Group, Transient Business Becoming One
The line between group business and transient business is blurring, panelists said during the Hotel Data Conference.
Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on 9 September 2013. The article was chosen as part of Hotel News Now’s look back at 10 years of the hotel industry.
Blackstone Could Take Motel 6, Studio 6 Global
On the day its $1.9-billion acquisition of Motel 6 and Studio 6 was finalized, Blackstone's Jonathan D. Gray said “the sky’s the limit” for global growth.
Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on 3 October 2012. The article was chosen as part of Hotel News Now’s look back at 10 years of the hotel industry.
REIT CEOs: Up Cycle Will Last Awhile
The upturn still has a lot of life in it, thanks in part to a continued low level of supply and improvement in business transient demand, top REIT executives said during the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2012 Global Real Estate Conference.
Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on 17 September 2012. The article was chosen as part of Hotel News Now’s look back at 10 years of the hotel industry.
Investors Ready to Walk Back Onto Wall Street
With stocks still priced relatively cheaply, investors are ready to come back to Wall Street—but they’re going to want quality.
Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on 28 January 2010. The article was chosen as part of Hotel News Now’s look back at 10 years of the hotel industry.
Dubai World's Default Could Hinder Industry's Recovery
If representatives from Dubai World and its lenders are unable to work out a modification of US$26 billion of the company’s debt, it could further choke off a supply of capital for hotel owners and developers, some in the industry believe.
Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on 10 December 2009. The article was chosen as part of Hotel News Now’s look back at 10 years of the hotel industry.
3 Ways to Protect Your POS From Hacks
Data hackers are breaking into hotels’ technology infrastructure by way of POS vulnerabilities. Here are three ways to keep these invaders at bay.
GLOBAL REPORT—The point of sale has emerged as the hotel industry’s Achilles’ heel as hackers continue to target guests’ credit card information.
The reason is simple, said s...
SBA Lending Volume Turns Upward
Total SBA loan volumes year to date are up nearly 17% as lenders get more comfortable with the product and the financing environment continues to get clearer.
REPORT FROM THE U.S.—Interest in Small Business Administration loans has spiked considerably so far in 2015.
Year to date through 13 June, the dollar volume of SBA 7(A) and 50...
Experienced GM Values His Complainers
Francois-Olivier Luiggi learned from his grandmother what it takes to serve people. Those early childhood lessons never left him.
NEW YORK CITY—Francois-Olivier Luiggi got a taste (literally) of what it’s like to serve people as a boy growing up in France.
It was there that his family would gather en mas...
The 3 Best Pieces of Advice I’ve Ever Heard
Without a doubt, a hotel GM is my favorite person to interview. You need look no further than these three pearls of wisdom to figure out why.
I’ve mentioned before how much I admire our “Running the Show” series. In case you’re not aware, Running the Show is an occasional series of GM profiles we run. Each of these prof...
Is the Select-service Space Too Crowded?
Select-service hotels are seeing strong performance these days. That means a lot of folks are trying to elbow their way in, panelists said during the NYU Investment Conference.
NEW YORK CITY—Every day at RLJ Lodging Trust, the letters keep coming.
Kate B. Henriksen, senior VP of investment and portfolio analysis for RLJ, said she is constantly being ...
Cambria Finds Brand Champion in Fillmore
Seven years after its launch, Choice’s Cambria brand has 23 properties open. But a recently signed deal with Fillmore Hospitality has the brand poised to take a big step forward.
NEW YORK CITY—Choice Hotels International is looking to spark growth of its Cambria brand. Operator Fillmore Hospitality is looking to play in the upscale, select-service space.
...
MCR Pursuing Smart Hotel Development
The amateurs are staying on the sidelines so far in this hotel cycle, which is helping to elongate the upswing, MCR Development’s Tyler Morse said.
NEW YORK CITY—Tyler Morse isn’t a fan of dentists, but not for the reasons most people aren’t fond of dentists. Yes, they can cause him pain, but the pain is from a shovel breakin...
Airbnb Has NOT Won Anything—yet
Sharing-economy companies are facing their own long road, so calling them the winner in the war for the consumer’s wallet might be a little premature.
Before you get into reading this blog, do me a favor and click on this link. You’re going to need to have this playing in the background to get the full effect of this piece of co...
3 Biggest Blips on Hoteliers’ Radars
Learn how members of the Lodging Industry Investment Council are dealing with the three biggest issues affecting their businesses.
For more on Chinese investment activities around the world, read the HNN special report: “Chinese outbound investment takes flight.”
Steve Wynn for President!
Based on a blog I wrote four years ago and a story he told this week at the NYU Investment Conference, I am proud to endorse Steve Wynn for president in 2016.
I have been a big fan of Steve Wynn for a long time—from October 2011 to be exact. That was when Wynn went full Howard Beale during a Wynn Resorts Limited earnings call. (Editor’s...
LIIC: Industry Settles Into Comfort Zone
Members of the Lodging Industry Investment Council speaking during a pair of HNN roundtables earlier this week couldn’t find much to complain about when it comes to where the hotel industry is in the current cycle.
NEW YORK CITY—Robust. Busy. Exciting. And fun. Those were just a few of the superlatives members of the Lodging Industry Investment Council used to describe the state of the hotel...
3 Ways the Hotel Industry Is Changing
While the industry continues to reap the benefits of performance growth, that doesn’t mean it isn’t in a transformative period, speakers said at the NYU Investment Conference.
NEW YORK CITY—J. Allen Smith has a problem.
“I keep feeling: ‘What should I be worried about?’” the president and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts said Tuesday during a ...
Sheraton Refreshed as Starwood Fate Unclear
Starwood’s reimagining of its Sheraton brand is happening against the backdrop of a yet unclear future for the company overall.
NEW YORK CITY—As rumors continue to swirl regarding the future of the company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is pressing forward with a 10-point overhaul of its iconic Shera...
33 Years Later, Marriott’s Gamble Still Pays
Courtyard by Marriott set the hotel industry on its head when it debuted in 1982. Three decades later, the brand is continuing to evolve to retain its relevancy.
REPORT FROM THE U.S.—In many ways, the Courtyard by Marriott brand is a product of the people.
Paul Novak, who developed the first 225 Courtyard by Marriott hotels, said Marri...
Who Will Win the Starwood Sweepstakes?
If Starwood were to sell a brand or two, who would be the likely buyers? I break down the seven most likely suspects.
In late April, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Chairman Bruce Duncan dumped a stinking heap of chum into the brand consolidation waters. During the company’s first-quarter ear...