Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotels|"Toronto Plaza Hotel Workers Continue 11-Week Strike For Better Wages & Benefits"

Souce           :   thestar.com
Category     :  Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotels
By               :   Jessica McDiarmid
Posted By   :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotels

Striking workers at the Toronto Plaza Hotel are upping pressure on management after nearly 11 weeks on the picket lines have failed to break a labour impasse. About 40 workers at the 200-room hotel near the intersection of Highway 401 and Jane St. walked off the job on May 30 to protest cuts to wages, benefits and pensions, as well as what their union local described as “a culture of disrespect.” On Thursday, the Ontario Federation of Labour plans to hold a rally in front of the hotel on Wilson Ave. to bolster the half-dozen or so workers who have been taking shifts waving placards on the sidewalk. Mohamed Baksh, a representative for the workers’ United Steelworkers local, said employees accepted a wage freeze and cuts to their benefits and pensions in 2011 to help out the struggling business, with the understanding that those would be reinstated in spring of 2013.

“Essentially we gave them a break for two years,” Baksh said. But when negotiations for a new contract began, hotel owner Rehan Chaudary wanted to trim wages and reneged on returning benefits, said Baksh. Wage cuts would range from about $5 per hour to about $1 per hour. The hotel has paid partial costs for workers to retain life, accident and death insurance through the USW, said Baksh. Ionie Anderson worked in housekeeping for 14 years and would see her $13.44 per hour wage fall to $12.44. “All of the cutbacks, dropping the benefits, the pay,” Anderson said of her reasons for picketing. Anderson said her children are grown, which has taken some pressure off her household. But many employees are single parents trying to provide for their families, she said. Callif Smith, a single mother of three, has worked at the hotel since 2000. “I have three kids to send to school. I can’t work part-time for minimum wage,” Smith said. “We didn’t need to go on strike — just give us some benefits. I have small kids, they need benefits.”

Chaudary said the company wants to get their employees back to work and give them “a very good package.” But the recession and the ballooning number of hotels in the area hit the Toronto Plaza Hotel hard. Its rates and occupancy levels have fallen against competition from the likes of the Hilton, Marriott and Holiday Inn chains. Chaudary, who has a number of other companies, said he’s spent millions on the hotel since buying it four years ago, but it has yet to turn a financial corner. “It still doesn’t pay its way, we’re in the negative. Every month I’m putting money in to save this company. We’re struggling,” said Chaudary. “(The workers) got to realize something here. This place is dead. If we don’t have a hotel, they don’t have a job, I don’t have a job … I know it’s a kick in the butt, but you know what? It’s a kick in the butt for me, too.”

Source:thestar.com/news/gta/2013/08/13/toronto_plaza_hotel_workers_continue_11week_strike_for_better_wages_and_benefits.html

Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotels|"Surprise Fees On Your Hotel Bill"

Souce           :   reuters.com
Category     :  Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotels
By               :   Mitch Lipka
Posted By   :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotels

But even Hanson got confused during a business trip a few years ago when a hotel bill included $18 in charges for gratuities. One fee was for a bellman he didn't use and the other was for housekeeping service, even though he had already left a tip. It took some discussion with the manager to get the fees dropped.While travelers were complaining about airline fees - additional charges for putting luggage on planes, reserving seats and other services - the hotel business quietly experimented with fee after fee.The result is that your bill at checkout can be confounding. Hotels are tacking on lots of extra charges in addition to sales tax and the tariffs from cities and states that apply only to the hospitality industry.Common fees include resort usage, airport pickup, parking and gym visits along with charges for room service.

Some of the more surprising charges include a fee for moving items around in the minibar (not actually consuming any), a bellman (whether you use one or not), the room safe (even if you don't stash valuables in it), checking out early, checking in early and upgraded amenities (such as shampoo). And here's a new fee: parking in an open, unattended lot. These charges are most common at higher-end hotels, resorts and properties in urban centers. The new parking fee at suburban hotels is still relatively rare. Most hotels in the middle of the price spectrum - the most popular segment in the U.S. - continue to avoid most fees in favor of offering free Internet, free breakfast and free parking. Fees collected by the hotel industry this year will hit a record $2.1 billion, according to a projection released by NYU's Hanson on Tuesday, who tracks hotel fee trends annually. That is double what consumers paid a decade ago.

Among luxury properties, 99 percent charge for a late cancellation, compared with 29 percent among so-called midscale properties, according to a 2012 study by the American Hotel and Lodging Association. 

The biggest problem with fees, Hanson says, is not disclosing those that are mandatory. Last fall the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to 22 hotel booking companies for leaving details out of the price projection when consumers shopped for hotels. It is now common to find a section on fees on hotel booking sites as well as a disclosure when a "resort fee" applies."Increasingly, hotels give away free breakfast, free Internet, and now some hotels are trying to claw that back with 'convenience fees,'" says Robert Habeeb, president and chief operating officer of First Hospitality Group in Chicago, which operates 53 hotels, mostly in the Midwest. Fees vary at its properties but can include Internet connection fees ($11.95 a day at one property), a pet fee ($50 per stay at another property), breakfast and parking. Hotels watch occupancy trends and change prices - and fees - constantly, Habeeb says. "It has become like you're trading a commodity on the floor of an exchange." Ultimately, he says, "consumers decide what they're willing to pay for and what they're not."

Overall, nearly a quarter of hotels charge for in-room Internet access, according to a 2012 survey commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Wi-Fi charges are most common in so-called "upper upscale" and luxury hotels - with the fee assessed at more than three-quarters of all properties in those categories. Business travelers to big cities, in particular, are targeted for the Wi-Fi charge - which can be as high as $15 a day. "If you're headed to downtown-anywhere, there's a good chance you'll see a Wi-Fi fee on your bill," says Jeremy Murphy, chief executive officer of TheSuitest.com, a travel website that analyzes hotel rooms and prices. NYU's Hanson says it can be tough for consumers to understand what might end up on their bills. "Fees and surcharges are not even uniform across brands," he says. "They can change overnight ... That makes it very difficult for travelers to be aware and anticipate." If you can, find out in advance what the extra charges are, and pay close attention to your bill when you're checking out. Tom Waithe, director of operations for Kimpton Hotels in the Pacific Northwest, encourages hotel guests to challenge charges they disagree with. "The desk has, in many cases, the full ability to reverse a charge or reduce it, but be fair - the charges are often posted in advance," Waithe says.

Source : reuters.com/article/2013/08/14/us-hotels-bills-charges-idUSBRE97D10120130814

Event Hotels in South Virginia|"The Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun All Inclusive Hotel Offers Family Friendly Vacation Packages"

Souce           :   sbwire.com
Category     :  Event Hotels in South Virginia
By               :   sbwire
Posted By   :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Event Hotels In South Virginia

Fiesta Americana, a leading Mexican hotel and resort brand known for its luxurious services and amenities, is now offering all inclusive vacation packages for its hotel in the prime tourism destination in Mexico, Cancun. The Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun Hotel has received the prestigious AAA four-diamond rating, and it’s all inclusive package ensures its visitors have a comfortable, entertaining and memorable vacation by providing accommodations, drinks, dining, entertainment, cultural, recreational & sporting activities all at an affordable fixed price.

Fiesta Americana hotels and resorts are also known for their family friendly atmosphere and for being a veteran in welcoming visitors from around the world and ensuring their experience exceeds the highest expectations. The Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun Hotel is considered as the premier choice for many Cancun tourists as it offers a comprehensive holiday for their families. The Cancun all inclusive package is especially designed to cover all popular Cancun tourist destinations including specific cultural and sporting activities. The package is intended to offer complete relaxation to its visitors by not worrying about the cost of anything after the one time fixed initial payment and also making sure that they do not miss out on anything that Cancun has to offer. 

The Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun Hotel is also popularly known for the numerous meetings and events it holds around the year. Its latest technology based facilities and state of the art meeting rooms and halls have the capability of holding any type of business meetings or conferences. The hotel also hosts many family events for which it is highly praised by its numerous customers. The Cancun all inclusive vacation packages are definitely one of the best ways to explore Cancun in a very relaxing and comfortable manner. Focused on maintaining a friendly atmosphere for all ages, Fiesta Americana hotels and resorts have now become a preferred choice for family vacations in Mexico.

Fiesta Americana is one of the leading upscale Mexican hotel brands located at prime tourist destinations in Mexico. The hotel brand is owned by Grupo Posadas, Inc., a highly reputed Mexican firm operating over 61 hotels including Fiesta Americana Grand, Live Aqua and the Explorean. Through the online platform specific details of the hotels and resorts can be viewed and booked online. Fiesta Americana is known for offering all inclusive special offers for a comprehensive entertaining vacation.

Source:sbwire.com/press-releases/the-fiesta-americana-condesa-cancun-all-inclusive-hotel-offers-family-friendly-vacation-packages-301163.htm

Event Hotels in South Virginia|"Labor Day Boost"

Souce           :   sddt.com/
Category     :  Event Hotels in South Virginia
By               :   San Diego Source
Posted By   :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Event Hotels In South Virginia

Plans to open the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as scheduled on Labor Day are getting a boost.Federal officials have signed off on a temporary fix for cracked seismic safety bolts on the span that could allow for the Labor Day opening. In an Aug. 9 letter, a Federal Highway Administration official says he sees no reason to delay opening the bridge to traffic while the permanent fix is completed. The letter was signed by Vincent Mammano, a division administrator with the FHA and sent to Steve Heminger, head of the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee. Heminger has said the temporary fix involves installing steel plates into the area of the broken bolts to help prevent movement during an earthquake.

A developer is taking legal action against the historic landmark designation for one acre at a former World War II-era internment camp in the San Fernando Valley. The Los Angeles Times reported Snowball West Investments won't stop installation of some sort of commemoration at the site, but the company wants permission to tear down a golf course and build a 220-unit residential community. In June, the City Council voted unanimously to overturn a Cultural Heritage Commission decision and honor the former site of the Tuna Canyon Detention Station, which is now a one-acre oak grove. More than 2,500 Japanese, Japanese Americans, Germans, Italians and Japanese-Peruvians were detained there following Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor.Blackstone Group LP, the largest manager of private equity real estate funds, agreed to sell its London West Hollywood hotel in California to Northwood Investors LLC for $195 million, said a person with knowledge of the deal.

Northwood is under contract to purchase the property, located near Sunset Boulevard and home to restaurants by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the agreement is private. New York-based Northwood was founded by President and Chief Executive Officer John Kukral, who led Blackstone's real estate business until he left the firm in 2005. Blackstone (NYSE: BX) acquired the London West Hollywood, on San Vicente Boulevard, in 2005 as part of its purchase of Wyndham International Inc., and spent $50 million to renovate it. The property became part of Blackstone's LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels unit.Florida plans to file a U.S. Supreme Court lawsuit against Georgia, saying the state is consuming too much water that would otherwise flow to Florida. Florida Governor Scott, a Republican, said Tuesday that the lawsuit will be filed in September, after more than “20 years of failed negotiations” over water distribution between the states. Georgia's water use threatens fisheries in the Florida panhandle city of Apalachicola, along with economic development in the region, Scott said.

“That's our water,” Scott said. “They’ve impacted our families. They’ve impacted the livelihood of people down here.” At a hearing Tuesday in Apalachicola, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, and U.S Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, both blamed Georgia for taking more than its fair share of water.

Georgia's consumption, along with a drought last year, has devastated the oyster industry in Northwest Florida, the Senators said.

Source : sddt.com/News/article.cfm?SourceCode=20130813tde&_t=Labor+Day+boost#.UgsPMtIwdq8

Hotel Reservation In VIrginia Beach|"Agencies Buying Hotel Rooms For Surge Of Mexican Illegal Immigrants"

Souce           :   foxnews.com
Category     :  Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach
By               :   William La Jeunesse
Posted By   :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach

A sudden influx of illegal immigrants from Mexico requesting asylum is overwhelming immigration agents in San Diego, forcing agencies to rent hotel rooms for some undocumented families and release others to cities around the U.S. Documents obtained exclusively by Fox News show Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been paying for hotel rooms for dozens of recently arrived families to relieve overcrowding inside the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa, Calif., processing centers. Some ICE employees are working overtime and others have been asked to volunteer to work weekend shifts. “Duties include intake, placements, transports and release of family groups and unaccompanied minors,” according to a memo obtained by Fox News.The surge has raised suspicions about what is driving the influx, amid claims that illegal immigrants have learned they can attempt to get asylum by using a few key words -- namely, by claiming they have a "credible fear" of drug cartels. 

“This clearly has to have been orchestrated by somebody,” said former U.S. Attorney for Southern California Peter Nunez. “It's beyond belief that dozens or hundreds or thousands of people would simultaneously decide that they should go to the U.S. and make this claim.” Sources say one day last week, 200 border-crossers came through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry claiming asylum while and as many as 550 overflowed inside the processing center there and in nearby San Ysidro. “People were sleeping on floors – they had nowhere to put them,” said one source, a long-time border agent and supervisor. “This shouldn’t be happening. Unless there is an immediate and well-publicized policy change, this situation will become another debacle.” At a hotel near San Diego -- which Fox News agreed not to identify for security reasons -- ICE vans arrived several times over the weekend with immigrant families. They were escorted to the second floor by two armed, uniformed agents. Two border agents secured the entrance and side door. Documents obtained by Fox News show that recently on a single day, dozens of illegal immigrants were being transferred to an area hotel where rooms cost $99 a night. Others were released to addresses in Texas, Florida and even Brooklyn, N.Y.

ICE sources say the addresses are almost always bogus. When they don’t show up for court, they are removed by an immigration judge in absentia. Most of the immigrants came from Mexico, but others listed their native country as Haiti, Romania, Guatemala and Iraq. Some were over age 50, others were under a year old. Thirty were transported to a hotel. Seventy were released around the country. Fox News spoke to four agencies responsible for the San Diego situation last week. All deferred to the Department of Homeland Security press office in Washington, D.C., which issued this statement: “Credible fear determinations are dictated by long standing statute, not an issuance of discretion. The USCIS officer must find that a 'significant possibility’ exists that the individual may be found eligible for asylum or withholding or removal. “If the credible fear threshold is met, the individual is placed into removal proceedings in Immigration Court. The final decision on asylum eligibility rests with an immigration judge.”

It is during this time – during removal proceedings – when illegal immigrants are released. Many don't show up, as 91 percent of asylum claims from Mexico are denied. Asylum claims from Mexico are highly unusual and critics say this is an orchestrated sham – it's not about getting asylum, they say, but about overwhelming the system and getting a free pass into the U.S. and a court date for which no one will show up. “Hundreds of thousands of people have never returned and the list of people for whom warrants are outstanding is phenomenal,” said Nunez. “We have a long history of people absconding from immigration hearings of one sort of another, they just blend back into the community.” ICE sources say an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 illegal immigrants a year do not show up for their court date and disappear into the U.S. The number of asylum claims is on the rise, almost tripling the last four years. Most come from Chinese, Egyptian and Ethiopian immigrants. Fewer than 200 a year come from Mexico, let alone 200 in a day. However, by claiming they have a “credible fear of persecution” if returned to Mexico, the immigrant is entitled to a series of interviews, hearings, proceedings and appeals that can drag on for years.

The initial evaluation usually is done in the border processing center by an asylum officer employed by USCIS. Officials stress that meeting the "credible fear" standard is not a tentative asylum approval. It's simply a step in the process. An immigration spokesman said last week: "The legal threshold for ‘credible fear’ is broad and low to ensure individuals who may face a 'significant possibility' of persecution ... have the opportunity to have their case heard before an immigration judge." Last week, an asylum officer heard the claims of the "Dream 9," nine Mexican nationals brought to the U.S. as children. Even though seven of the nine lived, worked and went to school in Mexico without incident, they were granted asylum. Most thought they would be deported.

“The orders from Washington are to simply turn these people loose,” said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. “All you have to say is you qualify for the Dream Act and/or you intend to apply, and they’re instructed by their higher-ups to simply turn these people loose, to set them free and let them pursue any path they want.” There are 57 immigration courts and 231 immigration judges. Immigration courts handle 280,000 proceedings each year -- an average of 1,243 per year per judge, or four decisions per day. Asylum can be granted if the applicant has suffered past persecution or has a "well-founded fear of persecution" on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political opinion in their native country.

Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach|"Two Vancouver Luxury Hotels Ranked"

Souce           :  http://www.vancouversun.com/
Category     :  Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach
By               :  THE CANADIAN PRESS
Posted By   :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach

The two best hotels in Canada are located in Vancouver, according to U.S. News & World Report, ranking the Fairmont Pacific Rim at No. 1 and the Rosewood Hotel Georgia No. 2. In the publisher's inaugural ranking of Canada's luxury hotels, half of the top 10 were in British Columbia. Toronto and Montreal each had two hotels on the list and Quebec City had one. No. 3 was the Ritz-Carlton in Montreal, followed by the Hastings House Country House Hotel on B.C.'s Salt Spring Island and Auberge Saint-Antoine in Quebec City.

The rest of the top 10: Ritz-Carlton and Trump International Hotel and Tower, both in Toronto; Four Seasons Resort and Residences in Whistler, B.C.; Loden Hotel, Vancouver; and Hotel Le St-James, Montreal. The Fairmont Pacific Rim's central location, versatile amenities and "outstanding service" helped it reach the No. 1 spot, said U.S. News & World Report. Hotels were ranked based on "an unbiased methodology that includes the collective opinion of travel experts and guests, expressed through awards, recommendations and ratings," the publisher said.

Source:vancouversun.com/travel/Vancouver+luxury+hotels+ranked+best+Canada+inaugural+list/8726286/story.html

Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach|"Delhi's Taj Mansingh Hotel To Go Under Hammer Soon"

Souce         :  economictimes.indiatimes.com/
Category     :  Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach
By              :  PTI
Posted By  :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Hotel Reservation In Virginia Beach

Delhi's Taj Mansingh hotel will be auctioned soon and Tata-owned Indian Hotels, which has been running the renowned property for last 35 years, may not get the first right of refusal in the bid.The Home Ministry will soon give a direction to the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), which owns the property located in the heart of the national capital on Mansingh road, to do the needful for its immediate auctioning.Last fortnight, the Ministry had issued a show-cause notice to the NDMC asking it to clarify why the municipal body has been delaying the auction for the past two years. 

"So far, the NDMC has not sent any reply, implying that it has nothing to say. So, we will soon give a directive to the NDMC to start the process of conducting the auctioning immediately," a senior Home Ministry official said. Home Ministry is the administrative authority of NDMC. The property, constructed by NDMC, was given to Indian Hotels Company Limited on lease for 33 years. When the lease came to an end in 2011 and NDMC was about to renew the lease, the Urban Development Ministry intervened and asked it to auction the property. As time was running out, the NDMC gave a year's extension to IHCL. While the company expected the lease to be renewed in October 2012, the process was stalled temporarily as NDMC could not take a final call. The property's lease was again extended. After the NDMC had decided to auction the property, the IHCL approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the process. Though the Tata group company had not got a stay order from the court, it did get an assurance that if NDMC takes steps for vacating the premises, the company could take legal recourse. 

When the Home Ministry asked the NDMC not to give IHCL the first right of refusal while auctioning the property, the civic body went to the Solicitor General to seek opinion on it, an action which annoyed the Ministry. "In the auction, the IHCL may not get the first right of refusal as that will result in a lower bid in the auction," the Home Ministry official said. Though the land belongs to NDMC, the Tata group company has invested a lot in the hotel building. Therefore, the company has objected to being treated as just another licensee that can be replaced at the end of a term.

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/hotels-/-restaurants/delhis-taj-mansingh-hotel-to-go-under-hammer-soon/articleshow/21756132.cms