Holiday Cabins Canada

Ref: P53 - Hotel in Niagara Canada

2006-12-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

Ref: P53 - Hotel in Niagara Canada

High-end hotels go the extra mile to please
Mar 30, 05 1:52 am
To attract and retain clients, local hotels are providing an increasing array of amenitiesSome guests like the amenities at top hotels so much that they want to take some of them home with them.
As a result, The Four Seasons Resort and Club is selling mattresses like those used in the hotel through its guest shop.
Despite their prices -- from $1,100 to $2,100 -- guests are snapping up the beds, and springing for linens and pillows too.
"Our best amenity is the Four Seasons bed," said Steve Shern, director of rooms at the Irving resort. "We're always receiving guest comments about what a restful night they've had."
It's just one offering from a slate of amenities that include 24-hour technology troubleshooting and room and concierge service. The hotel upgraded its spa last year to include relaxation rooms and other offerings, Shern said.
Guests also can take advantage of the resort's fitness center, tennis courts and award-winning golf course.
Yet to the resort's business-traveler guests -- the bulk of its business -- consistency and excellent, personalized service are more important than gadgets and goodies.
That includes placing room-service menus in the town cars that pick up guests at the airport, so that dinner is ready when they reach the resort. Curbside check-in is another amenity that speeds frequent guests through the process.
"It's the little extra touches that count," Shern said.
Travelers find an amenity-rich array of hotels in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
It's almost a "something for everyone" situation, with each hotel offering a customized blend of products and services to meet the needs of their customers. These products and services come with a price tag for the hotels. But they're also a big part of the effort that upscale hotels make not only to distinguish themselves in a fiercely competitive field, but to hold on to their best customers.
'Unexpected delights'
"You have to give people what they want," said Matt Greene, general manager of Hotel ZaZa in Dallas' Uptown.
Source: Dallas Business Journal

Ref: P28 - Bed & breakfast in Calgary and Surrounding Canada

2006-12-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

Ref: P28 - Bed & breakfast in Calgary and Surrounding Canada

Tourism wins with the dollar down -- or up
Mar 30, 05 1:55 am
Will the dollar keep climbing or resume its fall? Experts disagree, but U.S. tourism could benefit either way. Here's a way to find stocks in three sectors that should gain the most
The U.S. dollar has lost around 20% of its value versus the euro over the past two years. Some pundits expect a recent dollar rebound to continue. Others say it's only a brief respite as the dollar's purchasing power continues to erode.Given that uncertainty, what's a stock investor to do? Well, there's one U.S. industry that is likely to do well no matter which way the dollar moves: tourism. The less valuable the dollar, the more expensive it is for U.S. residents to travel overseas. For many, a dollar that buys 20% less than it did a year ago means that trip to Paris can wait. But that doesn't mean folks won't take vacations this year. They'll just go somewhere in the United States instead. That reasoning works in reverse for Europeans. The United States is a favorite destination anyway, and now they can visit favored spots such as Las Vegas or San Francisco at fire-sale prices. If the dollar resumes its decline, more U.S. residents will vacation here and more visitors will come from overseas. If the dollar rebounds, the industry should benefit from a strengthening U.S. economy. So, just in time for vacation season, here's a look at how to make money from a boom in the tourism industry. Three sectors, in particular, look like good investments: lodging, casinos and gambling resorts, and cruise lines. Lodging: What's in a name?Although the entire lodging industry gains from increased tourism, high-end hotels and resorts located in major tourist destinations will get the most play. But there's something you need to know before you start researching hotels and resorts. The name you see on the door is often not the name of the hotel owner. In many cases, a property owner leases the hotel to an operator, say Sheraton, which operates the property as a Sheraton hotel. When the lease is up, the property owner could lease to another operator and suddenly the Sheraton becomes a Marriott. To add to the confusion, some operators, such as Marriott and Hilton, franchise their brand names to other hotel operators. Since most property owners require a percentage of revenues or profits, both the property owner and the operator gain when the hotel business booms. When running my screens, however, I couldn't find any publicly traded hotel-operating companies that were good currency plays. Some operate mostly mid- or low-priced properties that wouldn't appeal to foreign tourists or even to U.S. residents looking for an alternative to Paris or Milan. The outfits that do operate luxury hotels and resorts won't work because they derive significant revenues from outside the United States. Hotel-property owners: Fast-growing REITs Because of the tax advantages, most hotel-property owners are organized as real estate investment trusts (REITs). Screening is the quickest way to find the major players. I used MSN's Deluxe Screener to list REITs in the hotel-and-motel industry. Screen parameter: Industry Name = REIT - Hotel/Motel The screener listed 17 REITs. Rather than research all 17, I added two additional requirements to highlight the best prospects. I set a $500 million minimum market capitalization to eliminate small REITs, which would be unlikely owners of big-city hotels and fancy resorts. Also, I wanted to limit the field to hotel-property owners with good long-term growth prospects, independent of what happens to the U.S. dollar. I did that by requiring at least 5% long-term consensus earnings growth forecasts. Screen parameter: Market Capitalization >= $500,000,000Screen parameter: EPS Growth Next 5 yr >= 5

Ref: P113 - Cottage in Fundy Coastal Drive Canada

2006-12-07T15:45:00.000-08:00

Ref: P113 - Cottage in Fundy Coastal Drive Canada

Hotel News In Brief
Mar 31, 05 1:46 am
The Hilton Family of Hotels celebrated the opening of two new properties in Dulles, Va. just outside Washington D.C. A 90-suite Homewood Suites by Hilton and a 150-suite Embassy Suites Hotel are close neighbors on Waxpool Road. The Buccini/Pollin Group, Inc. of Washington D.C. franchised both new hotels, and Pollin/Miller Hospitality Strategies, Inc., also of Washington D.C. manages both properties."We are pleased to add two of the leading hotel brands to the Dulles - D.C. area," said David B. Pollin, president of The Buccini/Pollin Group. "Both Embassy Suites Hotels and Homewood Suites by Hilton are high-quality upscale brands, each offering distinct accommodations. By offering our guests these options side-by-side, we are able to cast a wider net into the market, and appeal to multiple customer segments.""We are delighted that Buccini/Pollin is flying the Embassy Suites Hotels and Homewood Suites by Hilton flags on these two new hotels in such a thriving market as Dulles-North/Loudoun," said Tom Keltner, president - brand performance and development group for Hilton Hotels Corporation. "Both hotels will benefit from the ease of online booking channels via embassysuites.com and homewoodsuites.com, the outreach of Hilton Sales Worldwide, and high-visibility brand marketing programs."The simultaneous openings bring two distinct styles of accommodations to the area. The Homewood Suites by Hilton Dulles-North, located at 44620 Waxpool Road, features services and amenities uniquely suited to the extended-stay guest who typically stays five or more nights. The hotel features residential-style studio, one- and two-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens and spacious sleeping and living areas that are large enough for work, study, entertaining or relaxing.
Park Hyatt Seoul Opens April 15 The Park Hyatt Seoul will debut on April 15 in the central business district of Gangnam. The 185-room property will feature the largest guestrooms in Seoul at 560 square feet. Rooms will feature floor-to-ceiling windows as well as oversized luxurious bathrooms, Aesop amenities, flat-screen TVs, DVD/CD players and high-speed Internet access. A spa and fitness center will be located on the 23rd floor. Rack rates start at $300 per night
The Marco Polo Hotel Group has named the following senior executives for properties in the Asia Pacific : Mr Peter Chiu has been appointed general manager of The Marco Polo Beijing. He was previously general manager of The Marco Polo Davao. Mr Stanley Lau has been promoted to general manager of The Marco Polo Davao in the Philippines, following an extensive career with the Marco Polo hotels in Hong Kong. Mr Andy Castillejos has been appointed manager of The Marco Polo Gateway in Hong Kong. He was previously director of operations, Special Projects at the Marco Polo headquarters in Hong Kong.
Kor Hotel Group Plans New Anguilla Resort Los Angeles-based Kor Hotel Group has targeted the Caribbean for its latest project, Viceroy Anguilla Resort and Residences. Located on more than 27 acres of beachfront property, the Viceroy Anguilla will feature luxury homes, villas and resort residence buildings. Facilities will include a restaurant and lounge, two swimming pools, an 8,000-square foot spa, a fitness center, meeting rooms, tennis courts and a beach activity pavilion. The Viceroy Anguilla is slated to open by the end of 2007
Stanley Pao leaves Dusit Group Mr Stanley Pao, general manager of the Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok, has parted company with the Dusit Group. News of his departure has been circulating since mid-January and was confirmed by a Dusit spokesman who said Mr Pao’s departure had been by “mutual agreement”. Mr Pao had been general manager of the property since July 2001 and was previously general manager of the group’s highly-rated four-star Pathumwan Princess hotel, also in Bangkok. Mr Pao told TTG Daily News today he is now in Koh Lanta where he is involved in the development of a 180-room 5-star project scheduled to open in August.
Accor awarded hotel management contract for Guangzhou’s new airport The Guangdong Airport Management Corporation has appointed Accor to manage the only hotel at the new international airport in Guangzhou, the gateway city to the booming commercial southern China region. The Novotel Baiyun Airport Guangzhou is scheduled to open in October 2005.Accor Asia Pacific Managing Director, Michael Issenberg, and Guangdong Airport Management Corporation Vice President, Liu Zi Jing, signed the contract for the new Novotel today. Guangzhou New Baiyun International Airport is expected to rival Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok, with a capacity to handle up to 60 million passengers a year by 2010. The 450-room hotel is only a short five-minute walk from the main terminal and easily accessible from both the arrival or departure halls. The airport is located in Guangzhou's Huadu district, 28 kilometres north of downtown. Once completed Novotel Baiyun Airport Guangzhou will offer four restaurants and a lobby lounge, a 450sqm multi-function meeting space, health centre, swimming pool and business centre. Accor Managing Director Asia Pacific Michael Issenberg said Novotel Baiyun Airport Guangzhou gave Accor a high profile hotel in one of China's busiest international airports. "This is an outstanding opportunity for Accor as Guangzhou is a major hub in southern China, both for leisure and corporate travelers. We now have a significant presence in all of China's major gateway cities and this hotel will be part of our rapid expansion throughout the country.
Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront Begins $4 Million Renovation Remington Hotels Corporation has announced the start of an extensive $4 million renovation of the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront. The four-month project includes all 333 guest rooms, suites, and the top-floor executive lounge. All public spaces were renovated in late 2003.The new rooms were designed by Hilton Hotels Corporation's in-house team of designers, and developed by Remington Hotels. The Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront is owned by Ashford Hospitality Trust and managed by Remington Hotels and operated under a franchise license agreement with Beverly Hills-based Hilton Hotels Corporation."The newly-renovated rooms will add the final touch on the transformation of this property," said Jack Odom, general manager. "Business travelers to St. Petersburg will enjoy the utmost comfort and convenience in these new rooms, all with the level of service they've come to expect when they stay at a Hilton." The redecorated guestrooms and suites feature the Suite Dreams(R) Bed by Hilton, a highly-functional workspace, specially designed chairs, two phone lines, data ports, and wireless high speed internet. The three top floors of the hotel have been designated as concierge floors, and the penthouse floor offers additional amenities to frequent travelers who are members of the Hilton HHonors(R) rewards program. With the renovation, the Hilton now gives meeting planners new reasons to choose the hotel for their next business meeting or training session. The hotel offers 35,000 square feet of ground-floor flexible meeting and conference space. Also new to the hotel will soon be one of Florida's largest STARBUCKS, which -- like the hotel's plush Spa Olimpia -- is expected to be a hit not only with visitors to the hotel but with St. Petersburg locals as well.
Every Hilton Garden Inn in the U.S. will now be equipped with a universal cellphone charger for guest use ... a new 132-room La Quinta Inn will open at Long Island's MacArthur Airport in Islip in late 2005 ... the San Diego Marriott La Jolla in San Diego has just completed a room renovation ... the 210-room Le Meridien Sunny Isles Beach resort, located between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, is slated to open in May ... the 392-room Hilton Hartford has reopened after a $33-million renovation ... the historic Merchants Laclede Building in downtown St. Louis has been renovated as a new, 195-room Hilton ... side-by-side Embassy Suites and Homewood Suites hotels recently opened at Washington's Dulles airport ... Courtyard by Marriott has opened its first hotel in the United Arab Emirates, a 165-room property in Dubai ... the 166-room Hilton Dublin Airport will open this summer ... Park Plaza Hotels has opened a 308-room Park Suites property in Sao Paulo, Brazil ... the 380-room Renaissance Suzhou Hotel is now open outside Suzhou, China.
Second JW Marriott Hotel in India planned for Bangalore Marriott is to operate a new JW Marriott in Bangalore, the Garden City, India, under a management agreement with Gstaad Hotels. The 250-room property is scheduled to open in early 2007. The property will be the second JW Marriott in India. The JW Marriott Hotel Bangalore will be part of a 14-acre development that will also include the new headquarters for United Breweries (UB) Group and UB City, a one million-square-foot mixed-use development offering prime office and retail space. The hotel will be situated on a three-acre site at the corner of Kasturba Road and Vittal Mallya Road, boasting sweeping views of UB City and overlooking the 350-acre Cubbon Park in the center of Bangalore.

Ref: P43 - Cottage in Cape Breton Island Canada

2006-12-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

Ref: P43 - Cottage in Cape Breton Island Canada

Chicago-Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 East Wacker Drive, Hyatt's largest property and Chicago's biggest hotel, now features Oreck Professional Air Purifiers in all 2,019 of its luxurious guest rooms, announced General Manager Tom Pagels. The new air purifiers quietly and efficiently filter harmful bacteria, mold, and viruses and completely regenerate the air in each guest room every hour. Dust, allergens and odors are also eliminated with the use of the air purifiers, which especially benefits guests with allergies or asthma.
"The addition of Oreck Professional Air Purifiers to all of our guest rooms is a great enhancement to Hyatt Regency Chicago and expresses our commitment to the health and comfort of our guests," says Tom Pagels, General Manager.
Additionally, Hyatt Regency Chicago is now the first hotel to offer "Speech Attendant" from Scansoft, Inc., a convenient new voice activated phone system. Outside callers no longer have to go through operators or directories to reach guests or hotel employees since "Speech Attendant" is completely voice activated. Callers simply say the name of the person they are trying to reach and they will be directly connected. "We're proud to be the first hotel offering this streamlined new system," said Bruce Flyer, Rooms Executive at Hyatt Regency Chicago.
Hyatt Regency Chicago borders the Magnificent Mile and is only blocks away from Chicago's premier business, cultural and shopping districts. For reservations, call 312.565.1234.
There are 207 Hyatt Hotels and Resorts around the world, which are managed by two separate groups of companies. Hyatt Hotels Corporation and its subsidiaries operate, lease and franchise 123 hotels and resorts in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Subsidiaries of Hyatt International Corporation operate 61 hotels and 23 resorts in 39 countries, with an additional 16 hotels under development. Reservation or information for any Hyatt Hotel worldwide can be obtained by calling toll-free in the United States and Canada, 1-800-233-1234, your local Hyatt Hotel or Worldwide Sales Office, or your travel planner

Ref: P43 - Cottage in Cape Breton Island Canada

2006-12-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

Ref: P43 - Cottage in Cape Breton Island Canada

Cendant's Hotel Web Sites Set Record-Breaking Pace
Mar 31, 05 1:50 am
Cendant Hotel Group today announced that the value of single-day bookings made through its brand Web sites reached the $1 million mark on Feb. 7, three months earlier than last year.
May 17 was the company's first $1 million day last year.
Year-to-date, Cendant Hotel Group's Web sites have recorded 21 days exceeding one million dollars in revenue. In terms of overall revenue, the Web sites are exceeding last year's booking pace with a 38 percent growth in revenue year over year.
"At this rate, our Web sites may break the 2004 record of 52 million-dollar days for the year," said Peter Strebel, Cendant Hotel Group executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "This is a testament to the success of our efforts to make our Web sites more user-friendly and streamlined in the rebounding travel market."
Cendant's hotel Web sites are www.daysinn.com , www.super8.com , www.ramada.com , www.travelodge.com , www.howardjohnson.com , www.knightsinn.com , www.wingateinns.com and www.amerihostinn.com .
With approximately 80,000 employees, New York City-based Cendant Corporation (NYSE:CD) is primarily a provider of travel and residential real estate services to businesses and consumers in more than 100 countries. Cendant's Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, N.J., is the world's largest lodging franchisor with 6,408 hotels representing 521,241 rooms on five continents under the Super 8, Days Inn, Ramada, Travelodge, Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, Wingate Inn and AmeriHost Inn brands. Cendant's franchised hotels sell nearly one out of every five economy and midpriced room-nights in the United States, and Cendant franchises 10.3 percent of the entire U.S. hotel room supply, according to Smith Travel Research and Cendant financial data. All hotels are individually owned and operated under franchise agreements with Cendant subsidiaries.

Hotels alignment

2006-08-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

U.S. Hotel Sales Volume Hits Record of $21.8 Billion
Aug 23, 06 1:58 am
Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels announced today that the volume of U.S. hotel sales through June of this year has set a record at $21.8 billion, surpassing the total volume of 2005 of $21.0 billion in just six months. According to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels’ proprietary database, which tracks transactions $10 million and above, 135 transactions closed during the first half of the year.
Given this pace of transaction activity, combined with the volume of assets currently on the market and investors’ positive outlook, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels forecasts full year transaction volume for assets $10 million and above to exceed $30 billion in 2006.
“Hotels continue to offer excellent risk adjusted returns relative to other forms of real estate, good current yields and extremely strong long term IRRs, a good annuity income stream, and an exceptional inflation hedge,” said Arthur Adler, managing director and CEO-Americas for Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. “In particular, private equity firms have capitalized on this opportune time to invest in hotels, adopting a combined income and capital growth strategy and public REITs continue to be active investors due to their strong earnings multiples.”
“The U.S. is leading the trend for global hotel sales with its explosive activity. Globally, the volume of full-service hotel sales is poised to exceed $60 billion – a 33% increase over last year, with U.S. sales comprising half of that volume,” said Kristina Paider, senior vice president of marketing and research for Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.
Of the top ten hotel sales for the first half of the year, four single asset transactions exceeded the $300 million mark, with the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii (arranged by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels), leading the pack at more than $500 million, followed by the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, Swissotel The Drake in New York, and the Chicago Marriott Downtown (financing arranged by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels).
To receive a copy of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels’ full research report, Hotel Investment Highlights – U.S. Transactions Mid-Year 2006, visit the research area of

http://www.holidayhomesaus.com/rentals/Northern-Territory-Holidays/

Cabins in the wild

2006-08-22T17:19:00.000-07:00

InterContinental Operating Profit Up 30% - RevPAR Rises 11%
Aug 23, 06 1:59 am
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC First Half Results to 30 June 2006 - 2nd Quarter Profit Doubles • Continuing revenue up 16% from £340m to £394m, up 12% at constant exchange rates. • Continuing operating profit up 30% from £82m to £107m, up 25% at constant exchange rates. • Total operating profit, including discontinued operations, of £127m. • Franchised operating profit up 14% to £117m. Managed operating profit up 39% to £43m. • Adjusted continuing earnings per share up 132% from 8.2p to 19.0p. • Interim dividend up 11% from 4.6p to 5.1p. • Total gross revenue* from all hotels in IHG's system up 14% to £4.1bn. • Global constant currency RevPAR growth of 11.2%. • Room count up by 3,469 rooms to 541,002. Full year 2006 forecast net room additions in the region of 10,000. • Development pipeline up by 21,588 rooms to 130,100 (1,028 hotels). 80% expected to open by end 2008. * Total gross revenue is defined as total room revenue (i.e. excluding food and beverage) from franchised hotels and total hotel revenue from managed, owned and leased hotels. It is not revenue attributable to IHG, as it is derived mainly from hotels owned by third parties. The metric is highlighted as an indicator of the scale and reach of IHG's brands. All figures and movements unless otherwise noted are at actual exchange rates and before other operating income and expenses.See appendix 3 for analysis of financial headlines. Constant exchange rate comparatives shown in appendix 4Commenting on the results and trading, Andrew Cosslett, Chief Executive of InterContinental Hotels Group PLC said: "This has been a good first half for IHG with excellent trading across each of our three operating regions, and RevPAR outperformance in all our key profit generators. We have made good progress on our asset disposal programme and remain fully focused on increasing the number of hotels that carry our brands. We continue to attract strong interest from owners and partners, both new and existing, and for the first time we now have over 1,000 new hotels in the development pipeline across the world. Current trading is healthy and our outlook for the rest of the year remains positive."Americas: strong performance across all brands Revenue performance RevPAR increased 11.5% with rate generating most of the increase. InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Candlewood each outperformed their market segments, with RevPAR up 11.1%, 15.1%, 9.9%, 12.3% and 11.2% respectively. Staybridge Suites also showed continued good RevPAR growth, with a 9.4% increase. Operating profit performance Operating profit from continuing operations increased 21% from $164m to $199m. Continuing owned and leased operating profit improved from $12m to $15m. This improvement was driven by increased occupancy and rate at the InterContinental Atlanta, and increased rates at InterContinentals in New York, San Francisco and Montreal, but was impacted by $1.3m pre opening costs at InterContinental Boston, scheduled to open in November. Managed profit was up 42% to $27m, benefiting from improved trading in existing operations and retained management contracts on assets disposed. Franchised profit increased 14% to $185m driven by increased total gross revenue. Including discontinued operations, total operating profit increased from $181m to $202m. EMEA: RevPAR growth accelerating Revenue performance RevPAR increased 11.5%, driven by increased occupancy and 8.5% rate growth. The Middle East continued to perform strongly, growing RevPAR by 23.1%. Continental Europe delivered a RevPAR increase of 7.2%, benefiting from continued improvement across the region, particularly in Germany, Holland and Spain. In the UK, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express outperformed their segment, growing RevPAR by 4.1%. Operating profit performance Operating profit from continuing operations increased 6% from £16m to £17m. Continuing owned and leased operations generated a loss of £2m, a £1m improvement on the prior period, with the enhanced performance at InterContinental Le Grand Paris, where occupancy increased by 12.1%, outweighing the impact of the closure of InterContinental London Park Lane for refurbishment. The InterContinental London Park Lane is on track to reopen towards the end of 2006. Managed profit was up 31% from £13m to £17m, as a result of improved trading and retained management contracts on assets disposed. The current Middle East conflict may result in a slightly lower level of managed profitability in the second half. Franchised profit decreased 25% from £16m to £12m with an underlying trading improvement outweighed by the non recurrence of the £7m liquidated damages received in 2005. Including discontinued operations, total operating profit reduced from £73m to £36m. Asia Pacific: strong growth Revenue performance RevPAR increased 9.3%, mainly driven by rate. InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn all performed strongly, with RevPAR up 10.5%, 9.8% and 7.9% respectively. Greater China RevPAR increased 12.8%, driven by rate increases as strong demand for IHG's brands continues. Operating profit performance Operating profit from continuing operations increased 42% from $19m to $27m. Owned and leased operating profit increased 56% from $9m to $14m as a result of excellent trading at InterContinental Hong Kong, driven by a 19.1% average rate increase. The final phase of refurbishment of the InterContinental Hong Kong will take place in the second half. Managed hotels profit increased 19% to $19m, driven by improved trading and retained management contracts on asset disposals.Strengthening Operating System IHG continues to demonstrate the strength of its revenue delivery to hotel owners through its reservation channels and loyalty programme, Priority Club Rewards.• $3.0bn of rooms revenue booked through IHG's reservation channels, 48% of total rooms revenue, up from 43% in H1 2005. • $2.1bn of rooms revenue from Priority Club Rewards members, 34% of total rooms revenue, up from 32% in H1 2005. • Internet revenues increased from 15% to 17% of total rooms revenue: 86% from IHG's own websites. Overheads and Tax As previously disclosed, IHG expects that in 2006 regional and central overheads will increase ahead of inflation at constant exchange rates. In the first half, aggregated regional overheads were up £2m to £31m after continued infrastructure investment in China. Central overheads increased by £5m to £37m. This included investment in new global research designed to enable higher quality brand development and enhancing IHG's franchise capability going forward. Further investment in these projects will be made in the second half of 2006. Based on the first half, IHG's tax rate is now expected to be approximately 25% for 2006. IHG's tax rate is likely to be volatile over the next few years but in the long term is expected, as previously indicated, to trend upwards. Increase in development pipeline size and rooms open IHG continues to increase its development pipeline, in pursuit of the target of 50,000-60,000 net organic room additions in the period to the end of 2008 from a 30 June 2005 starting position of 537,675.• 40,994 rooms were signed in the first half; 28,574 in the Americas, 2,535 in EMEA and 9,885 in Asia Pacific. • 130,100 rooms are now in the pipeline, up 21,588 since the start of the year. This represents 1,028 hotels. • IHG's development activity in China continues to be successful. 16 hotels, 8,240 rooms, were signed in the first half, including four InterContinentals, one Crowne Plaza, seven Holiday Inns and four Holiday Inn Expresses. IHG maintains its focus on enhancing the quality of its portfolio, in tandem with growth.• 17,371 rooms opened; 13,681 in the Americas, 2,131 in EMEA and 1,559 in Asia Pacific. • 13,902 rooms exited;10,565 in the Americas, 2,405 in EMEA and 932 in Asia Pacific. The majority were at IHG's instigation. • The room count at the end of the period increased by 3,469 rooms to 541,002. 2006 year end room count expected to have increased in the region of 10,000. Disposals and returns of funds The disposal of 24 hotels in Continental Europe was announced during the first half, with a 15 year franchise agreement, for which £240m proceeds have been received. The sale of seven InterContinental branded hotels in Continental Europe placed on the market during the first half was announced in July 2006 with management contracts of up to 50 years, with £440m proceeds expected to be received during the third quarter of 2006. The sale of IHG's shares in FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated ('Felcor') was also completed in the first half for a total of $191m, generating a gain of $44m, following the successful renegotiation of IHG's hotel management agreement with Felcor. IHG's returns of funds to shareholders continued in the quarter, with the second £250m share buyback now completed, the third £250m share buyback well underway, and £497m returned to shareholders on 22 June 2006 via a special dividend. Upon completion of the third share buyback, IHG will have returned £2.74bn to its shareholders since Separation from Six Continents in April 2003. £174m of share repurchases remained to be completed at the half year.IHG's net debt at the period end was £320m. Disposal proceeds in excess of £400m will be received in the second half. Further returns of funds will be made to shareholders in due course. An announcement on timing and quantum of further returns will be made not later than IHG's preliminary results in February 2007.

http://www.holidayhomesaus.com/rentals/Western-Australia-Holidays/

Our little Slice of Heaven

2006-06-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Contact Center Evolution - New Technologies, Emerging Lights
Jun 23, 06 1:58 am
By Bill Peters, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts
We are in the midst of a contact center evolution that is being fueled by the availability of new technology and customer expectations. I consider the new technology available to contact centers today emerging lights, which are lighting the way to a higher level of customer service and customer satisfaction. This increases sales, increases customer retention and makes the company more profitable.
There are a few questions that a business needs to ask itself as this evolution takes hold. First, what is this evolution all about? How is this evolution affecting organizations? Is this just a technical evolution or also a people evolution? Should your company prepare for the business paradigm change?
The importance of contact centers to the overall company business goals has increased in value again. In other words it has gone full circle to where most companies have regained the true understanding of establishing strong relationships with their customers through the use of professional contact centers. People connecting with people are here to stay; as a matter of fact it had never gone away. Those companies that kept their eye on this ball became very successful. Others are now trying to catch up.
I have been told that we are moving out of the Informational Age and are now moving into the Conceptual Age. I definitely agree with this new business paradigm change. This is the greatest amount of evolution in contact centers in twenty years. This evolution is not just impacting hardware and software but it is also impacting how people work. Most importantly, it is also allowing customers to contact businesses via many different media customer touch points. It is no longer just voice telephone calls. Customers now use E-mail, fax, Internet sites, and Internet text chat, Internet click to talk, wireless PDAs and even instant messaging to contact businesses.
The evolution is definitely changing the way contact center associates need to work. Contact center associates need to work closer and have more open communication with one another. That does not necessarily mean they have to be located in the same building, state or even country. Communication and flexibility will be the keys to business success.
The inbound and outbound agent, team lead, supervisor and manager positions have become much more technical and diverse than ever before. This has created the end to contact center associates working in silos. These associates need to be working in collaborative environments to meet the customer’s full needs.
Some of the changes that have already occurred or are occurring at this very moment are: Companies first created their own campus style contact centers within their own organizations. Some of those same companies then outsourced their contact center requirements to campus styled mega contact centers within the United States. The evolution continued with these companies then off shoring their outsourcing needs to other countries. New technology is now allowing those companies to home shore their contact center needs back within their own countries.
The industry is evolving from TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) to VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). From telephone circuits to data packets, from proprietary closed telephone systems (PBX, ACD) to proprietary open, server based applications to hosted solutions in the cloud.
Some contact centers have already evolved from just electronic distribution of telephone calls (voice only) to electronic distribution of all customer touch points such as voice calls, fax, e-mail, text chat, and wireless to mention a few. While others still struggle trying to service these new customer touch points in silos.
Customers have migrated from using the U.S. Post Office snail mail to telex then to fax. And from fax they moved to e-mail and are now moving from e-mail to live web text chat and instant messaging. A good number of customers calling contact centers have moved from using hard wired telephones to cell phones. This in itself can be a challenge due to the voice quality and quality of the customer’s cell service. Customers are moving from using their desktop PCs to wireless PDAs to contact companies.
Contact centers are evolving from 24/7 campus style work places to work from home solutions, home shoring. From having mostly full time employees to part time employees to now considering hiring “On Call” contractors.
Part of the evolution has added to the technical changes that are now necessary to service customers. CTI (computer telephony integration or screen pop) is no longer sufficient without an interface into a true CRM (Customer Relationship Management Database). The IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems have grown into ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) systems.
As the contact center continued to evolve it moved from Excel spreadsheet scheduling to professional WFM (Work Force Management) systems, from world wide web instant messaging to enterprise instant messaging, from help desk voice calls to help desk instant messaging, from 99.999% up time for voice to disaster recovery for all customer touch points, from concerns about application systems failures to concerns about network failures, from a centralized workforce to a distributed workforce to both a centralized management with a distributed workforce and the list of change keeps growing every day.
Business is moving out of the Informational Age and into the Conceptual Age. Contact centers need to do the same. Travel Dotcoms evolved very quickly, from just an Internet informational site to a full booking engine site backed up by contact centers not only selling hotels but all means of travel, destinations and activities and soon more to come. Contact centers need to be concerned not only with the big Dotcoms selling their company’s product but now also with the Meta search engine sites. Perceived customer satisfaction is evolving from telephone and written surveys to inspecting dot.com sites for customer postings and also the new and upcoming customer Blog communication sites. Companies and Contact centers have realized that relationship selling will keep them ahead of their competition and seems to be part of the driving fource in this evolution.
Contact centers need to understand how customers want to deal with today’s companies. Every new and old customer touch point needs to be evaluated for efficiency and effectiveness. Besides the customer touch points, contact centers need to evaluate for efficiency and effectiveness all business processes including training, all software programs from legacy systems to desk top software, and all hardware and software maintenance commitments.
If you have not already started your own discovery process for your contact center, I suggest you start today because today is already gone.
About the Author:William "Bill" D. Peters is Vice President-Reservations and Market Development for Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, the largest lodging company in Hawaii and one of the fastest growing lodging companies in the Pacific. Mr. Peter's is in charge of the company's Denver-based central reservations division. In addition to overseeing the daily operation of the call center, Mr. Peters is responsible for the development and implementation of Outrigger’s long-range plans for its reservations services throughout the Pacific, in addition to increasing revenue from electronic distribution systems and the Internet. Mr. Peters, a graduate of New York City College and San Diego State University’s Executive Challenge program, has over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including executive management positions with Forte Hotels, Travelodge, Helmsley Hotels, Playboy Resorts and Country Clubs, Four Seasons Hotels and Loews Corporation. Prior to joining Outrigger, he was in charge of the day-to-day activities of the 100-seat inbound, outbound call center for Four Seasons Vacation Club. He was one of the four founding directors that introduced Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts to the time share industry.

Holiday Abroad

2006-06-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

Knit me a football, honey
Jun 23, 06 1:59 am
Yeoh Siew Hoon was told to stick to knitting by a soccer fan last week because women just don’t get it.Ok. Ok. I get it already. I should not write about football because women just don’t get it.The streams of emails I got just because I got my Brazilian soccer stars mixed up in my last column – ok, Ronaldo’s the roly-poly one who needs a lot of tender loving care from mummy and Ronaldino is the one who looks like a stick insect on speed. I get it.Actually would you believe me if I said I did it on purpose just to see what reaction I would get?I mean, I think it wouldn’t have caused such a fuss if I had got my hotel CEOs wrong – like for example saying Miguel Ko was boss of Le Meridien when he’s actually the Starwood boss, but wait a minute, aren’t they one and the same now? I tell you, it’s hard to keep track of things these days.Especially soccer which is full of dramatics – worse than Desperate Housewives.The managers are the most desperate of all. They always look like they are in pain throughout the game. Some stay in pain long after the game. Then there’s the footballers themselves – some blame others for their poor performance; some blame the heat; others blame the grass, ball, fans, referees …. And then there’s the fans, of which I can’t quite decide yet if I am one – I am trying to emulate England’s manager Sven Goran-Eriksson who has been criticized for being indecisive.My recommendation to Sven is he should resign from soccer and think about forming a new Abba. I was actually thinking I should become a fan because really some of the matches are quite entertaining and as a young girl, I used to watch soccer a lot because my boyfriend lived and breathed football and it was the only way to get her man (I did and I did) … but now I am not so sure.In today’s newspaper, there’s a column which states quite categorically that women just don’t understand the game and calls all the women fans at the World Cup “great pretenders”.It says that knowledge of football among women can be broken down like this: 70% know nothing – they can’t tell Michael Owen from Owen Wilson; 15% know something – they can tell Michael Owen from Owen Wilson but only because they think both are cute; 10% think they know something – they can tell Michael Owen is an English striker and will try to recite a few statistics; and 5% know everything – but they don’t know who Owen Wilson is.And it tells women that we shouldn’t spoil it for the men because it’s a men’s game. Which is obviously what I did last week in my column by getting my Rs wrong.One fan told me I should stick to knitting.I think I should and then stick a needle in his eye. Now that’s a women’s game.
The SHY Report A regular column on news, trends and issues in the hospitality industry by one of Asia’s most respected travel editors and commentators, Yeoh Siew Hoon. Siew Hoon, who has covered the tourism industry in Asia/Pacific for the past 20 years, runs SHY Ventures Pte Ltd. Her company’s mission is “Content, Communication, Connection”. She is a writer, speaker, facilitator, trainer and events producer. She is also an author, having published “Around Asia In 1 Hr: Tales of Condoms, Chillies & Curries”. Her motto is ‘free to do, and be’. Contacts: Tel: 65-63424934, Mobile: 65-96801460

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Posting Cabins

2006-06-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

Hotel Labor - Big Cost, Big Issue
Jun 23, 06 2:00 am
In 2005, labor expenses remained the largest single expense item for hotel managers, accounting for 44.6 percent of total operating costs. Consequently, any trend or issue that could potentially impact labor costs must be taken seriously by hotel owners and managers alike. This analysis is based on the recently released 2006 edition of Trends in the Hotel Industry published by PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR), an affiliate of PKF Consulting.
“Due to the magnitude of the expense, labor costs and issues have always consumed a substantial portion of the time and efforts of hotel managers,” said R. Mark Woodworth, president of Atlanta-based PKF-HR. “Now, with news of union contact negotiations, changes to immigration laws, and proposed legislation to increase the minimum wage, U.S. hotel managers are on edge.”
Several political and economic factors are brewing that may have a strong influence on hotel labor costs.
Union contract negotiations are under way in several major cities.
Proposed changes to immigration laws could affect the ability of hotels to find and retain employees.
Local and state governments are proposing legislation to increase the minimum wage.
To provide a better understanding of the current and historical impact of payroll and related expenses on hotel operations, PKF-HR has analyzed labor cost data from its Trends in the Hotel Industry database. Labor costs are just one of 28 different in-depth analyses found in the just-released 2006 Trends in the Hotel Industry report, marking the 70th annual review of U.S. hotel operations conducted by PKF. This year’s sample draws upon year-end 2005 financial statements received from more than 5,000 hotels across the country.
Payroll and Benefits Grow
Total hotel labor costs grew by 5.1 percent in 2005. This is a full percentage point greater than the long-term annual average increase of 4.1 percent.
Labor costs are comprised of two major components; salaries and wage, and employee benefits. “The salaries and wages paid to employees grew 4.6 percent in 2005, but it was the 6.5 percent increase in employee benefits that continues to concern hotel managers,” Woodworth said. “In the past three years, the rise in employee benefits (7.7 percent annually) has outpaced the growth in salaries and wages (4.0 percent annually).” Employee benefits include items such as payroll taxes, payroll-related insurance, subsidized employee insurances and meals, and retirement plans.
Managing Labor Costs
Labor is considered a semi-variable cost. Base staffing levels, plus management salaries, make up the fixed component of labor costs. The majority of jobs in the typical hotel are filled by hourly rate employees, and thus their cost is a direct function of the volume of business (number of rooms occupied, number of covers served). The payroll for these employees is the variable component.
“Hotel managers have done a very good job matching the variable part of their staffing to the level of business at their property,” Woodworth noted. “This is evident given the strong historical correlation between changes in revenue and changes in labor costs.” Since 1980, payroll and related expenses have remained in the tight range of 30 to 35 percent of total revenue.
“Managers fear that the proposed changes to the union contracts, immigration laws, and minimum wage will inhibit their ability to control this huge expense,” Woodworth observed. “The proposed contracts and legislation would most likely contribute to an increase in the fixed component of labor expenses which is much less controllable by management. In addition, a rise in employee turnover leads to increased payments for recruiting, pre-screening, and training.”
Laborious For All
In the hotel industry, lodging facilities are frequently defined by the level of service they provide to their guests. Due to the extensive services and amenities offered at resort (46.5 percent) and convention hotels (46.0 percent), these property types have the highest payroll ratios as a percentage of total expenses. On the other end of the spectrum, limited-service hotels (36.7 percent) and all-suite properties (37.7 percent) reported the lowest cost ratios. In PKF’s Trends report, extended-stay hotels are included in the all-suite category.
“Across the board, the cost of labor is the biggest expense in all categories of hotels,“ Woodworth observed. “Even with the advent of select-service properties, hotel developers cannot avoid the human component of hotel operations.”
While managing labor expenses is important, hotel managers are also aware that employees are an integral part of the lodging experience. “The interaction between hotel guests and employees has a dramatic impact on the customer experience and the success of the business operation,” Woodworth said. ”Therefore, a fine balance must be drawn between cost controls and guest satisfaction.”

WOW said the MRS

2006-06-19T01:38:00.000-07:00

A deal is near for De Vere
Jun 15, 06 1:58 am
New owners could soon be checking in at hotels and leisure clubs group De Vere, as long-running negotiations to take the company private edge towards a close.
Investment bank UBS has been formally appointed to field offers from a number of suitors, including private equity firm Permira.
City sources said a conclusion to the talks could be just a few weeks away.
De Vere's rich property assets have attracted the interest of private equity firms and rival hotel companies for two years.
In 2004, Guinness Peat Group tabled an offer of 415p a share, but then the talks fell apart. The current suitors are thought to include Permira, NH Hoteles, of Spain, private equity firm Delancey and US hotel operators Starwood Capital and Strategic Hotels. Private equity group Blackstone is thought to have dropped out.
De Vere, up 81/2p at 8081/2p, is believed to be looking for offers in the region of 850p a share.
The company declined to comment on the bidding process.

Holiday Cabins Canada

2006-05-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

Enhancing Paradise: A Fresh Look for One&Only Kanuhura, Maldives
Jul 25, 05 1:48 am

The secluded and tranquil island resort of One&Only Kanuhura, in the northeastern part of Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives, will reopen with a fresh look in mid-October 2005 following a four-month refurbishment.
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The 100-villa resort, famed for its laid-back luxury, will retain its authentic, natural Maldivian charm. Enhancements include the rejuvenation of the 18 Water Villas and two Grand Water Villas, and the freshening up of the Beach Villas, bars and restaurants, public areas and the award-winning One&Only Spa (formerly Veyoge Spa).
Mauro Governato, General Manager of One&Only Kanuhura, feels strongly that the inherent key attractions of the island will remain the same. He commented: “The philosophy of the resort remains untouched. Private dinners on the sandy beach, magical evenings under the stars, incredible sunsets, unique marine life, and genuine and impeccable service combine with the feeling of being somewhere so remote and naturally beautiful. These are the primary ingredients of our resort.”

A romantic stage will be set in the refurbished villas with back-lighted gauzy cream and copper coloured linen draped behind the headboard and suspended over driftwood poles above the bed. The cream coloured bed cover becomes a backdrop for brightly hued cushions embellished with organza flowers fashioned after those found on the island. The pattern of the cotton and linen bed throw is inspired from Maldivian woven grass rugs. Furniture pieces are hand crafted with chiselled wood and bamboo textures. The wardrobe and dressing areas have natural light filtering through the laminated glass and raffia double doors leading into the open-air bathroom. Sandstone stepping stones lead guests to the open-air shower, or they can enjoy an aromatherapy bath in the kidney shaped freestanding tub.

“One&Only Kanuhura has a special aura that embraces guests as soon as they step on to the arrival jetty from the seaplane. The casual elegance of the island is preserved with the choice of natural materials and a colour palette pulled from the sea. The newly renovated villas have floor-to-ceiling glass and wood doors that slide back to reveal either the beach or a private deck before you fall off into the amazing turquoise sea,” comments Jan Clausen of Atlanta-based CCID, who designed the resort’s interior.
What’s happening at One&Only Kanuhura?
· Full rejuvenation of the 18 Water Villas and two Grand Water Villas includes:
- Extended over-water verandas with steps down to the crystal clear waters. The private area of the deck will be expanded to 40 square metres for the Water Villas and 45 square metres for the Grand Water Villas
- All new villa entrance jetties and main water villas walkway jetties
- New teak wood floors and deck throughout
- All new furniture, fabrics, and dressings
- Floor-to-ceiling glass doors with teak plantation shutters overlooking the lagoon, reef and Indian Ocean beyond – increasing privacy for sunbathing and in-villa dining
- Hand-crafted king-size beds with Egyptian cotton bed linen – new throws, covers and cushions
- The dressing room areas will be refurbished and overhauled, to include wardrobes with longer hanging space, multiple deep drawers, luggage rack area and honed Indian slate slab tops
- Renovation of bathrooms and semi open-air bathrooms – retaining the much-loved open-air showers, with their carved terracotta fish showerheads, steps leading down to the lagoon, polished stone bathtubs, double vanity areas with new pebble-shaped sand-washed effect basins and honed Indian slate slab vanity area tops. More natural elements such as bamboo blinds, stone, slate and wood will be added to enhance the sense of relaxation in the bathrooms
· Beach Villas
- Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors with teak plantation shutters
- New solid wood bed base with luxurious Sealy posturepedic mattresses and new furnishings
- New dressing room area with new wardrobes, extra hanging space, luggage rack area and multiple deep drawers
· Bars and restaurants
- All four of the resort’s restaurants - Thin Rah, Olive Tree, Veli Café and Coves - will also benefit from new furniture, fabrics and lighting, a new permanent barbeque station and freestanding wine cellar in Thin Rah. A fresh menu concept has also been introduced based on the existing one
- Handhuvaru Bar will become a charming gathering point surrounded by shady coconut palm trees and fine, coral sand – a great place to take in the jaw-dropping Maldivian sunsets

Holiday Cabins Canada

2006-05-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

Starwood Hotels Announces the Sale of Chicago's Raphael Hotel and the Sheraton Chapel Hill
Jul 25, 05 1:48 am
Latest Sales Part of Starwood's Target to Sell $500 Million Worth of Assets
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) announced today that it has completed the sale of Chicago's landmark Raphael Hotel to Miami-based developer Crescent Heights. The 172-room Raphael Hotel, one of Starwood's non-branded assets, was sold for more than $21 million.
In addition, Starwood also announced the sale of the Sheraton Chapel Hill Hotel for more than $6 million to the Soleil Group, a Cary, North Carolina-based developer that manages hotels and upscale mixed-use projects. The 168-room hotel is just minutes from the University of North Carolina and will remain in Sheraton's portfolio as a franchise property managed by the Soleil Group, who manages multiple Starwood franchised hotels.

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Since 2003, Starwood has sold more than $1.5 billion worth of assets. The more than $27 million from the sale of these two hotels combined with other asset sales since 2004 totals more than $425 million, part of an additional $500 million the Company intends to sell by the end of 2005. The Company expects to use proceeds for share repurchase and for general corporate purposes.About... Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 750 properties in more than 80 countries and 120,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood(R) corporation is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), Sheraton(R), Westin(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, and W(R), Hotels and Resorts as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit