September 2012

When Michael Shindler came to Hard Rock International to serve as executive vice president of hotels and casinos in February 2010, the famed brand had expansion on its mind. At the time those plans consisted of a solo signed agreement to open Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana. “It was actually negotiated and signed as a partial license agreement and partial management agreement in November 2009 before I arrived,” Shindler says. While Hard

Located in a former millinery building from 1912, the Refinery Hotel in new york city’s Garment District is expected to open in late fall or early winter. The loft-like, industrial-chic hotel features subtle riffs on period details and nods to the building’s history. General Manager Randy Taormina spoke to Lodging Online Editor Deidre Wengen about the building’s past and the revitalization process. 1. Deidre Wengen: Refinery Hotel, loca...

Nestled in a box canyon of towering vermilion cliffs, Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Ariz., mesmerizes guests with its dramatic Southwest views. The resort completed a two-year, $25 million renovation in June that emphasized bringing the outdoors in and creating open-air spaces. After doubling the size of the pool, and raising it 10 feet to give guests full views of Boynton Canyon, pool bar revenue has risen 180 percent so far, says Enchantment...

Legionnaires’ disease has hospitalized, and in some cases killed, nearly 100 travelers in the United States, Spain, and Canada already this year. The disease is a form of pneumonia that stems from legionella bacteria growth in commercial water systems, including those found in hotels and hospitals.  Symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease, which generally develop two to 14 days after exposure to legionella bacteria, include headaches, fever, ch...

Not every hotel housekeeper will climb the ranks to eventually hold management positions, but Douglas Hustad, managing director of the Turnberry Isle Miami, is a living example that an upward career trajectory is possible. Hustad, who has more than 25 years of hospitality experience, got his start in housekeeping during a summer internship and continued to grow his career throughout the years. In celebration of National Housekeeping Week, whic...

As part of an industry where employee turnover rates are high and switching between companies is commonplace, Denihan Hospitality Group recognizes how important it is to keep talent within its organization. The hotel management group launched the Talent Development Academy (TDA) in 2008 as a way to foster learning and give employees the skills and knowledge needed to grow in future job positions under the Denihan umbrella. “As we look to grow, ...

With a tight economy and the market still in the recovery phase, hoteliers are seeking out ways to increase incremental revenue and impact the bottom line. Creating upgrades and offers for guests to take advantage of is a simple solution that can turn into big profits for hotels. And with advances in technology, analytic tools, and the increased potential of the mobile channel, upselling has never been easier. Upselling refers to revenue potent...

In June, the United States Supreme Court ruled on one of the most anticipated cases in decades—the landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Court decided that ACA was constitutional and upheld the mandate that most Americans obtain insurance by 2014 or pay a financial penalty. “The Affordable Care Act’s requirement that certain individuals pa...

While the hotel asset class generally falls into one of the top five food groups, along with multifamily, office, industrial, and retail, it is the one that is most often most misunderstood, and perhaps feared, by commercial real estate lenders. A new hotel deal is more likely to elicit a groan than an outburst of excitement from a commercial bank, life company, conduit shop, or specialty finance company. So why does hotel lending generate such a dispassion...

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In New York City, January has historically been a slow month for hotels. Following the flurry of activity and travel during the holiday season, business activity drops off, and hotels struggle to find ways to keep their rooms booked. Last year, hotel marketing maven Nancy Friedman of Nancy J. Friedman Public Relations came up with a concept to help NYC hotels drive business during the slow period. Inspired by the concept of Restaurant Week, she...

Hyatt’s upscale Andaz brand is creating some buzz with recent openings in the United States (Napa and Savannah) and a new build project scheduled to open soon overseas in Amsterdam.  Andaz Napa officially opened to the public on September 7 in the former Avia Napa hotel, located in the wine destination’s West End.  “A lot of the preparation leading up to the opening was just seeing what this hotel needed,” says Greg Nomu...

Dust mites, mold spores, and pet dander are microscopic, but they can cause big problems for guests who suffer from allergies and asthma. Hotels entice travelers with the promise of a comfortable and peaceful night’s sleep, but this becomes harder to fulfill if steps aren’t taken to accommodate guests with sensitivities to airborne allergens and irritants. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, an estimated one in five Amer...

In the fall of 2010, when U.S. hotel managers were preparing 2011 budgets, most industry participants were pleasantly surprised at the strong pace of the recovery in lodging demand. By year-end 2010, the occupancy level for U.S. hotels increased by 5.4 percent. While hopeful their good fortune would continue into 2011, managers were somewhat skeptical given the continued sluggishness of the economy. This skepticism appears to have influenced th...

New developments, especially those of the large-scale variety, are hard to come by these days. But in Chicopee, Mass., near Springfield, BK Investments and Waterford Hotel Group are teaming up to build a new Residence Inn by Marriott to be part of an 11-acre mixed-use development. According to Hershal Patel, president of BK Investments, the hotel, which recently broke ground, will sit in the back three acres of the development. Waterford Hotel Group will se...

Events with the scale and publicity of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions mean big business for host cities that win the coveted bids. And hotels in those cities stand to benefit tremendously from all the buzz and media hype. Hoteliers in both Tampa and Charlotte, two mid-market cities taking center stage this year, are expecting the Presidential conventions to bring big gains now and in the future. A June report published ...

Perhaps it’s true; the third time really is a charm. At least it seems so for Steve Van, now the well known president and CEO of Dallas-based Prism Hotels & Resorts. A staple of the hotel industry, Van has found plenty of success at Prism, his third career in a life that includes a number of notable achievements. Through it all, however, he’s proved nothing short of ambitio...