Marriott to become sole owner of luxurious boutique hotel company

Marriott International has made a formal request to acquire 100 percent ownership of boutique hotel company Design Hotels. Starwood Hotels snapped up a 72 percent stake in Design Hotels in 2011 and once Starwood was acquired by Marriott in 2016, that stake moved over to the Marriott also. Since then, Marriott has gained 95 percent ownership of Design Hotels and is now planning to acquire the remaining five percent. According to various news sources, Marriott hopes for the deal to conclude within three months from now, making a cash offer to the existing shareholders of Design Hotels.
  
A spokesperson for Marriott International explained, “Marriott now has 95 per cent ownership of Design Hotels shares, and German law permits a company owning 90 per cent or more to initiate a process to obtain the remaining shares. ”Design Hotels said the move would not change how the company does business. A spokesperson said, “As the merger squeeze-out is a corporate organisational development and we do not plan changes to the way we operate the business, there is no impact to the senior leadership team.”

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Coralie Morales Appointed Director of Sales At Al Maha Arjaan by Rotana in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Al Maha Arjaan by Rotana recently announced the appointment of Coralie Morales as the hotel's Director of Sales. In this role, Coralie will be an integral part of the hotel's commercial strategy committee and will be leading the sales team towards achieving the property's sales and revenue targets.

Coralie has almost ten years of hospitality experience in the UAE with various positions in sales. In 2017, she joined Rotana as a Sales Manager and her last position was Assistant Director of Sales at Rotana's Capital Centre Complex.

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Hotel Internet Services Showcases Advances in Contactless Guest Service and Entertainment Personalization Along With Latest in Wi-Fi Connectivity at Cyber HITEC 2020

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, is set to offer an opportunity for industry professionals to learn about the latest technologies capable of meeting new guest expectations for safer, more connected and personalized hotel experiences at this year's Cyber HITEC. As an official exhibitor of the virtual event taking place October 27-29 and with attendees able to visit the virtual booth until November 25, HIS will demonstrate how comprehensive in-room entertainment and guest service solutions such as BeyondTV can enhance social distancing and contactless interaction while maximizing convenience and satisfaction. HIS will further provide insight into how hoteliers can cost-effectively update their Guest Wi-Fi networks to meet demands for ever faster, more secure and always reliable online connectivity.

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UAE affirms commitment to rescuing travel & tourism

The UAE has affirmed its commitment to supporting global travel and tourism at a time when the coronavirus is causing havoc. Speaking at the G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME), said the pandemic has brought about an opportunity for tourism to come back triumphant.

Al Falasi explained that the virus has transformed not only travel and tourism but the entire globe, changing daily lives and behaviours of billions.

He added: "We, in the UAE, believe that there is an opportunity generated along with every challenge and that the exposure to shocks makes us stronger and resilient in the face of future crises. Therefore, we are confident that the tourism sector, although it is the most affected by the pandemic, will emerge stronger, faster and more resilient."

While the oil-rich UAE capital continuously works to diversify its economy, the emirate of Dubai has long been a tourism hub in the Middle East. The modern metropolis saw an all-time high of 16.73 million overnight visitors in 2019 according to The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism). Tourism spending last year amassed to US$27.9 billion.

Stacey Washburn Appointed Director of Sales and Marketing At Cambria Hotel Sonoma Wine Country

As Director of Sales & Marketing, Washburn played a key role in the hotel's grand opening this summer, by leading the sales and marketing team and overseeing all revenue and distribution management. After obtaining her Masters of Arts in Marketing Communications from Emerson College.

Washburn spent 10 years in various sales and marketing roles with industry-leading organizations such as Marriott International, including Sales Manager, Western Mountain Pacific; Sales Executive, Marin County and Emeryville; and Assistant Manager of Room Operations. She was also Sales Manager at Oxford Inns, Suites & Hotels, where she prospected new business leads and negotiated accounts. While Washburn has lived on both coasts, she has found a true home in Sonoma County, where she currently resides with her husband and beloved cat.

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Kempinski Hotel Muscat appoints first Omani female hotel manager

Kempinski Hotel Muscat has become the first hotel in the Sultanate to employ an Omani female hotel manager. Nadine El Assaad Al Bulushi will now be at the forefront of hotel operations, moving up from her previous role as EAM.

El Assaad brings more than 20 years of experience to her new position, having previously supported the openings of Hyatt Regency Taba, Egypt, and Park Hyatt Dubai, UAE, as part of the opening task force.

In 2006, she became director of revenue and later DOSM with Radisson Hotel Group, supporting the opening of Radisson Blu properties across South Africa. She later moved onto a cluster role as EAM and director of revenue at Radisson Blu Muscat and Sohar.

Speaking about its new hotel manager, Kempinski Hotel Muscat said in a statement: “Her excellence and hard work, during these unprecedented times of the Covid-19 outbreak, even beyond her duties, have been a great inspiration to us all, and her compassion for each employee has proven her truly worthy of this promotion.”

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John Burns Appointed Senior Advisor At PROVision Partners in New Smyrna - FL, USA

PROVision Partners ("PROVision"), a leading global travel and hospitality advisory firm, announces the appointment of John Burns as a Senior Advisor. Burns, identified by Lodging Magazine as one of the top ten hospitality experts changing the travel industry, brings over 28 years of consulting expertise to the firm. In his role with Provision Burns will not only support the firm's growth strategy but will also be available as a resource on key engagements.

Burns has performed consulting services on an international basis specializing in assisting chains and independent hotels. He is recognized as a leading expert in planning, assessing, and optimizing core technologies including central reservations, property management, electronic distribution, revenue management, and call centres.

In 2006 Burns was inducted into the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame. That same year he also received the International Society of Hospitality Consultants' Pinnacle Award recognizing his expertise as a consultant in his field of specialization. He is active in HEDNA, HFTP, HTNG, and HSMAI.

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Vishal Daga Appointed Vice President of Business Development At Capella Hotel Group in Singapore, Singapore

Capella Hotel Group has appointed Vishal Daga as Vice President of Business Development. A proven track record for developing luxury hotel brands including Taj Hotels, Six Senses Hotels & Resorts and Rosewood Hotel Group, Vishal will play an instrumental role in growing Capella Hotel Group's global portfolio of award-winning hotels and resorts.

Vishal joins Capella Hotel Group from Rosewood, where he was most recently the Senior Director of Development for APAC, in charged of sourcing and acquisition of new projects within the region. Prior to this, he spent almost ten years with Six Senses; joining as a Development & Corporate Finance Manager before being promoted to Corporate Director of Development with the primary responsibility of negotiating agreements with owners, investors and developrs to expand the company's portfolio. Nicholas Clayton, CEO of Capella Hotel Group, said, "We are delighted to welcome Vishal to the team. 2020 has been an important year for the development and growth of our brands. Vishal's substantial experience, coupled with his passion for pursuing excellence, will only further our efforts to be the undisputed service leader in each of our destinations."

Capella Hotels and Resorts was recently voted No. 2 Hotel Brand in the World.[1] Their global expansion plans are on track; the highly-anticipated Capella Bangkok opened in October this year, featuring expansive suites and villas overlooking the Chao Phraya River, as well as three-Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco's first foray into Asia. Also set to unveil in December 2020 is Capella Hanoi, a Bill Bensley-designed boutique hotel with 47 individually-styled suites that celebrate Opera In the Roaring Twenties. Next year, Capella Hotel Group will be launching a new sophisticated lifestyle brand - Patina Hotels & Resorts. Patina Maldives, Fari Islands will be the first opening, with properties in Ubud, Bali, Sanya, China, and Osaka, Japan also in development.

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Claire Van Eeghen Appointed COO At Eden Hotels in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Eden Hotels expands its management. Claire van Eeghen will start this week, on 19 October, as Chief Operation Officer (COO) and in that capacity will be operationally responsible for the hotel group. This new development is in line with Eden Hotels' intended growth strategy, which focuses not only on Dutch cities but also abroad. Van Eeghen studied commercial economics and business economics and previously worked as Director Customer Service Europe at Air France and KLM Cargo. She will be the third board member of the hotel group next to General Manager Léon Dijkstra and Financial Director Joost Peeperkorn.

Commercial and customer service experience Van Eeghen sets to work with the objective of further improving Eden Hotels' customer and quality experience. She has broad commercial and customer service experience, of which the last fourteen years have been with KLM. In her new role at Eden Hotels she manages the General Managers of the hotels and the heads of the expertise teams. In addition to operational management, Van Eeghen will also be responsible for human resources, brand experience, commerce, quality and operations / purchasing. Joost Peeperkorn will be in charge of finance and ICT and will also focus on financing options for further growth of the hotel group.

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Herman Kemp Appointed General Manager At Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Hyatt has appointed renowned hospitality professional Herman Kemp as general manager of Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, the largest internationally branded hotel in the heart of Cambodia's capital.

A Dutch national with extensive experience in Southeast Asia, Kemp will oversee the pre-opening of the 247-room property, which will become the first Hyatt Regency hotel in Cambodia when it opens its doors in the first quarter of 2021.

Kemp brings more than 20 years of hospitality experience to Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, in a career that has taken him to acclaimed hotels and resorts in The Netherlands, Indonesia and Cambodia. Most recently, he was general manager of Park Hyatt Siem Reap from 2016 to 2019, before relocating last year to lead the new Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh and its team of local talent and hotel Ambassadors.

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Salah Hamdan Mohammed Al Mamari Appointed General Manager At Radisson Blu Hotel, Sohar, Oman

Radisson Hotel Group has appointed Salah Hamdan Mohammed Al Mamari as general manager of Radisson Blu Hotel, Sohar, strengthening local employment in the hospitality sector.

Born in Oman, Al Mamari has worked in hospitality since 2004 where he joined the InterContinental Muscat. He was soon offered a position at Crowne Plaza, Muscat as duty manager, before rejoining the InterContinental heading up the front office and rooms division department.

In his new capacity, Al Mamari will lead the entire hotel's management and operations, deploying plans to strengthen the hotel's performance.

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An Initiative to Train & Certify the Rural Pockets to Boost Rural Tourism amidst Pandemic by NOM

An initiative to educate communities all across rural villages and empower them with various facets of health, hygiene, sustainability, and responsible tourism practices 

India, October 20, 2020: NotOnMap and Help Tourism in association with ICRT India (The International Centre for Responsible Tourism) backed by Booking.com, has come up with an ingenious project, “TraVival”. NotOnMap is a sustainable and Socially-driven initiative that works with an aim to empower local and rural communities. The initiative TraVival has come up at a time when the entire world is struggling to keep up with the pandemic; this project aims to aid rural India to manage the impact of COVID crisis on Travel and Tourism.

The initiative will be coming up with a series of 150+ training videos in over 18 regional languages divided in 12 modules for Homestay owners, Village Panchayats, Teachers/Youth and Women of villages and travelers across India thus covering all stakeholders of ‘Rural Tourism’ in India. The entire training will be kept as open source, free of any expenses and it aims to touch around 1 lac villages in India in next 1 year. The project is an outcome of 3 months of continuous efforts after conducting more than 30 webinars involving over 2000 community members and around 50 organizations from across 17 states in India.

NotOnMap is a sustainable and Socially-driven initiative with an aim to empower local, rural communities by helping them capitalize on their untapped culture and heritage value, realized the need for this in these times for rural pockets and created pool of expert think tanks from industry who came together to conceptualize, design and execute “Project TraVival- Training for Travel Revival” exclusively for Rural communities. Today in these times, when rural pockets of India are dried up economically and socially due to no business, TraVival plans to help in such rural parts categorically with the training for travel revival, and follow the extensive SOP for the COVID-19 prevention while enabling the business to sustain and grow.

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Time to explore Areas which are not on the map

The Best Hotel Reopening Email Campaigns

In our recent Email Benchmark Report, it was overwhelmingly clear that email is the preferred channel of communication for marketing and businesses. With the shift towards contactless technology and social distancing measures still in place, email continues to be one of the most effective ways to stay connected and communicate with hotel guests.

While personalized marketing emails are important, pre-stay communications are also top of mind for hotel guests. Hotel News Now conducted a hotel guest satisfaction survey which showed that 'pre-stay communications are very important to guests and overall satisfaction scores fall approximately 66 points when pre-stay communications don't happen'. Guests want to feel prepared for their hotel stay, so it is key to update with them with information around new mandates and safety protocols on-site.

As summer comes to a close in the Northern Hemisphere, we'd like to share with you the best reopening emails we've seen over the last few weeks. Each email was carefully selected based on email design, content and offer. We are proud to share these with you, as it is a testament to the hard work our customers put into delivering the very best for their guests during these unprecedented times. These emails are just a snapshot of how our customers are communicating with their guests and offering a safe, stress-free guest experience.

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A Budget Opportunity To Invest In Your Brand

Travel is currently a strange beast. Each destination has its own restrictions and regulations. Italy, for example, is proposing people wear masks even whilst outdoors where Sweden seems to be back to a level of normality.

Requirements can even vary from town to town and street to street. In the UK, where local lockdowns alter what is permitted from one week to the next it can be hard to know how to respond. In some areas, total closure has been the only option and this has been traumatic for many well-known brands. Premier Inn owner Whitbread only recently announced it was to cut 6,000 jobs as a result of a dip in demand.

Despite the emergence of a second wave of COVID, travel is still possible and the industry is continuing to open up overall- but it must do so in a way that recognises the altered landscape and work to accommodate not only regulatory concerns, but new customer needs.

Budget travel is in a particularly strong position to capitalise on a slowly emerging sector. They are expected to see growing traffic numbers as constantly fluctuating local lockdown measures look set to inspire more spontaneous but local trips. A quick weekend break has much less at stake than a two-week long-haul holiday that could mean a long quarantine after.

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NSW announces further easing of restrictions

Hospitality venues in New South Wales can now accept bookings for groups of up to 30 people from Friday 23 October.

Physical distancing rules continue to apply: venues can have one patron per 4 square metres indoors while those that use electronic entry recording can have one patron per 2 square metres outdoors. Mingling is still prohibited, with guests required to be seated.

Venues are currently limited to a maximum capacity of 300 people. For venues with multiple areas this limit applies to each separate area.

All venues should businesses must implement electronic contact tracing methods, such as QR codes, before taking advantage of the eased restrictions.

With homes still considered high risk environments, Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged the public to consider making bookings at COVID-Safe venues for any festive season celebrations.

“Now this is good news to allow people to prepare for Christmas and the celebrations over summer,” said Ms Berejiklian. “Interestingly, the health experts agree, and have given us advice, that it could be actually be safer to go to a restaurant or hotel or somewhere that’s COVID-Safe for your Christmas lunch… and we want everyone to plan ahead for that.

“These changes will provide a big boost to our hospitality venues. As we ease restrictions and find new ways to get businesses moving it is vital that customers and venues continue to be COVID-Safe.”

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Leading Hotels of the World Adds 12 Members

NEW YORK—The Leading Hotels of the World Ltd. (LHW) has added 12 new members to its portfolio. LHW’s fall collection is defined by their independence and their deep cultural connections within their destinations. Property additions include hotels around the globe that are set in restored monasteries, luxurious tented camps, expansive farm estates and even new waterfront masterpieces.

“It is my pleasure to welcome these 12 distinguished new members to our LHW community of more than 425 hotels around the world. Our newest additions embody our community’s commitment to being the leader of independent, luxury hospitality. The hoteliers within these properties demonstrate the creativity and agility that makes the experience of independent hotels so special,” said Shannon Knapp, president/CEO, The Leading Hotels of the World. “For more than nine decades LHW has been at the forefront of creating the highest standards that have set the bar for worldwide luxury hospitality. The passionate hoteliers of LHW have welcomed guests for generations with remarkable care and we are certain these 12 new members will continue this proud tradition of excellence.”

New to The Americas

Nobu Hotel Chicago (Chicago, U.S.)
Nayara Tented Camp (La Fortuna, Costa Rica)

New to Europe
Grand Park Hotel Rovinj (Rovinj, Croatia)
Relais San Maurizio (Santo Stefano Belbo, Italy)
Verdura Resort, a Rocco Forte Hotel (Sicily, Italy)
São Lourenço do Barrocal (Monsaraz, Portugal)
Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine (Sardon de Duero, Spain)
Anantara Villa Padierna Palace (Marbella, Spain)
La Reserve Eden au Lac Zurich (Zurich)

New to Asia
The Murray Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR, China)
The Kahala Hotel Resort Yokohama (Yokohama, Japan)
Capella Bangkok (Bangkok)

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Hotels, SaaS and ‘The Great Leap Forward’ - Gregg Wallis

VANCOUVER—Hotel Business spoke with Michael Driedger, cofounder of Operto Guest Technologies, who recently stepped down from his position as CEO, to get his take on how the COVID-19 has affected hotel technology, specifically software as a service (SaaS) offerings.

2020 has been the year in which everything changed for global business and the hospitality industry. Where do you think the opportunities lie for hotels to capitalize on the current situation and make progress into 2021?

 Hotels have a real chance to leapfrog over legacy technologies that were just “placeholders” for modern software as a service (SaaS) offerings. A good example of this is the hotel door lock that can be opened with a phone app. While that seemed great at the time, it only dropped front desk visits by less than 20%. The app was confusing and hard to use. Guests were perplexed by the process and needed education. Now there are smart locks that can be opened with a phone or a code. A code has a 99% success rate at allowing people to skip the lobby and get into their room.

Examples like this have happened alongside the emergence of multichannel and automated hotel booking software, which are better than anything from five years ago and constantly improving. Since these new SaaS companies are based on a monthly subscription, hotels are always going to have access to the newest and best—upgrading is no longer a large, fear-inducing project. Contactless and online experiences are going to be easier to offer and that’s really what guests have been wanting for some time.

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Accor Implements All Safe in Hotels and Resorts Worldwide

PARIS—Following operational disruptions stemming from COVID-19, Accor has successfully reopened most of its hotels with 95% of them having already adopted the group’s All Safe cleanliness and hygiene protocols jointly developed with Bureau Veritas. To date, Accor has successfully certified 65% of these hotels with the All Safe label through a third-party review and accreditation process with professional auditors like Bureau Veritas, SGS, Clifton and Ecolab, and is working to have additional hotels independently verified as All Safe compliant over the coming months.

“At Accor, we are grateful for the trust our guests have placed in us to protect their health, safety and well-being and this is a responsibility we prioritize above all else,” said Chris Cahill, deputy CEO hotel operations. “Throughout this difficult year, our hotel teams have risen to the challenge of enhancing their already stringent protocols and following increased public safety regulations while continuing to welcome, safeguard and take care of others; this remains at the very heart of what we do and who we are as hoteliers.”

Proprietary research undertaken by Accor over June/July 2020 indicates that a hotel getaway ranks among the top three activities that Accor guests feel ready to do over the coming months, in addition to going to a beach and visiting friends and family at home. While consumer spending intentions in the travel sector remain low compared to pre-pandemic levels, 75% of consumers say they would feel comfortable staying in a hotel where they can rely on high-standards of cleanliness and professional staff.

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Hotel Owners Launch 10,000 Letter Campaign to Save America’s Hotels

ATLANTA—America’s hoteliers forcefully answered a call to action by AAHOA, sending more than 10,000 letters to Congress and the Trump administration as part of the “10,000 Letters, One Purpose” campaign. Hotel owners and members of the hospitality industry were called on to write to their lawmakers and the White House to implore the two branches to pass a stimulus package that would help ease the unprecedented liquidity crisis gripping the hotel industry. With the initial goal achieved within hours of the campaign’s launch, AAHOA is urging more members to make their voices heard in the hopes of doubling the amount of engagement.

“Over half of America’s hotels are at risk of foreclosure because of the pandemic,” said AAHOA president/CEO Cecil Station. “America’s hoteliers and small businesses need a lifeline. I am proud of how America’s hotel owners responded to the ‘10,000 Letters, One Purpose’ campaign. So many of their livelihoods are at risk. Hoteliers are being pushed to the brink while Washington politicians play games with vital funding. Every day that passes, hard working hospitality workers lose their jobs, and hotel owners lose their businesses. It’s time for our leaders to step up for the small businesses and their employees that are being crushed by the pandemic and deliver a meaningful stimulus package.”

In addition to personally sending letters to their elected officials, AAHOA members are actively recruiting other hotel owners and industry partners to participate in the campaign. Hoteliers are asking elected officials to prioritize five specific areas in the stimulus package: authorize a second round of Paycheck Protection Program funding for the hardest hit small businesses; provide more resources for the Economic Injury Disaster Program; extend temporary relief from troubled debt restructurings through Jan. 1, 2023 to ease pressure on borrowers; resolve the commercial mortgage-backed security loan crisis; and allow hoteliers to access the Main Street Lending Program.

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Dublin's Hard Rock Hotel Nominated For 'Best New Hotel In Europe' Award

Dublin's Hard Rock Hotel has been nominated for the "Best New Hotel in Europe" award in the 2020 World Travel Awards.

As reported by rte.ie, Dublin's Hard Rock Hotel, which is located in Temple Bar, is the only Irish nominee in the category, which also includes the Mandarin Oriental of Lake Como, Italy, the Nobu Hotel of Barcelona, Spain, the Savoy Palace in Portugal and the Amara Hotel in Cyprus.

Hard Rock Hotel General Manager Statement

Rte.ie quotes the general manager of Dublin's Hard Rock Hotel, Sinead Derham, as saying, "At the beginning of 2020, we were so excited to open our doors as Ireland's first Hard Rock Hotel and begin to welcome guests from all over our country and all over the world. Less than a month later, we had to close again due to COVID-19, so it hasn't been the best start to launching a new hotel.

"However, when our doors have been open, the feedback from guests has been just fantastic - from the incredible music themed interiors and high spec finish throughout to the extensive art and memorabilia collection, and our Peruvian inspired bar and restaurant, Zampas.

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