January 2013

Ron Vlasic likes to talk. It’s a brisk Chicago morning at the Allegro Hotel, Kimpton’s largest property and Vlasic’s home base as regional vice president of hotels for the Midwest, and I’m watching him work the room. You’d think he was running for mayor the way he smiles and introduces himself to guests in the lobby. He loves hearing about why they’re in Chicago. And I don’t think I’ve seen a single hotel staffer pass by that he hasn’t stopped to chat up.

As the American Hotel & Lodging Association chair in 2012, Nancy Johnson made it loud and clear that the $137 billion lodging industry, which employs more than 1.8 million workers nationwide, is a powerful force to be reckoned with. Johnson, the executive vice president of development in the Americas for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and founder of AH&LA’s W...

Strong gains in transient demand over the past few years have led the U.S. lodging industry out of the depths of the recession. However, it wasn’t until 2011 that hotels began to see signs of recovery in the group demand segment. Looking forward, the people responsible for planning meetings and exhibitions are optimistic, and it appears that hotels will continue to see more attendees roaming their hallways in 2013. For several years, PKF has condu...

Kevin Smith, general manager of Cassa Hotel and Residences in New York City, thought he was prepared for anything Hurricane Sandy could throw at him. “I’ve been through severe weather before, as has most of the staff,” he says. “We know the drill.” The hotel followed the disaster plan to the letter, stocking up on water, extra food, flashlights, and emergency supplies. The staff pulled everything off the balconies that wasn’t nailed down and checked the ge...

As the American Hotel & Lodging Association chair in 2012, Nancy Johnson made it loud and clear that the $137 billion lodging industry, which employs more than 1.8 million workers nationwide, is a powerful force to be reckoned with. Johnson, the executive vice president of development in the Americas for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and...

When the Super Bowl comes to town hotel business booms and it can be difficult for hoteliers to stay on top of the madness. As New Orleans hotels ramp up to handle the crowds, Janis Milham, senior vice president and global brand manager for Courtyard by Marriott, has some tips for keeping operations running smoothly. Milham understands the extra stress put on a property and its staff first hand. During the 2008 Super Bowl, when the New York Giants...

In December, the unemployment rate for new veterans spiked to 13.1 percent, up from 11.1 percent in November. These numbers continue to trend higher than the national average. With veterans still struggling to find work, MGM Resorts and the Nevada Red Cross have teamed up to help former military members thrive in hotel positions through a 10-week Boots to Business program. 
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With a strong bench of buyer groups interested in acquiring assets, worldwide hotel deal volume is expected to reach $33 billion in 2013, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s (JLL) Hotel and Hospitality experts. Private equity players, real estate investment trusts (REITs), sovereign wealth funds, and family conglomerates will be among the key buyers. “What’s unique about this time period is the diversity of investor types that are interested in inve...

At 29 years old, Bijal Panwala, also known as DJ Bijal, already has an impressive resume under his belt. In 2005, he was named a “Next Big DJ” by MTV and quickly shot to fame as a mixtape artist and radio host with shows on AOL Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Panwala, who was born in Gujarat, India, developed a cult following in the hip-hop world and has worked ...

With the fiscal cliff temporarily averted individuals and businesses can move into 2013 with a little more tax clarity, but not much. Most industry analysts agree that the deal struck in Congress, which extends unemployment insurance and several popular tax credits while raising rates on families with income above $450,000 and individuals earning more than $400,000, takes the threat of a recession off the table and puts an end to the uncertainty previously...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—LodgeNet Interactive Corporation announced that it will file for bankruptcy as part of an agreement with a syndicate formed by an affiliate of Colony Capital (the Colony Syndicate), a global investment firm with $38 billion in assets under management and a broad range of hospitality and media industry investments. Colony Syndicate will provide $60 million to support LodgeNet's recapitalization and will become the controlling stockholder o...

Optimism prevailed at the 2013 Americas Lodging Investment Summit, which was attended by nearly 2,500 industry leaders this week in Los Angeles. The theme, “On with the Show,” rang especially true, as demand growth continues to outpace supply, revenue per available room (RevPAR) is expected to grow, and transaction volume increases. According to STR data, a record of 91.7 million room nights were sold in the U.S. in December. Hotel executives who ...

Over the last two years, hoteliers saw increases in demand across all the customer segments and this in turn led to healthy increases in hotel room pricing. While rates haven’t quite returned to pre-downturn levels, current pricing trends continue to move in the right direction. Reservation activity data over the past few months for the transient segment shows a booking curve that is shifting up. Travelers are making reservations earlier than they...

January and February mark peak flu season, and public health concerns are top-of-mind for hotel managers, guests, and staff. To ensure your facility is properly equipped to handle a potential outbreak, facility managers need to develop and initiate a comprehensive outbreak prevention plan that will reduce the risk of cross contamination. Use these tips to minimize the havoc that flu season can cause. 1. Systematically sanitize common areas. Make a...

Deepesh Kholwadwala, CEO of Sun Capital Hospitality Management in Albuquerque, speaks for many hotel owners when he says online travel agencies (OTAs) place a high cost burden on hotels. “The online travel agency business is a smart model, but a 23 percent commission is too high for the value these companies provide hotel owners,” he says. “OTAs are necessary for exposure, but there needs to be a better arrangement with Expedia and other OTAs so that owner...

Football’s biggest day means big business to the city that’s lucky enough to be selected to host, and this year is proving no different for New Orleans, whose 35,000 rooms compare well to Indianapolis, the host of the big game in 2012. With less than two weeks before the big event, Expedia Market Manager Ted Bogan, III offers a look at the stats. According to Bogan, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) for New Orleans' hotels is trending almost 20 perc...

When Cambria Suites owners expressed concerns that they weren’t making money on food and beverage, the brand realized it was time to create a new program that would decrease costs, improve the guest experience, and turn the restaurant into a profit center. The original food and beverage concept, which was first introduced when the upscale all-suites brand from Choice Hotels launched in 2005, featured a menu designed around healthy food and health...

Jerry Reyes had a tough act to follow when he took over as the director of housekeeping at the W New Orleans Hotel in 2005: his identical twin brother, Ramon. Jerry not only had to live up to certain expectations because of the fine job Ramon did before leaving to become the director of rooms at the W Hotel Atlanta; he also faced the burden of expectations that came with his co-workers assuming Ramon never left. “For my first year there, everyone ...