Some current conversation starters…
Sol Kerzner in Hayman Island talks
Billionaire South African hotelier Sol Kerzner is rumoured to be buying Hayman Island in the Whitsundays from Malaysian investment firm Mulpha Australia Ltd. The Australian Financial Review reports executives from Kerzner International have been holding talks with federal and state government officials. Kerzner will reportedly close the existing resort on the island for three months from January next year for renovations. Kerzner runs the luxury hotel chain One&Only, the Atlantis resort on the Palm in Dubai and has properties in The Bahamas, Mexico, Mauritius and The Maldives.
Canadian Destination Benchmarking Program Announces Partnership with Ted Rogers Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Research at Ryerson University
Award winning digital marketing company, A Couple of Chicks, has teamed up with Ryerson University and the Ted Rogers Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Research to add further social media reporting to the Canadian Destination Benchmarking Report Program. The DMO online benchmarking program was first implemented at the Online Revealed Conference in May of 2012 in partnership with US based destination marketing firm, Miles Partnership. The program has since evolved to measure the success of destination websites and social media marketing for 23 Canadian DMOs from across Canada. Benchmarking of website and social media analytics allows destinations to measure success metrics against each other, and against International destinations including New Zealand and the US. "Our goal is to build the DMO Benchmarking reporting to become the International standard for the measurement of destination marketing online," said Alicia Whalen, Co Founder of A Couple of Chicks and Online Revealed.
U.S. Lodging Sector Performance Remains Favorable Despite Sluggish Economic Growth, Says PwC US
PwC US anticipates that positive momentum in travel activity will continue to boost revenue per available room ("RevPAR") in 2013, despite the recent sluggish pace of economic recovery. An updated lodging forecast released today by PwC US shows favorable gains in hotel performance, consistent with PwC's expectations at the start of the year. Occupancy levels at higher-priced hotels are ahead of prior peak levels, industry RevPAR is above its prior peak, and hotel construction activity, while rebounding, is still quite moderate, according to PwC. As demand continues to outpace supply growth, and economic growth strengthens, PwC expects growth in average daily rate ("ADR") will continue, resulting in RevPAR growth of 5.6 percent in 2013, improving slightly to 5.9 percent in 2014. Read more…
Key Appointments in the Industry
Congratulations to these new appointments…
Stella Chan has been appointed as Director of Sales- Leisure at the Langham, HongKong. A veteran in hospitality sales, Stella has more than 13 years of solid hotel experience. Stella has held a number of senior positions at sister properties, Langham Place, Mongkok as Director of Sales – Corporate and Eaton, Hong Kong as Director of Sales. In her new capacity, Stella will be responsible for exploring new business opportunities, developing potential markets and enhancing relationships with business partners. She completed a Bachelor Degree of Arts in Hotel and Restaurant Management in International College of Hospitality Management, Switzerland.
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) announced the appointment of Karmela Gaffney to Vice President of Digital Commerce based out of the company's global technology hub in Phoenix, Ariz. Gaffney will report directly to Choice Hotels Senior Vice President, Global Distribution, Robert McDowell. In this role, she will lead the development of the Choice Hotels Digital Commerce strategy, including search engine optimization, relationships with third-party providers, and ongoing improvements to the functionality of ChoiceHotels.com and mobile and tablet advances.
The Latest in Hotel Openings
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., the leader in luxury hospitality, has confirmed their first hotel in Israel will officially open its doors in late 2013. The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya is located in the exclusive residential seafront town north of Tel Aviv, and will be the first global luxury branded hotel in the country. Located on the Marina overlooking the Mediterranean, the hotel and was designed by a collection of internationally recognized architects and designers.
Starwood Hotels to Expand Footprint in Turkey with Planned Samsun Hotel. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. says it has signed an agreement with Tanriverdi Mensucat Sanayii A.S. to open a newly- constructed Sheraton hotel in Samsun. Scheduled to open in late 2014, Sheraton Samsun Hotel will mark Starwood's entry into the emerging city and will be the company's 11th hotel in Turkey. The Sheraton brand continues to grow around the globe and remains on track to open its 500th hotel by 2015.
800 New Hotels Projected for Indonesia. Although Indonesia is considered to be a vacation paradise, in fact only eight million foreign travelers visited the country in 2012. But the number is expected to rise. Because of new air routes, more business trips and the opportunities of the future market more tourists should be attracted. Therefore numerous of new hotels have to arise. During the next ten years, 700 to 800 new hotels with 100,000 rooms will open their doors. This data has been revealed by TOPHOTELPROJECTS, the worldwide leading provider of global B2B hotel data. According to the Bureau for National Statistics, more than 1,600 hotels exist in Indonesia in 2012, which are offering nearly 156,000 rooms. In comparison to the previous year it was an increase of nine percent. The average occupancy rate in 2012 was 53 percent, whereas there is just small seasonal variation as Indonesia has always warm weather. But there is a relatively large diversification between the single parts of the country: Bali reached an occupancy rate of 61 percent, Jakarta 57 percent. In Riau, the occupancy rate never reached more than 50 percent in any month of the year.
A Tennessee developer plans to build a 257-room hotel in the Crossroads Arts District, the first significant new hotel project in downtown Kansas City since the Vista International opened in 1985. The Kansas City Star A Tennessee developer plans a 257-room hotel in the southern section of the 1500 block of Baltimore Avenue (lower right) in the Crossroads district. Groundbreaking is planned early next year for a Marriott Courtyard and Residence Inn. Chartwell Hospitality LLC plans to break ground early next year on a 10-story building that would house two hotel franchises, a Marriott Courtyard and a Residence Inn. The project would include a 166-space garage and, in a rare approach, the developer will not seek city tax incentives for the project. “We think the downtown market is ripe for a new hotel,” Will Schaedle, Chartwell‘s acquisitions and development manager, said Monday. “We’re happy to be the developer. “We think there’s a niche for a new hotel, and it’s a good spot with the Power & Light District nearby and development pushing south, and it’s within walking distance to the central business district.”
