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    Hotel News

  • "A Country Christmas" Sparkles in Nashville

    22 Nov 2009 | 4:22 am
    Though it's not even quite Thanksgiving, I couldn't help but feel the Christmas spirit last night as my husband and I stood outside Nashville's Gaylord Opryland Hotel .

  • Best Western Outpaces Industry in 2009 Despite Recession; World's...

    21 Nov 2009 | 8:18 pm
    Chain Sets Sites on Growing Market Share in 2010, 2011 Through Improved Customer Service and Harnessing Diversity as Strength PHOENIX, AZ; Nov 16, 2009 More than 2,000 hoteliers from across the United States and Canada gathered in Phoenix in late October for Best Western International's North American Convention to recap 2009 and preview 2010.

  • Westin Hotels Opens Six Hotels In Six Weeks

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:01 pm
    Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announces the opening of six new Westin hotels the remaining six weeks of the year.

  • Sternlicht says he's focused on buying deb...

    21 Nov 2009 | 3:36 am
    While it's bad enough that the boom days of commercial real estate are over, Barry Sternlicht argues that investors are stuck with their tail between their legs in the wake of the market crash.

  • CityCenter Wins More Green Certification

    20 Nov 2009 | 7:20 pm
    MGM Mirage says two more structures at CityCenter have received an environmental certification.
 
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    HotelChatter -

  • Sad Sea Lion Has Nowhere to Sleep in Punta Del Este and Other Stories This Week

    juliana
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:31 pm
    It's our weekly recap which we call Suite-Hostel. Get it? SUITE: $19.24 for a Night at The Roosevelt Five Hotels Where You Can Sleep and Skate Which Rooftop Pool is Best for You in Seville? ALSO: Top Five Hotels for Eating Macarons HOSTEL: Punta del Este Hotels are Sold-Out for New Year's. Marriott Changing Up The Ritz-Carlton Brand Delano a No-Go for

  • Is This The Real Reason Why Hotels Have Bad WiFi Connections?

    juliana
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:11 pm
    Porn jammers! Old men in the club! Fergie! Hotel Strikes!It always seems that no matter how much Celebrity Scoop we write about in a given week, there's also lots more that we didn't have time to get to. So from now on, every Friday we'll be rounding up the week's Infamous Hotels. This weekly list will include hotels that celebrities visited (and it made the news) but also hotels that really up the "Eww" factor. This can easily done by manipulating the WiFi connection for guests.The Sports Guy aka Bill Simmons recently offered up his take on Hotel WiFi after spending four weeks on the road…

  • Cape Town: This Week in Hotel Lust: White Picket Fences at Cape Town's Mount Nelson

    Heidi Atwal
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:40 pm
    This week, a combination of wanderlust and hotel lust led us to research the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa, which a roving HotelChatter correspondent briefly had the chance to visit last year. We deemed Mount Nelson worth a second look from afar, because of the consistent buzz it garners for its exaggerated sense of luxury. Then again, if it weren't exaggerated it wouldn't be lust-worthy, would it? Fat cats who travel to areas of the world deemed "exotic" aren't usually in the game of roughing it. Maybe they've come for a safari, but they better be welcomed home at the end of…

  • Shanghai: Please Welcome The Peninsula And Its Fleet Of Phantoms To Shanghai

    JetSetCD
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pm
    We can talk about Art Basel Miami hotels and hotels for the holidays all we want, but we can't ignore one of the biggest hotel openings of autumn, that of the Peninsula Shanghai. It officially welcomed its first guests back on October 19, and yet it's already like a landmark on Shanghai's Bund—the street of shops, other high-class hotels, and historical buildings right at the bend of the Huangpu River. The main thing to know about this Peninsula is its relatively low starting room rate: $295. With it, if you can score the deal (and we recommend searching for dates far into the future),…

  • These Dog Concierges Have Written a Book, Have You?

    MsRebecca
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:29 pm
    It’s that time of the week again: Cute Hotel Doggie Friday! And today we give you not one but two adorable hotel doggies. Because we’re nice like that. Both of these smilin’ fools work for Fairmont Hotels—Catie Copley (the black lab) at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, and Santol (a Bernese mountain dog cross) at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City. They have the lofty title of Canine Ambassador, and enjoy all the perks that go with it—business cards, email addresses, comfy beds in the lobby, plenty of attention from guests and staff, and of course,…
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    Marriott on the Move

  • Remembering a Dear Friend and Personal Hero

    19 Nov 2009 | 1:47 pm
    On Sunday, November 8, my dear friend Harry Vincent passed away at the age of 90. I first met Harry in the 1960's when he was the Washington vice president of the consulting firm of Booz Allen Hamilton. He was doing work for our company and subsequently joined our Board of Directors and served faithfully for over 34 years.When we split our company, he moved over to the Host Hotel Board of Directors. Host was the company that retained the ownership of the Marriott Hotels we owned before the split and is now . . .

  • Renovating Our Digital Front Door, Marriott.com

    14 Nov 2009 | 4:12 pm
    When I started in the hotel business 52 years ago, the first impression customers had of our hotels was the lobby when they walked through the front doors. But in this digital age, often the first impression comes when they visit Marriott.com. It's our digital front door.Today, when you visit the site, you'll notice the front door looks very different. We have rolled out the first stage of our complete overhaul of Marriott.com.The site is already a huge success story. Last year, Marriott.com generated more than six billion dollars in gross revenue for Marriott. We've done . . .

  • Analysis Is the Key to Making Good Decisions

    5 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm
    I recently read a book about General George Custer, famous for being annihilated in Custer's Last Stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn before the turn of the 19th century. Custer was a somewhat impetuous, but brilliant, officer. At the age of 23, he was made a Brigadier General in the United States Army and was an important contributor to the Union victory at . . .

  • Being a Part of D.C.'s Heritage

    26 Oct 2009 | 1:10 pm
    As many of you know, our company started out as a small, nine-stool A&W root beer stand in Washington, D.C, more than 80 years ago. We quickly evolved into the restaurant business, opening a chain called Hot Shoppes.One of our very first Hot Shoppes was in the Columbia Heights neighborhood on 14th Street. The last Hot Shoppe closed its doors years ago, but the memory of that one on 14th Street is being commemorated . . .

  • Colombia: The Newest Stamp on My Passport

    23 Oct 2009 | 11:51 am
    For as many years as I've been traveling, there is nothing like visiting a new country. My passport has stamps and visas for China, India, the UK, France, Spain, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and now, Colombia since we just opened our first hotel in Bogota. I had never been to Colombia before, but the political and economic climate is much improved for travel and tourism.Our new Marriott near the Bogota airport is owned by Ricardo Poma, who runs a family business a lot like ours. They hold many . . .
 
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    Opus Hotel's Blog

  • “A Hidden Gem” or “LAME!!!”? Online Travel Reviewers to Watch out for

    Daniel Edward Craig
    4 Nov 2009 | 4:47 pm
    In 2007, a traveler wrote the following review of Opus Hotel Vancouver on TripAdvisor: “The GM who thought he was Ian Fleming was a real detriment to a great trip. Shame – let’s hope the hotel sees sense and releases Daniel to make another movie.” Ouch. The comment was a reference to my James Bond namesake [...] Related posts:Online Reviews: The Bane of Hotels’ Existence or an Unprecedented Opportunity to Engage Travelers?

  • Online Reviews: The Bane of Hotels’ Existence or an Unprecedented Opportunity to Engage Travelers?

    Daniel Edward Craig
    20 Oct 2009 | 4:46 pm
    A few years ago at Opus Hotel Vancouver we relocated a couple who had driven up from Washington state to celebrate the husband’s fiftieth birthday. It was a nasty thing to do, but it happens in the hotel business, more frequently than most travelers think. Like the airlines, hotels overbook when demand is high, banking [...] Related posts:“A Hidden Gem” or “LAME!!!”? Online Travel Reviewers to Watch out forThe Tyranny of the Mistreated TravellerEmerging Trends in the Hotel Industry: A Lighthearted Approach

  • So You Want to Work in Hotels, Part II: The Interview

    Daniel Edward Craig
    14 Aug 2009 | 4:50 pm
    When I last wrote a post about how to get a job in the hotel industry, the economy was booming and hotels were so desperate for staff they were stopping just short of dragging passersby off the street and slapping uniforms on them. These days, occupancy rates have tanked, room attendants are dozing on beds [...] No related posts.

  • Lifestyle Hotels: Gotta Have Soul

    Daniel Edward Craig
    7 Jul 2009 | 12:00 pm
    Now that luxury is a bad word, hoteliers are scrambling for ways to reinvent their hotels without spending a whack of money. The quick fix? Simply delete all references to “luxury” in marketing materials and replace them with “lifestyle”. Magically, the hotel’s image transforms from visions of champagne baths and gold-plated toilet seats to a [...] Related posts:Emerging Trends in the Hotel Industry: A Lighthearted Approach

  • The Day the Earth Stood Still

    Daniel Edward Craig
    13 May 2009 | 4:56 am
    For the residents, businesses and visitors to Yaletown who have endured construction of the Canada Line underground rapid transit station these past three years, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, it’s a speeding train—a Canada Line train. Whether it will flatten us with a railcar of problems—traffic, parking, security—or will transport [...] No related posts.
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    Outrigger Hotels: Saturday Briefing

  • Outrigger Enterprises Group Receives Green Leader Award

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    By David Carey (Dr. Richard Kelley is traveling. His column will return on December 5.) On Monday, November 16, I had the pleasure of accepting on behalf of Outrigger Enterprises Group the inaugural “Green Leader Award” from Reynolds Recycling, recognizing our company as a recycling and sustainability leader in Hawaii’s tourism industry. The presentation was made at [...] To read the entire article please click the article title above.

  • Thailand Visit

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    By David Carey Mel Kaneshige and I recently had the pleasure of visiting our newly-established Asia Division regional office in Phuket, Thailand, one of the leading resort destinations in Southeast Asia. With two Outrigger properties already on the island and the availability of international flights to many major airports in the region growing, it is an [...] To read the entire article please click the article title above.

  • Eat Out During Restaurant Week Hawaii

    14 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    By Barbara Campbell The second annual Restaurant Week Hawaii happens Nov 16-22 and is being marketed as “the most delicious week of the year!” Why? Because more than 60 Oahu restaurants are participating in this seven-day celebration of the cuisine scene in Hawaii by featuring special menu items, promotions, and discounts. This is the time to [...] To read the entire article please click the article title above.

  • Guam Properties Partner with the U.S. Army Reserve

    14 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    By Kristin Ramos On November 9, 2009, the Outrigger Guam Resort, OHANA Oceanview Guam, and the OHANA Bayview Guam entered into an Employer Partnership with the U.S. Army Reserve. This groundbreaking, public-private joint venture offers business owners incentives for employing Army Reserve Soldiers. The partnership also aims to ease the burden many businesses experience when their [...] To read the entire article please click the article title above.

  • Marathon Runner Kiyoko Shimahara Returning

    14 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    By Dr. Richard Kelley The Honolulu Marathon has always attracted a large number of runners from Japan.  For the past five years, over 60 percent of the registrations come from that country, significantly contributing to the total impact of the event on Hawaii’s economy. Along with that, we are seeing the development of a strong cadre of [...] To read the entire article please click the article title above.
 
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    Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog

  • Capitol Fishing Tackle Owner Supports the Bards

    Anonymous Blogger
    13 Nov 2009 | 5:53 am
    I own Capitol Fishing Tackle Co. I went to work at the store in 1973 and bought it in 1974.The Bards treated me fairly. The space wasn't cheap, but I made a living and it was fun.Stanley and his family...

  • Memorial Service for Stefan Brecht

    Anonymous Blogger
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:48 pm
    Stefan Brecht, who wrote about and performed in the new and revolutionary theatre that erupted in New York in the 1960’s and early ‘70’s, will be remembered at a memorial to be held Sunday, Nov. 8 at 6 PM, at...

  • Guest Comes Clean on Ghostly Sighting at Chelsea Hotel

    Anonymous Blogger
    2 Nov 2009 | 6:28 am
    hi, this is Matt, the guy who wrote about this experience. I'm sure that it's hard for people to imagine something like this happening, but I have no reason to fabricate a story such as this. FWIW, I've been completely...

  • More Evidence of the Paranormal at the Chelsea Hotel

    Anonymous Blogger
    31 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am
    During a recent trip to the Big Apple, my friend and I decided to call the Chelsea Hotel home for 4 days. It has always been a secret fantasy of mine to stay here and my friend was just content...

  • Mysterious Skeleton Haunts the Chelsea Hotel

    Anonymous Blogger
    29 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am
    Dear Ed, My mom, sister, and I stayed at the Chelsea hotel a few weeks ago. The three of us decided to take a spur of the moment trip to New York before I had to go back to teaching...
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    Hotel Preston Nashville Blog

  • Nashville Wedding: Hotel Preston is the place to do your big to-do

    Dane
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:38 am
    Dora and I had a great dinner right here at the hotel the other night, at Café Isabella (Dora said it was the best Chicken Parmagiana she’s ever had). While we were eating, Dora asked me if we’d had many weddings, or things like that, at the hotel. If she was asking, I realized people needed to know what a great place we have for a big wedding event like that. In the first place, the hotel caters the event, and the food is first-rate. The hotel itself looks great, the grounds are really cool. And if you’re like me, I need a place to wander off to during any big shindig, and the Pink…

  • Nashville Event: Get all the best in one fell swoop at the Country Music Awards

    Dane
    8 Nov 2009 | 9:27 am
    Did you know that you and I, your average Joe and Jane, can attend the Country Music Awards? Until today, neither did I. I knew the show was coming to the Sommet Center on November 11, and thought I should brush up on the details in case hotel guests asked me about it. When I went to the site, I saw that tickets are available to the public. And it looks like it’s going to be a great show, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, with a great line-up of some newer names, and some of the old greats. Tim McGraw will perform with Vince Gill and Daughtry, and Daughtry’s band will make…

  • Nashville Concert: Everybody knows that Leonard Cohen is your man

    Dane
    2 Nov 2009 | 9:20 am
    Just in case you think that all I listen to is country music and honky tonk, I’m here to tell you that my tastes are far broader than that. That’s right; Dora and I are going to see one of the old masters at Andrew Jackson Hall (a great venue, BTW) on the fifth of November. I’ve been listening to Leonard Cohen for decades, can’t believe he’s coming our way. I bought Songs of Love and Hate in my teens, after a girl broke up with me, and I knew Leonard knew how I felt. I defy you to listen to “Hallelujah,” one of his all-time bests (off of Various Positions), and not choke up a…

  • Nashville Attraction: Take a stroll down the Music City Walk of Fame

    Dane
    29 Oct 2009 | 11:08 am
    When I was just a tyke, my parents took us out to California. I don’t know if I’ve been as excited for a trip in my entire life. We went to Disneyland, the La Brea Tar Pits (how that ever got to be a popular tourist destination, I’ll never know). But, for some reason, the Walk of Fame really sticks in my memory. Maybe it’s because when I stood on George Reeves’ star, I felt like Superman for just a minute. I’ve got to say, I do get the same kind of rush when I’m on Nashville’s Music City Walk of Fame, one of Nashville’s best attractions, in my opinion. When I’m surrounded…

  • Nashville Hotel Package: Surprise your better half with a date night extraordinaire

    Dane
    19 Oct 2009 | 11:04 am
    Years ago when Dora and I had been married just a few years, we (she) decided that we needed to start having a “date night” each week. We took turns. When it was my choice, we ended up at a Titans game or honky-tonk or whatever. When Dora was making the plan, we checked out a new restaurant or gallery. It was always something interesting. Recently, Dora mentioned starting it up again. I shocked her by offering to go first, knowing exactly what I’d do. The hotel has this “Do Not Disturb: Romantic Notions Package.” We’ll head out to dinner, and then I’ll tell her I need to stop by…
 
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    Hotel Sales Blog

  • Expedia now has study to confirm the Billboard effect!

    carolverret1
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:44 pm
    As much as many hotels feel a love/hate relationship with Expedia, research results were published this week to prove what they have always maintained — that ‘for every reservation made on Expedia, another is made through the hotel web site.’ If ever there was an example of the OTA as travel search engine and the ‘electronic billboard effect’ this is it. The study and the corresponding graph illustrated the percentage increases in reservations to four hotels’ web sites when they appeared on Expedia and when they didn’t or were dark on Expedia. The increases in reservations…

  • Tweets to Appear on Search Engine Results

    carolverret1
    12 Nov 2009 | 7:22 am
    Am I the only one that thinks this could be game changer? While the dust up between Choice and Expedia was being heralded as ‘the story of the year’, a giddy Steve Ballmer anounced an agreement with Twitter to show Tweets in its search results on Bing. Google quickly and more quietly followed suit announcing it’s agreement with Twitter. Think about this for minute. Given how much money and time is devoted to SEO, what will it mean for hotel and destination marketng on the web? Tweets are not controllable whether they come from satisfied or dissatisfied customers. Will those…

  • Hotel Sales Blog is Back

    carolverret1
    10 Nov 2009 | 11:08 am
    Finally, I think we have it fixed! Vicious spyders kept taking down the blog! Stay tuned for future posts! Join us Friday for a web cast you can’t afford to miss. Habits of Higly Successful Hotel Sales People — 5 Habits You Need for 2010. http://www.carolverret.net/viral/oct3009html.html

  • Stop the Madness — The Madness of Hotel Rate Cutting!

    carolverret1
    3 Aug 2009 | 7:16 pm
    Hotel sales and Revenue managers are under a great deal of pressure to generate more revenue and many in senior management beleive that cutting rates is the way to do it. They’re right — it does generate revenue for a very short time until the next hotel in the comp set that is monitoring rates in the market undercuts your rate and then the madness sets in! Hotel foreclosures and ‘troubled assets’ are on the rise as the current madness of rate cutting doesn’t allow enough ‘flow through’ to pay the bills. Rate cutting ‘madenss’ has also led RFPs to book out of their agreement…

  • The Worst Sales Call Ever!

    carolverret1
    25 Jun 2009 | 7:12 pm
    I had the dubious distinction of being on the ‘buyer’ side of the worst sales call ever. The ‘back story’.  While trying to figure out why the air conditioner didn’t work properly, it was discovered that the furnace had a cracked ‘heat exchanger’ — something I thought might be a golden opportunity to see if the carbon monoxide detectors really worked. On to new furnace but from whom.  We scheduled three appointments one of which was a no show!  The second was from a large reputable company.  These two guys came to the house and after the first one said — ‘didn’t…
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    Hotel Blogs - Let's talk about hotels

  • Hotel Website Marketing Conference - Hotel Blogs features as a speaker

    Guillaume Thevenot
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:17 pm
    I will be attending the Hotel Website Marketing conference in Dublin next week on Tuesday. Hotel Blogs will be speaking in front of a crowd of hoteliers and marketers. I will give my view on new emerging 3rd parties that...

  • The weekly life of a travel startup - Intro

    Guillaume Thevenot
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:08 am
    This is something that I was thinking to do for a long long time on Hotel Blogs. So what is it? Every week, I will bring to you a weekly update of the same brand new travel startup who aims...

  • Video Interview with Eleanor Ford, Director and Founder of LikeCube.com

    Guillaume Thevenot
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:12 am
    This is new video interview I conducted in London in November during the World Travel Market 2009. It features a one to one conversation with Eleanor Ford and Ismael Juma from LikeCube, a pretty sweet technology which works on predictive...

  • WTM - just like an ordinary edition

    Guillaume Thevenot
    16 Nov 2009 | 12:12 pm
    After 9 consecutive years visiting the World Travel Market - "WTM" for regular visitors - you can probably imagine that you can get a bit blase and bored by the same old stands and the lack of changes in the...

  • I have Greenland followers on @hotelblogs

    Guillaume Thevenot
    28 Oct 2009 | 11:32 pm
    Just checked where my followers on my Twitter account @hotelblogs are coming from - thanks to @RobertKCole for sharing this nice application, Twitter Analyser - and just discovered that I have 83 followers from Greenland !!! More than in France....
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    HotelTravelCheck.com Blog

  • Nielsen & DataLogix Will Use Offline Data

    admin
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:12 am
    The recent partnership between Nielsen Corp & the consumer data firm Datalogix, will use offline data to target online advertising. At the present moment there are several ad networks offering this service. Justin Evans, SVP strategy and marketing, The Nielsen Company, said: “It’s all about building that bridge between an address-level database and online.You have to have a really rich consumer database linked to many cookies and many consumers online in order to operationalize this capability.” The data that Nielsen provides uses postal zip codes and it has the…

  • Holiday Season and Online Advertising

    admin
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:36 am
    The holiday season has officially started and stores like Kohl’s has been working on its online advertising campaign. Kohl’s Copr. has a slogan to promote the store. The slogan says: “The more you know, the more you Kohl’s”. Kohl’s Chief Executive Officer Kevin Mansell said: “We read in our research that value is much more important than ever before”. The campaign was launched on November 11th and they are confident that this year they will have business like last year. They believe that they offer value to their customers and this campaign is mainly…

  • Facebook’s Self-Serve Ads

    admin
    16 Nov 2009 | 8:31 am
    Google is well-known to be number one in the market for its Ad Wods and Ad Sense programs, however, Facebook’s Self-Serve Ads will make Google to rethink its strategy. According to the article, Facebook will be the first to compete against Google and it will grow “no less quickly than Google did”. The Business Insider published the following comments about Facebook’s growing:” That prediction may sound premature considering that Facebook this year will produce somewhere between $300 to $500 million in revenue, and skeptics still routinely question Facebook’s…

  • Microsoft & OpenX Partnership

    admin
    13 Nov 2009 | 7:32 am
    The agency Reuters has recently announced a multiyear partnership between Microsoft Corp. & OpenX, an online advertising company. These companies will promote each others products to customers and users. Reuters posted in its article:”The deal will significantly expand the distribution of OpenX’s technology for serving ads on websites, as the company seeks to boost its roster of large Web publishers, said CEO Tim Cadogan.” This is such an interesting partnership because OpenX is one of Google’s major competitors. This partnership will significantly change the…

  • Ebay Launches a New Campaign

    admin
    11 Nov 2009 | 7:25 am
    Christmas is coming and everybody is getting ready to boost revenues in this short period of time. Ebay Inc. is one of the companies launching a new online campaign. The Wall Street Journal posted the following in its article about Ebay:”The ad push, which features the tagline “Come to think of it, eBay,” follows a two-year effort by the online auctions pioneer to turn around its slumping marketplace. The campaign, which includes print, online and TV ads, will run through Christmas. EBay declined to say how much it was spending.” Ebay reported for the first time that…
 
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    Hotel F&B Observer

  • The Main Thing

    Peter Gebauer
    11 Nov 2009 | 3:11 pm
    At a recent meeting, one of our community leaders quoted: “The main thing is to know the main thing. And to keep the main thing, the main thing.” At first I was taken aback. Then I thought about the meaning of this quote. What is the main thing for me today? For me as an Executive Chef, [...]

  • Pre-Cuts Are A Good Alternative

    Geoffrey Sagrans
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:14 pm
    Many months ago, I discussed the idea of prepared foods. Of course a number of the diehards laughed it off. Some of these people would never consider offering a menu item that wasn’t completely prepared in house. Fast forward to the not-so-prosperous times of 2009. A number of these same people are now either [...]

  • The Total Package Chef: Schedule Like a Consultant

    Len Elias
    26 Oct 2009 | 1:43 pm
    As a result of the recession, most business staffing models were quickly revised. New efficiencies were discovered and all expenses were scrutinized. Things were happening, productivity was rising, and most staff members were willing to do whatever it took to help employers keep the doors open. Unfortunately, this intensity has stopped at some operations. What [...]

  • Iron-Fisted Policy (Seldom A Good Idea)

    Karl Prohaska
    15 Oct 2009 | 10:35 pm
    *BEEP. You have reached our automated system. If you know your party’s name and extension, you might wonder why they didn’t give you their direct line? Please listen to the following options: For inquiries, questions about your reservation, or any other problem that we will make fun of you for, please press 1. [...]

  • Lagniappe: A Little Extra for Your Guests

    Meg McDonough
    12 Oct 2009 | 12:35 am
    When considering what you are willing to offer as an “extra” for your guests, it may not always revolve around F&B, but it’s the most poignant facet that can be performed without compromising your marketing budget.
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    eHotelier Global Hospitality News

  • Penn Makes $50M Offer for $3B Fontainebleau

    Penn National Gaming made its formal "stalking horse" bid this week for the unfinished Fontainebleau hotel, resort and casino here, setting the stage for a bankruptcy auction in January, according to an SEC filing Tuesday morning. The Wyomissing, PA-based casino operator, which has been looking for a way into the local gaming market, says it offered $50 million for the estimated $3-billion development that sits 70% complete at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. By Brian...

  • Heavy Petting at France's Human Hamster Hotel

    A new gîte in Nantes offers guests the chance to live as a rodent for the night - complete with fur costumes and a romantic hamster wheel for two.

  • Study Reveals Most Visible Holiday Operators

    Greenlight, the UK's leading independent search marketing agency has released its first quarterly integrated research report for the holiday sector. Each report consists of both natural and paid search data, to offer a fully integrated analysis. The report determines the most visible holiday operators and aggregators in Google natural and paid search results for Q3 2009.

  • 2009 European Business Travel Barometer

    American Express Business Travel today announced the results of its 2009 European Barometer, during its 19th Espace Voyages Professionnels (EVP) in Paris, the leading business travel event in Europe. The Barometer highlights the impact the global economic crisis has had on business travel expenditure, revealing an 18% fall in budgets reported on average. Sixty-six percent of companies report a reduction (-31%) of their travel budgets, 23% have witnessed no change and a mere 11% have noted...

  • Insights into Leisure Travellers who still Spend Freely Despite Downturn

    Leisure travelers who spend on extras beyond meals and basic shopping hold great potential for travel marketers, who can gain insights into these consumers through a new study released today by Acxiom® Corporation (Nasdaq: ACXM).
 
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    YoungHotelier.com

  • Budget Marketing Tactics

    JJ
    21 Nov 2009 | 12:23 pm
    By Jennifer Rodrigues, TravelInk’d Hotels and lodging companies are facing a difficult reality in today’s market. Even as the recession seems to be waning, revenues, occupancy and ADR are still down and the next 12 months are still looking hazy for the hotel industry. Budget cuts are still in effect and hotels don’t have [...]

  • Exceeding Expectations – Every day, Every time – by Fritz Gubler

    JJ
    27 Oct 2009 | 5:09 am
    We kick off a new series of articles (an e-column!) by veteran hotelier and educator Fritz Gubler. Here is the first installment of the series, called “Exceeding Expectations – Every stay, Every day”. Hope you enjoy it – we look forward to your comments and feedback! Exceeding Expectations: Every Stay, Every Day As a long-time hospitality professional, [...]

  • Hotel Public Relations – Five Tips to get more visibility for your hotel

    JJ
    20 Oct 2009 | 12:01 am
    We welcome our new columnist, Jennifer Rodrigues, who will be telling us all about Hotel Public Relations and sharing her insights, tips and experiences on YoungHotelier.com! By Jennifer Rodrigues, TravelInk’d For many hotels — too many in my opinion — public relations gets relegated to the backburner or is treated as an afterthought. Hotels have a sales [...]

  • Winners of the Young Hotelier Summer Competition

    JJ
    2 Aug 2009 | 1:25 pm
    The YoungHotelier.com Summer Competition Winners! A big thank you to everyone who sent in their emails, comments and entries for the Great, Grand and Famous competition with YoungHotelier.com! We’ve chosen the following 3 entries to receive a copy of Fritz Gubler’s wonderful hospitality book: Winner: “Hotel openings are like planting a seed and watching it grow” by Darren [...]

  • Hotel openings are like planting a seed and watching it grow

    JJ
    2 Aug 2009 | 12:55 pm
    This story begins when I moved to Melbourne to work for the Radisson Flagstaff Gardens Hotel, a four and half star Hotel locate adjacent to the Queen Victoria Markets. I was working for a General Manager I had worked for previously in Adelaide. Not long into the contract the GM told me of an opportunity [...]
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    Happy Hotelier

  • Server Migration completed – Migraine stayed away

    Happy Hotelier
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:21 pm
    As you can see the background is back. It’s a photo of our precious garden at Haagsche Suites. The logo is back with another photo of the same garden. The Avatar is back, a bit bigger in size. The main reason is it fits the design of the blog better, but I was also thinking about enabling my readers to recognize me. Whenever you meet fellow bloggers or tweeps, or even maybe guests, many people complain that they cannot recognize people form their avatars. I wouldn’t like that to happen when you meet me :-) Missing posts are back. Only some comments are somewhere in the cellar yet.

  • Tricking wORDpRESs when moving from one server to another server

    Happy Hotelier
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:39 pm
    WordPress Spelling by Lorelle I had fun during the Dutch WordCamp. I learned from Lorelle that you should write WordPress with two capitals and not with 6 like I do in the header of this post. I’m teasing her again. WordPress Future At WordCamp Lorelle predicted a great future for WordPress. I teased her with my prediction that the future of WordPress will be gloomy, as it is much too technical and people wouldn’t want to go under the hood like I do sometimes. And I know Lorelle, you told us that you blogged long before WordPress even existed and had a hard job with manually…

  • Hello world! Happy Hotelier again on the New Server

    Happy Hotelier
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:01 am
    This is the second installation on the new server after a mess up with a redirect into the cellar of nowhere. I now miss a post that I had made in my prior installation on the new server, but as compensation it seems now do I have my comment counts back and my categories…don’t understand what went wrong. But this seems workable… Bare with me:-) Update November 21, 2009: I’ve found the post and manually inserted it here below. Last edited by Happy Hotelier on November 21, 2009 at 7:06 pm Hello world! Happy Hotelier again on the New Server is a post from: Happy Hotelier

  • Real Zen – First post on the New Server

    Happy Hotelier
    18 Nov 2009 | 2:29 pm
    After I imported the posts of Happy Hotelier from the old server to the new server, this clip of an interview with Robert Pirsig came up as my first draft in my drafts ghetto. Whenever I see or hear the term Zen I associate it with the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance. Currently I’m awaiting the DNS switch from old server to new server as the two have been in the air next to each other. In the meantime I have replaced a keyboard because the w key kept hanging because of ash with coffee in it. Well I was pondering the new set up for my categories as they seem to be misfits…

  • Happy Hotelier is moving to another Server

    Happy Hotelier
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:58 am
    Hi. This is the last post on the old server where Happy Hotelier used to hang out on line. I’ve not posted much the last week as I was under the hood moving this blog to another server. It is possible you have seen or will see some hiccups today and tomorrow. If you have commented during the last couple of days it is possible the comment is not migrated. I hope it works and that I may welcome you back. Last edited by Happy Hotelier on November 21, 2009 at 7:01 pm Happy Hotelier is moving to another Server is a post from: Happy Hotelier
 
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    Hotel Blogs - Let's talk about hotels

  • Hotel Website Marketing Conference - Hotel Blogs features as a speaker

    Guillaume Thevenot
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:17 pm
    I will be attending the Hotel Website Marketing conference in Dublin next week on Tuesday. Hotel Blogs will be speaking in front of a crowd of hoteliers and marketers. I will give my view on new emerging 3rd parties that...

  • The weekly life of a travel startup - Intro

    Guillaume Thevenot
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:08 am
    This is something that I was thinking to do for a long long time on Hotel Blogs. So what is it? Every week, I will bring to you a weekly update of the same brand new travel startup who aims...

  • Video Interview with Eleanor Ford, Director and Founder of LikeCube.com

    Guillaume Thevenot
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:12 am
    This is new video interview I conducted in London in November during the World Travel Market 2009. It features a one to one conversation with Eleanor Ford and Ismael Juma from LikeCube, a pretty sweet technology which works on predictive...

  • WTM - just like an ordinary edition

    Guillaume Thevenot
    16 Nov 2009 | 12:12 pm
    After 9 consecutive years visiting the World Travel Market - "WTM" for regular visitors - you can probably imagine that you can get a bit blase and bored by the same old stands and the lack of changes in the...

  • I have Greenland followers on @hotelblogs

    Guillaume Thevenot
    28 Oct 2009 | 11:32 pm
    Just checked where my followers on my Twitter account @hotelblogs are coming from - thanks to @RobertKCole for sharing this nice application, Twitter Analyser - and just discovered that I have 83 followers from Greenland !!! More than in France....
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    Travel Blog - Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique & Luxury Hotels

  • We ask the questions: Q&A with vintage homewares visionary Lou Rota

    Anthony
    22 Nov 2009 | 3:19 am
    If you haven’t yet seen the work of hip homewares-customiser Lou Rota… well, you should. Lou forages for cast-off crockery and furniture, reinvents it using collage, découpage and a healthy dose of imagination, and produces some of the most intriguing eco-chic artworks around today. Plastic stacking chairs are given fabulous floral makeovers and chintz-patterned china that would make us wince in a boutique-hotel setting is reinvented by a trail of beetles crawling across or a beady-eyed raven peering out from the plate. We’re not the only ones enamoured of Lou’s…

  • L’Hôtel of the week: Hotel Particulier Montmartre

    Kate
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:45 am
    Our offer of the year – 2 nights for the price of 1 – across a wealth of properties in the UK, Paris and Morocco has been behind many a judging decision when it comes to pinpointing Hotel of the week of late. Now, the offer has just one week left to run. You’ve got just seven days to book a half-price stay at Hotel Particulier Montmartre Style Art house opulence Setting Serene secret garden Why this week? All you need is a couple of days’ annual leave, a mere 390 euro, and a penchant for autumnal Montmartre. Falling leaves, fairy lights and a bohemian air await in this…

  • Christmas cooking with Raymond Blanc

    Caroline
    17 Nov 2009 | 5:57 am
    We Smiths like to rank ourselves rather highly in the cookery stakes. In fact, a week rarely goes by without Gareth bringing in baking-parchment parcels containing new-recipe treats or Anthony relaying his latest culinary combinations (eg. pork balls and rice for breakfast). But if there’s any time of year when you need skills in the kitchen, it’s coming up – so stop mass-catering meltdowns forever with a cooking class at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons… Raymond Blanc’s elegant Oxfordshire outpost is the gastronomic capital of the A40, and at this country manor, you…

  • Make mine an… architectural punch bowl

    Sarah
    16 Nov 2009 | 9:10 am
    Jelly. A curious entity – reminiscent of school days, lumpy custard and Seventies trifles. Many would agree it’s an unlikely object of passion. Not Bompas & Parr, the oddballs behind the Horseless Carriage of Curiosities, Flavour Tripping and the breathable cocktail. Their slippery creations include wobbly wedding cake-alternatives for adventurous brides, alcoholic stars for Courvoisier, and squidgy buildings for a charitable Architectural Jelly Banquet. And let’s not forget their glow-in-the-dark, sherry flavoured Funeral Jellies, exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of…

  • Hotel of the Week: Aviator

    Caroline
    13 Nov 2009 | 10:39 am
    We’ve taken to the skies this week and, after looping the loop over farm and field, we have landed in Hampshire to award our Hotel of the Week accolade to one-of-a-kind aeronautical affair, the Aviator hotel… Style: Silver belle Setting: Airfields of Farnborough Why this week? Until the end of the year, you can stay Friday and Saturday and get Sunday night free. Members will still get their Smithcard offer, so they can toast their free night with some free champagne and spend their skyward-bound stay indulging in heaven-sent chocolate-dipped strawberries. Our favourite bits We…
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    Hotel Industry Blog by Bookassist

  • Google introduces sitelinks in PPC adverts

    Des
    10 Nov 2009 | 8:40 am
    Google today introduced sitelinks embeddable in the PPC advert to bring users directly to specific pages on the advertised website (live in Ireland campaigns this afternoon). The new sitelinks are configurable in the Adwords campaign and appear only when the advert is displayed in top of page position.Google recently enhanced PPC adverts with mapping and address data also.See Inside AdWords: Increasing choice and relevancy in search ads

  • Content Continues To Be King

    Des
    6 Oct 2009 | 9:26 am
    In late September, Google finally confirmed officially what many of us have suspected for years - that the <meta name=”keywords”...> tag attribute (hereafter simply “the keywords meta tag”) in web pages has no effect on Google search results rank. Fundamentally, what this means is that attempts to tell Google what your web site is about don’t work - Google will figure this out for itself thank you. Pretending to be something you are not won’t work. Tricks to make yourself look better than you are won’t work. Google of course uses various methods of its own to determine…

  • Google inserts Ads into iPhone maps - Pay Per Tap (PPT) ramps up

    Des
    5 Oct 2009 | 2:25 pm
    Google has recently launched sponsored links directly on iPhone's (and iPod Touch's) native Google maps app. When searching for services in an area on the maps app, for example searching for hotels on a map, sponsored links can now appear alongside regular service links as shown in the example below of a "New York hotels" search. Sponsored links get a special marker compared to the usual pin also (as shown on the right).If the user taps the sponsored link, the usual screen containing phone number, address, and directions appears but additionally shows some brief, italicised ad copy under the…

  • The multiple (and often overlooked) advantages of separating out add-ons as part of the booking process

    Des
    21 Sep 2009 | 7:59 am
    Bookassist has allowed hoteliers to offer additional services as part of the booking engine for many years. For example, hoteliers can offer spa treatments, room services, transport to and from the airport as additions during online booking. Hotels can group similar add-ons into categories and add photographs to make the whole offer more appealing. The obvious advantage here is that it allows hoteliers to upsell and generate additional revenue from the online booking process. Our figures show that add-ons are a significant ongoing earner for hotels.But there are additional advantages to the…

  • Google folds Mapping and Address Extensions into Adwords

    Des
    24 Aug 2009 | 7:03 am
    Google Adwords now allows you to extend your advert content to include Google Local information right in the advert (in other words Google Maps) and further enhance the utility and visual appeal of your adverts. As an example of this in action, Bookassist's Traffic Builder team have recently completed the addition of Google Local to a number of campaigns - for example a search for Camden Court Hotel (camdencourthotel.com) in Dublin reveals the map content added to the advert (the "show map" link at the bottom of the advert below): When you click the "+" next to the map link, the location…
 
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    Hotel Law Blog

  • Occupancy tax update on internet hotel booking: More lawsuits against Expedia and online travel companies (OTCs) over "lost" bed taxes -- Why hotels should care about the transient occupancy tax (TOT) battle

    3 Nov 2009 | 9:04 pm
    By Jim Butler and Jim Abrams | JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 3 November 2009 Hotel Lawyer: The transient occupancy tax litigation by cities and local governments continues to mushroom. On November 3, Florida filed one of the first lawsuits against Expedia and Orbitz for lost bed taxes, but using the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Although October was a big month in the OTC battles, November may be even bigger. Today, we are going to look at the latest litigation filings and what they mean.

  • Hotel Occupancy Tax Alert: online travel company suits over transient occupancy taxes raise - 5 things every hotel owner and operator needs to know

    1 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm
    By Jim Butler and Jim Abrams | JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 1 November 2009 How Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity and other online travel companies (OTCs) create huge headaches for owners and operators on their suits over hotel occupancy taxes. Billions of dollars of hotel rooms have been sold through the online travel companies or OTCs. Generally speaking, no transient occupancy taxes (TOT) or bed taxes, have been paid on the portion of these sales kept by the OTCs when they resell the rooms to hotel guests. The exposure on these unpaid hotel…

  • Hotel Lawyer: Distressed hotel investments -- Maximizing the value for Lenders, Borrowers and Investors

    1 Oct 2009 | 6:01 pm
    By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 01 October 2009 This is one of many articles on the subject of "troubled hotel loans - workouts, bankruptcies & receiverships" in the rich library at www.HotelLawBlog.com. Our national hotel practice focuses on being the legal and business advisors for lenders, borrowers and investors. With the hotel industry suffering a record-breaking collapse of revenues and no immediate relief in sight, everyone is starting to examine available options.

  • ADA Hotel Lawyers: California opens door to more ADA litigation, but also offers protection to the well-informed

    30 Sep 2009 | 6:00 pm
    By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 30 September 2009 Americans with Disabilities (ADA) update. Why you need to take advantage of the "Certified Access Specialists program" (CASp)! Much needed new protection for property owners against ADA litigation even as California Supreme Court decision opens door to more ADA claims ADA Lawyer update. Worried about ADA claims? If not, you should be! There is a flood of private claims driven by evangelistic "true believers" and blackmail artists. The real tsunami is still coming. The government…

  • Hotel Lawyers in Phoenix: What happened at the Phoenix lodging conference? Can we find a Black Swan?

    28 Sep 2009 | 11:08 pm
    By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hospitality Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 28 September 2009 Hotel Lawyers' insights from The Lodging Conference at the Arizona Biltmore. As our Global Hospitality Group® members compared notes from last week's Phoenix Lodging Conference, we had some observations we wanted to share. Congratulations to Morris Lasky and Harry Javer for another great event. Here is our take on what happened in Phoenix . . .
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    Front Desk

  • Marriott/Ritz Reorganization Is Smart Move

    Ed Watkins
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:10 am
    It’s about time Marriott wised up and brought Ritz-Carlton under its big tent. This week, the firm quietly announced a reorganization plan that splits the company into four global divisions with all brands and operations, except timeshare but including Ritz-Carlton, reporting to those divisional teams.When Marriott bought controlling interest in the luxury Ritz chain in 2000, the chain’s godfather and former president, Horst Schulze, extracted a promise from Marriott that it wouldn’t tamper with the well-honed luxury culture of the brand. Since the time of the sale, Ritz-Carlton has…

  • Colin Powell, the Hotelier?

    Eric Stoessel
    18 Nov 2009 | 7:57 am
    The former Secretary of State spoke at IHG’s annual leadership conference in D.C. last week and the frequent traveler said although he’s never filled out a comment card before, he had a few suggestions for the collection of hotel owners in attendance. In no order, these were the things he wanted:- Shampoo and conditioner bottles without fine print, so he could clearly know which was which and avoid washing his hair with body lotion;- An alarm clock that didn’t require “astronaut training” to use;- More room in the closet; he said you have this big suite and then a smaller closet…

  • Big Troubles For the New York Hotel Show

    Ed Watkins
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:43 am
    The organizers of the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show need to consider major changes to this once but no longer relevant event. If they don’t, the Show is doomed for extinction, perhaps soon. The recently concluded edition of the Show, which is held each November at the Javits Center, New York City’s poor excuse for a convention venue, was considerably smaller than in recent years, was poorly attended and generally failed to generate much enthusiasm. Perhaps you can blame the state of the economy, but truth is the Show has been on a downward spiral for a number of…

  • Extended Stay Stays Hot

    Ed Watkins
    3 Nov 2009 | 8:41 am
    By most measures that matter, it seems as though extended stay is still the best segment in which to own a hotel. According to new research from The Highland Group, while the segment endured a 7.2-percent increase in supply in the third quarter, it posted a modest (1.7 percent) increase in demand, a milestone the overall hotel industry hasn’t achieved in more than a year.And while extended stay rates declined more than 11 percent in the quarter, the segment still posted stronger RevPAR results than the rest of the industry. It’s no wonder developers love the product, and that’s been…

  • Two Sides To the Battle With OTAs

    Ed Watkins
    30 Oct 2009 | 8:02 am
    It’s encouraging to see the hotel industry take the offensive in its latest battle with the online travel agencies. Special kudos to Choice Hotels President Steve Joyce, who refused to blink in face of Expedia’s extortionist demands during negotiations for a new contract to represent the brand’s properties on the OTA site. According to recent press accounts, Expedia apparently blinked and the two sides are back at the negotiation table. And, judging by comments from marketing chief Dorothy Dowling at the brand’s convention last month, Best Western isn’t willing to cave-in to…
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    Hotel Marketing Strategies Blog

  • How Mariquel Waingarten – a new hotelier – created the top guest-rated hotel in Buenos Aires

    Josiah Mackenzie
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:31 pm
    Tailor Made Hotel from outside A highlight of my trip to Buenos Aires last week was visiting the Tailor Made Hotel, and talking with owner Mariquel Waingarten. In a very short time, she has taken her new property to among the most popular design hotels in Argentina. Here is an excerpt from our conversation: Can you tell me the story behind how you opened your hotel? I lived in the neighborhood, and liked this property when I used to walk by. I finally built up the courage to make an offer on the building, and the Tailor Made Hotel opened within a year. The location is very important, as most…

  • How to get Twitter followers for your hotel (without hurting profits or your brand)

    Josiah Mackenzie
    17 Nov 2009 | 8:19 pm
    To run effective Twitter promotions for your hotel, you need people listening. But what if you have no followers? Where do you start? Note: this list is a little different from other “how to be popular on Twitter” articles in that I understand hotels need to maintain their brand reputation. Some of the more aggressive tactics used in other industries probably should be avoided. That said, here are some proven ways you can get more Twitter followers – even if you have none now: Leverage your reputation. You’ll notice most of the top Twitter users are celebrities…

  • The power of predictability

    Josiah Mackenzie
    15 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    When was the last time you bought food or coffee from a national chain instead of the independent local place you never visited before? Chances are, you didn’t want to risk something unfamiliar. Going with the chain provided a consistent level of service and product you could expect. The business did that by building and following systems. Every single time. Around the world. Procedures that specified down to the last detail how your experience was created. Predictability is crucial for building loyalty. Nothing turns people off faster than experiencing great service the first time,…

  • Startup Profile: Zemanta [Video Interview]

    Josiah Mackenzie
    12 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm
    While at Blog World I had the chance to interview Andraz Tori, co-founder and CTO of Zemanta. Here’s his explanation of how the service works: If you’re publishing a blog or similar website, you should definitely check them out. You can learn more at Zemanta.com.

  • Using Skype for better service

    Josiah Mackenzie
    10 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm
    Should your hotel use Skype? Many of the articles on ‘Skype for business’ I see talk about the cost savings potential. That’s an insignificant benefit in my mind…and not what I want to discuss today. Instead, I see Skype as a tool for providing better service. If many of your guests come from overseas, you may want to consider using Skype to make it easy for these people to contact your hotel. Based on my work with a few hotels recently, we’ve noticed that by offering Skype — either as a phone system or simply a chat service — interaction…
 
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    Today @ Hilton Anaheim

  • Thanksgiving Feast

    Hollie Eisenman
    16 Nov 2009 | 3:06 pm
    Thanksgiving is almost here and our chefs are preparing an immaculate feast to celebrate the holiday! Join us in Mix Restaurant on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26th, from 1PM-7PM, and let us do the cooking for you! Thanksgiving Buffet Adults – $35.00++ Children – $17.00  ++ ++(16% Service Charge & 8.75% tax) Hot Station Slow Roasted Madeira Wine Basted Turkey with Sage & Giblet Sauce Roasted [...]

  • 10th Annual Dux in Tux

    Hollie Eisenman
    2 Nov 2009 | 1:46 pm
    On October 28th, Hilton Anaheim hosted the 10th annual “Dux n Tux” gala, benefiting the Anaheim Ducks Foundation. The mission of the Anaheim Ducks Foundation, is to facilitate and support programs that support positive change for children and families throughout Southern California, by providing educational opportunities , broadening access to the sport of hockey and [...]

  • Concierge Night!

    Hollie Eisenman
    26 Oct 2009 | 11:04 am
    On Wednesday October 14, Hilton Anaheim played host to over 50 Concierge, from the Orange County Hospitality Industry, as part of Where Magazine’s Concierge Night. According to Heather Howard of Where Magazine, “Your staff did an amazing job. I can’t even tell you how impressed the concierges were–Mix really hit it out of the park. Like [...]

  • A Wine Dinner to Remember..

    Hollie Eisenman
    13 Oct 2009 | 4:15 pm
    & Presents to you a Wine Dinner to Remember… Join us on Friday, October 23rd at 6PM for our first Wine Dinner in the 14th floor Lounge. This dinner is perfect for any wine enthusiast or to simply unwind with that special someone. Prepare to be wined and dined by our award-winning Chef, Fred Mensinga. Welcome HourMaytag blue cheese [...]

  • MIX’in it up with OKTOBERFEST!

    Hollie Eisenman
    6 Oct 2009 | 12:44 pm
    Oktoberfest 2009 has arrived at Hilton Anaheim! Put on your dirndls and lederhosen and join us as we celebrate Oktoberfest in Mix Lounge every Wednesday in October from 5PM-9PM. Oktoberfest is the beer drinking festival held in Munich, Germany but we are ready to celebrate in Anaheim. Spaten Oktoberfest Beer was created in 1872 and is officially [...]
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    Get A Room!

  • Virginia Beach and OBX are Open for Business!

    16 Nov 2009 | 4:35 pm
    You probably heard a lot about Virginia Beach, Virginia and the Outer Banks of North Carolina recently, what with that pesky nor'easter that parked itself on us for a few days. While The Weather Channel tagged the event as an "Atlantic Assault," the locals came to know the storm (quite well, what with the nearly four days it spent visiting us!) as "Nor'Ida," named for the remnants of a hurricane

  • Virginia Beach Prepares to Welcome Whales!

    9 Nov 2009 | 7:21 pm
    Virginia Aquarium whale watching boat tours begin late December showcasing humpback and fin whales migrating off the coast.It moves through the water with amazing grace, in search of its next meal. It plummets toward the depths of the deep sea throwing its fluke upward out of the water with great force. Then in a flash, it’s gone. It’s wintertime – the humpback and fin whales are returning to

  • Welcome to the USA

    27 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am

  • NTA Has Some 'Splainin' to Do

    22 Oct 2009 | 8:13 pm
    In an article published on the NTA website entitled "NTA Takes Message of Opening Cuba to NY Media," the National Tour Association has announced that they are promoting "the freedom to travel to Cuba."Are you kidding me? I have some questions regarding the motives here, especially at a time when so many of us in the U.S. travel and tourism industries are looking for new ways to promote inbound

  • Ironing Board Abuse

    17 Oct 2009 | 7:51 am
    Ever wondered why there's an unusual dent in your hotel room ironing board, or why it doesn't necessarily open or close properly?As hotel employees, we don't always know what happens to the poor, defenseless ironing boards provided in the hotel rooms... but thanks to YouTube (and videos like this one), we're getting a pretty good idea.Please don't try this at home, or anywhere else for that
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    TradePub: Food & Beverage

  • Food Manufacturing

    11 Nov 2009 | 1:20 pm
    Food Manufacturing reaches corporate administrators, plant/process managers, engineering managers, maintenance managers and others responsible for buying/specifying equipment & instrumentation used in processing, handling & packaging in food processing plants. Food Manufacturing is available in Print or Digital format and is published 9 times a year (monthly except bi-monthly in Jan/Feb, July/Aug and Nov/Dec).Request Free!

  • Candy Industry

    11 Nov 2009 | 11:50 am
    Published monthly, its editorial emphasis focuses on large and mid-sized manufacturers as well as news-breaking developments in new products, processing and ingredient technology and critical issues affecting the industry.Request Free!

  • Refrigerated and Frozen Food Retailer

    4 Nov 2009 | 10:50 am
    Refrigerated and Frozen Foods Retailer contains informative, fact-based coverage on all areas of low-temperature foods, from sales tips to display ideas. This publication is key for today's food retail executive. Its recipients are general management, merchandising, purchasing and warehouse professionals.Request Free!

  • Beverage Industry

    4 Nov 2009 | 9:50 am
    Each month, it provides an analytical look at marketing distribution, technology, production and other current news issues facing the industry. In depth statistical reports are compiled annually on each beverage market. Other key areas of coverage include packaging/recycling, beverage fleets, merchandising, quality control, computers, fountain/food service, vending and ingredients.Request Free!

  • FoodPacific Health & Nutrition Technology

    2 Nov 2009 | 3:50 pm
    Special focus on Nutraceuticals and Cosmeceuticals, two of the fastest developing segments, provides a forum to introduce the latest developments and trends in functional ingredients, products and business practices to the industry and the market.Request Free!
 
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    eConnect News

  • Is GDS Advertising A Good Investment For Hotels? | John R. Hach

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:05 am
    While the online marketplace is gaining ground in channel mix for hotels, especially for established hotel companies, the Global Distribution System (GDS) still contributes significantly to hotel distribution revenue—approximately 27 percent, according to TRAVELCLICK’s latest eTRAK report. Also, GDS hotel promotions—appearing when agents search the air, car, and hotel availability screens within their GDS—continue to have a growing influence on bookings, particularly in today’s unsettled economy.

  • Where is your desk? | Another “High Touch” Lesson for Hospitality Managers | By Dr. John Hogan CHE CHA MHS

    20 Nov 2009 | 10:32 am
    Effective leaders today still deal with many of the scenarios in Hailey’s HOTEL, and many more in the way of amenities, technology, transportation and training. The constant balancing act of “high touch” and “high tech” often comes down to visibility, accessibility and the ability to listen. In the book and movie version of HOTEL, the hotel manager (or at least the manager on duty) was stationed in the lobby at an oversized desk. The first one of these I personally viewed was at the Statler-Hilton in Boston and presumably, the location was to be able to deal with situations that…

  • 2009 Hoteliers Of The World | Sir Rocco Forte: Making His Own Noise

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:27 am
    During the interview for the Corporate Hotelier of the World award, 2009 honoree Sir Rocco Forte made several references to the importance of the highest standards of service. He referred to mentors like Giulio Gelardi, who ran London’s Savoy Hotel for Trusthouse Forte and taught an impressionable Forte about layout, staffing and organization. Forte also talked about just having returned from a memorial service for Bruno Rotti, longtime restaurant manager at Claridge’s, who Forte remembers as a meticulous professional, extremely elegant, cultured and having an incredible eye for detail.

  • Video: Watch Mark Lomanno present STR's revised forecast

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:05 am
    In this exclusive video interview, STR's Mark Lomanno presents the research firm's revised year-end 2009 and 2010 outlooks, while giving a first look at its 2011 forecast for the U.S. hotel industry.

  • New STR hotel forecast: 2011 can’t get here too soon | By Jeff Higley

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:03 am
    Signs of a recovery for the U.S. hotel industry might be few and far between as 2009 creeps to a close, but executives at Smith Travel Research think there’s reason for optimism in the future. An uptick for the hotel industry won’t come soon—as in the next six or eight months—but it should be in full swing by 2011, according to STR’s latest U.S. industry forecast. “I wouldn’t call it optimistic for 2010, but it’s definitely optimistic for 2011,” said Mark Lomanno, STR’s president. “Overall conditions in the economy will begin showing significant improvement as 2010…
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    The Ring Hotel Blog

  • Interview with Gerhard Langer (destinationhotel.de)

    theringhotel
    16 Nov 2009 | 6:10 am
    1. Who are you? My name is Gerhard Langer, founder and senior editor of destinationhotel.de, an online magazine for sophisticated travelling and lodging. 2. Please tell us about ‘destinationhotel.de’ and your aims? destinationhotel.de is an online information source, not another hotel booking platform. Our focus is to inspire and inform our readers about destinations, hotels, aviation and all the services related to travel. We offer interviews with owners, managers & architects, present new concepts and take a look behind the curtain. The appearance of destinationhotel.de is…

  • The 2nd toque in the 2nd year @ at eight!

    theringhotel
    10 Nov 2009 | 7:12 am
    Wonderful news to share! Our restaurant At Eight at The Ring, Vienna’s Casual Luxury Hotel, has been rewarded with its second toque by the most important and influential Austrian gourmet guide, Gault Millau. With this award, the restaurant and Chef Thomas Seifried have earned themselves the second toque in the second year of operation, which one may definitely call a unique and sensational achievement! “A young and extremely professional service crew, a performance of international par-excellence, a perfect location and an audacious and distinctive cooking – a combination rarely…

  • Hotel Packages – How Can They Be Successful?

    theringhotel
    2 Nov 2009 | 6:15 am
    Creating a hotel package is one thing, selling them successfully via the various channels is another thing. Approximately 99% of all hotels worldwide offer hotel packages to their guests, starting from basic packages like accommodation, breakfast and including a variable item like a drink at the hotel bar, a VIP-set-up, a bottle of champagne in the hotel room, a dinner or lunch or a spa treatment to extra-ordinary themed packages or destination packages where tourism products and items within a specific destination are included. How to get a package sold successfully? Good question, in…

  • Interview with “Style Is The Alibi”

    theringhotel
    21 Oct 2009 | 3:01 am
    1. Who are you? I’m from Hamburg, late twenty something, and always looking for new and individual styles. I love fashion, traveling, my Mac, the ocean and mountains – the higher the better. My motto is “Bah!” (a funny word I picked up accidentally from an African language), it means something like “ACTION! GO! GO! COME ON!” And this is exactly the way I live and work – life’s just too short for boredom. My favorite dream would come true if I could spend a day in a cage full of monkeys – which, in a way, very well applies to the worldwide fashion circus. 2.

  • Re:Haydn – classical groove at the Semper Depot

    theringhotel
    15 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am
    October 02, 2009 – It was a disrespectful but dignified night. For the presentation of the electric compilation of “Re-Haydn” toute Vienna was dancing. This life presentation did acknowledge the musical works of the famous Austrian composer Haydn in a contemporary sound. In total 12 artists like Patrick Pulsinger (together with Marflow), Krazy Baldhead, Clara Moto, Shir Khan and Ogris Debris did work on the original works of Haydn, the result: Re-Haydn. The slogan: classic goes electronic. Or “Haydn goes casual”. A great performance, supported by opulent visuals…
 
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