, according to Jones Lang LaSalle's Hotel...
Best Western plans Indian expansion
US hotel chain Best Western International is to establish 66 new hotels with 5,919 rooms in India over the next five years as part of its business expansion...
Centara opens new Pattaya hotel
Thailand-based Centara Hotels & Resorts has launched the Centara Pattaya Hotel in Pattaya,...
Leela Group to launch new hotel category
Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts in India is to introduce a third category of hotels with a new brand name during the first half of...
China tourist visitors to reach 3.46 billion within five years
China's global tourist volume is poised to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.25%, from 2.43 billion in 2011 to 3.46 billion in 2015, driven mainly by increased investments in...
North American hotel market to grow during 2012
Driven by an increase in rates and steady demand for rooms, hotels in North America will experience strong growth in 2012, according to TravelClick's December 2011 North American Hospitality...
LaSalle completes Park Central acquisition
Real estate investment trust LaSalle Hotel Properties has closed the previously announced acquisition of The Park Central Hotel in New York, US for...
Brazil expects to see seven million international tourists by 2015
International tourist arrivals to Brazil are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.72% during 2011-15, resulting in seven million arrivals by 2015, according to a...
7 Days Group completes Huatian Star acquisition
Chinese hotel chain 7 Days Group Holdings has completed its 100% acquisition of Hunan Huatian Star Hotel Management from Huatian Star's parent company Huatian Hotel Group for CNY136m...
US hotel occupancy rises by 8.1%
The US hotel industry has registered an 8.1% increase in occupancy to 37.3% during the week 18-24 December 2011, according to data from STR...
December 2011
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Marriott to develop first hotel in Peru
Marriott International has announced a management agreement with Inversiones La Rioja, owners of the JW Marriott Lima and the new JW Marriott Cusco, to develop its first project in Peru...
Season's Greetings from the editorial team
We will be taking a short break over the holiday season. Our daily news service will return in full on 3...
Hilton opens two hotels at Frankfurt Airport
Hilton Worldwide has announced the opening of Hilton Frankfurt Airport and Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport, part of the futuristic THE SQUAIRE complex, at Frankfurt...
IHG introduces app for Kindle Fire, Google TV and Android Tablets
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has expanded its booking solutions across the Android platform with the Priority Club Rewards app for Kindle Fire, Google TV and Android...
Russia anticipates robust tourism growth
Inbound and outbound tourism in Russia will see robust growth in the next five years, according to a new report by UK-based research firm...
Tune Hotels registers three million guests in four years
Malaysian hotel brand Tune Hotels has registered three million guests since the opening of its first hotel in downtown Kuala Lumpur in...
Morgans signs management agreement for Mondrian Istanbul
US-based hospitality firm Morgans Hotel Group has entered a management agreement for a Mondrian-branded hotel to be located in Istanbul,...
Carlson opens new US Radisson hotel
Global hospitality and travel company Carlson has launched the Radisson Hotel Chatsworth in West San Fernando Valley in Southern California,...
Marriott to build Algerian Courtyard by Marriott
Marriott International is to develop the Courtyard by Marriott Setif, Algeria, under a management agreement with ownership group...
Accor acquires Mirvac hotel management business
French hotel group Accor has bought Mirvac Hotels & Resorts, the hotel management arm of Australia-based Mirvac Group, for...
UAE confident about Christmas occupancy
Hoteliers in the UAE are expecting an average hotel occupancy of at least 80% for Christmas and New Year due to an increase in...
SIPP completes Newport Creek acquisition
Chinese diversified holding company in the food, hotel and broadcasting industries, SIPP International, has completed the acquisition of Newport Creek...
IHG signs agreements with BIM Group
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the signing of agreements with Vietnamese conglomerate, the BIM Group, for two new-build Crowne Plaza properties in Vientiane, Lao...
Indian tourist volumes to witness 11% annual growth until 2015
Tourist volumes in India will witness an annual growth of over 11% during 2011-15, according to a BRICdata...
Marriott’s Autograph Collection acquires Hotel & Spa do Vinho
Marriott International's business venture Autograph Collection has added the Hotel & Spa do Vinho, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to its...
Marshall adds five US hotel management contracts to portfolio
US-based hotel management and services company Marshall Hotels & Resorts has won five property management...
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel debuts in the Netherlands
DoubleTree by Hilton has debuted in the Netherlands with the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station, formerly the Mint Hotel...
Accor to debut first Sofitel hotel in India
French hotel group Accor plans to debut its first Sofitel Luxury Hotel in India at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), in suburban Mumbai, by the end of December...
Rising debt prompts DLF to sell hotel subsidiary to Square Four
In an effort to cut its Rs225bn ($4.27bn) debt, Indian real estate developer DLF will sell its hotel subsidiary DLF Hotels & Hospitality (DHHL) to Square Four Housing & Infrastructure for...
Starwood Hotels to debut Aloft brand in Detroit
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide debuts its Aloft brand in Detroit in Michigan, US, with a hotel in the historic David Whitney Building in Grand Circus...
DoubleTree by Hilton opens ninth property in China
DoubleTree, by Hilton, has announced the opening of the DoubleTree by Hilton Jiangsu-Taizhou, located in the commercial district of Hailing in Taizhou,...
Hyatt Place unveils Pali Tower to mark Hawaiian hotel debut
Hyatt Place has opened the Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach hotel in Hawaii, US, by unveiling Pali Tower, the first of two towers being constructed at the...
21c Museum Hotels starts construction of Arkansas hotel project
21c Museum Hotels has started building its 21c Bentonville hotel project in Arkansas,...
New York Crowne Plaza Hotel to receive Hilton makeover
The downtown Crowne Plaza in Albany, New York, US, will be rebranded as Hilton following the completion of an ongoing $10m...
Grand Hyatt New York completes $130m renovation
The Grand Hyatt New York in Manhattan, New York, US, has completed its $130m renovation with the installation of two sculptures by artist Jaume...
Currency fluctuation raises UK travellers’ costs
The sterling's fluctuation against the euro in the first half of 2011 forced UK travellers to pay £97 a night on rooms abroad, the second-highest amount in the EU, according to Hotels.com's...
Rezidor announces two hotel projects in Norway
Global hotel management company Rezidor Hotel Group has announced plans for two new hotels in Oslo, Norway: The Radisson Blu Hotel, Oslo Alna and the Park Inn by Radisson Oslo...
DoubleTree by Hilton opens eighth Chinese property
DoubleTree by Hilton has launched a new property in Langfang, Hebei Province, China, the brand's eighth in the...
Hilton Worldwide launches energy-saving drive at South African hotels
In an effort to enhance sustainability, Hilton Worldwide has launched an energy-saving initiative at its three hotels in South Africa: Hilton Sandton, Hilton Durban and Hilton Cape...
DLF buys Hilton’s stake in hotel joint venture
Indian real estate major DLF has signed a Rs1.2bn ($23.42m) agreement to acquire the remaining 26% stake in its joint venture company DLF Hotels & Hospitality from an affiliate of...
TRYP by Wyndham debuts North American hotel
TRYP by Wyndham has revealed its first foray into the North American market by debuting the 242-room TRYP Quebec Hotel PUR at the Saint-Roch quarter in Quebec City,...
Palace Kämp Group unveils Finland hotel project
Finnish hotel and restaurant company Palace Kämp Group is to build a major hotel project in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki,...
Four Seasons Riyadh expansion underway
The expansion of the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh in Saudi Arabia has begun, according to Kingdom Holding Company, the hotel's...
Tata PE buys stake in Ginger Hotels
Tata Capital's private equity fund Tata Private Equity has purchased a 10% stake in Roots Corporation, which runs Indian budget chain Ginger...
Canada’s hotel industry records moderate growth
Canadian hotels revealed moderate growth for the week ending 19 November 2011, according to data released by STR...
ITC to build Sheraton hotel in Sri Lanka
ITC Limited, the India-based franchisee for the Sheraton Group, is to invest $300m in a luxury hotel and mixed-use development project in Colombo, Sri...
Marriott unveils Haiti hotel project
Marriott International is to open a new $45m hotel in Haiti under a management agreement with ownership group Unigestion Holding, a Digicel Group...
UK hotel industry reveals October results
Hotels in London, UK, reported year-on-year growth with room yield rising to £112.70 from £111.14 in October 2010, driven by a 3.6% increase in room rates from £124.97 to...
US hotel occupancy rises in November
US hotel occupancy rose by 4.1% to stand at 59.4% and its average daily rate (ADR) increased by 3.7% to $102.11 in year-on-year comparisons for the week ending 19 November 2011, according...
Hampshire Hotels & Resorts to run LA hotel
A new hotel at Selma Avenue and Cahuenga Boulevard, Los Angeles, US, is to be run by Hampshire Hotels & Resorts under its Dream Hotel...
November 2011
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Travellers International invests $1.1bn in Philippines Bayshore project
Travellers International Hotel Group, a joint venture of investment holding firm Alliance Global Group (AGI) and Genting Hong Kong, is to spend $1.1bn on Resorts World Bayshore in Manila,...
Pramerica, Paris Inn Group to invest in Paris
Pramerica Real Estate Investors and Paris Inn Group have formed a new joint venture company, Capital Inn, to invest in hotels in Paris,...
Meliá Hotels plans fourth Cape Verde property
Spanish hotel group Meliá Hotels International is to open its fourth hotel in the Cape Verde...
Colombian hotel investment to reach $2bn
Investment in the Colombian hotel industry will reach $2bn by the end of 2011, according to Cotelco, Colombia's hotel...
Holiday Inn Resort implements IDS Next technology audit
Holiday Inn Resort in Goa, India, has used IDS Next's technology audit to optimise its IT infrastructure and increase efficiency within the...
Minor International to expand Sri Lankan portfolio
Thailand-based Minor International is to build more hotels in Sri Lanka in partnership with...
Hawaii reveals November hotel market
Hawaiian hotels registered an increase of over 4% in average room rates last week, according to a weekly report by Hospitality Advisors and Smith Travel...
Retaj reveals Turkish expansion plans
Qatar-based hospitality company Retaj Marketing and Project Management is to invest $500m in Turkish hotels catering to Muslim...
YTC implements EzRMS solution at Peninsula Excelsior
Singapore-based YTC Hotels has installed Easy Revenue Management Solutions' EzRMS web-based revenue management tool at its flagship property, the 600-room Peninsula Excelsior Hotel in...
Temple REIT reports decline in Q3 operating income
Temple Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) reported a 4% fall in operating income for the third quarter of 2011 compared with the same period in...
TPS acquires Tanzanian hotel
Kenya-based TPS Eastern Africa has bought a hotel in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from Movenpick Hotels and...
Albany’s October occupancy rises
Occupancy rates at 134 hotels in Albany and the surrounding area in the state of New York, US, increased by 6.2% in October 2011, according to STR...
Host Hotels introduces $1bn credit facility
Host Hotels & Resorts has closed its new $1bn revolving credit facility, which represents an increase over its existing facility, with a syndicate of...
Morgans closes sale of London hotels
Morgans Hotel Group has completed the sale of the Sanderson and St Martins Lane hotels in London, UK, for £192m ($300m) to Capital Hill Hotels, a Middle Eastern...
Carlson reveals India expansion plans
Global hospitality and travel company Carlson is to set up 100 hotels in India by...
Rezidor to open Park Inn by Radisson Petrozavodsk in 2013
The Rezidor Hotel Group will launch the Park Inn by Radisson Petrozavodsk in Petrozavodsk, Russia, in...
Hilton, NG Group to develop five-star Indian hotel
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is to develop a hotel in Ahmedabad,...
Asia Pacific occupancy falls, revPAR rises
Asia Pacific's hotel occupancy for October 2011 fell by 2% to 70% and its average daily rate rose by 8.4% to $150.60 year-on-year, according to an STR Global...
Concord sells four Canadian Marriott hotels to Genesis
Concord Hospitality Enterprises, the largest operator of Marriott-branded properties in Canada, has sold a portfolio of four hotels to Manitoba-based private investment group Genesis...
BRIC nations report hotel price boom
High demand from corporate travellers has driven up room rates in the BRIC nations in the first half of 2011, according to the Hotels.com Hotel Price...
Marriott to convert Panama Finesterre Suites
Marriott International will convert the Finisterre Suites in Panama City, Panama, into a Marriott Executive Apartments extended-stay hotel in early...
DoubleTree by Hilton opens Pittsburgh hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton has opened the DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh-Green Tree in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,...
Meliá Hotels adds two hotels to Asian portfolio
Meliá Hotels International has acquired two new properties in Xi'an, China, and Da Nang,...
HFF arranges loan for nine hotels
Holliday Fenoglio Fowler (HFF) has arranged $120m of refinancing for nine full-service US hotels totalling 2,264 rooms in the US states of California, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New...
Shangri-La Asia to develop hotel in China
Shangri-La Asia is to launch a new hotel in Yingkou, China, which will bring the company's total number of hotels in the region to...
Swissôtel to expand Chinese portfolio
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts is to open a new hotel, the Swissôtel Chengdu in Sichuan Province,...
Elysian Hotel Chicago to be rebranded Waldorf Astoria
A joint venture of Hilton Worldwide, the parent company of Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, an Equity Group Investments affiliate and Elysian principals has acquired the Elysian Hotel Chicago...
Hersha acquires Courtyard Miami Beach Oceanfront
Hersha Hospitality Trust has completed the $95m acquisition of the Courtyard Miami Beach Oceanfront in Miami, Florida,...
Marriott unveils European prototype for Courtyard by Marriott
Marriott International has launched a new European model for its Courtyard by Marriott...
RLH to transform two New Mexico hotels
Hospitality firm Red Lion Hotels (RLH) is to convert two New Mexico, US, hotels: the Red Lion Hotel Farmington and the Red Lion Hotel...
Redstone to build Embassy Suites property in US
Redstone Suites is to construct a new Embassy Suites property in the Horn Rapids Golf Community of Richland, Washington,...
Rezidor to rebrand Athens Park as Radisson Blu hotel
The Rezidor Hotel Group is to rebrand the Athens Park Hotel in Athens, Greece, as the Radisson Blu Park Hotel Athens by mid-December...
Worldhotels to develop ten hotels in India by 2014
Germany-based Worldhotels is to launch ten hotels in India under the Worldhotels brand by 2014 as part of its newly launched brand licence...
Marriott’s Autograph Collection adds Union Station Hotel to portfolio
Marriott International brand the Autograph Collection will add the Union Station Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, US, to its portfolio for January...
Hilton opens Hilton Nanjing in China
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has launched the new Hilton Nanjing in Jiangsu Province,...
Global hotel transactions double in H1 2011
Despite the world's economic turmoil, hotel transactions for the first half of 2011 were over double the figure for the same period in 2010, a Deloitte survey...
Marriott International signs 100th hotel in China
Marriott International has signed up its 100th hotel, the 345-room JW Marriott Hotel Shenyang in Shenyang,...
El Encanto Hotel receives loan from Sonnenblick
The El Encanto Hotel in Santa Barbara, California, US, has acquired a $45m loan from real estate investment banking firm Sonnenblick-Eichner on behalf of Orient-Express...
Admiral acquires stake in Hilton Garden Inn Houston Energy Corridor
The Admiral Capital Real Estate Fund has acquired a preferred equity interest in the Hilton Garden Inn Houston Energy Corridor in West Houston, Texas,...
Rezidor launches Park Inn by Radisson in Italy
The Rezidor Hotel Group has unveiled its Park Inn by Radisson brand in...
Marriott opens first UK Residence Inn
Marriott International has opened the Residence Inn Edinburgh, Scotland, its first Residence Inn property in the...
Crestline to manage IHG’s Hotel Indigo
InterContinental Hotels Group has appointed Crestline Hotels & Resorts to manage its new Hotel Indigo in Newark, New Jersey,...
Investcorp buys debt to back Paramount hotel sale
Investcorp's US-based real estate arm has bought two mezzanine loans with a principal balance of $40m from Fillmore Capital Partners, backed by the Paramount Hotel in New York,...
Fairmont to launch Chengdu hotel in 2014
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will open a new property in Chengdu, China, in...
Home Inns reports rise in Q3 revenue
Chinese hotel chain Home Inns & Hotels Management reported a 12.3% year-on-year increase in total revenues for the third quarter (Q3) of 2011 to CNY988m...
US hotel October pipeline declines
The number of rooms in the total active US hotel development pipeline fell by 9% in October 2011 compared with October 2010, according to the STR/McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline...
DoubleTree by Hilton opens Chongqing hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton has launched the 284-room DoubleTree by Hilton Chongqing North in Chongqing,...
Interstate to manage Four Points by Sheraton Kecskemét
Interstate Hotels & Resorts has entered a long-term management agreement for the Four Points by Sheraton Kecskemét in...
Rezidor to launch Netherlands Park Inn by Radisson in 2012
Belgium-based Rezidor Hotel Group will unveil the Park Inn by Radisson Amsterdam Schiphol in the Netherlands in the third quarter of...
Summit Hotel to acquire two US properties
Real estate investment trust Summit Hotel Properties has signed agreements to acquire two US Marriott hotels and sell one non-core...
Wyndham opens TRYP San José Sabana
The Wyndham Hotel Group has launched the TRYP San José Sabana in San José, Costa...
Hotel Sierra Green Bay becomes Hyatt on Main
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has revealed that the Hotel Sierra Green Bay in Green Bay, Wisconsin, US has changed its name to Hyatt on Main, Green...
Hilton Worldwide signs agreement with Dijkhuis Vastgoed
Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement with the owner of Hilton Amsterdam, Dijkhuis Vastgoed Management, to open a new Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts...
RLH to sell two US properties
Red Lion Hotels has announced plans to sell two properties in the US, one in Medford, Oregon, and the other in Missoula,...
Hersha to acquire Miami hotel
Hersha Hospitality has agreed to pay $95m to acquire the 263-room Courtyard Miami Beach Oceanfront and an adjacent beachfront land parcel in...
Marriott opens Courtyard by Marriott in Siberia
Marriott International has opened its first hotel in Siberia, the Courtyard by Marriott Irkutsk City...
JHM to manage Ramada Hotel in India
JHM Interstate Hotels India, a joint venture management company between Interstate Hotels & Resorts and JHM Hotels, has signed a contract to manage the Ramada Hotel in the Indian state of...
Starwood to use VingCard RFID locking system for properties
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has selected VingCard Elsafe's Signature Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) contactless electronic door locks and VISION access management system for...
Hilton to rebrand and operate Mint Hotel portfolio
Hilton Worldwide is to rebrand and operate the eight Mint Hotel properties acquired by Blackstone as part of the DoubleTree by Hilton and mid-scale Hilton Garden Inn...
Radisson Blu launches Chicago hotel
Radisson Blu, part of the Rezidor Hotel Group, has opened a new hotel in Chicago,...
Parsvnath to venture into budget hotel segment
Indian realty firm Parsvnath Developers has joined forces with Choice Hotels International to offer 20-25 budget properties across...
Morgans Hotel Group reports Q3 net loss
US-based Morgans Hotel Group (MHG) has reported a net loss of $24.8m in the third quarter (Q3) of 2011 compared with a net loss of $37.1m for the same period of...
QHotels to roll out RMS across entire portfolio by 2012
QHotels is to introduce IDeaS' Revenue Management System (RMS) across its entire portfolio by January...
Rezidor to launch Radisson Blu in Serbia
Belgium-based Rezidor Hotel Group will unveil its Radisson Blu Hotel, Belgrade in Serbia in...
US hotels record occupancy rises for October
Hotel occupancy in the US increased by 6.8% to 61.6% in year-on-year comparisons for the week ending 29 October 2011, according to data by STR...
Hilton signs management agreement with HH Developments
Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with HH Developments for the operation of a Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Santa Fe,...
Red Lion Hotels’ Q3 revenue falls
US-based hospitality firm Red Lion Hotels has recorded a decline in total revenue for the third quarter (Q3) of 2011 to $46.2m, compared with $49.8m in the same period of...
DoubleTree by Hilton converts Aspen Suites Hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton has converted the Aspen Suites Hotel, which is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, US, into the DoubleTree by Hilton Baton...
RLH acquires ten hotels from iStar
Hospitality firm Red Lion Hotels (RLH) has acquired ten US hotels formerly leased from a subsidiary of iStar for $37m as part of a global agreement with iStar Financial and Hilton...
HPT affiliate to buy Sonesta
An affiliate of Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT) is to acquire Sonesta International hotels for...
Marriott International to develop Courtyard by Marriott New York
Marriott International is to develop the Courtyard by Marriott New York Manhattan/Herald Square under a management agreement with owner 960 Associates, an affiliate of real estate company...
Equity International to invest in SAMHI
US-based investment firm Equity International is to invest $75m in Indian developer and hotel owner SAMHI, which has a partnership with Marriott...
Starwood, Sunstar launch Sheraton Panama resort
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and Sunstar Hotel & Development have opened the Sheraton brand's first all-inclusive resort in Panama, The Sheraton Bijao Beach...
Beirut hotel occupancy falls to 55%
The average occupancy rate of hotels in Beirut, Lebanon, dropped to 55% in the first nine months of 2011, compared with 68% in the same period last year, according to Ernst & Young's latest...
Sheraton to open five hotels in China by end-2011
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide's Sheraton brand will launch five new hotels in China by the end of...
Holiday Inn Walsall to reopen in January
Kew Green Hotels' Holiday Inn Walsall in the UK will reopen in January 2012 after a major...
RLJ Lodging buys Courtyard by Marriott Charleston
US-based hotel investment company RLJ Lodging has acquired the Courtyard by Marriott Charleston Historic District in South Carolina, US, for $42m from Noble Investment...
Sinclairs acquires Savannah Sarovar Premiere
India-based hospitality firm Sinclairs Hotels has acquired a majority ownership of Savannah Hotels, which owns Savannah Sarovar Premiere in Whitefield, Bangalore,...
Rezidor unveils Radisson Blu in Turkey
Belgium-based Rezidor Hotel Group has launched the Radisson Blu Hotel Mersin in Mersin,...
Jumeirah Group opens hotel in Abu Dhabi
Dubai-based Jumeirah Group has unveiled the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi,...
Fattal Hotel, Izaki Group commence hotel construction in Israel
Fattal Hotel Management and Izaki Group Investments have started construction of the NIS300m ($83m) Herod's Hotel at the Herzliya Marina in...
Full House announces development of new hotel in the US
Full House Resorts has announced that Rising Sun / Ohio County First and the Rising Sun Regional Foundation have partnered to develop a new hotel at its Rising Star Casino Resort in Indiana,...
ADNEC opens Aloft London Excel in UK
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has announced the opening of Aloft London Excel hotel in the...
Six Construct secures Bahrain hotel contract
Six Construct, the Belgian unit of Egypt's Orascom Construction Industries, has secured a $2.5bn contract to build a tower that will house a branch of the Four Seasons hotel chain in...
Interstate acquires Crowne Plaza Tampa East
US hotel management firm Interstate Hotels & Resorts has acquired the Crowne Plaza Tampa East in Florida, US, through a joint venture with Waramaug Hospitality and a private investment...
Holiday Inn Manchester installs VingCard Signature locks
The Holiday Inn Manchester-MediaCityUK has installed VingCard Signature locks, which are powered by the Vision software...
Algonquin Hotel to close for renovation
The Algonquin Hotel in New York, US, is to close from 1 January 2012 to 30 April 2012 while it undergoes a major...
Wyndham Istanbul Kalamis to open in 2012
The Wyndham Hotel Group has signed an agreement to unveil a second franchised Wyndham Hotels and Resorts property in...
October 2011
Top
Sofitel signs hotel in Singapore
Sofitel Luxury Hotels has announced the signing of Sofitel So Singapore, its third hotel under the Sofitel So...
Pebblebrook reports rise in Q3 RevPAR
US-based real estate investment trust Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has reported a 1.7% increase in pro forma revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the third quarter of...
Chatham and Cerberus complete Innkeepers acquisition
Chatham Lodging Trust and Cerberus Capital Management have completed the previously announced acquisition of 64 hotels from Innkeepers USA Trust affiliates for...
W Hotels to install LodgeNet interactive HDTV systems
Starwood Hotels & Resorts brand W Hotels has decided to install Envision interactive HDTV systems from LodgeNet at its hotels across the...
Maritim opens new hotel in China
Maritim Hotels has launched the five-star Maritim Hotel Shenyang in Yuhong,...
Preferred Hotel to use SuiteLinq technology
Preferred Hotel Group has selected IT company SuiteLinq to be its North American and European partner for connectivity and management...
White Lodging to open Hyatt Place Austin in 2013
Hotel developer and operator White Lodging will unveil the Hyatt Place Austin in Austin, Texas, US, in...
Wyndham reports Q3 revenue rise
Wyndham Worldwide's third quarter (Q3) 2011 revenues reached $1.2bn, a 14% increase on the figure for the same period last...
Rocco Forte to open Abu Dhabi hotel in November
European hotel brand Rocco Forte Hotels is to open the Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi, the company's first hotel in the Middle East, on 7 November...
Davidson opens Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel in US
Hotel management company Davidson Hotels & Resorts has opened the Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel in Louisiana,...
Hyatt opens hotel in Philadelphia
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has unveiled the Hotel Sierra King of Prussia in Philadelphia,...
IHG to revamp Crowne Plaza brand
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has revealed its global repositioning strategy for the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts...
Virgin Hotels to open hotel in Chicago
Hotel brand Virgin Hotels is to open the Virgin Hotel Chicago in 2013 in Illinois,...
Ritz-Carlton opens hotel in Saudi Arabia
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has unveiled The Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, Saudi...
Denver hotel awarded LEED Silver certification
The 403-room Embassy Suites Downtown Denver/Convention Center hotel in Denver, Colorado, US, has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification from the US...
Wyndham signs agreements for Chinese properties
Wyndham Hotel Group has signed franchise agreements in China for five new construction hotels under the company's Ramada...
Accor to double Middle East presence
French hotel group Accor will double its presence in the Middle East by...
Autograph Collection to expand portfolio
Marriott International brand Autograph Collection is to add Hotel ICON in Houston, Texas, US, to its collection of independent...
IHG’s US revPAR rises
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has reported an 8% increase in US revenue per available room (revPAR) for the third quarter of 2011, driven by an occupancy growth of 3% and a rate growth of...
Retaj Hotels reveals Middle East expansion plans
Qatar-based Retaj Hotels & Hospitality will expand its Middle East portfolio to 20 hotels over the next five...
Hilton reveals 2010 sustainability results
Hilton Worldwide, with its portfolio of ten hotel brands, has announced the 2010 results of its sustainability measurement system,...
LaSalle records rise in Q3 revPAR
LaSalle Hotel Properties reported a 6.4% increase in revenue per available room (revPAR) for the third quarter of...
Europe’s H1 2011 investments rise
Hotel investment during the first half (H1) of 2011 in five core European markets reached €2.5bn, a rise of 29% on the figure for the same period last year, according to a report by BNP...
STR reveals Middle East / Africa September hotel development pipeline
The hotel development pipeline in the Middle East and Africa for September 2011 comprised 481 hotels totalling 130,479 rooms, according to STR's Global Construction Pipeline...
DiamondRock to sell hotels to Inland American affiliate
DiamondRock Hospitality has entered an agreement to sell three US hotels to an affiliate of Inland American for...
Fairmont adds Pekin Hotel to portfolio
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has added Moscow's Pekin Hotel to its...
Hard Rock signs Mexican resorts rebrand agreement with Palace Resorts
Hard Rock International has signed an agreement with Palace Resorts to transform Palace Resorts properties in the Mexican resorts of Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Maya into Hard Rock...
Hyatt Regency New Orleans reopens after post-Katrina renovation
Hyatt Regency New Orleans in Louisiana, US, has reopened following a $275m redesign after Hurricane Katrina in...
Mövenpick resort wins Condé Nast award
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts' Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea has been ranked as one of the top five resorts in the Middle East in the Condé Nast Traveler Reader's Choice...
Hyatt introduces Andaz brand in China
Hyatt Hotels has launched its Andaz brand in Xintiandi, Shanghai,...
Westwind sells two Hampton Inns to Terrapin
US-based private investment firm Westwind Investors has sold two Hampton Inn hotels in the US states of North and South Carolina to Terrapin...
Hilton signs new management agreements in Russia
Hilton Worldwide has signed agreements for four new hotels and a multi-site development agreement with Osnova Development to develop 1,500 rooms in multiple Russian...
Hilton, Al Habtoor to convert Beirut hotels
Hilton Worldwide is to partner the Al Habtoor Group to convert two hotels in Beirut to the Hilton Hotels & Resorts...
Marriott International to expand Asia Pacific portfolio
US hotel chain Marriott International is to expand its Asia Pacific portfolio including China, India and...
India’s hotel occupancy rises
Hotel occupancy in India's cities grew at an average of 1.7% during 2010-11, despite a substantial addition of rooms, according to a study by hospitality business consultant...
Accor to sell French Suite Novotel hotels
Accor is to sell seven Suite Novotel hotels in France for €77m as part of its asset-light...
AXA completes IBIS London City Hotel acquisition
European real estate portfolio and asset manager AXA Real Estate has completed the acquisition of the IBIS London City Hotel on behalf of the Co-operative Insurance Society from Mangrove...
US records hotel occupancy rise
Hotel occupancy in the US increased by 1.5% to 64.4% for the week ending 8 October 2011, according to STR...
DB Hospitality to sell stake in hotel company
DB Hospitality, a subsidiary of Dynamix Balwas Group in India, is to raise over Rs10bn ($205m) by selling a stake in either the hotel company or any of its three operational and...
Worldhotels adds Brazilian hotel to portfolio
Worldhotels has expanded its South American portfolio with the addition of the Hotel Transamerica Sao Paulo in...
Accor to expand in Asia Pacific
France-based Accor is to expand its Asia Pacific portfolio with the addition of over 200 hotels by...
Rezidor to open Park Inn by Radisson in Ukraine
The Rezidor Hotel Group will unveil the Park Inn by Radisson Donetsk in Ukraine in...
Wyndham adds Bay Point Resort to Florida portfolio
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has added the Wyndham Bay Point Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida, US, to its resort...
Hyatt affiliates sign agreements for hotels in China
Affiliates of Hyatt Hotels have signed management agreements for two Hyatt Place properties and one Hyatt House hotel in Shanghai,...
Las Vegas MGM Grand to undergo $160m renovation
MGM Resorts is to carry out a $160m remodelling of its MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada,...
Host Hotels records rise in Q3 revenues
Real estate investment trust Host Hotels & Resorts reported a 15% increase in owned hotel revenues to $1.085bn for the third quarter of...
Concord reveals North America renovation plans
US-based hotel management and development company Concord Hospitality will invest $18.5m this year in hotel renovations in Canada and four US...
Hilton launches first hotel in Azerbaijan
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has opened the Hilton Baku in Azerbaijan, its first hotel in the...
Canada’s active pipeline falls in September 2011
The number of rooms in Canada's total active pipeline fell by 6.3% with 183 projects totalling 20,945 rooms in September 2011 compared with the same month last year, according to the STR /...
Hotelzon, Ecompter to launch green hotel booking feature
Hotel distribution technology and booking services provider Hotelzon has partnered with Ecompter to introduce Hotelzon eCO-Impact, a new feature for its online hotel booking...
Wyndham reveals India expansion plans
Wyndham Hotel Group has signed agreements to franchise three hotels under its Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and Ramada brands in India, as part of its expansion...
MHG to sell hotels to Capital Hill
Morgans Hotel Group (MHG) and its joint venture partner have entered a definitive agreement to sell the Sanderson and St Martins Lane hotels in London, UK, for £192m ($295m) to Capital Hill...
Sheraton Parsippany to undergo $15m renovation
The Sheraton Parsippany Hotel, part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts portfolio and located in New Jersey, US, is to undergo a $15m...
North Korea's Ryugyong Hotel to open in 2012
Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea, is to partially open in April 2012 following decades of delays, according to...
Red Lion signs agreement for third New Mexico hotel
Hospitality and leisure company Red Lion Hotels has signed a franchise licence agreement for a hotel in Grants, New Mexico,...
Optima, Sage to convert Cleveland Crowne Plaza
US-based Optima Ventures and Sage Hospitality have partnered to purchase the Crowne Plaza Cleveland City Centre hotel in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, US, and convert the property into a 481-room...
White Lodging adds Hilton Garden Inn Scottsdale to portfolio
US-based hotel development company White Lodging has announced the addition of the Hilton Garden Inn Scottsdale North/Perimeter Center in Scottsdale, Arizona to its US hotel management...
Toshali Resorts reveals Orissa hotel development plans
India-based hospitality company Toshali Resorts, part of TK International, is to invest over Rs1.15bn ($23m) in new projects over the next three...
IHG to open hotel in Uganda
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is to spend $80m on launching a hotel in Kampala,...
Residence Inn by Marriott opens Munich hotel
Residence Inn by Marriott has launched the Residence Inn Munich City East in Haidhausen, Munich,...
Far East Hospitality to rename Singapore's Paramount Hotel
Far East Hospitality, the hospitality arm of Far East Organization, is to refurbish and rename the newly acquired Paramount Hotel in Singapore as the East Village...
Regal Hotels partners Poly Guizhou for Guiyang hotel
Regal Hotels International has partnered with Poly Guizhou Hotel Management Company to manage and operate the Regal Poly Guiyang Hotel in Guiyang,...
hotelAVE acquires Northland Inn
Hotel Asset Value Enhancement (hotelAVE) has teamed up with an institutional investment fund to acquire the Northland Inn hotel and conference centre in Minneapolis, Minnesota,...
LaSalle acquires San Francisco's Villa Florence for $67m
LaSalle Hotel Properties has bought the Villa Florence in San Francisco, California, US, for...
Msheireb Hospitality to manage Park Hyatt Doha
A Hyatt affiliate has signed an agreement with Msheireb Hospitality, a subsidiary of Msheireb Properties, to manage Park Hyatt Doha in...
Al Habtoor Group to resume Dubai hotel construction work
Dubai-based Al Habtoor Group is to resume work on a AED1bn ($272m) hotel project on Palm Jumeirah, Dubai,...
Hilton opens New Delhi hotel
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has launched the Hilton New Delhi-Noida-Mayur Vihar in India under a management agreement with Eros Resorts &...
Hilton reveals Latin America expansion plans
Hilton Worldwide is to expand into the Latin American...
Louvre Hotels Group to expand into Central and Eastern Europe
France-based Louvre Hotels Group is to open 12 hotels in Central and Eastern Europe by the end of...
Marriott launches Qatar hotel complex
Marriott International has opened its three-hotel Doha City Center complex in Doha,...
Joie de Vivre merges with Thompson Hotels
Joie de Vivre Hospitality has merged with Thompson Hotels to create a new global hotel group, provisionally called JT...
Chesapeake closes Denver Marriott acquisition
Chesapeake Lodging Trust has completed the $119m acquisition of the Denver Marriott City Center in Denver, Colorado,...
HRI, CWI to reflag Chateau Bourbon Hotel
HRI Lodging (HRI) and Carey Watermark Investors (CWI) have secured a $22.8m loan from Canyon Capital Realty Advisors for the repositioning and reflagging of the Chateau Bourbon Hotel in...
BHG takes over Royal Tulip Rio management
Brazil Hospitality Group (BHG) has taken over the management of hotel complex Royal Tulip Rio de Janeiro in Sao Conrado, Rio de Janeiro,...
Wyndham opens Wyndham Grand Orlando hotel in US
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has opened its first owned hotel, the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek, in Florida,...
Home Inns completes Motel 168 acquisition
Chinese hotel chain operator Home Inns & Hotels Management has completed the acquisition of a 100% ownership interest in Motel 168 International Holdings for...
Shangri-La to open hotel in China
Shangri-La Asia will open a Shangri-La hotel in Jinan, China, in...
Accor to step up presence in UK with Jarvis franchise plan
Accor has signed a franchise agreement with Jupiter Hotels, the new owners of the former Jarvis Hotels, as part of its plans to increase its UK network to 300 properties by...
DIC sells Ishraq Dubai to Almulla Group
Dubai International Capital (DIC), the private equity arm of Dubai Holding, has sold hotel operator Ishraq Dubai to diversified firm Almulla...
Wyndham to open hotel in Istanbul
Wyndham Hotel Group has signed an agreement to open the new Wyndham Petek Istanbul in Istanbul, Turkey, in the third quarter of...
ITC acquires stake in Logix Group hotel project
India-based ITC has acquired a 26% stake in a 275-room hotel being developed by Logix Group in the Indian city of...
Hyatt opens Hyatt Regency Jinan in China
Hyatt Hotels has opened the 343-room Hyatt Regency Jinan in...
US records increase in hotel occupancy
The occupancy rate for the US hotel industry increased by 4.1% for the week ending 14 September 2011, according to data from STR...
September 2011
Top
Pacifica to renovate La Valencia hotel
US-based Pacifica Companies will invest $10m in renovating its recently acquired La Valencia hotel in San Diego, California,...
ITC reveals Gateway brand investment plans
Indian Hotels Company (ITC), a Tata Group firm, is to spend Rs7bn ($143m) adding 22 new hotels under the Gateway Hotels and Resorts brand by...
Abu Dhabi August hotel occupancy drops 5%
The number of guests staying in Abu Dhabi's hotels and hotel apartments during August 2011 declined by 5% year-on-year, according to figures released by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority...
IHG unveils Holiday Inn Cartagena Morros in Colombia
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened the Holiday Inn Cartagena Morros in Cartagena, Colombia, its seventh property in the...
South American hotels record revPAR rise
Hotels in South America registered a 26.8% year-on-year increase in revenue per available room (revPAR) for the year-to-date in August 2011, according to an industry report from STR...
Hilton signs Croatian hotel management agreement with BP Pluto
Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with BP Pluto for a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Zagreb,...
Kimpton unveils Hotel Palomar San Diego
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has opened its Hotel Palomar San Diego in California,...
Tune to spend $450m on new hotels
Malaysian-based Tune Hotels Group is to invest MYR1.42bn ($450m) over the next five years in setting up 90 new...
Wyndham to manage Wyndham Grand Foshan Gaoming
Wyndham Hotel Group, part of Wyndham Worldwide, has signed an agreement to manage the 401-room Wyndham Grand Foshan Gaoming in southern...
Meliá opens second hotel in US
Meliá Hotels International will open its second hotel in the US in the master-planned community of Celebration,...
Parkway to build hotel in Philadelphia
Parkway Corporation is to construct a $60m hotel in the Center City district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,...
Hilton launches Hilton Garden Inn Istanbul
Hilton Worldwide has opened the Hilton Garden Inn Istanbul Golden Horn in Istanbul,...
South India to provide 14,500 more hotel rooms
A total of 178 new hotels across India's southern states will provide 14,500 new rooms by the end of 2012, according to the Southern India Hotels and Restaurants Association...
Kana expands hotel-management portfolio
Hotel development and management company Kana Hotel Group, which is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, US, has added seven management contracts to its...
US hotel occupancy rises by 5%
Hotel occupancy in the US increased by 5% to 66.7% for the week ending 17 September 2011, according to STR Global's latest industry...
Best Western Plus rolled out to the world
Best Western has announced the worldwide launch of its Best Western Plus brand of...
RBS sells Hilton Glasgow City to Topland
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has sold the Hilton Glasgow City in Scotland to Topland Group for £35.7m as part of its efforts to dispose of its non-core...
Marriott, Host Hotels begin New York Marriott Marquis renovation
Marriott Hotels and Host Hotels have embarked on a $39m renovation project on the flagship New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square, New York,...
Akkeron expands UK hotel portfolio
UK-based Akkeron Hotels Group has secured a support service contract with Coombe Abbey hotel near Coventry,...
Marco Polo to open hotel tower in Philippines
International hotel chain Marco Polo is to manage a 313-room hotel in the Ortigas central business district of Metro Manila,...
RIDA to renovate Pittsburgh Radisson
RIDA Development Corporation is to carry out a $15m renovation of the Radisson Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,...
Choice Hotels to construct first US Cambria Suites property
Choice Hotels International is to build the first Cambria Suites hotel in Washington DC,...
Inland American Lodging sells US hotels to GVM
Inland American Lodging Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust, has completed the $30m sale of five TownePlace Suites by Marriott to US-based hotel investment...
Delta to open hotel in Quebec
Delta Hotels and Resorts will open the Delta Saguenay Hotel and Conference Centre in Quebec, Canada, in the second quarter of...
RLH signs franchise agreements with Positive Investments
US-based hospitality and leisure company Red Lion Hotels (RLH) has signed franchise licence agreements for two hotels owned by Positive Investments in New Mexico,...
MIG Real Estate acquires Point Inn & Suites Hotel
US-based real estate investment firm MIG Real Estate, formerly known as Stoneridge Capital Partners, has acquired the Point Inn & Suites Hotel in Jackson, Wyoming,...
South Africa hotel market suffers from oversupply
The hotel guestroom supply in South Africa increased by 5.7% every year from the end of 2008 to the end of 2010 on a compound annual growth rate basis in anticipation of the FIFA World...
Lebara Group acquires hotel in India
UK-based mobile virtual network operator Lebara Group has acquired a property in Chennai, India, from RAS Adyar Hotel for Rs1.1bn...
Interstate invests in Dutch hotels
US-based hotel management company Interstate Hotels & Resorts is to invest in a portfolio of nine hotels in the...
InSite, Carlyle buy Continental Hotel Bayside
The InSite Group and Carlyle Group joint venture has purchased the Continental Hotel Bayside in Miami, Florida, US, from RFR Holding for...
Shangri-La Asia to open new hotel in China
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Asia has signed an agreement with Chinese real estate company Huayuan Real Estate Beijing to open a new hotel in Changsha, south-central...
AGI to increase Resorts World Manila hotels
Investment holding firm Alliance Global Group (AGI) is to add four new hotels over the next five years at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City,...
Blackstone to buy City Inn for $947m
US-based investment firm Blackstone is to buy hotel operator City Inn and its Mint Hotels brand for $947m. City Inn owns and operates seven Mint hotels in the UK and opened its eighth...
Accor to take over 130 rooms at Hotel Lighter Quay
International hotel brand Accor has signed a deal to manage the majority of rooms at the 170-room Hotel Lighter Quay in Auckland, New Zealand. The company will manage a minimum of 130 rooms...
Hawaii Reserves to build Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Oahu
Hawaii Reserves has received approval from Honolulu City Council for the construction of a $35m Courtyard by Marriott hotel on North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii. The 222-room project will include...
STR reveals Caribbean / Mexico hotel development pipeline
The hotel development pipeline for the Caribbean / Mexico in August 2011 comprises 129 hotels and 18,994 rooms, according to an STR Construction Pipeline report. The region opened ten...
Lindner Hotels installs Fuzionlink channel management solution
German hospitality group Lindner Hotels has partnered with EZYield to install EZYield's Fuzionlink channel management throughout Lindner's portfolio. Lindner has 34 hotels and resorts...
Macao records increase in July hotel occupancy
The average hotel occupancy rate of Macao, China, reached 88.9% in July 2011, with four-star hotels leading at 93.1%, according to figures released by the city's Statistics and Census...
G24 Innovations, Skyco secure hotel renovation contract
UK-based G24 Innovations (G24I) and US-based Skyco Shading Systems have secured a contract with an undisclosed global hotel chain to take part in a major renovation of a flagship hotel. ...
Kimpton to reopen Philadelphia's Hotel Monaco
US-based Kimpton Hotel Group is to reopen the 268-room Hotel Monaco in the Center City district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, in 2012. The 11-storey property will have 12,000ft²...
Ariane Systems launches guestroom keycard dispenser
French technology company Ariane Systems has unveiled its new compact guestroom keycard dispenser. The KeyStation, which comprises a 9 inch digital touchscreen, a 2D barcode reader and...
New Caesars Palace tower starts taking reservations
Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, has started taking reservations for its new hotel tower, which will open on 2 January 2012. The 668-room Octavius Tower will feature 263,000ft²...
Hilton unveils A$700m Surfers Paradise complex in Australia
Hilton Worldwide has opened its A$700m ($715m) Hilton Surfers Paradise complex on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. The 169-room Hilton Surfers Paradise is the eighth...
GVM Hotel acquires five TownePlace Suites by Marriott
US-based hotel investment venture GVM Hotel has bought five TownePlace Suites by Marriott for $30m. Four of the hotels are located in the Texan cities of Austin, College Station and...
IHG, Playa Poniente launch Holiday Inn Resort Acapulco
The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and the Playa Poniente Group have opened the Holiday Inn Resort Acapulco in Guerrero, Mexico. The 224-room hotel features a gym, an outdoor pool,...
US active hotel development pipeline falls
The US active hotel development pipeline for August 2011 registered a 12.4% decrease compared with August 2010, totalling 2,951 projects with 315,668 rooms, according to the STR/McGraw...
Ritz-Carlton to double presence in Japan
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is to develop two new hotels in Japan. The 97-room Ritz-Carlton, Okinawa, which will open in April 2012, will be developed under an agreement with Kanehide...
Rezidor to unveil Park Inn Hammamet in 2012
The Rezidor Hotel Group will open the Park Inn Hammamet in Tunisia in the second quarter of 2012. The property is a rebranding of the Hotel Riu Park El Kebir and will be the group's third...
Marriott installs water cooling technology in Mumbai properties
The Marriott Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre and Marriott Executive Apartments in Mumbai, India, has deployed 3D Trasar technology for cooling water from Nalco, a sustainability...
Sage Hospitality expands hotel portfolio
Hotel management and development company Sage Hospitality has added two US properties to its portfolio. The new Sage additions are the 136-room Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and...
Starwood opens tenth Westin hotel in Latin America
Starwood Hotels and Resorts has launched its tenth Westin property in Latin America, The Westin Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico. The 221-room hotel is owned by Heldan Hotels &...
Fairmont Hotels to develop conference centre in Arizona
Canada-based Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is to develop a $20m conference centre at its Fairmont Scottsdale Princess hotel in Arizona, US. The centre will open in October 2012 and...
White Lodging to manage Hilton Garden Inn
White Lodging has taken over the management contract of the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Omaha / Old Market in Omaha, Nebraska, US, through an agreement with Apple Real Estate Investment...
Canadian hotel industry reports slight rises
The Canadian hotel industry reported a 2.1% increase in occupancy to stand at 69.1% for the week ending 3 September 2011, according to data from STR Global. Year on year, the industry's...
Hyatt to develop two hotels in Vladivostok
An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corporation has embarked on management deals with OJSC Nash Dom-Primorye for two new Hyatt hotels to be built in Vladivostok, Russia. Both hotels will feature...
Grosvenor House Dubai opens second tower
Grosvenor House Dubai, a JW Marriott Hotel in Dubai, UAE, has opened its second tower. The second 45-storey tower houses 206 rooms and suites, and features a business lounge, a meeting room,...
Egyptian hotels receive Green Star Certificates
Twenty hotels in the Egyptian resort towns of El Gouna and Taba Heights have been awarded a Green Star Certificate under The Green Star Hotel Initiative. The scheme aims to improve...
Taj Hotels launches third Vivanta hotel in Bangalore
Indian hospitality chain Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces has unveiled its Rs2.3bn ($50m) Vivanta by Taj hotel in Bangalore, India. The 327-room property is the third Vivanta hotel in the...
Wyndham to open Days Inn hotel in Thailand
Wyndham Hotel Group is to develop a Days Inn hotel in Phuket, Thailand. The two-storey, 120-room Days Hotel Phuket Town is owned by Phuket retail firm Winpro The Hotel Company and is expected...
Vienna International to use MICROS technology in European hotels
Austrian hotel group Vienna International will implement MICROS Systems technology in all 33 of its hotels and resorts, as well as two hotel projects, across Europe. The MICROS OPERA...
Movenpick launches first hotel in India
Swiss hospitality company Movenpick Hotels & Resorts has unveiled its first hotel in Bangalore, India. The 182-room Movenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore features a restaurant, a...
CWI acquires New Orleans property
Carey Watermark Investors (CWI) has closed a joint venture investment of $45.7m in a New Orleans hotel with HRI Properties. The property, the Chateau Bourbon Hotel, was built in 1849 as the...
Marriott opens Algerian Renaissance hotel
Marriott International has expanded its Renaissance Hotels portfolio with the opening of the Renaissance Tlemcen Hotel in Tlemcen, north-west Algeria. The 204-room Renaissance Tlemcen...
Ohio Hyatt property to be rebranded a Sheraton
Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Driftwood Hospitality Management are to rebrand a Hyatt property in downtown Columbus, Ohio, as a Sheraton hotel. The Sheraton Columbus Hotel is owned...
Starwood to use VingCard locking technology
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has selected VingCard Elsafe's Smart check-in programme with advanced RFID technology for one of its newest hotels, the Aloft New York Brooklyn. ...
Sheraton Cerritos introduces PURE rooms
Sheraton Cerritos Hotel, which is located on the border of Los Angeles and Orange County, California, US, has opened ten PURE rooms. According to Sheraton Cerritos, the rooms create...
IHG to operate four new hotels in India
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed agreements to operate four new hotels in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Gurgaon in India, all to be operational by 2013. Together, the hotels will...
Wyndham launches Ohio hotel
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has unveiled the Wyndham Garden Dayton South in South Dayton, Ohio, US, following a five-month renovation. The 134-room hotel features a business centre, a health...
Hotel chains join forces to lower carbon footprint
Global hotel chains have teamed up with International Tourism Partnership and the World Travel & Tourism Council to form a carbon measurement group aimed at forging an international...
Hilton opens second hotel at Heathrow Airport
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has launched the Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, the chain's second hotel at Heathrow Airport, London, UK. The 350-room hotel offers 926m²...
TNI to overhaul Abu Dhabi hotel
Abu Dhabi-based investment management and advisory firm The National Investor (TNI) has invested $50m in renovating and expanding its Mafraq Hotel in Abu Dhabi. TNI bought the 121-room hotel...
Hero Group to enter Indian hospitality market
Indian motorcycle manufacturer Hero Group is to invest Rs6.5bn ($141m) in developing a five-star deluxe hotel in Gurgaon, India. The 280-room project, part of the company's plans to venture...
Home Inns gets green light to acquire Motel 168
Chinese hotel chain Home Inns & Hotels Management has received anti-trust approval from the government's Ministry of Commerce for its proposed acquisition of Motel 168 International...
Hilton signs franchise agreement with Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe
Hilton Worldwide has signed a franchise development agreement with Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe for the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The 259-room resort...
ORIX starts Japanese hot spring hotel operations
ORIX Real Estate has begun operating the Japanese hot spring inn Tateshina Grand Hotel Takinoyu in Chino, Japan. The 143-room hotel is the fifth Japanese inn operated by the company. ...
Dubai's hotel occupancy rises to 81%
Hotel occupancy in Dubai, UAE, increased by 10.5% to stand at 80.8% for July 2011, compared with the same month last year, according to global consultancy firm Ernst & Young. The...
Unitech unveils hotels disposal plan
Indian real estate company Unitech is to sell its three hotels, which are under development, in Gurgaon, Noida and Kolkata. The sale of the hotels, which have a total of 600 rooms, is part...
Hyatt closes $660m LodgeWorks deal
Hyatt Hotels has closed the $660m acquisition of 20 properties from LodgeWorks and its private equity partners, with one hotel acquisition still to close during the fourth quarter of 2011. ...
Alrov to use MICROS technology
Israel-based Alrov Properties & Lodging has selected MICROS Systems' technology for use in its European and Israeli hotels. Alrov will implement the MICROS OPERA Enterprise Solution,...
John Keells to build hotel in Colombo
Sri Lanka-based John Keells Holdings (JKH) is to construct a LKR2.9bn ($23m) business hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In a joint venture with Sanken Lanka, the new 25-storey, 240-room hotel will...
Marriott awards oil-recycling contract to Convert2Green
Marriott has awarded a contract to Convert2Green and 3663 to collect waste cooking oil from its hotels to then be converted into fuel. Under the agreement, Convert2Green will refine the...
HNA to deploy EasyRMS revenue management software
HNA Hotels and Resorts is to install the revenue management software of Easy (Ez) Revenue Management Solutions (EasyRMS) in two of its hotels: TANGLA Hotel Beijing and HNA Business Hotel...
Hilton opens first DoubleTree hotel in Romania
Hilton has launched the DoubleTree by Hilton at Bucharest-Unirii Square, the brand's first property in Romania. The 88-bedroom hotel features a 24hr business centre and 200m² of...
UK hotels report July occupancy rise
UK hotels recorded a rise in room occupancy for July 2011, according to figures from PKF Hotel Consultancy Services. In London, room occupancy stood at 92.5% in July, an increase of 0.6%...
Hilton Worldwide to develop first hotel in Sierra Leone
Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Cape Sierra Hotel Company to develop the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Sierra Leone, Africa. The new 200-room...
Nadathur Fareast acquires Constellation Hotels
Singapore-based private investment firm Nadathur Fareast has bought Tourast Corporation's Constellation Hotels, a hospitality network across Australia and New Zealand, for $50m. The...
Rezidor to launch Park Inn in Hungary
Belgium-based Rezidor Hotel Group will open the Park Inn by Radisson Budapest in Hungary in the fourth quarter of 2012. The new 136-room property, which is under construction, will feature...
Alliance Hospitality to manage Hilton Garden Inn
Alliance Hospitality is to manage the Hilton Garden Inn Shreveport in Louisiana, US. The 142-room Hilton Garden Inn Shreveport is the 12th Hilton Garden Inn that Alliance Hospitality...
August 2011
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Inland American acquires Napa Valley Marriott Hotel
Inland American Real Estate Trust's wholly owned subsidiary Inland American Lodging has acquired the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa in the US for $72m. According to Inland American,...
Kempinski launches 11th hotel in China
Kempinski has opened the Kempinski Hotel Huizhou in China, increasing its properties in the country to 11. The 340-room Huizhou features restaurants, bars, lounges, a gym, indoor and...
Ritz-Carlton agrees to develop Chinese hotels
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel has signed agreements with Chinese property developer Shanghai Greenland Group for the development of two new Ritz-Carlton hotels in China. The agreement to develop...
Carlson to expand Park Plaza brand in India
Global hospitality and travel company Carlson will open its 100th Park Plaza hotel in India by 2015. The new hotel will push Carlson's capacity to almost 10,000 rooms. The company...
US hotels record occupancy rise
The US hotel industry reported a 3.1% rise in occupancy to 67.3%, a 4.4% increase in ADR and a 7.6% growth in revPAR, according to data from STR Global. The states of Michigan, Georgia...
Citrus Hotels reveals Indian expansion plans
India-based Citrus Hotels & Resorts is to invest Rs6bn ($131m) over the next three years in doubling the number of its properties to 15 and its hotel rooms to 1,500, according to The...
Renaissance opens new hotel in Switzerland
Renaissance Hotels is to open its 300-room Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel in Switzerland under a franchise agreement with SV Group. The 24-storey property is the third Renaissance Hotel...
BHG acquires five hotels from MB Capital Group
Brazil Hospitality Group (BHG) is to acquire five new hotels in Belem, Brazil, from the MB Capital Group. BHG said the acquisition will add 1,010 rooms to its portfolio of owned and...
Hilton launches hotel in China
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has opened its tenth hotel in China, the Hilton Xi'an. It is Hilton Worldwide's first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in north-west China and the company's...
Chesapeake to acquire Denver Marriott for $119m
Chesapeake Lodging Trust has entered a $119m agreement to acquire the Denver Marriott City Center in Denver, Colorado, US. The 613-room property features 28,000ft² of meeting...
Centara to open first overseas Centra hotel
Thailand-based Centara Hotels & Resorts is to open the first overseas property of its Centra value brand in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2011. The 90-room Centra Taum Resort Bali, which...
Accor reveals India expansion plans
French hotel group Accor will open three hotel brands in India by the end of 2011. The three brands – Formule 1, Sofitel and Pullman – will take the total number of Accor brands in the...
Hilton expands Chinese portfolio
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has opened its first property in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. The 504-room Hilton Guangzhou Tianhe, which is owned by a subsidiary of Talent Property Group, is...
Accor reports net profit rise for H1 2011
French hotel group Accor posted a net profit of €41m for the first half of 2011 compared with a loss of €15m during the same period last year. Accor's consolidated revenue for...
Radisson Blu to open 89th Indian hotel
Carlson will open a 125-room Radisson Blu hotel in Dehradun, India, in 2014. The new $25m, six-storey Radisson Blu Hotel Dehradun will be the Carlson Group's 89th property in...
Mixed results for Middle East / Africa hotel industry
The Middle East / Africa hotel industry reported a 1.2% decrease in occupancy to 60% during July 2011, according to data by STR Global. The region recorded a 1% decline in its average daily...
Chatham, Cerberus cancel $1.1bn Innkeepers deal
Chatham Lodging Trust and Cerberus Capital Management have cancelled their $1.1bn deal to acquire interests in 64 hotels owned by Innkeepers USA Trust and its affiliates. Chatham and...
Brazil hotel industry reports 17% revPAR increase
The Brazilian hotel market registered a 17.3% rise in revenue per available room (revPAR) for 2010, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels executive...
BHG acquires Hotel Rio Palace
Brazil Hospitality Group (BHG) has acquired the 388-room Hotel Rio Palace, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The property, which covers an area of 57,811m², has ten conference rooms to accommodate...
Centara to manage Hotel Ceysands
Thailand-based Centara Hotels & Resorts is to manage the Hotel Ceysands in Bentota, Sri Lanka. The 84-room property, which is owned by Softlogic Holdings, will have 160 rooms when it...
IHG, Ricsher open Crowne Plaza Tuxpan in Mexico
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and real estate group Ricsher have opened the new Crowne Plaza Tuxpan, Mexico, with an investment of $20m. Crowne Plaza Tuxpan has 136 guestrooms,...
North Point to build dual-branded hotel project in US
North Point Hospitality Group is to construct a new hotel project, a dual-branded Hilton Garden Inn and a Homewood Suites by Hilton Hotel, in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, US. Both hotels will...
St Regis to launch new unit in China
Starwood's luxury hotel brand St Regis Hotels & Resorts is to unveil the new St Regis Tianjin in China in October 2011. The 276-room, 18-storey St Regis Tianjin is the latest addition to...
US reports rise in hotel performance
The US hotel industry achieved increases across three performance metrics for the week ending 13 August 2011, according to data from STR Global. The country's average occupancy climbed by...
Hawaii reports decline in June hotel occupancy
Hawaiian hotel occupancy fell by 0.7% in June 2011 compared with the same month last year, averaging at 70.7%, according to a Hospitality Advisors report. The highest occupancy was registered...
Hersha to sell non-core hotels to Starwood Capital
Hersha Hospitality has agreed to sell 18 properties to an affiliate of private investment firm Starwood Capital Group for $155m. With the sale of the properties Hersha hopes to generate...
Sadikoglu Group to build hotel in Iraq
Turkey-based Sadikoglu Group is to build a $14m luxury hotel in central Basra, Iraq. The 120-room hotel will be built on a 3,000m² area and will feature two restaurants, and...
IHG to open Holiday Inn Express in Brazil
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is to open a Holiday Inn Express in Rio Branco, Brazil, in November 2013. The 110-room property will be owned by Inter-Oceanica Hotelaria e Turismo under...
Crowne Plaza Albuquerque to Open in September
InterContinental Hotels Group's Crowne Plaza Albuquerque will open in New Mexico, US, in September 2011. The 261-room hotel will open following a brand change from its previous...
Starwood to Launch Sheraton Adana in 2013
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with Serka Turizm to open a new 237-room Sheraton hotel in Adana, Turkey. The property, which is scheduled to open in 2013,...
Central / South American July Hotel Pipeline Hits 170 Launches
Central and South America's hotel development pipeline for July 2011 comprises 170 hotels totalling 27,457 rooms, according to the STR Global Construction Pipeline Report. The report...
Chatham Lodging Closes Mortgage Loan
Hotel real estate investment trust Chatham Lodging has closed a $15.8m fixed-rate mortgage loan arranged by Sonnenblick-Eichner, a real estate investment banking firm. The non-recourse...
Westin Alexandria Adopts Telkonet Energy Management Platform
The Westin Alexandria Hotel has selected energy management technology provider Telkonet's EcoSmart Suite energy management platform for its 341 luxury rooms and seven luxury suites. ...
Prudential Mortgage Closes Loan for Outrigger Hotels
Prudential Mortgage Capital Company, the commercial mortgage lending business of Prudential Financial, has closed a $137.8m loan for Outrigger Hotels & Resorts. The seven-year,...
Travelodge Unveils UK National Park Expansion Plan
Hotel chain Travelodge is to invest £135m in opening 37 hotels around the UK's 15 national parks. The rural expansion is part of Travelodge's UK expansion plans. The properties will be...
Rezidor to Rebrand Warsaw Radisson Blu
The Rezidor Hotel Group is to rebrand the Radisson Blu Sobieski Hotel in Warsaw, Poland. Work will begin on the 435-room property in the third quarter of 2011. On completion of...
Belgium Reports Positive RevPAR for First-Half 2011
The Belgian hotel market has seen positive changes in revenue per available room (revPAR) across all industry metrics during the first half of 2011, according to STR Global. The city of...
Amin Construction to Develop Hotel in Maldives
US-based Amin Construction has secured an order from State Trading Organisation for the development of a 250-room hotel in Hulhumale in the Maldives. The project will cost $7.5m and is...
Winston Completes North Carolina Courtyard by Marriott Renovation
Winston Hospitality has completed the Courtyard by Marriott renovation in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, US. The newly designed 169-room hotel features 1,800ft² of meeting space that...
Roots Corporation Reveals Ginger Hotels Expansion
Indian Hotels subsidiary Roots Corporation is to open 50 new Ginger hotels within two years with an investment of Rs6bn ($133m). Roots Corporation CEO Prabhat Pani said the new properties...
New World Hospitality Reveals Expansion Plans
New World Hospitality Hotel Management, the hotel management arm of New World Development, is to invest $1.1bn in doubling its hotel portfolio over the next five years, according to the South...
Hyatt Affiliate to Manage Tanzanian Hotel
An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corporation has signed an agreement with ASB Tanzania, a wholly owned subsidiary of Albwardly Investments, to manage the Hyatt Regency Dar Es Salaam, The Kilimanjaro...
Noble Acquires Residence Inn Atlanta Midtown
Noble Investment Group has bought the 160-suite Residence Inn Atlanta Midtown / 17th Street in Georgia, US. The hotel is surrounded by 24 million square feet of office space and will undergo...
Courtyard by Marriott Expands in India
Courtyard by Marriott is to open its seventh hotel in India. The 179-room Courtyard Pune City Centre is owned by The Advantage Raheja and operates under a management agreement with...
Canada's Hotel Occupancy Declines
The Canadian hotel industry posted a 1.9% decrease in occupancy to stand at 71.8% for the week commencing 6 August 2011, according to data from STR Global. In year-on-year measurements,...
Greenpark Hotels Announces India Expansion Plans
India-based Greenpark Hotels & Resorts is to open properties in Hyderabad and Kakinada in India. The 187-room Marigold in Hyderabad, which will feature a 20,000ft² convention centre,...
InterContinental to Expand UK Portfolio
InterContinental Hotels is to launch another 28 properties in the UK. The new hotels will open in destinations including Southend, York, Newcastle, Manchester, Blackpool, Birmingham,...
Salim Group to Manage Hilton's First Chad Property
Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement with Salim Group to manage the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Chad, Africa. The 195-room Hilton N'Djamena is expected to open in 2013. ...
Chatham Reports Q2 Net Loss
Chatham Lodging Trust has reported a net loss of $1.9m for the second quarter of 2011 compared with a net loss of $600,000 in Q2 2010. For Q2 2011, the company reported a 3.3% increase...
Hyatt Launches Hotel in India
Hyatt Hotels has opened the Hyatt Regency Chennai in South India. The 327-room property will offer more than 20,000ft² of convention and event space, a fitness centre, a lobby lounge,...
Premier Inn Expands UK Portfolio
Whitbread-owned budget hotel brand Premier Inn is to open three new hotels in Yorkshire, UK. The new deals include a 130-room Premier Inn property in Leeds (Whitehall Road), which has a...
Starwood Unveils Star Hotels Expansion in India
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to invest Rs10bn ($220m) in opening ten Star Hotels across India. Five of the properties will launch before 2014 under Starwood's Aloft brand. Locations for...
Seneca Gaming to Build US Hotel Tower
Seneca Gaming Corporation is to build a $53m hotel tower at Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, New York, US. The project will add 200 hotel rooms at the gaming and...
Marriott, Granite Broadway to Develop New York Hotel
Marriott International and Granite Broadway Development have signed a franchise agreement to construct a 68-storey hotel building in New York, US. The project will include a 378-room...
Waterfront Hotel Deploys Telkonet Energy Management Technology
The Waterfront Hotel in Oakland, California, US, has installed a networked EcoSmart Energy Management System from energy management technology provider Telkonet. The system, which...
Beirut Reports First Half Hotel Occupancy Decline
Hotel occupancy in Beirut suffered a year-on-year fall of 64.5% for the first six months of 2011, according to data from STR Global. The country's average hotel occupancy rate stood at 50%...
Shuaa Saudi Arabia to Build Hotel in Jeddah
Shuaa Capital's Saudi Arabian unit is to build a SAR160m ($43m) business hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The 254-room property, which will be managed by Rotana Hotel Management and branded...
Best Western Opens First Hotel in Russia
Best Western International has opened the Best Western Vega Hotel & Convention Centre in Moscow, Russia, the company's first hotel in the country. The 970-room property features...
Oriental Hotels Expands Indian Portfolio
India-based hospitality firm Oriental Hotels has revealed its expansion plans, which include the opening of a 180-room Vivanta by Taj hotel in Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil...
Qatar Reports Rise in Hotel Occupancy
Hotel occupancy rates in Qatar rose by 2% to reach 63% in the first six months of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010, according to a report by the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA). QTA...
Sands China Signs Macao Hotel Deals with Hilton, IHG
Sands China, a subsidiary of global resort developer Las Vegas Sands, has signed franchise agreements with Hilton Worldwide and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) to launch hotels at its...
Hyatt to Manage Park Hyatt Hotel in Vienna
A Hyatt Hotels affiliate has signed an agreement with Signa Holding to manage the Park Hyatt Vienna in Innere Stadt, Vienna, which is scheduled to open in 2013. The 143-room Park Hyatt...
Canada Reports Rise in Hotel Occupancy
The Canadian hotel industry ended the week of 30 July 2011 with a 3.4% increase in occupancy to 75.7%, according to STR Global. In year-on-year measurements, the Canadian hotel market's...
Marriott International to Manage Benin Hotel
Marriott International has signed an agreement with SHRL-Benin to manage the 200-room Cotonou Marriott hotel in Cotonou, Benin. The Marriott-branded hotel will open in 2013 and will be the...
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Completes Renovation
The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia, US, has completed the $17m renovation of its meeting areas. The hotel offers 92,000ft² of meeting space, 72 meeting rooms and...
Windsor Atlantica Signs Marketing Deals with Utell/Pegasus
Windsor Atlantica, Rio de Janeiro's newly renovated hotel, has signed a deal with Utell Hotels & Resorts for global representation and marketing, and with Pegasus Solutions for...
St Laurn Hotels Reveals India Expansion Plans
India-based St Laurn Hotels and Resorts is to invest Rs30bn ($669m) in opening 15 new hotels across India by 2015. The company will open a third of the hotels in the state of Gujarat with...
Marshall Signs Two Hotel Management Contracts
US-based hotel management and services company Marshall Hotels & Resorts has signed two management contracts in the Caribbean. Under the contracts, Marshall will manage the...
Best Western International Opens British Columbia Hotel
Best Western International has opened a Best Western Premier hotel in Sooke, British Columbia, Canada. The Best Western Premier in Sooke offers 122 guestrooms and suites, and its...
Morgans Hotel Group to Manage Bahamian Mondrian Hotel
Morgans Hotel Group has signed a management agreement for a 310-room Mondrian hotel to be developed at Baha Mar Resort, a 1,000-acre destination resort complex in Nassau, Bahamas. The...
Inland American Lodging Acquires Fairmont Dallas
Inland American Lodging, a wholly owned subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust, has bought The Fairmont Dallas in Texas, US, for $69m. The company will make additional...
Marriott to Open Austin Hotel in 2015
Marriott Hotels & Resorts will open its 1,003-room Austin Marriott Marquis hotel in Austin, Texas, US, in 2015. The hotel, which is scheduled to break ground in mid-2012, will...
Jumeirah Group Launches Frankfurt Hotel
Dubai-based luxury hospitality company Jumeirah Group has opened its first hotel in Europe, the Jumeirah Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany. The new 25-floor, five-star property has 218 rooms...
Richfield to Manage Texas Sheraton
Richfield Hospitality has signed an agreement to manage the 431-room Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel & Spa in Texas, US, on behalf of developer and owner Presidio Companies. The hotel...
Carlson Expands Park Inn by Radisson Brand
Global hospitality and travel company Carlson is to open the Park Inn by Radisson, Dallas-Love Field Hotel in Dallas, Texas, US. The Park Inn by Radisson brand has grown to nearly 117 hotels...
Sheraton Unveils Agoura Hills Hotel in California
Sheraton Hotels has opened the Sheraton Agoura Hills Hotel in Agoura Hills, California, US. The opening of the hotel advances the company's plan to add more than 65 new hotels and over...
Concord Hospitality Begins Management of Hilton Property
Concord Hospitality has announced the addition of the 230-room DoubleTree by Hilton Richmond Downtown in Virginia to its management portfolio. The DoubleTree by Hilton Richmond Downtown...
Kintetsu to Open New Hotel in Japan
Kintetsu Hotel Systems has reached an agreement with Marriott International to flag a new hotel in Osaka, Japan as Osaka Marriot Miyako Hotel. The hotel is currently under construction...
ENVIRON to Audit Hyatt European Hotels
Environmental consultancy ENVIRON has announced the signing of a contract with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts for the second phase of the company's European hotel portfolio energy efficiency audits. ...
Pebblebrook Buys Interest in Six Manhattan Hotels
Real estate investment trust Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired a 49% interest in a joint venture (JV) that owns six hotels in Manhattan, valued at $910m. The hotels include Affinia...
Hyatt Regency Sochi to Open in 2013
Hyatt Hotels is to launch the Hyatt Regency Sochi in 2013 in Sochi, Russia. A Hyatt affiliate entered an agreement with Yug – Novy Vek, a subsidiary of Russian real estate developer...
Starwood Reports Q2 Results Rise
Starwood Hotels and Resorts has reported an increase in its 2011 second quarter (Q2) net income to $131m, compared with $114m in the same period of 2010. Net income for the first six months...
New World Hospitality Buys Rosewood Hotels
Hotel management company New World Hospitality is to buy Rosewood Hotels & Resorts from Maritz, Wolff & Co for $229.5m. After the acquisition, Rosewood Hotels will operate as...
Abu Dhabi Records Increased Hotel Performance for First-Half 2011
Abu Dhabi hotels recorded rises across all industry indicators for the first half of 2011, according to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA). For the year-to-date, hotel guests increased...
Accor to Sell Paris Sofitel to Private Investors
French hotel group Accor is to sell its 135-room Sofitel Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, to a consortium of French private investors for €44m. Accor said the sale will be made under...
Canada's Hotel Occupancy Rises
The Canadian hotel industry ended the week of 23 July 2011 with a 2.5% increase in occupancy at 74.6%, according to data from STR Global. Year-on-year, the Canadian market's average daily...
Strategic Hotels Closes InterContinental Recourse Loan
Strategic Hotels & Resorts is to close the $145m limited recourse loan secured by the InterContinental Chicago hotel. According to Strategic, the new financing will replace the...
Great Divide to Reopen as DoubleTree by Hilton
Hilton Worldwide and Vail Resorts have signed an agreement to reopen the Great Divide Lodge in Breckenridge, Colorado, US, as the DoubleTree by Hilton Breckenridge after upgrading the property. ...
July 2011
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Wyndham Worldwide Records Q2 Revenue Rise
Wyndham Worldwide registered a 13% year-on-year increase in revenue to $1.1bn for the second quarter of 2011. The company's Q2 net income increased by 20% to $114m, compared with $95m in...
Centara to Open Khon Kaen Hotel by End-2011
Thailand-based Centara Hotels & Resorts is to open a property in Khon Kaen, Thailand, at the end of 2011. The new Centara Hotel & Convention Centre Khon Kaen was built by Khon Kaen...
IHG Opens Holiday Inn Hotel in Colombia
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened its first Holiday Inn hotel in Colombia. The 191-room Holiday Inn Bogota-Airport is IHG's sixth property in the country and the first of...
UK Hotels Report Strong June Figures
Room rates in London, UK, increased year-on-year by 14.2% to £151.32 in June this year, according to PKF Hotel Consultancy Services. Occupancy rose by 1.8% to 89.8%, driving a room...
Concord Hospitality to Manage Sheraton Oklahoma
Concord Hospitality Enterprises has signed a contract to manage the Sheraton Oklahoma City in Oklahoma, US. The 395-room hotel is the latest addition to Concord's growing third-party...
Wingate by Wyndham Adds Los Angeles Hotel to Portfolio
Wingate by Wyndham has added the readapted 148-room Los Angeles International Airport hotel in California, US, to its portfolio. The Wingate by Wyndham Los Angeles International Airport...
IHG Extends Management Deal with HPT
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has consolidated, revised and extended its four existing management deals with Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT) for 130 hotels into one new 25-year...
Zinc InVision to Invest $90m in Indian Properties
Zinc InVision Hospitality, a partnership between Thailand-based InVision Hospitality and Zinc Holdings, the Singapore-based investment arm of Cinnovation, is to invest $90m in 15 Indian hotels...
HEI Hotels Acquires San Diego Marriott
Hospitality investment firm HEI Hotels & Resorts has acquired the 360-room San Diego Marriott La Jolla for $71m from Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors. The hotel was previously managed...
Wyndham Unveils New Ramada Hotel in Beijing
Wyndham Hotel Group has launched a new Ramada hotel in Beijing, China. The nine-storey, 344-room Ramada Beijing North is owned by Beijing Changxin Huilongyuan Villas and offers 28 suites. ...
Davidson Hotels to Manage Hyatt Regency Princeton
US-based Davidson Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with a Hyatt Hotels Corporation affiliate to manage the 347-room Hyatt Regency Princeton in New Jersey, US. The hotel is...
Hotelmanagement-network.com Launches Major Hotel and Cruise Survey
Hotelmanagement-network.com is launching a major global hotel and cruise industry survey, and we'd like to hear your opinions on the most important sustainability issues for 2011-12. ...
US Hotels Report Q2 Occupancy Rises
Hotel occupancy in the US increased by 4.5% to stand at 63.4%, its average daily rate (ADR) rose by 3.5% and revenue per available room (revPAR) increased by 8.1% for the second quarter of 2011...
Blackstone in Talks to Acquire Mint Hotels
Financial services company Blackstone is in negotiations to buy UK-based hotel group Mint Hotels for £575m. Blackstone saw off a competing bid from US firm TPG for the group, which...
Middle East / Africa Shows Recovery Despite Metric Falls
The Middle East / Africa hotel industry ended June 2011 with a fall in all three key metrics, with the decline in the South African market after the 2010 World Cup offsetting growth throughout...
Daman to Build Rosewood Hotel in Dubai
Dubai-based investment management company Daman is to build a Rosewood luxury hotel at the Dubai International Financial Centre in Dubai, UAE. The project was revived by Daman after its...
Perth's Q1 Hotel Occupancy Rises
Hotel occupancy in Perth, Western Australia, increased to 83% during the first quarter of 2011, up from 80% in the same period last year, according to data from the ABS Survey of...
Berggruen Hotels Unveils India Expansion Plans
Berggruen Hotels, a hospitality chain funded by a US-based private equity firm, is to invest Rs6bn ($135m) in creating 30 new properties across India by 2015. Berggruen Hotels, which...
Canadian Hotel Occupancy Rises
The Canadian hotel industry ended the week commencing 16 July 2011 with a 3% increase in occupancy to 75%, according to data from STR Global. The country's average daily rate rose by 1.6%...
AXA to Acquire Fonciere des Murs Portfolio
AXA Real Estate Investment has signed an agreement to acquire a portfolio of six hotels from French firm Fonciere des Murs for €132.9m. Four hotels are in Paris, one in Brussels and...
Chesapeake to Manage Holiday Inn Columbia
Chesapeake Hospitality has signed an agreement to manage the 175-room Holiday Inn Columbia, located in Columbia, Maryland, US. Approximately $3m will be spent on redesigning the hotel's...
Strategic Hotels Closes $130m Recourse Loan
Strategic Hotels & Resorts has closed a $130m limited recourse loan secured by the Four Seasons Washington, DC hotel. Strategic CFO Diane Morefield said encumbering the property...
Sheraton Crown Center to Undergo $13m Renovation
Starwood Hotels and Resorts' Hyatt Regency hotel in Kansas City, US, is to undergo a $13m renovation. The 733-room property is scheduled to make its debut on 1 January 2012 and will...
Oman's Hotel Development Rate Grows by 7%
Oman's growth in the number of hotels and hotel rooms progressed at an average rate of around 7% per year over the last five years, despite fluctuations, according to figures released by...
Host Hotels Reports Q2 Revenue Rise
Host Hotels & Resorts posted a 17% increase in revenue for the second quarter (Q2) of 2011 to $184m and a 14% increase of $264m for the year to date. Host Hotel's net income for Q2...
Hotel New Orleans to Undergo Renovation and Rebranding
The Hotel New Orleans in Louisiana, US, is to undergo a renovation starting the third quarter of 2011 and will be rebranded 'Hyatt Place' in the first quarter of 2012. The hotel was bought...
Kempinski to Launch Hotel in Azerbaijan
European hotel chain Kempinski Group is to open the Kempinski Hotel Badamdar in Baku, Azerbaijan, in September 2011. According to Kempinski, the new property is one of the group's two...
Hyatt Opens First Hotel in China
Hyatt Hotels has launched the Hyatt Regency Guiyang in the province of Guizhou, the company's first hotel in south-west China. The property features 366 guestrooms and a Regency Club with...
Hilton Worldwide Signs Management Agreement with Nehru Place Hotels
Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement with Eros Group subsidiary Nehru Place Hotels to take over the management of its hotel in Delhi, India. The hotel was rebranded 'Eros Hotel - Managed...
Harrah Unveils Arizona Hotel Tower
US-based Harrah has launched a five-storey hotel tower at its Ak-Chin Casino Resort in Maricopa, Arizona, US. The new $20m project offers 152 rooms, including five suites, bringing the...
Wyndham Completes $1bn Credit Facility Deal
Wyndham Worldwide has completed a new $1bn revolving credit facility. According to Wyndham, the new facility will mature on 15 July 2016 and replace its existing $980m facility, which...
Jumeirah Group to Adopt Du Telepresense Technology
The UAE's integrated telecom service provider Du has signed an agreement with Dubai-based Jumeirah Group to provide global Immersive Telepresense Public Rooms in a number of Jumeirah hotels. ...
Carlson Unveils First Country Inns & Suites Property in San Antonio
Carlson is to expand its Country Inns & Suites By Carlson brand with its first hotel in San Antonio, Texas, US. The 126-room property offers one-bedroom suites, studio suites, a...
Strategic Hotels Closes Recourse Loan
Strategic Hotels & Resorts has announced the closing of a $110m limited recourse loan secured by the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. According to Strategic Hotels, the new...
AKMC Signs Management Agreement with Trading Real Estate Company
Al Khozama Management Company (AKMC) has signed an agreement with Trading Real Estate Company to manage its 140-room hotel in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The Al Khozama Hotel, Madinah is scheduled...
Choice Hotels to Build First Cambria Suites Hotel in US
Choice Hotels is to build a new Cambria Suites hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota, US. Choice Hotels said Consolidated Construction will be general contractor for the $12.5m, 111-suite...
Jumeirah to Open New Hotel in Abu Dhabi
Dubai-based hotel management group Jumeirah will open a new five-star hotel in late 2011 at the Etihad Towers development in Abu Dhabi. Jumeirah at Etihad Towers will be the first hotel...
Hyatt to Acquire 24 Hotels from LodgeWorks
Hyatt Hotels has signed an agreement to acquire 24 hotels and related assets, including management, franchise and intellectual property rights, for $802m from LodgeWorks and its partners. ...
Interstate to Manage NBB Hotels
Interstate Hotels & Resorts has been selected to manage six hotels being developed by NBB Development in Sochi, Russia. The hotels, which will provide a total of 1,564 rooms, are...
Chatham Lodging Acquires US Innkeeper Hotels
Chatham Lodging Trust has acquired five Innkeepers hotels in the US, comprising a total of 764 rooms, for $195m. The hotels include Residence Inn Anaheim, Residence Inn San Diego, Residence...
Canada Reports Overall Market Drop
Canada recorded falls across three metrics of its hotel industry during the week starting 3 July 2011, according to STR Global. The country's occupancy fell by 1.7% to stand at 68.9%,...
Marriott Reports Q2 Profit Increase
Marriott International achieved a profit of $135m for the second quarter (Q2) of 2011, a 13% increase on the profit for the corresponding quarter in 2010. Marriott's Q2 2011 revenue increased...
Global Hotel Transactions to Rise 28% in 2011
Global hotel transactions are to increase by 28% to $34.8bn this year, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. Lodging transactions increased to $14.8bn in the first half of 2011, up by 117%...
Manchester Reports Healthy Hotel Market
Room yield in Manchester, UK, for May 2011 rose to £61.05, a 7% increase on the figure for May 2010, according to PKF Hotel Consultancy Services. PKF said the rise was driven primarily by a...
Four Seasons to Expand Portfolio in India and China
Canadian hotel chain Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts is to operate seven hotels in India over the next ten years. The company currently runs only one Indian hotel, in the state...
Sheraton Stamford Hotel Opens in Connecticut
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide's Sheraton brand has unveiled the Sheraton Stamford in Connecticut, US. Sheraton said the property is one of 60 hotels the company expects to add to...
Jackson Street Signs Milwaukee Hotel Agreement with White Lodging
Jackson Street Management has reached an agreement with US-based White Lodging Services Corporation to manage the proposed Marriott hotel in downtown Milwaukee, US. The developer also signed...
Chicago Marriott to Undergo $40m Renovation
Chicago Marriott O'Hare, which is located in Chicago, US, is to undergo a $40m renovation. Under the renovation, the hotel will have new technology installed and its 470 guestrooms and...
Driftwood, Apollo to Pursue US Hotel Acquisitions
US-based Driftwood Hospitality Management (DHM) has entered a $400m joint venture with Apollo, a real estate investment fund, to acquire US hotels. As part of the joint venture, the...
IHG Unveils Portuguese Palace Hotel
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened a new hotel, InterContinental Porto-Palacio das Cardosas, in Porto, Portugal. InterContinental Porto-Palacio is a renovated 200-year-old...
Noble, Hyatt Joint Venture Reveal Development Plans
Affiliates of Noble Investment Group and Hyatt Hotels have formed a joint venture to invest up to $80m in developing Hyatt Place and Hyatt Summerfield Suites hotels. Under the joint venture,...
Marriott to Develop Panama Resort
Marriott Hotels & Resorts is to develop the 180-room Casamar Marriott Panama Resort in Panama City, Panama. The five-star resort, operated under a franchise agreement with...
Agilysys to Provide Technology for Landmark London Hotel
UK-based provider hospitality software Agilysys (Europe) has secured a contract to provide technology to The Landmark London Hotel in London, UK. The hotel will install InfoGenesis POS...
Hilton to Open DoubleTree Hotel at Newcastle Airport
Hilton Worldwide has signed a franchise agreement with Cairn Hotel Group to open a DoubleTree hotel at Newcastle International Airport, UK. DoubleTree by Hilton Newcastle International...
Grand Hyatt San Francisco Reveals Multiphase Renovation
The Grand Hyatt San Francisco hotel, which is located on San Francisco's Union Square, is to undergo a $70m multiphase renovation. The project, which is expected to be completed by 2012,...
Marriott International to Manage Two Hotels in Iraq
Marriott International has signed agreements with Empire Iraq to manage a 200-room upscale Marriott Hotels & Resorts-branded hotel and a 75-unit deluxe Marriott Executive Apartments property...
CDL Hotels Holdings to Expand in Japan
CDL Hotels Holdings Japan, a subsidiary of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, is to invest £113m in expanding its hotel portfolio with the opening of a new property in the Tokyo district of...
Rezidor to Manage Two Hotels in UAE
Rezidor Hotel Group has taken over the management of the Radisson Royal Hotel in Dubai and the Radisson Blu Resort, Fujairah, UAE. Both hotels were previously managed by JAL and are owned...
Wyndham Opens First Property in Puerto Rico
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has expanded its Caribbean portfolio of hotels with the opening of the 107-room Wyndham Garden at Palmas del Mar in Humacao, its first Wyndham Garden property in...
Accor to Sell Pullman Bercy to Host Hotels
French hotel group Accor will sell its 396-room Pullman Bercy Hotel in Paris for €105m ($149m) to Host Hotels & Resorts in a joint venture with APG Strategic Real Estate Pool and...
Middle East Reports Decline in Hotel Occupancy
Hotel occupancy in the Middle East fell by 1.8% during May 2011 compared with the corresponding period in 2010 to stand at 60.4%, according to data from Deloitte and STR Global. The...
First JW Marriott Opens in Turkey
JW Marriott, the luxury hotel brand of Marriott International, has opened the JW Marriott Hotel Ankara, its first hotel in Turkey, under a management agreement with Ozkar Insaat. The...
Travellers International Plans Five-Star Philippines Property
Travellers International Hotel Group, a joint venture between Alliance Global Group and Genting Hong Kong, will build a new five-star, 350-room hotel at Resorts World Manila in Newport...
Hawaii Reports Modest Rise in Hotel Occupancy
Hawaii's hotel occupancy for May 2011 increased by 1.4%, according to a report released by Hospitality Advisors. The occupancy increase is the lowest for 18 months, and was attributed to a...
Accor to Expand Pullman Portfolio
The Accor Group is to open new properties under its Pullman brand in six countries, including the Netherlands (Eindhoven), Brazil (Sao Paulo), Indonesia (Bali and Jakarta), New Zealand...
Travelodge Reveals $236m UK Expansion Plan
Travelodge is to spend £165m ($236m) on opening new hotels comprising 2,198 rooms across the UK. Travelodge has also partnered with clothing retailer Arcadia Group to invest £10m in developing...
Hilton to Increase London Portfolio
Hilton Worldwide is to open two new hotels on London's Southbank, adding over 500 new rooms to the group’s portfolio in London, UK. Owned by The Splendid Hotel Group and to be managed by...
Whitbread to Open 80 Hotels in India
UK-based hospitality firm Whitbread is to invest Rs5.3bn ($120m) in expanding its hotel portfolio in India by 2020. The company owns and runs two Premier Inn hotels in the country, and plans...
Marriott Unveils Jaipur Marriott Hotel
Marriott International has opened its 365-room Jaipur Marriott Hotel in the Indian state of Rajastan. The hotel offers seven separate food and beverage outlets, 43,000ft² of...
Grange Hotels Deploys HP Networking Solutions
UK-based hotel group Grange Hotels has selected an HP wired and wireless network to improve communications for staff and customers across its 16 properties. The networking solution will...
Accor Opens Novotel MICE Hotel in Thailand
Accor has opened the Novotel Bangkok IMPACT, the first Accor hotel in Thailand dedicated to meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. The property will feature 380 rooms and...
Abu Dhabi Hotel Industry Reports Revenue Rise
Abu Dhabi's hotel industry reported a 6% increase in revenue to $513m from January to May 2011, compared with the same period in 2010, according to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. Hotel...
Shangri La Asia to Complete Sri Lankan Hotel Project in 2014
Hong Kong-based Shangri La Asia will complete its Colombo, Sri Lanka, luxury hotel project by 2014. The completion date was delayed because of the complexity of the design, according to...
Michigan Four Winds Resort Reveals Expansion Plans
The Four Winds Casino Resort, which is owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, is to add 250 hotel rooms at the property in south-west Michigan, US. Construction of a new...
Best Western to Open Fifth Property in Bangkok
Best Western is to open its second Best Western Plus hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. The Grand Howard Hotel, which will open in the second quarter of 2012, will have 256 rooms and will increase...
Crestline to Manage Washington Courtyard Hotel
Crestline Hotels & Resorts has assumed management of the Courtyard by Marriott Washington Capitol Hill / Navy Yard hotel in Washington DC, District of Columbia, US. The 14-storey...
Strategic Hotels Unveils New Credit Facility
Strategic Hotels & Resorts has completed a new secured and revolving credit facility worth $300m, with an accordion feature allowing an additional borrowing capacity of up to $400m. ...
MICROS Fidelio to Launch Suite8 in Middle East
MICROS Fidelio, a division of MICROS, is to launch its Suite8 property management system in the Middle East. Suite8 provides independent hotels with a system that caters to the requirements...
Hersha Hospitality to Acquire Hyatt Union Square
US-based real estate investment trust Hersha Hospitality has agreed to acquire the 175-room Hyatt Union Square Hotel in New York, US, for $104.1m. The four-star hotel will have 23ft-high...
Marriott Reveals Indian Expansion Plans
Marriott International is to launch ten hotels under its luxury JW Marriott brand at various locations across India by 2015. Marriott International vice-president Rajeev Monon said the...
Vikram Chatwal Opens Dream Downtown in New York
Vikram Chatwal Hotels has opened the $270m Dream Downtown, a renovation of the Albert C Ledner building in the Chelsea and Meatpacking District neighbourhoods of Manhattan, US. The...
Skelwith Group to Start Construction on UK's Flaxby Country Resort
UK-based Skelwith Group will begin the construction of a £100m hotel, the Flaxby Country Resort, in Yorkshire, UK, in July 2011. The five-star hotel, which covers 283 acres of woodland,...
Starwood Expands Gulf Portfolio
Starwood Hotels and Resorts is to open two new hotels in Medina, Saudi Arabia, as part of its expansion plan in the Gulf region. The new properties, Sheraton Medina Hotel and Four Points...
Ritz-Carlton to Manage Oman's Al Bustan Palace
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has signed an agreement with Oman's Ministry of Tourism to manage the Al Bustan Palace in Muscat, Oman, under its Ritz-Carlton brand. The property...
Appu Hotels to Open Three Properties in India
India-based Appu Hotels is to invest Rs6bn ($134m) over the next two years in opening three hotels in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Appu Hotels chairman Palani Periasamy said the...
June 2011
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Accor Opens Sofitel Hotel in Guangzhou
Accor has opened the Sofitel Guangzhou Sunrich in China, increasing its hotel portfolio to 20 properties across the country. The hotel is located in the heart of Tianhe, Guangzhou's...
VingCard Launches NFC-Based Locking Technology for Hotels
VingCard Elsafe, part of the ASSA ABLOY Group, has launched a new locking solution for hotels that uses NFC-enabled mobile phones as virtual guestroom keys. The new solution, based on mobile...
Rotana Opens Centro Sharjah in UAE
Rotana has opened its 28th property, the Centro Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. The Centro Sharjah features 306 rooms, meeting rooms, a gymnasium and a swimming pool. Rotana said...
BT Openzone to Provide Wi-Fi and Internet Services to UK Hilton Hotels
Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement with BT Openzone to provide a suite of Wi-Fi and internet services across its hotels in the UK and Ireland. The services include Wi-Fi access,...
Innkeepers Gets Approval to Dispose Assets
Apollo Investment-owned Innkeepers has received approval from the US Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, New York, to sell 64 of its 72 hotels to Cerberus Capital Management and Chatham Lodging...
European Parliament Announces Amendments to New Hotel Directive
The European Parliament has made amendments exempting the hospitality industry from elements of a new Consumer Rights Directive proposal. The directive intends to regulate distance...
Strategic Completes InterContinental Chicago Acquisition
Strategic Hotels & Resorts has completed the acquisition of the remaining 49% stake in the InterContinental Chicago from an affiliate of the Government of Singapore Investment...
Abu Dhabi Hotel Occupancy Rises Amid Poor Middle East Performance
Hotel occupancy in Abu Dhabi increased 17.4% to 64.2% in May 2011, according to data from STR Global. Despite the rise, Abu Dhabi hotels registered a 22.3% drop in their average daily...
Emaar to Issue Tenders for Marassi Resort Project
Emaar Properties PJSC, the Egyptian unit of Dubai-based Emaar, is to start issuing tenders for the construction of hotels at its EGP9.92bn ($1.8bn) Marassi project in Cairo. The developer...
RIU Unveils Guadalajara Plaza in Mexico
Spain-based hotel operator RIU has opened the $110m Hotel RIU Guadalajara Plaza in Guadalajara, Mexico. The new property is the company's second urban hotel in Latin America, and will...
Las Vegas Plaza Hotel to Undergo $35m Renovation
The Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, is undergoing a $35m facelift, its first renovation in 20 years. The renovations include installing more than 45,000 new lightbulbs at the...
Boston's Convention & Exhibition Centre to Expand
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority has recommended a $2bn plan to expand the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, US, and build a new hotel in South Boston's...
Gaylord Entertainment to Open $800m Colorado Resort
Gaylord Entertainment is to develop an $800m resort and convention hotel in Aurora, Colorado, US, which will open in mid-late 2015. The Aurora site will be located on 85 acres in LNR...
Pebblebrook to Buy Stake in Six Manhattan Hotels
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has signed an agreement with Denihan Hospitality Group to invest in a joint venture that owns six luxury hotels in Manhattan, New York, US. Pebblebrook will...
Omni Installs BelAir Wireless Network
Omni Hotels & Resorts in midtown Manhattan, New York, US, has implemented BelAir Networks' wireless 802.11N network to provide wireless access to business travellers. AFL installed...
Sheraton to Expand Chinese Portfolio
The Sheraton brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to add seven hotels to its China portfolio by September 2011. The seven properties will increase Sheraton's China...
Beirut Hotels Report 2010 Performance
The average occupancy rate at Beirut hotels was 54% during the period 1996-2010, the second-lowest rate among 16 Arab cities, according to a survey by HVS. The survey revealed that the...
Starwood to Open First Hotel in Azerbaijan
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with Silk Way Airlines to open the Sheraton Baku Airport Hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan, in late 2011. Located directly in front...
HCN Unveils Hotel In-Room Technology
Ottawa-based Hotel Communication Network (HCN) has introduced new in-room technology for hotels and convention planners. The new technology offers information, services and entertainment...
Sheraton New York Completes First Phase of Renovation
The 50-storey Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York, US, has completed the first phase of its $150m renovation. The renovation involved expanding the size of 1,080 of the...
New World Hospitality to Acquire Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
Hong Kong-based New World Hospitality has signed an agreement to acquire Rosewood Hotels & Resorts from its owners Rosewood and Maritz, Wolff for $229.5m. Rosewood Hotels &...
Anantara to Manage Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa
Thailand-based Anantara has been chosen by Abu Dhabi Tourism Development & Investment Company to manage the Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The 224-room...
Accor Expands UAE Portfolio
Accor has revealed a plan to double its UAE portfolio by opening 11 hotels by 2014. With approximately 3,500 rooms, most of the development will be concentrated in Abu Dhabi, with five...
IHG Sells Hotel Indigo San Diego to Chesapeake Lodging
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has sold its 210-room Hotel Indigo property in San Diego, US, to Chesapeake Lodging Trust for $55.5m. Chesapeake funded the acquisition with a loan...
Omni Nashville Hotel to Open in 2013
Omni Hotels & Resorts has broken ground on the $250m Omni Nashville Hotel, which is to open in late 2013 in Nashville, US. The 21-storey hotel will be located across from the new...
Global Hotel Pipeline Rises During May
The global pipeline for new hotel rooms increased in May 2011, with all regions reporting rises in their development pipelines, according to a new report by STR Global. The Asia...
Hilton to Manage Al Hamra Fort Hotel
Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement with the Al Hamra Real Estate Development Company to manage the Al Hamra Fort Hotel in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The new hotel,...
Trump Hotel Collection to Install MICROS Mobile System
Trump Hotel Collection has chosen new mobile system OPERA2Go from MICROS Systems to provide mobility to its guests. Trump Hotel will initially implement the system in its Soho and...
Wyndham Adds Tulsa Hotel to Portfolio
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has added the 315-room Wyndham Tulsa in Oklahoma, US, to its portfolio. The hotel, owned by Tulsa-based Ruffin Hotel, is the second Wyndham property in...
Grupo Zarate to Manage First Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Argentina
Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Grupo Zarate to operate the first Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Argentina. The hotel, set to open in the first quarter of 2013, is...
Accor Opens Novotel Hotel in Saudi Arabia
Accor has opened its first Novotel hotel in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, as part of its expansion plans in the country. Located in the Dammam Business Park, the 159-room hotel offers 22 suites,...
The Peninsula Hotels Partners With Kaba for Door Locks
The Peninsula Hotels has announced a partnership with Kaba to replace all guestroom door locks in its properties. Kaba will develop and implement a solution that will use its...
Belle to Raise Funds for Manila Bay Gaming Resort
Belle is planning to raise PHP5bn ($115.2m) from a stock rights offering to fund the construction of its $750m Belle Grande Manila Bay project in the Philippines. The rights issue will...
Macau Reports Healthy Hotel Occupancy in April
Macau has reported an average occupancy rate of 85.2% in April, according to figures released by the region's Statistics and Census Service. Four-star hotels reported 89.6% occupancy ...
RBS Takes Control of Marriott's UK Portfolio
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has taken control of a £1bn ($1.6bn) property portfolio of Marriott hotels in the UK. The bank took over the portfolio after failing to secure a...
Wyndham Increases Ramada Portfolio in Thailand
Wyndham Hotel Group has signed an agreement to manage a South Sea Resort hotel in Karon, Phuket, Thailand. The hotel is undergoing an upgrade and will open under the Ramada brand at the end...
Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco Put Up for Sale
The 591-room Fairmont luxury hotel in San Francisco, US, is being put up for sale by Maritz Wolff. Atlanta-based Hodges Ward Elliott has listed the property for sale with no asking price. ...
Bahagia Investment to Manage Grand Hyatt in Malaysia
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has entered into an agreement with Malaysia-based Bahagia Investment Corporation to manage Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Located in the Golden Triangle area...
IHG to Expand in India
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is planning to increase its Indian portfolio by developing 46 properties across Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in India. Over 70% of these properties will be...
Salamander Marina & Beach Resort to Open in October
Fishing Lodge Cap Cana, the luxury resort development in the Dominican Republic, will open on 1 October 2011 as a Salamander Marina & Beach Resort. Located within a village that surrounds...
W Hotels Debuts in Russia
W Hotels Worldwide has debuted its W brand hotel in Russia with the opening of the W St Petersburg. W St Petersburg offers 137 guest rooms and ten suites, restaurant, bar, rooftop lounge,...
New World Hospitality Takes Over Management of London's Chancery Court Hotel
Hong Kong-based New World Hospitality took over the management of the 356-room Chancery Court Hotel, London on 11 June 2011. The property, formerly known as Renaissance London Chancery...
Bidders Emerge as Mint Hotel Chain Goes on Sale
UK-based city centre hotel chain Mint is set to be sold in a deal worth £575m ($941.4m). US private equity business Blackstone, property investor London & Regional and a joint...
Hawaii Reports Increase in Hotel Occupancy
Hawaiian hotels have reported an increase in occupancy in April 2011, according to a report released by Hospitality Advisors. The report revealed a 10% increase in visitors from the west...
Sofitel to Open a New Hotel in Kunming, China
Sofitel is planning to open a new 405-room hotel in Kunming, China, in early 2014. The Sofitel Kunming is being developed by Kunming Iron & Steel Holding and will occupy first to third,...
Sekisui House to Develop Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Kyoto
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has signed an agreement with Japan-based Sekisui House to develop a new Ritz-Carlton hotel, which is planned to open in Kyoto, Japan, in 2014. Located on...
Pebblebrook Acquires W Boston Hotel
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the 235-room W Boston hotel in downtown Boston, US, for $89.5m. The hotel features 464m² of indoor meeting space comprising nine meeting rooms, a spa,...
Hyatt Regency Columbus Hotel Completes Renovation
Hyatt Regency Columbus has completed a $12m renovation at its property in Columbus, Ohio, US. The renovation includes a complete remodelling of guest rooms and corridors at the 633-room...
Ritz-Carlton Unveils $2bn Global Expansion
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has announced a major expansion and development project, representing an investment of more than $2bn. The brand is planning to add properties across the...
TUI Begins Construction of Castelfalfi Resort in Italy
TUI Resorts & Hotels, a subsidiary of European tourism group TUI AG, has begun construction of the first phase of the €250m ($362.4m) Castelfalfi Resort in Tuscany, Italy. The...
ONYX to Manage Wesley Hotel in Hong Kong
Thailand-based ONYX Hospitality Group has been chosen by Methodist Centre Limited (MCL) to manage the Wesley hotel in the Admiralty district of Hong Kong from 1 February 2012. Located...
Wyndham Opens First TRYP Hotel in Colombia
Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide group, has unveiled its first TRYP by Wyndham hotel in Medellín, Colombia. The 140-room TRYP Medellín has become the brand's 14th hotel...
JW Marriott to Open 12 New Hotels by 2012
JW Marriott, the luxury hotel brand of Marriott International, has announced plans to open 12 new properties by 2012 to increase its global portfolio to 64 hotels and resorts in 27...
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Expands in Saudi Arabia
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is set to expand its footprint in Saudi Arabia with the opening of two new hotels in the city of Medina. The two properties will add more than 450...
The Dow Hotel Company Acquires New York Hilton Hotel
The Dow Hotel Company has announced the acquisition of the 304-room Hilton Long Island / Huntington in Melville, New York. The property was bought in a joint venture with Prudential...
Dubai Hotels Occupancy Rises
Dubai has reported an 8.7% increase in hotel occupancy, raising the overall occupancy to 81.3% during April 2011, according to new figures from Deloitte. The UAE city's hotels saw an...
Renaissance Sao Paulo Launches Virtual Meetings
The Renaissance Sao Paulo Hotel in Brazil has launched 'Virtual Meetings by Marriott', as part of the first phase of a major technology project initiated by the Marriott brand. A total of...
IFA-Led Consortium Acquires Yotel Hotel in NYC
A consortium comprising IFA, Kuwait Real Estate Company (KREC) and United Investments Portugal (UIP) has secured the financing and closed the $315m acquisition deal with project developer...
Wyndham to Strengthen Presence in China
Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide, has signed an agreement to add three Ramada properties to its hotel portfolio in China. The properties include the Ramada Plaza Sanya,...
Taipei to Get New Boat-Shaped Hotel
The New Taipei City Government is set to unveil the Fullon Hotel in Danshuei, Taipei City, Taiwan, which is shaped like an ocean liner. Located at Danshuei Fishermen's Wharf in Taipei,...
B Hotels & Resorts Adds Continental Oceanfront South Beach Hotel
B Hotels & Resorts announced the addition of the Continental Oceanfront South Beach Hotel in Miami to its portfolio. The 250-room hotel in Florida, US, is B Hotels & Resorts'...
Dubai's Hotel Occupancy Increases in Q1
Dubai hotels have reported a 15% increase in hotel occupancy to 81% during the first quarter of 2011, compared to the same period in 2010, according to new data from Dubai Statistics...
Marriott to Open 50 New Hotels in Next Four Years
Marriott Hotels & Resorts has announced a global pipeline of nearly 50 new properties that will open across the world in the next four years. The group is planning to open 24 hotels in...
Prism Hotels & Resorts to Manage Sheraton Charleston Airport Hotel
Dallas-based Prism Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement to manage the 289-room Sheraton Charleston Airport Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, US. The eight-storey hotel is the...
Von Essen UK Portfolio for Sale
The Von Essen chain of UK country house hotels has been put up for sale for £200m. Christie & Co will facilitate the sale of 27 hotels in the UK, either as a portfolio or as...
HEI Hotels Buys Westin Pasadena for $92m
HEI Hotels & Resorts has acquired the 350-room Westin Pasadena hotel in California, US, for $92m from MGP Office Trust. The property, which was built in 1989, is located on North Los...
LaSalle to Add New York's Park Central to Portfolio
LaSalle Hotel Properties is to acquire the Park Central Hotel in New York, US, for $405.5m from an undisclosed seller. The 934-room hotel is located on Seventh Avenue, between West 55th...
Rezidor to Unveil Nigerian Park Inn
The Rezidor Hotel Group's Park Inn Lagos, Apapa in Nigeria is to open in the first quarter of 2013. The 125-room Park Inn Lagos is the group's seventh hotel in Nigeria. The new Park...
Gehr Group Buys Manhattan Hotel
Gehr Development, the real estate division of Gehr Group, has acquired the Four Points by Sheraton Midtown Times Square in New York, US, for $112m. The transaction was part of a $170m...
IHG Expands European Pipeline
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has expanded its European hotel pipeline, adding 54 hotels comprising 7,874 rooms during the year between June 2010 and May 2011. The hotels are...
Hilton to Open First Hotel in Saudi Arabia
Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Dar Al Bayan Real Estate Development to open its first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The...
Sofitel So Bangkok to Offer Complete Apple Technology
Sofitel So Bangkok is to install Apple-based digital systems in all its rooms, becoming Asia's first hotel to offer a "fully connected lifestyle", according to the hotel company. All 238...
Accor Unveils Indonesia Expansion Plans
Accor is to expand in Indonesia with 21 new hotels, which will add 4,526 new rooms to its portfolio. This will increase the company's hotels in the area to 74, including 40 existing hotels...
Marriott Reveals Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Opening Date
Marriott International is to open the Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey, in early 2012. The 212-room property will open under a franchise agreement with Polat Holding. ...
Penn National Gaming Buys $231m M Resort
Penn National Gaming has acquired the M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas, US, for $230.5m. M Resort Spa Casino, which is situated on a 90 acres site at the south-east corner of Las...
Sheraton Completes Club Lounge Upgrades
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has invested more than $100m in upgrading its 120 Club Lounges. The Club Lounge upgrade project is the final phase of Sheraton's $6bn...
Abu Dhabi Records Improved Hotel Performances
Abu Dhabi reported improved performances across all industry parameters for the first four months of 2011, according to figures released by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. The number...
Marina Bay Sands Deploys Passkey GroupMAX Reservation System
Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore has implemented an online reservation system and event management tool from Passkey GroupMAX for its corporate clients. The Passkey GroupMAX tool...
Qbic Unveils UK Portfolio Plans
Qbic Hotels is to enter the UK market by launching ten hotels across the country. The company is looking for empty commercial buildings to convert in locations such as London,...
InterContinental to Open Hotel Indigo in Liverpool
The InterContinental Hotels Group will open its £15m ($24.6m) boutique brand property Hotel Indigo on 6 June 2011 in Liverpool, UK. The 151-room hotel will be owned and operated by...
Radisson Blu to Open in Ethiopia
Radisson Blu, a subsidiary of the Rezidor Hotel Group, will open a new property in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The nine-storey Radisson hotel will become the third international hotel chain...
Kuwait Hotel Occupancy Rises
Hotel occupancy in Kuwait increased by 3% to 61% for March 2011 compared with the same period in 2010, according to a report by Al-Tameer Company. For the first half of 2011 the country's...
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Acquires Viceroy Miami
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the Viceroy Miami in Florida, US, for $36.5m. The 148-room hotel is located in downtown Miami in the ICON Brickell complex, and will continue to be...
W Hotels Worldwide Launches iPhone Application
W Hotels Worldwide has unveiled a global iPhone application for all of its properties. The new W app will enable hotel booking for W hotels around the world, and is expected to serve as...
Carlson, Mortenson to Open Radisson Blu in Mall of America
Carlson and Mortenson have started construction on a $137.5m Radisson Blu hotel adjoining the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. Situated on the mall's south side, the...
Home Inns Acquires Motel 168
Home Inns & Hotels Management has entered into an agreement to acquire a 100% ownership interest in Motel 168 International Holdings for $470m. Motel 168 is one of the major branded...
Hawaii Hotels Report Occupancy, Room Rate Rises
Hawaii's hotels reported a 2% increase in average occupancy to 72.5% during the week ending 21 May compared with the corresponding week in 2010, according to data from Smith Travel Research...
GHA Deploys Alliance-Wide Technology Platform
The Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the 300-unit alliance of independent hotel brands, has deployed a technology platform to share guest information globally. The multi-brand system is powered...
May 2011
Top
Global Hotel Development Pipeline Rises
The hotel development pipelines for Europe, Asia Pacific, Caribbean / Mexico, Central and South America, and the Middle East / Africa regions increased in April, according to new data by...
US Hotel Recovery to Continue into 2012
The US hotel industry will continue to recover through 2011 and into 2012, according to the latest US lodging industry forecast by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC). Occupancy and average...
Novotel Unveils Noise-Proof Airport Hotel in Auckland
The Novotel hotel chain has unveiled the $65m Novotel Auckland Airport hotel in Auckland, New Zealand, which is equipped with high-tech elements to block out noise levels from the nearby airport. ...
Shangri-La to Open Second Indian Hotel
Asia Pacific luxury hotel group Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has revealed plans to open its second property in the city of Mumbai, India. The firm's first property in the country, in New...
Rixos Residences Palm Jumeirah to Launch in December
Rixos Hotels is to launch the Rixos Residences Palm Jumeirah, a hotel and residence project in Palm Island, Dubai, in December 2011. The Rixos Residences Palm Jumeirah will include 204...
GrandStay Hospitality Reveals Expansion Plans
GrandStay Hospitality has opened four conversion hotels under its franchise. The newly launched properties are the Appleton Wisconsin Wingate by Wyndham and the Fort Myers Florida Wynstar...
Orient-Express to Use Pegasus Solutions' Hotel Services
Orient-Express Hotels has signed a multi-year deal with Pegasus Solutions to use its central reservation system RezView NG, internet booking engine NetBooker NG and private label voice services...
Morgans Sells Royalton and Morgans to FelCor Lodging Trust
Morgans Hotel Group has completed the sale of Royalton and Morgans Hotels in New York, US, to an affiliate of FelCor Lodging Trust for $140m. The hotels include the 20-storey, 114-room...
Beirut's Hotel Occupancy Declines
The hotel industry in Beirut, Lebanon, reported a drop in its average occupancy rate for the first four months of 2011, according to an Ernst & Young survey of the Middle East hotel sector. ...
Evolve Guest Controls Joins Z-Wave Alliance
Wireless consortium Z-Wave Alliance has added Evolve Guest Controls as its new principal member. Evolve offers a system for hospitality customers through Z-Wave energy and device...
Strategic to Acquire 49% Stake in InterContinental Chicago
Strategic Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement to acquire the remaining 49% interest in the InterContinental Chicago hotel for $288.3m. The interest is owned by the hotel's...
Dubai to Launch World's First Fashion Hotel
UAE-based Al Habtoor Group has partnered with FashionTV to open the world's first fashion hotel in Dubai. Al Habtoor Group will own and operate the five-star property. The notable...
Rezidor Debuts Radisson Blu in Nigeria
The Rezidor Hotel Group has opened its first Radisson Blu hotel in Nigeria. The 170-room Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel is located along the Lagos Lagoon waterfront area of Victoria...
IHG, BCRE to Develop Hotel Indigo in New York
Brack Capital Real Estate (BCRE), in a joint venture with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), has completed the $46m acquisition of 180 Orchard Street in New York, US, to develop a 290-room...
US Hotels Report Performance Improvement
The US hotel industry saw an improved performance during April 2011, reporting a 4.9% increase in occupancy, a 2.8% increase in average daily rate (ADR) and a 7.9% increase in revenue per...
Northwood Investors to Acquire New York Palace Hotel
Northwood Investors, a real estate investment advisory company, has signed a contract to acquire The New York Palace Hotel in Manhattan, New York, US, for $400m from an affiliate of the...
Robinsons Land to Add 30 Philippines Hotels Within Five Years
Philippines property developer Robinsons Land is to expand its budget hotel business and use at least half of the $317m it raised from a stock rights offer to buy more land for future development....
Hyatt Regency New Orleans to Reopen in October
The Hyatt Regency New Orleans, which has been closed since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, is to reopen on 19 October 2011 following a $275m redesign and renovation. The project covers...
IHG Unveils Alabama Holiday Inn
The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened the new Holiday Inn Birmingham-Hoover in Birmingham, Alabama, US. The hotel is owned and managed by Galleria Properties under a...
Tivus Begins Phase II HD IPTV Installation in Host Hotels
Tivus has begun the phase II development of its new high-definition (HD) internet-protocol television (IPTV) in-room entertainment system in Host Hotels' properties. Tivus entered an...
Sheraton Omaha Hotel to Open in October 2011
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to open the Sheraton Omaha in Nebraska, US, in October 2011. The opening is part of Sheraton's expansion plan to add more than 60 new hotels and...
Hyatt Acquires Three Woodfin Hotels
A Hyatt Hotels Corporation affiliate has acquired three Woodfin Suites hotels in California, US, for $76.5m from O-B Holdings, a joint venture managed by Three Wall Capital. The...
Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel Opens After Renovation
The Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, US, has reopened following a $31m renovation that lasted two years. Renovations to the 600-room hotel included a new Marriott Hotels...
Movenpick Hotel Installs Personal Valet Application
The Movenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach in Dubai, UAE, has implemented Personal Valet, an in-room guest services application by iRis in all its rooms. Personal Valet enables guests to...
Starwood Unveils First South American Westin Property
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened its first Westin hotel in South America, the Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center in Peru. Starwood opened the property under a...
W San Francisco Installs LodgeNet TV Platform Solution
The W San Francisco has become the first hotel in the Starwood Hotels & Resorts group to use LodgeNet Interactive Corporation's TV platform Envision. Envision features a suite...
MGM Resorts to Expand Asian Portfolio
Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International is to add 30 new luxury hotels to its China portfolio over the next three to four years. The company's luxury resort unit MGM Hospitality is...
Marriott to Operate Three Hotels in Saudi Arabia
Marriott International has signed an agreement with Jabal Omar Development Company to operate three hotels in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The three properties include the 636-room JW Marriott...
DiamondRock Hospitality to Buy Radisson Lexington Hotel
DiamondRock Hospitality Company is to buy the 712-room Radisson Lexington Hotel New York from a Blackstone-led joint venture for $335m. The joint venture includes Blackstone Group,...
Las Vegas Sahara Hotel and Casino Closes
The Sahara Hotel and Casino, one of the oldest landmarks on Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, US, has closed because of a lack of business after competition from other casino resorts in the city...
Pinnacle Entertainment to Open L'Auberge Casino & Hotel
Pinnacle Entertainment is to unveil its casino hotel L'Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge in Louisiana, US, in mid-2012. The casino hotel will have 206 guestrooms, a rooftop pool and...
UK Hotels Report Improved Performance
The UK hotel industry has reported a 3.8% rise in revenue per available room (revPAR) to £50.67, according to a new report by STR Global. The revPAR increase was a result of an average...
Oberoi Group Prioritises Management Contracts
The Oberoi Group is to generate 60% of its revenues from hotel management contracts over the next ten years as it shifts its focus from the real estate sector. The Oberoi Group's...
Grand Hyatt DFW to Undergo Renovation
The Grand Hyatt DFW airport hotel, which is located near Fort Worth, Texas, US, is to undergo a $13m renovation. The four-month project will upgrade the property's 298 rooms, meeting space...
Rotana Announces UAE Expansion Plans
Abu Dhabi-based hotel company Rotana Hotels is to develop six hotels across the UAE by the end of 2011. In the emirate of Abu Dhabi, three of the six hotels - Centro Al Manhal, Centro...
Galaxy Entertainment Opens Macau Resort
Galaxy Entertainment Group has opened the HK$14.9bn ($1.9bn) Galaxy Macau casino resort in Macau after a delay lasting nearly two years because of the global economic crisis. The...
US Active Hotel Pipeline Drops
The US hotel development pipeline dropped 12.2% in April 2011 compared with the previous year, according to the April 2011 STR / McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report. The...
Gloria to Manage Fourth Sanya Resort
Gloria Hotels & Resorts has signed a contract to manage the Haohanpo Gloria Hotspring Resort Nantian Sanya, the company's fourth resort in Sanya, China. The five-star resort was developed...
HNA Group Buys 20% Stake in NH Hoteles
China-based airline and logistics company HNA Group has bought a 20% stake in Spanish hotel group NH Hoteles for $614m. The two companies will also set up a joint venture for the development...
21c Museum Hotels to Convert Metropole into Boutique Hotel
US-based luxury boutique hotel company 21c Museum Hotels has started work on the restoration of the Metropole building in downtown Cincinnati as part of a $50m project. The property will...
Thayer Acquires Two US Hotels
US-based hotel investment company Thayer Lodging Group has acquired the 337-room JW Marriott in San Francisco and the 304-room Hotel Palomar in Atlanta. Thayer recently acquired the JW...
Raffles to Develop Hotel in Turkey
International hotel chain Raffles Hotels and Resorts is to invest $175m in the development of a hotel within the Zorlu Center facility, which is currently under construction in central...
Starwood Unveils Westin Resort in Costa Rica
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened its first all-inclusive resort, The Westin Resort & Spa, in Playa Conchal, Costa Rica. The property, formerly known as the Paradisus...
Hilton to Complete DoubleTree Renovation in Hawaii
Hilton Hotels is about to complete a $16m renovation of the DoubleTree Alana Waikiki in Hawaii, US. The renovation includes upgrades to guestrooms and public areas, the installation...
Summit Completes Three Hotel Acquisitions, Announces Fourth
US-based hotel investment company Summit Hotel Properties has completed the acquisition of three hotels in the US and announced an additional property purchase agreement. The company...
Corinthia Opens Five-Star Hotel in London
Corinthia Hotels has opened a five-star flagship hotel in London, UK. The newly reconstructed flagship 294-room Corinthia Hotel London features two restaurants, a bar and lounge, a...
Starwood Sells W Chicago to Chesapeake Lodging Trust
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has completed the sale of the W Chicago – City Center hotel to Chesapeake Lodging Trust for $128.8m. The 22-storey property is located in West Loop in...
Joie de Vivre Chooses MICROS Hotel Management Software
US-based boutique hotel operator Joie de Vivre Hospitality has selected MICROS Systems' MICROS OPERA Enterprise Solution as its hotel management software. The new system will offer an...
Carlson and Mortenson Complete Radisson Blu Hotel Financing
Carlson Hotels and construction company Mortenson have completed financing for a 500-room Radisson Blu hotel at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, US. The financing was...
Fairmont to Expand in Indonesia
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is to expand its presence in Indonesia with the launch of a new hotel in Jakarta in 2014. The property will be developed by Senayan Trikarya Sempana, a...
New Mauritius Hotels Reports 17% Profit Rise
New Mauritius Hotels has reported a 17% rise in first-half profit, with a pretax profit of MUR1.06bn ($36m) during the six months to the end of March. The company's first quarter profit rose...
Bentota Beach Hotel Installs Zhara Hospitality Suite
Bentota Beach, a luxury hotel property on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, has installed the Zhara Hospitality Suite – a cloud-based hotel management software system created by JKCS. ...
HMH Expands Middle East and Africa Portfolio
Dubai-based hotel developer Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH) is to add 11 new hotels to its Middle East and Africa portfolio. The properties include a 216-room hotel in Corp Al Khoory...
SM Hotels Partners with Carlson for Park Inn Hotel in Philippines
Philippine-based SM Investments subsidiary SM Hotels and Conventions has signed a contract with Carlson to open a Park Inn in Davao City's Lanang district in the Philippines. The 200-room...
Rezidor Opens Seventh Hotel in UAE
The Rezidor Hotel Group has launched its seventh property in the UAE with the opening of its Radisson Blu Hotel in Dubai Downtown, a new mixed use development. The hotel is situated on the...
Hotel Occupancy Rises in Qatar
The hotel industry in Qatar has reported a 10% rise in occupancy during the first quarter of 2011, boosted by the Asian Football Cup and other major events held in Doha, according to data from...
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel Opens in London
Renaissance Hotels has opened St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London's King's Cross following a £150m restoration project at the original site, one of London's most iconic hotels. ...
Canadian Hotels Report Performance Drop
The Canadian hotel industry reported a drop in all three performance metrics during the week 24-30 April 2011, according to data from STR. Year-on-year, the Canadian hotel industry ended...
Real Hospitality Expands Portfolio
Real Hospitality Group signed on three properties in New York during the first quarter of 2011, increasing its portfolio by 9% in 2011. The expansion includes the 110-room Fairfield Inn...
Rezidor to Expand in Africa
Rezidor Hotel Group has revealed a plan to expand its operations in Africa with the opening of two Park Inn hotels, one in South Africa and one in Kenya. The new hotels include the 160-room...
Red Lion to Sell Seattle Hotel to Lowe Enterprises
Red Lion Hotels has signed an agreement with Lowe Enterprises to sell the Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue in Seattle, Washington, US for $71m. The hotel offers 297 rooms, as well...
Veidekke to Build a New Hotel in Norway
Obos Forretningsbygg has awarded a NOK366m ($69.5m) contract to Veidekke Entreprenør to build a hotel in the centre of Bergen, Norway. The hotel will have a floor area of...
HMH Details Sudan Expansion
Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH) has unveiled a plan to expand its Sudan portfolio by adding four new properties in the country. The company is planning to operate the new hotels...
US Hotels Report Performance Improvement
The US hotel industry has seen improved performance during the week of 24-30 April 2011, with STR Global reporting a 4.4% increase in occupancy, a 1% increase in average daily rate (ADR) and a...
Starwood to Open Sheraton Hotel in Dubai
Starwood has announced a plan to open a new Sheraton hotel in Dubai, UAE, as part of its expansion plan. The new Sheraton Dubai Sheikh Zayed Road Hotel will form part of a three-tower...
Hotel Andaluz Receives LEED Gold Certificate
The Hotel Andaluz in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, has achieved LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council. The 107-room property underwent a $30m renovation in 2009...
Starwood Hotels to Debut Four Points by Sheraton in Sharjah
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide plans to further expand its presence in Sharjah with the opening of the 220-room Four Points by Sheraton Sharjah hotel in 2013. The mixed-use...
Cerberus-Chatham JV Wins 64 Innkeepers Hotels in Auction
Cerberus Capital Management and Chatham Lodging Trust have won 64 hotels owned by Innkeepers USA Trust in a bankruptcy court auction. The two companies will pay just over $1.1bn for the...
Sol Melia to Develop New Hotel in Costa Rica
Paradisus Resorts, operated by Spanish hotel and resort company Sol Meliá, has announced that it will develop a new property in Papagayo Bay, Costa Rica, by July 2013. The 381-room resort...
Jumeirah to Increase its Hotel Portfolio
Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding, is planning to increase its hotel portfolio from 42 to 60 hotels by the end of 2012, according to...
LaSalle Buys Novotel Melbourne
LaSalle Investment Management has purchased the Novotel Melbourne for A$204m ($221m) from Thakral Holdings Group. The contract includes a 380-room Novotel Melbourne on Collins Hotel and...
Accor Considers Selling Lenôtre to Focus on Hotel Business
France-based hotel group Accor is considering selling catering company Lenôtre to focus on its core hospitality business. Lenôtre operates 64 outlets in 13 countries. Its estimated value...
Ritz-Carlton Unveils Saudi Arabian Hotel
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has opened its first hotel in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. The 493-room Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh is situated on a 213,500m² site with a 1km...
Hyatt Forms Joint Venture for Construction of Texas Hotel
Hyatt Hotels has formed a joint venture with White Lodging Services to construct and own a Hyatt Place hotel in Austin, Texas, US. A Hyatt affiliate and a White Lodging affiliate will each own...
Rotana Unveils Middle East Expansion Plan
Rotana, a hotel management company operating in the Middle East and North Africa, is to invest $800m as part of its expansion plan to have at least one Rotana hotel in every major city in...
Global Hotel Investment to Rise
Worldwide hotel transaction volumes are expected to rise by 30-40% in 2011, reaching $28bn-$30bn, according to Jones Lang LaSalle's Hotel Investment Outlook. According to the report,...
Shaner Acquires Stake in Il Ciocco Hotel & Resort
Shaner has bought a majority stake in Il Ciocco Hotel & Resort, a 180-room luxury resort in Barga, Tuscany, Italy. The company has formed a new division, Shaner Italia, to own and...
Al Gassar Resort to Open in Q4 2011
Al Gassar Resort, the new waterfront destination in Doha, Qatar, is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2011 after three years of development. Alongside the St Regis Doha hotel, the...
Starwood to Open Four Points Hotel in Illinois
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to introduce its Four Points brand hotel in Peoria, Illinois, US. The 319-room property, which is expected to open in July 2011, will feature a...
Marriott to Debut Courtyard Hotel in Maui
A&B Properties and RD Olson Development have broken ground on a new Courtyard hotel in Kahului on the island of Maui, Hawaii, US. The new 138-room hotel is being constructed on a 3.35...
April 2011
Top
Holiday Inn Express to Debut in Indonesia
InterContinental Hotels Group is to debut its Holiday Inn Express brand in Indonesia in the Legian district of Bali. The hotel will be managed by PT Wismatama Indah Makmur, which is owned by...
LaSalle Sells Stock to Raise Money for Expansion
US-based LaSalle Hotel Properties has sold seven million shares of common stock in a secondary offering to Goldman Sachs, raising $222.6m. The company also granted the underwriter an option...
Hilton to Manage Three Hotels in China
Hilton Worldwide has signed three contracts with New Huadu Industrial Group to manage one Waldorf Astoria hotel and two Hilton hotels in China. The properties include Waldorf Astoria...
Sheraton Completes $6bn Hotel Revitalisation Programme
Sheraton Hotels and its owners have invested $100m in the refurbishment of 120 Club Lounges in its hotels across the world. Properties included in this project are Sheraton Waikiki,...
Ritz-Carlton to Operate Abu Dhabi Waterfront Hotel
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) to operate a waterfront hotel in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal features...
Morgans to Sell Mondrian Los Angeles to Pebblebrook Affiliate
Morgans Hotel Group has signed an agreement to sell its 237-room Mondrian Los Angeles hotel for $137m to an affiliate of the Pebblebrook Hotel Trust. Morgans is selling the hotel in order to...
Wyndham, MasterBUILT to Develop 75 Microtel Hotels in Canada
Wyndham Hotel Group and MasterBUILT are to construct 75 new Microtel hotels in Canada over the next 25 years. Led by Jay Westman and Marc Staniloff, MasterBUILT Hotels is a joint venture...
IHG Selects Daptiv Project Portfolio Management System
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has selected Daptiv's Project Portfolio Management (PPM) system to manage its American Operations project management office projects. Daptiv's...
Marriott to Open World's Tallest Hotel in Dubai
US-based hotel company Marriott International has announced a plan to open the world's tallest hotel on Shaikh Zayed Road in Dubai in 2012. The 1,614-room JW Marriott Marquis Hotel will...
Marriott to Expand Middle East and Africa Portfolio
Residence Inn Algiers Marriott International has announced a plan to add six new properties to its 37 previously announced hotels in its Middle East and Africa pipeline. The newly...
RateTiger Launches RTSuite Hotel Databank
RateTiger, a revenue management and online distribution company, has launched the RTSuite Content – its latest hotel technology product. RTSuite Content will function as a live content data...
Four Seasons Unveils Indian Expansion Plan
Canada-based international hotel operator Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is planning to expand its five star hotel portfolio in India. The company is planning to develop five-star...
Carlson Plans Indian Expansion
Hospitality and travel company Carlson is planning to expand its Country Inns & Suites portfolio in India to at least 50 hotels over the next 10 years. The chain currently has 11 hotels...
Address Hotels + Resorts to Expand in Asia
The Address Hotels + Resorts, a Dubai-based luxury hotel brand, has signed a management agreement to operate new resort hotel The Address, The Terrace in Bali's Badung Regency, near Nusa Dua...
Travelodge to Open 36 Hotels in UK
Travelodge, the UK-based budget hotel brand, has announced a plan to open 36 hotels linked to pubs as part of its £100m ($167m) expansion plan. The company, which operates more than 450...
LA Live Entertainment Complex to Have Two Marriott Hotels
LA LIVE CFST has signed an agreement with Marriott International for the development of a new 377-room hotel tower adjacent to LA Live, an entertainment complex in downtown Los Angeles,...
Sunstone Acquires Majority Stake in San Diego Hotel
Sunstone Hotel Investors has completed the acquisition of a 75% stake in the joint venture that owns the 1,190-room Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel in California, US. The 30-storey...
Radisson Los Angeles Rebranded as DoubleTree Hotel
Davidson Hotel Company is to rebrand its Radisson Los Angeles Westside as the DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles-Westside. The hotel will be owned by the Carlyle Group and managed by...
Bahrain Hotel Occupancy Drops due to Civil Unrest
Hotel occupancy in Bahrain plunged as low as 5% due to violence in the country, according to a new report released by CB Richard and Ellis. Hotel launches across Bahrain have also been...
Reem Investments to Manage Abu Dhabi Nobu Hotel
UAE-based Reem Investments has signed a letter of intent to operate and manage the upcoming Nobu Hotel at Najmat, Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, for Nobu Hospitality. The Nobu Hotel will be part...
Lebanese Billionaire Buys Seven IHG Hotels
Lebanese businessman Toufic Aboukhater has acquired seven Intercontinental Hotels Group (IGH) branded hotels from Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund VI (MSREF), a real estate investment trust and...
Overseas Union Enterprises Acquires LCH Hotels
Singapore-based property owner, developer and operator Overseas Union Enterprises (OUE) has acquired LCH Hotels for S$224.5m (US$180m). As part of the acquisition agreement, OUE is acquiring...
GCC Hotel Revenues to Rise
Hotel revenues in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are expected to rise by 11% per year to reach $22bn by 2012 and $27bn by 2015, according to a forecast by Alpen Capital. The Alpen...
Movenpick to Manage Hilton Cebu Hotel and Resort in Philippines
Movenpick Hotels and Resorts, a Switzerland-based hotel management company, has announced that it has taken over the management of the Hilton Cebu Hotel and Resort on Mactan Island, Philippines. ...
IHG Opens 38th Holiday Inn Hotel in Costa Rica
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened a new property, the Holiday Inn San Jose Escazu, in San Jose, Costa Rica. The newbuild hotel has six storeys, 160 rooms, eight meeting...
BayStar to Manage Two Hotels in Florida
Tampa-based hotel development and management company BayStar Hotel Group has signed a contract to manage two US hotels for Bay Cities Bank. The two-storey St Petersburg-Clearwater...
Canada's March Hotel Pipeline Drops
Canada's hotel pipeline dropped by 3.8% in March 2011 to 193 projects comprising 20,715 rooms, compared with the same month in 2010, according to the March 2011 STR / McGraw Hill Construction...
Westin Copley Place Boston Completes Renovation
Westin Copley Place Boston, which is located near Logan International Airport, Massachusetts, US, has completed an $18m renovation. The project, which began on 1 November 2010, involved...
KSL Capital Partners Buys Miami Beach Royal Palm Hotel
KSL Capital Partners has acquired The Royal Palm Hotel in South Beach, Miami, US, for $130m from an affiliate of Sunstone Hotel Investors. KSL plans to renovate and reposition the hotel...
Starwood to Launch Ten St Regis Hotels
Starwood Hotels Worldwide is to open ten St Regis hotels across the world over the next 12 months. The expansion includes the 176-room St Regis Bangkok, which will open this month, offering...
Starwood to Debut Element Brand in Canada
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to launch its green hotel brand, Element, in Vancouver, Canada, in 2014. The hotel will be owned by Bosa Properties and managed by Atlific...
Oberoi Group Unveils New Indian Hotel
Indian hotel operator Oberoi Group has opened a new hotel, The Oberoi, Gurgaon, in New Delhi, India. The company signed a management contract for the new hotel with Orbit Resorts, owner of...
Pebblebrook Plans Hotel Spending Spree
Maryland-based lodging investment company Pebblebrook Hotel Trust bought three hotels within the last month and plans to acquire $600m of properties by the end of 2011. The planned spend...
Starwood Unveils Canadian Expansion
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to add new properties to its Canadian portfolio and in 2011 will open its 60th hotel in the country. Later this year, the hotel group will unveil the...
US Hotel Pipeline Falls by 8.2%
The US's total active hotel development pipeline for March 2011 fell by 8.2% to 3,095 projects comprising 325,407 rooms, compared with the same month last year, according to the March 2011 STR...
Kingdom Hotel Investments Completes Swissotel Kunshan Sale
Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI) has completed the sale of the China-based Swissotel Kunshan hotel to Malaysia-based TA Global Berhad for $60.6m. After transaction costs and repayment of...
Rezidor to Build London Park Inn Hotel for 2012 Olympics
The Rezidor Hotel Group is to add a Park Inn hotel to its UK portfolio. The property will be located 6km from central London on Olympic Way near Wembley Stadium. The Park Inn London...
Marriott Plans First Courtyard Hotel in Mexico City
Marriott International is to open a Courtyard hotel at Benito Juarez International Airport, Mexico City, Mexico. The 292-room Courtyard Mexico City Airport is expected to open in early 2012. ...
Hotelmanagement-network.com Launches Industry Survey
To understand what our readers view as the most important business issues for 2011-12, hotelmanagement-network.com is launching a major industry survey covering all its readers worldwide. We...
Paragon and Marriott to Develop Canadian Luxury Hotels
Paragon Development has signed an agreement with Marriott International to develop two luxury hotels near the BC Place multipurpose stadium in Vancouver, Canada. Paragon and Marriott will...
US Hotel Industry Reports Improved Performances
The US hotel industry has reported improvements in all three key performance metrics for the week 27 March to 2 April 2011. US hotel occupancy increased year-on-year by 12.2% to 60.8%,...
Pebblebrook Buys Westin Gaslamp Quarter Hotel
Maryland-based Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the Westin Gaslamp Quarter hotel in San Diego, California, US, for $110m from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Following...
Royal Orchid to Expand Indian Portfolio
India-based hotel chain Royal Orchid is to spend Rs3bn ($68m) on opening six new hotels across India by December 2011. The new hotels will add 900 rooms to the company's portfolio of...
Elite and PHG Launch RFP Management System
Elite Meetings International and Preferred Hotel Group have launched PHG Meetings, an online RFP management system to bring together corporate sales managers, global sales offices,...
Starwood Debuts First Thai St Regis Hotel
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide opened the St Regis Bangkok, the first St Regis-branded hotel in Thailand, on 5 April 2011. The 47-storey property features 227 guestrooms, including...
New Bribery Act Forces Hospitality Rethink
UK companies in the hospitality and leisure sector may need to review their perk and kickback policies before the new Bribery Act comes into place on 1 July 2011. The Ministry of Justice...
Bird Group Acquires London's Royal Park Hotel
Bird Hospitality Services (BHS), a subsidiary of India-based Bird Group, has acquired Royal Park Hotel in London, UK, from an Irish investment company for an undisclosed price. The Royal...
Hotelmanagement-network.com Launches Industry Survey
To understand what our readers view as the most important business issues for 2011-12, hotelmanagement-network.com is launching a major industry survey covering all its readers worldwide. We...
IHG, Duet India to Develop 19 Hotels
IHG has signed a joint venture and 20-year management agreement with Duet India Hotels Group to develop 19 new Holiday Inn Express hotels across India. Under the agreement, IHG will pay...
Starwood to Open First W Hotel in India
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to open its first W Hotel in Mumbai, debuting its W brand in India. The hotel is expected to open in 2015 and will be managed by Jaguar Buildcon. ...
Starwood to Double India Portfolio by 2015
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide marked its plan to double its India portfolio with the announcement of its 50th hotel in the country. Starwood's first W hotel in India, W Mumbai,...
Hilton Opens First Cape Town Hotel
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has opened its first Cape Town property, the chain's third hotel in South Africa. The 137-room Hilton Cape Town City Centre underwent a four-month...
Marriott Unveils Russian Expansion Strategy
Russia Sales Marriott International has launched a new global plan to improve the delivery of its sales and account management services in Russia. The strategy is part of...
Middle East Hotel Investment to Rise
More than $6bn of hotel projects are expected to be completed in the Middle East by 2013, according to STR Global. The Hotel Show exhibition director Frederique Maurell said that despite...
SCAD Students to Design IHG Hotels
IHG has appointed Savannah College of Art and Design's (SCAD) interior design students to design three of its new Staybridge Suites hotels – Staybridge Suites Tyler University Area in...
Hawaii Hotel Occupancy Rises
Hotels in Hawaii reported 81.7% occupancy during February 2011, up by more than 6% compared with February 2010, with an 11.8% gain in visitors from the US West Coast, a 10.9% gain from the US...
Interstate Takes Over Management of 30 Hotels
US-based hotel management company Interstate Hotels & Resorts has assumed the management of 30 premium-brand, select-service and extended-stay hotels effective from 1 April 2011. ...
Hilton Debuts Ras Al Khaimah DoubleTree Hotel
Hilton Worldwide has opened its first DoubleTree hotel in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, in the emirate's Al Nakeel business district. The hotel offers 98 guestrooms and 28 one, two and...
Morgans Sells Manhattan Hotels to FelCor
Morgans Hotel Group has agreed to sell two Midtown Manhattan hotels in New York, US, to an affiliate of FelCor Lodging Trust for $140m. The transaction for the Royalton and Morgans...
Hilton to Open Garden Inn Hotel in Istanbul
Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement to open a Garden Inn hotel near Istanbul Airport in Turkey. The newbuild hotel will be part of a mixed use office and residential development,...
Jumeirah Unveils New Shanghai Hotel
The Dubai-based luxury hotel company Jumeirah Group has opened its first five-star luxury hotel in China at the Himalayas Centre in Pudong, Shanghai. Designed by KCA International,...
Wyndham to Manage Three Planet Hollywood Hotels
Wyndham Hotel Group is to manage three newly built Planet Hollywood properties in Central America, the Middle East and Asia. The proposed hotels will be located in Doha, Qatar; Panama...
Hilton Opens Doubletree Hotel in Louisiana
Hilton has opened a Doubletree hotel near Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, Louisiana. The hotel group is planning a $3m renovation for the 248-room hotel. The...
W Hotels to Expand Mexico City Portfolio
W Hotels Worldwide has announced that it will expand its presence in Mexico City with the opening of its second hotel in the Santa Fe district. W Santa Fe, which will offer views of...
Park Hyatt Rebrands Maldives Hotel
Hyatt Hotels announced that its affiliate has entered into an agreement with Driftwood Maldives to manage the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, the Maldives. The hotel is the first in the...
IHG to Open Largest Holiday Inn in Canada
IHG will open its 513-room Holiday Inn Toronto Downtown Centre on 6 April 2011. The hotel will be the largest Holiday Inn property in Canada, with 23 floors and 836m² of...
Hilton Debuts Doubletree in Jordan
Hilton Worldwide has opened a Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Aqaba, Jordan, the first branch of the brand to be launched in the Middle East. The hotel, which overlooks the Red Sea, contains...
W Hotels to Open W Retreat & Spa Kanai in Mexico
W Hotels Worldwide has announced plans to open W Retreat & Spa Kanai in Riviera Maya, Mexico. The 180-room will be owned by ALHEL and GIM Desarrollos, and designed by architect...
IHG to Sell Two Hotels in US
IHG has announced its intention to sell two hotels in the US, the 121-room Staybridge Suites Denver Cherry Creek and the 143-room Holiday Inn Atlanta-Gwinnett Place, to Summit Hotel Properties...
Highgate Hotels to Manage Hilton Times Square Hotel
Sunstone plans to consolidate the management of its 460-room Hilton Times Square with that of the 460-room Doubletree Guest Suites Times Square, under the management of Highgate Hotels. ...
Travelodge to Expand London Hotel Portfolio
Travelodge, the UK-based budget hotel brand, is to spend £60m ($96.5m) on the addition of eight new hotels to its London portfolio, overtaking Hilton as the biggest hotel brand in the city. ...
Sunstone to Sell Royal Palm Miami Beach Hotel
Sunstone Hotel Investors has reached an agreement to sell the 409-room Royal Palm Miami Beach hotel in Florida, US, for $130m to an unidentified buyer. Sunstone will receive $40m in...
Hotel Leela Venture Unveils Indian Expansion Plan
Hotel Leela Venture is to invest Rs1bn ($22m) in the refurbishment of its hotel in Goa in 2011. The Indian hotel group will increase the number of rooms from 186 to 206, add new restaurants...
Ritz Carlton Opens World's Highest Hotel in Hong Kong
Ritz-Carlton has opened the world's highest hotel at the International Commerce Centre (ICC) in Hong Kong. The hotel occupies the 102nd to 118th floors of the ICC and offers 312 rooms...
March 2011
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Rezidor to Unveil Istanbul Radisson Blu
Rezidor Hotel Group is to open a Radisson Blu hotel in Istanbul Sisli, Turkey, in the third quarter of 2012. The hotel will feature 305 rooms, two restaurants, a ballroom, 2,000m²...
Solis Appointed Manager of Five-Star Doha Hotel
The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development has appointed Solis Hotels & Resorts to manage the new five-star Solis Doha, which is located next to the Qatar...
Fiesta to Add 900 Rooms in Jamaica
Spanish hotel group Fiesta is to invest $500m in the second phase of its hotel expansion project at Point, Hanover, Jamaica, which will add 900 rooms to its portfolio. The expansion...
Sunstone to Acquire Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel
Sunstone Hotel Investors has signed an agreement with the One Park Boulevard joint venture to acquire a 75% stake in the 1,190-room Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel in California, US, for $475m. ...
Pebblebrook Buys W Boston Hotel
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has bought the W Boston hotel from Sawyer Enterprises's bankrupt affiliate SW Boston Hotel Venture for $89.5m. SW Boston Hotel Venture filed for bankruptcy in April...
Aruba to Embark on $70m Renovation Projects
The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association is to invest $70m in renovating hotels on the Caribbean island. The projects include a $30m refurbishment of the 355-room Radisson Aruba Resort and...
Sands China Terminates Shangri-La Hotel Management Contract
Sands China, Las Vegas Sand's subsidiary in Macau, has terminated an agreement with Shangri-La International Hotel Management to manage two hotels at Parcel 5 of Macau's casino resort development....
Marriott to Launch Residence Inn Edinburgh
Marriott International is to open a new hotel, the 107-room Residence Inn Edinburgh, Scotland, in October 2011. The property, which will be the first Residence Inn by Marriott in the UK and...
Sheraton Reveals Expansion Plan for China
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to expand its Sheraton brand in China during 2011, representing 30% of the company's total development pipeline. The hotel group will open 25...
Thunderbird Resorts to Sell Peruvian Hotels
Thunderbird Resorts has entered into a contract to sell two of its hotels for $18m to pay Peruvian-related debt. Thunderbird is to divest four of its six hotels in Lima to reduce...
Starwood Opens Westin Hotel in Houston
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened the Westin Houston Memorial City hotel at the Memorial City Complex in Houston, Texas, US. The 267-room hotel is the third Starwood...
Four Seasons George V to Undergo Renovation
The Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, France, is to renovate its guestrooms at a cost of €20m ($28 m) over the next three years. The renovation will focus on 12 main areas...
Abu Dhabi Hotels Record Increased Revenues
Hotel revenues in Abu Dhabi increased by 24% in February 2011, boosted by a 90% increase in visitors from Saudi Arabia, according to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. Revenues rose to...
Host Hotels & Resorts Acquires Two US Properties
Host Hotels & Resorts has completed the acquisition of two properties: the New York Helmsley Hotel and the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego for $883.5m. Host acquired the entity that...
Chatwal Signs Franchise Agreement with Wyndham
The Chatwal Group has entered into an agreement with the Wyndham Hotel Group to franchise and manage the Dream and Night boutique brands globally. Indian-American hotelier Sant Singh...
Sani Beach Hotel Greece to Reopen Following Renovation
Sani Beach Hotel in Halkidiki, Greece, will reopen in April after a €15m renovation. The property was converted into a five-star hotel, with 140 renovated junior suites and...
Accor to Expand Indonesia Portfolio
French hotel group Accor is to start operating ten new hotels in Indonesia during 2011. The hotels will be located in Bali, Bandung, Banjarmasin, Cirebon, Jakarta, Makassar, Malang,...
Sheraton Renovates Niagara Falls Four Points Hotel
Sheraton has completed a $60m renovation of its Four Points by Sheraton Fallsview Hotel at Niagara Falls, Canada. The expansion created 126 new guestrooms, increasing the hotel's total...
Marriott Opens Courtyard Hotel in Indonesia
Marriott has opened its first Courtyard hotel, Courtyard Bali Nusa Dua, on the southern coast of Bali, Indonesia. The property is owned by PT Peninsula Bali Resort and will be operated...
Hyatt Unveils India Expansion Plan
Hyatt Hotels affiliates have signed management agreements for nine new Hyatt-branded hotels in emerging cities across India. The agreement covers three Hyatt brands and will bring the...
Marriott to Manage Two UAE Hotels
MHR-MEA Abu Dhabi Day Marriott International has signed an agreement with Real Estate Group, a subsidiary of Bloom Properties, to manage two hotels in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The two properties...
Hotel Industry Embraces Cloud Computing Online Booking System
Cloud computing is set to transform the hotel industry's booking system with the announcement that Livebookings has moved 2,000 restaurants to its cloud system, enabling restaurant managers...
Sofitel Unveils Five-Star Cambodia Hotel
Sofitel is to open a new five-star hotel, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The $50m property features eight restaurants and bars, a lounge, a 1,800m²...
Boston Convention Center to Undergo $1.8bn Expansion
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority is considering a plan to invest $1.8bn in expanding the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts, US. The project...
JW Marriott to Open High-Altitude Hotel in Peru
JW Cusco Lobby Marriott International has announced a plan to open a Marriott Hotel in Cusco, a world heritage site located 11,200ft above sea level in the Andes, Peru. The 153-room JW...
Hotel Hospitality and Design Expo Offers a Glimpse at the Future
Exhibitors at the Hotel Hospitality and Design expo in Sydney, Australia, have unveiled a range of new technologies for future hotel rooms, including zero-gravity beds, self-darkening glass...
Dune Real Estate to Buy New York's Mark Hotel Mortgage
Dune Real Estate Partners has agreed to buy the mortgage for New York's Mark Hotel from Anglo Irish Bank for $190m. Developers Alexico had bought the 84-year-old hotel and invested $200m...
US Hotels Report Occupancy Increase
The hotel industry in US has reported improvement in all three key performance metrics in the week of 6-12 March 2011. Occupancy increased by 6% to 61.1% in year-over-year comparisons,...
Warner Bros Plan Harry Potter Hotel
Warner Brothers, the US film giant, is planning to open a Harry Potter themed hotel at Leavesden Studios in the UK. Warner Brothers have begun a $160m renovation of Leavesden Studios,...
Ren Sanya Marriott Opens Renaissance Sanya Resort in China
Ren Sanya Marriott International has opened its new 507-room Renaissance Sanya Resort & Spa in China on Haitang Bay, recently declared as a protected site along China's National Coast. ...
Legends Casino Hotel to Undergo Expansion
Yakama Nation is planning to invest $90m to expand the Legends Casino, adding a six-story hotel, conference facilities and a spa to its central Washington reservation. The expansion will...
Minor International Offers to Take Over Oaks Hotels
Bangkok-based company Minor International has made a takeover offer for Oaks Hotels and Resorts. Minor International has already acquired a 14.96% stake in Oaks and will acquire 5%...
LaSalle Acquires Viceroy Santa Monica
LaSalle Hotel Properties has bought the Viceroy Santa Monica hotel in Santa Monica, California, US, for $80.1m. The hotel is subject to a ground lease with the City of Santa Monica,...
InterContinental Santiago Unveils 16-Storey Tower
The InterContinental Santiago in Chile has added a new tower, making it one of the largest convention centres in the country. The new tower adds 16 storeys to the existing property,...
Osaka Hotel Occupancy Rises Following Quake
Hotel occupancy in Osaka, Japan, has risen as residents and companies leave Tokyo fearing radiation leaks at power plants after 11 March's earthquake and tsunami. Concerns about radiation...
MGallery Adds Two Resorts to Thailand Portfolio
Accor's boutique collection MGallery has added two resorts, the Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai and the Veranda Resort & Spa Hua Hin-Cha Am, to its portfolio in Thailand. Veranda High...
Starwood Unveils Nanjing Westin Hotel
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has opened its first Westin hotel in Nanjing, China. The Westin Nanjing in Jiangsu Province offers 929m² of meeting and banquet space, including a...
Scotland Leads UK Hotel Performance
Hotel industry performance in Scotland improved during January 2011, thanks to a steady flow of visitors, according to PKF. PKF revealed that the country's year-on-year occupancy rose by...
Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers to Undergo Renovation
The Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York, US, is to undergo a $150m renovation, including the expansion of all guestrooms and suites. The first phase of the renovation, which...
Wyndham to Manage New Hotels in China and Thailand
Wyndham Worldwide has signed agreements to open and manage a new hotel in Sanya, China, and a hotel in Khao Lak, Thailand. The Wyndham Khao Lak Resort, which is currently under construction,...
Crowne Plaza Houston Hotel Completes Renovation
Crowne Plaza has completed renovations at the Houston North-Greenspoint hotel in Texas, US. The renovations included painting the entire building's exterior, enhancing its landscaping,...
Hilton to Boost Russian Hotel Portfolio by 2018 World Cup
Hilton Worldwide is to add nine new hotels in Russia before the 2018 World Cup. The hotels include the 175-room Hampton by Hilton Omsk, which is expected to open in 2013 and will...
Best Western Opens New Hotel in Pennsylvania
Best Western International has opened the Premier Central Hotel & Conference Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, US. The hotel is Best Western's sixth property to open in North America...
Marco Polo to Manage China's Foshan Lingnan Tiandi Hotel
Marco Polo Hotels and Shui On Land have signed an agreement to manage the five-star Marco Polo Hotel & Residence Foshan Lingnan Tiandi in Foshan, China. Foshan Lingnan Tiandi Hotel...
Japan Hotels Hit by Earthquake
About 37 hotels in Sendai, Japan, are at risk following the powerful earthquake that hit the country last week. The ANA Holiday Inn Sendai, which is operated by the InterContinental...
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts Expands in Rhode Island
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has expanded its presence in Rhode Island, US, with the opening of its first hotel Wyndham Garden Providence in the state. The six-storey property is located at...
San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter Completes Renovation
The Marriott Rivercenter hotel at San Antonio River Walk in Texas, US, has completed a $20m renovation. The renovation included the refurbishment of guestrooms, corridors and the lounge area. ...
Ashford Joint Venture Acquires Highland Hospitality Hotel Portfolio
The Ashford Hospitality Trust, in a joint venture with Prudential Financial, has acquired 28 hotel properties from Highland Hospitality for $1.27bn. The acquisition includes 19...
IHG to Manage New InterContinental Hotel in Chile
IHG has signed a 20-year management agreement with Chile-based Inmobiliaria Punta Piqueros to manage a new InterContinental hotel in Punta Piqueros, Chile. The hotel will feature 140...
JBG Secures Loan to Renovate Sheraton Premiere Hotel
JBG has secured $50m loan from Mesa West Capital to renovate JBG's recently acquired $84.5m Sheraton Premiere. The 443-room hotel in Vienna, Virginia, US, was acquired by JBG at the end of...
Starwood Opens Arizona's Second Westin Hotel
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened its second Westin Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, US. The property is a key element of the Freeport McMoRan Center, which is located at 333...
European Hotel Performance for 2010 Improves
Hotels in Europe reported improved performance for 2010, beating off much of its competition in the top 20 global hotel performance rankings, according to a recent analysis by...
MIG Acquires Courtyard Marriott Downtown Alberta
California-based real estate firm MIG Real Estate has completed the acquisition of the Courtyard Marriott Downtown Edmonton hotel in Alberta, Canada, from an undisclosed seller. Adam...
Kurt Neuschitzer to Build Five-Star Romanian Resort
Austrian investor Kurt Neuschitzer is to build a five-star resort in the mountain city of Busteni, Romania. The project, named Zamora Golf, Ski and Holiday Resort, includes the...
Egyptian Hotel Market to Rebound
Despite the ongoing political turbulence in Egypt, Cairo's hotel market is expected to return to normal soon, according to STR Global. The Egyptian capital reported a drop in hotel...
JBG Opens Two Hotels in Virginia
JBG Companies has opened two new hotels, the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel and Residence Inn Arlington Capital View, in Crystal City, Virginia, US. The Renaissance...
Caesars Palace and Nobu to Develop New Las Vegas Hotel
Caesars Palace Las Vegas and Nobu Hospitality have signed a letter of intent to develop a Nobu-branded hotel, which integrates the Centurion Tower with a restaurant and lounge. The...
Starwood Completes Royal Hawaiian Renovation
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has completed a $70m upgrade of the Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, on Waikiki beach, Hawaii, US. The 528-room property reopened...
Starwood Unveils EMEA Expansion Plan
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to open 50 new hotels in Europe, Africa and the Middle East over the next three to five years. Key openings in the region include five new St Regis hotels...
Hyatt to Manage Amsterdam Airport Hotel
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with an affiliate of Hillgate Properties to operate the Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport hotel in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The hotel will...
Sheraton Opens New Milan Hotel
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has opened a new hotel, Sheraton Milan Malpensa, in Italy. The hotel was designed by King Roselli Architects and Saporiti Hotel Design and offers 433 rooms,...
Best Western Unveils Indian Expansion
US-based hotel group Best Western is to open 100 hotels comprising 10,000 rooms in India by 2017. Out of these properties, 20 will be of the five-star category and opened under the Best...
Wyndham to Manage UK's First Ramada Encore
Wyndham Hotel Group has signed a £17m ($27.5m) construction deal with Quays Hotels to develop a new Ramada Encore property in Gateshead, UK. The hotel will be managed by Wyndham Hotel...
Marriott to Launch New Brand In Europe
Marriott International is to unveil its new brand, Autograph Collection, with the opening of four hotels in Spain as part of its plan to double its European portfolio by 2015. The...
Skyline Buys Deerhurst Resort
Skyline Hotels & Resorts has acquired the 425-room Deerhurst Resort in Muskoka, Canada. The hotel was bought from Connecticut's Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers, but the deal's details...
Maldives and Mauritius Report Increases in Hotel Demand
Hotel occupancy for 2010 rose by 17% in Mauritius and 8.6% in the Maldives from 2009's occupancy figures, according to data from STR Global. Demand for hotel rooms has almost returned...
Anantara Poised to Unveil Bangkok Hotel
Anantara Hotels & Resorts is to launch its urban hotel Anantara Bangkok Sathorn later this month. The hotel will be located near the new Anantara Bangkok Sathorn, which is...
Bankrupt MSR Resorts Seeks Funding
MSR Resorts, the bankrupt owner of five resorts in the US, has sought permission from a US court to borrow $30m from its affiliates Paulson and Five Mile Capital Partners, which control...
Rezidor Unveils Hotel Missoni Kuwait
The Rezidor Hotel Group has opened Hotel Missoni Kuwait in collaboration with Italian fashion house Missoni. The hotel, Rezidor's second property with Missoni, features 169 sea-facing...
San Diego Marriott Completes Renovation
San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina in California, US, has completed a $200m renovation. San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina includes 1,360 guestrooms, 22,860m² of meeting space...
Middle East Hotels Report Record Room Rates Drop for 2010
The Middle East recorded the greatest regional decrease in average room rates in 2010 due to economic problems, according to a Hogg Robinson Group survey. Abu Dhabi, which was ranked second...
Hilton Unveils European Pipeline Projects
Hilton Worldwide has 90 hotels in its pipeline for Europe, comprising 15,000 rooms. Hilton will add three new brands in Germany, including the economy brand Hampton, the luxury brand...
CDL Hospitality to Buy Singapore's Studio M Hotel
CDL Hospitality Trust is to buy the Studio M Hotel in Singapore from Millennium & Copthorne Hotels for S$154m ($121m). The acquisition could be partly or wholly refinanced with...
Wyndham Hotel to Launch Days Inn Brand in India
The Wyndham Hotel Group is to launch its Days Inn brand in India by opening three properties. The three new hotels include a five-storey, 48-room Days Hotel Neemrana, which is scheduled to...
Palestine Hotel Occupancy Rises
Hotel occupancy in Palestine increased by 24% during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2010, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). Room occupancy reached 41% in...
Pullman Opens New Bali Hotel
Pullman Hotels has opened the five-star Pullman Bali Legian Nirwana hotel in Bali, Indonesia. Pullman has opened 140 of the property's 353 rooms and plans to open the remaining rooms within...
EMEA Hotel Investment Doubles
Hotel investment in Europe, the Middle East and Africa more than doubled in 2010, from £2.5bn ($4bn) to £6.5bn ($10.5bn), according to the 'Hotel Investment Outlook' report by Jones Lang...
Dubai Marina Hotel Up for Sale
A Dubai-based real estate agent is to sell a 22-storey hotel in Dubai Marina, UAE, for AED350m ($95m). The 140,921m² property includes 22 studio apartments, 74 one-bedroom apartments,...
Pinnacle's Baton Rouge Casino Opening Delayed
Pinnacle Entertainment is to delay the opening of the $357m Baton Rouge casino hotel in Louisiana, US, to 2012 instead of the original planned date of December 2011. The company said the...
Las Vegas Sands to Develop $20bn Spanish Resort
Las Vegas Sands Corporation is to develop a new casino resort in Spain. The development will be situated in either Barcelona or Madrid and will require an investment of €15bn ($20.3bn). ...
IHG to Manage Samui Baan Taling Ngam Resort in Thailand
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed an agreement with Thai company Elite Villa to debut its resort brand in Koh Samui, Thailand. Under the agreement the Baan Taling Ngam Resort...
Hotel Room Numbers to Rise in Ukraine Capital Ahead of Euro 2012
Ukraine's capital Kiev is expected to see the addition of nine hotels and 1,683 rooms ahead of the Euro 2012 soccer championship. According to Union of European Football Association...
Hilton to Open Hotel in Rwanda
Hilton Hotels has announced plans to invest $30m to open a 160-room hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. In addition, Hilton will partner with Opulent Hotel group build luxury apartments alongside...
Kenya to Sell Seven Hotels to Single Investor
Kenya is planning to sell seven of 11 for-sale hotels to a single investor. The Kenyan Government announced plans to sell its stakes in 11 hotels managed by Kenya Tourist...
Canadian Hotels Report Mixed Results
The Canadian hotel industry has reported mixed results in three key performance measures during the week ending 19 February 2011, according to the new data from STR Global. According to...
Choice Hotels Expands in Europe
Choice Hotels International opened 40 hotels in Europe during 2010, including 25 hotels in France, comprising 16 comfort brands, eight quality and a Clarion brand hotel. The other hotels...
Hilton Opens Fourth Hotel In India
Hilton Worldwide has opened its fourth hotel in Chennai, India. The five-star property was built at a cost of Rs4bn ($87.8m) and offers 204 guest rooms, 2,133.6m² of event space. ...
Hilton to Manage Two Hotels in China
Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement with Zhejiang Jiacheng Holding Group of China to manage two hotels in China. Under the agreement, Hilton will open a Garden Inn Hotel and a Double...
Meruelo Group to Buy Grand Sierra Resort in Nevada
The Meruelo Group plans to acquire the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, a resort-hotel located in downtown Reno, Nevada, US, from Credit Markets Real Estate, a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase, for...
BHI Expands in MENA Region
Germany-based Bavaria Hotels International (BHI) is planning add 2,314 hotel rooms in two years in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The expansion includes the 420-room...
Interstate JV to Acquire Sheraton Denver Tech Center Hotel
Interstate Hotels and Resorts plans to form a joint venture with Waramaug Hospitality to acquire the Sheraton Denver Tech Center hotel in Colorado, US, for an undisclosed price. Following...
IHG to Open an Indigo Hotel in Thailand
Intercontinental Hotel has announced plans to open a boutique brand hotel, the Indigo Phuket Naithon Beach Resort, in Phuket, Thailand. IHG will manage the hotel for Thailand-based owner...
February 2011
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Ayala to Open Five Boutique Hotels in Philippines
Ayala Hotels and Resorts, an affiliate of Philippines-based Ayala Land, is to open five boutique hotels, each costing between PHP650m ($15m) and PHP850m ($19.4m). The hotel group is to open...
Accor Reports Profit Rise
Accor reported a profit of €3.61bn ($4.95bn) in 2010, compared with a loss of €282m ($390.8m) in 2009. The French hotel group's full year earnings before interest and taxes rose...
KHC to Open Second Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh
Kingdom Holding Company is to develop a second Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at the Kingdom Oasis in Saudi Arabia. The hotel will be part of 3.8 million cubic metres residential development in...
Marriott Embarks on European Expansion
Marriott International is to add three new hotels in France, Germany and Poland. Marriott's European expansion includes the 124-room Courtyard Montpellier in France, the 139-room...
EIBC to Fund Bahamas Resort Project
The Export Import Bank of China is to fund the $3bn resort project planned by Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas. China State Construction and Engineering will be the general contractor of the...
Morgan Stanley to Sell Chinese Motel Chain
Morgan Stanley has unveiled a plan to sell the Chinese motel chain Shanghai Motel through a deal that is expected to fetch $1bn. In 2006, Morgan Stanley spent $20m on a 20% stake of...
Accor Plans Hotel Assets Divestment
Accor is to dispose of its assets in a bid to cut $1.6bn of debt in 2011 / 12. As part of its divestment plan, the French hotel group will sell more than 450 hotels and plans to operate...
Second Ibis Planned for Saudi Arabia
Accor has signed a management agreement with His Highness Prince Abdullah Bin Saud Bin Mohammed Al Saud of Saudi Arabia to develop a second Ibis Hotel in Yanbu. The new hotel will offer...
Middle East, Africa Hotels Record Improved Performance
Hotels in the Middle East and Africa reported increases in all three key performance metrics during January 2011, according to a report by STR Global. The region's hotel occupancy increased...
Hilton to Manage Two Bangkok Hotels
Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement with TCC Hotel Group, a subsidiary of TCC Land Group, to manage a new hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, and rebrand an existing hotel as a Doubletree property. ...
Accor to Expand Thai Portfolio
Accor Group is to add 16 new properties to its hotel portfolio in Thailand by next year. The French hotel group will add 11 hotels this year and the remaining in 2012. The new hotels...
Baha Mar Breaks Ground at $3.4bn Resort
Baha Mar has started a $3.4bn resort project on the Bahamian Riviera, Bahamas, which will include hotels and a gaming and entertainment complex. The project includes hotels from Rosewood...
Chinese State Plans 200 Hotels
The provincial government of Guizhou, China, is to add 200 hotels by 2015. According to statistics, Guizhou is constructing 91 three-star hotels and 48 five-star hotels. The...
Shangri-La Opens New Hotel in Shanghai
Shangri-La International Hotel Management has opened the Kerry Hotel Pudong in Shanghai, China. Located in the new Kerry Parkside complex in the city of Pudong, the 31-storey property...
US Luxury Hotel Performance Improves
The US's luxury hotel performance improved during January 2011, showing a average daily rate (ADR) increase of 5.6% and a revenue per available room (revPAR) increase of 11.9%. In...
Hotel Indigo Opens Following Renovation
InterContinental Hotels Group has opened the Hotel Indigo Baton Rouge Downtown Riverfront in Atlanta, US, following a $25m renovation. The 1920s-built, seven-storey property was known as...
St Regis Aspen to Close for Renovation
The St Regis Aspen Resort hotel in Colorado, US, is to undertake a $30m renovation. Houston-based design firm Rottet Studio will carry out the renovation project, which will take two months...
HPT Plans Sale of 53 Hotels
Hospitality Property Trust (HPT) is considering selling 53 hotel properties after posting losses for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2010. The US-based real estate investment trust is to sell...
Morgans to Manage Qatari Mondrian Hotel
Morgans Hotel Group has signed an agreement to manage a Mondrian hotel located on the West Bay Lagoon in Doha, Qatar. The hotel is under construction and expected to open in early...
Rezidor to Open New Hotel In Ghana
The Rezidor Hotel Group is to open a Radisson Blu Hotel in Accra, Ghana. The hotel will feature 168 guestrooms including 20 apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms, a restaurant,...
Marriott's Arizona Resort Undergoes Refurbishment
Marriott has completed a $16m renovation of the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Arizona, US. Approximately 950 guestrooms, suites and corridors will be transformed into...
Moscow Hotels Are Most Expensive
Moscow retained its status of having the world's most expensive hotels for the sixth year running, ahead of New York, Geneva, Paris and Zurich, according to a survey of hotel rates for 2010...
Pebblebrook Acquires San Francisco's Argonaut Hotel
The Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the Argonaut Hotel in San Francisco, California, US, for $84m. Pebblebrook plans to pay for the property by assuming a $42m secured loan and raising...
Ritz-Carlton Opens First Canadian Hotel
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has opened its first Canadian property in Toronto. The 53-storey Ritz-Carlton Toronto hotel features 267 guestrooms, including 56 suites and two deluxe...
Host Hotels to Buy Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
Host Hotels and Resorts is to acquire the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego Hotel in California, US, for $570m. The controlling interest in the hotel is held by Manchester Grand Resorts, led...
Marriott Records Q4 Profit Rise
Marriott International reported a profit of $173m during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2010, an increase on the $106m for the corresponding quarter in 2009. The US-based hotel group recorded...
InterContinental to Unveil Hotel Brand in China
InterContinental Hotels Group is to launch an upper mid-scale hotel brand in China by the end of this year. The unnamed brand will be positioned between the company's upscale hotel chain...
Singapore Offers to Buy Five US Resorts
The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation has offered to buy five resorts owned by investors, including the hedge fund Paulson, which went into bankruptcy on 1 February 2011. The...
Bulgari to Open New London Hotel
Bulgari Hotel and Resorts is to open a new hotel near Knightsbridge in London, UK. The hotel, which is expected to open in 2012, will be the third property for the Italy-based company...
US Hotel Pipeline Decreases
The number of US hotels in the pipeline for January 2011 fell by 16.1% compared with the previous year, according to the latest STR / McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report. ...
Hawaii Hotel Revenue Increases
Occupancy gains boosted Hawaii's hotel room revenue to $2.55bn in 2010, a rise of 8.7% from 2009's figure. Occupancy increased 5.9% across the state to 70.7% compared with...
InterContinental Records 38% Profit Rise
InterContinental Hotels Group reported a profit of $293m for 2010, a 38% increase compared with its 2009 profit. The UK-based company gained a 5.9% rise in sales during the year...
Landry Acquires US Trump Marina Hotel
Landry will buy the Trump Marina Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, US, from Trump Entertainment Resorts for $38m. Following the transaction, Landry will rebrand the casino as a Golden...
India's Hotel Performance Improves
India's hotel industry reported an improved performance for 2010, led by an increase in occupancy that offset the fall in average daily rate and resulted in improved revenue per available...
Kingdom Holding Opens Seychelles Resort
Kingdom Holding Investment, a subsidiary of Kingdom Holding Company, has opened the $145m Raffles Praslin Seychelles Resort and Residences in the Seychelles. The Raffles Praslin Seychelles...
Alternative Hotel Group Plans UK Portfolio Sale
Alternative Hotel Group is to sell all or part of its £800m ($1.2bn) portfolio of luxury hotels in the UK. The hotel group, which is 50% owned by Lloyds, appointed property advisers DTZ...
London Hotel Rooms to Increase Ahead of Olympics
The number of hotel rooms in London, UK, is expected to increase by 27% ahead of the 2012 Winter Olympic Games, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Approximately 2,400...
Dolce Hotels Unveils Ravella Las Vegas
Dolce Hotels and Resorts has opened the Ravella hotel at Lake Las Vegas, Nevada, US. Located near a privately owned man-made lake 17 miles from Las Vegas Strip, the Ravella features 349...
Ritz-Carlton to Operate Mexican Reserve Hotel
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel has signed an agreement with the Grupo Questro and Trinity Investment joint venture to operate the Ritz-Carlton Reserve in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. The hotel...
W Hotels to Open Six New Hotels in 2011
W Hotels Worldwide is to unveil six new W Hotels in various locations during 2011. The hotels scheduled to open this year include W Taipei in Taiwan, W London Leicester Square in the UK, W...
Starwood Expands in Turkey
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with Faik Celik Turizm, a division of Turkey-based Faik Celik Holding, to develop two hotels in Bursa, Turkey. The new...
Summit Hotel Raises $254m IPO
Summit Hotel Properties has raised $254m in its initial public offering, issuing 26 million shares. The US-based hotel group also plans a private placement of $12.5m in stock to...
Rezidor to Debut Hotel Missoni Kuwait
Rezidor Hotel Group is to open its first Missoni Hotel in Kuwait in March this year, in collaboration with Italian fashion designer Missoni. Hotel Missoni Kuwait will be designed by...
Morgans Signs Three Hotel Management Deals
Morgans Hotel Group has signed an agreement to manage three hotels including two Delano hotels in Mexico, Turkey and the US. The portfolio includes a 114-room Delano hotel in Cabo San...
Wyndham's Q4 Profit Up
Wyndham Worldwide's profit increased by 7% to $78m during the fourth quarter of 2010, compared with the $73m profit reported during the corresponding quarter in 2009. The US-based...
Philippines Waterfront Cebu City Hotel to Undergo Makeover
Waterfront Philippines is to spend PHP300m ($6.8m) on renovating its Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. The renovation of the 560-room hotel will be carried out in phases, with each...
Svenska, Worldhotels to Develop Luxury Indian Properties
Sweden-based Svenska Hotels and Germany-based Worldhotels have formed a strategic partnership to develop five-star hotel properties in India. The partnership will develop 20 hotels over...
EC Harris Completes UAE Grand Millennium Al Wahda Hotel
EC Harris has finished the construction of the Grand Millennium Al Wahda hotel for the Al Wahda Sports Club in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The hotel, which is located adjacent to the Al Wahda Mall in...
US Hotel Industry Reports Single Digit Growth
The US hotel industry recorded single digit growth in all three performance metrics during the week beginning 23 January 2011, compared with the corresponding week last year, according to a...
Erbil Rotana Hotel Opens in Kurdistan
Lebanon-based Malia, along with the Middle East-based hotel management company Rotana, has opened its first hotel, Erbil Rotana, in Kurdistan, Iraq. The $55m hotel is one of several...
Angsana to Manage Sheraton Grande Laguna Thailand
Angsana Hotels & Resorts, a division of Singapore-based Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, is to manage the Sheraton Grande Phuket hotel on Bang Tao Beach, Thailand. The hotel has...
Marriot to Open Renaissance Hotel in Cote d'Azur
Marriott International is to add the Renaissance Antibes Juan-les-Pins Hotel, in Cote d'Azur, France, to its portfolio. Marriot will rebrand the Ambassadeur Hotel, which is located in the...
Castlewood to Build New Hotel in Phuket
Castlewood Group is to build a new hotel near Bang Tao Beach in Phuket, Thailand. The hotel will feature 200 guestrooms and a private rooftop penthouse. The Phuket property is expected...
Chesapeake to Manage Holiday Inn Palm Beach Airport Hotel
Chesapeake Hospitality has signed an agreement with Phillips Family to manage the Holiday Inn Palm Beach Airport Hotel in Florida, US. The property is owned by Phillips Family, owner...
Kenya to Sell Stakes in 11 Hotels
The Kenyan Government is to sell its stakes in 11 hotels as part of its plan to divest state-owned assets to private investors. The divestment includes stakes in the InterContinental and...
Blackstone to Acquire Majority Stake in Del Coronado Hotel
Blackstone Group is to acquire a majority stake in Strategic Hotels and Resorts' Del Coronado hotel in Southern California, US, to help restructure its debt. Strategic Hotels formed a...
Marriott Opens Indianapolis Hotel Complex
JW Marriott has opened its new $450m Marriott Place hotel complex in Indianapolis, US. Marriott Place Indianapolis is a collection of five Marriott properties – Courtyard Marriott,...
Starwood Hotels Reports Q4 2010 Profit
Starwood Hotels & Resorts reported a profit of $339m during the fourth quarter of 2010 compared with a loss of $107m during the corresponding period of 2009. The US-based hotel...
Zinc InVision to Develop 28 Hotels Throughout MENA
Zinc InVision, a joint venture of Thailand's InVision Hospitality and Singapore investment firm Cinnovation, is to develop 28 hotels across the Middle East by 2020. The expansion is part of...
Host Hotels to Renovate Newark Airport Marriott
Host Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, US, to invest $164m in renovating Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott hotel ahead...
Hilton Unveils New Hotel Brand
Hilton has unveiled its new brand Home2 Suites in a bid to venture into the mid-tier extended stay market. The proposed hotels will be located near universities, hospitals, military bases...
Five US Hotels Seek Bankruptcy Protection
With a $1.5bn mortgage debt due to be paid on 1 Feb 2011, affiliates of US-based hedge fund Paulson & Co have placed five hotels for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of US law. ...
Marriott to Launch First Libyan Hotel
Marriott International is to open a JW Marriott hotel in Tripoli, Libya, in February 2011. The five-star hotel, the company's first property in the North African country, will feature...
St Ermin's to Reopen After $49m Renovation
Amerimar Enterprises is to reopen St Ermin's hotel in London, UK, in April 2011 following a £30m ($48.6m) refurbishment. The 275-room property, located in London's Westminster, will...
MGM Hospitality Plans India Expansion
MGM Hospitality, which is based in Las Vegas, US, has signed an agreement with Silver Resort Hotel to develop luxury hotels in India. Under the agreement, the partnership will build a...
RLJ Lodging Trust Plans IPO
RLJ Lodging Trust is to issue an IPO worth $550m to repay its debt and for general business purposes. Following the IPO, the US-based trust, which primarily invests in premium-branded...
Accor Plans 18 New Middle East Hotels
Accor is to launch 18 new hotels in the Middle East over the next three years, adding 4,850 rooms to its portfolio in the region. The French hotel group will open 11 new hotels in the...
Splendia to Open Mondrian SoHo Hotel in New York
Splendia Luxury & Character Hotels has unveiled a plan to open the Mondrian SoHo Hotel in New York, US. The hotel was designed by Benjamin Noriega Ortiz and is scheduled to open on...
EMEA Hotel Investment Remains Stable
Driven by bank sales, hotel investment is expected to remain stable across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region during 2011, according to a report by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. ...
Starwood to Build Third Montreal Property
Starwood Hotel & Resorts is to expand its hotel portfolio in Canada by opening its third Sheraton brand hotel in Montreal. The Sheraton Montreal Airport Hotel will feature 476...
Hilton Plans 19 Hotels in India
Hilton Worldwide is to launch 19 hotels in India over the next five years. This year the US hotel group will open six new hotels comprising 1,000 rooms, including four Hilton hotels,...
Advaya Unveils Modo Hotels Brand
Advaya Hospitality is to launch lifestyle hotel brand Modo Hotels, which is inspired by music. The company will open Modo properties in major markets worldwide, starting with five hotels...
Kingdom Sells Swissotel Kunshan Stake
Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI), a subsidiary of Kingdom Holding Company, has sold its stake in Swissotel Kunshan, China, for $61m to Malaysia-based TA Global. The five-star hotel is located...
Armani to Open Russian Hotel
Italian designer Giorgio Armani's investment vehicle is to build a $150m hotel in the south of Russia. The hotel will be located in the region of Stavropol and will feature 100 rooms...
Abu Dhabi Hotel Occupancy Rises
Abu Dhabi's hotel occupancy rose 18% during 2010 compared with 2009 and rose 8% more than last year's target, according to data from Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA). The data...
Virgin Hotels Plans Washington Investment
Virgin Hotels is to invest $500m in investigating the Washington, US, lodging market over the next three years. The Virgin Group is to partner with investors Diego Lowenstein and Alberto...
World Hotels Increases Portfolio by 35%
World Hotels added 73 hotels and 20,000 rooms to its portfolio during 2010. The additional properties increased the company's number of hotels by 35%, bringing its total to more than...
Key US Hotel Performance Metrics Rise
During the week ending 22 January 2011, US hotel occupancy increased by 6.5%, its average daily rate (ADR) was up by 2.6% and revenue per available room (revPAR) increased by...
Starwood to Debut Jordan St Regis Hotel
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to open its first St Regis hotel in Amman, Jordan, in 2014. The St Regis Amman is one of five hotel properties Starwood plans to open in the Middle...
Host Hotels to Buy New York Helmsley
Host Hotels and Resorts is to buy the New York Helmsley hotel, in midtown Manhattan, New York, US, from Leona Helmsley for $313.5m. The 775-room property is located near Grand Central...
January 2011
Top
Barclay Brothers to Expand London Hotel Portfolio
UK-based private investors David and Frederick Barclay are to acquire the controlling stake in three London hotels: The Berkeley, The Connaught and Claridge's. The owners of the Telegraph...
Jones Lang LaSalle to Auction US Water Park Hotels
Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels is to auction a group of water park hotels located in the US Midwest and north-east in February 2011. The auction comprises ten full-service and limited-service...
Starwood to Open Miami Aloft
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to open its first Aloft Hotel in Miami, US, in December 2011. The 160-room Aloft Miami-Brickell hotel will be owned and managed by a...
Continental Property Buys Hilton Valencia
France-based investment company Continental Property has bought the Hilton Valencia, Spain, for an undisclosed price. The 269-room hotel was built in 2007 for €110m ($150m) and...
Bovis Lend Lease Completes Aqualea Resort in Florida
Bovis Lend Lease has completed the construction of its Aqualea Resort and Residences in Clearwater, Florida, US. The 17-storey condominium hotel, which overlooks the Gulf of Mexico, includes...
Emaar Hospitality to Manage Five 'The Address' Hotels
Emaar Hospitality is to manage five new hotels under its brand 'The Address' over the next four years. The UAE-based company, which is owned by Emaar Properties, aims to double its...
Movenpick Opens Fourth UAE Hotel
Movenpick Hotels & Resorts has opened its fourth hotel, Movenpick Hotel Deira, in the United Arab Emirates. The hotel features 216 rooms including 25 suites, seven meeting rooms...
Rocco Forte Abu Dhabi to Open in June
Rocco Forte is to open the AED600m ($163.3m) Rocco Forte hotel in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in June 2011. The 281-room, five-star hotel will have seven restaurants and bars, including a South...
Kimpton Unveils Expansion Plan
Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant has unveiled a plan to add 50 hotels to its portfolio in the US over the next decade, including ten new hotels in New York. The US-based hotel group, which owns...
Starwood to Open 80 Hotels in 2011
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to open between 70 and 80 hotels this year, including 20 in North America. The hotel group will open 70% of its new properties outside North America,...
Jumeirah to Manage Dubai Hotel
UAE-based retailer Dubai Duty Free has signed an agreement with Jumeirah Group, a subsidiary of Dubai Holding, to operate a five-star hotel at The Aviation Club, which is situated close to...
Felcor to Sell Hotel Properties
Felcor Lodging has put 14 hotels on the market a year earlier than planned. Last year the hotel group announced that it would sell 30 of its 82-hotel portfolio in order to refocus its...
Eton Properties Unveils China Expansion
Eton Properties Group, the China-based real estate firm of Taipan Lucio C Tan, is to invest CNY20.35bn ($3bn) in eight upscale, mixed-use properties in China. The investment includes...
Wave Crest Starts Construction of California Hotel
Wave Crest Oceanfront has broken ground at its new hotel property Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa in Southern California, US. The $75m property will feature 215 guest rooms,...
Global Hotel Deal Volume Expanded in 2010
Worldwide hotel deal volume increased to $24.3bn in 2010 as investors re-entered the hotel industry following the 2009 recession, according to Lang LaSalle Hotels' Hotel Investment Outlook report....
Pebblebrook Secures Loan to Fund Acquisitions
Pebblebrook has secured a $36m loan from Goldman Sachs Commercial Mortgage Capital at a fixed annualised interest rate of 5.28% for five years. The proceeds from the loan will be used...
Wyndham and Chatwal Sign Franchise Agreement
Wyndham Hotel Group has signed an agreement with Chatwal Hotels & Resorts to franchise and manage its Dream and Night boutique hotel brands globally. Wyndham Hotel Group president and...
Marriot, AC Hotels Form Joint Venture
Marriott International and Spanish hotel group AC Hotels have formed a joint venture to manage and franchise a new co-branded hotel, AC Hotels by Marriott. Under the joint venture...
Hersha Hospitality to Buy Capital Hill Suites, Washington
Hersha Hospitality has signed an agreement with an unnamed private equity firm based in north-east US to buy Capital Hill Suites, Washington for $47.5m. The 152-room hotel is located one...
Starwood Opens Four Points Hotel In Indiana
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to open its Four Points brand hotel in Indiana, US, in 2011. Ahead of the opening, Starwood will carry out renovations and enhancements throughout...
Radisson Blu Kuwait to Undergo Renovation
The Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait, which is located in Safat, Kuwait, is to undergo a renovation that will be complete by 2012. Following the renovation the hotel will feature 194 rooms and...
Eagle Point, Geolo Capital to Develop US Hotels
US-based Eagle Point Hotel Partners is working with private equity investment company Geolo Capital to develop hotel-related assets in North America. The new company, established by...
Accor Raises Profit Target
Accor expects earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of €440m ($592m) for 2010, revising its previous EBIT target of €400-420m ($538m-$565m). The French hotel group revised...
Diamond Rock to Buy New York Hotel
Diamond Rock Hospitality is to acquire a hotel property, which is under development in Times Square, Manhattan, New York, US, for $112.5m-$135m. The property will have approximately...
Rotana Unveils Middle East and Africa Expansion
Rotana Hotel Management is to invest $800m in 2011, adding seven hotels to its portfolio in the Middle East and Africa. The expansion include six hotels in the UAE, increasing its portfolio...
Rezidor, Winn to Open Radison Blu Riverside in Sweden
Rezidor Hotel Group and its franchise partner Winn Hotel Group will open the Radisson Blu Riverside Hotel Gothenburg in western Sweden in the first quarter of 2013. The property will feature...
European Hotels Record Mixed Bag of Prices
Hotels across Europe have experienced a slight drop in room prices since January 2010, according to an industry report by Trivago. The hotel-booking site's monthly report of hotel prices...
RLJ Acquires US Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel
RLJ Development has acquired the Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel in Manhattan, New York, US, for $335m from a group comprising Highgate Holdings, Goldman Sachs Group, Whitehall Real Estate Funds...
Rezidor to Open Park Inn London ExCeL
The Rezidor Hotel Group is to open a new hotel property, Park Inn, to be located near the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in London, UK. The hotel will feature 223 guest rooms, with most of the...
Travelodge Unveils UK Expansion Plans
Travelodge has unveiled plans to invest £300m ($480.7m) in building 35 hotels in the UK this year. Over half of the hotels will be built in cities, including eight in London, according to...
Al Habtoor Plans 2,000-Room UAE Hotel
The Al Habtoor Group is to build a large hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, UAE. The proposed hotel, which will contain 2,000 rooms and suites, will be larger than the Atlantis Hotel, also...
Red Lion to Sell US Hotels
Red Lion Hotels is to sell two US hotels, Red Lion Hotel Fifth Avenue Seattle and the Red Lion Hotel Denver Southeast. The divestment is part of the group's strategy to enhance and expand...
US Hotel Industry Performance Improves
The US hotel industry reported single-digit gains in three key performance metrics for the week ending 8 January 2011 compared with the same week last year, according to a new STR Global report. ...
Accor Acquires Australia's Blue Mountain Fairmont Resort
Accor has bought the Fairmont Resort in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, and plans to open the hotel under its MGallery brand in April 2011. The French hotel group is...
Indian Hotels to Open 43 New Properties
Indian Hotels Company is to add 43 new hotels to its portfolio over the next four years. The hotel group, which owns the Taj brand, will open the new properties across its six brands in...
Starwood to Add 25 Hotels in Middle East
Starwood Hotels is to expand its Middle East portfolio by 50% with the purchase of 25 new hotels by 2015. Starwood operates 47 hotels in ten countries, including UAE, Saudi Arabia,...
Carlson to Open 19 Indian Hotels
Carlson is to launch 19 new hotels in India by the end of 2011, adding to the 33 properties the hotel group already operates in the country. The US-based hospitality company plans to open...
Sunstone to Acquire New York Doubletree Hotel
Sunstone Hotel Investors is to acquire the remaining stakes in its Doubletree Guest Suites Times Square, New York joint venture for $37.5m, becoming the sole owner of the property. ...
Accor to Manage 10 UK Focus Hotels
Accor has signed a franchise agreement with Focus Hotels to manage ten UK hotels, increasing its portfolio to 43. Following the deal the French hotel group will add 763 rooms under its...
Rotana Opens New Hotel in Iraq
Rotana has opened its first hotel property in the city of Erbil in Kurdistan, Iraq. The 201-room hotel is owned by the Beirut-based Malia Group and is managed by Rotana. Erbil Rotana is...
Lloyds to Sell Mint Hotels for $865m
Lloyds Banking Group and the Orr family are to sell the recently rebranded Mint Hotels for £550m ($865.8m). Mint Hotels was founded as City Inn in 1995 and was rebranded in November 2010. It...
ITC-Welcome Group to Invest $2bn in Indian Hotels
The ITC-Welcome group is to invest $2bn in India over the next three years, doubling the country's hotel rooms. The hotel group, which is owned by India-based ITC, plans to open a...
First Wyndham Hotel to Open in India
Wyndham Hotel Group has signed a franchise agreement to open its first Wyndham-brand hotel in Delhi, India, in April this year. The 394-room Wyndham New Delhi Dwarka Hotel, which is owned...
Wyndham to Manage Chongqing Hotel
Wyndham Hotel Group has signed an agreement with China's Chongqing Bei Cheng Real Estate Development to open the Wyndham Chongqing North Hotel in Chongqing, China. The 350-room property will...
Accor to Sell Stake in Casino Group
Accor will sell a 49% stake in French casino company Groupe Lucien Barriere for €268m ($348.9m) as part of its strategy to focus on its core hotel business. Under the deal, the...
Fourth Hospitality Unveils Technology Trends
Software solutions vendor Fourth Hospitality has unveiled the top ten technology trends for the hospitality sector, which can help ensure customer satisfaction and smooth business...
Starwood, Emirates Group Renew Resort Management Agreement
Emirates Group and Wasl Asset Management Group have renewed an operation and management agreement with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide for the Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in the UAE. ...
Movenpick to Manage Malaysian Hotel Complex
Movenpick Hotels & Resorts will operate the new Movenpick Hotel & Convention Centre KLIA in Malaysia, following the signing of a management agreement with hotel owner Lembaga Tabung Haji. ...
Starwood Plans 30 Middle East Hotels
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to open up to 30 new hotels in the Middle East over the next five years. The new hotels include nine properties in the UAE, with four in Abu Dhabi...
Third Mondrian Hotel to Open in New York
Morgans Hotel Group and developer Cape Advisors will open the new Mondrian SoHo on 1 March 2011 in Manhattan, New York, US. This is the third Mondrian-brand hotel to be opened by the company. ...
Westfield Sells Two London Hotels
Westfield Group has sold two hotel developments in Stratford, London, UK, for £50m ($77.8m) to ES Properties (Stratford), a joint venture between Cycas Capital Hotel Partners and Patron Capital. ...
Appu Hotels Plans IPO for Expansion Plan
India-based Appu Hotels is to launch an initial public offering by 2012 to support its Rs500bn ($110m) expansion plan. Le Royal Meridien chairman Palani G Periasamy said the company plans...
Starwood to Launch St Regis Hotel in Jordan
Starwood Hotels & Resorts will partner Abu Dhabi-based Al Maabar International Investments to launch a $300m St Regis brand hotel in Amman, Jordan, by 2014. The St Regis Amman property...
Amstar Sells Hilton Alexandria Mark Center for $121m
Crow Holding's real estate fund Crow Holdings Realty Partners has acquired the 496-room Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Washington, US, from Amstar for $121m. Amstar bought the...
Morgan Hotels' 2010 Loss Narrows
Morgan Hotels reported a loss of €60m ($70m) during 2010 compared with the previous year's loss of €101m ($130m). The company attributed the loss mainly to an interest charge...
China Plans $1.3bn Seven-Star Hotel
China is to build a seven-star hotel in a joint project with Saudi Arabia for $1.3bn. The hotel will be built at Chang'an Avenue, a road near Tiananmen Square in western Beijing's...
Shangri-La Unveils Seven-Star Sri Lanka Hotel
Shangri-La Asia is to open a seven-star hotel, The Pearl of the Indian Ocean, as part of its expansion plan, at Galle Face, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The $500m, 500-room property will be a...
Egypt Supports Renovation of Historic Hotels
Egypt is to allocate $368m to Egyptian Group of Tourism and Hotels (EGOTH) to support the renovation of historic hotels in the country. EGOTH Company owns 22 hotels in Egypt, which will...
Home Inns Unveils Hotel Expansion
Home Inns and Hotels Management is to open 280 hotels in 2011 as part of its expansion plan. The Chinese hotel group plans to have 110 hotels on a lease-and-operate basis and 170 will...
Saudi Arabia Completes Second Stage of SCTA Classification
The second stage of hotel classification initiated by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities in Saudi Arabia has been completed. The classification process categorised 13 of...
Snotels to Launch Global Ski Hotel Brand
Snotels is to launch a niche hotel brand, network and experience for existing hotel owners and developers in ski resorts and alpine towns worldwide. The group plans to enter the...
Canadian Hotels Record Mixed Results
The Canadian hotel industry reported mixed results in three key performance metrics for the week beginning 26 December 2010, according to a new report by STR Global. The report says...
IHHR Plans $165m Indian Hotel Expansion
IHHR Hospitality has unveiled plans to invest Rs7.5bn ($165m) in developing new hotels across India over the next five years. The group will open hotels in cities including Nagpur, Navi...
Las Vegas Ritz Carlton to Reopen as Ravella
Dolce Hotels & Resorts is to reopen the former Ritz Carlton in Lake Las Vegas, US, as Ravella Hotel on 11 February 2011. The 349-room hotel, which shut its doors in May 2010 due to...
Rezidor to Open Missoni Belek Antalya in 2013
Rezidor will unveil the Missoni Belek, Antalya hotel on the Turkish Riviera, Turkey, in 2013. The 138-room property will feature 110 guestrooms, 28 villas, two restaurants, a ballroom...
Jumeirah Group to Manage Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
Zabeel Properties, a subsidiary of Zabeel Investments, has appointed Jumeirah Group to manage the five-star Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel, which is located on the west crescent of Dubai's...
Ritz-Carlton to Unveil Dubai Hotel
Ritz-Carlton will open a new hotel on 12 January 2011 at Dubai International Financial Centre, UAE. The 14-storey hotel will feature 124 executive residences, a three-storey lobby, an...
Shenzhen Buys Sheraton Universal Hotel for $90m
Chinese real estate developer Shenzhen New World Group has bought the 451-room Sheraton Universal Hotel for $90m. Following the acquisition the hotel will operate under the Sheraton brand...
Okura to Open Macau Hotel
Okura Hotels & Resorts is to open its first property in Macau, China, at the Galaxy Macau integrated destination resort in early 2011. Hotel Okura Macau hotel will feature 488 guestrooms...
US Hotel Investment Volume to Rise in 2011
The volume of investments in the hotel sector across the US is expected to rise by 25% this year, according to global real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. The rise in...
Area Property to Acquire Sheraton Safari Hotel
Area Property Partners and Winston Harton Holdings will acquire the Sheraton Safari Hotel and Suites on Lake Buena Vista Drive in Orlando, US, from an unnamed seller for an undisclosed...
Miami Marriott Completes Renovation
The $31m renovation of the 31-storey Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay in Florida, US, has been completed after two years. The renovation involved a $17m investment in the redesign of 600...
Langham Plans $200m Chicago Hotel
Langham Hotels and Resorts has partnered with Oxford Capital Group to open a $200m hotel in the 330 North Wabash building, Chicago, US. The hotel will occupy the second floor through to...
Rotana to Open Seven Properties in UAE and Qatar
Rotana is to open seven hotels in the UAE and Qatar this year as part of its plans to expand in the Middle East. The group, which manages 41 hotels across the region, plans to open six...
Elbit Imaging to Sell Stake in Three London Hotels
Elbit Imaging has signed an agreement to sell stakes in three London hotels to Park Plaza for £230m ($358.8m). The transaction includes a 45% interest in the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel,...
Hilton to Expand Throughout Middle East and Africa
Hilton Worldwide is to open 11 new hotels in the Middle East and Africa this year. The hotel major will open its first Doubletree and Conrad hotels in the region and its first hotel...
US Lexington Plaza Hotel to Open Under New Ownership
The Lexington Plaza Hotel on the Stockton waterfront in California, US, is to open under new ownership this year. The hotel property was acquired by the Stockton Arena Hotel and...
Movenpick Hotel Opens in Dubai
The new Movenpick Hotel Deira in Dubai, UAE, has opened. The 216-room hotel is expected to meet the city's demand for affordable upscale accommodation. The hotel is located in the centre...
UK Grosvenor Hotel Sold to Sahara Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has completed the sale of the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, UK, to India-based media conglomerate Sahara Group for £470m ($730.4m). The sale is part of...
$56m US Hotel Plan on Hold
A plan to build a $56m hotel and conference centre on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee, US, has been postponed. The move was taken because the $21m in stimulus bonds did not sell...
December 2010
Top
Season's Greetings
hotelmanagement-network.com will be taking a short break over the holiday season. Our full daily news service will return on 4 January 2011. Thank you for your support in 2010 and we wish you...
MEA Hotels Performance Improves
Hotel performance improved in three key parameters in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) in November 2010, according to a new report by STR Global. The report revealed that the region's...
Starwood to Open Westin Hotel in China
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide will open its new Westin Hefei Baohe in Anhui, China. The hotel features 313 guestrooms, including 22 suites, and 2,300m² of meeting and...
Charters Lodging Buys Ocean Resort Waikiki
A joint venture led by Charters Lodging Group has bought the 451-room Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki, US, for an undisclosed price. The San Francisco-based hotel investment company, in a...
Compass Hospitality to Manage Bangkok Hotel
Compass Hospitality Company is to manage the 582-room Windsor Suites Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, from January 2011. The hotel includes a garden wing with 124 rooms and a main tower block...
Hilton and Tata Sign Technology Service Agreement
Hilton Worldwide has signed a multi-year agreement with India-based IT service provider Tata Consultancy Services to help accelerate Hilton's technology strategy. The strategy is part of...
Chesapeake Acquires Le Meridien San Francisco
Chesapeake Lodging Trust has completed the its acquisition of the Le Meridien hotel located in San Francisco, US, for $143m. The 360-room hotel features 3962m² of meeting space, a...
Schrager Hotels Unveils New Brands
Newly formed Schrager Hotels will launch two new brands following the sale of Gramercy Park Hotel in New York, US. The first brand will be a luxury lifestyle concept, while the second...
Vienna International to Open Belarus Hotel
Vienna International (VIH) is planning to open a hotel in Minsk, Belarus, in 2014. The hotel will be constructed by the Austrian construction company Habau Hoch und Tiefbaugesellschaft...
Auckland Hotel Relaunches Under Accor Brand
Accor Hotels and Resorts has added the former Hotel So in Christchurch, New Zealand, to its portfolio. The hotel will be relaunched as All Seasons Christchurch Cashel Street. The...
MCR Development Buys US Marriot and Hilton Hotels
MCR Development has acquired ten hotels in the US for $164m. The properties, consisting of a total of 1,100 rooms, will be managed by MCR Property Management. Six Marriott and...
Jin Jiang to Build Hong Kong's Tallest Hotel
Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels Group is to build the world's highest hotel in Hong Kong, China, in March. The group invested CNY14.8bn in the development ($2.21bn), which will...
Starwood to Open New Nashville Hotel
Starwood Hotels and Resorts is to open its new Four Points Sheraton hotel in Nashville, US, in August 2011. The Sheraton Nashville-Brentwood will offer 208 guestrooms, dining facilities,...
Shangri-La to Open New Hotel In China
Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts broke ground at its new hotel project in the Jiangxi province of China. The hotel will be built in two phases with the first phase adding 319 guest rooms,...
US Omni Hotel Expansion Approved
Omni Hotels & Resorts has received approval to expand the Country Music Hall of Fame in Tennessee, US, and integrate it into a planned 800-room hotel. The $250m Omni Nashville Hotel...
Royal Orchid Unveils Expansion Plan
Royal Orchid is set to invest Rs2bn ($46.9m) over the next eight months to expand its hotel portfolio. The Indian company, which currently operates 15 properties under the Royal Orchid...
InterContinental Prague Sale Finalised
Real estate investment trust Strategic Hotels & Resorts has finalised the sale of the InterContinental Prague in the Czech Republic for €108m ($141.8m). The property was sold to...
Hyatt Opens Regency Hotel in Germany
Hyatt Hotels and Resort has opened its Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf hotel in the capital of the North Rhine-Westphalia state, Germany. The 303-room Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf is located in one of...
FelCor Sells US Sheraton Hotel
FelCor Lodging Trust has sold the 443-room Sheraton Premiere Hotel at Tysons Corner in Virginia, US to JBG Companies for $84.5m. Following the transaction, the hotel will continue to be...
Alternative Hotel Rebrands Itself as De Vere Group
The UK's leading independent hotel and hospitality group, Alternative Hotel Group (AHG), has announced that it is rebranding as De Vere Group. The move follows a review that recognised...
Pan Pacific to Acquire Melbourne Hotel
Pan Pacific Hotels Group's subsidiary Success City (SCPL) will acquire Hilton Melbourne Airport Hotel, Australia, from Mulpha Hotel for A$108.89m (US$108.13m). The 276-room property...
Peab to Build a Fjord Hotel in Norway
Peab's Norwegian subsidiary has been commissioned to build the Scandic Hotel Fornebu in Oslo, Norway. The customers are Norwegian real estate firms IT Fornebu AS and Utstillningsplassen...
Chesapeake Lodging to Acquire Le Meridien San Francisco
Chesapeake Lodging Trust has entered into an agreement to acquire the 360-room Le Meridien San Francisco in California, US for $143m. The company intends to fund the acquisition with a...
French Palace to be Converted into a Luxury Hotel
The Hôtel du Grand Contrôle located at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France, is to be converted into a luxury hotel, with a $7.3m renovation. The Hôtel du...
Home Inns & Hotels to Raise Money for Expansion
China's Home Inns & Hotels Management is planning to offer $160m in convertible senior notes due in 2015, in a private offering to buyers. The company intends to grant to the initial...
Brazil Hospitality to Acquire Two Hotels
Brazil Hospitality Group (BHG) has unveiled plans to acquire two hotels in the city of Belem in Para, Brazil, adding another 190 rooms to its portfolio. The properties are the 90-room...
Legacy to Develop US Courtyard Hotel
Real estate services group Legacy Hotel Advisors is to develop a 129-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Florida, US. The five-storey hotel will be located on the new...
Leela to Open Luxury Hotel in India
Leela Hotel is to open a Rs16bn ($350m) hotel in Delhi, India, in October 2011. The new hotel will have 260 rooms, including 156 Grande Deluxe guestrooms, 46 Royal Premiere guestrooms and...
Hilton to Manage Two New Zealand Hotels
Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement to manage two newly built hotels in Queenstown, New Zealand. The management contract increases Hilton's portfolio in the country to four hotels. ...
Isrotel Acquires Ganei Hotel
Israeli hotel chain Isrotel has acquired the 196-room Ganei Mivtachim Hotel, which is located at Ein Bokek near the southern basin of the Dead Sea, for ILS73m ($20m). The hotel chain...
Cosmopolitan Hotel Opens in Las Vegas
The $3.9bn Cosmopolitan Las Vegas has opened on Las Vegas Strip, US. The hotel, which is owned by Germany's Deutsche Bank, includes a 9,290m² casino, 12 restaurants and 2,000...
Sri Lanka's Taj Airport Garden to Undergo Expansion
The Taj Airport Garden Hotel in Sri Lanka is to be expanded and renovated through an investment of LKR1.5bn ($15.5m). The renovation will add 100 rooms to the hotel, doubling its...
Hilton to Open Fourth Property In Egypt
Hilton Hotels and Resorts has signed an agreement with Egyptian company Afak to manage the newly built 676-room Hilton Makadi Resort. The hotel is situated on Makadi Bay and is expected to...
Keys to Open 15 Properties in India
Keys Hotels will open 15 properties in India over the next three years with a total investment of Rs5.5bn ($118m). New York-based Berggruen Hotels, the owner of Keys, plans to launch the...
Rezidor Increases Hotel Portfolio
The Rezidor Hotel Group has completed the opening of 7,200 rooms in 2010, compared with 7,100 rooms in 2009 and 6,500 rooms in 2008. In 2010 the group opened 18 hotels under the Park Inn...
Worldhotels Adds Hotel Matthan to Portfolio
Worldhotels has added the new five-star business hotel Matthan in Bangalore, India, to its portfolio. The deluxe hotel features 145 rooms and four banquet halls, accommodating up to 600...
Interstate to Manage 13 Blackstone Hotels
Hotel management firm Interstate Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement to manage 13 hotels that were acquired by affiliates of the Blackstone Group. The properties were renovated...
LM Investment Management Buys $15m New Zealand Hotel
LM Investment Management has acquired Hotel So in Christchurch, New Zealand, for NZ$20m ($14.9m). The 283-room concept hotel, which was developed by Christchurch developer Dave...
HFF Secures Debt Financing for US Radisson Hotel
Holliday Fenoglio Fowler has secured $75m in debt financing from Wells Fargo Bank for the Radisson Boston Hotel in Massachusetts, US. The loan was secured to fund the 358-room...
Marriot Opens Courtyard Hotel in New York
Marriot has opened a Courtyard Hotel in the SoHo area of New York, US, catering for business travellers. The hotel is Marriot's largest brand with 37 rooms spread across 20 floors. On...
Hawaii Hotel Occupancy Rises in October
Hotel occupancy rose by 4.5% to 70.9% in Hawaii, US, during October 2010 compared with the same period in 2009, according to a new Hospitality Advisors report. However, the...
Aqua Hotels Adds Queen Kapiolani Hotel to Portfolio
Aqua Hotels and Resorts has opened the 312-room Queen Kapiolani Hotel in Hawaii, US. The 19-storey building offers a range of guestrooms with private lanai, a third-floor swimming pool...
Host Hotels to Buy Seven New Zealand Properties
A unit of Host Hotels and Resorts is to acquire seven hotels in New Zealand for $143m. The hotels are located in Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington, and comprise more than...
De Geffrier to Open Ten Paris Hotels
Hotel entrepreneur Olivier de Geffrier is to form a new group of ten hotels in Paris, France. De Geffrier said he is buying existing hotels because of difficulties in building new...
Dubai Hotel Occupancy Expected to Fall
Dubai needs 2.5 million more tourists a year to absorb its 60% increase in hotel rooms over the next five years, according to Deloitte. The New York-based consultancy firm says Dubai...
Taipei Le Meridien Hotel Launched
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has opened Taiwan's first Le Meridien hotel in Taipei. Le Meridien Taipei is located in Xinyi and was built as part of the group's expansion plan for greater...
LaSalle Acquires West Hollywood Hotel
LaSalle Hotel Properties has acquired the 113-room Chamberlain West Hollywood Hotel in California, US, for $38.5m. The hotel will be managed by Outrigger Lodging Services following...
US Hotel Performance Improves
The US's hotel occupancy rate increased by 7% to 43% in the last week of November, according to new data by STR. In year-on-year comparisons, the STR report revealed that the...
Range Hospitality Begins Construction of Five-Star Iraq Hotel
UAE-based developer Range Hospitality is building a $100m five-star hotel in Karbala, Iraq. Shaza Al Rawadatain Gardens, which is being constructed by Range Hospitality in conjunction...
Pebblebrook Acquires Sofitel Philadelphia Hotel
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the Sofitel Philadelphia Hotel in Pennsylvania, US, for $87m. The transaction was funded by a $56.1m secured loan, with the remaining provided...
Ritz-Carlton to Unveil Dubai Hotel in January
Ritz-Carlton is to open its second hotel in Dubai, UAE, in January 2011 and has rolled out a range of launch packages ahead of the opening. The hotel features 341 guestrooms and suites,...
KHI to Sell Hong Kong Mercer Hotel
Kosmopolito Hotels International (KHI) had entered into a sale and purchase agreement with an independent third party to sell Excel Chinese International's (ECIL) interests for a...
HEI Completes Marriott Renovation First Phase
Hospitality investment firm HEI Hotels & Resorts has completed the first phase of a $20m renovation at the Hanover Marriott in New Jersey, US. The project included the renovation of...
Rezidor Announces Launch Date for Turkish Missoni Hotel
The Rezidor Hotel Group is to open its latest Missoni-brand hotel in Antalya, Turkey, in 2013. The 138-room Hotel Missoni Belek, Antalya was designed by Italian fashion house founder...
Aspen, AEW Acquire San Franciscan Hotels
Aspen Hotel Management Group, in partnership with AEW Capital Management (AEW), is to acquire a portfolio of three boutique hotels in San Francisco, US, for an undisclosed sum. The hotels...
Risma to Return to Profit in 2011
Risma, the Moroccan affiliate of French hotelier Accor, expects to return to profit in 2011 after accruing losses in 2009 following the opening of its hotel in Rabat. The hotel group expects...
ADAC and Premier Inn to Open Abu Dhabi Hotel
Abu Dhabi Airports Company and Premier Inn are to build a 300-room Premier Inn hotel at Abu Dhabi International Airport, UAE. Over AED120m ($32.6m) will be invested in the hotel, which...
Sheraton Airport Hotel to Open in New Mexico, US
Starwood Hotels & Resorts will open its new Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel in New Mexico, US, on 8 December 2010. The hotel, the second Sheraton in the US state, is managed by...
Marriott and HP Partner to Provide In-Room Technology in Australia
Marriott International has selected technology company HP to provide advanced in-room technology services in its Australian hotels. Marriott has embarked on an upgrade of its...
Accor to Divest its Swedish Assets
Accor is planning to sell its Swedish assets, comprising of 18 hotels with a total of 1,760 rooms, in a sale and franchise-back transaction. The French hotel group will continue to operate...
Northern Mariana Islands Posts 13% increase in Occupancy Rates
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, located off the west coast of the US, recorded a 54% hotel occupancy rate in October 2010. The nation's hotel association said occupancy...
NH Hotels Converts Madrid Mansion into Hotel
NH Hotels has converted a 19th-century mansion into a hotel to create the new NH Palacio de Tepa in Madrid, Spain. The mansion was originally built in 1808 by Jorge Duran and was designed...
Euro Asia to Sell Chinese Hotel
China-based Euro Asia Premier Real Estate Company has entered into a non-binding agreement with a third party to sell the Xin Ju Yuan Hotel in Guangzhou, China. The buyer will pay...
Carlson Opens Radisson Hotel in Chile
Carlson Hotels Worldwide has unveiled the new Radisson Petra La Dehesa Hotel in Santiago, Chile. The opening is in line with the brand's $1.5bn growth strategy, Ambition 2015, which focuses...
Redefine Completes London Holiday Inns Acquisition
Redefine International has completed the acquisition of five Holiday Inn hotels in London, UK, for £112.2m ($174.7m). The hotels include Royal Docks Holiday Inn Express, Limehouse Holiday...
Abu Dhabi Records Rise in Hotel Guests
Hotel guests rose by 16% in Abu Dhabi, UAE, during the first ten months of 2010 compared with the same period of 2009, according to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. The emirate...
US Pittsburgh Hotel Joins Wyndham Grand Portfolio
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, will add a new hotel to its Wyndham Grand Collection portfolio in the US. The 712-room Wyndham Grand...
City Inn Rebrands as Mint Hotel
City Inn has been rebranded as Mint Hotel in the UK because of a 'misperception' of the hotel brand. Backed by professional research, the company claimed that the name did not do justice to...
Rezidor Increases Romanian Portfolio
Rezidor Hotel Group has increased its portfolio in the Romanian capital of Bucharest to 718 rooms. The hotel group signed an agreement to manage 294 apartments adjacent to its 424-room...
Carlyle Group Plans European Expansion
Carlyle Group is to expand its hotel portfolio by adding 100 hotels in European countries including France, Germany and Italy. Speaking to HotelNewsNow.com the France-based investment firm...
RLJ Real Estate Fund Buys Florida Hilton Hotels
RLJ Real Estate Fund III Acquisitions has bought two Florida Hilton hotels from Worthington Hospitality and Australian Ave Hospitality for an undisclosed sum. Hotel Assets Group (Hotel...
Jumeirah, Dubai Holding to Manage Venu Bilgah Hotel
Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hotel company and member of Dubai Holding, has signed an agreement with Azinco Holding Company to manage the VENU Bilgah Hotel in Azerbaijan. Designed...
Starwood to Open Westin Hotel in Singapore
Starwood Hotels and Resorts will open a hotel at Marina Bay's Asia Square, which is located at Singapore's new financial district. The hotel will comprise 15 storeys in Asia Square Tower 2...
November 2010
Top
European Hotel Performance Improves
Europe's hotel industry posted positive results for October 2010 with a 10% increase in revenue per available room (revPAR) compared with the corresponding month last year. In terms...
Far East Sells Singapore's Paramount Hotel
Property developer Far East Organisation has acquired the Paramount Hotel and Shopping Centre in Singapore for S$214m ($162m) from YTC Corporation. Far East Organisation will pay...
Ocean Hospitality to Open Hotel in China
Ocean Hospitality will open its first hotel, Starcity Saigon Hotel, in Ho Chi Minh City, China, later this year. The four-star hotel is located in the Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan...
Accor Group to Manage Manila Hotel
MJC Investments Corporation (MIC), a subsidiary of Manila Jockey Club, has signed an agreement with Accor's subsidiary AAPC Singapore to manage a Mercure brand hotel in Manila, Philippines. ...
Stellar Management Acquires New York Hotel
Stellar Management has acquired the Windermere hotel in New York, US, for $68m. The 374-room hotel will be allocated $10m for planned renovations to convert the property in an attempt...
IHG to Open First Hotel in Malaysia
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will open its first hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 1 February 2011. The Nikko Hotel Kuala Lumpur in Jalan Ampang, owned by MTJ Development, will...
Retail Eyes to Audit QHotels' Portfolio
QHotels has appointed Retail Eyes to audit the conference delivery of its 21 UK hotels from January 2011. Retail Eyes will audit the company's hotels through its re:confirm audit service...
US Hotels Record revPAR Growth in October
The US hotel industry posted an 8.2% increase in revenue per available (revPAR) room for October 2010, according to STR data. US hotels also recorded increases in two other key...
Aimbridge and Hyatt to Open Oklahoma Hotel in January 2011
Aimbridge Hospitality and Hyatt Hotels & Resorts will open the Crowne Plaza hotel in Oklahoma, US, in January 2011 with a new name – the Hyatt Regency Tulsa. The 455-room hotel has...
Bespoke Hotels to Manage Newbury Racecourse Hotel
Bespoke Hotels has signed a ten-year management contract to manage the new hotel at Newbury racecourse in the UK. The 120-room hotel, to be called The Newbury, is scheduled to open in 2014. ...
Hyatt Regency Auckland Hotel Sold to Unnamed Investor
South Canterbury Finance has sold the Hyatt Regency Auckland in New Zealand to an unnamed international investor for around NZ$60m ($45m). The investor is said to be having existing ties...
Intercontinental Hotels Group Plans Emerging Markets Expansion
The Intercontinental Hotels Group is planning to double the size of its operations in emerging markets including China, India and the Middle East. The UK-based group believes that China...
Wyndham Group, Expedia Sign Partnership Agreement
Wyndham Hotel Group has signed an agreement with online travel company Expedia to use its distribution channel to increase brand awareness across the globe. Under the agreement, Wyndham...
Fairmont Hotels Plans Six Hotels in India
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is to add six hotels under its Swissotel brand in India over the next five years. The Canadian hotel group will open two of the hotels in 2013, one in Gurgaon...
Investment Group to Open Tune Hotels in London
A group of investors has formed a company to build 15 budget hotels comprising 1,500 beds in London, UK, by 2017 with an investment of £100m ($160m). The hotels will operate under a...
Pebblebrook Buys Sheraton Delfina Santa Monica Hotel
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the boutique-style Sheraton Delfina Santa Monica Hotel from Viceroy Hotel Group for $102m. The 310-room hotel, which is located in California, US,...
Bellstar Hotels Acquires Ultimate Resorts Portfolio
Bellstar Hotels & Resorts has acquired Ultimate Resorts & Hotels in Canada. The acquisition will add over 300 accommodation units located in British Columbia. "The fusion...
Manila Hotel Renovation to Complete in 2012
The PHP360m ($8m) renovation of the 42-storey Discovery Suites in Ortigas Center in Manila, Philippines, will be complete by November 2012, according to Oakridge Propeties. The project...
NCC to Build Hotel in Oslo
NCC Construction Norway is to construct a new luxury hotel at Ostbanebygget in Oslo. The Nkr210m ($35m) hotel will be built for property developer Rom Eiendom. The 170-room hotel...
London's Hoxton Hotel for Sale
Bridges Ventures is to sell the Hoxton Hotel in London, UK, in a bid to raise funds. Expressions of interests have been received for the sale, which is expected to raise as much as...
NWH Unveils Expansion Plan
New World Hospitality is to invest $1.1bn in expanding its three brands. The China-based company will add four new hotels to its New World Hotel Group, with one each in Guiyang (in...
New Jersey Doubletree Hotel Unveiled
Doubletree Hotels has opened the Doubletree Hotel Tinton Falls-Eatontown in New Jersey, US. The 179-room hotel was converted from a Holiday Inn after completing a major, multi-phase...
Macdonald Hotels Secures $543m Debt
Macdonald Hotels has secured a £340m ($543m) debt facility from Lloyds Banking Group to support the capex plan on its existing hotels. The Scotland-based hotel group plans to strengthen...
Accor, Ben Thanh Group to Develop Vietnam Hotels
French hotel chain Accor is to work with the Ben Thanh Group to develop eight Ibis hotels in major cities across Vietnam. The hotels will be built in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and...
Civis Hotels to Sell Three Hotels
Civis Hotels is to sell three hotels for a combined price of Ft3.86bn ($18.7m). The troubled owner plans to sell off the Aranybika (Golden Bull), the Best Western in Debrecen and the...
IHG Holiday Inn to Open in Brazil
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is to open its new Holiday Inn Express Cuiaba in Brazil. The 128-room hotel was developed by owner Diamante Azul Hotelaria. The new hotel features...
Invesco Secures Loan for Four Hotels
Invesco Real Estate has secured a €109m ($149m) loan from Germany's Aareal Bank to refinance four hotels. Three of the hotels were originally purchased with 100% equity from...
Rezidor to Open Park Inn Hotels in Sweden
The Rezidor Hotel Group is to open two new Park Inn by Radisson properties in Sweden. The 190-room Park Inn Lund and the 215-room Park Inn Helsingborg are owned by Midroc and will be...
Louvre Drops Sale Plan and Opens Second Glasgow Hotel
Starwood Capital's Louvre Hotel Group has taken its properties off the market and opened the 103-bedroom Campanile Hotel Glasgow Airport in Scotland. The property is located near...
Hawaii Hotel Occupancy Rises in September
Hotel occupancy rose by 70.8% in Hawaii, US, during September 2010 compared with the same period in 2009, according to new Hospitality Advisors report. The average daily room...
Marriott to Open 50 Hotels in Brazil
Marriott International plans to add 50 hotels to its Brazilian portfolio, which currently contains four properties. The US hotel group signed an agreement with Brazil-based PDG Realty...
Welsh Room Rates Fall in August
Room rates of Welsh hotels fell by 4.4% to £52.75 ($84) in August 2010, compared with £55.15 ($88) in August 2009, according to a report by PKF Hotel Consultancy Services. The report...
San Diego Marriott Renovation to Complete in 2011
The $200m renovation of the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina in California, US, will be completed next year. The makeover will add 7,432m² of ballroom and exhibition space,...
Davidson Hotel Company to Manage Hawaiian Courtyard Hotel
Hotel management firm Davidson Hotel Company has been selected by Behringer Harvard to manage the 311-room Courtyard by Marriott Kauai at Coconut Beach in Hawaii, US. The property was...
European Hotels Occupancy Up
European hotels recorded a revPAR growth rate of 16.8% in September 2010, their strongest rise since December 2009, according to a Deloitte report. The rise in revPAR was driven mainly...
Qatar Holding Plans Maybourne Hotel Acquisition
Qatar Holding is in talks with Maybourne Hotel Group for a planned acquisition of the group's London portfolio. Qatar Holding placed a $1.6bn bid to buy the hotel group, which operates...
Dubai's Second Citymax Hotel Unveiled
Citymax Hotel has opened its second property, Citymax Hotel Bur Dubai, in the UAE. The hotel offers 691 rooms consisting of twins and double rooms, five restaurants, a sports lounge, a gym...
Chesapeake Lodging Acquires Seattle Hotel
Chesapeake Lodging Trust has signed an agreement to acquire the Homewood Suites by Hilton Seattle Convention Center in Seattle, US, for $53m. The company will fund the acquisition through...
Egypt to Renovate Landmark Hotels
The Holding Company for Tourism, Hotels and Cinema (HOTAC) in Egypt has unveiled a plan to invest £228m ($366m) in renovating nine landmark hotels in the country. Renovation will be carried...
Marriott to Expand Indian Properties to 100 by 2015
Marriott International plans to increase the number of its hotels in India to 100 within the next five years. Building on its current Indian portfolio of 11 properties, the US hotel group...
US City Breaks Ground for Washington Marriott Marquis
The Washington Convention and Sports Authority has broke ground on its four-star Marriott Marquis Hotel in Washington DC, US. The $520m hotel will have 1,200 rooms and 46 suites, and will...
IHG to Open 1,200 Hotels within Five Years
InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) has unveiled plans to open 1,200 hotels worldwide, which will create 160,000 jobs over the next few years. The roles include management, hotel porters...
Hilton to Improve Facilities for Disabled Guests
Hilton Worldwide has entered into an agreement with the US Department of Justice to make improvements in 900 hotels nationwide so that they can accommodate guests and visitors with disabilities. ...
Sahara India to Acquire UK Hotel
The Indian-based conglomerate Sahara India Pariwar is to buy the Grosvenor House in central London, UK, for £470m ($756m). The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) acquired the property in 2001...
Wyndham Adds New Hotel to Grand Portfolio
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, will add a new hotel to its Wyndham Grand Collection portfolio in the US. The 119-room Mining Exchange is located...
Sol Melia Forms Alliance with Preferred Hotel Group
Spanish hotel and resort operator Sol Melia has added 11 hotels to the Preferred Hotel Group in a bid to increase its international market positioning. The strategic alliance required...
IHG Q3 Profit Drops
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)'s operating profit for the third quarter of 2010 fell by 7% to $115m compared with the $124m operating profit recorded during the corresponding quarter...
US Renaissance Completes Restoration
The Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark Hotel in North Carolina, US, has opened following the completion of its three-year, multi-million-dollar renovation. The 264-room hotel's new owners...
Taiwan Hotel Occupancy Rises
Taiwan's hotel occupancy has risen by 5.3% year-on-year in the first nine months of 2010, according to data from the country's tourism bureau. The average occupancy rate of Taiwan's...
Renovated New Orleans Hotel Reopens
The Hotel Le Marais in New Orleans, US, has reopened following the completion of a multi-million dollar renovation. The extensive renovation saw all of the hotel's guest rooms and public...
Domestic Guest Stays in Australian Hotels on the Rise
Domestic guest stays rose by 3% on average at Australian hotels in 2010, compared to the previous year. A report by hotel group Best Western notes that the Australian accommodation sector...
Oasis to Sell Beverley Hilton Hotel
The Beverly Hilton Hotel in California, US, has been put up for sale by owner Oasis West Realty. Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman is leading the sale transaction. ...
ICH Signs Management Contract for Singapore Hotel
InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a contract with RB Capital Hotels to manage a Holiday Inn Express in Singapore. The SGD$300m ($233m) hotel is expected to open in 2013. ...
Tune Hotels to Open in Malaysia
Tune Hotels will unveil two new properties in Malaysia by 2011. A new 101-room Tune hotel will open in Bintulu and another 173-room property will open in Kota Bharu. The hotels are...
Californian Hotel to Restructure Debt
Strategic Hotels & Resorts, owner of the Hotel del Coronado in California, US, has unveiled plans to restructure more than $630m in debt on the property. The firm's spokeswoman...
Detroit Airport Hotel Sold
The Lexington Hotel, which is located near Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Michigan, US, has been sold by its owners to a local investment group. The sale price of the previous Hampton...
Marriott to Convert Berners Hotel into a London Edition
Marriott International, in collaboration with US-hotelier Ian Schrager, is to redevelop the Berners Hotel, in the UK, into a new London Edition hotel. Closed since 2006, the Berners Hotel...
Hyatt Sells Tampa Bay Hotel
An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels sold the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay hotel in Florida, US, to an investor for $58.5m. Leading the transaction UBS Global Asset Management entered into a...
Sharjah Hotel Occupancy Rises in Q3
Sharjah, UAE, has seen a 70% rise in hotel occupancy in the third quarter of 2010 compared with the 65% rise seen in the same period of 2009, according to a report by the Sharjah...
Dubai Ritz Carlton Sale Finalised
Union Properties has finalised the sale agreement of the Ritz Carlton at Dubai International Financial Centre, UAE, for AED1.1bn ($299.5m). Union Properties said the proceeds from...
Starwood Capital to Sell Paris Hotel
US-based Starwood Capital is to sell the Hotel de Crillon in Paris to Saudi Arabian investors. The landmark hotel is expected to be sold for $353.6m. The buyer may spend an...
France's Hotel Occupancy Boosted by Tour de France
France's hotel industry received a significant lift during the 2010 Tour de France in July compared with the same period last year. Occupancy rates rose by over 40% in many cities, which...
Manila Holiday Inn Unveiled
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Philippine developer Ayala Land have signed an agreement to open the first Holiday Inn & Suites in Manila, Philippines. The 347-room Holiday...
Hong Kong Hotel to Be Renovated
The HongKong and Shanghai Hotels has approved the complete renovation of guestrooms at the Peninsula Hong Kong in Kowloon, China. The renovation is part of a scheduled upgrade programme...
HEI Sells Californian Hotel
HEI Hotels & Resorts (HEI) has sold the 293-suite Embassy Suites Irvine–Orange County Airport in California, US, for an undisclosed sum. HEI will maintain the management of the hotel...
New Ibis Hotel Opens in Bangkok
French hotel chain Accor unveiled its new three-star Ibis Bangkok Riverside in Thailand. The 266-room hotel features a lobby bar, a swimming pool, meeting rooms and a restaurant. This...
Carlson to Renovate US Airport Hotel
Global hospitality company Carlson has unveiled plans to renovate the Radisson Hotel Ontario Airport in California, US. Carlson will begin a $6m phased renovation to upgrade the...
Chinese Hotel Prices Fall in November
Hotel prices in China fell in November 2010 and were attributed to the closure of the Shanghai World Expo, according to a report by Wotif.com. The statistics revealed that the average...
UK Hotel Adopts Smart TV Upgrade
Park International Hotel in South Kensington, London, UK, will adopt Swisscom's connected hotel TV technology by January 2011 as part of its facilities upgrade plan. The all-in-one...
US Milford Plaza Acquisition Complete
The acquisition of the Milford Plaza Hotel in New York, US, by an affiliate of Ogden CAP Properties has been completed. Highgate Holdings, in partnership with private equity firm...
New Langham Hotel to Open in China
Langham Hotels International will open a new property in China in 2012. The 352-room hotel will be located in Futian, Shenzhen, and will feature a spa as well as indoor and outdoor...
Airport Hotel Planned for Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi Airports Company and hotel operator Premier Inn have signed an agreement to build a hotel at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the UAE. The new Abu Dhabi International...
Swedish Hotel Pilots NFC Room Key Solution
Clarion Hotel Stockholm in Sweden will begin a four-month trial for a project that involves replacing hotel room keys with near field communication (NFC) enabled mobile phones. ASSA...
Carlson Opens Bangkok Radisson
Carlson Hotels Worldwide has opened its new Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit hotel in Thailand. The twin tower Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit is located on Sukhumvit Soi Street in...
Tokyo Hotels' September Occupancy Rises
Hotel occupancy at 19 major hotels in Japan's capital city Tokyo rose 77.8% in September 2010, a 1.4% increase from a year earlier, according to a Nikkei survey. This is the...
Layia Hotel Unveiled in UAE
Layia Hospitality has opened the new Layia Plaza Hotel in Al Qusais, UAE. The 232-room hotel features three meeting rooms, a business centre, restaurants, crew lounges, fitness centre,...
Hilton to Develop Policy to Address Child Exploitation
Hilton Worldwide has unveiled plans to develop an updated global business ethics policy, which will be rolled out by the end of 2010 across its portfolio to address commercial...
Abu Dhabi Records Rise in Hotel Guests
Hotel guests rose by 16% in Abu Dhabi, UAE, during the first nine months of 2010 compared with a 14% increase during the same period of 2009, according to research data. Data from...
Palestine Opens First Luxury Hotel
The Movenpick Hotel Ramallah in West Bank, Palestine, will open this week. This will be the first five-star luxury hotel in the nation opened by the franchise of the Swiss-based Movenpick...
Carlson Plans Canadian Airport Hotel
Global hospitality company Carlson has unveiled plans to build a new Radisson hotel near Calgary International Airport in Canada. Construction of the $19m Radisson Hotel &...
IHCL to Raise $191m in Share Allotment
The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) plans to raise RS8.5bn ($191m) for preferential allotment to Tata Sons within the next 18 months. The Tata Group's shareholding in IHCL will increase...
New Apex Hotel to Open in London in 2012
Apex Hotels will invest £60m ($96.3m) in creating its first hotel in London, UK. The four-star Apex Temple Court Hotel is expected to open in 2012 and will be located at 1-3 Serjeants...
Washington's Capitol Hilton Completes Renovation
The Capital Hilton hotel in Washington, US, has completed extensive renovation of its guestrooms and hallways. The $30m renovation retained historical elements of the original design and...
Starwood Unveils Russian Expansion Plan
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to expand its hotel portfolio in Russia. Starwood will open three new hotels in Moscow by 2014 under brands Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton...
Ramada Opens Hotel in Bangkok
Wyndham Hotel Group has opened the first managed Ramada hotel in Asia Pacific. The new 11-storey Ramada Hotel & Suites Bangkok in Thailand, which is owned by Sookjai Condominium,...
U Hotel Signs Management Contract in Doha
U Hotel & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Gulf Trading and Contracting (GTC) for its newest hotel, U Le Mirage Doha, in Qatar. The 120-room U Le Mirage Doha, which...
Iron Point Acquires New York W Hotel's Debt Loan
US-based equity firm Iron Point Titan Ventures has bought $25m of mezzanine debt at a discount in W New York Downtown Hotel in the US. Iron Point already owned a separate $40m portion...
Hilton to Add New Hotels in Russia
Hilton Worldwide will add three hotels to its portfolio in Russia following the signing of management agreements. Hilton will open three hotels in Yaroslavl and Kazan, and its second hotel...
October 2010
Top
TPG Hospitality Wins Management Contract
TPG Hospitality has received a management contract from Lodgian to manage its eight hotels in the US. The company took over the management of two properties including the 270-room Crowne...
UK Hotel Pipeline Highest in Europe
London, UK, stands first in Europe's hotel development pipeline with more than 9,700 hotel rooms, according a report by US marketing agency STR Global. The report says that 10,000 hotel...
New Regal Hotel Opens in China
Regal Hotels International has opened its new Regal Kangbo Hotel in Shandong, China. The five-star hotel was developed by Bosideng Holdings and will be managed by Regal Hotels. ...
Grand Hyatt New York Begins Final Phase of Renovation
The final phase of the $130m renovation at the Grand Hyatt New York in the US has begun, and is expected to continue over the next year. The renovation will include 1,311 guestrooms, a...
New York Hotel up for Sale
The 187-room Staten Island Hotel in New York, US, is up for sale with a price tag of $14m. The hotel, which was expected to open last week, will now open in 2011 as a franchise of Crowne...
InnVest REIT to Rebrand Canadian Hotel Portfolio
Canada-based InnVest REIT Hotels unveiled plans to rebrand 12 of its Holiday Inn hotels and four of its Holiday Inn Express hotels in Canada by the end of December 2010. Lobbies and...
New World Hospitality Unveils Expansion Plans
New World Hospitality is investing $1.1bn in 20 projects under development across three brands. The New World Hotels flagship brand will be repositioned with a new visual identity and...
Source1 Forms Alliance with Latino Hotel Association
The Latino Hotel Association (LHA) has formed a strategic alliance with Source1 Purchasing to enhance the food and beverage pricing power of LHA members. The organisation said its...
Las Vegas Sands Forms Alliance with IHG
Las Vegas Sands Corp has signed a ten-year agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), which will see its two properties affiliated with IHG's brand in Las Vegas, US. The Venetian...
Bel-Air Hotel to Reopen in 2011
The Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, US, will reopen in July 2011 following 22 months of extensive renovation and redesign. The hotel part of the Dorchester Collection hotels will be renovated...
Behringer Harvard JV Acquires Hawaii Hotel
A joint venture between Behringer Harvard Opportunity and JMI Realty has acquired the 311-room Aston Kauai Beach at Makaiwa in Hawaii. Behringer Harvard senior vice-president Richard Frank...
Carlson Unveils Asia Pacific Expansion Plan
Global hospitality company Carlson has unveiled plans to expand its portfolio of hotels in Asia Pacific to 100 hotels by 2015. The chain plans to rebrand Radisson hotels in operation...
Wyndham Hotel to Open in New York
Wyndham Hotel Group has signed an agreement to open its new first TRYP hotel in New York, US. The 173-room TRYP New York City - Times Square South will be complete by the second quarter...
New Evergrande Hotel Opens in China
Evergrande Real Estate Group has opened its second five-star hotel in China. The new China Chongqing Evergrande Hotel is part of the Chong Evergrande Splendor Tourism Complex. ...
Razors Top List of Items Left by Park Hotel Guests
Razors make up 21.1% of unusual items that guests leave behind after their stay at Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts. Books are the second most left behind item with 14% followed...
Israeli Firm Unveils Expansion Plans
Israel-based Fattal Hotel Management has unveiled plans to expand its Herod's Palace Hotel brand's portfolio in Tel Aviv, Israel. The firm plans to invest ILS60m ($16m) in converting...
Norwegian Property to Sell Norgani Hotels
Norwegian Property subsidiary Oslo Properties has signed an unconditional sales and purchase agreement with Sech Holding for the sale of its subsidiary Norgani Hotels. Both parties...
Romanian Ice Hotel to Re-open in December
The Ice Hotel in Romania will re-open on 25 December 2010 and close in May 2011. The 14-room hotel will see the addition of four new rooms, all maintained at a temperature of...
New York Occupancy Flat in 2011
Hotel occupancy in the US city of New York is expected to remain flat in 2011, according to a report by online travel site Expedia. The low occupancy was attributed to growth in the supply...
Marriott to Build US Airport Hotel
Groundbreaking will take place next week for the 119-room Marriott-brand Courtyard hotel near Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US. The four-storey hotel will be managed...
Hilton Hotel Opens in Seattle
US-based The Hotel Group (THG) has opened its new Hilton Garden Inn Seattle / Bothell in Seattle, US. It will be the first Hilton brand hotel in the region and will feature 128 guestrooms...
Low Occupancy Recorded During 2010 CWG
The lowest hotel occupancy was recorded during the 19th Commonwealth Games (CWG) held 3-14 October in Delhi, India, this year. Saeed Shervani, president of the Hotel and Restaurant...
UK Hotel Room Prices to Double for 2012 Olympic Games
Hotel prices are expected to double during the 2012 Olympic Games in London, UK, according to a study by Rubicon. The rates of the city's 120,000 hotel rooms will be hiked due to the...
London St Pancras Hotel to Open in 2011
The newly renovated St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, UK, is scheduled to open in May 2011. The hotel was closed in 1935, but the building has been used as offices for a local...
New Clarion Hotel Launched in Sydney
Choice Hotels Group has launched its new Clarion Hotel on the Park at Parramatta in Sydney, Australia. The hotel, formerly the Courtyard by Marriott Parramatta, will be rebranded over the...
European Hotel Rates Rise
The average price of overnight accommodation in Europe rose by 8% between September and October 2010, according to a new study by hotel price comparison site Trivago. The study reveals...
Serena Group to Expand Nairobi Hotel
Serena Hotels Group has unveiled plans to invest $30m for the expansion of its five-star Nairobi Serena Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. The project is part of the chain's portfolio expansion plan...
Manhattan's Chelsea Hotel for Sale
The landmark Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan, US, has been put up for sale by the three families that have owned it for 65 years. The 12-storey property has 125 hotel rooms, including a...
Sofitel Hotel Opens in Saudi Arabia
The new five-star Sofitel Alkhobar Hotel in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province has opened. The 31,000m² hotel comprises 229 rooms, three restaurants and lounges, a covered pool, a...
Barclays Capital to Auction US St Regis
Barclays Capital has begun the process to auction the St Regis hotel in Washington, US, following foreclosure proceedings on owners Claret Capital. The 150-room, 25-suite St Regis...
Qatar's First Langham Hotel to Open
Luxury hotel operator Langham Hotels International plans to open its first Langham hotel in Doha, Qatar, by 2012. The new Langham Place is part of the group's expansion plans in the...
Mecca Hotel Prices Rose in August
Hotel prices in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, rose by 31% during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in August 2010. The average night rate in August stood at $568 this year, up from $433 in...
Marriott Hotel Sold in Brazil
The JW Marriott Rio de Janeiro on Copacabana Beach in Brazil has been sold to Host Hotels & Resorts for $47.5m. Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels oversaw the sale on behalf of...
MGM to Sell Borgata Hotel Stake
MGM Resorts International plans to sell half of its stake in the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in New Jersey, US, for $250m. The Las Vegas-based company did not reveal details of the buyer...
UK Airport Hotel Plan Approved
Plans have been approved for a new 251-room hotel to be located next to Bristol Airport in North Somerset, UK. North Somerset Council's South Area Committee approved the plans for the...
Carlson Unveils Expansion Indian Plans
Global hospitality and travel company Carlson has unveiled plans to operate more than 100 hotels in India by 2015. The company will open eight hotels in 2010 and plans to add at least 15...
Accor Opens Mercure Hotel in Slovakia
French hotel chain Accor has opened its first Mercure hotel in Bratislava, Slovakia. The four-star hotel features 175 rooms including 11 suites, private lounges and 120-seat conference rooms. ...
Foreign Night Stays Increase in NZ Hotels
New Zealand hotels saw a 7% rise in night stays in August 2010, according to Statistics New Zealand's monthly accommodation review. Global visitor nights rose by 2% over the...
Pebblebrook Subsidiary to Buy US Hotel
A subsidiary of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has entered into an agreement to acquire an upscale hotel in Pennsylvania, US, for $89m. The details of the hotel were not disclosed. The...
Blackstone Venture Buys Columbia Sussex Hotels
A venture of Blackstone, Centerbridge Partners and Paulson & Company has bought $300m of debt of 14 hotels owned by US-based Columbia Sussex Corporation. The move puts Blackstone in...
NZ Hotels for Sale
Two hotels in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by collapsed firm South Canterbury Finance will be sold for NZ$70m ($52.9m). The Hyatt Regency Auckland is expected to fetch NZ$50m ($37.8m) and...
Access Signs Management Contract
US-based hospitality management firm Access Hotel & Resorts is to manage the Distrikt Hotel in New York, US. The 155-room hotel is located in a 32-storey building near The New York...
Wyndham Group Unveils Hotel Expansion in China
Wyndham Hotel Group has signed management agreements for three new Wyndham Hotels & Resorts properties in Boao, China. The properties include the 300-room Wyndham Grand Boao Resort and...
Asian Hotel (North) Buys Consulting Firm Stake
India-based Asian Hotel (North) has acquired a 53% stake in an international hospitality consulting firm, which is yet to be disclosed. Asian Hotel entered into a joint venture with...
Rezidor to Open Radisson in Dubai
The Rezidor Hotel Group will open its new Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Downtown in the UAE next year. The 220-room hotel is Rezidor's fourth Radisson Hotel in the emirate. The hotel...
Brazilian Hotel Chains to Invest in Peru
Three Brazilian hotel chains have unveiled plans to invest PEN8.39bn ($3bn) in the Peruvian hotel market by 2015. The country's favourable conditions, current choices of tourist routes to...
London's Maybourne Hotels for Sale
Three luxury London hotels worth £1bn ($1.59bn), part of the Maybourne Hotel Group, are expected to be put up for sale after the company failed to refinance loans. The properties include...
Armoured Hotel to Open in Colombia
The new Hotel Spiwak, which is located in the city of Cali, Colombia, will open this week. The five-star hotel features 226 suites and five armoured rooms in line with international safety...
Omni to Build a $273m US Hotel
Omni Hotels has unveiled designs for a $273m convention centre headquarters hotel in Tennessee, US. The building will be a 79m tall, 25-storey structure. The 800-room Omni hotel will...
Marriott, AC Hotels to Franchise New Brand
Marriott International and Spanish hotel group AC Hotels have signed a preliminary agreement to form a joint venture to manage and franchise a new lodging co-brand across Europe and Latin America....
Indiana Airport Hotel to be Renovated
Dunn Hospitality Group has unveiled plans to renovate the former Evansville Plaza Hotel and Suites located near the Evansville Regional Airport in Indiana, US. The hotel will reopen next...
Extended Stay Sold for $3.9bn
US hotel chain operator Extended Stay America has been sold to an investment consortium for $3.9bn. The buy-out by a consortium comprising US-based Blackstone, Paulson & Co and...
Hiranandani to Expand Indian Hotel Chain
India-based property developer Hiranandani Group has unveiled plans to invest Rs1,000m ($22.5m) in the expansion of its hotel chain Rodas in India. Hiranandani Group chairman...
California Hotel Expansion Stalled
Safety concerns and protests by a community activist group have stalled the expansion of the Hotel del Coronado in California, US. Concerned Citizens for Keeping the Hotel del Beautiful...
Starwood to Launch Westin Hotels in Panama
Starwood Hotels & Resorts will launch two Westin brand hotels in Panama, which are expected to open in the next two years. The Westin Playa Bonita Panama will open in 2011 followed by...
Hilton to Open Doubletree Hotel in Mexico
Hilton Worldwide has signed a franchise agreement with Operadora de Hoteles y Restaurantes to open a Doubletree hotel near Mexico City Benito Juarez International Airport, Mexico. The...
Renovated UK Savoy Hotel to Reopen
The Fairmont-managed Savoy Hotel in London, UK, will reopen this week following the completion of three years of renovation. The entire building, including 268 rooms and a number of bars...
Marriott Reports Profit in Q3
Hotel operator Marriott International recorded an $83m profit in the third quarter of 2010. The company attributed the revenue rise to higher room rates. Marriott International made a loss...
Northwood Investors Buys US Radisson Hotel
US-based Northwood Investors has acquired the Radisson Hotel Boston in Massachusetts, US, for an undisclosed sum from John Philopoulos Associates Trust. The 358-room hotel features 325...
Third Armani Hotel Planned in Paris
Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has partnered with Emmar Hotels & Resorts and unveiled plans to open the third Armani brand hotel in Paris, France. The brand's second hotel is...
Hilton Opens Doubletree Hotel in Russia
The Hilton hotel group has opened its first Russian Doubletree brand hotel, the Doubletree by Hilton Novosibirsk. The 188-room hotel is part of a newly built, mixed-use hotel and...
LaSalle Buys US Hotel
LaSalle Hotel Properties has acquired the leasehold interest in Hotel Roger Williams in New York, US, for $90m. The property will continue to be managed by JRK Hotel Group. The...
Montreal Hotel Prices Rise in Q2
Hotel room rates in the Canadian city of Montreal were up 7% in the second quarter of 2010 compared with the same period last year, according to the Hotel Price Index. The city's...
Sol Melia Plans New London Hotel
Spanish hotel and resort operator Sol Melia will open its new ME brand hotel, ME London, England in 2012 in time for the Olympic Games. This is the sixth hotel of the ME Hotels brand and...
Best Western Opens Hotel in Poland
Best Western International has opened its fifth hotel in Silesia, Poland. The four-star Best Western Premier Katowice features 168 rooms, a restaurant and bar, a fitness area and a...
Brocade to Equip Dutch Hotel with HD Technology
US-based Brocade has been selected to build an internet, television and telephone network for the Parkhotel Horst in Limburg, Netherlands. Parkhotel will deliver multicast HD-IP...
Rotana Opens Furjairah Hotel
Middle Eastern hotel operator Rotana Hotels will open its 27th hotel, Nour Arjaan, in Furjairah, UAE. The 28-storey property features 225 rooms, meeting rooms, a roof-top swimming pool,...
Pandox Buys Sixth Hotel in Belgium
The Brussels Hilton in Belgium has been acquired by Sweden-based hotel property company Pandox for €29m ($39.9m). The 26-storey, 432-room hotel was sold by a US investment...
Californian Marriott Hotel to Undergo Facelift
The San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina in California, US, will undergo a $182m renovation. The renovation will involve expansion of the 25-storey waterfront hotel, which is operated by...
UK Novotel Hotel Sold to Legacy
Legacy Hotels and Resorts has acquired a Novotel hotel in Plymouth, UK, for an undisclosed sum. The 100-bedroom hotel is expected to be rebranded as the Legacy Plymouth International Hotel...
African Sun Opens Nigeria Best Western
Pan-Africa hotel group African Sun has opened a new four-star hotel, Best Western Lagos, in Nigeria under a management contract. The hotel has 112 medium-sized rooms comprising four...
Seven-Star Hotel to Open in Iraq
A seven-star hotel will open in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdish regional administration, next week. The hotel was built by Turkish company Elegan Turizm and will be run by Koc...
Geolo Capital Buys US Hotel
US-based Geolo Capital has acquired the 250-room Custom Hotel in Los Angeles, US, from an affiliate of Marathon Asset Management for an undisclosed sum. Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels brokered...
Rezidor to Open Radisson in Norway
The Rezidor Hotel Group will open its new Radisson Blu Sortland in Norway in 2013. The new resort and conference hotel will feature 168 guestrooms, a dining restaurant, a lobby bar,...
Fairmont Hotels to go Green
Canadian-based Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has unveiled plans to align its properties across the globe so they can become members of the Green Key Eco-rating programme. The initiative is...
Starwood Sells Aspen Hotel
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has sold the 179-room St Regis Aspen in Colorado, US, for $70m. The hotel was sold to 315 East Dean Associates, a Delaware corporation represented...
Japan's 13th Best Western Opens
Best Western International has opened the Best Western Hotel Sapporo Nakajima Koen in Sapporo, Japan. The 278-room hotel is the chain's 13th property in Japan. The hotel features...
Russia to Build Space Hotel
Russia-based Orbital Technologies has unveiled a plan to build a space hotel, which could be in orbit by 2016. The first module will feature four cabins measuring 20m³, which...
Pebblebrook Trust Buys US Hotel
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the Grand Hotel in Minneapolis, US, for $33m. The landmark hotel was sold for $3m less than what was originally discussed. Pebblebrook said it...
LaSalle Sells US Westin Hotel
LaSalle Hotel Properties has sold the Westin City Center Dallas in Texas, US, for $50m. The company received a book gain of $29.2m and anticipates that it will recognise a tax gain of $26.5m...
Hotel Indigo Signs Franchise Deal for UK Hotel
InterContinental Hotels Group's boutique brand Hotel Indigo has signed a franchise agreement to open a new hotel in London, UK. The brand unveiled plans to open 13 new hotels across the...
Sol Melia Sells Hotel in Spain
Spanish hotel chain Sol Melia has sold the Sol Pelicanos Ocas Hotel in Alicante, Spain, for €73.75 ($100m). The sale generated capital gains of €55.6m ($75.5m). The chain...
US Walt Disney Hilton Sold
Tishman Hotel & Realty has sold the Hilton Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, US, to Hilton Worldwide for $127.2m. Owned by the Blackstone Group, the Hilton Worldwide has managed...
Wyndham Opens Ramada Hotel in Bangkok
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has opened its new Ramada Hotel & Suites Bangkok in Thailand. The 11-storey hotel is owned by Kokar Group subsidiary Sookjai Condominium and features studio...
September 2010
Top
Hilton Signs Management Contract for Tunisian Property
Hilton Worldwide has signed a management contract with Société Touristique Tunisie Golfe to introduce the first Hilton-branded property in Tunisia. The 283-room Hilton Tunis...
Accor Unveils Novotel Bangkok
Accor Group's mid-scale hotel brand Novotel has unveiled its 216-room Novotel Bangkok Fenix Silom in Thailand. The 20-storey hotel features a 122-seating restaurant, a lobby lounge, a...
Carlyle Buys B&B Hotel Group
US-based Carlyle Group has acquired the European B&B Hotels chain for €480m ($651m) from French private equity firm Eurazeo. The chain comprises 223 budget hotels with a total...
Abu Dhabi Begins Green Guidelines Trial
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, UAE, has begun a trial of new green hotel guidelines across four properties in the city. The guidelines, which are at the design stage, for new hotels aim...
JAL Luxury Hotel Opens in China
JAL Hotels has opened the five-star Hotel Nikko Wuxi in China. The 499-room hotel features a cafe, a restaurant, a 640m² ballroom, seven additional meeting spaces, an indoor swimming...
Dubai Hotel Occupancy Rises
Hotels in Dubai experienced a 5.5% increase in occupancy to 72.2% from January to July 2010, according to a report by STR Global. The analysis said that continued marketing...
InterContinental Prague for Sale
Strategic Hotels & Resorts has signed a share purchase agreement for the sale of the InterContinental Prague in the Czech Republic for €110.6 ($148m). The hotel will be sold to...
Global Hotel Prices Rise in Q2
Hotel prices worldwide increased by 2% in the second quarter of 2010 compared with the same period last year, according to an industry report. The hotel price index recorded it as the...
Recession Spurs Drop in Polish Hotel Prices
Five-star hotels across Poland will reduce their prices and services in a bid to attract more guests and increase occupancy levels. The move was taken because the Polish hotel industry...
Hawaii Hotel Occupancy Rises
Hotel occupancy in Hawaii rose to 72.9% for the week ending 18 September 2010, up from 68.8% during the same period in 2009, according to a new industry report. The Smith...
Union Investment Buys Hotel in Germany
Union Investment has acquired the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Saxony, Germany, for Foremost Real Estate Dresden (FRED). FRED is developing the three-star hotel for operator Foremost...
Beirut Radisson to be Renovated
Renovation work at the Radisson Blu Martinez Hotel in Beirut, Lebanon, will begin in January 2011. The five-star hotel will remain open during the renovation period and be completed by...
EIH Plans to Raise Funds Through Rights Issue
India-based hotel chain EIH has unveiled plans to raise up to Rs13bn ($285.4m) through a rights issue of shares. The hotel board has set up a committee to finalise the rights ratio, issue...
Two Citigate Hotels for Sale
Brisbane's Australian Property Growth Fund is selling two Citigate hotels in Australia. The 277-room, four-star Citigate Perth is expected to sell for about A$65m ($61.7m) while the...
Chatham Lodging Completes US Hotel Buy-out
Real estate investment organisation Chatham Lodging Trust has completed its acquisition of the Residence Inn by Marriott in New York, US. It is the final hotel of a four-property...
First Asia Pacific Radisson Opens
Carlson Hotels and SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation will open the first Radisson Blu hotel in Asia Pacific today. The 400-room Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, a province in the...
Best Western Unveils Expansion Plans
Best Western International plans to add 235 new properties in the Middle East and Asia by the end of 2011. Best Western has 40 hotels planned for the region and intends to develop...
Canadian Sheraton Renovation to Complete in 2011
The renovation of the Sheraton Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, will be complete by March 2011. The majority of the project is complete, with about 100 rooms still left to be renovated. ...
Virgin Group to Launch Hotel Brand
UK-based Virgin Group has unveiled plans to launch its four-star hotel brand, Virgin Hotels, in the US. The group is seeking hotel sites in North American cities such as New York and...
US Helmsley Hotel for Sale
The 788-room New York Helmsley Hotel in the US has been put up for sale. The hotel, which is located near the Grand Central Terminal, is expected to sell for more than $300m. CB...
Kingdom Holding Sells US Hotel
Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) has sold the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, US, for $100m. The hotel will remain under the management of Fairmont Raffles, which is part of KHC's...
Developer Plans Russia's Largest Hotel
Russian entrepreneur Telman Ismailov has unveiled plans to build the largest hotel complex in Sochi, southern Russia. The RUR31mn ($1bn) hotel will be built ahead of the 2014 Olympic...
Shanghai's Second Langham Hotel to Open
Langham Hotels International will open a new property in China on 1 October 2010. The 24-storey hotel, located in Xintiandi, Shanghai, will have 357 rooms, including 23 suites. This is...
Accor Launches First Dubai Pullman Hotel
French hotel chain Accor has launched its first Pullman brand hotel in Dubai, UAE. The Pullman Dubai Mall will feature 481 rooms, food and beverage outlets and a roof-top spa, as well...
Developer Plans Largest Hotel in Russia
Russian entrepreneur Telman Ismailov has unveiled plans to build the largest hotel complex in Sochi, southern Russia. The $1bn hotel will be built ahead of the 2014 Olympic Winter...
Accor Launches New Pullman Hotel in Dubai
French hotel chain Accor has launched its first new Pullman brand hotel in Dubai, UAE. The Pullman Dubai Mall will feature 481 rooms, food and beverage outlets and a rooftop spa as well as...
New Langham Hotel to Open Soon in Shanghai
Langham Hotels International will open ita new Langham, Xintiandi, Shanghai in China on 1 October this year. The 24-story luxury hotel will have a total of 357 rooms including 23...
Kingdom Holding Sells US Hotel
Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) has sold the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, US for $100m. The hotel will remain under the management of Fairmont Raffles, which is part of KHC’s hotel...
Renovated Mövenpick Reopens in Vietnam
Swiss hotelier Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has reopened its renovated five-star hotel Mövenpick Saigon in Vietnam. The $15m renovation included refurbishment of all rooms,...
London Hotel Prices Rise by 7%
Prices at hotel rooms across London, UK, rose by 7% to £124 ($194) this year. The rise, which is attributed to an increase in business travel and international demand, is expected...
Maltese Hotel Occupancy Rises
Hotel occupancy in Malta increased by 12.6% across hotels during the second quarter of 2010 compared with the same period last year, according to a survey by the Malta Hotels &...
Texas Hotel Completes Renovations
Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Texas, US, will re-open in November 2010 following the completion of extensive renovation works. The $175m revamp followed severe flood damage to the property in...
US Hotel to Close for Renovation
The Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, US, will close for renovation by the end of this year. The hotel owner, Tamares Group, said it will invest funds to renovate 1,037 guestrooms...
Developer Plans Hotel in Adelaide
Melbourne-based developer Domenic Mattioli has unveiled plans to build a five-star hotel in Currie Street in Adelaide, Australia. The plan for the proposed 23-level hotel tower will be...
US Hotel to be Open Soon
A new 115-room Homewood Suites by Hilton will be opened in Texas, US, on 23 September this year. The property will be operated by US-based Vista Host and is its third hotel in Round...
Dubai Hotel Guests Witness Increase
Dubai's hotel guests rose 9% to 4.2 million in the first half of this year, which has been attributed to increased guests arrivals from Asia and the Gulf Arab region. The emirate's revenue...
HEI Hotels to Renovate US DoubleTree Hotel
HEI Hotels and Resorts has unveiled plans to renovate the 275-room DoubleTree Guest Suites Boston / Waltham in Massachusetts, US. The company will spend $14m to renovate and reposition...
Worker Union Approves Strike for Hilton Hawaii
Hotel workers at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa in Hawaii have voted to authorise a strike vote. A total of 890 workers voted in favour of the strike, while 51 workers...
Plans Unveiled for UK Airport Hotel
Plans have been unveiled for a new hotel to be located next to Exeter International Airport in Devon, England. The 160-room complex will feature a brand new Hampton by Hilton hotel, with...
Ark Partners to Build Hotel in US
Real estate investment firm Ark Partners is to construct a new 30-storey hotel in New York, US, which is slated to open in 2013. The luxury lifestyle hotel, designed by the US-based firm...
Majorcan Hotels Implement Green Energy Strategy
Hotels in the city of Palma de Majorca in the island of Majorca are implementing a UNWTO energy initiative. A total of 25 participating hotels in the coastal city are participating in the...
Airport Hotel Planned in Haiti
A new 240-room hotel is planned for construction next to the Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. The seven-storey project is being delivered by...
Hotel Occupancy Rises in Guam
Hotels in Guam have experienced an increase in occupancy attributed to visiting US military members and summer vacationers. Some hotels recorded an 85% occupancy, with reservations booked...
Churchill Downs to Buy US Hotel
Churchill Downs has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire Harlow's Casino Resort and Hotel in Mississippi, US. The transaction, valued at $138m, is expected to be closed in the...
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Buys US Hotel
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the Monaco Washington DC hotel in the US for $74m. The 183-room, AAA Four Diamond, luxury hotel will continue to be managed by Kimpton Hotels...
Fame Hotel Unveils Expansion Plans
The Turkey-based Fame Hotel chain has announced plans to construct a hotel in Istanbul. The company will begin construction of the $100m property as soon as it acquires the land for...
Construction of New Dubai Marriott Begins
Al Rostamani Pegel has begun work on the construction of the new 24-storey Marriott Hotel & Marriott Executive Apartments, located in Dubai, UAE. The AED700m ($190.5m) property will...
Manila's Hotel Occupancy Rate Rises
The Philippine city of Metro Manila saw a 5% rise in hotel occupancy across its accredited and non-accredited hotels. The overall average occupancy rate from January to June is...
New Zealand Reports Rise in Hotel Night Stays
Overnight stays at hotels in New Zealand rose by 4% in July 2010 compared with a year earlier, according to a report by Statistics New Zealand. International guest nights rose by...
US Hotel Auction Postponed
The scheduled auction of landmark hotel Hyatt Regency Bethesda in Maryland, US, has been postponed by asset lender Greenwich Capital Financial. Greenwich Capital is trying to work out a...
US Marriott Hotel Plans Renovations
Marriott International has announced plans to renovate the Courtyard by Marriott Boston / Westborough hotel in Massachusetts, US. The first phase, to begin this year, includes renovation of...
UK Luxury Hotel for Sale
The four star luxury hotel Quebecs in Leeds, UK, is to be sold by CBRE Hotels. Part of the Eton Group, Quebecs and its sister hotels were placed in administration earlier this year. ...
Russian Rezidor Hotel to Open in 2014
Rezidor Hotel Group's Radisson Hotel Zavidovo will open in Russia in 2014. The luxury hotel features 230 rooms, two restaurants, a bar, a destination spa, conference facilities and a...
US Hampton Inn Hotel Reopens
US-based Hotel Equities has reopened the 112-room Hampton Inn in Georgia, US, following completion of extensive renovation works. The hotel features amenities including a fitness room,...
Hungary Reports Rise in Hotel Night Stays
The number of night stays at hotels in Hungary rose by 0.4% to 10.5 million from January to July 2010 compared with a year earlier, according to a report by the Central Statistics...
New Anguilla Hotel Joins Choice Hotel Portfolio
Choice Hotels International will add a new member hotel to its Ascend Collection portfolio in the Caribbean. The Royale Caribbean Resort & Spa, which is under construction, is located...
Starwood to Strengthen Sheraton Presence in China
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, a brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, is planning to establish eight new hotels in China by the end of this year and another 18 within the next...
Orascom to Build Hotels in Egypt, Oman
Egypt-based Orascom Development will build two Four Seasons hotels, one each in Egypt and Oman with an investment of $245m by the second half of next year. The Egyptian hotel will be built...
Shubh Hotels Files for Bankruptcy
Shubh Hotels Pittsburgh, owner of Pittsburgh's Hilton Hotel, has filed for bankruptcy protection following the termination of a franchise licence agreement by Hilton Hotels. Shubh...
US Trump Hotel Completes Renovation
Renovation work has completed at the Trump International Hotel & Tower New York in the US. The $30m renovation of the 52-storey hotel included the complete redesign of its 176...
John Keells Sells Stake in Keells Hotels
Sri Lanka's John Keells Holdings (JKH) has sold 37 million shares in Keells Hotels as part of an initiative to raise capital. The company raised LKR800m ($7m), which it plans to invest in...
Worldhotels Unveils Brazil Expansion Plans
Worldhotels has signed an agreement with Othon Hotels of Brazil for five new affiliate hotels. The hotels are located in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Belo Horizonte and will be part of...
Accor Signs UK Franchise Agreements
French hotel chain Accor has signed three new franchise agreements in London, UK, for the development of its new hotel brands. The company signed an agreement with Fairview to launch...
Berlin Hotel Prices Lowest in Europe
Hotel prices in the German capital of Berlin are the lowest compared with other hotels across Europe. The city is expected to record 20 million hotel guests by the end of the year, while...
Sunstone Drops Bid to Buy US Hotel
Sunstone Hotel Investors has dropped plans to buy the 1,625-room Manchester Grand Hyatt in California, US. The hotel was touted to be one of southern California's largest hotels. The...
Philippines Hotel Room Rates Drop
Hotels in the islands of Visayas, Philippines, have slashed room rates in a bid to attract more guests following huge cancellations of bookings over the 23 August hostage crisis in...
Renovated Turkey Hotel Reopened
The renovated Pera Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, has reopened following a two and a half year renovation. The 118-year-old landmark five-star Pera features Oriental and Occidental styles in...
Marriott to Open US Courtyard Hotel
Marriott International will open its new Courtyard hotel in Virginia, US, this month. The hotel, which is built on the site of the former Cinema Six movie theatre, will be managed by...
Centara Signs Thai Management Contracts
Centara Hotels & Resorts has signed a management contract with Nova Group to manage three properties in Pattaya and one in Bangkok. The four properties, under new brands Centra and...
Rezidor Opens Hotel in Croatia
Rezidor Hotel Group has opened the new Radisson Blu Resort Split in Croatia. The luxury hotel was opened following extensive renovation and reconstruction of the former Hotel Split. ...
Survey Reports Room Rates Rise in Asian Cities
Hotel room rates in Asian cities including Hong Kong and Singapore grew by 3.1% in the first half of 2010 and are expected to increase by 5% by the end of the year, according to a report...
US Mission Plaza Hotel Sold
The lender-owned Mission Plaza Hotel & Suites in California, US, has been sold to an affiliate of Reven Capital and Jet Stream Hotels & Resorts. The 316-room property was sold by...
Berners Hotel for Sale at $95m
The Berners Hotel in London, UK, is up for sale at a price of £60m ($95m) after being placed in administration. The 193-room hotel, previously owned by JJW Hotels & Resorts, is closed...
US Sheraton to be Renovated
The Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel & Suites in Indianapolis, US, will undergo renovation from November this year. The $12m renovation of the 560-room hotel involves refurbishment of the...
Jet Airways Announces Hotel Partnership
Jet Airways has entered into a partnership with the Leading Hotels of the World group to extend its frequent flyer programme across the hotel chain's portfolio. Through the flyer...
New Hyatt Hotels Opened in US
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has opened the new Hyatt Place Columbus / OSU in Columbus, US. The hotel was opened in partnership with Columbus Hospitality and is located near Ohio...
Sharjah Hotel Occupancy Rises in July
Sharjah, UAE, has seen a 70% rise in hotel occupancy in July compared with the same period in 2009, according to a report by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Department. ...
Hersha Hospitality Acquires US Hotel
Hersha Hospitality Trust has acquired the 228-room Hampton Inn in Washington, DC, US, for approximately $73m. Hersha will own seven hotels in the Washington, DC region following...
First European Aloft Brand to Open
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will open its first Aloft brand hotel in Europe. The Aloft Brussels Schuman will be located in Belgium and owned by Thornsett Group. The hotel...
LaSalle Properties Buys Three US Hotels
LaSalle Hotel Properties has acquired three luxury hotel properties in the US for a total of $292.5m. The hotel chain acquired the Hotel Monaco San Francisco for $68.5m, the Westin...
KHI Sells Stake in Cairo Four Seasons
Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI), a subsidiary of Kingdom Holding Company, has sold its 43.7% stake in the Four Seasons Hotel in Cairo, Egypt, for $145m. The stake was acquired by...
WNS Wins IHG Service Contract
WNS has won a multi-year service contract to deliver analytics and customer care services across the entire InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) portfolio in Europe. The software...
Luxury Hotel Planned for Tibet
A new five-star luxury hotel is planned for Paizhen, Tibet, near the Brahmaputra Grand Canyon. The $14.7m hotel will feature 150 rooms in the first phase of development, which will...
Marriott Unveils Third-Largest Hotel in China
Marriott International has opened its third-largest Courtyard brand hotel in Shanghai, China. The 456-room hotel is owned by Gain Year Development Real Estate Shanghai and operates under...
Reliance Industries Buys Stake in EIH Group
Reliance Industries has acquired a 14.12% stake in India-based hotel chain EIH Limited from Oberoi Hotels Private and other promoters. The acquisition was made through its...
Montcalm to Open London Hotel
Montcalm is to open a new hotel in London, UK, in June next year. The 235-room Montcalm London City Hotel will be located next to events venue The Brewery and will take up the front section...
Accor Narrows First Half Losses
Accor has reduced its losses to €64m ($81m) in the first half of 2010, compared with a loss of €236m ($299m) in the same period a year ago. The French hotel group's...
Hilton Pittsburgh Renovation Begins
Exterior renovations have begun at Hilton Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, US, which are part of the second stage of the hotel's upgrade programme. The property's slimline appearance will...
August 2010
Top
Colombian Hotel Investment Up 33%
Colombia's hotel sector expects to invest around $1.2bn this year, up 33% compared with $900m invested last year. The increase follows the Colombian Government's announcement to offer...
London Chain Hotels Report Profit
The profitability of London chain hotels increased 30.5% in July this year compared with same period a year ago, according to a survey by TRI Hospitality Consulting. The rise in profit...
Indian Hospitality Group to Invest $533m
Lalit Suri Hospitality Group in India plans to invest Rs25bn ($533m) to expand its luxury and mid-segment hotel properties by 2014. The group has earmarked Rs20bn ($426m) to invest in...
Accor Unveils Asset Disposal Plan
Accor is to sell its 48 European hotels to Crédit Agricole and Foncière des Régions for $465m as part of its asset disposal plan. The disposal of properties includes 31...
Norwegian Property to Sell Hotels
Norwegian Property will sell its hotel subsidiary, Norgani Hotels, for $1.33bn to Pandox, a joint venture between Norwegian companies Eiendomsspar and Sundt. Norgani Hotels owns 73 hotels...
US Hotels Will Return to Profit
US hotels are forecast to return to profit, achieving a 2.3% increase in net operating income during 2010, according to a report by Colliers PKF Hospitality Research. The growth will be...
StayWell to Launch Park Regis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur
StayWell Hospitality Group, owner and operator of the Park Regis and Leisure Inn brands, has signed an agreement to operate an international four-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ...
Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels Profit Up 31%
Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels has reported a net profit of HK$605m ($77m) during the first half of 2010, up 31% compared with the corresponding period in 2009. The Hong Kong-based...
Starwood Unveils Oklahoma Aloft
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened Aloft Tulsa in Oklahoma, US. The hotel, which is located near Tulsa, offers a complimentary shuttle service within five miles of the hotel. ...
Turner Receives $100m Renovation Contract
Turner Construction Company has received a $100m contract to renovate and expand Harrah's Cherokee Hotel Casino in Cherokee, North Carolina, US. The expansion will add a gaming floor...
Host Hotels Plans $400m Spending Spree
Host Hotels & Resorts plans to raise $400m by selling stocks to help fund new acquisitions. The Maryland, US-based hotel group, which owns 111 properties worldwide managed by...
Absolute Ends KBJ Group Deal
Absolute Hotel Services has ended a joint venture agreement with KBJ Hotel Services in India. The Thailand-based hotel management company plans to rename its Indian subsidiary as Absolute...
Park Vista Renovated Into Doubletree Hotel
RB Hotel Park Vista, a subsidiary of Rockbridge Capital, has renovated The Park Vista in Tennessee, US, into a Doubletree hotel with an $11m investment. The 300-room hotel was opened under...
Royal Orchid Unveils Indian Expansion Plan
Royal Orchid plans to raise Rs1,500m ($32m) through bonds to help finance the construction of its new hotels in India. The company said part of the proceeds will go to swapping an earlier...
Proposed Bank Closure Spells Disaster for Irish Hotels
Around 150 hotels in the Republic of Ireland are under threat after Lloyds Banking Group proposed to wind down Bank of Scotland (Ireland) operations and stop providing credit to the hotels. ...
FelCor Completes Boston Hotel Acquisition
FelCor Lodging Trust has completed the purchase of the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel in Boston, US, for $98.5m. The US-based trust took over the 383-room hotel from an affiliate of...
Cosmopolitan to Open Las Vegas Resort
Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will invest $890m this year to open its resort on Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, US, in December. The Deutsche Bank-owned resort is planning to spend $625m on...
US Stimulus Money to Fund Minnesota Hotel
The US county of Hennepin will raise $40m tax free bonds from federal stimulus money, which will help finance a $130m hotel in the Mall of America, Minnesota. The rest of the funding for...
Stoneridge Acquires Denver Hotels
Stoneridge Capital Partners has acquired two Holiday Inn hotels near Denver International Airport, Colorado, US, and completed its $185m investment in commercial real estate buy-outs since 2009. ...
Asia Pacific to Construct 1,029 Hotels
Nearly 1,029 hotels comprising 256,060 rooms are in the pipeline for Asia Pacific, according to STR Global Construction Pipeline July 2010. China tops the list with 139,193 rooms, out of...
Hyatt Regency New Orleans to Reopen
Hyatt Regency New Orleans will open next year following completion of renovation work, which was required after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The 31-storey hotel will open with 1,200 rooms....
Accor to Embark on Indian Expansion
Accor is planning to increase the number of its hotels in India to 90 from eight by 2015 as part of its expansion plan. The French hotel major, along with InterGlobe, runs the hotels...
Gurney Plaza to Sell GHotel Stake
Gurney Plaza, an associate of Metro Holdings, will sell its entire stake in GHotel for MYR67m ($21m). Gurney Plaza owns the 304-room GHotel at Gurney Drive in Penang, Malaysia. Gurney...
Chatham Lodging to Acquire Extended-Stay Hotel
Chatham Lodging Trust has signed an agreement to acquire an upscale extended-stay hotel in North San Diego, California, US, for $32m. The property is the 13th acquisition or under contract...
Hotel Industry to Boom in Sri Lanka
The hotel industry in Sri Lanka is set to boom with a 47% increase in room capacity to meet the huge tourist influx. The projected inbound tourism will rise to 2.5 million by 2016 and the...
Entrepreneur Nazarian Unveils Expansion Plan
US Hospitality entrepreneur Sam Nazarian is to revamp the Ritz Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, and acquire hotel property in New York. The SBE Entertainment Group CEO is planning to...
Hilton Opens Doubletree Hotel in Kuala Lumpur
Hilton Hotel group has opened a Doubletree hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which it claims to be the first hotel of such type in South Asia. The new 34-storey hotel, located in the...
Sunstone Group Buys Miami Hotel
Sunstone Hotel Investors has said it has bought a 409-room Royal Palm Hotelin Miami Beach, Florida for $126m. The California-based company is planning to renovate the beachfront hotel on...
Hyatt Regency Phoenix Renovation Complete
Hyatt Regency has completed a $15m renovation of its property in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, US. The Chicago-based group said the renovation work of the Hyatt Regency Phoenix was completed...
Ritz Carlton to Open World's Highest Hotel
Next year the Ritz Carlton will open what it calls the world's highest hotel in Hong Kong, occupying floors 102 to 118 of the International Commerce Centre. The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong...
InterContinental Unveils Expansion Plan
InterContinental Hotels has unveiled an expansion plan to build 35 new hotels in the UK over the next three years. The new hotels will include 24 Holiday Inns, five Hotel Indigos,...
CDL Plans Asian Acquisitions
CDL Hospitality Trust plans to acquire hotel properties worth S$550m ($403m) in India, Vietnam and Japan. The group, which owns five hotels in Singapore, said the acquisition may happen in...
Home Inns and Hotels Reports Q2 Profit
Home Inns and Hotels has reported a profit of RMB137m ($20m) in Q2 2010, up 37% compared to RMB100m ($14m) in the same quarter a year earlier. The Chinese hotel group reported a 26%...
Banyan Tree Sells Thailand Hotels
Banyan Tree has said its subsidiary Laguna Resorts & Hotels will sell hotel assets to Dusit Thani Public Company for $49m. The hotel and resort group, which owns six hotels in Thailand,...
Canadian Night Club Operator Opens Hotel
Canada’s largest nightclub operator Charles Khabouth along with Lifetime Developments has opened Bisha, a $150m hotel and condominium complex in Toronto. The 41-storey facility will...
Taj Mahal Hotel Reopens After Terror Attack
The Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, India, has reopened after it was attacked by militants in 2008. Indian Hotel Company, which runs the hotel, has spent INR1.75bn ($38m) to complete...
Langham Opens Second Shanghai Hotel
Langham Hotels International will open The Langham, Xintiandi, its second hotel in Shanghai, China, in October 2010. The 24-storey luxury hotel features 357 rooms and 23 suites, a spa,...
UK Hotel Prices Fall
UK hotel prices fell in August with the largest declines seen in the nation's cities, according to an industry report by Trivago. The report revealed that the largest decrease in prices,...
Northern Mariana Islands Hotel to Close for Renovation
Palms Resort Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands has unveiled plans to close the 14-storey property for a $20m renovation. The 313-room hotel, formerly known as Hotel Nikko, is owned...
Starwood Opens New Westin Hotel in Mexico
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has opened the Westin Santa Fe in Mexico City, Mexico. The property will be managed under an agreement between Starwood and Heldan Hotels & Resorts. ...
Iraq to Spend $300m on Hotel Renovations
Iraq will spend $300m on upgrading six major hotels in Baghdad for the Arab summit in March 2011. The upgrade will see the transformation of the largest hotels to international...
MerchantBridge to Invest in Monaco Luxury Hotels
Private equity company MerchantBridge has signed an agreement to invest $20m in Monaco Luxury Hotels & Resorts (MLHR). The funding will be used to support the C$150m ($145m) renovation...
Zambia's Radisson Blu Opening Delayed
The opening of the new five-star Radisson Blu Hotel in Lusaka, Zambia, has been delayed due to unspecified reasons. The $40m hotel was expected to open in June, but will now open in...
Czech Hotels Post Fall in Overnight Stays
The Czech hotel industry posted a 0.9% fall in overnight stays year-on-year to 8.8 million in the second quarter of 2010, according to a Czech Statistical Office report. The report said...
Plans Underway to Upgrade Trump Plaza Hotel
US-based Trump Entertainment Resorts (TER) is seeking a partner to renovate the Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, US. The company's management said another option is to form...
Largest Saudi Arabian Hotel to Open Extension
The five-star Al-Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will open its new south wing in September, making it the largest hotel in the country. The multi-million extension will increase...
Australian Hotels Record World's Highest Occupancy
The Australian hotel industry has registered the world's highest occupancy and the largest percentage increase in revenue per available room (revPAR) for the year to May 2010, according...
Laguna Resorts to Sell Thai Hotel
Laguna Resorts & Hotels is selling its hotel property, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, in Thailand, to Dusit Thani Public Company for S$110m ($80.9m). Laguna Resorts is a subsidiary of...
Hotel Occupancy in France Rises
Hotel occupancy in France increased by 2.4% to 72.1% in July 2010 compared with the same period last year, according to an MKG Group report. The rise was attributed to European...
Chesapeake Lodging Acquires US Marriott Hotel
The Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Hotel at Disneyland Park in California, US, has been acquired by Chesapeake Lodging Trust for $25m from Tarsadia Hotels. The 153-room, four-storey property...
Dubai Hotel Awarded Green Globe Certification
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek in the United Arab Emirates, has received Green Globe certification in recognition of its environmentally friendly practices. The hotel spent...
Oman to Open First Alcohol-Free Hotel
Oman will unveil its first alcohol-free, five-star hotel, Platinum, during its soft launch on 25 August 2010. The 85-room hotel, which is located in Al Khuwair, is in line with the...
Moscow Retains 'Most Expensive Hotel Rates' Title
Hotel room rates in the Russian capital of Moscow were ranked the most expensive in the world at £256.83 ($409) in the first half of 2010, according to an industry report. This is the...
Pride Hotels Unveils India Expansion Plans
Pride Hotels unveiled plans for the expansion of its portfolio across India, with the opening of ten new luxury properties. The Indian hospitality company said it will invest Rs1,000m...
Sri Lankan Hotels Adopt Green Initiatives
Hotels in the island nation of Sri Lanka have adopted several green measures in a bid to promote energy conservation and reduce operational costs. The initiative is part of an effort...
First Doubletree Hotel Opens in Kuala Lumpur
Hilton Worldwide has opened the first Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The property, which is owned by MGPA Asia Fund II, will be managed by Hilton Worldwide. ...
Hotel Okura Buys Stake in JAL Hotels
Hotel Okura has entered an agreement with Japan Airlines International (JAL) to acquire a 79.6% stake in JAL Hotels for an undisclosed sum. The airline group will retain its...
Belfast Hotel Prices Fall
Hotel prices in Belfast, Northern Ireland, fell by 12% in the first half of the year compared with 17% in 2009, according to a report by Hogg Robinson Groups. The biannual...
Rezidor to Open Hotel in Russia
The Rezidor Hotel Group will open its latest hotel, Park Inn Veliky Novgorod, in Russia, becoming the 25th hotel in its portfolio. The former 225-room Beresta Palace Hotel features a...
World Cup Boosts South Africa Room Revenues by 121%
Hotel room revenues in South Africa rose by 121.7% during this year's FIFA World Cup, according to an industry report by Deloitte. The increase is said to be the biggest in a host...
Hilton Airport Hotel Opens in China
Hilton Hotels has opened its first luxury airport hotel in China. Located in Terminal 3, the Hilton Beijing Capital Airport hotel features more than 320 guestrooms, seven restaurants and...
Shuaa Completes Sale of Rotana Stake
Shuaa Partners has completed the sale of its entire stake in Rotana Hotel Management Corporation to Rotana chairman Nasser Al Nowais for an undisclosed sum. The private equity arm of...
Swiss Hotels Post Rise in Overnight Stays
Switzerland's hotel industry posted a rise in overnight stays during the first half of 2010 compared with the same period in 2009, according to a report. The Federal Statistics Office...
Malaysia's Berjaya Hotel Renovation Begins
The Berjaya Manila Hotel in Malaysia is undergoing an extensive renovation before its relaunch later this year. The MYR200m ($63m) refurbishment will include renovation of all 212 rooms...
New Starwood Hotel to Open in Taiwan
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will open its new hotel, W Taipei, in Taiwan. The 30-storey hotel has been designed by London-based GA Design International. It has 405 guestrooms...
FelCor to Buy US Hotel
FelCor Lodging Trust has entered into an agreement to acquire the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel in Boston, US, for $98.5m. Its current owner, an affiliate of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts,...
QHotels Reduce Energy Consumption Across Portfolio
UK-based QHotels has reduced its energy consumption by more than 60% across its portfolio of hotels in 2009, in comparison to 2008. All 21 hotels in the group were awarded a silver or...
Canada Hotel Occupancy Rises in July
Hotel occupancy in Canada increased 3.4 % to 72.7% during the week ending 24 July 2010, according to an STR report. The report also revealed that the average daily rate for the week rose by...
Oman's Park Inn Hotel Gets Green Certification
Rezidor's Park Inn Muscat in Oman is the first property in the hotel group's portfolio to receive green globe standard certification. The hotel is also the second green hotel in the Middle...
Aloft Hotel Opens in India
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has opened the Aloft Chennai OMR-IT Expressway in Chennai, India. The property is the 42nd hotel in the Aloft brand and the first in India. The...
Benson Elliot and Algonquin Acquire Scottish Novotel
Benson Elliot Capital Management and Algonquin have completed the joint acquisition of the Novotel Edinburgh Park in Scotland. The hotel will be acquired from administrators KPMG while...
Hotel Revenues Increase on Thai Island
Hotel room revenue on the Thai island of Koh Samui increased to $25.5m in the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 2009, according to a report. The increase has...
Investors Plan to Sell Maybourne Hotel Stake
Several Irish investors are planning to sell a £200m (€240m) stake of Maybourne Hotels to US investors. The investors include developers Paddy McKillen and Derek Quinlan, National...
Eurazeo Considers Selling B&B Hotels
French private equity firm Eurazeo is considering to sell its B&B Hotels chain to the US based Carlyle Group. The €485m ($633m) transaction is being considered for a short period and may...
Premier Inn to Build Hotel in Qatar
Dohaland Hospitality and Premier Inn have signed a joint venture agreement to build a 200-room hotel in Doha, Qatar. The agreement will aid the introduction of Premier Inn's value hotel model...
Renovated Movenpick Hotel Reopens in Vietnam
The Mövenpick Hotel Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has reopened following a five month renovation. The five-star hotel renovation included refurbishment of all guest rooms, public...
US's Georgia Crowne Plaza Hotel Sold
US-based DeVault Investments has acquired the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Georgia, US, for an undisclosed sum. The hotel has been operated by Bemiston Carondelet Corporation since 1989. ...
New InterContinental Hotel Opens in Canada
InterContinental Hotels Group has opened a new property, Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites Ottawa West, in Canada. The 115-room hotel is part of the $1bn Holiday Inn brand relaunch...
US City Hotel Occupancy Rises in July
Hotel occupancy in the US city of Orlando, Florida, stood at 75.2% for the week ending 17 July, according to a report. Hotel occupancy increased by 12.5% this year in comparison with 66.8%...
Hotel Prices Fall in Portugal
Hotel prices in most of five-star properties have fallen by 9% in comparison with 2007 in Portugal, due to the effects of the global economic crisis, according to a report. The most...
Hotel Prices Fall in Amsterdam, Says Report
Hotel prices in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, fell by 13% in 2009, according to a report by KPMG. The fall has been attributed to the global economic crisis, whereby hotel rooms have...
RBS to Sell Remaining UK Hilton Hotels
The Royal Bank of Scotland plans to sell the six remaining UK Hilton Hotels in its portfolio for £200m ($311.6m). The properties that have been put on sale are the 181-bedroom Hilton Warwick,...
UK Hotel Occupancy Rises
The UK hotel industry recorded a rise in occupancy rates for the first half of the year, according to the PKF Hotel Consultancy Services report. The report states that occupancy in London...
Sol Melia Opens Hotel in Portugal
The Sol Meliá hotel group has opened a new hotel in Portugal, the Meliá Braga. The hotel has been added under a franchise agreement to become the 13th hotel in the groups...
July 2010
Top
Abu Dhabi Hotel Occupancy Rises by 16%
Abu Dhabi's hotel occupancy for the first half of 2010 rose by 16% compared with the same period in 2009. A total of 936,579 guests stayed in the emirate's 116 hotels and hotel...
Starwood Hotels Unveils African Expansion Plan
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide plans to expand its portfolio in South Africa. Starwood Hotels senior director of acquisitions and development Patrick Finn said the company will...
Shanghai's Fairmont Peace Hotel Reopens
Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, China, has reopened following a three-year renovation worth $64m. Hirsch Bedner Associates worked with local historians to restore and reconstruct the...
US Hotel Occupancy Rises
US hotel occupancy for June rose 6.9% to 65% in year-over-year measurements, according to an STR Global report. The US hotel industry posted a 1% increase in its average daily...
Hawaiian Marriott Hotel Reopens After Renovation
The 356-room Kauai Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach in Hawaii, US, has reopened following a nine-month renovation. The $50m renovation revamped all the hotel areas including...
China Steps Up Hotel Rating System
China plans to introduce more stringent methods of evaluating a star-rated hotel's qualifications and strip poorly maintained hotels of their rankings. The move is seen as a bid to protect...
Barclay Brothers Sell InterContinental Stake
The Barclay brothers, owners of The Daily Telegraph newspaper and The Ritz hotel, have sold their 10% stake in the InterContinental Hotel Group. Broker Barclays Capital placed the...
Northern Mariana Islands Posts 57% Occupancy
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands recorded a 57% hotel occupancy rate in June 2010. The nation's hotel association said occupancy among its 13 member hotels rose by...
Continent Hotels Unveils Russian Expansion Plans
Turkey-based hospitality services company Continent Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with Avrora Hospitality Group to expand the Continent portfolio across Russia. Under...
Hilton Opens Beijing Airport Hotel
Hilton Hotels has opened the Hilton Beijing Capital Airport hotel at Beijing Capital Airport's Terminal 3 in China. The 320-room hotel is owned by Beijing Capital Airport Tourism...
Castle Group Buys Hilo Hawaiian for $17.3m
CarVal Investors has sold the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel in Hawaii for $17.3m to a group of investors led by Castle Resorts & Hotels. The local ownership group consists of RAM Corporation...
Hotel Occupancy Rises in Hawaii
Hotel occupancy in Hawaii rose to 81.8% for the week ending 17 July, up 7% from 74.8% during the same period in 2009, according to an industry report. The Hawaii Hotel...
Host Hotels Acquires London Le Méridien
Host Hotels & Resorts has bought Le Méridien Piccadilly in London, UK, for £64m ($98m). The 266-room property features 12,000ft² of meeting space as well as a large health...
El Paso Posts Rise in Hotel Occupancy
The US city of El Paso in Texas recorded significant increases in hotel occupancy and revenues in the first half of 2010, according to a Smith Travel Research report. The rise for the months...
Mantra to Open Peppers Hotel on Australian Gold Coast
Mantra Group has unveiled plans to open the first new five-star hotel on Australia's Gold Coast for more than ten years. The company signed an agreement with Niecon Developments to manage...
Hyatt Hotels to Sell Long Beach Property
Hyatt Hotels plans to sell the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach, California, US, and possibly nine other properties as part of its expansion plan. After the sale the company will continue to...
Hyatt Place Opens Fourth Property in South Carolina
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and Naman Hotels have opened the new Hyatt Place North Charleston in South Carolina, US. This property is the fourth Hyatt Place hotel in South Carolina and...
Kempinski's 65th Hotel Opens in Thailand
Kempinski Group has unveiled its new hotel, Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok in Thailand, with a soft launch. The hotel, which has 303 luxury rooms, cabanas and suites, is Kempinski's 65th...
Milford Plaza Hotel to be Sold
The owners of the Milford Plaza Hotel in New York, US, are considering selling the hotel, which experts have estimated could be worth up to $150m. The 1,300-room property, which was closed...
Accor to Set up Fund for India Expansion
French hotel chain Accor is to set up a fund in collaboration with Indian partner InterGlobe Enterprises to invest in seven new hotels in India. The company plans to focus on upper...
Orlando Room Rates Rise on the Harry Potter Effect
Room rates in the US city of Orlando, Florida, increased for the first time in two years following the opening of the new theme park The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on 16 June...
African Union Summit Prompts Kampala Hotel Occupancy Rise
Hotel occupancy levels rose significantly in Kampala, Uganda, due to the 15th African Union Summit that began on 19 July, according to a survey. The Uganda Hotel Owners Association said...
Irish Hotel Profits Fall by 50%
Profits in the Irish hotel sector fell by 50% since 2007, putting the industry in an unstable position, according to a report by consultancy firm Horwath Bastow Charleton. The report...
First Hilton Hotel to Open in Bulgaria
Hilton Worldwide is to open its first property, Doubletree by Hilton Varna, in the Golden Sands resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea this year. The five-star hotel is part of the...
Park Hyatt Sydney Unveils Renovation Plans
The iconic Park Hyatt Sydney in Australia has unveiled plans for the