As you probably know by now, Brand USA was created as a marketing entity to promote the United States as a travel destination for international travelers. It is the first such entity in the country’s long and proud history. The idea, of course, is to help economic growth and job creation through the important travel and tourism sector. But to promote—as any marketing professional knows—takes money and commitment. What you might not be aware of is that Fiscal Year 2012 is a big year for the new en...

There was quite a bit of anticipation during the second day of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles earlier this week. Many of the nearly 2,500 delegates on hand filed through the metal detectors at the famed Nokia Theater to hear a half-hour keynote address by Donald Trump. But if you were expecting fireworks—especially the political kind—from the normally brash-talking real estate and development mogul and star of the TV show “The Apprentice,” you wer...

Yesterday, President Obama chose “The Happiest Place on Earth” to announce a new national strategy to boost travel and tourism. Judging by the number of endorsements of the Executive Order from industry organizations and hotel companies, the location of the President’s speech was apropos, as it made a lot hoteliers very happy. One of the more satisfying aspects of the speech at Walt Disney Re...

When I first heard New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo discussing the plan to build the country’s largest convention center complex in Queens and to redevelop the existing Javits Center footprint on Manhattan’s West Side, I admit, I was a bit perplexed. I asked myself, “Why on earth would business travelers and conventioneers want to give up the excitement of Manhattan for one of the outer boroughs?” I’ve been attending conferences for years—decades, actually—and any trip to New York u...

Post originally made on January 5, 2012 It’s a new year and time to look ahead to the hotel industry’s 2012 outlook. And, trust me, there’s no shortage of data coming through my inbox these days. Like many of you, this is a time of year in which I look forward. It’s always interesting to see what prognosticators are thinking as we put last year behind us and turn optimistic for a better year to come. <...

There’s no doubt rooftop bars have become a huge trend in hotel design these days, especially in cities such as New York. But are they able to help hotels maximize their revenue? According to a just-released study by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), the answer is yes—at least in Manhattan. In its study, Manhattan Hotel Rooftop Bars and Penthouses – December 2011 , JLL reveals the impact roofto...

In a suite overlooking the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas last week, there was plenty of to talk about. Gathered with other reporters at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas, there was talk of the three-year-old Rush Tower, new eateries, and the resurgence of downtown Las Vegas. But what really caught my interest was what was happening 3,000 miles to the east—in Atlantic City. When L...

Last week eight hotel executives, a marketing executive, and a Nevada state assemblywoman did something that Bill Fortier, senior vice president-development, the Americas at Hilton Worldwide and chairman of the Latino Hotel Association described to those in attendance as “fun, and a bit shocking.” In the Pavilion at Tropicana in Las Vegas, the executives ditched their business suits and donned headgear and boxing gloves and promptly began pummeling each other. <...

Sunday night was another monumental night in the history of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. As it always does during the International Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Show (IHMRS) in New York City, the association celebrated the past year of its outgoing chair and inaugurated its incoming chair. This year that was the inauguration of Nancy Johnson, executive vice president of development for Carlson Hotels. Johnson becomes just the...

What is the role of a hotel in society? It’s a topic I had the opportunity to discuss this week with David Jerome, senior vice president of corporate social responsibility at IHG, during the IHG 2011 Americas Investors and Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. “What should we be doing,” Jerome asked rhetorically. He said that guests influence how that question is answered. For the hotel in...

Earlier this week, TravelClick released its September 2011 North American Hospitality Review with some good news for the hotel industry. The firm, which tracks hotel bookings 12 month into the future, indicated demand for the remainder of 2011 will continue to be strong. And, demand should continue to remain strong for the next year, although some leveling off is to be expected. Earli...

As an editor who makes his living with the written word, it should come as no surprise that I’m an avid reader. I love books, always have, always will. Bill Duncan, global head of Home2 Suites by Hilton and Homewood Suites by Hilton, shares the same passion.   Last week at The Lodging Conference in Phoenix, Ariz., I had a chance to sit down with Duncan to discuss Homewood Suites’ Books for Kids initiative. “I’m an avi...

Editor’s Note: A version of this blog appears in the September 2011 issue of Lodging . Normally in this space, I discuss various issues within the lodging industry, but if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to take the time to remember the nearly 3,000 victims of the horrific terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. As you are aware, this weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. And, if it weren’t for the heroic acts of the pas...

One of the notable aspects of the annual International African-American Hotel Ownership & Investment Summit held by NABHOOD at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Fla., is the large contingent of our industry's future leaders. Of the approximately 300 attendees at the conference, more than 40 hospitality students from schools such as Tuskegee University, Penn State, and the College of The Bahamas, to name a few, were on hand to absorb all of the knowledge they could from hospitality industr...

While there is often a great deal of talk in the media (including this website and Lodging magazine) about hotel development in China, there hasn’t been quite the same amount of coverage about outbound travelers from the country. That’s now changing, as evidenced by two announcements today from hotel giants ...

There’s long been an adage: “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” While that is true in many instances, when it comes to bed bugs and other pests in hotels, that sentiment couldn’t be further from the truth. For hotels, insects and other pests such as birds and rodents can cause havoc for guests and for a hotel’s bottom line. This is particularly true of bed bugs—those much publicized night stalkers that creep people out so much that some have gone as far as to file lawsuits against busin...

After two days at HITEC 2011 in Austin, Texas, it’s clear that the hospitality industry’s top techies have a keen understanding of the direction hoteliers are seeking to take as they move on through a slow-moving economic recovery. While there isn’t much in the way of an specific theme to this year’s gathering of top technology suppliers, hotel technologists, and other assorted hoteliers, it’s easy to see that the technology on display is geared toward hoteliers’ quests to satisfy the eme...

A few weeks ago, Hilton Hotels & Resorts announced that it was making a switch to Peter Thomas Roth amenities in its bathrooms. Roth is a renowned designer of upscale skin care and bath products and his products are often seen on QVC. The products are replacing La Source amenities from Crabtree & Evelyn. Recently I caught up with Dave Horton, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts via e-mail and discussed why the ...

I Just returned from the 33rd Annual NYU International Hospitality Investment Conference, and this year there were a number of issues on the table. Before I get into those, let me tell you, that the mood of the more than 1,800 hoteliers, developers, and other assorted attendees this year came across as much more relaxed than at this show last year. That’s to be expected as the industry as whole has started to see the light at the end of tunnel of the recession beginning to emerge slowly, ...

While mattress encasements have become well known for their protection against bed bugs—and who wouldn’t be attracted by that fact alone—they are designed for more than keeping those pesky little critters at bay. The fact is that while they do a wonderful job of protecting mattresses from being ruined by bed bugs, they also protect expensive mattresses from people and allergens. I recently spoke with James Bell, CEO of Protect-a-Bed, about this fact. Bell will be speaking at The B...

I spent last week in Las Vegas for the annual Hospitality Design (HD) Expo. Per usual at events such as this, I met with several vendors of hospitality-centric products and services, and searched for emerging trends among the exhibitors and attendees. This year, much of the talk centered on renovations, or more precisely, the inevitable glut of hotel transformations soon to come. While lending remains in limbo, and while the industry continues to endure an over-abundance of product, the industry i...

Admittedly, I’ve always been somewhat of a minimalist. I have no use for clutter, especially unnecessary items that take up space, or require being moved to make room for my laptop or to simply get into bed at night. I’ll also admit that I’m not your average traveler. I travel often for my job, as you might expect, and, also not surprisingly, I spend a great many room nights in hotels across the country. So, I’m pretty accustomed to the drill. So take all of that into account when you rea...

What started during the days of Prohibition, before there was even a Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, has now become a traditional event that is highly anticipated by the school’s alumni and industry professionals around the country. This weekend, The Hotel Ezra Cornell was held for the 86th year, this edition of the student-run hotel conference featured some discussions on the biggest topics of the day from some of the most prominent names in the hospitality industry. And, of co...

This weekend I made the four-hour drive to Ithaca, N.Y., from my home in New Jersey, for The Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC), the annual hospitality conference—now in its 86th year—organized and managed by students in Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. I came away from the conference with a great deal of confidence in our industry’s next generation of leaders. If I hadn’t known that the entire conference was staffed and managed by students, I wouldn’t have been any the ...

More than 200 industry representatives spent a day on Capitol Hill on March 16 as part of this year’s American Hotel & Lodging Association Legislative Action Summit. While many of the issues the industry discussed with legislators are extensions of ongoing issues—occupancy taxes, the Employee Free Choice Act, and the Travel Promotion Act, to name some of the highlights—many of the legislators in Congress are new to some of these discussions. And...

With its announcement this week that it will make a more than $40 million investment to install 50,000 Samsung flat-screen TVs in its properties, La Quinta is taking a different approach to the traditional setup of guestroom televisions. In fact, the brand’s chief information officer Vivek Shaiva sees the initiative as a way of looking beyond today and seeing into the future—or more precisely, being prepared for what we can’t see in the future. I’ve long been frustrated with the limited am...

In front of a packed press conference at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in San Diego, Calif. this week, veteran hotelier and former chair of the American Hotel & Lodging Association John Russell and his partners from the newly formed venture Advaya Hospitality unveiled the name and concept of its new brand. In November, Russell and Advaya announced the formation of the new company with the promise of further details concerning the brand's launch. This week, the company delivered on that p...

Today is traditionally the biggest travel day of the year and millions of Americans will hit the road, hop on trains, and board airplanes. (I’ll refrain from any comments on the new TSA security procedures at this time.) For many, they’ll be heading to visit with family and friends, bound for feasts and good times. Many people will choose to stay the weekend at the homes of those families and friends, but maybe they should ...

“It’s been a long summer, a very rewarding summer, but a long summer. Our team is thrilled to get the hotel opened again.” That’s one of the comments David Kloeppel, president and CEO of Gaylord Entertainment, said to me in a phone conversation just a few weeks ago. Indeed, it’s been a trying summer for Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tenn. As you’ll recall, the property was forced to close its doors last spring after sustaining extensive damage during the flooding in Nashville. As ...

The Olympic flame was lit as Best Western members converged on the Vancouver Convention Centre as the hotel company took its annual convention to Western Canada. Inside, members heard more about the launch of the company’s descriptor strategy as well as updates on technology, operations, and marketing. Over the course of the convention, members even got an up close look at one of the company’s newest initiative to promote its pet-friendly hotels when Cesar Millan, also known as “The Dog W...

Did you watch Choice Hotels’ president and CEO Steve Joyce, or should I say Jack Parker, on Undercover Boss last night? Quite interesting, and if you have it waiting on your DVR, I won’t spoil it. However, last week, I had the chance to speak with Joyce about his experience and after watching the program it’s apparent that Joyce found the experience not only rewarding in terms of strumming up a little recognition for Choice Hotel brands, but also for the fact that he was able to ga...

As hotel companies look to grow their portfolios, especially overseas, there has been a lot of talk about staffing.  As recently discussed on this website, major universities such as Florida International University have begun hospitality education programs to teach a new generation of hospitality workers in places such as China the western model of hotel operations (see “ Hospitality Education in China ”).  But current ...

Yesterday, I had a follow-up phone conversation with Mike Garcia, CFO and senior vice president of acquisitions and development for Omni Hotels & Resorts, to discuss the Irving, Texas-based company’s big announcements on Tuesday. On that day, Omni made two major acquisition and development announcements. First, the company announced it was the successful bidder for the r...

The other day American Express released the result of its Global Customer Service Barometer, which explores attitudes and preferences toward customer service. Conducted in 12 countries, including the U.S., the findings reiterate the importance of excellent service, especially in today’s economic environment. What is most notable about the survey’s results is that as American consumers need to be ever-more choosy about where they spend their dollars, they are sticking with companies that offer the...

At the 19th Annual general managers conference held by Chesapeake Hospitality, a third-party management company based in Maryland, the company's general managers weighed in with their thoughts on the industry climate. In a survey conducted at the event, the GMs said they had a positive, but cautious, optimism regarding the outlook for the hotel industry for the remainder of the year. More than one-third of attendees said they are experiencing growth in corporate business, while another 27 percent have se...

We're living in a mobile world, and travelers are, by definition, no exception. So what do travelers want from their apps?  According to a recent survey from Omni Hotels & Resorts,  business travelers ranked adjusting travel plans, making dinner reservations and checking into hotels as three of the top four “must-have” mobile applications. The survey asked road warriors about mobile and social application preferences and usage, and it found that access to these tools were an in...

At the 32nd Annual New York University International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference this week, some investors were announcing funding and searches for acquisitions. Capital Hotel Management, a hotel investment, advisory, and asset management firm, announced that it has formed CHM Partners to acquire hotels primarily as a co-investor with other equity partners. CEO Ken Wilson said, “We believe the timing is right to return to our original strategic platform and to again invest in hotels to tak...

While I was in New York earlier this week, I had the chance, along with some of my fellow members of the press, to take a hard-hat tour of the soon-to-open (July) Intercontinental Times Square. The hotel will have 607 keys and 29 suites, and as GM Drew Schlesinger says, “one really spectacular suite.” (See above.) First, a little about the hotel: The building is made with natural woods and marble, and each elevator has different artwork. There will be a Todd English-run restaurant as well. O...

I just came back from the 32nd Annual New York University International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference at the New York Marriott Marquis. So what’s the buzz? The hotel executives on hand expressed more optimism concerning the lodging industry’s recovery as demand returns, but they also remained on the look out for when rates will begin to increase. During the opening panel, David Kong, president and CEO of Best Western International; Mark Hoplamazian, president and CEO of Hyatt H...