Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach|"Accusations Fly In Battle Over Mondrian SoHo Hotel"

Source              :  nydailynews.com
Category        :  Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach
By                  :  MARIANNE GARVEY
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach

One of the world’s most respected boutique hotel groups is locked in a messy court battle with the owners of the celeb favorite Mondrian SoHo, with both sides making bombshell allegations. Sochin Downtown Realty owns the property, which is run by Morgans Hotel Group. In papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court and obtained by Confidential, Sochin says, “Morgans’ management of the Hotel was an abject disaster” that cost Sochin large sums. The documents include allegations from Morgans that Sochin, which was in charge of construction, tried to reduce costs by cutting corners and in the process endangered hotel guests.As an example, Morgans cites the “elimination of all but one generator so that (Morgans) faced exponentially greater difficulties in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.”

The hotel opened to much fanfare in February 2011 following a party thrown by Kanye West where fake money was shot out of cannons. It houses the very popular Mr. H nightclub and Soaked rooftop lounge, as well as the Isola Trattoria restaurant. Some of the stars recently spotted there include Blake Lively, Matt Lauer and Jon Bon Jovi. Not all the big names have been happy with the hotel’s design, Morgans adds: “In one instance, an A-list celebrity celebrating a birthday at the Hotel with several friends checked out of the Hotel shortly after checking in, citing the inferior penthouse suite size.” The company also claims that because of Sochin’s conduct, Morgans has missed out on annual incentive fees, causing “substantial financial harm.” Morgans also says it has funded about $1.2 million in pre-opening expenses and operating shortfalls and hasn’t been reimbursed. Most seriously, Morgans says that “Sochin made false, defamatory statements that impugned (Morgans’) integrity, in the presence of a third-party lender with whom Morgans Hotel Group ... maintains an ongoing relationship." Returning fire, the owners say “Morgans’ performance caused the Hotel to place last compared to its competitive set of hotels in revenue per available room.” Sochin also says Morgans mismanaged the Mondrian by overbilling, incurring expenses without its approval and failing to hit certain budget and profit targets.

A Delaware Chancery court this month ordered Morgans out of the hotel. A rep for Morgans said: “We plan to appeal the court’s decision if the order is not vacated. We continue to believe that a negotiated resolution of this dispute ... is preferable to litigation. In the interim, Mondrian SoHo continues to operate business as usual under our existing management agreement.” Joshua D. Bernstein from the law firm Pryor Cashman, representing Sochin, said: “Ownership believes it was forced into this situation by the ongoing poor performance and mismanagement of the hotel by Morgans, and while we are gratified that the Delaware court granted our motion and issued the order that it did, Sochin continues to work to find an amicable resolution with all parties."

Source:nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/accusations-fly-mondrian-soho-hotel-article-1.1471328

Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach|"Municipality Fee Waiver For 3 & 4 Star Hotel Developments In Dubai"

Source              :  emirates247.com
Category        :  Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach
By                  :  Staff
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach

The hotel investment industry will receive a financial incentive to develop more mid-range hotels in Dubai, in a move to increase the emirate’s supply of four and three-star properties. This was announced by Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General, DTCM, on Sunday in his key note speech on ‘The importance of industry collaboration to achieve tourism objectives’ on the second day of The Hotel Show. Eligible hotels will be granted a concession on the standard 10 per cent municipality fee, which is levied on the room rate for each night of occupancy, he said. The initiative is designed to incentivize hotel owners to bring forward their construction timelines, creating more three and four star hotel rooms in Dubai more quickly. Investors in new hotels will be granted a waiver on the fee for a period of four years from the date the permit to construct is granted and provided that this date is between October 1, 2013 and December 31, 2017.

“In order to achieve our headline objective of 20 million visitors per year by 2020, we need to both increase the overall stock of hotel rooms in Dubai and widen the range of options for visitors. In recent years the number of three and four star establishments has increased, but it’s vital that we continue to engineer the growth of this range,” Almarri added. Mike Allsopp, Senior Vice-President dmg events, organisers of The Hotel Show, said: “It’s fantastic that such a game-changing initiative has been announced.” Renowned architect and luxury hotel designer, Steven Miller, observed that the hospitality sector in the Middle East will contribute 19 per cent of a projected $9.2bn interior design market value by the end of 2013, equating to an increase in value from $1.3bn in 2012 to $1.62bn this year (INDEX 2013).

Meanwhile, exhibitors demonstrated a variety of unique and innovative new hotel concepts. From a focus on creatively themed and individual guest rooms and experiences, as highlighted by exhibitor and interior design consultancy, Nakkash Gallery, to KPTAC Technologies’ interactive and touchscreen eMenu tables and a new smart bed incorporating Internet and Blu-Ray DVD feeds from PRO TECH, The Hotel Show has helped ensure that Dubai is well on its way to reaching the 20 million visitor mark over the next ten years.

One of the new elements of this year’s show, the Hotel Room of The Future exhibition, created by Milan-based architect and design office, WT Technologies, provided delegates with a unique look into the future of hospitality. The Hotel Room of The Future includes waterproof and touchscreen TV screens from UK-based bathroom designer, Videotree, energy efficient LED lighting made from recyclable ABS plastic from Moree, and translucent MICROSORBER-Foil under the ceilings and walls, which improves acoustics and also the climate of the room.

Source:emirates247.com/business/economy-finance/municipality-fee-waiver-for-3-and-4-star-hotel-developments-in-dubai-2013-09-30-1.522827

Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach|"German Luxury Hotel Opening In Beijing"

Source              :  globaltimes.cn
Category        :  Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach
By                  :  Wang Yitong
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach

The first true German 5-star hotel in China, Maximilian Beijing, will open in October. Peter Schaumburg was appointed as general manager. Originally from Germany, Schaumburg has worked in the hospitality industry for decades. Prior to taking on his new role, he held a senior position with Key International Hotel Co, the management company of the Kempinski Hotel in China. "We are committed to providing an individual luxury experience to people, and will spare no efforts in putting great attention to detail, ensuring high quality in every aspect. Not only do we preserve our German heritage, but we also offer innovative hotel concepts on the highest level of quality with enthusiastic employees ensuring the best service." 

The hotel is located in the Audi World complex, neighboring the new Wangjing business district and the National Stadium (Bird's Nest). Maximilian Beijing is operated by Steigenberger, one of the most famous luxury hotel management groups in the world. It is the most prestigious German luxury hotel management company, with over 80 years of experience. It is also the maiden trial for Steigenberger to bring German hospitality and culture to China. Referring to his own life philosophy, Schaumburg said, "The most important philosophy to me is heart-felt hospitality. That means we are looking for people who really believe in it, that it is their life goal, and what they want to do. They are willing to provide excellent service no matter which area and department they belong to."

The hotel market is faced with fierce competition at home and worldwide. All hotels are adopting different strategies to raise their own market share. "It is good to have a competitive market, which will help raise the quality and strengthen the management of our hotel in many ways and increase our competitiveness. Competition is good for us," said Schaumburg, who is always ready to meet challenges.

Source : globaltimes.cn/content/814230.shtml#.UkUZZtJi3-U

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels|"Is This A Hospital Or A Hotel?"

Source              :  nytimes.com
Category        :  Virginia Oceanfront Hotels
By                  :  ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels

As the new St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland, Ill., prepared to open in August, its chief executive exulted, “You feel like you could be at the Marriott.” In the $63 million community hospital, patients all enjoy private rooms, with couches, flat-screen TVs and views of nature. Its lobby features stone fireplaces and a waterfall. Some hospitals in the United States, like Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, have long been associated with deluxe accommodations, and others have always had suites for V.I.P.’s. But today even many smaller hospitals often offer general amenities, like room service and nail salons, more often associated with hotels than health care. In the current boom of hospital construction, private rooms have become the norm. And some health economists worry that the luxury surroundings are adding unneeded costs to the nation’s $2.7 trillion health care bill. There are some medical arguments for the trend — private rooms, for example, could lower infection rates and allow patients more rest as they heal. But the main reason for the largess is marketing.

In a highly competitive field, patients — sometimes now referred to as “guests” — appreciate amenities. The tactic works. “We found that patient demand correlates much better to amenities than quality of care,” said Dr. John Romley, a research professor at the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics of the University of Southern California, who has studied the trend. That means that hospitals can improve their bottom line and their reputation by focusing more on hospitality than health care — offering organic food by a celebrity chef rather than lowering medication errors, for example. As a result, American hospitals are looking less and less like their more utilitarian counterparts in Europe, where the average hospital charges per day are often less than a quarter of those in the United States, according to the International Federation of Health Plans.

The Henry Ford health system in Michigan caused a stir after it hired a hotel industry executive, Gerard van Grinsven of the Ritz-Carlton Group, in 2006 to run its new hospital, Henry Ford West Bloomfield. He had opened 20 hotels and his “focus on people and service excellence” has helped the hospital thrive in a competitive market, said Nancy M. Schlichting, Henry Ford’s chief executive, who decided to hire him. The idea was to take care of patients’ needs, she said, clinical and otherwise. While no one is getting nostalgic for traditional hospital food, open wards or revealing gowns, some worry that hospitals are going too far with the creature comforts. They are particularly concerned since most hospitals are nonprofit, so construction — directly or indirectly — is subsidized with public money.

With the prospect on the horizon of the Affordable Care Act’s lowering reimbursement, and interest rates rising, the hospital construction boom appears to be slowing. And, in choosing a hospital, patients should probably think beyond room service anyway. Many years ago, when I was a doctor-in-training, I was assigned to work on a hospital floor with V.I.P. rooms. Though the views were spectacular, the cardiac arrest team could not get there as quickly as it could to the regular wards. We called it “a hotel near a major teaching hospital.”

Source : nytimes.com/2013/09/22/sunday-review/is-this-a-hospital-or-a-hotel.html#h[]

Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels|"Marcus Hotels & Resorts President"

Source              :  jsonline.com
Category        :  Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels
By                  :  Tom Daykin
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels

The president of Milwaukee-based Marcus Corp.'s hotels division is resigning less than a year after joining the company. Kirk A. Rose, president of Marcus Hotels & Resorts, "is leaving to pursue an opportunity to return to his roots in finance as the chief financial officer of a family office based in Chicago," according to a company statement issued Tuesday. Rose joined Marcus in January. During the search for Rose's replacement, Thomas F. Kissinger, senior executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, will lead Marcus Hotels & Resorts. In addition, William H. Reynolds Jr., senior managing director of MCS Capital LLC, Marcus Corp.'s hotel investment affiliate, will add oversight of all hotel development activities to his responsibilities. Our team has deep bench strength and I am confident we will continue to successfully operate and grow our highly regarded hotel and resort business," said Gregory Marcus, president and CEO, in a statement. "While we would have preferred to have Kirk remain with us for many years, the contributions he has made will have a lasting impact on the company."

Source:jsonline.com/business/kirk-rose-marcus-hotels--resorts-president-resigns-b99105979z1-225095672.html

Top Hotels In South Virginia|"UK Tourists Slow To Return Hotels Report"

Source              :  independent.ie
Category        :  Top Hotels In South Virginia
By                  :  SARAH MCCABE
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Top Hotels In South Virginia

TOURIST numbers from the UK still show no sign of improvement, despite a recovery in almost every other market that drives Irish tourism.A new study by the Irish Hotel Foundation found 63pc of Irish hotels saw business from the UK either stall or decline during the summer period. The result comes in stark contrast to strong results from other markets – two-thirds of the hotels surveyed said business from US visitors had increased.

Other research shows that tourist numbers from Britain rose by just 1pc last year, while US numbers jumped by 19pc and mainland Europe visitors rose by 6pc. "Great Britain remains a major concern with little sign of recovering the one million drop in annual visitors since 2007," said Irish Hotels Federation chief executive Tim Fenn yesterday. A return of the British market to its former strength is top of many tourist operators' wish-lists because of the sector's high dependency on its nearest neighbour for tourism revenues. One in three tourists who came to Dublin last year was from the UK. Some operators have been hit much harder than others by the stagnation of UK business. Bed and breakfasts, hostels and golf clubs have reported the sharpest declines in UK tourists of late, while hotels have reported more stable business levels.

The IHF has repeated calls on the Government to maintain the special 9pc VAT rate enjoyed by the hospitality sector since 2011. Transport Minister Leo Varadkar, pictured, has voiced his support for this move, but comments made by Finance Minister Michael Noonan on Friday night indicate the rate is unlikely to be extended for another year.

Source : independent.ie/business/irish/uk-tourists-slow-to-return-hotels-report-29598525.html

Top Hotels In South Virginia|"Best Western International Adds Five Hotels In Australia"

Source              :  prweb.com
Category        :  Top Hotels In South Virginia
By                  :  PHOENIX
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Top Hotels In South Virginia

Best Western International has announced the addition of three hotels in Tasmania and two properties in mainland Australia, continuing a period of unprecedented expansion for the brand in the Australasian region. Year to date, Best Western Australasian has opened seven new hotels across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, with another seven expected to open by the end of the year. The new additions will push Best Western’s Australasian portfolio to 184 hotels, with the strongest growth within the BEST WESTERN PLUS hotel type. Since August 1 the brand has opened three new PLUS properties in Australia and now operates 17 PLUS hotels in the region, with more in the development pipeline. “Our research showed that mid-market consumers would flock to updated and better designed hotels and certainly that has borne out with the success of our BEST WESTERN PLUS and BEST WESTERN PREMIER properties,” said Rob Anderson, Best Western Australasia chief executive. “Having the different hotel types now gives Best Western the best chance to set a benchmark in the industry for delivering superior customer care, amenities and services.” The latest additions to the World’s Biggest Hotel Family are the BEST WESTERN PLUS Apollo International Hotel and the BEST WESTERN PLUS HW Boutique, both located north of Sydney in New South Wales. Additionally, Best Western has added three new hotels in Tasmania – the BEST WESTERN Hobart, BEST WESTERN PLUS Launceston and the BEST WESTERN Foreshore Motel – giving the brand eight hotels on the Australian island state.

Best Western officials say a primary focus in the Australasian pipeline will be new builds, with the majority to be based on a tailored select service model. Best Western Australasian has three select service projects now underway in Australia, including a property in Perth, Western Australia that is expected to open within six months. The two other projects are located in Queensland, one on the Sunshine Coast and the other in Mackay. Best Western Australasia’s conversion projects remain largely in the full-service and serviced apartments segmentsLocated two hours north of Sydney and 10 minutes south of the Newcastle central business district, the BEST WESTERN PLUS Apollo International Hotel is perfectly positioned in the heart of Charlestown. The hotel is a few hundred meters from one of the largest regional shopping centres in Australia, with an extensive restaurant and entertainment precinct. The hotel features 94 contemporary rooms equipped with the latest modern amenities and private balconies. Guests can relax in the hotel’s indoor swimming pool, which features a pool bar, or dine at the onsite restaurant, Babbington’s Bar & Grill.The BEST WESTERN PLUS HW Boutique is perfectly positioned between Brisbane and Sydney on the Port Macquarie headland directly opposite Town Beach. The hotel features 44 beautifully appointed rooms, each with free Wi-Fi, LCD TVs, an express check-in facility, free parking and modern amenities that make staying at the brink of the Pacific Ocean a holiday to remember. The hotel was originally built on the site of the old convict gaol in 1966 and the convicts’ broad arrow markings are clear on the top layer of the wedge shaped hand-made bricks, which makes for a popular talking point among hotel guests.Located in Hobart’s city center, the BEST WESTERN Hobart provides easy access to many of Hobart’s key leisure attractions, including Battery Point, Salamanca Place and the Hobart waterfront. The 140-room hotel has its own onsite features, including a stylish food and beverage area housing Embers Restaurant and Embers Cocktail Bar & Lounge. The hotel has eight events spaces, the largest being.

The Goulburn Room which can accommodate up to 300 people for cocktail and theatre-style events.Located in Launceston’s city center, the BEST WESTERN PLUS Launceston is a 15 minute drive from Launceston Airport and a short walk from the main shopping, retail and dining precinct. The hotel offers 116 comfortable guest rooms and a contemporary onsite restaurant specializing in Tasmanian produce and wine. Locals and guests can also mingle in the hotel’s Tram Bar, which features an original No. 11 Tram and is the hotel’s most vibrant meeting place. The property also offers two conference rooms, each accommodating up to 150 people.The BEST WESTERN Foreshore Motel is a 15 minute drive from the Hobart central business district and 10 minutes from the Hobart Airport. Recently revamped in 2012, the property offers 16 elegantly appointed modern guest rooms with a range of amenities and services including queen size beds, LCD TVs, a private patio, free parking and in-room Wi-Fi.Best Western International, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand made up of more than 4,000* BEST WESTERN®, BEST WESTERN PLUS® and BEST WESTERN PREMIER hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Now celebrating 67 years of hospitality, Best Western welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests nightly. Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales, marketing and promotional support, and online and mobile booking capabilities. More than 20 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. The brand’s partnerships with AAA/CAA, race car driver Michael Waltrip, and Harley-Davidson provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. In 2012, Best Western won a record number of awards, including AAA’s Hotel Partner of the Year, CAA’s Partner of the Year, TravelClick’s eMarketer of the Year and Compuware’s Best of the Web Gold awards. 

Source : prweb.com/releases/2013/9/prweb11153830.htm

Top Hotels In South Virginia|"Hotels.com Books Creative Space In HQ Expansion"

Source              : bizjournals.com
Category        :  Top Hotels In South Virginia
By                  :  Candace Carlisle
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Top Hotels In South Virgina

After a year of moving into its new corporate headquarters at One Lincoln Centre off LBJ Freeway, Dallas-based Hotels.com has expanded its space and preparing for more growth. The travel company, with is an affiliated brand of Expedia Inc., has expanded into about 70,000 square feet of space at One Lincoln Centre at the southeast corner of the Dallas North Tollway and LBJ Freeway, which now features its new branding strategy. "We feel like collaboration has greatly improved simply because we don't have the distance from floor to floor or the distance of a closed door," Taylor Cole, Hotels.com's director of public relations and social media, told the Dallas Business Journal. "By not having a wall, you feel you can just look over a desk and get into a conversation with someone rather than send a meeting request." The strategy: Throw out the company's traditional office space from its former headquarters off North Central Expressway, and design it into a collaborative, open-space for employees with lots of natural light and optional areas for employees to work.

Ultimately, the new design -- which includes images of travel destinations, hotel room keys and places to explore -- would help support Hotels.com's global strategy to clearly convey the brand and its values to its employees each day. The space, which recently was expanded by roughly 5,000 square feet, features some of the company's destinations, such as Paris, Mexico City and Prague. Hotels.com hired Gensler's Dallas office to assist in the design. "This is very customer focused," said David Lubin, Gensler's project director on the project. "We wanted to have employees explore the space."The company's office design features sitting-standing optional desks, phone booth rooms for privacy and huddle rooms throughout the office for employees. Hotels.com's break room includes a Honolulu beach-themed seating area with picnic tables and black sand-like flooring. By giving employees options of working outside of the cubicle -- a growing trend in corporate office design -- Hotels.com is able to improve job performance, job satisfaction and innovation, according to the 2013 Gensler Workplace Survey. "This office puts the work spaces on the outside of the floors, which gives every employee natural light, with the collaborative spaces in the center," Lubin said. "This gives the office an energy it didn't have before."

Source:bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/2013/09/hotelscom-books-creative-space-in-hq.html?page=2

Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels|"Slowdown In Travel Biz Hits Top End Hotels"

Source              : thehindu.com
Category        :  Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels
By                  :  BINAIFER JEHANI
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels

Tough macro-economic conditions, which stifled business and leisure travel, compounded by huge supply additions took a hard toll on the premium hotels (5-star and 5-star deluxe) segment in 2012-13. More importantly, the current fiscal will remain equally dire for the industry, and no major positive headwinds appear to be on the horizon. Growth in room demand was muted at 8 per cent year-on-year. So was growth in foreign tourist arrivals (4 per cent year-on-year), the main demand driver for premium segment hotels. The slowdown in demand growth was exacerbated by the 11 per cent year-on-year rise in room additions. Hurt by this double whammy of demand slowdown and supply additions, there was a decline in occupancy rates (to 61 per cent in 2012-13 from 62 per cent in 2011-12), and average room rates (5 per cent y-o-y to Rs.7,350). As a result, revenue per available room (RevPAR — revenue from rooms occupied divided by the number of rooms available) fell by 7 per cent to Rs.4,450 in 2012-13. The continued weakness in domestic and global economies will sustain this pattern in room demand growth in 2013-14 across leisure and business destinations in the 12 cities (accounting for 80 per cent of the country’s premium hotel rooms), which Crisil Research analysed. We expect aggregate occupancy rates (ORs) to hit decadal lows of 58-59 per cent in 2013-14 and 2014-15 as 10,400 premium hotel rooms will get added to the existing inventory of 51,600 rooms in these cities.

Much of this upcoming supply was conceived and commissioned after operating margins peaked to 40 per cent in 2007-08, following a surge in business travel and foreign tourist arrivals during 2004-05 and 2007-08 coupled with a dearth of supply, which caused a sharp spike in ORs and RevPARs. Intense competition will cause average room rates (ARRs) to dip further at 2 per cent CAGR to Rs.7,100 in 2014-15 from Rs.7,350 in 2012-13. The aggregate RevPARs of the 12 cities will decline at 3 per cent CAGR to Rs.4,200 in 2014-15 from Rs.4,450 in 2012-13. Among business destinations, RevPARs will drip in the National Capital Region (NCR), Chennai, and Kolkata by around 7-10 per cent CAGR over the next two years. During this period, a divergent trend will be seen in Goa, a leisure destination; RevPARs in the State will rise by around 7 per cent annually due to limited supply additions.As far as room demand is considered, the situation may take a marginal turn for the better from 2014-15 only. Room demand is expected to grow at 10 per cent CAGR over the next four years as economic growth in most countries, including India, gradually returns to levels seen earlier in the decade. During this period, room supply is expected to grow at 8 per cent CAGR. Therefore, ORs are expected to rise to 64 per cent in 2016-17.

Despite this favourable demand-supply mismatch, the intense competition spawned by the addition of 19,150 premium segment hotel rooms during 2013-14 to 2016-17 will dampen the growth in ARRs. RevPARs will improve at a marginal one per cent CAGR to Rs.4,650 in 2016-17 from Rs.4,450 in 2012-13. In business destinations, the trend in RevPARs will be mixed. RevPARs in Kolkata, NCR and Chennai are expected to decline by 3-5 per cent over the next four years on account of higher supply additions. RevPARs in Mumbai are expected to increase at 4 per cent CAGR, while those in Bengaluru are expected to remain range-bound over 2013-14 to 2016-17. In Ahmedabad, Pune and Hyderabad, RevPARs have already declined substantially, so they are expected to improve over the next four years. Among leisure destinations, the overall trend in RevPARs is expected to be buoyant. RevPARs in Goa are expected to increase at 8 per cent CAGR over the next four years due to limited supply additions. RevPARs in Jaipur have already fallen substantially and are expected to grow at a CAGR of 5 per cent during 2013-14 and 2016-17. Premium hotels in Agra and Kerala are also likely to witness a marginal rise in RevPARs. Until room demand recovers (room revenues account for two-thirds of total revenues) the pressure on profitability will remain because of the supply overhang, which Crisil Research expects, will continue at least until 2015-16. The stagnancy that appears to have gripped the sector will, thus, will linger for some more time.

Source:thehindu.com/business/Industry/slowdown-in-travel-biz-hits-topend-hotels/article5154403.ece

South Virginia Oceanfront Hotels|"Carlyle Checks Into Chinese Hotel Sector"

Source              : news.xinhuanet.com
Category        :  South Virginia Oceanfront Hotels 
By                  :  Cai Xiao
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

South Virginia Oceanfront Hotels

Carlyle Group has developed a taste for the Chinese hotel industry and its investment pace in the sector this year is expected to remain solid. The latest move by Carlyle — one of the world's largest private equity firms — was to complete a deal to take 7 Days Group Holdings Ltd private. The company, which was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, runs the 7 Days Inn budget hotel chain in China. In March, 7 Days Group said that Carlyle, Keystone Lodging Co Ltd and Sequoia Capital planned to acquire the company for $4.60 per ordinary share, or $13.80 per American Depositary Share. In July, 7 Days Group, Carlyle and Sequoia Capital announced the establishment of the Plateno Hotels Group and said that the 7 Days Inn chain would become part of it. The Plateno Hotels Group will develop another four high-end and mid-tier hotel brands based on the 7 Days Inn's concept.

"With the acceleration of the country's urbanization drive and an improvement in Chinese people's disposable income, customers will have more specific requirements and the coverage of high-end and economic hotels will have a bigger market space," Eric Zhang, a managing director at Carlyle, told China Daily. Zhang said that the hotel sector has a close relationship with the country's economy. And as the Chinese economy remains on a healthy track, investing in the Chinese hotel industry has great potential. "The business risk pattern of the hotel sector is low, and brands, sites and resources are key factors of the sector and it's hard for competitors to copy them," he said. Zhang added that the relatively high valuation of the hotel sector is another reason behind Carlyle's confidence in the industry. "Although lots of budget hotels emerged and competition among them was fierce, the market is far from being saturated," said Zhang, adding that budget hotels are able to compete with guesthouses and two- and three-star hotels.

Industry insiders said that Carlyle is taking part in the 7 Days Inn deal not because the valuation of the company was lower than its real value, but because Carlyle is confident on the company's growth prospects and sustainable profitability. Carlyle also took a controlling 49 percent stake in China's Mandarin Hotel Holdings Ltd in July last year, in a bid to tap into the country's emerging mid-tier hotel market. The value of the investment was not revealed, but a typical deal by the fund through which the investment was made — Carlyle Asia Partners III LP, which totals $2.55 billion — is usually worth more than $75 million. "The mid-tier market in China is very fragmented and of great potential, and Mandarin Hotel Holdings is a leader in this market with its product design and marketing strategies," said Zhang. "So we feel confident (the deal will) help the company to perfect its business and brand to win in the market." The total number of rooms of Chinese mid-tier hotel chains only accounts for 12 percent of the whole mid-tier hotel industry, according to Carlyle data.

Founded in 2006, Mandarin Hotel Holdings, which is not related to the Mandarin Oriental chain, operates 25 hotels in six major Chinese cities, 14 of them in Beijing. It operates hotels under the Crystal Orange and Orange brands. "The Chinese high-end and budget hotels have developed very well, while even the largest 10 mid-tier hotels account for no more than 5 percent of the mid-tier hotel market," said Wu Hai, founder and chief executive officer of Mandarin Hotel Holdings and a former vice-president at Ctrip, a major online travel agency in China. Carlyle's third hotel deal in China was in 2008 when it invested $100 million in New Century Hotels & Resorts.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-09/20/c_132735033.htm

South Virginia Oceanfront Hotels|"Hot Hotels Acquires Really Late Booking "

Source              : techcrunch.com
Category        :  South Virginia Oceanfront Hotels 
By                  :  STEVE O'HEAR
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

South Virginia Oceanfront Hotels

Hot on the heels of Groupon’s acquisition of last minute hotel booking app Blink, another Spanish competitor has been gobbled up. Madrid-based Hot Hotels has acquired local rival ReallyLateBooking. Terms of the deal remain undisclosed. TechCrunch understands, however, that talks started all the way back in April — so, unlike the premise of the two companies’ travel apps, this was anything but a last minute deal. In addition, all shareholders of ReallyLateBooking have become shareholders in Hot Hotels, therefore we can’t really chalk this up as a pure exit, more a merger of sorts. ReallyLateBooking was an early entrant into the last minute hotel booking app space in Europe, having been founded in July 2011. Its mobile apps — which like HotelTonight and lots of other competitors offers a selection of last minute deals each day to help fill partner hotels’ inventory, while also passing on significant savings to customers — has been downloaded more than 300,000 times.

In a statement, Conor O´Connor, CEO of Hot Hotels, says the acquisition makes Hot Hotels the “undisputed leader of last minute mobile hotel booking in Europe” — while talking up the last minute hotel booking app market as a whole. The Hot Hotels mobile app currently offers hotels from 30 countries and 201 cities in locations across Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia and Israel. What’s particularly interesting about the Hot Hotels story, however, is that the company remains 100% owned by its founders Conor O´Connor, Adelaida Muriel, Joe Haslam and José M. Fernández. That’s in stark contrast to U.S.-based HotelTonight, which recently closed a $45 million Series D round. Flying slightly under the radar is also JustBook, backed by Index Ventures and DN Capital.

Source : techcrunch.com/2013/09/18/hot-hotels-reallylatebooking/

Event Hotels In South Virginia|"Last Minute Hotel Apps Target Spontaneous European Vacationers"

Source              : businessweek.com
Category        :  Event Hotels In South Virginia
By                  :  Joshua Brustein
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Event Hotels In South Virginia

It may be time to set off on an unplanned European vacation. Hot Hotels said it would acquire ReallyLateBooking, and Wednesday’s deal between the two Europe-focused companies is the latest in a flurry of activity around mobile apps that offer last-minute hotel reservations. Hotel Tonight raised $45 million in funding earlier this month, and Groupon (GRPN) followed by announcing that it had acquired Blink. Hot Hotels’ move to snap up ReallyLateBooking seems an attempt to keep pace, and it strongly indicates that the fight for last-minute reservation dominance in the coming months will be a Continental affair. “This acquisition will make Hot Hotels the undisputed leader of last-minute mobile hotel booking in Europe,” said Chief Executive Officer Conor O’Connor in a press release. Still, that was Groupon’s motivation in grabbing Blink, which also focuses on Europe. Hotel Tonight, meanwhile, has said it will spend a good portion of its enhanced war chest on extending its reach in Europe, where it already does 20 percent to 25 percent of its business.While they pitch primarily to travelers, Hot Hotels, Blink, and Hotel Tonight will have to win over the hotels. Last-minute-reservation apps are disrupting an industry that sees both potential and danger in the shift, as Bloomberg Businessweek explained earlier this month:

“The hotel industry is torn over this last-minute booking trend. On the one hand, mobile booking is likely to make up a significant proportion of business, and last-minute deals also help rent out rooms that would otherwise sit empty. But the move to mobile also probably means that a greater proportion of sales will be filtered through an intermediary that will take a cut. The hotel industry will pay $7.5 billion in commissions (PDF) to businesses helping sell hotel rooms in 2015, up from $3.8 billion in 2010, according to a report done last year by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Smith Travel Research. These dues are going largely to travel-tech companies.” On the other hand, the recent activity might offer hotels some relief: Consolidation probably means that several viable companies will be competing for their favors.

Source:businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-18/last-minute-hotel-apps-target-spontaneous-european-vacationers

South Virginia Oceanfront Hotels|"New Hotel Planned For Downtown Greenville"

Source              :  thestate.com
Category        :  South Virginia Oceanfront Hotels 
By                  :  Rudolph Bell
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

South Virginia Oceanfront Hotels

A Georgia hotel developer plans to open a 144-room Aloft Hotel at the corner of Washington and Richardson streets in downtown Greenville in early 2015. McKibbon Hotel Group of Gainesville said Tuesday it would build the hotel on top of a 474-space, $12 million parking garage that the city of Greenville plans at the site. The stylish, “select service” hotel would be seven stories tall and the garage five stories tall, creating a 12-story structure, McKibbon executives said. They said the hotel would include a pool on top of the parking garage overlooking Washington Street. That triangular, private space also would include a fire pit, dog walk and cabana rooms opening onto the pool area.

The hotel also would have a bar and café with outdoor seating, four stories high, overlooking the public plaza that runs along one edge of the site, the executives said. The hotel’s main entrance would be along the plaza, across from where the Tupelo Honey Café restaurant recently opened in the One development. The city of Greenville is spending $4 million to renovate the plaza, formerly known as Piazza Bergamo. The Aloft would be the sixth hotel along Main Street. An Embassy Suites planned at Riverplace could be the seventh. Greenville developer Paul C. “Bo” Aughtry III said he is planning to open the 156-room Embassy Suites in a new 7.5-story building in mid-2016.

The development would include a rooftop restaurant and bar and a second restaurant in the hotel lobby, he said. “We’re pricing the project right now, and I’m confident we’ll build the project,” Aughtry said Tuesday. He has developed two other downtown hotels, the Hampton Inn & Suites at Riverplace and the Courtyard by Marriott next to City Hall. The Aloft Hotel is the largest component of a mixed-use development planned at the corner of Washington and Richardson streets, one block off Main. The plans also call for 35,000 to 45,000 square feet of offices, shops and housing along Washington Street and North Laurens Street, an alleyway that has been incorporated into the public plaza, according to Hughes Development Corp., master developer for the project.

No other tenants have been announced so far. Wes Townson, a vice president with McKibbon, said Greenville’s downtown hotel market combines a base of business travelers with a growing tourist traffic, making for strong demand Monday through Saturday. “This is a market we’ve had our eye on for some time,” he said. The city’s Design Review Board is scheduled to review the plans on Oct. 3. The hotel was designed by 4240 Architecture of Denver, the same firm that designed the two-tower One development. The Aloft brand, pet friendly and modern in décor, is designed to appeal to younger consumers from the Millennial and Generation Y generations, the McKibbon executives said. The brand is owned by Stamford, Conn.-based Starwood Resorts & Hotels Worldwide, which also owns the Westin hotel brand. McKibbon previously developed Aloft Hotels in Tallahassee, Fla., and Asheville. The company’s management arm, based in Tampa, Fla., operates 76 hotels, mostly in the Southeast.

Source : thestate.com/2013/09/17/2986268/new-hotel-planned-for-downtown.html

Top Hotels In South Virginia|"Hotels Turn Down The Bed For Foreign Tourists"

Source              :  blogs.wsj.com
Category        :  Top Hotels In South Virginia
By                  :  ELEANOR WARNOCK
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Top Hotels In South Virginia

From multilingual websites to larger beds, Japanese hotels are trying much harder to cater to the needs of foreign guests. The country is looking to woo more visitors from overseas and this new focus on foreign clientele is likely to further intensify following the selection of Tokyo to host the 2020 Olympic Games.Earlier this year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration set a goal of attracting 10 million foreign tourists in 2013, and the nation is already 60% there as of the end of July. Relaxed visa restrictions for some Southeast Asian countries have helped boost numbers, while the yen’s plunge against major currencies is likely one of the largest factors. According to a survey by the Nikkei released earlier this month, the hotel occupancy rate for major Tokyo establishments in July was 84%, the highest for the month since 2005. The average occupancy for urban hotels nationwide was not far behind, at 79%, according to the Japan City Hotels Association.

Consultants looking to help hotels appeal to foreign visitors say the first step is language: Hotels need to move on from Japanese-only websites and even Japanese-English sites. Osamu Urasawa, who runs O.H. Co., a company offering website design and translation services mainly to hotels, said there’s much more demand for multi-lingual websites, offering languages beyond Japanese and English. This year, Mr. Urasawa said his company has designed almost 10 websites in Thai, a language hotels had little demand for in the past. “About 10 years ago, there was a sense among hotels that they didn’t need to depend on foreign guests, but now they’ve learned that foreign visitors are also reliable on weekdays when the number of Japanese guests might be low,” he said.

Mr. Urasawa added that many Japanese hotel operators do not have the budget flexibility to immediately change their foreign tourist strategy following the Olympic decision. But he said he expected hotel demand for multilingual websites to rise when the next fiscal year begins in April. Once guests have made reservations, the next step is getting them to their hotels. For Nagano prefecture-based Hoshino Resorts Co., whose 14 establishments targeted at foreigners are situated outside of Tokyo, accommodating more inbound tourists means being creative about transportation.

Spokeswoman Kyoko Tanzawa said the group saw a jump in interest among guests from Hong Kong, the U.S. and France when it ran a joint program coordinating accommodation and flights with All Nippon Airways, making it easier for foreign guests to get to locations like the southern island prefecture of Okinawa during their stay. The chain has paired up with East Japan Railway this fall, offering visitors detailed instructions on how to take advantage of the rail company’s discount passes to travel around Japan and visit the group’s resorts. Ms. Tanzawa said the company also provides detailed directions, including images of ticket gates, bus stops and signboards on its website, for tourists who prefer to get to the hotels by themselves.

Some hotels, meanwhile, have focused on making their interiors more attractive for international clients.

Among them, the Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo closed for a makeover in early July. It reopened Saturday with a spruced up look, wireless internet, 134 rooms with king-sized beds (up from 82) and its first-ever Western restaurant, arguably an indication more of how far the hotel was from a vision of foreign convenience. The hotel is trying to double the proportion of its foreign guests to 50% of its total clientele in 2014 from a projected 25% in 2013.

Source : blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2013/09/17/hotels-turn-down-the-bed-for-foreign-tourists/

Top Hotels In South Virginia|"ITC Hotels, Ravi Pillai Sign Pact"

Source              :  business-standard.com
Category        :  Top Hotels In South Virginia
By                  :  seoClarity 
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Top Hotels In South Virginia

ITC Hotels has tied up with Bahrain-based India-born billionaire Ravi Pillai to manage five of its hotels under the WelcomHotel and Fortune brands in India and Dubai. For the Pillai-led R P Group, this is the second big tie-up with an Indian hospitality chain. Two years ago, it had bought Leela Hotel’s Kovalam property for Rs 500 crore. The duration of the management contract was not disclosed. The properties, under the new memorandum of understanding, would open in Kerala under the brands WelcomHotel Raviz and three Fortune Raviz hotels in Dubai and Kozhikode. Raviz is the hotel brand of the R P Group. In India, Pillai has invested Rs 1,000-1,500 crore in the past year, mostly in the hospitality sector. R P Group is also building two five-star hotels in Kozhikode. It has business interests in construction, healthcare, travel & tourism and education sectors, with an annual turnover of $3 billion. ITC Hotels and R P Group signed a pact for managing these hotels on Sunday.

Source : business-standard.com/article/companies/itc-hotels-to-manage-r-p-group-s-five-hotels-113091600377_1.html

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels|"Visit A Grand New Hotel"

Source              :  online.wsj.com
Category        :  Virginia Oceanfront Hotels
By                  :  SARA CLEMENCE 
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels

A $90 million renovation has turned the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort into the newly opened Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort & Spa. The Rockwell Group handled the design, creating a dramatic entry bridge that passes over an infinity pool. The 290 rooms, including seven villas, have a mod-surfer feel, with lava stone floors, white walls, walnut and teak furnishings and private verandas. There are two restaurants, one by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. The spa has 10 treatment rooms and a blending bar, where locally grown plants can be incorporated into treatments. Activities range from stand-up paddle boarding to coconut-leaf weaving classes.The latest Thompson Hotels outpost, on Chicago's Gold Coast, is all about a sophisticated layering of styles, textures and colors. The palette was inspired by vintage collections of Yves Saint Laurent, with blues, blacks and deep reds. British designer Tara Bernerd's lobby, with a beamed ceiling and a fireplace surrounded by bookcases, contrasts with a blackened-iron and brass-mesh staircase. The two-story atrium features a wall covered in live plants. Among the hotel's 247 guest rooms are six duplex loft suites with private terraces. The other quarters don't get shortchanged—all come with views of Lake Michigan. A soft opening is planned for Oct. 1.The 19th-century mansion that houses Hotel Ella doesn't scrimp on architectural frills—think neoclassical columns and a two-story wraparound porch. 

But a multi-million dollar renovation led by local architect Michael Hsu has given it a sleek, contemporary interior. Situated in central Austin, Hotel Ella will open on Sept. 25 with 48 rooms, including 10 in the original house. The rest are in an annex that was built in the 1980s; between the two is a lap pool lined with cabanas. Also coming to the property later this fall: Goodall's Kitchen & Bar, which will serve dishes like bacon-wrapped roasted quail and Texas apple cake with blue-cheese ice cream. The London Edition, which just opened in the eclectic Fitzrovia neighborhood, contains a bar, a tavern and a cocktail bar—not entirely surprising given that it's the third outpost of the brand created in partnership with Marriott International MAR +0.63% by Studio 54 founder Ian Schrager. The lobby and its bar are described as "organized chaos," with 24-karat gold floor lamps inspired by Salvador Dalí, as well as modern wingback chairs. The décor of the guest rooms, meanwhile, falls on the calmer end of the spectrum, with oak floors, wood paneling, simple wall-mounted desks and silk-and-linen drapes—all meant to evoke the streamlined interiors of a yacht. Night owls will be happy to know that their options don't stop at drinks—the gym is always open. The distinctive building that was the Buckingham Hotel hosted artists and performers, from Georgia O'Keeffe to Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the composer and pianist who became prime minister of Poland. Next month, two years after closing its doors, the property makes its debut as the Quin (short for quintessential). Designed by New York architecture firm Perkins Eastman, the hotel aims to be luxurious but not ostentatious. Located a block from Carnegie Hall, a few blocks from Jazz at Lincoln Center and a stroll from Broadway, the Quin will have about 170 rooms and 27 suites, including a penthouse triplex with its own 1,200-square-foot terrace. Quarters have leather drawer-pulls and door handles. The linens are by Sferra, beds by Duxiana, in-room coffee machines by Nespresso and toiletries from Fresh. The snacks are "artisanal and organic." In the lobby, two-story columns are clad in leather, and handblown glass chandeliers hang from the ceiling.

Source : online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324549004579065052558610112.html

Top Hotels In South Virginia|"Marriott, Starwood Rise As Wang Seeks To Buy Hotel Chains"

Source              :  bloomberg.com
Category        :  Top Hotels In South Virginia
By                  :  Bloomberg News
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Top Hotels In South Virginia

Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. climbed in U.S. trading after China’s richest man Wang Jianlin said he has hired two investment banks to buy hotel management companies. Marriott gained 3.2 percent, the biggest increase in three weeks, and Starwood advanced 1.4 percent in trading on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday.Wang’s Dalian Wanda Group wants to build hotels in as many as 10 major cities around the world including projects planned for London and New York, Wang said in an interview with Bloomberg News at the World Economic Forum in Dalian yesterday. He didn’t name the investment banks or targets, and said he had been in talks with “several” companies over the past year. “It’s a slow process. Those companies we liked, they might not be willing to sell,” Wang said. “Those willing to be bought, we might sometimes feel the brand isn’t as good. For those open to a sale and at the right price, the negotiations can also sometimes be very tough.”

Wang said he is also in talks with overseas movie theater chains following his $2.6 billion purchase of the second-largest U.S. cinema operator AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. last year. At the time, it was the biggest acquisition of a U.S. corporation by a Chinese company. Wang’s closely held Dalian Wanda Group develops property and shopping malls and runs department stores, luxury hotels and movie theaters. Over two decades, he has built 72 shopping centers throughout China called “Wanda Plazas,” anchored by his company’s department stores, office buildings and cinemas.He said he wants to build five-star hotels at a rate of 15 per year. Wanda has 40 hotels. “Wanda is looking at hotels as this is an important business, and hotels are the biggest luxury item globally, even bigger and more expensive than yachts and planes,” he said.

Dalian Wanda’s revenue will exceed $100 billion by 2020 with least 20 percent of sales coming from outside of China, he said. Wang is accelerating acquisitions overseas as the real estate market in China is overheating.

China’s property market is “definitely” in a bubble, Wang said. At the same time, it is “controllable, not big.”

The Dalian Wanda conglomerate is owned by Wang and his son Wang Sicong. The 58-year-old has a net worth of $13.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Wang said he plans to go forward with plans to sell shares in AMC overseas. Last month, AMC disclosed plans for a U.S. initial public offering, seeking $400 million. The chain may use proceeds to fuel expansion and repay debt, according a regulatory filing. The company had about $2.1 billion of long-term debt on June 30.He acquired a stake in Sunseeker International Ltd., a U.K.-based maker of luxury yachts used in the James Bond movies, for $1.6 billion in June. Wang said he also plans to spend more than $1 billion to build a luxury residential complex along the banks of London’s Thames river.

The billionaire is the oldest of five brothers born to a military family in western China’s Sichuan province, near the border with Tibet. His father fought for Mao Zedong’s Red Army during the Long March campaign in the 1930s, and later against the Japanese in World War II. Wang joined the People’s Liberation Army as a teenager and served for 16 years before he was honorably discharged as an officer. He later landed a job at an indebted residential developer affiliated with the Northern port city of Dalian, changed the company’s name to Dalian Wanda and became the general manager in 1992. He took control in 1998. When asked if he believed his company would become as large as it is today, Wang laughed. “No, I didn’t dare to dream so big then. Then, the thinking was we’d strive for 100 million yuan and that would be enough,” Wang said. “My initial thinking was that I would make some money and provide my family with a better life. But as we expanded, the goal kept changing and kept increasing.”

Source:bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-11/china-s-richest-man-wang-hunts-hotel-management-companies.html

Top Hotels In South Virginia|"Luxury Hotel Set To Open"

Source              :  gulf-daily-news.com
Category        :  Virginia Oceanfront Hotels
By                  :  FRANCES LEATE
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels

FINAL touches are being made to a multi-million dinar luxury hotel ahead of its grand opening in Bahrain next month. Boasting an entire floor dedicated to wellness, a lobby themed on Bahrain's Tree of Life and one of the largest rooms in the country at 125 square metres, the Ramee Grand Hotel and Spa, in Seef District, is the latest addition to the hospitality scene. The hotel opened to guests on August 8, but its official grand opening will take place during the week of October 17. "We wanted to stand out from the crowd and offer something really special," said hotel general manager Romano Salvatore.

"From the minute our guests walk through the door until the time they leave we want them to experience the very best in comfort and to feel really at home. "We are welcoming guests on vacation and those on business but we also offer something for everyone, with hairdressing salons, a health club, spa, a wide choice of food, a pool for adults and children, a sports bar and club." As well as the entire third floor of the hotel hosting a hairdressing salon for men and one for women, the hotel has one of the biggest spas in the country.

The Reborn Spa, Salon and Slimming Wellness Centre features the first couple's Moroccan bath in Bahrain and a state-of-the-art Italian slimming machine, already proving popular in Europe. "Our slimming machine is the first of its kind in Bahrain and is very popular in Italy," said spa and recreation manager Sana Ahmed. "Our clients have 10 sessions on the machines, which works by putting pressure on certain parts of the body and are used alongside a specially formulated healthy eating programme all managed by experienced Italian health and beauty experts." Despite being an Indian hotel chain, visitors to the hotel will spot the Italian theme - which goes far beyond the fine Italian cuisine restaurant and the Italian general manager. There is Italian marble decking at every corner, Italian espresso in the hotel rooms and Italian beauty products for guests. The hotel currently employs 260 staff with another 40-plus due to arrive as the hotel is finished. The final stage of building takes place on the 24th floor, which will host a Japanese restaurant and lounge with 360-degree views of Bahrain.

Source : gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=360961

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels|"Four Seasons Hotels Start A Food Truck"

Source              :  intransit.blogs.nytimes.com
Category        :  Virginia Oceanfront Hotels
By                  :  SHIVANI VORA
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels

Starting on Sept. 16, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is sending a food truck called the FS Taste Truck on an eight-week, eight-city tour in the western United States.The truck will cover 1,000 miles and visit destinations where the brand has properties, including Santa Barbara and Palo Alto, Calif., and Santa Fe, N.M. The vehicle will be parked in a different location daily (consumers can follow it on Twitter with the hashtag #FSTasteTruck) and serve dishes created by chefs from the local property. The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, Calif., for example, will offer short rib quesadillas with Oaxaca cheese and spicy salsa, shrimp tostadas with chipotle remoulade and avocado and tres leches cake with Mexican-chocolate ice cream.

The company is also planning special events that will feature the truck: Arizona will have a Southwest Chile Cook Showdown, where the executive chef Mel Mecinas from Scottsdale, Ariz., and the executive chef Andrew Cooper from Santa Fe, will prepare dishes with  chilies and patrons can vote on which chef they prefer. Guy Rigby, the vice president of food and beverage for Four Seasons in the Americas, said the truck is intended to get Four Seasons chefs engaged in the food truck movement. “Food trucks are very relevant at the moment, and we thought it would be a fun idea to have one connected to the Four Seasons name,” he said. If the venture is successful, the brand is planning to send the truck to more destinations around the country next year.

Source : intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/four-seasons-hotels-start-a-food-truck/?_r=0#h[]

Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels|"Four Seasons Hotels Launches Food Truck"

Source              :  huffingtonpost.com
Category        :  Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels
By                  :  huffingtonpost
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels

With the launch of its signature food truck, Four Seasons Hotels is creating a delicious oxymoron. The truck's goal is to put the high-end, renowned cuisine of the hotel chain on a mobile stage, making it accessible to a wider audience. “Food is a passion for us at Four Seasons and we are always seeking to share that in inspiring and exciting ways, whether it’s through a Michelin-star dining experience or the perfect beer and burger pairing at one of our gastropubs,” Guy Rigby, vice president of food & beverage in the Americas, said in a press release. “We want to keep our chefs engaged in something that is very relevant and the food truck movement fits the bill. It’s fun, unexpected and will foster the notion that Four Seasons does things differently.” Currently, the truck is set to travel to three states on the West Coast and will make stops at eight destinations -- each destination is home to a Four Seasons Hotel, which the truck will use as its base. The truck is set to begin its maiden voyage Sept. 16 in Palo Alto, Calif., and end in Santa Fe, N.M on Nov. 10. The truck won't only be stopping at the hotels though. The FS Taste Truck plans to make stops at landmarks in each destination city and will hold "pop-up parking lot parties," among other festivities. Special events, such as a chef showdown, will be held in select destinations. FS Taste Truck's menu will vary based on its location, drawing inspiration from the city it's stopping in. According to the New York Times, the truck will serve "short rib quesadillas with Oaxaca cheese and spicy salsa, shrimp tostadas with chipotle remoulade and avocado and tres leches cake with Mexican-chocolate ice cream," at the Four Seasons Los Angeles.

Source:huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/10/four-seasons-food-truck_n_3901745.html?utm_hp_ref=travel

Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels|"Losses At Group Operating Gresham & Metropole Hotels Rise"

Source              :  independent.ie
Category        :  Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels
By                  :  GORDON DEEGAN
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Courtyard Virginia Beach Hotels

Accounts just filed to the Companies Office for 2012 and 2011 show that the chief factor behind the losses was a €21m property writedown in 2011. The accounts for Precinct Investments also show that pre-tax losses narrowed sharply from €26.1m in 2011 to €1.26m last year. The group recorded an operating profit of €4m last year and finance costs of €5.3m put the group into the red. The group returned to operating profit in 2012 after its revenues increased by 9pc to €16.5m. According to a note attached to the accounts "the group has experienced an improvement in trade with the hotels continuing to trade ahead of their competitive set, however the group has incurred significant losses and cash outflows due to a high level of debt within the group following its privatisation in 2004 and recent asset devaluations".

The note continues: "Cash flow from operations was positive in 2011 and 2012 and is expected to be positive for 2013 ... Trading to date in 2013 has been satisfactory and is in line with budget." The group had a shareholders' deficit of €110m at the end of December. It employs 184 with staff costs totalling €7.3m, which included €217,000 in redundancy payments. Directors' pay for the year increased from €250,000 to €280,000, which was made up of €100,000 in fees and €180,000 in management services. The figures show the group had bank loans totalling €125.4m. The group's bank borrowings have been transferred to NAMA and a note states that availability of sufficient funds in the year to the end of December 2013 "is dependent on the continued support of NAMA".

The note states: "The directors believe that NAMA will not, in the foreseeable future, call for repayment of the group's debt and will limit interest payments to the amount which the group can generate from its operations." It states that on that basis and the continued positive trading of the group's hotels and the quality of the properties, the directors consider it appropriate that the financial statements are prepared on a going-concern basis.

Source:independent.ie/business/irish/losses-at-group-operating-gresham-and-metropole-hotels-rise-to-274m-29569541.html